Summary

It’s the little details that make the fourth version of the Skilhunt M200 a successful update. With three LED options, users can now choose between high brightness, long range, or accurate color rendering. The improved charging port should eliminate issues with water or metal shavings. And the already great UI has been further improved.

There’s not much to complain about. The slightly sharp edges on the bezel and the tailcap could be improved. In the version with the Nichia 519A, the LED is pushed to its limit in Turbo mode, which could affect its lifespan in the long run.

All in all, I’m very satisfied with the Skilhunt M200 V4. While there’s no compelling reason for V3 owners to upgrade, one of the other LED variants could still be an appealing addition.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

As a flashlight enthusiast, you might be interested in this new professional battery charger and analyzer for checking and maintaining your batteries.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

For many years, the SkyRC MC3000 has been considered one of the best chargers for round batteries. The user has full control over the charging process and can set not only the charging current but also many other parameters. It can also connect to a PC or smartphone for settings and data logging.

And here comes the new SkyRC MC5000!

I was really looking forward to the SkyRC MC5000: a modern design with a large color display, innovative scroll-wheel input, charging currents of up to 5 A per slot, Bluetooth connectivity and advanced analysis features.

All in all, everything has worked so far, but the range of functions still seems somewhat limited. Many enhancements could potentially be introduced through firmware updates, such as expanded parameter ranges, more effective use of the status LEDs and possibly even support for 1.5V Li-ion batteries. The absence of program memory slots is particularly disappointing. At this price point, a PC interface for control and data logging should also be included.

In its current form, the SkyRC MC5000 is still a long way from being a real successor for the MC3000. It is not a bad device by any means, but it does not yet fully meet the expectations I have for a professional charger in this class.

Pretty overwhelming to try and pick one from the hundreds and hundreds of options out there. What I’m looking for:

• Reliablility
• Not an EDC light per se, but I’d like it to fit in a pocket when needed
• USB-C charging and removable battery
• Good battery life
• 1000 - 1500 lumens is plenty for my use.
• A tool, not a toy
• The simpler the UI, the better - all I basically need is moonlight mode and around three brightness settings
• Adjustable beam would be nice
• Bonus: one-click turbo mode (for self-defense)

So basically, something that’s not too bulky to carry around, but something I’d be glad to have with me if I were stranded in a dark forest and kept hearing scary noises around me. ChatGPT recommended the Fenix PD35 V3.0, though it doesn’t have an adjustable beam.

Got this inexpensive thermal camera (which is also a multimeter!) for a review recently. Although it is not a high-end device, the resolution of 32 × 32 pixels (with high resolution camera overlay) is absolutely sufficient for many applications – and a lot of fun as well! Finally I'm able to see how my flashlights warm up.

Flashlights in the pictures are: Skilhunt EC200, EC500 and M200 V4

If you are interested in the review of the Zoyi ZT-R01, you can find it here:

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Review: Acebeam L16 2.0 - an all-purpose duty flashlight with significant reach

#flashlight #flashlights #review @flashlight
https://zakreviews.com/acebeam-l16-2.html

Review: Acebeam EC20 - an everyday carry flashlight that tries to bridge the mainstream and hobbyist markets

#flashlight #flashlights #EDC #EveryDayCarry #review @flashlight

https://zakreviews.com/acebeam-ec20.html

I've had it in my pocket for the past two years, and now I can't find it anywhere... It must be at home somewhere, but will I find it

Review: Skilhunt H200 - an all-purpose right-angle headlamp with white and red

The Skilhunt H200 is a midsize right-angle flashlight and headlamp with two white LEDs and one red, powered by an 18650 size Li-ion rechargeable battery recharged internally with a USB-magnetic cable. The right-angle light is perhaps the most versatile category of flashlight since it can be used as a handheld flashlight, a headlamp, clipped to gear or clothing, or attached to surfaces with its magnetic tailcap. Someone who wants one flashlight for all use cases will be well served by a light like this, as long as none of those use cases involves illuminating things much past 100m.

#flashlight #flashlights #EDC #EveryDayCarry #headlamp #headlamps @flashlight

https://zakreviews.com/skilhunt-h200.html

OP reflector, FFL707A from 1800K to 6500K, LumeX1 driver with Anduril 2 but no USB-C charging this time (to minimise size I think, looks really compact).

(Usual banner saying they don't take orders from the US)

For background, it's hard to make a flashlight that works well on both AA batteries (0.8-1.7V potential operating range) and 14500 Li-ion batteries (2.8-4.2V operating range) given that white LEDs need about 3V.

For a long time, companies would make lights designed for AA using a boost driver that increases the output voltage, do just enough so it wouldn't burn out with excessive input voltage, and say that 14500 size Li-ion was "supported". Max output would, indeed be brighter, but low modes were usually far too high, and the flashlights could easily damage batteries that didn't have over-discharge protection.

The Skilhunt M150 was one of the first lights to do a substantially better job. Using a Li-ion battery, it sent the power through a variable-output linear regulator so both battery types could have reasonable modes, and it would shut off to prevent over-discharge. Several competitors use a similar approach today, but linear regulators are inefficient; they just turn the excess voltage to heat.

The ideal solution is either to use a higher-voltage LED configuration and boost the output voltage for both battery types, or to use a driver that can both boost (increase) and buck (decrease) voltage efficiently. The Emisar D3AA is the only light on the market doing AA/14500 with a high-voltage LED configuration (three in series for ~9V), and I believe the new M150 will be the first one using the buck/boost approach (though it's possible Zebralight has done it in the past).

I'm getting my manager at work into flashlights. He's got a pair of D4's on the way, and I told him about my buddies D18. He liked the idea but wanted to see it. I showed him today and he was blown away, wants to keep it in his jeep when off-roading.

But I just realized Hank doesn't sell the D18 anymore...

Is there another light that would fulfill the same popcan sized wall of light that the D18 does? Or is anyone sitting on a D18 they're willing to part with?

Price is a factor, preferably around that same hundred dollars, but I'll pass along options even if they're more expensive.

Anduril is also preferred, but not required.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The Cyanlamp M12R from Cyansky combines many good ideas: A spotlight for throw, that can also be used as a headlamp when clipped to a cap. A floodlight that evenly illuminates at close range. There are also RGB LEDs with various effects and work great as a beacon or marker. The flashlight can be attached either with the large clip, an eyelet or the integrated magnet. It can also be switched on and off with a simple gesture control.

However, there is still room for improvement in the implementation: Starting with the cool white light with low CRI, the unattractive color shift of the spotlight, to the simple driver that cannot keep the brightness constant. In addition, it doesn’t indicate whether you turn on the spotlight or floodlight.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/35787303

Sometimes a flashlight just isn't enough. The Flying Sun 1000 drone system was designed with that fact in mind, as it uses 288 airborne LEDs to light up the night like the alien mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

It's almost the same as v1.0. Surprisingly complex circuit. 13 minute video.

Review: Convoy 14500 Shipping Light - the best value in flashlights today

The Convoy 14500 Shipping Light is included free of charge with the purchase of a 14500 battery from Convoy. It's a great value - one might even say an infinite value.

https://zakreviews.com/convoy-shipping-light.html

#flashlight #flashlights #EDC #EveryDayCarry @flashlight

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

With up to 600 lumens, the tiny Nitecore TINI3 achieves an impressive brightness for its size and with the adjustable color temperatures it adapts to any situation. The practical OLED display provides information about brightness, battery level and remaining runtime. Thanks to its small size and a weight of just 20 g, it is barely noticeable on your key ring, but is always ready for use.

It would have been nice to have an (optional) automatic lockout to prevent the flashlight from turning on in the pocket if you forget to lock it manually. Time will tell whether a glass would have been useful to protect the TIR optic. Other than that, the TINI3 is pretty much perfect.

Emitter swap: Luminus SFT40 4000K high-CRI into a Skilhunt M200 v3

Kaidomain sold a handful of these LEDs last fall and I made the mistake of buying only two. Rumor has it they were engineering samples, and may never be produced in large quantities.

Unlike the 3000K model, efficiency is not much worse than the low-CRI SFT40. I see 1400 lumens from this flashlight, and 250m throw. The increased throw over the original 519A is most welcome. Color rendering index is 92, and R9 (deep red rendering) is 71, which are a bit lower than the 3000K. That's probably responsible for the higher efficiency.

I noticed a broken bond wire after I took this picture. I'm glad it has extras.

#flashlight #flashlights #EDC #EveryDayCarry @flashlight

Mainly bought it for astrophotography, it’s also not bad for night book reading at home for its really low moonlight mode.

Whats todays edc and led/tint combo?

Review: Sofirn SC13 - a budget EDC light with great color quality and USB-C charging

The Sofirn SC13 is a very inexpensive pocket flashlight powered by an 18350 size rechargeable battery with a USB-C port on the flashlight body for charging and a magnetic tailcap for hands-free use.

#flashlight #flashlights #EDC #EveryDayCarry @flashlight
https://zakreviews.com/sofirn-sc13.html

NLD: red

After reading the post from @solrize regarding potential benefits of far-red light on cellular respiration, I bought a Convoy S2+ with the 660nm Luminus SST-20. It's red. Very red.

#flashlight #flashlights @flashlight