I very recently received both a BLF A6 and an Astrolux S3 (i ordered a BLF X5). I was expecting a similar output but the S3 is about 30% dimmer then the A6 - which i rate at about 1200 lumens with a VTC3 according to my CBM (ceiling bounce meter).
I ran the S3 off a two year old Efest 14500 700mAh. It didn’t make much difference using a Trusfire flame protected.
Maybe the 14500 cells i’m using are not up to the task?
Is the Astrolux S3 the same as the BLF X5?
How much do you get out of yours?
How are you measuring lumens? Not trying to be funny, but visually “guessing” it, is hardly an accurate way to do it. Especially when the two lights in question have very different beam profiles.
And yes, you’ll need a good IMR. A 14500 will not support the same amps an 18650 can. So to get similar output you’ll need a very good 14500 to match an average 18650.
I also received an Astrolux, but not BLF X5. However I have another X5. From my observation, both are the same, same driver and same end cap. Dual springs at the end cap as well:) brightness wise very very near, I can differentiate the different. Luxmeter shows very near ceiling bounce results, < 5% different.
I’m estimating lumens by measuring lux off ceiling bounces from different lights. In any case, i can tell my S3 is dimmer then the A6 - about 30%.
So now my understanding is that the BLF X5 and Astrolux S3 are just the same and i should blame my Efest 14500 for the offset in output. Well that’s all i got…
What high drain 14500 would you suggest?
I’m in Europe…
It’s more about size than chemistry since you already have 2 IMR cells. An 18650 high drain will outperform a 14500 high drain but the S3 will throw much better than the A6. I wouldn’t worry about it too much since even 800 lumens puts a beat down on any other single emitter 14500 light in being mass produced. It might only be a slightly higher Vf on the emitter or small resistance elsewhere in the light.
I normally buy red or purple Efest IMR 14500’s from ebay from UK sellers. I’ve not really found any Chinese online sellers to be cheaper or offer as good performance for whatever brand they have. And the 14500 Efests never seem overly pricey buying them locally.
18650’s it’s a different matter, I usually get them from Banggood these days.
Chicken Drumstick, how good do they perform? I mean, are they real Efest IMR 14500’s?
And do you have a link (via PM) of where you buy these efest IMR 14500’s? Been looking for some good performing cells.
They seem to perform fine, I tested one the other day, it was well rested and part used showing 4.05v and pulled around 3.85amps on my X5. Full charged I expect 4amps+ likely.
I can’t really give you a link, I just normally search eBay for a good price on them. And usually sellers listing them as “genuine”. If they didn’t perform correctly when getting them, you have PayPal to get your money back. So I’ve never really fussed too much over it.
