The BlackShadow Darth seems to no longer be available so I ordered the FandyFire version which FT currently lists for about the original BS supposed error price of about $60. I hope that it is identical including the heavy duty removable battery contact plate held in by two screws.
I really like magnetic control ring lights and also like the added potential durability of the heavy duty battery contact plate which seems to be a scarce item in these multiple parallel battery lights. So far I have only noted it in the SupFire M6 and L1 lights along with the BlackShadow Terminator and the Darth. Another advantage of the lights with the heavy duty contact plates is that none of them have glued plates so they are readily removable from all of the mentioned lights for ready access to the guts.
I would prefer a control ring on the Darth that provided continuously variable output but will take what is available.
I HATE the exaggerated Lumens claimed for that possible clone/copy. Per the description page photos it is supposed to be a genuine Black Shadow but they never claimed such ridiculous output for that light. No way in hell that three XM-L LEDs can put out 5400 Lumens. Instant self destruct if even tried plus in a light that small it would be practically instant overheating.
I also note a pretty low feedback rating for that seller compared to others who list on Ali Express
I appears that the OP of the LPF thread I linked above gave positive feedback on Ali. Not sure it is him and he has not responded to the thread, but it most likely is him given the timing, name, and locations. He seemed to know his stuff to certain extent in the thread.
Not sure if long Aletoshop is related to Aleto on ebay. If it is, they are probably fine. Almost all flashlight ads seem to exaggerate lumen output. I never even look that part of the ads.
Sorry but I just do not trust a dealer who does not at least list the factory web site claimed Lumens output which is 2000 for the Fandyfire version per FastTech’s listing. Probably close for LED Lumens as per tests I have seen the OTF Lumens for this light listed as in the 1500 range.
No need to be sorry. I'm just sharing the info I know. Doesn't mean the light is good or bad. The individual purchaser will need make a decision on how much risk they want to take. Just trying to get the info out there.
Thats what I hate about budget light introductions. The first incarnations can often represent fantastic values in quality and function. Then the jobs get subbed out under the same mfgr name and every possible shortcut is taken to save a few cents in the mfgr process while producing a shitty product. Im so glad I have a new original darth that I purchased at their introduction. If you can find a new early original, you will definitely agree that they are built to a VERY higher standard. Far more so than nearly any other high quality budget light. All the accolades from others are deserved.
The only reason I didnt use mine and relegated it to the shelf is because I own a Zebralight S6330 triple XML 3 x 18650.
That seems to depend on the manufacturer in China. Per RMM one reason he likes the SupFire M6 for his modifications is that all those he has received have been CONSISTENT as far as internal construction details and quality. When he opens one up for modification he knows what he is going to find, unlike SRKs for instance where he has reported returning whole lots of lights that were received and found unsuitable for his modifications.
Have you personally seen multiple Darths disassembled to verify that they have radically been cheapened internally compared to the originals?
Ive been buying and reselling large quantities of cheap LED flashlights (operative word: cheap) for several years, so Im more than familiar with how the reduced production quality game is played out within the same SKU, brand and model. There is no way to truly reinforce a patent of a name brand or design on these lights, so perhaps 100 manufacturers and their subs might collectively stamp out the same light and their components. Examples include the trustfire C8 & SRK. They are only generic descriptions produced and sold by many different manufacturers that steal the name brand and model. Its common knowledge that they all go to the lowest bidder and huge variations in quality and components can be expected.
I launched the original GB for the M6, predicated upon my own observations and those of others concerning build quality, mod potential, ease of resistor mod and value. This is when RMM became interested, followed suit and recently began rebuilding them with his own drivers & emitter variations. I have resold several copies of the 2 versions in which the original was produced. A search will show you the differences between the two production versions and how supfire cut costs in its second version. Sure, there are some semi-budget manufacturers that maintain control of their production standards, dont change the deign and perform a proper QC, but that has become a rarity. Pick at random any budget light that sells in large quantity and has been around for a few years and you’ll be lucky to find more than a few that meet that criteria.
I have read about varying quality of the later darth copies but only have my single original. I searched and could not find where I had read earlier about the drop in quality, so Im not sure if it was a BLF post or somewhere else.
If you ask the vendor the proper questions prior to a purchase and the item isnt as described, paypal will protect you, but only if you use their dispute system correctly.
Like most of us that scratch our heads: start your own thread and ask. Call it “the darth recent production quality thread” and see who responds. Your responses will be very limited in this thread. Also search with some google-fu and see what turns up…
I don't know what you 2 are talking about. The guy on LPF is happy with the one he received. Seems like your throwing around unfounded dispersions Richwouldnt. Why are you judging a apparently good product from a specific vendor that you have no direct experience with?
Yes mate, it’s me.
Not only is it one of the best flashlights I’ve owned, I have bought and received two more for friends of mine at their request as soon as I showed them mine.
I highly doubt that they are a rip off, the drivers are exactly the same in every way to the ones I’ve been shown from flashlight vets who have bought from reputable dealers and paid up to $90 US for them.
The quality and workmanship of the ones I received are on par and even better than some Eagletac, Sunwayman, and Nitecore lights I have owned.
Let me be the first to welcome you to BLF PaulorNuthn. You are probably aware that you have some great fellow LPF members here. We also have some awesome members from Australia. If you do a into thread, I'm sure they will say hi.
Id also like to welcome you to the forum. Please join us when you can.
Your comments are spot on mate. The incredible quality, form factor and utility would certainly warrant a much higher price (at least with the original version). Id never had believed it until I owned one. If it were driven any harder in high mode, it would become a hand burner/cell cooker in a few minutes. The triangular battery tube makes it feel more like a 1 x 26650 than a 3 x 18650. I wish more lights would adopt this shape battery tube. Ive also wondered why more budget lights havent been built to this standard since the Darth has proven it can be done.
Because the particular sellers listing for this light is total BS and bears little resemblance to the light description given in the original review post, at least as far as output is concerned. I get very tired of ads from foreign sellers that remind me of the worst of the old used car sales advertisements on TV. Nothing against the light just the way this particular seller is listing it.
Thanks for the welcome ImA4Wheeler and FlashPilot, also a thanks goes out to Jmac and Spasmod over at TFF for their advice and help with answering that annoying Mr_man’s questions
Now back to the BSD, I as a consumer and unashamed flashaholic can only see one way of improving this flashlight, and it’s only my opinion of course, but I can’t help thinking how easily I would give up some run time by manufacturing an18350 cell version allowing roughly an inch extra to be added to the depth of the reflector and creating some crazy throw.
That would be a great design change to the light. I'd like to do that resister mod you did to yours, but my wife is quite protective of hers. I'm really considering buying an other one from that vendor you found. $43 is such a good price.
JohnnyMac and Spasmod mod are respected members here too. I should start visiting TFF. I tried to a few times back when I was on a dial up connection. I had to give up because all the high quality pictures there would take forever to load. Actually, I don't think I was ever to get a single page to fully load.
You seem like you're pretty comfortable modding. We have a bunch of exciting things going on with drivers and FW these days. If you have been wanting to make any of your lights work different, you may want to check out some of the bare driver boards that have been developed by members here and are available for pretty much nothing from OSH Park.
Yeah I can’t recommend the BSD highly enough, having purchased 3 from that same vendor and modding all of them I can also say it doesn’t get much easier in terms of being low risk and taking less than 5 minutes each to do.
The vendor would of had to have got his hands on some old stock because I can’t see anyone making a flashlight of that quality for such a price and expect to profit from it all.
I suppose coming from an engineering/metal fab background has made me quite comfortable modding here and there and as you would know…….if you can mod or build a laser then a flashlight fix is just a walk in the park.
Sounds like your wife is as protective of her Darth as much as my kids are of the home computers so I don’t get much time online anymore but I’m glad to have found the forums you mentioned and being lucky enough to have some vets share their knowledge with me.
My new FandyFire Darth arrived on the 30th. Very nice light and it actually included an instruction sheet in ENGLISH! Very good machining and finish IMO. The instruction sheet says Black Shadow rather than Fandyfire and includes a section for warranty use that has the Black Shadow name and address on it. The box has the Darth name only w/o any BS or FF name or logo. The light itself is marked FANDYFIRE dARtH. Looks to me like FF may be a subsidiary of BS.
With the smaller head it looks like it is considerably slimmer than the SolarStorm T3 or the SolarStorm/FandyFire Warrior though the T3 is about 1.5 ounces lighter with batteries in both and the Warrior is almost identical in weight.
