Pocket thrower suggestions/advice

LED Flashlights – General Info 21700 Flashlights
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Hi all. Long time lurker. New member. Im more of an accessoriser than a modder. So Im after a bit of advice. My collection is as follows::

Convoy m21a (sst40 5000k)
Convoy S21D (519a 4500k)
Convoy S21A (xhp50.2 5000k)
Convoy s2+ (xpl something)
Convoy m1 (XM-L2 U2-1A)
Convoy s2+ (XML2 U2-1A
Convoy s2+ (219a 3500k)
Convoy m3-c (xhp70.3)
Convoy L6 (xhp70)
D4V2 (XP-L HI V3 5000k)
D4SV2 (W2 6000k)
Dt8 (dual 219b 2700k, W1 6000k)

I also have 6 zebralights. 3 headlamps and 3 flashlights. Various diffusers etc…

I live on a few acres in the aussie bush. On a new moon its blacker than a bats ass around here. Im after a pocket-able thrower for doing checks on the chook pen, finding the dog, spotting various critters etc… also wanting to get on the sft40 train.

My current favourites are my S21d (10 deg bead), S2+ 219a and zebralight sc700d for walking around. A good floody is important. I live in deadly snake country. But I need a thrower partner for it to whack in my pocket.

If i need extended spotlighting i have the L6, m3-c and d4sv2. Just want something slightly more pocket-able and/or less hot than those 3.

The M21a is pretty good for this. But it has a few drawbacks. It runs out of steam a bit at 200 metres. I also made the mistake of getting the 4 mode driver. The mrs refuses to use multi mode lights. So the s21a set on 100% is her go to. But it doesnt have the best throw for far corners of the yard. Its adequate. But not hell yeah.

The dt8 serves both functions. But only for short bursts at full noise. Its very hot. Plus i like the 21700 size. I have very large hands. They are like a 18650 light for me.

Im thinking the M21B or another M21a with sft40 5000k might be what im after. Leaning to m21B as its a bit more pocket-able. I donated my M1 to my parents a while back. Its a great little thrower for what it is. So im thinking the big bro M21b in sft40 might be a significant enough upgrade to serve the purpose.

The other option is a dm11 with sft40.

So will a m21b out throw my m21a in sst40 by a reasonable amount?
And how will it compare with a dm11 up to 200m or so?

Decisions Decisions.

Thoughts, options, criticisms, suggestions needed please. Amd thanks for reading.

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If totally black outside, you probably want something with little if any spill as to not wash out what you’re looking at downstream with a brightly lit foreground (you got your regular flooder for that).

Ultra-small: GTmicro, Catapult Mini.
Regular Small: IF22A.
C8ish size: old/original P30

The CatMini and '22A use big TIR lenses for a nice tight beam and very little stray spill. The '22A has a bigger hotspot but more oomf for more reach.

The P30 is probably the best of the C8-size throwers with the cleanest tightest beam Skip the “new” and “i” versions, total waste.

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I hope you enjoy your stay, EddieSalita!

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No way M21b can out throw M21a even if equipped with SFT40. The reflector is way too small.

Agree with TIR thrower being better at not washing out the foreground. IF22A has a nice beam but its driver sucks. There is no stabilization and the brightness drops like a rock as soon as it turns on.

There is a supposed Convoy big TIR thrower coming up really soon and I’m waiting to grab one.

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From the comparisons i have been checking. It seemed there wasnt a massive diff between m21a and m21b given same emitter. The more significant diff was in sustained output thermal wise. So maybe i need to just consider a new m21a?
Im comparing an m21b with sft40 5000k with and m21a with sst40 though. Will the m21a still be superior?
The if22a looks good initially. But i agree with the driver. Its why i like my convoys. Reliable and stable output, fairly rugged. I also like illuminated switches or aux lights. Makes them easy to find in the dark.

The no spill in the dark is something i had not considered. Might that bring a m21c into the equation? Is it worth sacrificing a bit of pocket-ability for?

I was really hoping for 5000k in this light.

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Just get the M21a with SFT40. It’s in another league. With the new 8A buck driver it’s a good budget thrower.

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I have the M21A with SFT40.
It’s a pretty impressive compact thrower.
If you don’t mind a side e-switch, I think the M21E with SFT40 would be fairly similar, though it doesn’t have decent cooling fins like the M21A.
https://www.aliexpress.com/i/3256803349729296.html

I don’t own the M21E–I’m just saying it’s another option. :+1:

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The Speras M4 is worth a look for something compact. It comes with an 18350 battery, but you can pick them up with an 18650 extension tube off Ebay Australia for around AUD$90.

A Convoy Z1 with 8A driver and SFT40 is very good too, but obviously more bulky. You have the option changing the beam angle too.

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Edit… i thought i saw the sft40 5000k was out. Seems i was mistaken.

I need this light to have half decent sustained output. So i think the smaller options arent really what im after.
I like zoomies. But i also need reliable water resistance. This is a light that will see mild abuse.

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I remember reading that the 5000K version is out, too, but I guess some sellers don’t have them yet. :thinking:

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I just got a KR1 with a SFT40 5000K. I’m a big tint snob and maybe I got lucky, but this tint is amazing. There’s not even a hint of green at any output level.

I didn’t ask Hank what bin these are. I have some bare emitters on the way from KD and their bin should be right around the bbl so maybe they’re the same.

I thought I read that Simon was expecting SFT40 3000K in Nov. It might be worth asking if he has 5000k or will get it soon. Side-by-side, it’s a huge difference vs the green-tinted 6500k we’re all used to.

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That’s excellent news!
I love 3000K. :heart_eyes:

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Ahhh… hank… thays where i saw it. The 3000k high cri is listed there now.

Dm11 back in the runnjng.

Any thoughts/experiences on how the dm11 compares with the m21a?
There isnt many direct comparisons with the sft40.

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See this?

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Emisar D1 with the osram w1. Its small, pocketable and throws more than 500 yards . Its wild. Hotspot is very small.

I had a fenix pd35 that was my edc pocket light until I fully destroyed it. Its sft40 6500k, well regulated, 18650 size, 25mm diameter, but with a deeper reflector than the S2 lights. Throws really well for its diameter. Warranty replaced it 4 separate times without a fuss (Used to get gorilla taped to all kinds of equipment and hot environments).

Both pants front pocketable lights that’ll poke an easy 300m

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I have the M21B SFT40 8A and it is really impressive how much throw it has for its size, it must be about 700m and it should also be about 2000lm. I could keep it in my pocket, but I think it’s too big for me to edc. I think the M2 culpm1 might be a little better for edc and it was tested by Darren Yeo to throw at 650m. What I carry the most though is my S6 cslnm1 with an S2_ 18350 tube. It is incredibly impressive for it’s size with the W1 and that deep 20mm reflector; it is good for 58850 Candela and 486m throw. I set mine up with a forward click switch for instant on and I leave mine in group 3 with memory off. It’s my favorite light right now.

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+1 for this. S6 or S8 (they have the same deeper reflector than S2+) wtih a good throwy emitter. Cheap as chips too, you could even buy a few and have spares, try different emitters, etc.

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Do you have an m21a?

I found one youtube comparing the m21a and m21b with sft40. But the m21a was only 6 amp. There was really very little difference. Barely noticeable in that 1-200m range. With the extra 2 amps in the m21a the diff might be fairly significant.

Hope simon can get the 5000k ones soon.

I dont mind pocketing something this size. Its my own yard. And the better output for periods longer than a few minutes are of value to me. S6/8 might work. But they arent going to do any better than my m21a with sst40 i dont think.

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I love a warm tint.

But I’ve been finding that for long distance throwers, a cooler temperature does better at the outer limit. I do see more detail. In a mix of short/mid range and long range, I lean warm to neutral for the former and neutral to cool in the latter.

I don’t know what your budget is, and what kind of time frame you’re looking at, but an Emisar D1K or DM11 with SFT-40 could be your answer. And then you’d be giving yourself a little extra with Anduril driving the UI. You can also put it in simple mode for your wife.

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I don’t, but I am sure the difference between an 8A M21A and 8A M21B would be significant. You could also step up to the L21B SFT40 (also 8A) and get to 1200m! I think the L21B is small enough for a jacket pocket, it is a fairly ligth host for it’s size too.

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