>>>>>>Technical question: Why would the HD2010 beat the DST on the ceiling bounce? Is it because of the beam/more flood?
I think it’s because, the 2010 simply puts out more light overall. The DST may have a brighter spot because of an effiicient reflector, but the 2o1o has a better lumen output, which ignores spot information and just measures total output. I use the ceiling bounce test as a poor man’s indication of lumens as I don’t have an integrated sphere.
I just got my lux meter and found some pretty amazing results. Like I have a V3 with a Q5 emitter. The spot on that little light is just one point less bright than a Ke5!! But ceiling bounce? Ke5 kills it with a 61 reading compared to the v3 q5’ dismal overall output of 14!!! Hard to believe that such a little light does so well on the spot measurement. I always wondered why it blew other light away on throw and now i confirmed it.
It depends on the what you mean by “Beat”. If it means lighting up something further away then the other, the DST will win hands down.
If “beat” means put out more light within, lets say 30 yards, the HD2010 will win hands down. It has a very large hot spot and brighter spill.
In the end in comes down to both lights are using close to the same emitter. The DST has a bigger reflector designed to throw far. It has to use a narrower beam to accomplish this because the emitter only puts out so much light. The DST does have better heat sinking and can be used to push the emitter harder for longer though.
Don’t worry. You will really like the HD2010. It is one of my favorite lights. Feels comfortable in hand and puts out a big amount of light in the mid range.
I ordered a lux meter this weekend, and it’ll be interesting “unlearning” what my eyes tell me :)…
I was out last night and saw something similar to what you described, also with a C8 with a Q5. I always thought that light was “puny” with a very small spot.
So, I was out with several of my C8s, including a Convoy C8 and one of the C8 Z7s from FT, and I just happen to take the Q5 out.
We have a row of trees to the side of the house, and the other C8s would light them up, but you know, that Q5 one would put out that tiny little spot of light. But, between some of the trees, there’s a clearing, and there’s line-of-vision to a house that’s probably 1/8th mile or a little more from our house.
With the other C8s, I couldn’t see that house, but with the Q5, if I pointed it through the clearing, it’d light up the side of that distant house. Not a lot, but viewable. I was really kind of surprised, because I never really thought that spot was that bright, plus didn’t think that it’d be able to reach that house!
So, it’s kind of a “quality vs. quantity” thing :)… But, I now have more respect for the Q5 :)…
I’m sure that it’ll be fine. It’s just that lately, it seems like everytime I decide to pull the trigger on a new light, I find threads like “the newer version isn’t as good as the older version” :)…
The DST is a very specialized light, and it’s very good at spotlighting a running goose 1/8 of mile away. Beyond that — well I’m sure many will disagree — but it’s not that useful EXCEPT for its intended use, which it does excellently. It’s not a light I would pick for a leisurely walk through the countryside.
I like the HD2010, but for the same reason, it’s also a specialized light, and HEFTY. Not something you throw in a pants pocket, unless you like the feeling of lugging around a mortar round in a jeans pocket.
All comes down to what you want to use it for.
More and more, I am taking a couple-three lights for my nightly walks in a completely lightless environment. I have almost stepped on a sidewinder or two (very small and rarely buzz) using spots. I’m using (HORRORS) a SSC center-weighted floody beast for general walking. Plenty of illumination from 1 foot to about 50-100 feet. But use it like a DST or a 2010? Forget it. It’s not a spot. For that I carry a C108 or Ke5. Sometimes for fun I’ll take a 2010 or the DST, but truth be told, they’re both big and bulky
But my situation is different than most here. My nearest streetlight is 38 miles away. I always take a backup and a backup for a backup. Just the other night, I mistakenly went lightweight and only took three lghts.
I took a recent mod and that poofed about 2 miles from the truck, as did the backup because of a funky spring. Walking that moonless 2 miles back to the truck in wilderness desert with just my tank 007on a failing eneloop was not an experience I will repeat again any time soon. Over 50 great lights back at my house and I’m tripping over rocks, cacti and buzzworms with essentially a candle. Made me really appreciate flashlights!
thats odd, my stock hd2010 clears wins in throw over the stock dst. i even put nimh in the dst, but i honestly didnt see no improvement with my eye.
but note that i am using king kong 26650’s in the hd2010.
i will prolly keep the dst stock for now until i read about a mod that i truly like.
Same here. King Kongs, xml2 on copper sinkpads, 4.5 amp driver, resistance mods. Not even a contest in throw. DST doesn’t even need to be on high to beat it.
Those clones that were suggested earlier as donors for an 18650/26650 tube for the DST finally arrived today, after a short vacation in OPA LOCKA, FL, courtesy of the USPS.
So, here’s what it looks like (I got 2 of them):
and here’re some shots of the donor with the donee DST:
In case it’s hard to tell, the color of the donor is a kind of bronze color. It’s actually not a bad light, so I’m glad I got two of them, plus since I’m using the body for the DST now, I have some spare parts.
The donor body threads into switch part of the DST fine.
The head from the donor also fits onto the original DST tube and works, but of course, there’s no switch to turn the light off.
Here’s the link for where I bought these, from Ebay (note the seller charges $1.95 for shipping):
And it appears to be worth it. I’ve ordered twice from them and both times the items arrived in the US within 3 days. Then it took longer than that for the USPS to get them to me.
I thought I remembered that it was you who pointed me to that light, but I wasn’t sure :)… Thanks! BTW, with this, now I get the A8 that I bought awhile ago back as a complete light :)!
And remember that the switch in those cheapie A8 is really crappy. I bypassed it with some copper tape and wads of aluminum foil. The Defiant switch is very good.
Thanks for reminding me about the tailcap switch! I had forgotten about that, but just took care of it. So now I don’t need to remember to click the tailcap switch anymore! Cool :)!
Edit: BTW, I’ve been surprised that the DST with that donor body is not very top-heavy at all. The A8 body is a little heavier that the clone donor, but even with that, it’s not bad holding it in one hand. Very nice!
I was at the Bloomfield, CT Home Depot today and they STILL have 33 of the DST on the floor. That means that they have only sold 3 since they were put on the floor in February. This light is a prime candidate as a clearance item. Also the 2 Maglite combo that I posted about at Costco are not selling well. They have only sold about 20 in one week. It could be that the general public is no longer interested in big lights.
I had pics of the light a couple of posts earlier, and as I said, I still think that it’s not a bad looking light, so if you want to make your DST into a “shorty”, you might consider this one!
BTW, one of the four A8 clones that I got from them had a neutral white (4800K) emitter in it that puts out around 480 lumens. The others were cool white (6400K) and do around 550 lumens.
I always take a backup and a backup for a backup. Just the other night, I mistakenly went lightweight and only took three lghts.
