Just got my UF 980L today. Nice light but the Romisen RC T601 i bought from Shining Beam is brighter and throws further. I was a little disappointed because im looking for a thrower. May try the Sky Ray now. Bryan from Shining Beam says the updated Romisen RC T601 with a XML U2 will be brighter. I can't WAIT!
How do the tail cap current readings compare? The 980 isn't a dedicated thrower but it is a little pocket rocket with a good throw/flood compromise for outdoor use
I wouldn't go with a UF 980L from DD.
That's just me and from what I've gleaned about DD from this forum.
I'd stick with Manafont..JMO......YMMV.
Yup, vote for Mana even though I got one with 3 blemishes in reflector. Still an unsellable, will remain in my collection of couple lights.
Yep. I'm with Streamer. Gotta get your 980L from Manafont.
Foy
Hey Boro . . . glad you like it.
Foy
UPDATE
A lot has been said about the UltraFire UF-980L and with so much glowing praise, the perceived legend can often eclipse reality. The 980L's performance pratically begs for hyperbole but in the unlikely event exaggeration is suspended temporarily, the 980L is still fairly over the top. I've had this torch for eleven months and in that time I've done everything possible, trying to make it fail.
I have failed.
4.5+ amps for 45 minutes? About a dozen times with no ill effects. I've even fed it 6 amps from an IMR for about 5 seconds a couple of times.
Dropped, stepped on, kicked, torn apart/pieces strewn all over the place courtesy two cats with no sense of personal space, motor oil, ATF, sand, dirt, spilled Coke Zero all over it, dunked in Greased Lightining . . . the only thing I haven't done to it is fire a 180 grain SJHP from my 44 mag. (with all due respect to Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson)
To all who predicted: "that much current will 'burn out' the emitter, trust me" Foy says, "I gotcher emitter right heeere." Do performance gains over 3.5 amps decline rapidly? Of course it does and I certainly do not want all of my lights pushed like this. I also suggest that the illogical insanity of (near) 4 amps is precisely why the 980L is viewed with such reverence. I said it almost a year ago and I stand by every word; the UltraFire UF-980L is a flashaholic's flashlight that will amaze and entertain like no other torch you've ever experienced.
If you haven't already, do yourself a favor; get your hands on a 980L.
youwillnotregretitFoy
One of if not the only light in my collection that has not been modded with the exception of changing the tail cap to a green one instead of black. Still going strong with the exception of the factory defective driver I got which appears to be a one off failure.
Oooh, where do you get the green tail cap? It glows I assume?
GITD was a passing thing for me. I like black better now . . .
althoughblueisnicetooFoy
11 months has it been that long? didn't think I had my 980l for that long..oh well still delivering 4.6a of reliable fury..still one of my favourite lights..
How well does this light throw?
Any idea what kind of distance it gets?
I don't know the exact distance but I just went outside and lit up a car two blocks away. Kind of surprised, actually - didn't know it had that much reach.
daymFoy
Lit up the car, or the reflective parts of the car like the license plate/brake lights?
It put a decent amount of light on the side of the car, no reflections. I would say that it puts real, useful light on something up to one city block and perhaps a little further. And, it actually did brighten that car pretty good.
I know it sounds like I'm hedging . . . I guess I'm trying to decide how much light is "useful light." The car was dark two blocks away and when I turned the 980L on, I could then tell it was white. Just seems too far for this light. Maybe my blocks are short?
maybemybrainisshortedoutFoy
Can you relate the distance to a football field?
How do you get 6+ amps out of this?
Wow! 300 + posts. One of my favorite reviews!
Did anyone get the DD version and how does it compare?
About 1.5 football fields.
bose -
I used an IMR but don't try it. I turned it on for about 5 seconds but it doesn't even take that long to fry an emitter.
The 980L is regulated on low and medium but is direct drive on high so, it will pull whatever the battery can give it. IMRs are a different chemistry that will deliver everything it's got if there is no regulation. I was using my dangerous experiment to show how robust the 980L is. The truth is that it was more about me being lucky than how good the light was. What I said was true however, I did indeed measure 6 amps for a little over 5 seconds using an AW/IMR.
Match has a very important chart that clearly shows there is little to be gained once you get over about 3.5 amps with an XM-L . . .
. . . but, it's still fun partying at the edge of a cliff. The above was taken with a fully charged, protected Solarforce 18650 and I'm not the only one to get a crazy high tail cap draw. The whole reason I bought a 980L in the first place is because a long time ago, E1320 posted a picture of him holding his 980L in front of his Fluke, which read 4.5 or 4.6. (can't remember)
4.78 is stupid high but it's part of why nut cases like me like this light so much. The proof is when my F15, which measures exactly 3.5 amps on my DMM and E's Fluke, is just as bright on my light meter as the 980L is pulling one amp higher. There is a threshold and that extra amp hardly equals increased lumens.
sorryfortherambleFoy
Took this light out to work again last night, and again, I was re-inspired by what it can do. It's totally amazing. My KE-5 hangs nicely, but this one is still king (until my Sky Ray KING gets here, anyway!)
Are we sure this is direct drive? I've run for up to 8 minutes or so and even after multiple uses, cannot see a drop in output.