My Collection and Beamshots

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

My Collection (scroll down for beam shot comparisons)

The Lineup:

2D Mag-Lite (far left) for size reference. I also own a 6C Mag-Lite. Although they both have Xenon bulbs, I don't use these "old school" flashlights anymore...

SkyRay 3800 3xT6 (Revision 2, three-mode version)

This is my collection’s current king-of-the-hill in terms of sheer light output. This light provides flawless operation, its output on high always makes me smile, and this photon cannon impresses whoever sees it in action. The SR3800 is basically a powerful floodlight that produces throw via 3xT6 brute force. I’ve owned this light since the summer 2011. The only issue I have with it is that its 2x18650 configuration is not really comfortable for belt carry.

FandyFire HD2010 (newest member of the collection)

This is my second most powerful light, but currently my farthest thrower. The T6 driven @ 2.3A and reflector measuring 52mm wide and 38mm deep work together to produce a pretty bright hotspot. While the inner corona is not as bright as the beams produced by my UltraFire MCU-C88 or TrustFire TF-R2, the overall spill area is a little larger – about the same as a typical P60 light – than these two "patrol" lights. The HD2010’s reflector is high quality; the finish on the body/head/tailcap not so much. I might upgrade this to a hard-driven U2.

UltraFire MCU-C88 (superb host modded by E1320)

Currently the prize of my collection, the C88 is my favorite “patrol” light – I’ve been carrying and using it at work for several weeks – and second best thrower. Erik modded this C88 host by adding a Cutter U2 1C emitter driven at 3.5A with an H-L-strobe mode. He also beefed up the AA battery holder. See his post: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1907?page=3#comment-99865. This light provides a nice flood/throw beam that I prefer.

When I use a King Kong 26650 in this light I can screw down the tailcap 60% of the way (3 full turns compared to 5 with the AA battery holder), which leaves a 2mm gap between the body and tailcap (see above photo). Erik plans to see if he can shorten the tail cap switch, making our modded C88s "pure-blood" 1x26650 lights as opposed to makeshift ones. This will prevent the tailcap spring from being fully compressed and will reestablish the light's watertight seal.

TrustFire TF-R2 (next project on the upgrade agenda)

This is the “sleeper” in my collection. The most impressive aspect of this light is the ability to screw a P60 drop-in into the head. Right now it has an anemic T6 1.4A drop-in, but my plan is to spend $50 or so to get a “hot-rod” U2 drop-in from Vinhnguyen54, who drives them up to 4.2A (regulated). I intend to order one of these U2s soon to wake up this TF-R2 and see what it can really do. I’ll update BLF members when this upgrade is performed.

UltraFire NH-T60 (compact and bright "mini-thrower")

The UltraFire NH-T60 impresses me most by its relatively small size – it is only slightly larger than a regular P60 light – and its sleek, ergonomic form factor. Also, its fairly bright hotspot produced by a T6 @ 3A enables the NH-T60 to out throw P60 lights while retaining an overall spill area that equals the size of a comparable P60 light. The switch is a little mushy, so I plan to upgrade it in the future with the same $5 switch that comes in the UF-980L.

SkyRay S-R5 (nice host now sold as RQ-07)

This is my back up duty light. It has one of Erik’s T6 emitters driven at 3.1A with H-M-L mode. Even though it’s rated as a 1A tint it looks like a 1C in use – it has a slightly yellowish corona and a decent hotspot that throws well for a light this size. Erik's T6 drop-in performs superbly in this host, which is my personal favorite for this type of compact P60 light. Despite its appearance, it doesn't really look all that much like a mini light saber in real life.

UltraFire WF-502B (my general purpose house light)

This is my general around-the-house flashlight. It has a U2 P60 drop-in that was anemic, but the emitter was "woken up" by Erik, who added a 3.1A driver, useful H-M-L modes, and smooth reflector alignment. This U2 is cool and floody, but Erik's T6s are a little brighter.

UniqueFire UF-2100 (a pair of compact/useful lights)

These lights started life as the generic BLF group-buy versions for $15 each. As-is they performed well, but I didn’t like direct-drive on high. So off they went to Erik, who gave them a tamer 1.4A high that still provides decent light output but far less heat generation. Even better, he created a five-mode operation (with memory) consisting of 1.4A, .67A, .32A, .06A, and .002A – at the lowest “moon-low” setting you can stare at the lit emitter.

UltraFire P10 (very small 18650 "flooder" host)

This is my "flooder" flashlight that resides in a belt-mounted Nite Ize swivel holster. This is actually my most used light, which has an R5 emitter (SkyRay also sells a version of this very compact light). I converted this P10 into a flood light by removing the reflector and bezel. Then I reattached the glass lens to the pill's raised rim using silicone adhesive, and screwed the pill forward in the head. This light emits an extremely wide curtain of light.

BeamTech BT-4000 (in the mail, so not pictured)

http://www.tmart.com/BeamTech-BT4000-CREE-XMT6-18W-2700LM-5-Mode-Flashlight-Gray_p136640.html

I'm anxiously awaiting this light so I can perform field testing... I love 3xT6 output.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This is my first attempt at posting beam shots. I still haven’t found what I consider to be an “ideal” location that best captures the output of my flashlights. Nonetheless I went ahead and selected two locations – one with a maximum distance of 100 yards and the other at a 50-yard distance – to capture beam shots of the nine main flashlights in my collection.

All light testing was done on high setting only, and the digital camera – a Nikon Coolpix L19 – was set on nighttime landscape mode. All 18650 lights were powered by fully charged Panasonic 3100mAh batteries, and the MCU-C88 and FandyFire HD2010 were powered by fully charged King Kong 4000mAh 26650 batteries. All 18650 and 26650 batteries are charged using a TrustFire TR-003P4 I bought recently on DD for $12.

I’ll continue scoping out an ideal test location for future BLF beamshot captures and postings.

Control for 100-yard series of beamshots

SkyRay SR3800 (3xT6)

FandyFire HD2010 (T6 @ 2.3A - 52mm reflector)

UltraFire MCU-C88 (Cutter U2 1C 3.5A created by Erik - E1320)

TrustFire TF-R2 (generic T6 drop-in driven @ 1.4A)

UltraFire NH-T60 (T6 driven @ 3A)

SkyRay S-R5 (T6 3.1A drop-in created by Erik - E1320)

UltraFire WF-502B (U2 3.1A drop-in woken up by Erik - E1320)

UniqueFire UF2100 (5-mode T6 1.4A with .002A "moon-low" setting - created by Erik)

Ultrafire P10 (floodlight with R5 bare emitter)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Control for 50-yard series of beamshots

SkyRay SR3800 (3xT6)

FandyFire HD2010 (T6 2.3A - 52mm reflector)

UltraFire MCU-C88 (Cutter U2 1C 3.5A created by Erik - E1320)

TrustFire TF-R2 (generic T6 drop-in driven @ 1.4A)

UltraFire NH-T60 (T6 driven @ 3A)

SkyRay S-R5 (T6 3.1A drop-in created by Erik - E1320)

UltraFire WF-502B (U2 3.1A drop-in woken up by Erik - E1320)

UniqueFire UF2100 (5-mode T6 1.4A with .002A "moon-low" setting - created by Erik)

Ultrafire P10 (floodlight with R5 bare emitter)

2

Nice pictures! It's nice to see that the fandyfire is quite good of a thrower!

3

Thanks for this post! Love the comparison and I've been eyeing up that FandyFire! Glad to see the comparison beamshots with it. Seems more "spotlight" like than I thought, which is good for me. I know you don't have a multimeter yet, but I'd really like to know what that thing is driven at - if the DX spec of 2.3A is anywhere close.

-Garry

(P.S. Wouldn't mind seeing a beamshot of CopperTop's SS-A100 next to these).

4

Very nice thread and comparo.

If your camera has manual settings, you may want to use a fixed setting for the beamshots. It appears that your Nikon is making some adjustments that affect exposure.

Thanks for sharing !

5

How do you like the fandyfire in outside? Decent throw?

6

My camera is a Nikon Coolpix L20 (and Night Breaker said he used a Nikon Coolpix L19 which should be similar). It's without a doubt the worst camera I have ever used! It's completely unreliable when you "need to get the shot". Awful in low-light on auto settings. I did pull mine out the other day and look for a "manual" mode, but couldn't find one at all.

I'm really shocked at the quality of Night Breaker's photos from his Nikon; I'll have to try the "Nighttime Landscape" setting and see if mine come out anywhere near as good.

-Garry

7

@ garrybunk -- Yes, I need a better digital camera. I have a Kodak EasyShare C183 (14MP) digicam I will test next, to see if it does a better job of capturing beamshots.

@ scheven_architect Yes, the HD2010 is a good thrower, including outside. But keep in mind that my experience in this area is limited as I don't own nor do I have an interest in 2x18650 thrower lights. I've never even seen the pencil-beam V2- or HS801-type lights in operation. I prefer the compact designs of 1x18650 and 1x26650 lights. So I'm exploring the ability to push the light-output envelope in these single-cell configurations.

That being said, I would characterize the HD2010 as a compact spot/searchlight. The hotspot is very bright and throws far, but the inner corona (for closer-range illumination) is not as prominent when compared to my MCU-C88 or TF-R2. But the overall spill area on the HD2010 is a little larger than these two lights, which is a minor plus.

To put this into (my) perspective, I consider output from flashlights like my MCU-C88 and TF-R2, and C10 and C8-class lights a little differently. I place them in a more-practical "patrol" light category since they exhibit combination spot/flood beams that are useful for illuminating nighttime areas and activities simultaneously at various outdoor ranges.

One level down the food chain, I consider P60 lights as general purpose "backup" lights that exhibit combination flood/spot beams that are useful, especially for shorter range illumination. To me a big advantage of these lights are their compact size, easy handling, and low cost.

To me the UltraFire NH-T60 (and probably the UF-980L) is in a unique class of hybrid patrol/backup light that can serve double duty in a compact package.

I think the HD2010 is well worth $35, and actually I don't think it "needs" an upgrade to U2 emitter. It performs well enough as is. On the other hand, if it's only driven to 2.3A, I'm curious how a U2 emitter @ 4.2A might perform in this host. In looking at the innards of the light though, I don't know how difficult this light would be to upgrade...

8

Yeah, that's a question I forgot to ask - how easy is it to access and remove the driver? It didn't look very upgrade friendly in the photos you posted in another thread.

Ideally I'd like to see this host outfitted with an XP-G R5 driven at 1.5A. This would give excellent throw that's not a pencil beam, but yet conserve battery power. Then again, perhaps this light as is on medium power is close to that? Any idea how far you can throw on Medium? Would you say this light's medium is around "50%"?

I just think paying $35 for a 26650 host is a little much and I bet with one look at it I wouldn't want to change it! If only that SAIK SA-305 would work as a proper host for 26650 / 32600 / 32650's! (Currenty still pursuing an XP-G in a 2D Maglite running on 3 C NiMh's.)

By the way, I didn't mean to say your camera is junk. I just wanted to vent on how frustrated I was trying to get good photos out of mine (which should be very similar) and to comment that you likely don't have a "manual mode" just as I don't on mine. I have to borrow my brother-in-law's camera to take beamshots.

-Garry

9

On the driver question, I'm not sure.

The driver (under) side has an aluminum ring that appears to hold the emitter in place, but the two indents are shallow, making it difficult for me to unscrew. I'm thinking I'll deepen them a bit so I can gain purchase when unscrewing this ring to get a look at things in there. I was hoping in my previous post (https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/5251?page=1#comment-105669) that included measurements someone might analyze my information to let us know if this is some standard driver/pill (perhaps a C8?) that could easily be swapped out.

Maybe someone reading this might take a look and offer up some conjecture?

You're right, since the host was $35 I would only want to upgrade it if there was little chance of messing it up. If it's easy, I have a Cutter U2 1C I can use... Personally, I would never remove a T6 and put in an R5. I would only move up to U2 or drive the T6 harder. I would conserve power using lower power settings. This is just my preference. I know everyone has different needs.

H-M-L seems evenly spaced. I'll post a beamshot of this spacing tomorrow.

Any digicam without manual settings is not going to be great at capturing beamshots.

10

Hey Night Breaker, any idea of the runtime of that HD2010 on high with your King Kong 26650?

-Garry

11

Very nice collection. I really like the looks of the TrustFire TF-R2, especially the color. Make sure you show lots of pics when you finish modding it.

12

I never thought to compare HD2010's medium to the high from other flashlights. On medium the HD2010 has a brighter hotspot than the ones produced by my TF-R2 (T6 @ 1.4A). This is based on an indoor beamshot comparison. Now I want to compare these lights at these settings at night to judge throw. More beamshots to come...

I would say HD2010's H-M-L are evenly spaced, medium looks like half of high, and low seems half of medium. This is a loose approximation. Remember, I new to flashlight evaluations...

HD2010 run time on high was over three hours. In fact it didn't die. That's when I stopped the test. At the end the emitted light was about half of what low setting produces. However, I failed to notice when high output starting decreasing. Sorry.

If the light is being driven at 2.3A, now I understand why. The light got hot but never so much so that you couldn't wrap your hand around it and hold it. Based on how long this light runs on high and the controlled heat generation explains why the designers of this light set it up the way they did. You can use these light continuously for hours on high without it becoming a hot potato.

At this point I don't intend on changing anything on this light.

13

Wow! This HD2010 might just be what I'm looking for! I wasn't expecting that much runtime on high! (Although it would be really nice to know at what time the light output really started dropping - maybe to the level of medium.) For my use, I'm aiming for just one battery change on a 6 - 8 hour almost continuous use shift. I also need to keep the flashlight's size to a minimum. My idea to build with an XP-G in a 2D Maglite running on 3 C NiMh's is getting a bit too large (although there is a trade-off with battery cell safety).

Isn't running that battery down as low as you did on the runtime test dangerous? I know the King Kong battery is unprotected, but does this HD2010 have any kind of low voltage warning or anything?

Thanks for all your feedback on this light!
-Garry

14

I guess that shows what I know. I thought the KK was protected. But a few minutes of research reveals they aren't. Also didn't realize this would be dangerous. Everything seemed fine during the test. For the next test I'll stop at two hours...

No low-voltage warning I could detect. But I did notice that when the battery was real low after three hours of use I could not switch modes. Driver was fine though because a fresh battery brought the five modes back to full availability.

Currently testing on high again. I wonder how long it would run at medium?...

Edited previous post - HD2010's hotspot on medium is not brighter than my NH-T60 on high, but HD2010's hotspot on medium is a bit brighter than the hotspot from TF-R2 on high.

The light takes more than 20 minutes to get hot. And it never gets too hot to handle.

2nd test at high -- The HD2010 took about 1.5 hours to get to medium-setting light output while on high. Based on the previous test the light appears as if it can continue on for at least another hour until light output dips below low-setting output. This is all rough estimates. At the 1-hour mark on high the light appeared bright, but I can't tell how much output decreased...

Final test will see how long the light can run on medium. Not today though.

15

Thanks, good information. You're not wasting your time doing this I'm sure as I bet others find this information useful as well. Would be nice to know the tailcap current though. You still doing beamshots on Medium? If so, is it possible to get them at the same location as the previous ones?

I'm sure I'll end up ordering this light. I just need to wait a bit and space out my purchases.

-Garry

16

I can do beamshots on medium. I will tonight if the KK batteries charge in time before my 12x8 shift. The KKs take a very long time to charge, and I drained them pretty good...

Tomorrow I'll see how long the light runs on medium. I bet it'll stay on a long time...

17

Yeah, eventually I'll get around to ordering one of those $10 multimeters to measure tailcap draw and $28 lux meters to better measure light output.

Bear with me, I've ordered a lot of pretty nice lights lately, without let-up even around the holidays. I'm spacing my purchases so that my better half doesn't squawk.

For example, although you're highly interested in the FandyFire HD2010, I'm actually more intrigued by the BeamTech BT-4000 I have on order. http://www.tmart.com/BeamTech-BT4000-CREE-XMT6-18W-2700LM-5-Mode-Flashlight-Gray_p136640.html.

This looks like the same body/host as the HD2010, but with 3xT6 in the head.

I believe the BT-4000's 3xT6 emitters driven by a 26650 battery promises powerful light output in a compact design. We'll see if this is the case. My fingers are crossed...

However, that http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/dongrui-all918-xml-t6-1200lumen-5mode-led-flashlight-titanium-finish-1865021660-p-8736 looks nice too.

I might not be able to resist ordering that Dongrui: I wonder how many amps it's driven at?

But actually, my next purchase is probably going to be a 4.2A U2 drop-in from vinhnguyen54 over on CPF. I plan to use one of his drop ins to supercharge my TrustFire TF-R2. I expect this light to become a mini photon cannon with one of his drop ins.

Otherwise I look at nothing on CPF. That site is boring.

I can't log into CPF to contact vinhnguyen54. That other site is so unusable.

18

Night Breaker, did you notice the "review" and photos of that Dongrui by Kajman over at The 26650 Thread. Didn't sound so great to me. Sounds like this FandyFire is much better.

-Garry

19

Yeah, I read it. Too bad, I really like the form factor on that Dongrui.

I tested the HD2010 on medium. It lasted about 5.5 hours until it reached a point in which I feel someone would have changed the battery. It was still bright at 4 hours -- about equal to the hotspot of a T6 @ 1.4A on high, at 5 hours it was lower than the same T6 on high, and at 5.5 hours medium was less than the low-level output of the HD2010's low setting produced by a fresh battery. At 5.5 hours the battery was not completely drained, and I believe it could have been used for another half hour at reduced light output.

20

Thanks for the info! Sounds very good!

-Garry