Review: Cree Q5 & Q5 Tactical

LED Flashlights – General Info 18650 Flashlights
1

As many of you may know, I have been bitten by the flashlight bug!!! I am going to be buying and reviewing many flashlights over the next few months and these are the first two I bought. These are my first flashlight reviews so please let me know if im missing anything. Im trying to base my reviews off ones that vets do here, like Relic, since he helped me out in buying my first light (C8 driven at 2.8A)

Service
First off let me say that Aurabuy has fantastic service as far as im concerned. I sent a few questions about these products to aurabuy via contact us and they emailed me back within 24 hours (except weekends obviously)!!! From a foreign company, that is amazing! Plus it wasnt horrible broken English either, I could actually fully understand what was being said!

Both lights came packaged in a water resistant envelope and were heavily bubble wrapped inside.

Package took 9 days to arrive via Singapore post (surprised especially since ive heard Singapore post was slow). Both lights arrived in perfect condition as well

Cree Q5 Tactical
Ill start off with the light we are least familiar with, Cree Q5 Tactical (Cree-Q5 LED 3-Mode 350 Lumens Tactical Flashlight Torch (1x18650) ). I purchased this solely on attraction to appearance and hopes that it could be modified into a laser :smiley:

Specs from the site:
Features:
Built-in high power CREE LED emitter
One battery last about 2 hours
3-Mode: High > Low > Strobe
Output up to 900-1100mA 350 Lumens
High brightness, low power consumption
Waterproof and skid-proof, exquisite workmanship
Durable aluminum reflector cup, resin lens
Perfect for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, caving, hunting etc

Specifications:
Brand/Model: 002
Emitter Brand/Type: Cree
Emitter BIN: Q5
Working Voltage: 3.7-4.2V
LED Life: 100,000 hours
Intensity: 900-1100mA 350 lumens
Material: Plastic Reflector Cup + Plastic Lens
Power: 1*18650 battery (not included)
Dimension: 167*37*37mm
Weight: 158g

Package Contents:
1 x LED flashlight
1 x Strap

I used a 2200mAh Sanyo 18650 for this review and it fit perfectly. I dont own any protected cells yet but there is a good 5mm of room left so protected cells should fit no problem. The reflector and lens are plastic, which isnt preferable IMO but for the price its more than fine. The reflector is smooth, which i really like over the OP reflector. LED is perfectly centered which is great! Keep in mind this is a Q5 LED so its not as bright as the XM-L version but it is still plenty bright. The hot spot is more rectangular than round due to being a Q5 LED but at a distance it looks round to me. Light has three modes; High-Low-Strobe. Seems to be next mode memory so if it gets turned off in strobe, it will come back on in High. Overall the light is very impressive for being a Q5 LED. This is my first Q5 light and I was expecting it to be under-par since ive head bad things about the Q5 but those people must just be spoiled with XM-L’s or cracked out on something :na:

Pictures:

Its 151mm from inside the assault crown to the tailcap (need to get longer calipers :D)

17mm pill = easy laser modification :smiley:

Now for what I think is the coolest part of this light, Beam Profile

High

Low

Overall thoughts
This light is very impressive for the cost, $16.33 before discounts. The finish of the light is great, no chips or marks on the anodizing. Very sturdy feel and the assault crown is semi-sharp so it actually can do some damage, if need be :smiley: Can tail stand and nose stand (nose stand gives a cool beam profile as well). I recommend buying this light for either use as a flashlight or to mod into a laser. If you mod it into a laser, it will be unique looking laser! No visible PMW is also a huge plus if you keep it a flashlight :smiley:

Next light I purchased was a Cree Q5 Blue. This was bought since it is easy to make into a laser (my other hobby other than flashlights)

Cree Q5 AKA blue ice as called here by builders (3-Mode 310 Lumens Cree Q5 LED Flashlight Torch Blue (1*18650) )

LPF member ApexProxy uses this host for his laser builds and was first used by yobresal. That right there tells you that this host can easily be swapped into a laser. The reason i bought this light is since its advertised as water proof (will test that later :D). I know many people look for water proof lasers so figured if this host is truly waterproof then turning it into a waterproof laser would be easier than your average host. If lasers aren’t your thing than as long as its waterproof, keep it that way

Specs from the site:

Features:
Built-in high power CREE LED emitter, low power consumption
Waterproof and skid-proof, exquisite workmanship
One battery last about 2 hours
3-Mode: High > Low > Strobe
Intensity: 900-1100mA 310 Lumens
Long LED life up to 100,000 hours
Durable aluminum reflector cup, glass lens
Perfect for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, caving, hunting etc

Specifications:
Emitter Brand/Type: Cree
Emitter BIN: Q5
Working Voltage: 3.7-4.2V
LED Life: 100,000 hours
Intensity: 900-1100mA 310 lumens
Light Range: 60m underwater/ 150 on the ground
Material: Aluminum Reflector Cup + Glass Lens
Power: 1*18650 battery (not included)
Color: Blue
Dimension: 120*35*35mm
Weight: 83g

Package Contents:
1 x LED flashlight
1 x Strap

Again i tested this light with a 2200mAh Sanyo but this light appears to have slightly less room in it, however it still looks as if a protected cell will fit but might be tight. The flashlight without a battery is surprisingly light, almost as if nothing is there. There is indeed an aluminum reflector and glass lens but the lens does not appear to be AR coated. not a huge deal especially if you are turning it into a laser. Again, pleased that the emitter looks to be perfectly centered and it shows by not having any odd bat wings in the beam profile. The finish of this light is nice minus two small belmishs, the tailcap area on the edges and one small spot in the middle of the host (see pictures). it just looks like the host wasnt prepped well before the blue finish was added. Most of the other Q5 Blue hosts ive seen have not had this problem so this doesnt concern me at all. surprisingly this light doesnt have any noticeable PMW!!! Super surprised but very happy at the same time.

Pictures:

Think my calipers were slightly off since its the same size as the Q5 tactical pill (calipers reset from rest of measurements though)

Some of the water proofing

Both sides have double o-rings

Blemishes around the outside (not a big deal since they’d get like that from tail stands anyways)

The odd mark

Overall:
Again another nice Q5 light. This has been proven to be a strong laser host by many members. If it turns out to be waterproof then aurabuy is the place to get it from! The price is great at $11.08 before discounts or $8.95 (not waterproof host). IT IS WATERPROOF!!! This like the Q5 tactical is a High-Low-Strobe light but it is amazing under water! I will be ordering many more of these just for the fact they are waterproof!!!

Side note: Aurabuy has this big promotion event going on right now and im going to be buying stuff for myself in the next wave. Basically you can nominate any item on their site to be “promoted” at a discount. its normally tablets and phone battery cases but next week the top item is “beats” styled headphones for like $17. Im going to be getting a pair and testing them out but thought id give my review readers a heads up so you can vote for items you want to buy at a discount :smiley:

2

Reserved for updates:

Dont think you guys will believe this but 5 minutes under water and it still works!!! Will test again tonight to see if it has slow water damage but im very impressed!

Control (1 minute under water w/o battery to check for “leaks” since i didnt want to kill a battery)

5 Minute under water test (photos at submerge, 2-3 minute and 5 minute right before pulling it out)

Absolutely impressed!!!

Also if anyone has suggestions to what i should buy next please let me know. I really like flashlights that can be turned into lasers down the road and then swapped back to flashlights (no heavy modification to the host basically)

3

Thank you, water test updated above!

4

That is great. I only had tried to leave my C8 and BTU Shocker under the tap water and they work fine, but never tried to dunk them in water though.

5

yeah i was slightly afraid to do this at first and thats why i did a control test without a battery in it. figured better to ruin a $12 light than a $12 light AND battery. now i can do some real testing and bring it in the pool for some cool night shoots :smiley:

6

Only one comment and no feedback??? Why does my review get ignored but.others are packed with comments? Please let me know how I can make my reviews better or something.
Thanks guys

7

Your review is fine, no worries! Thanks !

I think we have been overwhelmed by all the different lights out these days that new isn't really NEW any more.

That top one scares the hell out of me!

8

Thanks for sharing your review..

you`ve done a serious job, and it looks like you had fun!

I welcome you to keep posting your reviews!

Actually, I must admit that the beam of the first light looks kinda scary... I think I prefer circular beam profiles ;)

9

I like circular beams as well but for some reason this beam profile really intrigues me. its most likely since its different. It is circular if you take the assualt crown off though. Not many people own “budget” lights other than C8’s and seems like everyone over looks them for lights such as Fenix, Crelant, ThruNite, etc……

How so? Scary since the assault crown is aggressive or because of the beam profile?

Good to hear that my reviews are on par :smiley:

10

That assault crown is Klingon aggressive !

11

Nice review Livinloud! Those are some decent budget lights/hosts. I’m impressed that the blue one was waterproof.
Did you check the other light for waterproof too? Just curious.
Can you pop the driver out of the pill and take a picture of the driver itself? Also, taking a peek under the emitter star lets us know if the pill is solid and if there’s thermal compound under there.
For measuring the length of longer lights, I resort to using a ruler instead of the calipers.

12

@Relic, it looked like the drivers both had a dab of solder on them holding them to the pill but i will take another look. any suggestions on how to pop the driver out without damaging it and also the emitter star? Never had to pop drivers out and dont want to damage the emitter either so advice is greatly appreciated :smiley:

Rulers are probably a better idea and not sure why i didnt think of that :beer:

I didnt check the other light for waterproof but i will gladly look into it and see if its plausible or not.

13

First of all, thanks for the review.

I don’t think it’s your review style, but rather the Q5 in the title… having profound effect on not attracting lumen-freaks (raise own hand) :stuck_out_tongue:

Just one thing to add - I do a lot of underwater tests too. Many lights do work quite well under water with no immediate damage, but after finished many of them DO have water seepage inside the tailcap. The double O-ring on the light is good but IMO the tailcap boot is always the weakest point. So to confirm if it’s really fully waterproof, I recommend you disassemble the whole tailcap switch, boot and all and check. If they do have water in them, the switch will soon develop rust and the light will have some issues soon.

14

@Pulsar- Thanks for the heads up on the Q5 emitter. I just placed and order for my next light and its a XM-L U2 26650 light so hopefully it will attract more interest. These are my first Q5 lights and i dont see a problem with them at all. I do understand that many members are “lumen freaks” and the Q5 doesnt put out as much as say a U2.

I did actually check the tail cap after the test and just checked it again. It was perfectly dry after my initial test but i will most likely be doing more tests under water and probably in the pool :smiley:

Im guessing one way to fix water seepage in other lights would be to epoxy the tail cap boot in place, right?

15

@Relic, just looked at the pills for these lights and i can tell without taking the emitter off that the Q5 tactical has a hollow pill and the blue Q5 doesnt have a hollow pill. blue lights driver is soldered to the pill and the tactical lights driver just appears to be press fit in the pill. suggestions on getting them out are still welcome

16

For the press-fit driver, pry it out with something that will fit in the small hole near on the edge.
The blue light’s pill is aluminum and I do not see any solder there, should just pop out as on the other light.

Not surprised about the tactical light having a hollow pill. It has several cheap parts (plastic reflector and lens) which often go hand-in-hand with hollow pills.

17

Hi,

I may’ve missed it, but for the blue light, does the pill screw into the head?

And, how is the reflector secured in the head? Is it just the pressure of the screwed in pill push against the reflector to hold the reflector in place? Also, how far up into the inside of the head do the threads inside the body where the pill screws into go?

Sorry for all the questions, but I’ve been lookiing for a tube style light to use a host where I’m using a TIR or 3up Carclo.

Thanks,
Jim

Edit: BTW, is there any code that can be used at Aurabuy?

18

@ohaya, yes the pill screws into the host body and the reflector actually looks to be screwed into the head (cant manage to get it out right now). im trying to think of a way to unscrew it but having dificulty getting a good grip on it. As far as your third question, not exactly sure what you are asking so im hoping the following pictures will help answer it or you can rephrase it

Pill half way unscrewed to show it better

EDIT: as far as codes go, not sure but ill check. HOWEVER both of these lights are on sale right now at 8% less than the prices listed in the review. ill get back to you on aurabuy codes though, didnt even think to search for any

19

Livinloud,

Sorry. I was having a hard time phrasing my questions.

As background, I was comparing the design of the blue light against an UF S5 that I just got yesterday. discussed in this thread:

See post #41 and after that.

That head of that light is designed such that the inside of the head is threaded, and then there’s a threaded retaining ring that goes “behind” the reflector and the pill. Neither the reflector nor the pill are thread, they just drop into the head, then you screw the retaining ring into the head, which pushes the reflector against the front lens, and the pill up against the reflector.

Nice thing about that is that the threads go further towards the front of the head, so that if you use a TIR lens or a Carclo lens, instead of the original reflector, both of which are much shorter than the original reflector, you can just keep screwing that retaining ring tighter and it’ll secure the TIR or Carclo lens with the pill behind it.

As I said, I was mentally trying to compare the S5 design/arrangment vs. the blue light. What I’m looking for with the blue light would be to replace the reflector with a Carclo 3up lens, replace the emitter with a 3up emitter/star, and replace the driver with a boost driver.

As I said, I’m pretty sure that the Carclo lens is going to be shorter (height) than the original reflector in the blue light, so I was wondering if the pill will be able to be screwed further up into the head to hold the Carclo lens in place.

The S5 design is almost perfect for this, except that the pill is really tiny. I think that I can mount the 3up emitter star on top of the pill (rather inside the recessed area), but the problem is, I think, going to be space for the driver.

The pill for the blue light looks a little larger (height), so there might be a better chance with the blue light for what I’m thinking of.

Does that clarify my questions?

Thanks,
Jim

P.S. And yes, I may just go ahead and buy one just to try it… I seem to have bought a bunch of cheap lights already for this, trying different “hosts”, so one more won’t break the bank… though I’m getting kind of impatient to get this build done!!

20

Yes thats is easier to understand. To answer your question yes the pill is able to screw further into the head (youd do something like how i took the picture and not screw it completely in but the battery takes up the slack). there is no retaining ring for the reflector however if you replaced the reflector with one that didnt screw in, you could just add a retaining ring since the head is threaded what appears to be all the way up. im going to try and get a hold of the reflector and pull it out so i can get pictures for you. this light is a little over $10 with the 8% discount applied without the need of a code and has free shipping too :beer:

the good thing about this host is you can screw the pill in however far you want. i have it screwed all the way in since thats what works best “stock” but if you do replace the reflector and emitters then you can adjust the pill out however far you need. im 95% sure this host will do what you are looking for and if you have any other questions or need pictures let me know :smiley:

EDIT: apparently there is a retaining ring behind the reflector so will work perfectly for you. at first it looked like the retaining ring was part of the reflector and thats why it wasnt coming out but was able to get ahold of it and twist it out. see picture below

lens is the same thickness as the o-ring (sorry dont have the calipers on me atm)