Looking for a light with maximum potential for ultimate throw.
Potential?
Looking for a host or finished light?
Super thrower for under $15? Impossible.
But for $18 you get the best thrower in that price, Convoy C8 XP-L HI edition.
+1 for the C8 XPL HI
LOL, that is like: what is best supercar under $5000 ? But you are lucky actually, thanks to China, in flashlight country you really can get super performance for almost nothing. But not $15. For $30 can get a really good thrower, like the Brinyte B158, you can improve the throw even by removing the dome from the led.
A C8 I think is nice, but not a super thrower
Or for a few bucks more, get one from RMM with the guppydrv firmware upgrade, which includes moonlight mode.
I really must obtain that one soon.
SupFire F3 (xpe version) add Noctigon XP16 MCPCB & CREE XP-E2 R4 1A LED http://intl-outdoor.com/noctigon-xp16-mcpcb-cree-xpe2-r4-1a-led-p-772.html
and you are a bit less than $15