Well, I’ve had ample opportunity to play around with both lights now and my favorite goes to the STL. I find myself carrying it more, and even though its competitor is by some ways brighter, there is for some reason little (if any) less “wow” factor with the V2 (except up close on a wall).
Now that I am in Austin, I’ve had opportunity to light up buildings with both at incredible distances. And I don’t know if it’s the tint difference or what, but both seem to be equal in all except the longest distances with throw. I am at UT and the Wells Fargo building - drowned out in city light pollution, no less - can be seen by both, perhaps a touch more so by the K40. Maybe it is the beam profile, but distance viewing anything even remotely in range seems nicer lit up with the V2. Almost impossible to believe that one has almost twice the candela of the other.
I’ve had an stl-v2/6 for a while and whilst its a good solid light, I hate the forward clicky to a point of not using it.
plus a few home builds both out throw it and I find more pleasant in use, its one I want to “play with” at some point, but that playing is going to involve a machined copper top hat shape, a copper star, a much higher output no strobe driver and a reverse clicky.
You must be referring to a different light, my friend. This doesn’t have a forward clicky, but a tactical momentary-on feature rear clicky, the Sky Ray version of this…
And maybe there is a difference between overall throw and “most usable throw.” I think they got the dimensions of this reflector best out of them all. It’s a nice stopping point.
Tactical is just a big fancy word. Used very loosely by some. But in many cases it refers to a forward clicky.
Momentary, is often used to describe a forward clicky (because when you slowly start pressing it, it goes on, and when you release it, it goes off. So you can have it on for just a moment. Which is not possible with a rearward clicky)
Rear clicky is not the same as reverse clicky/rearward clicky. It simply means that the clicky is located on the rear/back of the light.
BTW, the switch can be easily replaced with a reverse clicky..
Uh, ok, but does this mean that what Gords was objecting to was the momentary-on feature? I always thought a rear clicky is any switch that is activated in the rear (regardless of whether it has the momentary feature or not).
There is a difference in throw. I have both - original SkyRay and Uniquefire version (which is 5 mode only) which I believe is the same as Fandyfire you linked. They may look similar outside, but their construction is quite different. I posted it here:
Even though deeper reflector makes tighter hotspot @1m, at longer distances it diffuses quicker. At around 200m Skyray has noticeably brighter hotspot, the (what you called) “usable throw” is really impressive.
A reverse clicky only turns on when the button is travelling rearward after the click and does not have a momentary on. It is able to change modes by just depressing the button slightly once it has been turned on. A forward clicky has a momentary on feature and cannot change modes once it has been fully depressed and turned on. A rear clicky just refers to the location of the switch as opposed to its functionality, which is what others were talking about.
I used to like forward clickys but have recently come to dislike them. I prefer the ability to change modes once the light is on rather than having to turn it off before changing modes. I think this is what Gords was referring to.
Still, though, the ability to “momentarily” light something up and save your switch sounds to be a better deal since it won’t be that often that I have to turn the light off and back on to readjust modes. And if I did, it ain’t a big deal (anymore than tapping to get to your preferred mode is, IMO).
I have both the Skyray STL-V2 and the Supbeam K40. At distances over say… 200m, the K40 is definitely brighter than the V2; the hotspot being somewhat smaller (than the V2). However, I like the tint of my V2 more. It’s a warmer tint, and grass and foliage seems to have more contrast when lit by the Skyray. When pointing at buildings etc, the K40 has the edge. I think it’s a matter of tint, eventually. Just my 2 cents worth…
I was referring to a momentary on (forward) clicky as a pose to a momentary off (reverse) clicky and no, I don’t like them for the mode changing reason and because I no need of momentary on.
I know its a simple swap, it’ll get done when I mod it.
The first is from nearly six feet from the office wall. The second is from almost 40 feet against the wall of a parking garage. These were done with the humble iphone 4 camera so the difference in size reflects brightness, not actual beam size. Right is K40. Left is V2 (1,324 lumens vs 969 lumens - both on fresh cells and ten second after startup). The V2 has the wider hotspot in real life, and the tint is cooler. The K40 has that warmer quality.
I would have taken a few from greater distances, but my partner got all worried somebody in those high rises in the background was going to be pissed, so we stopped. Maybe he had a point since both hotspots were still intense even at that far back. lol
My initial point in this was (and still is) that the benefit of practical throw is limited. Something like the V2(6) is as far as can be appreciated on a usable basis. The K40 is overkill, and in my current opinion, maybe not worth it. Once you pass a certain point, immense throw starts to diminish in value.
But I don’t mod throwers for that purpose anyway. I swap their LEDs with upgraded and dedomed XM-L2s and push their drivers to the limits not because I need them in my daily use but because I love the results and I’m very happy with what I can achieve.
For my EDC and other throwers which I regularly use like my X-10 and BC-40, I leave them as is. :bigsmile:
