Hello fellow isolated people! I’m looking to make a list of medium size & power throwers I can recommend (or likely buy and have on hand to give) to friends and hunting buddies. Coyote are running rampant here this year and I’ve had some people out to my farm to try to help control them but I only have 3 lights in this category to loan out. These type are about the best suited to the nomadic hunting we do; calling and hiking from blind to blind in our pastures spotlighting as we go.
I’m currently equipped with a GT_Mini (a bit underwhelming for this but works), an FT03 and the first light I ever purchased from a BLF recommendation: a SmallSun ZY-T08 which I’ve updated with xpl hi and TA driver.
The FT03 is impressive but the ZY-T08 is a hunting partner favorite for its tail click switch, ease of use and body shape, it rides in the pocket so well! It also has bistro so I can disable reverse clicks and set it to 100% only to hunt and then change it back to be more usable for other things.
What I’ve learned so far is that anduril (both gt mini and FT03 are flashed to it) is not suited for a hand out light, it’s way to much of a UI and to get it to function in single mode max only it takes a few minutes of clicking 255 times to set ramp floor to max… Otherwise I’m having to explain how to step back into turbo every other time they fire it up.
Criteria (in order of importance):
1.Medium size so it can be carried head up in a rear pocket. This typically means single cell body but the ZY-T08 just plain works. 70mmish head size max.
2.Tail click preferred
3.Modable so it can run a TA driver with bistro [tail click] or anduril [if e-switch].
3.Cheap, say $40 per light. I’m trying to pickup a few so cheaper is better.
[yes two items are tied for point 3]
4:90kcd with a usable beam
5: not battery specific. As long as it’s a single cell body 18, 21 or 26650 is all fine and the capacity bump from the larger cells is a welcome advantage.
On point 4, I’ve not experienced any lights with the white flat but I’m worried it’ll be to narrow of a beam for spotting animals while quickly sweeping a field. The SST-40 FT03 and my ZY-T08 XP-L HI both have awesome beams for this use. I’m not saying to exclude anything just cause of its LED but I need to avoid pencil beams.
I’d be thankful for any suggestions y’all can give! In all honesty, every single person I’ve handed the ZY-T08 to loves it, myself included, I’d just buy several more of them but they’re completely unavailable…
Lights / hosts so far:
March 21700 C8
Nightwatch NI40 (26650) & NS22(21700)
Convoy M21C & M26C