Working my way up - Mid-range thrower

spudley112 · 2019-11-04T01:19:08.000Z

Great point. I usually have my Thrunite T1 in pocket. It is a great portable floody light. I just bought a Sofirn SP31 from a member here and I have to say it is pretty close to being my “jack of all tades” at the moment. It has some great throw and works out really well on evening walks.

I think a lot of my desire for a super thrower is the same as when I owned a sport bike. Do I really NEED to go 200mph? No, but the possibility is there.

Besides, I might need to light up the next town over if they lose power.

Lightbringer · 2019-11-04T01:19:05.000Z

Throwing in here once more… I pocket both my Nitecore MH20 and my Xeno E03. It’s WW and has diffusion film on it, so it’s a nice wiiiiiiiiiide even flood. For most of what I use a light for in a pinch, the E03 seems handier, as most quick dashes for a light happen up close. So it may seem redundant to carry 2 lights (3rd, an SP32Av2 on my bag) is probably overkill, I don’t want to be caught without a beefier light like the ’20 for more “reach”, and much longer brightness and runtime… and onboard charging.

In fact, being that the regular MH20 is semi-floody, I could get the best of both worlds with the MH20GT (throw+flood) instead, but I’m happy with the MH20.

Lightbringer · 2019-11-04T01:27:42.000Z

Yeah, one more… :person_facepalming:

A lotta people bitch’n’moan about Nitecores being horribly CW, but even comparing it side-by-side with my WK30 (with its wonderful ’351 under the hood), the MH20 is actually a bit warmer than the WK30!

Again, dunno if it came with a NW option, or if I just won the CT/tint lottery, but I’m really really happy with it.

Oh, and moonlight is phenomenal on it. It ain’t firefly mode (I wish people’d make that distinction, and not want 0.00015lm “moonlight” mode), but it’s quite low and still quite useful.

spudley112 · 2019-11-04T01:30:21.000Z

I appreciate all the input I can get. I am in the learning phase and every bit of insight is appreciated.

Lightbringer · 2019-11-04T01:45:26.000Z

Skip all the advice above and do this.

Buy one.

Buy another.

Rinse, repeat.

You’ll eventually find one you’ll really like… ’til a “better” one comes along.

ValuseekeR · 2019-11-04T02:19:11.000Z

spudley112:

The Convoy C8+ is a great little light. For a light you could put in a jacket pocket…or tucked into your back pocket, it has a lot of power…

Haha, yeah, I know. I’m a little stoopid. Have 3 S2+ and no C8s. :partying_face:

Lightbringer · 2019-11-04T02:35:59.000Z

Only 3? Piker…

I could practically open up Convoy America here with all the S2+es I got.

Okay, I didn’t quite mention my C8 Army™, but…

tatasal · 2019-11-04T03:12:26.000Z

How about this small beast: the Nightwatch NI0L with Osram white flat:

Shoot-out: Mateminco MT35mini (FT03), Mateminco TO2 (FT02) and the small Nightwatch NI01L IRAlite Osram White Flat —- comparative shoot-out shots between throwers

ValuseekeR · 2019-11-04T03:00:59.000Z

Lightbringer:

Only 3? Piker…

Guilty as charged. :person_facepalming:

Pavlo · 2019-11-04T03:24:44.000Z

Lightbringer:

The GTmini is quite nice (got a couple myself) but also look into the P30.

Different UIs, depends what you’ll be using them for.

I’ve always been tempted by the Nitecore P30.
What makes you like it so much?

Lightbringer · 2019-11-04T04:10:32.000Z

Pavlo:

I’ve always been tempted by the Nitecore P30.

What makes you like it so much?

Crisp clean beam with a nice tight hotspot, so it throws like Hell, and it’s a forward-clicky with a fully exposed button (no silly U-shaped cutouts), with a sideswitch to change modes, so is great for flash’n’dash.

And I think (just goggled it, and yep) it can also take a pair of ’123s as well as a single 18650.

Pavlo · 2019-11-04T04:13:10.000Z

Lightbringer:

Pavlo:

I’ve always been tempted by the Nitecore P30.

What makes you like it so much?

Crisp clean beam with a nice tight hotspot, so it throws like Hell, and it’s a forward-clicky with a fully exposed button (no silly U-shaped cutouts), with a sideswitch to change modes, so is great for flash’n’dash.

And I think (just goggled it, and yep) it can also take a pair of ’123s as well as a single 18650.

Seems to throw very well given its “lower” output compared to XHP35 lights.
Looks like a nice host for Osram White Flat too.

Thanks for your feedback!

Lightbringer · 2019-11-04T04:16:10.000Z

At first I was wondering, “Okay, what’m I gonna do with Yet Another Compact Thrower?”, given my C8 Army™, but I got one, then got another. They’re really nice.

And while I’m using my GTmini in rotation (as far as throwers), the P30 is definitely the one I keep going back for.

Sillen · 2019-11-04T06:42:27.000Z

I shocked my sons team mates with the throw of the GT Micro!

spudley112 · 2019-11-04T10:01:05.000Z

Sillen:

I shocked my sons team mates with the throw of the GT Micro!

I have to admit, that is something I love to do. I love that look when you pull out a light and fire it up and they were not expecting it to be so powerful! I was visiting my parents, who had retired out to the middle of nowhere, and thought it would be a great opportunity to test some lights. I ended up in the back field with them watching as I tried different lights. They were shocked at the area some of them could light up.

spudley112 · 2019-11-04T14:01:37.000Z

Lightbringer:

Only 3? Piker…

I could practically open up Convoy America here with all the S2+es I got.

Okay, I didn’t quite mention my C8 Army™, but…

I would love to see some of the lights we talk about in more stores. I mean, these retailers import millions of those zoom lights that are flooding the market, and some of the prices are far and away more than most of the budget lights we are all buying up.

I shocks me to go into a major sporting goods store and see some of the garbage lights that are being sold for over $60. Or going there to see massive plug in spotlights that have worse throw than my C8+. SMH

Lightbringer · 2019-11-04T16:34:21.000Z

Last year or so, I went to a Home Despot to get a pipe-cap to make a “quick” (har…) charger for my Q8, and wanted to make sure anything I’d buy would fit, so I brought the donk with me.

Oldster who knew his shtuff guided me to the different sizes, etc., but asked what I wanted it for (kinda odd asking for a pipe-cap but no pipe or nuttin’), and I showed him. “That’s a flashlight??” “Yeh.”

Quick 2click to turbo, and he was all like, “Holy Shiite, that’s bright!”. I just smirked.

I love doing that.

Speaking of which, anyone know how to thread the inside of a cap to fit onto a Q8’s battery-tube? Hand-tools only, no lathe or other fancies…

spudley112 · 2019-11-04T17:34:53.000Z

Woohoo! My FT03 just arrived in the mail. I am getting batteries charged up for it and the C8+ so I can compare them tonight.

Yokiamy · 2019-11-04T17:53:04.000Z

spudley112:

Woohoo! My FT03 just arrived in the mail. I am getting batteries charged up for it and the C8+ so I can compare them tonight.

The difference is obvious

d_t_a · 2019-11-05T02:56:47.000Z

BlueSwordM:

The FT02 is a different class of light. Worse UI, but better driver, and much better brightness regulation overall.
So, it’ll have higher average brightness, but worse runtime.

The FT03 has the advantage of having a very large reflector, and a rather small powerful LED (the SST-40), so it throws quite well.

Before directly jumping to it though, I think the GT Mini would be a good start.

If this isn’t enough for you, then the FT03 would be a good bet.

I have a question regarding FT02 vs FT03, I understand the FT02 uses a proprietary (unknown) firmware that has ramping and groups mode (much like but not exactly the same as Sofirn’s proprietary ramping + groups mode drivers on their SP32A/C8Fv2/C8G/SP70).

You mentioned the FT02 has a better driver (more efficient since it uses XHP35-Hi and uses a boost driver?).

I’m wondering about the “worse runtime” — is that mainly due to it having a regulated constant current consumption?
From my limited understanding, FET/direct-driven drivers usually would also be supposedly less efficient — so they would also have worse runtime…
So my question is: would the FT02 or the FT03 have worse runtime? Or maybe better is, under what scenarios will one have better or worse runtime than the other?