Spec me an LED Torch

The ones I posted about earlier running on XR-E Cree Q5 emitters, they're still very powerful and very pocketable and run on an 18650 so plenty of run time :)


These things are bright enought o light a whole room at night when aimed at the ceiling, I just made a cup of tea in the dining kitchen using the L2 tailstanding and it was like having the lights on :p
 
are there any rules to pics? ie exposure settings so you can compare like for like?

Comparing it to my Ring 3C led torch is like comparing it to my phone's LED flashlight, jesus christ this thing is powerful now it's dark! Lit up the sheep in the field behind my house quarter of a mile away lol
 
Sheep? o.0

As for exposures, I don't think there is a standarfd, maybe we could agree on a standard for complete darkness pics for this thread? Would be quite handy actually!
 
On a certain well know shopping site i see a few Ultrafire C8 torches with different lumen ratings and prices, all say cree but i don't know which to get, i really only want to spend around £30 and there's one saying 240 for £25, next up is 900 for £45, do these all have the same led running at different energy levels or something?
 
I don't think it's possible to know for sure, chance it? :p It could be an XP-G, could be an XR-E or whatever else, either will be megabright though.

Tom, I'm in L4D2 atm so cannot check MSN, just using the STEAM built in overlay browser while dead as infected!
 
I cast RESURRECTION on this thread!
been hanging about on CandlePowerForums recently and remembering 2StepSteve's Neutral-White Zebralight H51, I lost composure and splashed out on a custom-made P60-Dropin with an XP-G Q2 3000k 90CRI emitter, which finally arrived from North Carolina today :D

In light of this, i say BEAMSHOTS! \o/

All photos are identical exposures, f/3.5, ISO400, 1-second exp.

First up, a normal, ordinary, old-fashioned P60-incandescent module from an old tactical light. this is rated (and apparently should be very close to) 65 Lumens:
FkbF8.png


Next up, my go-to light when i want long runtime, an XR-E Q5 powered light. i have no idea what sort of Lumens this thing's putting out. See how cold and emotionless the beam is. makes you want to shiver!
YMcUS.png


Lastly, my new Dropin, look at that lovely warm beam, and the intensity of the colours of the plants. the increase in output's nice too! :D
he8Gx.jpg
 
Last edited:
i can't say for certain, but considering that i've always estimated the light in the second shot at about 180-210 lumens, that'd put the new drop-in at about 300-320, which fits in well with the emitter rating of 87.4 lumens/watt (being driven at 4 watts, ~349 "emitter lumens")
 
Hello Mate,
It depends what you need the UV dropin for.
if you're looking to be fluorescing *bodily fluids*, then no UV dropins on the market at the moment currently dip low enough into the UV spectrum - you need around 365nm for that.

if what you're trying to fluoresce is a material that is commonly regarded as fluorescent (like Dayglo objects, highlighter/"UV ink" etc), then just about any of them will do.
the WF-502B you linked to uses a 18650 cell for power, i assume that this means that you're also using a 18650? if so, that's good, because most of the UV dropins i've seen are 4.2V max.

http://solarforce-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=RB&s=11&id=44
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/1w-390...wf-502b-and-flashlights-alike-3-6v-4-2v-16694
http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=9046
http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10572
http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=11095

take your pick really, i have no information on the specific wavelengths emitted by any of them though, so caveat emptor etc...
There was a guy on CandlePowerForums who made UV dropin modules which used the top-of-the-line Nichia UV emitters, but the emitters were over $100 each, so there wasn't much demand for the modules and he's now out of stock on the emitters, and won't get more in until there's enough demand for them.

I recently found a site selling supposed 365nm UV LED's for quite reasonable prices, but i need to investigate that further.

<edit>
Hold up hold up, i've found a review of this Kaidomain UV Light, Here which has a photo which shows it fluorescing the color-strip on a banknote, this suggests that it's much lower wavelength than the cheap 395-400nm lights - i'd say that's a good one to go for. it probably wont light up *fluids* but banknotes, passports and credit cards should light up nicely.
 
Last edited:
My Ultrafire C8 and SolarForce L2 have been absolutely superb since my last post in this thread Used them multiple times on location and not a single problem, so bright!
 
Good stuff Khan :)

out of interest, what charger are you using for your 18650's? do you use a multimeter to check their voltages frequently? i've been reading about 'em on CPF, apparently they shouldn't be charged above 4.2v etc...
*hassle* that's why i like CR123A's - so nice and simple :p
 
Last edited:
jmc007 said:
Sorry if this is a naive question, is the X-ML still the brightest dropin?
Click to expand...

errrr, that's a complex question. the XM-L is probably the most practical LED to use in a P60 dropin for maximum brightness, but the SST-50 and SST-90 LED's theoretically offer higher brightness...

XM-L's probably still your best bet though. Of course, it does depend on which dropin you choose... they vary considerably.
 
Last edited:
Yeah my American XM-L was not as nice as my XP-G which looks brighter due to the whiter light output although the orange peel reflector does give the XP-G that added brightness I find, more blinding than ever before.

If I could get an orange peel reflector on the C8 I certainly would, anyone know where I could get one maybe?

Aod said:
Good stuff Khan :)

out of interest, what charger are you using for your 18650's? do you use a multimeter to check their voltages frequently? i've been reading about 'em on CPF, apparently they shouldn't be charged above 4.2v etc...
*hassle* that's why i like CR123A's - so nice and simple :p
Click to expand...

I have a multimeter which I rarely use, maybe I should? :D

I use the official Ultrafire charger and the batteries are protected cells as well, seems to be doing a good job and charge holds very well, the torches spend 2-3 weeks on end in my car boot so go through heat and cold without problem. I tend to leave the batteries in the torches, some say this is a bad move (leaving them in) but after a session I just bung them in the boot and they're kind of forgotten until next time ^_^
 
Last edited:
the CPF people say that charging them at all over 4.2v reduces their lifespan considerably...

I ordered a 18650 charger a few days ago, because i realised that i had some Panasonic 18650's left over from a laptop battery I disassembled two years ago... they're still all at more than 4v :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom