just realised that my trusty SSCP7 must be 7 years old so thought I’d check to see what everyone is using now. Just for general camping/dog walking/pretending it’s a lightsaber duties rather than bike specific.

eBay / aliexpress links appreciated

Can’t fault my lenser but expensive I suppose, very well made and powerful..

If you really want to make a statement in the flashlight arms race, you could do worse than indulge yourself and get one of these:
http://eud.dx.com/product/ultrafire-xm-l-t6-9-led-8500lm-3-mode-high-power-led-flashlight-w-power-display-black-red-844379259

I’ve just received mine today, as it happens, looking forward to trying it out when I go to the pub tonight.
The village has no street lights… 😀

Does that come with batteries etc?

Let me know how you get on with it. </interested>

Packing List
1 x Flashlight
1 x US Charger (AC100-240V, DC4.2V)
4 x 18650 batteries

Will be following this thread with interest as my ild LED Lenser is heavy on batteries. tbh when lloking for a torch I prefer a warmish light that’s bright enough on full and low enough on low with a decent spread and spot. The rest is down to burn time, quality construction and ergonomics.

8500LM is possibly willy-waving territory for a carry-about torch.

Wow! That’s some beast there Zero, I’m really after something similar in size to my existing one (so single 18650) but I’m tempted to get one of these too just for the LOLZ

My P7’s are still alive too, you can get ‘drop in’ XML (U2 or whatever the latest version is) LED’s to upgrade them, though they usually cost almost as much as a new torch. Really they don’t offer a huge upgrade, ok they might be a bit brighter & more efficient but not enough to bin the original P7 in my book. Though mine are now biking ‘back up’ units & general torches. They really were a great buy

Countzero, could you pop that monster on the scales please and let us know weight including batteries. Ta!

Claimed weight is

Dimensions: 5.51 in x 2.56 in x 2.56 in (14.0 cm x 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm)
Weight: 19.51 oz (553 g)

I think that the XML2 is the ‘latest’ LED…. in whatever configuration you want. I have an older XML-U3 C8 torch on my bars and an XML2 501b for my lid… for less than £8 the XML2 501b takes some beating.

CountZero – Member

If you really want to make a statement in the flashlight arms race, you could do worse than indulge yourself and get one of these:

That looks good as a surprise blinding weapon.

A nuisance man once tried to break into my flat but I gave him surprise by shining my P7 torch (with new batteries) in his eyes. I think he was temporary blinded as I could see him struggle to look for direction to run away. Imagine if I had my Fujian war club with me he would be free for taking … easy.

The batteries that come with that light are only good for the bucket, so if you can get the light cheaper without batteries, then get that one.
Also, the lumens will be miles of, at best you’ll get around 2500-3000, so it’ll still be stupidly bright, just not fake Chinese lumens bright.

Tried it over the pub last night, lit up most of the village! It’s a flood beam, no significant centre spot, and I don’t really care what the actual lumens are, it’s mind-buggeringly bright! It’s heavy, to be sure, but pocketable, and much easier than a D-Cell Maglight, and far, far brighter.
I was using some 18650’s that normally power a couple of other P7 lights, the ones that came with it I put on charge, so I’ll give them a go, see how they last.
It would make a very good defensive weapon, it would render anyone effectively blind for several minutes, then you could club them senseless with the torch! Or just walk quietly away while they stagger around bumping into the scenery…
Probably a good thing it doesn’t have a strobe mode, it would be damaging a couple of hundred meters away.
It would be good for taking the dog for a walk at night, if there’s a big park or field handy, you could just stand in one place with one of those ball wanger things and light up most of the field, let the dog wear itself out. 😀
I’ll take it with me again tonight and take a photo with the phone, give an idea of how bright it is.

What’s the throw like on it?

I swear by Surefire for off the bike illumination.

I didn’t know I needed a 8500 lumin torch until now.

8500lm my arse

Ok not the best photos in the world trying to juggle two torches and a phone, but the first one is my old Aurora P7 which is allegedly around 900lm, probably nearer 7-800; the tree is around fifty metres away.
The second one is the Ultrafire. The streaks are rain.

[/url]Untitled by Adrian Hillier, on Flickr
[/url]Untitled by Adrian Hillier, on Flickr

Oh, and here’s Cree’s spec for the XM-L T6 emitter, the Ultrafire has nine of them:
http://www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products/xlamp/discrete-directional/xlamp-xml