That is how many headlights on cars are set up.
Great review. From the picture don't seems so underdriven.
The pictures are way too bright. But, if you compare this to a 18650 zoomie this recoil thrower beats them down single handedly even if the zoomie is overdriven.
I imagine that it's smart that they don't drive the diode too hard, since there's limited substrate for the die to dissipate heat. Given that they can't just put a huge lump of opaque material in the lightpath, I think the only way that they could drive it harder is if they used something like a heat pipe (think computer overclocking) or some type of peltier cooling, neither of which have been done in a flashlight before (to my knowledge).
It is a rather nice looking light and it certainly does what it's supposed to :)
They're always called "recoil" but I've never quite been able to figure out where that name came from, presumably it was the name on one light and it just caught on.
They really should be called "Parabolic Focal Point Reflectors" or PFPR...neither of which is very catchy :P
Heatpipe approach could be a good one! Peltier? Naahh, that thing is notoriously soo inefficient that will eat 3/4 of your battery capacity that should have gotten to the emitter.
Still think "recoil" is pretty much the most tolerable term for it (althrough i don't see the point to it). Could be much worse.
I'm fairly used to hear technical nonsense being a computer technician.
We often hear:
My computer froze from excessive overheating....
Now, everyone know what happened but really... how doumb does it sound when you reread it the second time?
Great review as always, Budgeteer. I haven't played with recoil throwers much at all, becaue of the limits to how hard the emitter can be driven. But it seems the reflector efficiency might overcome this to some extent for a pure thrower.
Someone should make a "flood to throw" recoil thrower. Perhaps by having it so the arm with the led could rotate 180 degrees. It would face backwards into the reflector for throw or face forwards out of the lens for a very wide smooth flood.
Done....well sort of. Two LED's on the arm, one facing forward, the other into the reflector.
Nice review but if you wished that this one was only one mode (I agree) why do you also wish that it had memory?
As it is it will always come on in high mode (which is what would happen with one mode). If it had memory it might come on in low mode or even strobe. I'd say that is is a positive that it has no memory.
It would save me the hassle to cycle between modes from time to time if i wait the memory sticks in...
I ordered one of these last week from Manafont. I don't know why, I really don't like spotlights and I already have seven flash lights. I guess it was an impulse buy, which sucks because of the new AA/14500 lights from Spark just came out and I want one. As of right now, tracking shows that it left Hong Kong.
I will be sure to do a review with beamshots when I receive it.
Pretty interesting, but a bit wonky design heat-wise.
is there any other manufacture who produce recoil like this one (size and price) or this small sun is the only one?
Nice thrower for under $15.
nice one for 15$. Has anyone tried to mode one on these recoil thrower? different drive,emitter?im curious if there is chance to bust this poor 180 lumens and get even better thrower from it?
Well, these are good stock. The best you can do would be a XP-E R2 emitter and driven at ~750mA. The heatsinking cannot cope with the emitter being driven at higher current. Anway gains by incresing current are not that high one would hope.
thx for advice. And what would be better choise to get. One small Recoil thrower like thisone or some zoomable flashlight (in same price category). And im only aiming for throw.
I have two zoom lights. one is a Q5 18650 light it has no name just Cree on it I believe it came from Ultraok the other is the
Review: Sipik SK68 AKA Cree Q5 Adjustable Torch
Not much difference in throw between the Two zoom lights. The 18650 light has a longer run time. My Sipik recoil is the better thrower out of the Three. Not a bad light if you want throw only. Mine is now direct drive 1-mode (makes more sense for a throw light) I don't run it for for extended periods. So far so good.
Good luck! Lots of zoom lights out there read some reviews here. My expeirence is only with the two I mentioned above.
I+m pretty happy with this one. But changed the driver with a linear amc 750mA one. Dislike it 3 mode. 1 is enough.