Ok, thanx man. I notice not everyone mentioned anything about “tint” when they opted in for the light. Is it not necessary to put your preference? And if I do not, do I just get something “general” as in light shade?
Checking out that Wiki link now…
Thats coz it’s specified as neutral with xpl hi. Don’t be afraid to ask around but most information can be found via the search bar top left 
Welcome to BLF!! Group buys are generally associated with an online store. Sometimes we get the manufacturer involved as well to customize the light. So once the minimums are met and the lights are produced you will have to go to the website (probably with a code) and purchase the light you chose. You’re welcome to message me if you have more questions. Group buys are a lot of fun!!
This is probably one of the best ‘bang-for-your-buck’ throwers you’ll ever find. While it’s not the best, to match or better it will take twice the money or some DIY on your part. GB will close in a day or two, minimums have been met, and robo819 will send you the details regarding payment etc. via a PM here.
To get all the performance a light like this offers requires high-draw, high-capacity quality LIon cells so put the rest of your budget there and in a good charger. Those two will be needed for the other lights you’ll soon find yourself buying. Welcome to BLF and the addiction to awesome flashlights!
Phil
Thanx for the advice fellers! SawMaster mentioned in order to get peak performance I’ll need Lion batteries and a good charger. What’s a good brand for the batteries and charger? Also is Llon abbreviated for Lithium? I know, I’m as newb’d as they get 
That ad was quite a source of chuckles here:
Glad you didn’t buy the hype and went looking for a more reputable source of information.
NCR18650PF is good for starters. It’s a Panasonic. I use an Xtar vc4 charger and it’s great!
Yeah, that’s the link that brought me to you guys. Been lurking ever since and finally decided to join 
Cool, thanx. I found both on Amazon: 2 batteries for $14.95 and the charger for $18.87-$32.99 (depending on how many batteries need to be charged at once). Speaking of which, how many batteries will this light need?
Here is some great advice I got when I started. Check out post 11 if this doesn’t link properly.
My brain was swimming when I finally signed up and asked for help. The people here are awesome! You might check out that whole post if you have time. And flashlight wiki is really nice to have around. Maybe do some reading on l-ion safety as well. Stick to name brands. Samsung, Panasonic, Efest, etc… Mtn electronics is awesome for shipping in the U.S. If you’re patient you can find good deals through BLF at Banggood (China - slow shipping). Research, ask, decide, purchase…. Have fun!
You’ll need 2. Better to get protected batteries as to prevent over discharge
That thread is very informative man, thanx. I’ll have to check out those sites mentioned in #11. I’m an Amazon fanatic myself but definitely willing to check out other sources, especially if they’re cheaper.
[quote=Aspire7]
You’re getting tons of good advice here but I wanted to chime in as another “Amazon fanatic.” I’ve been a Prime subscriber for years and order from Amazon at least twice a week or so. When I first got into good flashlights a while back Amazon got my first order, because that’s pretty much where I buy everything. But after hanging out in flashlight communities for a short while I quickly learned that that’s not the best place to buy flashlight stuff. Its basically sacrilege around here but I’m not a fan of the Chinese sites either, mostly because I have the patience of a small child. Yes you can get much cheaper prices there, but shipping takes ages, so I only order there if I can’t get the item from a US vendor. That’s just a personal choice though, I know others would much rather save the money and there’s nothing wrong with that.
So for me, its illumn.com, mtnelectronics, sometimes goinggear for my lights (unless its a custom or direct-sale deal). Those guys are active participants in our communities and usually give good discounts to other community members. If they don’t have it, then I’ll go with Amazon, or a trustworthy Chinese site as a last-ditch measure.
I do have one hard-n-fast rule though, and again there will be others here who disagree with me — I only buy batteries from illumn or mtnelectronics. The 50 cents I may save on Amazon or Banggood just isn’t worth the risk of counterfeits and there are plenty of counterfeit li-ion batteries floating around out there. Those two sites have everything I need in batteries and have proven that they work to make sure they’re selling legit cells.
But again, this is all my opinion and experience so far in this fun hobby.
[quote=emarkd]
Thanx man, very much appreciated. I got my first light from Amazon as well, and now one of the participants in a GB for the Sniper. All the advise is needed as I’m now going to check the above sites for batteries and a charger. Also do you or anyone else know anything about green lasers?
I was looking to get this, but unsure of its legitimacy regarding the actual trail or path of the beam. As in, is it actually visible the entire distance of the tip, like a light saber?
http://bigfootlasers.com/products/series-6-neon-green-laser-pointer?variant=9372815875
Battery & charger are no good, don't ask me about the laser though.
-Garry
Unless it’s foggy or dusty you probably won’t see the path of the beam.
That Maxtoch looks like it has some serious throw!
In case you do not know, you will need to create an account on the web site that is selling the flashlight in your group buy. I would do that ASAP. If you are not sure who the vendor is, ask a question in the thread for the group buy.
In addition, the best way to pay—by far—is through PayPal. The dispute process with PayPal is usually fair. If something goes wrong with an order from a vendor in China, you will have a chance to get it fixed. If you need a PayPal account, you should also set it up ASAP.
Cheap flashlights can be fun. Not so with cheap Li-ion batteries and chargers. It is my opinion that batteries and chargers that have names ending in xxxx-Fire are to be shunned.
I second the recommendations of Illumn and Mountain Electronics. Those are good places to buy all things flashlight.
Thanx dud and keeping. I figured that was the case with the laser, but wanted to make sure. Sometimes those photos can be very convincing. Glad I checked with you guys first.
Keeping, great info man. I’ll ask who the vendor is now as I had no idea this was needed information. Thank.
Another thing I learned before buying was that multi cell li ion lights need some proper care and attention. I can’t find the story but a guy put un equally charged cells in his 3x18650 light and turned it into a pipe bomb. I bought a charger with a digital readout for this reason. Nitecore d4. And I already had a couple cheap volt meters laying around. There are probably better chargers but for 22$ I really like this one. My next one will hopefully be able to discharge and give an amp hour reading.
Edit: found it!
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?280909-Ultrafire-18650-3000mA-exploded
Even though I’m an electrician I still have yet to get a multiple cell light as I’m not always real alert/aware to trust myself I lose concentration pretty often. (Maybe I’ve been shocked too many times lol 
) But I have to be honest with myself and with a family around when I’m doing my hobby I have to know my limits. I was taught not to fear electricity but to respect it and it’s dangers. Be safe.
Dangers of handling lithium ion cells don't go away with experience or good equipment either. You have to always be on the alert & careful what you're doing. Just yesterday I placed (2) 18650's into a bike light battery case and mistakenly placed 1 upside down (wrong polarity). Fortunately they were protected cells and I had it connected to a voltage/Ammeter and caught the display showing an odd value before I connected the lighthead.
And not too long ago I put an 18650 into a Nitecore i4 charger backwards. I saw the display flashing the charge indicators and realized my mistake (thank goodness that charger has wrong polarity detection).
-Garry