Hi, Been a while since I’ve been on the forum…Anyway, good to be back.
My daily driver a CREE XML-T6 which I’ve had and used daily for approx 3-4 years is on the way out and I must say its been a fantastic little torch especially for the price (around £8-£15 if I recall) It takes one 18650 battery and fits in the pocket nicely. Also the fact you can place it so it stands upright to light up a room if needs be has been invaluable. Not to mention the zooming capabilities which come in handy from time to time. Battery life has also been very good IMO.
I’m hoping someone can help me find a replacement ideally, But i’d equally be happy to find the exact same torch if it’s still available… All the details i can see on the torch are the following… Was from eBay delivered from China btw… (HWA (lightning symbol) WYS - UltraFire Cree 1600LM - XML T6) Its a 3 mode torch. Will upload a picture soon.
I Have tried and failed to find the same torch again, bought a few with the same name or similar but they haven’t been as good or the same. Either they have a blueish tint, not as bright, don’t last 5 minuets etc… My one has white light i’m not sure if its because its bedded in and these blue tint ones turn more white over time or what.
Anyway hopefully with the help from here I can either find the same torch or a replacement with similar specs…
I do like the torch but its a little out of my price range unfortunately at the moment, works out according to PayPal £30.61 delivered. Thanks anyway though and i’ll bare it in mind for the future
Looks the same as mine apart from the text etc… But the description states “colour - cool white” …I wonder if it’ll be another blue tint torch, cheap enough to take a gamble though i suppose. But i’ll keep looking I think, Thanks anyway
I just saw those last night and thought they might fit the bill. They are probably the best SK98’s around, but unfortunately they are a little pricey. I have found most sk lights sold on the chinese sights have taken a nose dive in quality. Buyer beware…
I do like the S2 (XML2 T6-4C) torch although it’s lacking a belt clip unfortunately, also not too sure how stable it would be (from the picture anyway) would it be stable enough standing upright?
For just over £5 GBP delivered i’ve ordered it and hope for the best, But to be on the safe side seen as how long these things take to deliver i’ll keep looking just in case its a blue tint… After all one can not have too many torches
In my opinion, I think most of the cheap lights are now coming with counterfeit CREE LEDs unless it comes from a reputable seller like RMM, I/O, Convoy, etc.
I only skimmed all of the posts here, but did you ever state what’s wrong with your current light? If you have a soldering iron, perhaps you could just replace the guts of the light and buy a LED on a Noctigon and use a QLITE (or even FET) driver.
The S2 does tailstand and there is a clip available for it very similar to that of the SK-98. Note though, there is an S2 and S2+. The "+" has a scalloped tailcap but does tailstand. The S2 has no scallops at all.
Another Convoy source is directly from the manufacturer (Simon)
With Simon you are assured of buying directly from the manufacturer, your choice of tints, and the number of chips for your desired power level (4*7135 or 6*7135 is usually a good choice, even though I like 8*7135). Plus you could probably get Simon to install one clip for you instead of buying two (unless you want a spare clip).
I’ve bought tons of lights from Yupard, and never had a fake Cree. In fact, I’ve never had a fake Cree from anyone. We still don’t know what the original LED is in your light. It could be an off brand emitter, but most likely an old style XML.
Any new light would have an XML2 in it. As far as replacing the driver and/or the emitter, it’s just not worth the effort or cost. For $10, just get a whole new light. They haven’t changed at all except for newer upgraded emitters.
I have no experience with this brand. It is always nice to learn about a good one.
The best specs for this light are listed at the bottom of the web page you linked. I think we may be talking China-lumens here. This baby outputs 1200 of them. The quoted LED Lifespan is also very good, in fact, double what I have seen in other descriptions of the Cree XM-L2 emitter. I don't really see a problem, however, if you are jaded enough to overlook exaggerated claims. (At this stage, I guess we all are!)
More interesting, I think, is the tint. The specs say cool white.
Specifications
Model of LED: Cree XM-L2
Light color: cool white
Max Lumens/Brightness: 1200LM
LED Lifespan: 100,000 hours
The photos that precede it show the cool-white beam accurately. It definitely has a hint of blue/purple.
If tint matters, I would probably go with one of the Convoy models sold directly from Simon. I like the Convoy S2+ with only three or four 7135 chips. That way, you can run it on high longer before it gets overly hot. You also get correspondingly lower output on low and medium, something that I think is an improvement. For more throw, try the Convoy C8. For that one, I would be tempted to load it up with eight 7135 chips.
In the USA, Mountain Electronics can customize a Convoy host at a relatively modest price. You can get fun stuff like triple Nichia emitters, a custom driver & software, and a custom UI.
It's not 2000/1200lm, or a FET driver, but a respectable ~3amps.
I need to track down my yupard to grab a pic of the beam, family member ganked it. Absolutely certain it's without purple/blue tint. I vividly remember being impressed comparing it to my other lights.
With those bluish purple tinted XML lights, you can actually try dedoming the LED and in my case it usually leaves out a wonderful cream white 1D tint.
I did that to a few of my smaller brother SK68 and they are better colored from the blue whites.
Like others mentioned, if you are ok with soldering you could buy and change your LED to any tint you like
