Also. Any word on the ma on low?
I use my KDC8 on my downhill bike at mach 9 through the woods in the pitch dark, it's perfect for that.
Edited :)
I measured
High: 2.6A
Medium: 1,2A
Low: 0,11A
I meant on the three mode. I should have clarified. But I hope it's at least that low. Thank you though tine.
these both have the same driver and the spare driver kd sent me is the same also, but i dont seam to have much luck with the c8,s 
Just don't tell her that KD C8 on medium is about as bright as SSC P7 on high :) (Tested this yesterday)
Without having to go thru 200+ posts since the last time I read this thread, is the current version the same and/or as good as the OP's?
The one i received sometimes makes a buzzing sound, asked kaidomain about it and they told me they had never had this 'problem' before but that I shouldn't worry about it... :p So I guess i won't. Only really bad one i know of is the Benckie's one, which had a low current on high.
Really happy with this light, only wondering how it would compare to the 980l, would it have been worth the extra bucks... My guess is that the 980l might have been bit too much of a thrower as i like the flood the KD C8 offers.
you go downhill at mach 9? wow, respect! :P a friend has this flashlight and it's nice.. a little bit cold white for me, but otherwise nice :)
Hi all, first post here. :)
By the sounds of it various protected 18650's have been used with this light.
Has anyone tried unprotected cells at all? I have a load of Panasonic 18650's which are unprotected, and I was wondering if this light gets dimmer or turns off once the battery goes below 3v?
I'd like to avoid killing these batteries if I can...
Thanks.
Welcome HypnoToad
Where did you get Panasonic batteries from?
The light will get dimmer. It will not turn off. It's direct Drive.
Check with a DMM that not to much Amps is going to the LED. They can easily pull over 3Amps which is bad for the LED.
Hi, I got the batteries from an ebay seller in France around 3 or 4 years ago - they still seem to hold a good charge, and they tend to deal with high currents better than the protected cells I own, but you have to make sure you don't discharge them too much otherwise you won't be able to recharge them. I paid around 20 euro for 8 of them, which is pretty good as most places sell them for around 5 euro each.
I guess the C8 it only goes into direct drive when in high mode? I've ordered the C8 now, I'll have to experiment with various 18650's, and see which ones work the best.
I've found cheaper cells tend to not be able to deal with higher currents so well, as they usually have a higher internal resistance. This may explain why some people were getting varying currents while in high mode, despite the fact that all the cells were form that same manufacturer.
I'll try not to run more than 3A into the LED, the XML datasheet pretty much says why this is a bad idea... ;)
HypnoToad
Can you give me a link for the Panasonic at 5Euro each or less.
The C8 XML single mode, where can I buy?
Welcome to BLF HypnoToad!
The light has some kind of low voltage warning mechanism: It goes to low mode when voltage reaches some limit. Can't tell you the exact limit though, since I didn't measure my batteries after about 3h bike ride. The light was on medium ~2.5h with TF flames and switched to low after that.
BTW: Medium is good for ordinary bike trips (about the same than my Spiderfire SSC P7) and the runtime with med is more than enough for normal evening rides, making this my current favorite bike light.
I’ve been waiting a fair while now for kd to publish my review on there website it was not bad just saying my amp draw and quick international shipping, no big deal but I do like how manafont publish your honest reviews and give you 0.20 us cent for it Lols
Have you already seen this TrusFire 168A-T6 from KD? at first look I tough it was identical to KD-C8, but now I realize that it is 4cm longer, may be this is a pocket thrower :D
It would be nice to see a comparison between KD-C8 and TF-168A
Looks to me to be a HS-801/2 size reflector (but with a T6 emitter) styled along the lines of a C8. So it should throw slightly better given the same level of drive.
168A should have this reflector : http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/42mm-aluminum-smooth-reflector-for-trustfire-usa-168-p-6586
For another Trusfire 168A.
Probably is the same size reflector as Trustfire X8, same deepness, different machining. The head is the same size as with X8.
I don't know if it will throw farther than the C8 but the hotspot will be larger because of the deeper reflector and less spill. The beampattern of the X8, is what you should look for. They're both made by trustfire and probably share the the reflector dimensions.
The link to the - 42mm Aluminum Smooth Reflector for Trustfire USA 168 -is a replacement reflector for the TF USA168 which is an HS-802 Clone. Does the X8 use an HS-802 size reflector?