User:Brted
Underlined things are things I don't own but am interested in.
Lights
AKOray K-106 3-mode programmable 1xAA with Cree XR-E Q5 My Review KD I upgraded the LED to a Cree XP-G R5, then swapped in a neutral XP-G R4. Still use this as a bedside light.
Astrolux A01 3-mode AAA twisty with Nichia 219B LED. Bought the basic black version, then when BLF asked for additional colors I got an orange one and a green one. Then when BLF pushed for a copper version, I got one of those too for my keychain. Gave away the green one.
Astrolux S41 Quad Nichia 219B light in compact 18350 form with a big copper heat sink in the head, using the BLF A6 driver. It is silly having 4 overdriven LED's in one light, but fun to crank out 1600 lumens for a few seconds before the light is too hot to hold. Also got the 18650 tube so it won't be depleted in a few minutes.
Astrolux SC All copper 14500 thrower with XP-L HI lighted tailcap and the amazing BLF Bistro driver. Got this one on Banggood sale a few months after it was introduced (based on Kronos BLF X5).
Aurora SH-035 5-mode memory 1xAA/14500 stainless steel light with Cree XP-E Q5. This light worked with an AA cell, but failed and caused a dead short with a 14500. DX gave me a store credit (and refund eventually), but let me keep the light. Then I put an NANJG 112A driver in it (li-ion or 1xAA) set to 2 modes and upgraded the LED to a neutral white XP-G R4 and it turned out pretty good (very close to the perfect light described below). I drilled the opening in the reflector out a little to give the LED room to stick into the bottom. My experience DX
Black Cat HM-01 1xAAA/10440 1-mode light with Osram LED. Available in black or red with different colors of LED including one described as 5000K which is warm white (really 3500K). I got a red one with a warm tint LED. My review KD I was showing this to a friend who wanted to get a AAA light and he bought it from me.
BLF 348 1xAAA 1-mode stainless steel clicky with a Nichia 219B 5000K LED. Runs on 10440's for more lumens. Based on Singfire 348, but made with the Nichia for BLF. Great price and a great LED, so I bought two and keep a NiMH in one and a 10440 in the other.
BLF A6 Great custom designed compact 18650 light with neutral XP-L 3D LED and a custom BLF driver. Swapped in a 4000K XP-L HI LED to increase the throw.
Fenix L1D/L2D/P2D 6-mode 1xAA/2xAA/1xCR123A with Cree XR-E Q5 and smooth reflector. I bought the L2D and then lego parts to make a L1D or P2D. Later on bought a used complete P2D with OP reflector. My first real flashlight.
iTP A3 EOS Upgraded
3-mode (MLH) 1xAAA twisty with Cree XP-E R2. Got a second generation black one after misplacing the original (which I later found and sold to my brother). The replacement has LMH, tighter threads (no flashing), and better PWM. Also got a used titanium version of the original.
Lumapower MRV clone Bought this host only from Manafont and added a neutral XM-L T5 and 2.8A NANJG driver set to 3 modes. Nice thrower, very similar to Ultrafire C8.
Maglite Solitaire LED Bought this LED version of the Solitaire when it first came out. My review.
Mr.Lite BLF AA-Y4E 4-mode 1xAA/14500 Cree XR-E R2 reverse clicky. Customized for Budget Light Forum by Mr.Lite and sold by Manafont. Modes are 1, 6, 70 and 140 lumens (200+ on 14500). Sold this light to a BLF member who was trying to collect all of the BLF special edition lights. My review Manafont
Olight i3 3-mode 1xAAA twisty with XP-G. Went on clearance at 4Sevens, so I bought two in red and two in purple to give away (opened the purple one).
Quark 123² Tactical 2xCR123A 2-mode with 7 programmable levels. Couldn't stand the preflash on Low and had to return it. Great light except that when you want Low it's like a camera flash going off first (not all the time). My review.
Sipik SK68 clone 1xAA 1-mode flood-to-throw light with Cree XR-E LED based on the design of the Nitecore Extreme.
Skilhunt H02R 18650 or 2x16340 headlamp with a neutral XM-L2 LED, electronic switch, and magnetic base.
Skyray S-R5 1x18650 P60 host, a clone of the Seraph SP-6. From Manafont as an empty host, I put a 3-mode neutral XM-L T4 LED in it.
Solarforce L2 1x18650 P60 host in gunmetal gray ordered from ITC_shop on eBay. Also ordered a black Solarforce L2 with extension tube for a second 18650 from lightake.com which turned out to be fake, but works fine. Here's my comparison of the two.
Solarforce L2i 3xAAA P60 host in sand color ordered from ITC's website.
Solarforce L2p 1x18650 P60 host in black ordered from Solarforce Sales (formerly ITC). Put a UltraFire 3-mode Cree XM-L drop-in in it.
SolarStorm SC02 1x18650 side-clicky light with a neutral white Cree XM-L LED. Very nice for a budget light. Has a reversible clip. Normal function is Off-Medium-High-Off, but you can get to a decent Low by holding down the power button. Medium is programmable but doesn't go that low and still has PWM. Pretty small for an 18650-powered light, not much bigger than the AA Sunwayman V10A (which is kind of big for an AA light).
Sunwayman D40A 4xAA 4-mode light with neutral white Cree XM-L2 and amazing throw for its size.
Sunwayman V10A 1xAA or 1x14500 light with a magnetic control ring controlling output that varies from a fraction of a lumen to nearly 300 lumens on a li-ion battery (140 lumens on AA). Got a good deal on this from DinoDirect, but still my most expensive light. My review.
Tank007 E07 BLF Edition 1xAA twisty with Osram Golden Dragon Plus LED. The BLF Edition has 3 non-flashy modes, including a nice Low. Memory sets a few seconds after the light is off. My review.
Tank007 E09 1xAAA twisty with Cree XP-E LED. Originally got it in black, then bought another in gray. My review.
ThorFire TG06 1xAA/14500 3-mode forward clicky light. No memory and always comes on High first, but once I swapped in a Nichia 219B and put in a 14500 IMR battery, wow. Very close to my perfect light and half the price of the similar Xeno E03. Bought another one to give away.
ThruNite Saber 1A 1xAA 3-mode twisty with Cree XP-G2 LED. Very bright for 1xAA. Bought as a BLF special edition with modes of Moonlight, Low, and High. And has memory. A lot of people had problems with this light, but mine has worked pretty well.
ThruNite Ti 1xAAA twisty with Cree XP-E. Has a neat 2-stage twisty switch that comes on in a firefly mode and if you keep turning, will go to full brightness. Got a great deal from ThruNite's store, but ended up with a pink one that I traded with my brother for a black one.
TrustFire XP-E F23 1xAAA 3-mode (LHS) stainless steel light with mode memory. Good dog walking light. Not much runtime on a 10440 (15 minutes or less). I wound up buying a couple of these to give away and then gave away the pill in mine when one of the gifts stopped working.My Review DX
UltraFire C3 Stainless 1xAA light similar to the Aurora SH-034 above. Cree XR-E Q5 and 5 modes. Bought to modify with new driver and LED. My review.
UltraFire MCU WF-1200L 2x18650 3-mode (HMS) SSC P7 light with big head for throw. My Review. When the Cree XM-L came out, I upgraded the LED and got rid of the donut hole.
UltraFire WF-501B 1x18650 P60 host with a 5-mode Cree MC-E. Claims to be M bin, but who knows? Almost too bright: if you use it outside the very bright spill on the foreground ground or overhanging trees prevents you from seeing very far. I swapped out Shiningbeam's 3-mode P7/MC-E driver for the original, but light output was about the same. Prominent doughnut in beam partially fixed by swapping out a reflector. Th MC-E now lives in my Solarforce L2 and the 501B houses the XR-E R2 that was in my 504B. Later on I baked this host and it came out a nice reddish-copper color. Later I got an empty blue host from DX. DX My review.
UltraFire WF-502B 1x18650 P60 host with 1-mode XP-G R5 drop-in My review DX. Modified to use the NANJG AK-47 driver set to 3 modes. Later I got a second 502B when a good deal came up from tmart.com. That one came with a 5-mode XR-E Q5 drop-in.
UltraFire WF-504B 1x18650 P60 host with 5-mode XR-E R2 drop-in DX My Review. Now holds my neutral XP-G R4 with 3-mode Shiningbeam driver.
UltraFire X1 1x18650 3-mode (High, Low, Strobe) light with Cree XR-E Q5 from Manafont. Body is like a larger version of the AKOray K-106. Bought to modify with a neutral XP-G R4 and a 3-mode 1.4A driver from KD.
UniqueFire AA-S1 1xAA/14500 1-mode light with Osram Golden Dragon LED. Same body as AKOray K-106. DX
UniqueFire S10 1xAA 6-mode XR-E R2 from KD. Burned out the driver using a 14500, now it is direct drive 1-mode My Review KD
UniqueFire UF-2100 1x18650 3-mode XM-L T6 from a DinoDirect group buy. Really bright compact light drawing over 3 amps on High. Default modes are High, Low, and Strobe, but the driver can be modified for 5 modes, adding a much needed Medium and much less useful SOS. My review.
Xeno E03 1xAA blue 3-mode reverse clicky with Nichia 219 LED. This is a great LED and the Xeno is pretty bright even with 1 AA NiMH, but no mode memory and it starts on Medium, which is the least useful mode for me. Several blinky modes are nicely hidden after cycling quickly through Medium, Low, and High.
ZY-30 3xAAA 3-mode (MHS) Cree XR-E Q5 Flood to Throw light My Review. I gave this light away.
Perfect Light
A 2-mode light (could live with 3) that takes an AA or protected 14500, has a programmable or user-selectable low mode, LED is 200 lumens or more with a neutral tint. The user interface should be controlled only from the forward clicky on the tail (or a separate control that could also be controlled by the thumb that presses the clicky) and should remember the last mode it was in. Cost should be less than $70.
Chargers
Powerex Maha C-9000 4-bay AA/AAA charger and analyzer. Can be configured to different charge rates, measures total battery capacity during discharge cycles, and can refresh or break in batteries.
Maha MH-C204F 4-bay AA/AAA charger which works fine but charges in pairs.
Sony BCG-34HLD 4-bay AA/AAA charger charges cells individually and terminates when full. Very inexpensive. My review.
Universal Charger 1-bay charger with US plus works off 110/220, charges li-ion or NiMH, 34-67mm plus 9V. Batteries come off at 4.13-4.17V DX
Digital 18650 charger 2 independent bays, uses gradually decreasing current as voltage approaches 4.2V. Batteries come off at 4.20-4.22V DX
Turnigy Accucel-6 hobby charger After the "digital" charger above seemed to take too long to terminate, I thought I would try a hobby charger rather than try different ones made for li-ion. Plus it should work for other battery chemistries if I want to try LiMn cells as well as my NiMH Versapak battery packs. HobbyKing. My review.
Batteries
10440 - Blue 600 mAh 3.6V unprotected Ultrafire, 44mm long
14500 - Blue 900 mAh 3.7V protected Trustfire DX
14500 - Red and Black 900 mAh 3.7V protected Trustfire DX. Too long for my Uniquefire S10, Aurora SH-035, or Fenix L1D, but fit fine in my AKOray K-106. Increases runtime from 45 minutes to 55 minutes.
18650 - Gray 2400 mAh 3.7V protected Trustfire DX
18650 - Gray 2400 mAh 3.7V protected Ultrafire - lasts longer than the Trustfire above
18650 - Red and Black 2400 mAh 3.7V protected Trustfire - supposed to be the best from DX DX Lasts about 20% longer than the gray Ultrafires listed above. See my comparison.
18650 - XTAR 2600mAh. These are pretty decent batteries, but not much more expensive than Trustfires. Bought from szwholesale via a BLF group buy. $13.50 a pair.
Modding Parts
Drivers
Programmable Drivers Some drivers, like the AK-47 and the 101-AK have an Atmel Tiny13 chip on board. It is possible to reprogram this chip to get not only exactly the number of modes and the light levels you want, but also to program it to be programmable. More information here at AVR Drivers. So far I had some success in uploading a program, but the clip broke before I could customize anything and the program I uploaded gives a low battery warning all the time and won't stay bright. Perfect UI: Eventually I'd like to develop a programmable UI where one mode would be 100% brightness and the other would be programmable. Maybe you could flash the light five times, maybe it would blink twice to indicate you are in programming mode. Then it would start a sequence of brightness levels, holding each one for a second or two (not true ramping; I think discrete output levels are better). When you get to the level you like, you just turn the light off and that level will be memorized (alternatively, you could maybe cycle through the modes by pressing the button which might be faster, though then you would have to leave the light on in the mode you want for the memory to set and the light would blink twice to say it is memorized). The available modes would include a very low moonlight mode, a map-reading low, an outdoor low, a couple of mediums, as well as some blinking, SOS, strobes, etc. The UI would have memory that would set after about 1 second on.
KD 13.5mm Driver No details to speak of, but this 5-mode driver could be useful in fixing AA lights with burned out drivers where standard 17mm drivers are too big KD
NANJG 105 8x7135 driver advertised at KD as 1100mA, but should be 2800mA. Seems similar to the Shiningbeam 2.8A driver below, though Shiningbeam is now selling a slightly different version that appears to be a 106. Has stars on the back so you can set mode groups. 5 modes by default but can be set to 3-mode L-M-H with memory. KD
NANJG 112A 0.9-4.2V 1000mA driver from KD with stars on the back that can be soldered to provide different modes. Supposedly buck/boost with an inductor. Seems well-regulated since current draw increases as voltage of li-ion decreases, but current draw declines with voltage on 1.2V NiMH. Works with AA or li-ion, but with 2xAA the low-voltage warning will cause flashing. 3-mode grouping has low and medium pretty close together. Low mode does not seem to use PWM. My Review KD (sold out)
NANJG AK-47 3x7135 2.6-4.5V 1000mA driver. Two versions, one by DX (5-mode) and one by KD (2-mode) with unadvertised mode groups available. Both have stars on back that can be soldered for different groups like the 112A. Modes are nicely spaced at 5, 30, and 100%. I got mine from DX and found it very difficult to solder and the positive LED terminal is not labeled. Efficiency is very high, 85-90% on High. DX KD CPF Post My review
NANJG ROHS 101-AK 2.8-6V. Three versions, one by DX is a 3x7135 1050mAh driver with 3 (LMH), 5, or 7 modes selectable by clicky. Has room on board to add 4th 7135 chip for 1400mAh output DX. The other is a 3-mode (LMH) version with 4x7135 on it already from Shining Beam with modes of 8%, 25%, and 100% with maximum output of 1400mAh. My results. The 101-AK-A1 from KD is similar to the Shiningbeam driver, but is 5-modes. However by soldering two legs together, it can be set to 3 well-spaced modes of 2%, 28%, and 100%. I put one of these in my Ultrafire X1.
NANJG 10 3x7135 1000mA driver with 5, 3 (LMH), or 7 modes selectable by clicky similar to 101-AK. KD
NANJG 18 19-mode 1000mA driver with 5, 6, or 8 modes selectable by clicky similar to 101-AK and has a variable resistor to provide variable V out. DX
NANJG 28 Double-sided driver. Has 5, 3 (LMH), or 8 modes selectable by clicky. DX version advertises only 5 modes and some people at KD aren't able to change mode groups KD DX
Shiningbeam 3-mode 2.5A driver Put in the drop-in with my MC-E "M bin".
Other Stuff
Focusing lens for P60 hosts For lights like the Ultrafire WF-502B, provides very tight focus of beam similar to X2000 flood-to-throw lights but shape of LED is maybe 70% of the size of the X2000 projection, so even better for throw. Need to black out the reflector though to avoid weird spill. Works better for the XR-E than XP-G. My pictures here DX
Coated lens for P60 hosts Anti-reflective coating lets more light out than uncoated glass that comes with Ultrafire and Solarforce L2's. KD and similar (same?) but slightly cheaper KD. I got the more expensive ones. Still cheap compared to others.
Focusing lens for X2000 Probably plastic like the original. Can fit inside the reflector of a P60 host with the flat lens still in place, but you'll lose some light going through the extra lens and could scratch up your reflector. KD
Thermal compound Not an epoxy, but is cheaper than Arctic Silver or Alumina. 10 syringes. DX
FUJIK Thermal Adhesive A silicone adhesive for mounting stars to pills. Not as good as thermal epoxy, but if applied in a thin layer is still better than nothing and, unlike thermal compound, will hold the LED in place. This seems to be used by many budget light suppliers. Because it is silicone instead of epoxy, removal is easier. DX
Cree XM-L T6 5-mode drop-in from KD. Also bought the 2.8A driver expecting the stock 5-mode driver to be bad. KD
Cree XM-L T6 3-mode drop-in from Manafont, made by UltraFire. Modes are ordered H-M-L, but has memory. Manafont.
Cree XP-G R5 on 14mm base from KD, to put in AKOray K-106 KD
Neutral Cree XP-G R4 on 14mm base from KD, to put in a P60. With a 4B tint, it is not as warm as the 5B1 version I got from the Cutter group buy, but not bad at all. I made several lights with this LED to give away. KD
Forward Clicky Switches KD CPF Post. I ordered some of these but was unable to fit them in the Uniquefire S10, Aurora SH-035, or the Ultrafire WF-502B. They are kind of big and I've never been able to make use of them.
Tailcap Assortment 4 each of black, orange, and green GITD tailcaps. These are great, though I never wanted the GITD ones. DX
Empty P60 drop-in needs driver and LED.
- Small hole, for XP-E LED's (maybe XP-G): OP reflector
- Bigger hole for XR-E and XM-L LED's: SMO reflector, OP reflector
Sinometer Digital Multimeter cheap DMM from Amazon can be used to measure amps on the 10A unfused setting, but gives low readings over about 1.5A, so I ordered heavier duty leads from DX.
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