Generally for throw it USUALLY goes TN31 XM-L2, TN31 XML~BTU CW, TK70, K40, BTU NW, TK75, and so on.
Of course those are typical examples.
I’m assuming he means the TK70 simply over powers the TN31 XM-L2. It does have twice the output and just a bit shy of the throw.
I was just giving you a hard time ..
I've heard that threat to leave before ..Figured it deserved a response .
He was asking for an opinion . I'm sorry if I insulted people who paid too much for their lights :p
Wait that's not right ..
Yeah you're all crazy ...and.. you're right my collection makes these high dollar lights look like a sk68
and ..i don't own a single light that cost more than 50$
I'm a budget guy :P
Ahh - no way a stock TK70 can out throw a TN31 XM-L2 like you have unless your batteries are almost dead. Maybe a weaker TN31 with XML, but I doubt that even. And a BTU easily out throws a TK75. By 100m. The BTU and TK70 are very comparable lights in throw, with a slight edge to the BTU due to its extra 6-700 lumens with almost identical reflector.
Not TK70 bashing, its got great output and throw. But not THAT good. The new TN31 XM-L2’s should be a match for my 142K SR90 when it was stock.
I apologize for the misinformation. I am wrong about the BTU vs TK70 vs TK75 vs TN31. I'm waiting for an XM-L2 BTU Shocker to become available, then I will have one of those for my own comparison. Still though, as an owner of the TK70 and the TN31 XM-L2, I would definitely recommend the TK70 as a far throwing search light over the TN31.
Ok, I fully understand your point about the TK70. It does offer awesome throw and at the same time floods a huge area vs the TN31. I agree with you about using something like that for a searchlight. I know some think a flooder/thrower like the TK70 or BTU will wash out the area in front of you too much and prevent you from see far down range. And some think that a smaller spot type light like a TN31 is better for that chore. I tend to disagree with that line of thinking, like I think you do too. I personally would rather light up a football field wide path for hundreds of meters vs just a small spot 600m away. You might not truly see as far with the TK70 or BTU because your eyes adjusting to the brightness up close, but I still think the odds of you finding a missing person, animal, or whatever is higher with the combo of high lumens throwing a long distance and flooding everything on its way is higher than it would be with a dedicated thrower. Though a TN31 does over reasonable flood for its true throwing design.
A TN31 first version and L3 Illumination K40 will both out throw the TK70.
Joe not to my Lux meter… I got 160,000 lux off my TK70…… Right around 130,00 lux off my BTU
If u don’t want MAJOR THROWER I understand, HD-2010 is good bang for the buck around 30. But if you really want to strap 4 TK-70/TN31 together to equal a ebay HID I understand also. If the TK-70 is 2200 lumens on turbo, the ebay HID is over 9000!!!
Hey, jdecker
My advice: know the real reason why you want what you want. What tasks will you be using it for? Is it a toy or a tool? It’s gotta be one more than the other. I’ve come to see that going budget is the way to go since you have to factor in what happens when you might lose or break something. STL-V2 highly recommended, as is Small Sun T16/T08, whichever, and HD2010 (though I keep having quality issues). All will wow you.
My thrower is more of a toy/chalenge. I’m trying to get the most lux possible at the lowest price possible. I think I had around 117k cd on my zy-t13. $25 for the zy-t13, $30 for the collimator head, and an xre ez900 stollen from a $5 eBay flood to zoom.
Tool? Possibly. Toy?… Most definately
Have you actually tried them side by side? I have yet to see anyone post beamshots of both of them. If possible would you please post beamshots of both the HID and the TK70 taken at the same place one after the other. If it really smokes it by that much I will bid on one. I almost did so a few weeks ago but the seller pulled the add before it ended. Not enough bids would be my guess.
Thanks
No a 85 wt eBay HID wont smoke a TK70 that bad. And no they don’t have 9000 lumens. 9000 eBay lumens sure. From what I’ve seen you can expect maybe 1/2 that in real life.
The 85wt will out power and throw the TK, but no where near that bad. Check out this recent thread. Post 12 -
Dale, are you referring to your original NW BTU? Even then you said it was pretty comparable to your tk70. Your modded one SHOULD be able to take it easy now. You’ve likely gained 800-1000 lumens with xm-l2’s and UCL lens vs your XML T6 plain lens lower amp light. You are WAY WAY over 3000otf now.
So what are you saying man ??
A friend has a TK70 and his mate a Shocker and in one real world comparison against each other (In fact how I met them, I was on the receiving end!) The TK70 threw a bit further to our eyes.
Hi, i am new, so no Beamshots at this time, but i have the TK70, HID75 Watt (Ebay) and the TN31 XML2. The HID does definately beat the others in throw.
However, if i was going to choose one of them, even for Throw and Flood, given you are a Newcomer like myself, it would be the TK70. The reason is simple, the first thing you will need to do if you are going to get into “Litium High Powered Multi Cell Lights” or even single Cell, is do some reading on the handling of Lithium Batteries Safely. You will need to do this as they are not the kind of Cell you can just throw in the Charger when empty and then throw in the Torch when they stop Charging. There is much more to it than that, and this Forum will be the place to learn how to handle them.
The TK70’s main advantage over the opposition is that it is not Lithium but it still puts out the Power of a Lithium Light, without most of the precautions (newcomer Safe). I am not aware of another Light that can compete with it on NIMH, and it throws with the best of the Lithiums still. If you want a first Light that you will have a very hard time trying to outdo, then this is your Light. They are well made and will take the knocks, so if you want to convince that Raccoon to let go of your Dog, Club him with it, it’s long enough to do this without putting your hands in harms way. The TK70 can be shortened to three Cells though if you wish.
The other reasons for it’s choice over Hid and TN, i would definately not wan’t to Drop the Ebay Hid on anything solid if it was Hot, let alone club anything with it, because the Bulb might let go. The TN31 XML2 does throw well but the Hot Spot is too small, unless you have perfect vision for Distance then this Light is best for finding stationary Targets or at least slow moving ones. You will have trouble trying to track an Owls Progess in flight with it, not with the TK, you wont have to have the Light directly on it to see him Clearly. It is great for Tracking fast moving objects at a Distance, and i wouldn’t be trying to fend of a Raccoon with a TN31 Either.
I’m almost certain that any of the Budget Lights will need to be Modded substantially to be in the race with the TK, and if you are new to LED, Modding probably wont be an option for you yet (as in my own case).
Don’t worry about the fact that going for such a Powerful Light in the first place will put you off further Purchases, as i doubt this will be the case. I started off with a TK70 & a TK35 and thought that should end it there (Both chosen as a result of advice from this Forum). I now have a Bookcase full of Lights (Mostly Lithium, also reccommended here), if you find LED as amazing as i have and most of this Forum do, you will need to buy a Bigger Bookcase for the Purchases you are going to make over time. For with Led, one size does not fit all, and this Forum is the place to learn what to buy on a Budget to stock your Bookcase. You will be awed by most of them, if not you can learn how to Mod them here. Even though you have the TK70, which is a hard act to follow. You will also learn all you need to know about High Powered Multi Cell Lithium Lights and the Safety aspects of them and Litium Batteries.
In short, for what you want the Light for and the Throw that you want, if you want to buy a Light right now (that is very hard to beat for the money), that wont require any Mods, that is Plug and Play (NIMH) with all the Power of the Lithiums top Contenders (just put Batteries in and go), TK70 is your Light. If you still want to go High Power Lithium first, then if you aren’t up on Lithium Safety yet, do some more reading and ask some more questions of the other people on this Forum First before you Purchase.
Hope this is Helpful
Cheers and Welcome to the Forum.
extremely good advice there.
well said.
A TK70 can’t come close to out throwing a good 85watt HID. I know that.
If this comment is directed at my Advice, then i Thank You very much and i am suitably Humbled by it.
Cheers Gords.
Any link to Ebay 85W HID? Been hearing lots of good stuff about it but with such generic search terms I couldnt find anything good.
Hi and welcome to the BLF
Here is my take on a Major thrower.
This is from the shop Meritline and Andi - our resident X7 thrower/modder king - says that besides a little bit quality loss from poorer ano it is on par with the original
It is basically a TrustFire X7/T8 (also sold under other names) with a XML already installed instead of the Luminus SBT 50 that mine came with.
It has a wide head and should throw about 70 kCd in stock form. Should you want to mod it there is a great thread here about some of our german members who are throw maniacs! And very nice people who are helpful and has a LOT of fun with their projects :-)
That whole thread is a fountain of ideas and knowledge about how to mod this particular light.
As you've worked in radioshack before and mention that you believe minor modding is within your abilities I just wanted to say HI and give you an option that even with UCL lens, a XML2 U2 on copper PCB would set you back less than 100 USD. Mine runs at a steady 175 kCd with a DX XML T6 on their take on copper PCB and I dont think I even care to improve it anymore. It just works. And I have used about 110 USD including 2 sets of 3100 mAh protected panasonic batteries.