Picture-Review: "The Pimp Stick" aka the Durable Stick N-F-B91 from DX

This quick picture review is of the "Durable Stick Style N-FB91 CREE Q4 3-Mode 180-Lumen White LED Flashlight w/ Strap (1x18650/3xAAA)"from DealExtreme.


Brand: -
Model: N-FB91
Color: Black
Emitter Brand/Type: CREE
Emitter BIN: Q4
Color BIN: White
Total Emitters: 1
Battery Configurations: 1 x 18650 or 3 x AAA (not included)
Voltage Input: 2.8~4.5V
Switch Type: Clicky/Clickie
Switch Location: Tail-cap
Modes: 3
Mode Memory: No
Mode Arrangement: High > mid > fast strobe
Circuitry: Digital Regulated 700mA Current Output
Brightness: 180LM
Runtime: 35 minutes at high mode (manufacturer rated)
Lens: Coated plastic Lens
Reflector: Plastic Smooth/SMO
Features; Can be used as a self-defense tool with anti-slip handle and spiked tips head
Carrying Strap: Included

I received this light the other day and am very happy with it! Modding potential with this thing is through the roof and the throw from it is amazing! Build quality is just average.

The threads, while plenty in number, depth of cut and of average machining, were dry and dirty and squeeled like Ned Beatty in deliverance. A little silicone grease took care of that although I still need to clean and regrease them. O-ring grooves exist at every joint but do not have o-rings installed. I was able to add my own as I have plenty in my parts kit. The lens is acrylic and the reflector is chromed plastic. Normally this would be a negative but if you look at the intended purpose of this light you can understand why at least the lens is not glass.

This light is pure fun to hold and use. Like a movie with lots of CGI and eye candy, you can excuse the lack of plot and questionable acting...it's pure entertainment! The kids have nicknamed it "The Pimp Stick" and it's a perfect name for it!

All pics below were taking in my family room on the floor in poor lighting using long exposures and no flash on the macros with the camera held in my shaky hands. Lots of lint and cat hair I wasn't able to see until after I took the pics. Please excuse the mess. :P And now for the tear down pics (click pic for larger version)...

I got the light Saturday morning and that evening we built a campfire in the back yard to roast marshmallows. A perfect opportunity to test out my new light. WOW! An unlikely torch to be such a crazy focused thrower/light saber. Even the spill is very focused.

One last smoke shot. This was taken at an angle where from the base of the beam to where the smoke trails off is 20-25 feet.

Here is a ceiling shot. This was taken from a distance of @ 3m (flashlight on floor with 10ft ceiling). Believe it or not, the hotspot is only roughly 4" across!!! It looks bigger in the pic because the camera doesn't know how to handle the difference between the hotspot and the spill. The picture doesn't capture the whole spill which is about 4ft across.

Here is the source of the craziness - the N-F-B91 from DealExtreme.com

Please excuse the blurriness on some of these macro shots. They were long exposure pics with no flash and held by hand, not tripod. There is also a lot of lint, cat hair and a stray blonde hair in some of the pics also. They did not come with the light. ;)

The "teeth" on the head are extremely sturdy. Triangular in profile they will not bend if you decide to mash something (a skull perhaps, car window, concrete cinder block...) with it. The crenelation on the bezel is extremely aggressive and will tear up any fleshy object with a poke and twist combo.

The battery/batteries are contained at the base of the light where the hand grip is located. The grip is rubber over the aluminum body and is quite comfortable to hold. The tsuba/lanyard ring is quite solid and machined from billet aluminum.

The only identifying marking on this light, aside from the entire shape and design, is the "N-F-B91" printed under the head.

The bezel and head are very thick and the lens is acrylic. All the better for surviving impact scenarios I suppose. The emitter is centered and the reflector is extremely deep.

The hand grip unscrews from the main body to expose the driver pill. Nothing special here but there is also a spring located in the handle to assure contact for negative ground from battery in a strike situation. The positive connection at the driver is also sprung for no interuption of circuit. Soldering could be more substantial at spring base.

Here is the spring I just mentioned above. It seats on the lip inside the battery tube and presses on the negative contact ring of the driver PCB. This is why soldering is not needed between driver and pill.

Here is the lower body tube with the tsuba/lanyard removed.

The driver pill unscrews from the lower body tube. This provides pretty good heat conducting from driver pill to body.

Very simple driver. I cannot comment on PWM because I'm not sensitive to it but I'd imagine it's there. Fairly thick wires run up the inside of the body to the emitter in the head.

Here is the coupling between the upper and lower body halves. I added all thread o-rings and grease which can be seen. They came very dry and sounded worse than nails on a chalk board before I lubed them. They are fairly well machined, if dirty, and provide a pretty solid connection between body halves. I wouldn't worry too much about the light breaking in the middle when striking an object.

With the crenelated bezel unthreaded, the reflector pops right out as it's held against the emitter base by the bezel.

There is a lip inside the head against which the spring sits. This provides a little shock and impact protection to the emitter pill.
While the emitter pill is hollow, is is also a hair shy of 3/4" internal diameter. A section of 3/4" solid aluminum rod will press fit tightly into it to make a massive heat sink. This baby realy is a modder's dream. Lots of potential here!

A 20mm star fits perfectly. This particular emitter is a Q4. Any upgrade to the emitter will require a solid core to be installed in the pill for more heatsinking. As it is, it is enough for this mildly driven Q4.

Here is the source of the light sabery goodness. Nearly 42mm deep. It is made of plastic but provides excellent throw and and a pretty smooth spill with an insanely tight hotspot.

Outside diameter of the reflector is 29mm

The emitter pill is 20.78mm where the PCB sits and will accept a 20mm star.

The pill is 12.20mm thick. For someone with access to a lathe, a new pill with ridiculous heatsinking ability would be a simple thing to make. Here are some measurements for those inclined to make such a thing...


The lens is 30.65mm in diameter and 1.44mm thick. One can find plenty of 30mm glass lenses available to replace it with if you wanted.

The tail cap is a pretty solid chunk of aluminum. The switch sports a solid connector but is held in the tail cap with a plastic insert. This is the only component I did not take apart as it wasn't worth the chance of ruining it.

The switch boot sits flush with the tail cap at the edges and extends out in the center. It is pretty thin rubber and not the highest quality. It should last a good while as long as you don't strike or abraid anything with the tail of the weapon, err, uh...light.
Switch action is standard fair and not bad, really. Reverse clicky of course.

The tsuba/lanyard ring has an inside diameter of 25.99mm

A close up of the bezel. It did come with a small impact nick in the anno of the closest tip seen in this pic. Packer at the factory probably dropped it.

Threads are few but deep and screw into the head nicely. There is room for an o-ring but it needs to be pretty thin.

Closeup of the battery tube end nearest the driver. You can see the small lip where the negative contact spring seats.

Here it is with the spring installed.

Here is the 3*AAA battery carrier it comes with. An 18650 can be substituted for the crappy 3*AAA carrier. It's nice to have the option of a more readily available battery alternative if needed though.

A couple of o-rings on the battery make it rattle free and impact absorbant. They also center it perfectly in the battery tube.

The battery tube is 91.26mm long. My hand fits it perfectly with no grip visible when held.

Another closeup of the batterytube/grip. Appears to be all one piece when assembled. Feels very solid.

Another closeup of the gnarly head. You can just see the nick in the top crenelation. Great heat sinking potential with all that surface area. I would HATE to be hit with this thing!

"Finned" section is 86.41mm long and 39.29mm in diameter

Outside bezel diameter is 36.85mm

Glamour shot taken from rear...

Glamour shot from head on...

I am debating how I want to go about upgrading this beast. I can go with an XR-E R2 driven at 1.4A and see how much throw I can get out of it or I could drop an XM-L at 3A in it and see what kind of thrower an XM-L can be...hmmm...what are your thoughts? I'm open for opinions.

Great review thanks for sharing. That is an awesome light I am definitely getting one. I am thinking XML at 3 amps with a nasty strobe.

Great review , JohnnyMac .

" I can go with an XR-E R2 driven at 1.4A and see how much throw I can get out of it..."

This ^ .

+1, love the light saber shots!

+1

Do you think the plastic reflector will take it? I know you had some melted plastic reflector before.

Considering the reflector is almost 2 inches long I am willing to take the chance, if it melts a nice thick piece of Pyrex will have to do.

With proper heat sinking added to the pill I don’t see it getting hot enough to melt the reflector or lens. My XM-L 3A minimags never melted (or even came close) a stock plastic reflector or lens. If you don’t put a plug in the hollow pill and run just a bare emitter PCB then you will likely melt the reflector but since the emitter will likely unsolder itself by that time it’s the least of your potential problems. :slight_smile:

Here E1320 mentioned about one of his plastic reflectors melting in one flahlight, but that was a plastic host with 6V of enough "work" for the AMC regulators and days of running. https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/4564#comment-88672

Anyway I don't intend to mod or to buy this flashlight, at least for now.

My point in the other thread was the Nanjg 105c drivers overheats when fed 6 volts. I made my girlfriend a direct drive 3AAA XML with a plastic lens and reflector that she uses every night that hasn't melted yet. I don't understand what you are getting at, is there some point you are trying to make?

Yeah, that I realize now the different situation for each of these plastic reflectors.

I haven't heard of any melted reflector until you mentioned.

+1

Nice-needs an XM-L!

I'm not dealing with DX though.

If someone here in the U.S. gets one and doesn't like it, gimme a yell...

Rich

Great review. Thanks for sharing.

Nice review! I'd like to see photos in-hand to get an idea of its true size :)

Illegal includes, "any object that has been made or adapted for use as a weapon".

You can get away with a flashlight, even a 6 cell Mag, as long as a jury thinks that it's just a flashlight.

This one is made for use as a weapon....most Jury members will think.

OTOH, in Texas, anyone can carry a pistol or rifle in the car, even to work, and it is legal. You can get a Concealed Handgun permit and carry it on your body as long as you have a clean Police record.

Pretty fun review to read but I'll be more excited to see a more substantial emitter, a mean amount of light to match a mean looking light.

3ampxmlFoy