Been away for a while and last thrower I had was a BLF GT. Anything new out that tops it for under $500?
Welcome back!
The LEP push has been making great headway, long distance mega throwers in small packages.
Check out a wide selection on Neal’s Gadgets
Wurkkos TS30S Pro. Single 21700, ~4500 lumens, ~1000 meters. SBT90.2 and can be found at around $75 (or less). The least expensive thrower with this kind of specs that you will find.
some discussion here:
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Thanks, I have a small
Budget thrower I’m looking for a big boy in the $500 range not the $50 range.
I stumbled across the BLF GT94x however and will need to save some change up
Maxtoch Owleyes W Pro - the ultimate LEP (besides the Acebeam W50 which isn’t available for individuals to buy). Dual heads, 4km throw.
Firefoxes FF5GT - HID thrower with like 10k+ lumens and 2km throw.
BLF GT90 - a BLF GT with an SBT90.2 for a bit more throw than yours and 5k lumens.
Lumintop GT94X - 4x SBT90.2 thrower with like ~20k lumens and 2.4km throw
Wuben A1 - a better-built GT94X that’s more professional focused, with better sustain and slightly better performance, but proprietary battery pack.
Imalent SR16 is supposed to be coming out soon I think? Supposedly will be the new brightest flashlight with claimed 120k lumens (or maybe it was 160k I don’t remember) but it’s imalent so…
Acebeam X75 - 75k lumen pretty portable for what it is soda can flooder with XHP70.3 HD and HI versions.
Astrolux MF05/Mateminco MT90 plus - sbt90 and gigantic reflector for 3km+ throw and 5-6k lumens.
That’s all I can think of right now.
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There’s a few variations of the sbt90 with a huge reflector format. They’re pretty pricey and
pretty big
Mateminco mt90p? Same as the astrolux I think.
Lumintop gt94x a little above $500 tho
You can find used, good condition examples of the Maxibeam HID throwers on ebay for around $500. Those are military grade and super cool, but not like modern LED throwers. For pure thrower around $500, the Weltool W4 Pro, Maxtoch l2k or l3k, Owleyes LEP. For LED, Acebeam K75, Mateminco MT90 Plus (or Astrolux MF05). If you want the absolute best high output thrower the Wuben A1 is it. Save some money and get that over the GT94X. The GT94X is a toy compared to the A1. For a little cheaper, the Haikelite HK90 is good.
I am not sure how the GT94 could be called a toy beside a light that is so similar, at a fraction of the price. Same 4 90.2’s, same or similar lumens, same or similar throw, for hundreds less price.
Maybe my GT94 outperforms expectation.
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Then your on the wrong forum lol 
While I enjoy my BLF GT, I don’t really use it any more, or even keep batteries in it… because I got something much smaller which throws almost as well. Where I would have used a GT (~2.2 km) in the past, I can usually use a Noctigon K1 (~1.6 km) instead. Here’s a pic of the two:
… though I rarely ever need the K1 either. The much-smaller KR1 is usually sufficient for my purposes, since it reaches up to ~650m and I don’t often need more than that. I can keep this little thing on me all the time and forget it’s there until I need it.
However, for someone wanting to go the other direction, wanting something bigger and throwier than the BLF GT, you may have a very difficult time finding anything. I’m not aware of any which out-perform the GT by a significant amount. There’s just not a big demand for lights which are big enough to need a shoulder strap and throwy enough to reach more than 2km.
Ooh ooh! Me me!
Hand Raised bouncing in seat!
8” convex lens pushing 3+ miles at 5000 plus lumens.
Yes? 24” long with a pistol grip and laser pre-aim.
Oh, sorry. ( sliding under the desk )
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Which led do you have in the little one?
I have a 5700k dedomed in mine an it’s very pretty but not much of an actual thrower. But it’s such a nice light. I want to get another one with a w2. But then I think, no, get a d4k with 4 w2s. Then, I think no, a dt8k with 8 w2s!
I get caught up in the more is more thing sometimes too but when you start displacing reflector size with more emitters without increasing head size, well, its a backwards slide as far as throw is concerned.
My GT and my scratch built larger light throws like crazy, but the GT94 quad 90.2 suffers because the reflector cups are so much smaller, comparatively. Sure, more lumens, but collimation makes for throw, not power in and of itself.
There’s throw, and there’s Throw. Brute forcing light to reach a fair difference is not exactly what throw typically refers to. This method illuminates so much that it’s actually difficult to make out the distant object in a lot of cases. And while this might show subjects 400 yards away, like the abandoned house in these photos, it’s not going to reach a lot further. The pinpoint method doesn’t need massive lumens, can thus be sustained longer in a search type situation. The LEP type lights produce little to no spill, illuminating at a distance ( a MUCH longer distance) without disturbing everything between the user and subject. Wise to observe with optics for best effect due to the extreme range of these punchy lights.
We used to call a light throwy when it reached distances few could obtain. There now seems to be a trend to call anything that can reach a hundred yards a throw light. My Texas Poker reaches 100 yards! On an 10440 cell at 700 lumens. Given real distance, few lights make a good showing.
I’m using a Noctigon KR1 with W1 emitter. It gets about 110 kcd (662m) of throw, which is almost always enough for my purposes.
Before that, I used an Emisar D1S with XP-L HI, which got about 120 kcd or maybe even 130 kcd. It could go a little farther, and had a somewhat nicer-looking beam… but it’s also much bigger. Too big to toss in my purse and forget about until I need it.
So instead I used to carry a D1 XP-L HI in 18350 form. It’s small enough, but throw was only like 33 kcd so it wasn’t all that great as a thrower. Your 519A dedomed version is probably very similar.
Eventually, Hank started making the D1 again, but updated to use all the latest tech. New drivers, RGB button, and a better selection of LEDs. If I was getting a pocket thrower today, I’d probably get a D1 with W1 emitter and 18350 tube. The KR1 is nice, but it’s slightly bigger and about 20% heavier and I kind of prefer side switches for throwers.
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Nice. Sorry I meant to say I have the 519a in a the new D1. I get the emisar/Noctigon throwers mixed up. But in my defense this is a somewhat confusing naming convention lol.
I’m like, ok so the D1 is the smallest emisar thrower. Got it, 1=small. D=emisar. K=noctigon
Easy.
So the K1 is the smallest Noctigon? …No it’s the biggest. The KR1 is the smallest noctigon…
Ok so then the DM11 is the middle size emisar then? No that’s a noctigon too…ok then the KR4 is the middle emisar then? No that’s a tail switch d4sv2 and it’s noctigon too. Then the D2 is the middle emisar?? No that’s a headlamp you fool lmao
I’ll figure it out eventually.
I know it cost easily like twice as much to use the D1 as a host for a throwy emitter over any of the convoys but it does feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. It’s such a nice reflector, such a nice color and obviously the UI there’s no comparison. I think I might get another D1 with an Osram blue or something, and pull the trigger on a Dt8 with all w2’s. A single
Could spend $20 more and get the dt8k but I can’t find a single actual review on it yet. It kind of slipped under the radar I think. The body is thicker but the head is the same size and there’s more power going to it… So im guessing it’ll hit the temperature limit in like <6 seconds with all w2’s lol. So I’m gonna go with the regular dt8 w/ w2s, that way I have that extended full 8 seconds on turbo before it has to cool off.
And can anybody find a full review of the dt8k? I totally missed this. Was too focused on the headlamp I guess
Don’t feel bad. I’ve been involved for years and I don’t know what D, K, KR, DM, DT, K (suffix), S (suffix), and other names mean. Sometimes it feels like Hank just picks letters out of a hat.
If you want a nice extra-small thrower, neither of those is really a great option. The Osram blue is, well, blue… and a DT8 W2 is not a thrower. It’s just a cool white general-purpose beam. I use a D1 W1 (or, uh, KR1 W1, almost the same thing) because it lights up a small area far away at minimal power levels, which is perfect for a little 18350 thrower.
Using a W2 makes the hotspot a little wider but also a little dimmer, and it uses more power to do so.
Putting a bunch of them into tiny optics, like in the DT8 or DT8K, mostly just lights up an even bigger area to an even dimmer level, and uses rather a lot more power to do so. More heat, less runtime, reduced visibility down-range. Could be good if you want to see a wide area which isn’t far away… but it’s definitely not built for long-range purposes. If you want a DT8, I’d go for LEDs optimized for beam quality, like 219B or 519A, instead of something optimized for throw. Because it’s not going to throw well either way.
Then again, I would probably opt for a D4K instead. It costs less, has a slightly nicer-looking beam, is almost as bright, and is easier to carry. Might even get the boost version, which cuts maximum turbo output but has a significantly higher sustainable output level and longer runtimes at equivalent levels. Instead of ~4000 lm turbo and ~500 lm sustained, it’s more like ~2000 lm turbo and ~1000 lm sustained. (ish, I haven’t found a good runtime graph for it)
The D4S is nice too, and it throws way better than a D4K or DT8K. It has a very nice beam, with much better throw, higher sustainable output, and the longest runtimes thanks to its bigger battery. Might be worth trying with W1 or W2 LEDs, though I’ve only tried it with XP-L HI. No clip though, which is a bummer… it’s a bit too big for a clip.
But mostly I use a KR1 W1. It’s little and makes a very efficient pencil beam for when I want to see things far away. Very little light gets wasted shining on things I’m not trying to see.
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Not the DT8K, but Luxwad did a review of the DT8 with W2’s he got insanely high startup numbers, something like ~7k lumens and ~550m throw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSHO2Nfiyso
The DT8K is the exact same thing as the DT8, just with a 21700 tube. So performance wise it’ll be extremely similar. The 21700 might push a bit more power at startup, but likely not a huge amount, and of course you get some more runtime which will definitely be noticeable. In my experience with hot rods, a 21700 like a 40T or P42A gives you noticeably more time with the fun button compared to an 18650 like a P28A. If you want the “full” 8 seconds on turbo (lol) with a 21700, then you might go with something like a Samsung 50S, and get even more funtime runtime with the 5000mah capacity.
I agree with Toykeeper in that I definitely wouldn’t call the DT8/DT8K a “thrower”, but it does have an absolutely insane performance to size ratio, and it does throw pretty well given the size - IF your throw needs are in relatively short bursts, checking something in the distance from ~150-200m away, then it will work well for that. That ~550m throw on startup is going to drift down as the battery drains, but it’ll still manage ~300m throw on a lower battery fairly easily. Not a thrower, but it’s throwy.
But I haven’t jumped on a DT8/DT8K only because, as you can see in the Luxwad review, it’s not really waterproof. So I’m hesitant to get one, even though I’m not planning to dive with it and idk, it’s probably ok in some light rain, but I don’t want to deal with that anxiety, I already baby my lights too much lol. Plus, I don’t like that the side switch is right where the light gets hottest, I’d prefer a tail switch “KR8K” or something.
I do really love my KR4 with W2s and 10621 optic as a throwy EDC. It manages ~4000 lumens and ~420m throw. At top of ramp/turbo on low-ish battery it’s still around ~270-300m throw. It’s great because it’s got a really nice tint despite the cool white, and a really nice floody beam, but plenty of punch at range for the size when I need it. With the tail switch, I can use a cigar grip and run it for far longer on turbo without burning my hand than I could with a D4V2/D4K/DT8. edit: but it is heavy and a bit thick in the tail.
If you use a thrower for checking/quickly surveying, then a high lumen floody hotrod with enough throw can perform really well. Lighting up a large area at distance does help you identify things quicker than a pencil beam, so that can help mitigate the limitations of a fast step-down. But if you use a thrower for checking and actually searching, then you’ll need something more purpose built that can sustain high throw for longer.
edit: I do also love my KR1 with W2 that is actually a thrower lol. I chose the W2 over W1 in this light but they’re both great. I have the W1 in a K1 (the larger one) and that is a hilariously throwy light saber.
I forgot to mention that yea, the D4S with W2 is much better than the DT8 for throw. I think it’s ~4200lm ~600m, similar to a KR1, D1, and DM11 with SBT-90.2 . I wish hank would make a 21700 tube for the D4SV2 - Then it could have a pocket clip!
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Jeff, I have the DT8 with W2 emitters. Its an insanely bright light for its size, but I don’t consider it a thrower. But out of all my lights, that’s the one that makes me giggle when I hit turbo. Just a wall of light.
I’ve seen the luxwad review, I’m sure it all pretty much applies to the dt8k. I just haven’t seen a single full review of the dt8k at all. Seems odd to me. Is it thought of as just a dt8 with an extension and that’s why nobodys too concerned with it?
Oh I know its not a real thrower. It just looks fun. And a ton of really throwy emitters packed together probably still has a half decent throw right
Same. The 26650 is dead/dying. Getting harder and harder to find a decent high drain one.
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