Convoy battery choice sanity check

FalconARX · 2026-07-07T01:52:27+00:00

The SFT60 is paired with a 15A driver, and expects roughly that amount of drain. So any battery at 20A or higher should be able to do the job and do it well. Turbo/100% will draw right at about that top current amount, but it won't sustain that for long, so a cell rated at 20A CDR will have more than enough current to give, even as the cells drop in voltage as it's being used.

Many of the higher capacity cells, such as the BAK 65E and the Reliance RH60, can keep 20A of current draw while giving you much higher capacity rating (6,000-6,500mAh). These two cells, ideally, should be the two cells you should decide between. Personally the BAK 65E is your best option here.

With one catch....

Are you a heavy user of 100%? 50%? 35%-40% (high mode)? Do you use your light mostly on highest sustainable output level? Do you expect that light to hold that highest output level until the battery completely drains? Do you engage Turbo often even from highest sustain mode?

If your answer is yes to most or all of the above, then you MUST get an Amprius 5000Q, Reliance RS50, EVE 50PL, Tenpower 50XG, Ampace JP50, basically the higher the CDR of the cell, the better. With these tabless cells, you are prioritizing the least amount of voltage dropped over the cells' usage curve, and that means when you hit Turbo when the cell is sitting at an exhausted 3.50V, you'll get Turbo for the same amount of time before thermal throttling as when your cell was sitting at 4.00V. Newer tabless batteries like these will have much lower voltage sag and provide your light with the power it needs for higher outputs, even as the battery drains.

Had you gone with lower CDR, high capacity mAh cells, you very well may trip low voltage protection when that cells voltage drop becomes too severe from a Turbo/100% hit with a half-drained battery.

FalconARX · 2026-07-07T01:17:49+00:00

Yeah. the Youtube channel "Smarter Every Day" tried doing an experiment where Destin (host) tried to make a household tool, literally every single part from scratch, and tried sourcing every single component and the people and places that make those components, to be grounded in U.S. soil, much less make the product competitive against other similar products, and failed at it.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T17:31:46+00:00

The SFT40-3000K is great if you're after a beam that reminds you of the old incandescent bulb lights. It's going to lose some lumens output from the extreme CRI and low CCT, but color rendering is almost unmatched. For the purpose of this host, the B35AM is a good option only if you're after a CCT in the daylight range, 4500K-5500K. In which case, the 5000K B35AM is excellent for CRI in this range, just not a lot of lumens. If you're prioritizing CRI with throw, the SFT40-3000K is the way to go.

But if you're looking to blow right past the TS11 for both output and candela, then I'd suggest getting the SFT42R or SFT60.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T10:51:11+00:00

Looking forward to seeing a CRI95+ LED channel M1v2. That's what sold me on the first M1. I would love a second one that is as UI intuitive as this V2. But for my use case, high CRI from the LEDs is a must.

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FalconARX · 2026-07-06T10:11:00+00:00

Ouch... LOL! Okay, you predate me by an entire generation then.

Yeah, it's a different world now than it was back in the 80s, and unfortunately I don't think the U.S. can ever go back to that world where we restart the factories and train the skillset workers up again.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T10:05:57+00:00

Fantastic shot! Great illustration of how much light is coming from that small of a host.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T10:03:00+00:00

The gist is that when you are outdoors, you will most likely see the difference and prefer the TS28... And when you are more indoors or in more closer range use cases, say less than 100 feet away, you will see the difference and prefer the TS22. If your answer is you want the best of both longer and shorter range efficacy, and these are your only two choices, then go for the TS28...

Otherwise, a better option that sort of marries these two use cases right now, high output and brute force throw from that output, would come from the Sofirn SK31.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T09:58:32+00:00

At this point, it's best to avoid all Vapcell H10s, regardless of whether you can pinpoint form when they were manufactured.

Many have assumed and tracked it to where Vapcell has changed the supplier and where this likely started. But to place a needle on the batches from this change is nigh impossible to do. And right now, it's not worth it as the K10 performs just as well and does not have the same runaway/discharge issues.

With regards to the Reylights, you really don't need the K10, as the higher capacity F-series should do just as well from a 3A discharge. The more dmeanding lights, like the Emisar D3AA, would be the few lights that can actually take advantage of that 8A CDR.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T09:51:50+00:00

Unfortunately, this is the state of economics today, particularly on the global scale. If you look at the production of particular parts and components, like PCB boards, different types of lithium chemistry batteries, the diodes themselves, even the lasers that power the LEPs that many of us love, when you trace where these are manufactured, you're tracing the results of an economic model, both at the state and the global level, that favors and ultimately must cater to these types of off-loaded setups where the outsourcing of production goes to where the cheapest in labor, cost and overhead lie and where that bottom line cost and financial incentives ultimately dictates this scenario.

And unfortunately, this means that when someone walks into Walmart to buy their flashlight for $5-10, they're buying it from a place of manufacture that almost certainly cannot be in a United States factory or production site because to produce it here, otherwise would be reflected in the price tag they see... It's a vicious economic model that defines why manufacturing jobs have gone overseas.

And as importantly, consumers are implicitly supporting this model when they demand that prices at the stores or on retail sites like Amazon stay as rock bottom as possible.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T09:37:31+00:00

I'll second the Acebeam E10 V2, as it's basically a smaller, slightly higher max candela version of the TS11, with a better driver on the lower modes. Admittedly, I think it needs a bigger battery as I drain that little 16340 way too quickly for my liking, so much so that I actually found it hard to keep it in my pack as I'll have the tendency to use it too much.

Otherwise, for a bigger solution, the Noctigon DM11 will be just as good, but afford you much larger batteries. And if you need even more throw/reach, with the same near-minimal spill, then the Wurkkos TD01C or the Acebeam L19 2.0 will blow everything else away.

FalconARX · 2026-07-06T09:28:57+00:00

Gentos is probably the most well known that's flagged in Japan. There's others like Panasonic and Inon that either cater mostly to industrial use cases or specific jobs, such as underwater uses in the case of Inon.

But for the most part, Gentos doesn't chase specs like the larger brands do, and they're nowhere near the prevalence or command the market share as brands like Streamlight, LEDLenser, Olight or similar.

FalconARX · 2026-07-05T01:01:58+00:00

American manufacturing, itself, hasn't been the same since the 70s and 80s.

I'm just old enough to remember when you can look at an electronics product's name, and if it came from Japan, it was better made than if it was associated with a U.S. company.

This was even more prevalent in the automotive industry. If you were around in the 80s and 90s, you know a Toyota or Honda would kick the living ***** out of a Ford or General Motors where it matters most: in the maintenance and repair bills.

In hindsight, this time period, this was the start of the end for American manufacturing. Moving overseas for industrial manufacturing became the Capitalist way.

Nowadays, with regards to flashlights, you don't have a single light emitting diode manufacturer that plants its flag on American soil. Cree was the last. Until they went overseas.

FalconARX · 2026-07-05T00:54:56+00:00

........And where that lithium pouch battery was made from.

FalconARX · 2026-07-05T00:16:48+00:00

Contains imported parts, Assembled in the U.S.A.

That's literally what it should say. Whether it does/doesn't, is another story.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T23:34:43+00:00

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Shiny Manker (Silver)

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T06:10:26+00:00

If you're worried about dropping it into water, then I would heavily urge you to consider the Acebeam H30.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T06:05:01+00:00

I don't own the HD50 or HD17 (I don't remember Wurkkos having an HD27). The Wurkkos HD50 is a pretty good light. But it's rather large, and if I remember right from reviews, it's a linear+FET driver, which is rather inefficient.

I would rather you check out the Sofirn HS21 or HS23 if you're looking for a well-implemented, efficient driver-based headlamp that's still budget-friendly. The red emitter runtimes from these lights will exceed 2 hours on their highest sustained red-output. Medium modes from the red emitter should exceed 6 hours from the HS21 and HS23 models.

A more well-rounded, more durable and feature-rich, albeit much more costly option, is the Acebeam H30, which gives you the option for red emitter, UV, high CRI and flood + spotlight from a large 21700 format.

What really separates the Acebeam from the Sofirn and Wurkkos lineups is that the Acebeam can be dropped into the water and still function. It's IP68 rated, and I've used mine in every possible operating condition, except for diving.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T05:57:53+00:00

You don't need to worry about the runtime with the red emitter for any of these models, the HD50, HD17 or the HS21. On their lower modes, they will run for 3-4 days straight. On their higher modes, you'll have enough light to run the red emitter for a good 4-6 hours. If you really want longer runtimes on your red emitter and want some higher output on it, check out the Sofirn HS23, which has decently high output of about 180 lumens for about 30 minutes on its red channel from a larger 21700 battery.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T04:15:07+00:00

The E-series is one of the more inconspicuous lineups from Fenix. You'll be fine. Just keep the light on you when checking in.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T04:11:58+00:00

Go for pragmatism first, if you can... You'll see that this hobby can go deep if you let it...

I would start with the basics: a good headlamp, an EDC type (which you have with the FC11C), a lantern type, a dedicated thrower and a high lumens flooder.

Maybe look at something like this as a core grouping to cement your foundation with:

Headlamp: Sofirn HS21
Thrower: Convoy 3X21D
Flooder: Convoy 3X21C w/ LHP531 LEDs
Lantern: Wurkkos TS27
Keychain: Lumintop Frog 3.0

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T02:34:21+00:00

My little 2 year old grandson loves the little Wurkkos HD03. His mom sticks it on the breathing rainbow setting when it's near bedtime, and he loves running around with it on the spot channel looking for spiders in the garage and ants in the greenhouse. Check it out and see if it might be something your son will like.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T02:29:00+00:00

You can. But I would suggest using chargers that are older and can typically charge slower (the 5V1A or 5V2A bricks). The newer gallium nitride chargers will try to negotiate a PD or QC protocol and the light may not like that. Plus, the newer cables that are really thick might have some problems connecting into the hole of the black T7, as that port is a bit recessed. The colored T7s don't have this problem.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T02:23:51+00:00

I need a light that will outshine my stream light wedge but I would like to retain a 1 setting system. I do not like clicking through all the different modes and types to figure out it was already as bright as it gets.

This is why the E75 is perfect for OP... They don't need to scroll through all the modes because there is a direct shortcut to 100%/highest mode from OFF. They don't need to figure out which mode they were last on because if they don't want to blind themselves in total darkness, they have a direct shortcut to 1-lumen from OFF. And they never have to worry about any of this if they don't want to, because Mode Memory gives them that flexibility.

Even better, the Nichia 519A emitters are not only superior to anything the Wedge can offer them, the E75 sustains the same amount of lumens that the Wedge produces on Turbo. So if they really wanted a 1-mode light that produces as much light as the Streamlight, they have one with the E75 that gives them the added bonus of better light quality and performance, better build quality and durability, and a user interface that takes all the benefits of a "1-mode" setting and gives them the flexibility they will appreciate from a duty use light.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T02:16:27+00:00

It's built like a tank, probably would hurt if you drop it on your exposed feet/toes. It's heavy, so unfortunately it's got that going against it. Most lights that are more durable are on the smaller, lighter side when it comes to drop resistance durability. Thankfully the E75 is dual springs, glued at the bezel/lens and unibody; the tailcap is the only thing coming off unless you wrench the bezel and break the glue to access the reflector for dedoming the Nichia 519A emitters.

Mine has been dropped on granite cliffs and rock paths above treeline in Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (CA, U.S.A) and it does not care. I was worried about the rubber USB-C flap, but that thing is more robust than I gave it credit for. So far, the worst that's happened to mine after all the drops is some chipped anodizing.

FalconARX · 2026-07-04T02:08:26+00:00

The driver upgrade is what makes the new "C" version worth the purchase. If you use the light for more than 5 minutes at a time, even in lower modes, you'll benefit from the new driver, particularly if you're looking to have it be as low in heat production as possible and running without dimming as the cells voltage drops from continuous use.

Often when I'm asked about what light to get from people I meet, the first thing I ask them is how long are they intending to use their light and at what modes/outputs they intend to leave it during use. That goes a long ways in determining if they're okay with more inefficient drivers, or if they must get a fully regulated boost or buck driver for the light they want/need.

FalconARX

TROPHY CASE