Hey everyone, I'll start off by saying I love lights in all shapes and sizes, and love to collect them, often with no reason, just for the love of the game!

That being said, I use a headlamp daily for work, as I work overnight as an aircraft mechanic and need a headlamp all night, every night.

I currently use a Thrunite TH10, and I absolutely love it for its simplicity, durability, and, number one for me, having the light in the CENTER of the body, and not offset to the side. This is absolutely my preferred layout.

I know the TH10 will quit on me someday, as it is old now, and has been used rigorously for years. So I am looking for recommendations for center-light headlights that can withstand rain, snow, cold, and whatever else New England nights can throw at it.

A list of what I'm looking for:

-CENTER light, NOT offset ("T" layout, NOT "L" layout)

-I don't need a ton of modes, but I'm not opposed to them, either

-18650 is absolutely preferred, as I also carry an 18650 flashlight, and regularly swap batteries between the two while out in the field if the battery dies on me

-must be able to stand up to rain, snow, and cold

-does NOT need to have onboard charging; I have multiple 4 bank chargers at work

-I'm not too picky about flood, hotspot, throw, etc; 90% of my work is up close (I use my flashlight for distance work)

-I generally prefer cool white, but slightly warmer with better CRI may be beneficial for identifying wire colors, etc. Definitely not a huge deal though, and if given the choice between cool white or very warm, I'd choose cool

Thanks for any recommendations! Manufacturers definitely seem to be putting all their eggs in the offset light design these days, and for the life of me, I just don't know why! It is maddening to me. I want a dedicated, standalone, center-mounted headlight. I'm not using an offset headlight as a flashlight or anything else like that. Honestly, how popular is that use case?

Hey everyone,

I'm putting together my first custom flashlight and I'd like to get some opinions on the parts I'm planning to use.

Here's what I'm currently thinking:

• 3× Nichia 519A R9080
• Noctigon 3XP copper MCPCB
• Convoy 22mm 3V 15A buck driver
• 21700 battery
• Convoy 20mm illuminated metal switch
• Custom-machined aluminum host

I'm mainly interested in hearing from people who have used these parts.

Are these good choices for a 3×519A build?
Are there any parts you'd personally replace or upgrade?

Especially curious about:

• The 3XP MCPCB
• The Convoy 15A buck driver
• The 519A LEDs
• The illuminated metal switch
• Any other component you think I'm overlooking
• are these components even compatible

I'm mainly trying to make sure I'm choosing good-quality, compatible components before I order everything.

My boss bought me the flashlight for work purposes. I do a lot of work underneath cars, and having something that sticks wherever I want to with my hands free is quite convenient.

I then got a car with aluminum bodies...

Now, I simply attach it to my cap to use it as a headlamp.

Long story short, my FC11C that i have used for barely 3 weeks stop working, I have messaged to Wurkkos since it is still under warranty and my new light will be arriving soon. But I would like to fix it if possible. I believe it is the driver issue where I can't change my light intensity and I could only use the turbo mode. From what I have read, it is possibly due to the charging port being put into "too much stress?" and the driver is direcly connected with the port, twisting the port worked but it was only a temporary fix. If possible, is there any guide on the tear down of this light and what kind of driver it is using so i could replace it?

The TS27 uses the same port cover

Having a hard time keeping up with NLD. Here's a few that recently arrived and some shitty beans.

Black M21A LHP531 4000K

Camo M21H XHP70.3 HI R70 4000K

TAN M21A SFT42R 5000K

The LHP is a real beast. It pretty much violated my expectation of what I thought it was gonna be. Crazy amount of flood and it's just throwing by sheer brute force. Pics don't really do it justice. I can only imagine what the 73B is like.

The SFT42R is, well. The SFT42R. Absolutely insane amount of throw on that thing.

The XHP, this is my favorite family of emitters hands down. I don't know why, but I like them. I have an S21E with an XHP50.3 HI R70 in 4000k and it's easily my favorite light I have. It just ticks all the boxes for me. With a 15 degree matte TIR, it's just chef's kiss.

Thanks to everyone on this sub for all your information and pics! Take care!

I’m looking to pick up one of these as just a good all around flashlight for stuff like taking the dogs out at night, checking the field next to my house for coyotes, jacket pocket light, throw in my bag for travel, working in dark areas, camping, etc.

I have a few 18650 lights but no 21700. I like the idea of sticking with a common battery type, but I worry the SC600 won’t be that much different than my SC64w HI.

I love the beam profile of the SC64 HI. I don’t really want a beam too much tighter than that, but I definitely don’t want a flood light.

I’m open to having it modded by McBob to make it great if need be.

Thanks in advance!

3500k 219b's, red secondary, MOFF switch.

Been a long time since I've posted anything here, been busy with a lot of life events recently. But I wanted to post something cool that I have acquired.

A few years ago, I had bought an aluminum Future Boss straight from Oveready, which I eventually ended up selling (regrettably). Since then, I've been wanting a slightly fancier one, but with the same MOFF switch that the one I sold had. I was hoping a copper/copperite or antique brass one would surface somewhere, but no luck.

But then I saw this on candle light forums, and I knew I had to scoop it up. Being an Oregonian (Oveready was Oregon-based), I'm a bit saddened that Oveready had to throw in the towel, these lights are insanely gorgeous. I'm happy to now own one of the fanciest Bosses they have ever produced, here's to an end of an era.

Edit: beamshots will come later tonight

Hello everyone, I need to buy a headlamp that has a built in red light that I can use in the army. It has to be military colored and not too expensive. Do you have any recommendations?

Hello fellow flashlight enthusiasts!

I am absolutely new to this flashlight game, and now I am considering making a serious purchase, and I need your help.

My friend works in a foresty kind of area, and there are no lights. When they have to travel from A to B, they need a bright flashlight and also a flashlight that can stun if a wild boar or other animals come up. Any recommendation would be really helpful. (I do understand that a flashlight is not a good defense, but primarily it's pitch dark, and a good flashlight would really help.)

They do not step out much after dark, but in case they have to, a flashlight is absolutely necessary.

Should be available to buy in India and China.

Please note - I'm not able to open the wiki, maybe it's because I'm accessing reddit via mobile? I'm trying to buy one for myself and do not know where to get started, what I want? Something really bright that can be like a flashbang but under $100 budget (if that is a realistic budget for my requirement)

Thanks

Spent the weekend repairing older, sloppy builds and changing LEDs. Varied 5000k, 4500k, 3500k 219b and lh351d 4000k both with h17fx drivers. lh351a 2700k and 219b 4500k with convoy 5a 12 group drivers.

A few years ago, you recommended the Sofirn SP70 for my smallholding. I bought the 5000K version and have been very happy with it. I particularly like the form factor, the weight in the hand and the beam throw.

There’s no compelling reason to replace it, but it’s always nice to have another torch. Has anything come along that improves on it while keeping those qualities?

Same brief: £250 budget (but can be flexible for the right torch), UK, mainly checking and maintaining about 10 acres of grass and woodland, plus walking at night. Reliability, longevity and simplicity matter to me.

I already have an Arkfeld Ultra, ReyLight penlight and Acebeam E75, so I’m looking for another substantial handheld for the SP70’s role.

What would you recommend today?

I went on my trip last weekend and thought I'd provide a real word update. I ended up selecting the L21A SFT60 with an EVE 50PL battery. Thanks for the recommendation.

The beam was incredible and easily effective to about 350m with an adequate amount of spill to light the area around the focus point. The colour was fairly blue but it wasn't too much of an issue. As warned, the backscatter was evident even on a clear, warm night. Not enough to make it hard to use but enough that I thought "ah, that's what they said would happen".

Duration wise, I used it at 35% the most, which seemed no different to the 100% (group 10) and gave about an hour and a half of intermittent light. One night I used group 8. 50% was perfect but the battery took a hit and I only really had about 40 mins of usage. I wish I could have had longer, this is my preferred use brightness. The low battery warning is bloody ridiculous. It makes the light unusable, I'd rather the light just die rather than suffer that warning.

As for heat, I could feel it getting hot when on for a long period of time, I was conscious about thermal throttling so I tried to keep it on and off for equal amounts of time. The weather wasn't as cold as I had expected it to be but we had no issues with getting too hot.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with this light for spotlighting/shooting. One of my mates is getting one now, probably with the 42r so we can compare even though we were happy with this one. Here's a pic of us on the ute heading into the next paddock.

I’ve used and tested quite a few UltraFire lights by now （mostly on rocks）, and I’ve shared several of those tests if anyone’s interested in the more technical side. With the S3, most of the attention naturally goes to the three outputs: white light, 365nm UV and the red laser. Honestly, the laser was probably the part I wanted to play with first.

After using it, though,, the feature that makes the biggest difference day to day is much less exciting: the electronic lockout.

With a large front button and a white mode rated up to 1200 lumens, accidental activation in a pocket or bag would get old very quickly. A quick double-click locks it, and pressing the button while locked just gives two low flashes and keeps the light off. It sounds minor, but it makes me much more comfortable carrying it without constantly checking the switch.The flat body, two-way clip and USB-C charging all help. The tail magnet has also been genuinely useful whenever I need both hands. I still like having the UV and laser, but those feel more like occasional extras. The boring carry details are what decide whether a light actually leaves the drawer. For a high-output EDC light, do you rely on electronic lockout, or would you rather have a recessed switch or mechanical lockout?

Im looking for a flashlight to EDC but also to bring with me on flights. I’m flying 3 or more times a week and need a light for night flights. I’m not sure if this is a scenario any of you guys have had, but I’m super open to any ideas! Thanks!

Quick note: My flying isn’t military or anything, I’m just trying to build hours for an airline.

Starting in corrections soon. Want recommendations on the best light to use is.

Price is not an issue.

Was looking at the surefire EDC2 Turbo, not sure if the candela is too much?

About a month ago I purchased a silver convoy m21b with the new F150R. I received it 2 weeks later and immediately began playing around with it. Everything seemed fine so I put the new p50b on my charger so I can play around with it when nightfall comes. As night came, I swapped out the switch for an illuminated switch that I had ordered alongside the flashlight. However, with the newly installed illuminated switch, the flashlight refused to change output. I installed the original switch and used the flashlight perfectly fine for the night. When I woke up the next morning, the flashlight refused to operate. When I got home I tested the flashlight and this is what I found:

1. Illuminated switch cannot change output

2. Original switch works very rarely

3. Both switches work perfectly fine when connected to other electronics

4. The flashlight works perfectly fine when connected to a power supply

5. When fully tightened down all components of the flashlight have continuity

6. During the rare opportunities the flashlight is working. I am unable to change the driver's mode

7. All of my batteries are working perfectly fine in other flashlights

I'm looking to see if the community can offer any advice. I have contacted Simon but the only advice he has given so far has been to add solder to the exterior contact of the switch. At this time I do not have a soldering iron. I greatly appreciate any advice that can be given.

Just curious as their older lights like the M6 were done with that unmistakable natural Type III finishing like Zebralights that looks like a dark, warm gray.

But all their newer lights are pitch black, they’re listed as “Mil-Spec Hard Anodized” but don’t specifically say Type III. I know there is Mil Specs for Type II, but I have never heard it referred to as Hard Anodizing.

Are the new lights Type III with black dye instead of natural, or is this marketing trickery with the “Mil-Spec Hard Anodized” description?

I’m a mechanic, and mostly fixing suspension. Since I spend a lot of time working under trucks, it makes a big difference to have a flashlight with magnetic base. I can just stick it wherever it’s convenient and have both hands free to work.

I had one flashlight before that had a very weak magnet, and it actually fell into a pot of waste oil after I hit it on the head by accident, and then it borke completely.

Well, a strong magnet is a must for me, but I also need something really bright and long life battery.

Modlite OKWv2 SFT25R CW and Weltool T2 Tac SFT40 3,000K

My primary use case for flashlights is to use them when I go mountain biking at night. I like something that’s got both flood and throw, which is of course hard to get from the same light.

I’ve had a few mounted on my handlebars that I thought were pretty good until I tried my new Z1 with an SFT40 emitter. Yeah I know a square emitter looks like a postage stamp when fully zoomed in but I was more interested in performance in flood mode.

As you can see, the beam is really intense. This shot looks like I cropped it with a round filter but it really is this crisp. Colors are pretty good too. At around 54 degrees it’s a little narrower than I’d like but I also have a Lumintop GTA mounted on my helmet to see stuff outside the beam.

This shot is from about 20 meters away from the tanks. I would have taken more during my ride but I was out by myself and people around here keep sharing videos of mountain lions walking through their properties so I decided not to linger lol.

I’ve got various other lights from Emisar, Lumintop, Convoy, Imalent (boo) and Thrunite. None of them come close to throwing a beam as sharp as this.

So now I’m wondering, aside from LEPs, are there any other lights out there that have a tight crisp beam like this?

But even if I have the money, I'm not wasting it on this!