got “torch light w612” today 
already modded with 4*amc lmh driver and xm-l
will be a nice gift, though it came pre-scratched 
Sounds like your batteries can’t handle 3.8A each, or more if you have the Dry driver which is direct drive in turbo. Try charging them, and which batteries are you using?
So this can’t be the driver fault ? I’m using samsung battery 2200 mAh not fully charged but works fine in C8 flashlight. I will buy the lastest panasonic.
Also I can’t tell a difference between high and turbo mode and the same thing happen in medium mode, this seem to be strange and its not list as a feature.
If its the driver its easy to replace it anyway.
It could be the driver, but the shocker requires a high current to be able to be run properly. Your C8 is most likely run at 2.5A, whereas the BTU runs at 11.4 amps or 3.8A per battery.
There haven’t been any reported cases of the BTU driver being faulty yet, so it’s most likely your batteries.
Since you don’t have the name of your batteries, I’m going to guess they’re quite old since they only have 2200 mah.
I never had that sort of issue with my BTU, nor have I seen it reported before. Try again after a full charge. Sounds like a battery issue, but it could be a driver failure of some kind. Definitely not normal BTU operation.
I got a few new lights today, and one on Friday before taking off for the weekend.
ArmyTek Viking X V2 (received Friday)
Solarforce L2M
Solarforce L2R (actually an L2 with an extender)
UltraFire New-10B
The Viking X is quite nice, a real tank. A few minor issues that bug me (slightly uneven hotspot, bezel eats a lot of spill, needs to be disassembled to make tailstand, minor dirt on inside of lens), but overall a nice buy for $50.
The Solarforce hosts surprised me in their quality. These are well built and compared to a generic WF-501B, they handle heat MUCH better. The heat gets into the body and head more evenly, meaning it has more surface area to dissipate. My 501B lights mostly heat up at the head only. I did up a drop-in with an XM-L2 T5 5C1 (80CRI min) at 2.6A and it rocks! Heats up fast, but that’s a good thing.
The L2M is a no-brainer at $10.99. This is a great host, and running in stubby mode makes it quite flexible.
The L2 is nice as well. The ano of the head the body/tailcap, and the extension do not match. I’ve heard this is fairly par-for-the-course for these Solarforce ‘lego’ lights. The head ano is a lot like the ArmyTek ano; a matte texture that seems quite durable (in a contact test between the two the L2 ano has a permanent smooth spot, Armytek has no mark at all). The body and tailcap ano is a more typical HA-II like quality, still very nice. The extension tube matches the L2M which is more like a Convoy ano; still quite decent.
The UF New-10B is nothing special overall. The coating is thin (I doubt it is ano), the beam is super ringy, Driver has PWM on medium, and the switch boot needed adjusting which was a pain to do. On the plus side, the pill is very nice and solid, and the light itself is tiny. And it tailstands. I’ll mod it when I have time to grind down a star to 12mm. Oh, and I just noticed the XR-E in here has a non-centered emitter die. I could not figure out why the beam was slightly skewed since the reflector sits right around the emitter ring. First time I’ve seen that problem on a Cree LED.
What is the beam like with that lens? And are there such lenses for normal Solarforce/P60-sized lights?
The L2M is quite cute in stubby mode
Yes its only a battery issue, there was a dead one ! Sorry for being so idiot, that the excitement fault. :bigsmile:
This headlamp just arrived. Sorry for the potato quality photo, the main camera is at the office.
Mine arrived today too 
- Armytek Wizard Pro from HKE. This thing is awesome! It has an issue with Moonlight; low frequency PWM. All other modes are PWM free. And the clip will scratch the crap out of the ano, so spread it out a bit first, or don’t use it. Trust me
Calvin, can you check the lens on yours for AR coating, see if it is even? Mine has a weird spot right in the middle. I’ll try to get a pic of it. - 2x26650 XM-L light from Meritline, OK light, not well finished but a decent beater for $14.
- Noctigons for testing/review from Hank, care of Ouchyfoot.
- UCLp lenses from flashlightlens.com, for the Copper Tripple-Tripple DIY build.
This week I got more of the 90+ XM-L2's, plus some stars, to practice with and replace the last one I fried during an attempted reflow. Got the Nitecore i4 v2 from IS too.
Got some 22awg silicone wire. Overpriced from a vendor on Amazon, but I didn't want to wait.
I also got some modding parts from Fasttech and some of these.
I got a nice package from DHL:
What would be inside? Hmm..
A dumbbell?
..or is it a flashlight, after all?
Oh yes! It is! LOL XD, or should I say XinTD X3:
Sneak Preview here: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/19956
Oh man that wizard pro is sexy. If only it didn’t have low freq PWM, I would get it. What’s the output like? Got any lumen estimates, or anything to compare it to?
Droooollllll… :heart_eyes: :heart_eyes:
Awesome, that means mine is not so far behind 8)
I got a care package from fasttech.
<a href=Photo Storage | Photobucket target=_blank><img src=http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x48/gords1001/20130711_193412_zpse0b393de.jpg border=0 alt=>
amongst other things it contained this
<a href=Photo Storage | Photobucket target=_blank><img src=http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x48/gords1001/20130711_202846_zps93933cca.jpg border=0 alt=>
another convoy l2 host I’m building up alongside my own for a fellow member, 5a two cell drivers, emitters? either domed/dedomed xp-g2 on copper or domed/dedomed xm-l2 u2 on copper.
I also got some nice and not so nice holsters from fasttech.
<a href=Photo Storage | Photobucket target=_blank><img src=http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x48/gords1001/20130711_210243_zpsf983133d.jpg border=0 alt=>
seen here, asgard holster, holster for my trustfire t2, same holster carrying my d5 edc and sanrenmu m1 edc knife (I know the little pocket is for a spare 18650, I just don’t fancy that set up), cheap holster for my t10 host (I also finally found some cells that fit).
And a c8 sized holster, modelled here by my uf-v3.
The low frequency PWM is not good, but I’m not sensitive to it. I mainly mentioned it so those that are know before they get it. For a light of this calibre/price range, I expect better than ugly PWM.
Output on a fresh Sanyo UR18650ZT on Turbo was 860lm OTF, after warming up to 40C or so. It dropped to 730 ish when the head got to 60C and then it starts throttling to lower modes temporarily. Outdoors, it did not throttle during a 20 minute walk.
I have the 70 meter version, there is a wider 40m version. The beam is buttery smooth with one giant hotspot and a very small amount of spill around it.
I mostly used it on low and the mode above that for walking. For desk work, the med and High will give plenty of light.
One tip for night walkers; do NOT put your hand close to your face when on High or Turbo. The reflected light from it will blind you for quite a while. Ask me how I know
Anyone else that gets theirs, check the quality of the AR coating on the lens. Mine is not very well coated. I’m thinking I may need to contact HKE or ArmyTek about it. Here’s a pic that is a close as I can get to show what it actually looks like. The irregular spot in the middle is the only part that looks completely coated. This is already cleaned, no amount of cleaning with anything has affected it in anyway, good or bad. What do you guys think?
The postman just rang and brought me this http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/242136315.html from China Post, by way of New York LOL. (What sort of efficiency do you expect with two governments involved?) I was surprised to find it had a 14500 in it and came with a charger. It has no lettering, neither “Sipik…” nor those silly zoom dots. With an AA, it performs well compared to SK68s in spot and flood, more compact and less cooling. The zoom on this one is a little tight, probably good as it can’t wear tighter. Otherwise it is like my Ozram Golden Dragon version. A great bargain, a good change from the SK68.
Added: I looked the gift horse in the mouth and the Li cell says UltraFire on it. Do I dare use it more than to try it out? I don’t suppose the US post office knew what they were carrying. I think the charger is safe as long as I don’t leave cells in it after they are charged.
Added: Also, it is a three mode!
Added: I discarded the Li cell, but the charges has been very nice. It doesn’t go over 4.2 V. The ad. has disappeared, so I must have the last one they had in stock.
Host that forum members help me pick over 501, 502, 503 &504. Hosts installed Lightmalls P60 XML2-U2 dropin and I love ithanks all!