Since I went out the other night to take some pics of my latest build I took the opportunity to shoot pics of my other big lights. Please bare in mind I’m not too good with a camera so the pics are not entirely accurate to what I see.
If you have any questions I’ll try to answer as best I can. Some of the lights I have not worked on myself.
The deft is in a league of it’s own (you need binoculars to see how far it goes). The tk61vn is large in size but phenomenal for the power/output/throw/spill ratio, a highly recommended light. The rest I like for different reasons, but mostly because I worked on them (barr the quad) 0:)
You’ve got some really nice lights there, and the beamshots look good to me, nice place to do it too.
How do you like the SBT-70 as compared to the Cree offerings? I know it’s pulling way more power than the other lights but do you think it would be favorable at similar Amp numbers?
The TK61vn has great throw and enough spill to be useful, I love that in a thrower! That intense laser like beam that lights up nothing in the surroundings leaves me thinking I’m being snuck up on…
Do I like the sbt-70? Yes How does it compare? That’s a tricky question since it depends on what the set up is and/or what you want from the led. The xml is the ‘all rounder’ king IMO. The mt-g2 has massive output from a big die, being higher vf is plus too. It is easier to up the volts than up the current when considering a set up, I had an mt-g2 in a surefire Z2 last year. The luminus led’s seem to fit somewhere between the xml and mtg2, I just wish they were slightly higher vf. Particularly the sbt-70 is a unique looking led and I can understand your will to build a mule with it. As far as light output for the same amps? Not really sure, as that is the only light I’ve had the sbt-70 in and about the second time I have used it.
Thanks
That is a trustfire 9x xml that has been gutted and had the head sliced up to fit a dx sst-90 reflector. The silver that you see around the head is the reflector. mtg2 is mounted on a lump of copper and is direct drive from 2x A123 cells
The hosts are made by a fella over at CPF called ‘Fivemega’. First is FM (fivemega) 2x 26650 P60 host with FM beefy heatsinked bezel. Second is an FM cooly (P60) with cell extension from a 2x 26650 host (taken from light #4). Third is an FM cooly. Fourth is an FM 26650 host with FM turbo C head. Number 6 also happens to be an FM 26650 host (I have a cell extension tube but not in use) fitted with 2 FM adapters (C to M and M to D) which have been ground and modified irreversibly.
Did I mention that I’m a fivemega fan! :party: I have yet another FM 1x 26650 light on my bike (triple xpg). Just got it last week but I haven’t had a chance to test it on the bike yet. Lastly I have a red FM elephant II that takes 8x 18650’s, it’s an empty host with no head. Not sure what to do with it maybe sell?!
Nice beam shots and lights. Really like the spot you selected as it provides a lot of info about the beams.
Would you say the pictures are brighter, dimmer, or about the same as what you saw in reality? I’m thinking dimmer than reality based on the spill, but maybe the ground around you really soaks up the light.
Generally speaking, I would say the pics are marginally dimmer than to the eye particularly for the warmer tints. As always with pics (unless they are zoomed in) it is hard to see in good detail at distance. The track is limestone, it was laid a couple of years ago. The way it pops under the sst-90 is what I seem to remember.
To my calibrated retina’s :nerd_face: the sbt-70 is slightly less lux than the tk61vn. Initially it seems quite bright because of the lack of spill. I compared it to the tk61vn a bit and whilst I have to look past the spill on the tk61 I thought the tk was better for making out detail at distance. I think there was a couple of reasons for that, the sbt-70 has an obvious ring around the die which is irritating and the tint of the tk is better and hotspot is nice and smooth that far out.
I tried to put the shots in order of increasing lux (according to my calibrated retina’s :8) )
if you go that road, even the TK61 look completely useless at close range i can imagine the modded version, tried in my yard, the TK75 is one giant hotspot with massive flood, while with the TK61 i had to scan so much more to cover the same part of my yard…and was constantly moving from spot to spot in order to avoid bushes because the spill while kinda useful can’t pass trough bushes, not bright enough.
The TK61 is classic spotlight, while the TK75 usability is far above, its the best ever imho, the best flashlight allround. The Deft-X is throw king, kinda one use only light. It was specialized for throw only, so yea.
The TK61vn is specialized for throw, BUT still has usable spill so that you’re not tripping over things or falling off cliffs!!! That’s why Vinh doesn’t like atmospheric torches, zero spill.
Sorry I haven’t learnt anything about cameras since the last time so some of these shots are a bit sketchy. The main reason for this was to get shots of my modded TK61 with big reflector. As I was walking home with all the luggage when I realised I had forgotten to swap the reflector in the TK61 back to original to see how it compared. I wasn’t about to lug it all back so maybe another day. I also modded the maxtoch M12 the other day.
The line up is -
Supfire L5
domed xml @~5a
GHFY
dedomed sst-90 4500k @ 9a
FM 2x 26650
dedomed mtg2 4000k @ ~ 7a
Maxtoch M12
dedomed xml DD @ ~4.5a
TK61
bone stock
Courui D01
dedomed xml + LD1 driver (I don’t remember how many amps?? 4?? 5??)
FM sbt-70 aspheric
DD @ 13-15a (at the time)
1405
dedomed xml I can’t remember how many amps, I didn’t work on it.
Modded TK61
formerly TK61vn with swapped out led and reflector.
Deft X
fitted with the most impractical, extreme laser like properties
The shots -
Excuse my screwed up editing
The deft was the only one I could get a clear zoomed in shot of
How does it compare? That’s a tricky question since it depends on what the set up is and/or what you want from the led. The xml is the ‘all rounder’ king IMO. The mt-g2 has massive output from a big die, being higher vf is plus too. It is easier to up the volts than up the current when considering a set up, I had an mt-g2 in a surefire Z2 last year. The luminus led’s seem to fit somewhere between the xml and mtg2, I just wish they were slightly higher vf. Particularly the sbt-70 is a unique looking led and I can understand your will to build a mule with it. As far as light output for the same amps? Not really sure, as that is the only light I’ve had the sbt-70 in and about the second time I have used it.
