Quick HELP......Thorfire TK15

Spartan · 2019-03-14T00:43:43.000Z

Thanks……bought one! It’s $15 Canuck bucks which is about $11 USD. Too cheap not to buy one……and I needed a new belt! lol.

My wife wonders why I buy one item at a time….and the other one always lands up being a flashlight.

BlueSwordM · 2019-03-14T00:43:13.000Z

Are you good with modding or not?

The initial light goes from 6,5/10 stock because of the XP-L2 beam, to 8-8,5 when modded.

Spartan · 2019-03-14T00:47:01.000Z

BlueSwordM:

Are you good with modding or not?

The initial light goes from 6,5/10 stock because of the XP-L2 beam, to 8-8,5 when modded.

I’m a modding virgin! lol

Sooner or later, I’m gonna get to breaking one! Wait….that sounds weird….

I got the VG10S and now the TK15. One of them is going to get modded. My main want/need is to get more of a flooder. The VG10 has a bit of a hot spot for my liking and let’s see what the TK15 has. Then work accordingly.

Spartan · 2019-03-14T00:50:57.000Z

Wait………are you sure you are not shills for Thorfire?

Ahhhh…I had to do that!

BlueSwordM · 2019-03-14T01:10:34.000Z

Nah.

I just have one as my EDC that I’ve modded thrice.

Spartan · 2019-03-14T00:59:02.000Z

BlueSwordM:

Nah.

I just have one as my EDC that I’ve nodded thrice.

You know I was kidding. Right?

At some point in the near future, I’m going to go through the modding threads and open a thread about modding. I assume it’s just drop in…but I also want to make sure I don’t do something stupid. Need to avoid playing with a 10 buck flashlight that set fire to a car.

BTW…THANK YOU for your input.

toddcshoe · 2019-03-14T01:09:33.000Z

Spartan:

BlueSwordM:

Nah.

I just have one as my EDC that I’ve nodded thrice.

You know I was kidding. Right?

At some point in the near future, I’m going to go through the modding threads and open a thread about modding. I assume it’s just drop in…but I also want to make sure I don’t do something stupid. Need to avoid playing with a 10 buck flashlight that set fire to a car.

BTW…THANK YOU for your input.

If you are modding a P60, 501B type host then yes, it can drop in. Reflowing the LED or flowing a new LED on a new board is usually all that is required to get a tint you like. You’ll need some tools but nothing too expensive. I think there are some decent videos on YouTube that can help you see what you are trying to picture in your head. I do most of my reflow’s in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Sounds silly but it works perfectly as long as the temp is right, not too hot, not too cool. You can also use a soldering iron, plate heater, hot air station, etc. Grab ya a few MCPCB’s and a few cheap emitters and practice a few. You will have it down in no time.

Edit: Oh yeah, I wanted to mention, the Convoy S2+ host are real easy to swap drivers and emitters in. Perfect platform for honing your skills. Cheaply too.

Spartan · 2019-03-14T01:38:40.000Z

toddcshoe:

Edit: Oh yeah, I wanted to mention, the Convoy S2+ host are real easy to swap drivers and emitters in. Perfect platform for honing your skills. Cheaply too.

I’ve looked at them and all the options available. Unless I’m mistaken, I also saw a orange peel reflector.

My first problem is that there are not cheap at Amazon.ca. I’ve targeted the Thorfire’s and they constantly rotate their discounts on there. So I got a Q8, VG10s and the TK 15 for a total of about 70 bucks USD. Not bad.

My “ideal” light is a EDC with 1500 lumen mostly flood. Not exactly reaching for the stars. I’ll get there……by modding.

BlueSwordM · 2019-03-14T01:48:13.000Z

Why not buy on Aliexpress directly from Simon?

You can get the Convoy S2+ lights stock with any reflector you want, LED, firmware, etc… That’s why I buy directly at Convoy: so I can get a customized light

I’ve bought most of my lights from Aliexpress and Banggood, and never had any problem.

toddcshoe · 2019-03-14T02:44:42.000Z

Yeah man, listen to Blue. You will eventually get over this impatient thing. I was the same way at first. I would pay ridiculous prices to get it faster or wouldn’t order it at all because the faster method was too expensive. Be patient. Order from Banggood, Gearbest, AliExpress. Your wallet will thank you. As soon as you order it, forget about it, it will be a surprise when it arrives. Sometimes I pick the option of no tracking number, ya know, just to live on the edge.

BlueSwordM · 2019-03-14T02:46:30.000Z

I mean, the Thorfire TK15 was actually much less expensive even with a coupon from Banggood.

If I wanted, I could easily buy 2 torches, mod them with SST-20s, and then sell them to friends.

IMO, the advantage of Aliexpress/Banggood is not really cost. It’s actually living on the edge of tech.

I mean, you could only get the Q8 from Banggood for a looong while.

toddcshoe · 2019-03-14T02:53:28.000Z

BlueSwordM:

I mean, the Thorfire TK15 was actually much less expensive even with a coupon from Banggood.

If I wanted, I could easily buy 2 torches, mod them with SST-20s, and then sell them to friends.

IMO, the advantage of Aliexpress/Banggood is not really cost. It’s actually living on the edge of tech.

I mean, you could only get the Q8 from Banggood for a looong while.

True enough. I think BG still has the best coupon price for the Q8 currently. I could be wrong. I don’t shop and price compare as much as I use to.

Convoy’s Ali page is the best place for a Convoy. Choices and prices are great. Hard to find a lot of options for Convoy’s in North America. Mountain excluded but, Richard still doesn’t have the selection of the Ali page.

Spartan · 2019-03-14T03:09:12.000Z

The Q8 was 65 Cunuck bucks or about 48 USD.

And……I’m dealing with Amazon.ca

Absolutely no issues with delivery or credit card security.

Spartan · 2019-03-15T22:27:08.000Z

I got the flashlight this morning and of course, I had to test it. After everyone went home, I shut off the lights to the warehouse, (because shutting it off while working is a tiny bit of a hazard…lol) and tried it out. Also had the VG10S for comparison.

First impression, a bit cooler beam, a bit wider hot spot and a bit “ringy”. Meaning, I can see consecutive rings, but only if I shine it on a dark wall about 20 feet away and from stationary position.

Overall, it’s a good quality light and given the price, it moves to a “great light for the price”. The VG10S has a smoother beam and a tighter hot spot. I like the smoother beam, but the hot spot is too hot for my taste.

Between the two at pretty much the same price? The VG10S wins.

BlueSwordM · 2019-03-16T02:11:00.000Z

Yeah, that’s a problem with the XP-L2.

It has a rainbow fried egg beam. Which is why I modded my light from the start.

Lightbringer · 2019-03-16T04:24:26.000Z

I really like the Thorfires, and got a few of each: TK15, TK18, TK05, TK4A, Q8, PF04, and probably a few more I can’t recall right now.

For a kick-ass flood beam you want, get a Convoy S2+ with the 4C emitter and start collecting 20mm TIR lenses from 30°, 45°, 60° and up. You unscrew the head, pop out the brass pill, ditch the reflector and optionally the front glass too, drop the TIR lens down the hole, screw the pill back in, and you’re done.

With a TIR lens, you have the vast majority of the light in the hotspot and little if any in the spill, a nice smooth transition from one to the other, but the hotspot will be nice and wiiiiiiiiiide. Floody goodness.

And the 4C behind the TIR lens is a beautiful color/tint, like warm sunlight, bright white with just the slightest hint of yellow. To me, even “neutral white” like from typische Thorfire/Sofirn lights looks cool to me, and real warm (2700K like the SF36WW) is distinctly yellow, the 4C is just about perfect.

This way, you’d be “modding” the light without having to desolder anything (the 4C is already in there), and the TIR lens is literally drop-in.

Spartan · 2019-03-16T06:15:41.000Z

Thanks L.

I had to read that 5 times to make sense of it.

Convoy S2+….got it.

4C….I like “white” which is in the TK15 and coincidently on the Fenix Tk45. Although I will give up some “white” for a higher CRI. But, it is a flashlight so I will not give up efficiency.

Were does the 4C stand on efficiency and comparison to the Tkk15?

After some headscratching, I finally figured that TIR is a stand alone lens. Ok, I get it, but am I not trading away scratch resistance of those plastic lenses? I’m intrigued by the total move away from reflector/glass.

Wouldn’t an orange peel reflector give me that smoother transition and more spill? I also will not be giving up the glass lenses scratch resistance.

I’m going to hunt down some bean shot comparison. Any links handy?

Spartan · 2019-03-16T07:18:56.000Z

Aha! The orange peel is interesting ring reflector is a home run.

I guess it’s going to be impossible to put it in the Thorfires or Convoy.

Muto · 2019-03-17T22:27:23.000Z

Spartan:

Aha! The orange peel is interesting ring reflector is a home run.

I guess it’s going to be impossible to put it in the Thorfires or Convoy.

File:Reflectors.jpg - Wikipedia

Try this method;

Video - How I Stipple a Reflector Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts

I figured I would show how I coat a reflector "Stipple". [Stippling a flashlight reflector]

Old Lumens knew what he was doing, king of budget mods.

Or get the TIR’s or even just try some wax paper over the lens to smooth out the beam, it will lose more lumens than the TIR but is removable and you probably have wax paper in stock, so free mod.

Spartan · 2019-03-17T23:00:03.000Z

Muto:

Spartan:

Aha! The orange peel is interesting ring reflector is a home run.

I guess it’s going to be impossible to put it in the Thorfires or Convoy.

File:Reflectors.jpg - Wikipedia

Try this method;
Video - How I Stipple a Reflector

Old Lumens knew what he was doing, king of budget mods.

Or get the TIR’s or even just try some wax paper over the lens to smooth out the beam, it will lose more lumens than the TIR but is removable and you probably have wax paper in stock, so free mod.

Someone suggested that in another thread. I’m going to buy a Convoy S2+ or BLF A6 with orange peel reflector as my next attempt to a “perfect” EDC.

What you suggested is not dangerous, I’m just hesitant to do any emitter swapping or mods that may have any potential of making it dangerous. After all, it’s the epitome of stupid to burn down a 70K car with a 10 buck flashlight. And of course the insurance company saying…….no claim.