Hi, our friends serlite above also advised the Sofirn SP40. Unfortunately I had already ordered a headlamp on eBay before I know this forum. Need to see how it behaves. If anything bad, I will look for better models as you guys advised here.
Note that S2+ in that thread was running with 1/3 higher power. (8*7135)
True
But a 6x7135 will get almost the same temp, it will take a longer time.
Someone else mentioned a headlamp, which is a good idea for hiking
I have a skilhunt H03 with a TIR which is my most used lamp (even more use than all my flashlights together)
Maybe I don’t need to run the flashlight at max current all the time? (6x7135 = 2100 mAh). It is possible that I can get away with medium mode. My need is modest. So far I could get away with the crappy eBay XML-T6 zoomie at medium light. And before that I was using a noname dollar store flashlight.
Hi Zak,
Regrettably I cannot buy the Convoy S2+ with nichia 219C Because the UI forgets about the currently used mode. The description page says:
- Enter to next mode (if the memory is on)
- Enter into first mode (if the memory is off)
This is basically the same as my eBay cheap light. I find the “next mode/first mode” very annoying. BTW, I wonder how forgetting could be called “memory”. Not sure what’s going on with that model in particular. But other models like S2+ Gray Cree XML2 in the same store seems to have a “remember” function:
Is that “forget” mode a requirement to run the Nichia 219C LED?
I’ve never known a Convoy light that has NMM.
Maybe I don’t understand the technical description properly, can you have a look at Convoy S2+ with nichia 219C to confirm that this particular model does exhibit the “Next Mode Memory” problem?
I did. And I still say I’ve never seen a Convoy light with NMM.
Sorry to insist. Things that appears obvious to you are still quite puzzling to me. I know very little and don’t want to order the wrong model. I asked the question in the Convoy store on Ali, but Simon is away since the last few days. In the meantime, maybe you can help. Does your message above mean:
- you have used this “Convoy S2+ with nichia 219C”
- when you turn off the light, wait let’s say 10 seconds, turn on, again
- the flashlight stays in the SAME mode than when you turned it off?
Simon is super honest and friendly to deal with and has an excellent reputation. With that said, though many manufacturers/stores have bought stuff from their suppliers that are either incorrectly relabeled by negligence or intentionally mislabeled. IIRC correctly Fireflies carried a battery that wasn’t genuine for a short while but they notified us when they found out. Some flashlight manufacturers and LED resellers like KD have bought emitters from their suppliers that turned out not the same bin as they were told. Though the chances of buying a counterfeit is extremely rare from reputable sellers, it is still possible because the sellers don’t and can’t test every little product they carry.
For that reason, it is best to test your batteries capacities with a charger with this function. From all my testing, the NCR18650GA has the highest capacity of any 18650. All other 3600mah or 3500mah batteries from other major battery manufacturers test less than 3500mah. So if you get 3500mah or higher, it should be real, though I have tested a batch of GA under 3500mah that is also real as the output testing reveals it to be identical to my other GA batches.
Here are some recommendations
I have the Armytek Wizard Pro XHP50 WW and I love it. You can get it at Armytek.com with the BLF35 coupon code for 35% off! These used to sell for about $100 last year!
I have the newly released Armytek Wizarard Nichia 144A 90CRI on order. It should be similar to the XHP50 version but with higher CRI and it is 4500k instead of 4000k. You can also get it at armytek.com using BLF35 coupon. I will take some measurements to compare the Wizard Pros with the Zebralight H604fc and post on BLF.
If you want the absolute best color rendering, the current group buy for modded H04rc with the quad E21A 9080 emitters is the cheapest way to experience beautiful light quality.
If you are okay with 2x18650, the Armytek Partner C4 Pro is only $27 at Armytekstore.com! I just bought two of the Warm version and it came in about 3 days. I tested it at 4500k and DUV of –0.009, which is identical to the legendary 219b sw45k but without the hi CRI. You can easily change the optics and gain an additional 50% output over stock! There are optics ranging from 5deg all the way to ultra wide flood 120deg and it is easy to replace. I will post some results once I receive the different optics I have on order from Aliexpress but that might take a while for it to arrive due to CNY and Virus. This flashlight is $103 at Armytek.com and elsewhere so this price is truly a steal. Build quality is top notch.
Hi SKV89,
Thank you very much for your advice. I will have a look on these Armytek but I think I will hold off in investing heavily on light for now.
Less than a month ago, if someone told me a flashlight costing $100. I would have probably question his sanity. But then I got a few annoyances with my cheap eBay lights. I have learnt since that a Convoy S2+ with nichia 219C costing $15, would get rid of the issues such as the next mode problem and the cold tint.
I think the S2+ above is plentiful enough for me. Let me get me feet wet with my first brand name flashlight. I need to play around a bit to gain some experience before committing to invest further.
Yes, all convoys function like that (and i have a lot of them)
Understood. I used to think $30 was expensive for a flashlight when I first started but now I spend hundreds on a single flashlight lol. The Convoys are great. Probably the best “budget” light brand with good driver and very reliable. Great bare bone lights especially for modding. I have half a dozen S2+ with triple emitter mods that got used heavily two years ago. The Armytek is another level up. Much more sophisticated and more premium feel. It’s hard to describe the difference but once you hold both in your hand and compare it, you will understand the price difference. Right now the price for the Wizards with the 35% off brings it down to $50+, which is an excellent deal for what it offers. USB recharge is also nice. The Parter C4 Pro at $27 is unbelievably cheap and 2x18650 offers extra runtime.
My thoughts are to go with an S11 that way you can go with a 26650 battery for more capacity(run time and powering brightness) if you want, you have more lumens if you need, and heat isn’t as much of a factor with the bigger light. The driving reason in my opinion is 2 hours plus. I was running my s2+ for about a half hour on a walk and I believe the battery was down about 25%, and its a stock S2+ 1800 lumen 4 mode . To me overkill is better than not enough.
I’ve done a bit of hiking and if you sprain, strain, or cramp and slow down, the 2 hours go to 3, and then you have to be prepared.
I’ve been hunting and did a headlamp and convoy C8+ both at the same time. Headlamp for looking close at my feet, and the C8+ to see what is around me farther out, and to look/follow a sparse game trail. This is probably a little excessive, but i was in tough terrain searching to stay on the trail.
Member zach.wilson did an EXCELLENT write up on the models.
It has biscotti firmware. You can choose memory mode (torch comes back on in the last used mode) or memory mode off (torch always comes on in first mode of the selected mode group) in the settings. It does NOT have next mode memory. See here.
ETA: Also, biscotti is pretty cool. You might not need to configured it, but if you do, the first time might be painful. But sometimes once is all it takes. I particularly like mode group 8, and it sounds like that one might be good for you, also.
Hi sharkman,
Thanks for the advice. The S11 might be too powerful for me. Saw a few youtube videos about the S11. It has a scary throw. I don’t need to see that far. Nevertheless, I am very interested by the high CRI of the S2+ with Nichia 219C. I’d like to try this first. If I get excited about flashlight, I will try other variations.
As for the duration, 2+ hours. Easy to fix, I can bring spare 18650 in a case. Also think I can get away in medium light intensity.
Hi gentlemen,
Just want to show you what a hike by night looks like. In particular today, the wood is pitch dark because there is no moon. The Google camera app, in Night Sight mode improves the images a lot. The photo in the bottom right is closer to the reality, no Night Sight mode. just with the phone flash. In reality, if all lights are turned off, you almost cannot see anything, the background is really dark.
Here is the light that I use. eBay, $10 comes with a LED named “V6”. No idea how many ampere or lumen but we can see 10 meters (30ft) ahead in medium brightness. I know this light will horrify most of you. But this is all I have for now.
For this hike in particular, because of the moon-less situation, the flashlight is the most critical equipment. Each of us also has a bike tail light, flashing in the back. GPS navigation is next. We have backup flashlight. Another cheap one, what a reckless muggle 
2 phones and USB power bank. Outside of that it’s just regular winter hike equipment (shoes, crampons, hiking sticks, back pack). The hike is a 6.5km (~ 4 mi) through the wood which we did in 2 hours. In case of total loss of light or GPS, we could probably get out of the wood in 30 to 45 minutes. There is phone reception and I think we can can help in case of big trouble.
About better flashlight that you guys recommended. I couldn’t order anything because the Convoy store has a huge backlog b/c of the Covid-19 issue. As much as I like the S2+ with 219C. I think the Sofirn SP40 @ 4000K would be more suitable for me. I prefer to have both hands free by attaching the SP40 on the backpack strap or headband. Cannot order b/c shipping from China is disabled, Sofirn USA store doesn’t ship to Canada. Go figure. In anyway, winter is over soon. The evening will be less dark. I have now a year until next winter to wait for AliExpress stores to be operational. Maybe there would even be a SkillHunt H03/04 to go on sale in the meantime.
I have a few. As do most of us here.
Walkabout. I usually use a Cheap headlamp with XML2 ( Hi) LED Wide angle.
Gives safe clear view round your feet and 10 yards ahead clearly.
With a Convoy C8+ in hand for longer ranging and looking for eyes.
It works out a nice blend of good vision over a decent range.
At a nice sensible price. ( C8 if you want a lower price again).
Imalent, fix your reliability issues before recommending your lights to people classifying flashlights as critical stuff.