“Unboxing Video + Written Review”: On The Road i5 - Zoomable – 1x18650 – 1100 lumens – USB-C Charging

[MascaratumB]

@Boaz

I wonder if anyone has a better answer then just a black magic marker . It works good enough, but it always bothers me that when you try and color in spots using the marker seems to erase some of the old black that you already put down. I wonder if there’s some decent high temperature engine paint automotive motor paint or some small bottles of hobby model car paint testers?

Found it!! :partying_face:

What did you mod today?

[image] I modded a 'On the Road' i3 today. It is a little 16340 zoomie with glass lens. It was a deal on Gearbest, but still over 20 dollars (coupon still works I believe, see their thread). But I must say it is a pleasure to see a small zoomie for once that is well build: good materials, brass pill, quality glass lens, accessable and servicable clicky, nice wide flood, good output. Only downside: the very cool tinted XP-G2. It is small, even for a 16340 light, but of course you never beat the …

Djozz, one of the “Mod Masters” here in BLF, used “heater paint” to make his OTR i3 “reflector” black. In another case I guess he used the black permanent marker, which is a more widespread method and eventually more accessible to more people. The heater paint seems to work better since it doesn’t have the issue you mentioned of passing the tip of the marker and having it removing what was painted already. It may have some other troubles in terms of application of which I am not aware.

@Boaz

I’m not sure I’m a big fan of one mode high only it seems too simple to just have a second speed like a two mode high and then may be a 20 lm low mode… Or through lumen low mode I’ve always been a fan of two mode lights.

Well, this flashlight has option to use a High>Medium>Low UI (w/ memory), but that one is probably less satisfactory than the High level only. To have a decent UI, normally I mod the flashlights like what I did with the OTR Z821, which doesn’t have built-in charging, allowing me to make a driver swap (led4power LD-A4 configured to 2 modes only, with Osram W2 LED: “REVIEW”: On The Road Z821 - Zoomable – 1x18650 – 940 lumens [Pic Heavy]).

@Boaz

Nice to see your review of a decent zoomy light. Doing a high CRI emitter swap on a light like this makes absolute sense it’s a two wire solder job and it’s back together in minutes. Improving everything about the light I’m sure.

Thanks Boaz OTR has some decent zoomable flashlights, and even if they are not perfect, they allow some modding to make the flashlight suits our needs/whims! I changed the driver, but doing as you say and changing the LED only is enough to make it better already