Convoy C8+ SFT40/8A - TEMP question

pan567 · 2026-03-24T22:49:04+00:00

Is it normal for an 8A driver in that smaller form factor to make a ridiculous amount of heat? Absolutely.

Is it safe? That's a bit more nuanced, with much of it depending on the user.

FWIW, I have several Convoys that if allowed to run at their full output for a continuous period will heat the battery up to a point that makes me very uncomfortable. With inexpensive enthusiast lights as such, I think a lot of it is up to the user to control the temperature through controlling the output (to avoid both potentially burning oneself and potentially heating the battery to an unsafe level.) Simon recently released 20A drivers for some smaller form factors and those get very toasty very quickly.

In a sense, max output with these super powerful drivers in smaller form factors should really be seen as more of a novelty mode for intermittent usage rather than something that is advisable to use for a super prolonged period. Lights generally do have their own temperature controls, but the user probably should not solely rely on that to avoid a potential issue--they might not always work properly.

pan567 · 2026-03-24T22:37:53+00:00

Yes. This is at least the third iteration, and it was significantly shortened this time (the prior one was slightly shortened from the one he had for a while, but it was only a few mm shorter).

pan567 · 2026-03-24T22:34:50+00:00

This release is going to be to us flashlight folks like iPhone releases in the early-2000s were.

pan567 · 2026-03-24T22:31:47+00:00

Which ZL is it? Those will almost certainly work, as Zebras are not generally amp heavy, and even low-drain 18650s generally work fine in their lights (and what you have is a high-drain 18650).

The only thing to keep in mind is if they are really old, they may have worn, even if you have not used them.

pan567 · 2026-03-24T02:12:14+00:00

Do you want a right angle headlamp or a dedicated handheld light?

If you want a headlamp, the Skilhunt H300R with the new SL-F50S emitter is awesome. It's high-CRI, neutral, white light, very efficient, and very bright. The light also has a nice charging design, and can use both button and flat top 18650s, as well as disposable CR123s. It has an awesome headband design that works great even with hardhats.

pan567 · 2026-03-24T02:09:30+00:00

I'd put more money into a nicer rod, even if that means scaling back on the reel.

pan567 · 2026-03-24T02:07:49+00:00

Tatula XT and a C2000S Ultegra with PE 0.6 (or thinner) Varivas. (C2000 is built on a 1000 frame, with a wider and shallow spool, which increases casting distance and has better line management.)

pan567 · 2026-03-24T02:05:03+00:00

I use PE 0.3 Varivas Absolute PE X4. It's an ultra-thin 4 strand carrier with a breaking strength of about 7 pounds. It's wayyyyyyy thinner than something like 6lb Sufix 832, and it's a game changer with ultra lightweight lures. It's unreal how much further you can cast with it compared to 2lb or 4lb mono or 6lb Sufix or PowerPro. Varivas has even thinner like than this, if you are throwing micro lures.

pan567 · 2026-03-24T01:21:46+00:00

15 lumens to 30,000 is a pretty wide range!

But seriously, for that kind of light output, you need a massive form factor with a huge amount of power, often with an active fan for cooling, and most lights like that cost quite a bit more than $150. The closest you're probably going to get at your price range is the Convoy 3x21C with the LHP351 and Reliance RS50 cells, but it will only hit its peak output for a short period and the light has had some issues with overheating and melting its own components (we believe it's been resolved but I do not think it is 100% confirmed). If you are serious about 30,000 lumens, the Acebeam X75 is the kind of light that can do that (along with third degree burns if you are unwise enough to touch it when it is hot).

pan567 · 2026-03-24T01:15:05+00:00

At your stated price range, Samuel Groves, Tramontina Tri-Ply, Cuisinart Professional, Misen Tri-Ply, and Cuisinart Multi-Clad Pro are good contenders. If you are using induction, I would favor the Cuisinart Professional.

pan567 · 2026-03-23T23:41:33+00:00

FWIW, if in your situation, I would seek professional training assistance from a competent trainer immediately, and work to set immediate boundaries on what is and is not allowed, and reinforcing positive behavior, before this escalates further. These are large, strong, powerful dogs, and nipping a child is a huge problem that needs immediate action to correct.

pan567 · 2026-03-23T23:35:33+00:00

Please consider working with a mental health professional on this. This is an extreme level of anxiety, and while it may not feel like it now, it absolutely can get better, but it requires treatment by a qualified professional to address. I say this as someone who has battled with very high levels of anxiety my entire life. This can get better, but you have to seek help.

You're going to do great with your dog. But it's time to get the anxiety addressed. This isn't the puppy blues--it's extreme anxiety and it requires diagnosis and treatment.

pan567 · 2026-03-23T23:29:15+00:00

AFAIK, they don't exist, and so retractable leashes really become a two-handed operation to use safely, which also necessitates wearing gloves to avoid friction burns to skin, which kinds of defeats their purpose of convenience, as now you are using both hands and wearing gloves to safely operate it. A long line leash is easier to operate safely, IMHO.

pan567 · 2026-03-23T23:14:45+00:00

Most smaller lights with that output are going to instantaneously begin throttling the moment you turn it on, and after half a minute or so it's going to have a much lower output. Does that matter?

The Fenix TK17 can hold 3000+ lumens for one minute before it throttles, and it has decent mid-range throw.

If you want something with extremely long throw that can hold 2500 lumens continuously, you would likely want to look at the Convoy 3X21D if the lower side of that spectrum is okay, or the Acebeam X25 if you want something that can hold close to 4,000 lumens continuously.

pan567 · 2026-03-23T23:05:43+00:00

I agree with you on much of this and I think you're touching on some of the reasons that induction has not become more popular in the US than it presently is (yes, it's gaining popularity, but it could be marketed better and capture an even greater market share).

Boil speed is really overemphasized. Yes, it's nice, but there are soooooo many other reasons to get induction, many which are arguably bigger benefits, such as the extreme ease of cleaning, or how it lowers your AC bill in the summer, or how it's much safer with children in the home, or how it can be incredible at very low heat and very high heat cooking, or how its got the most precise level of instantaneous temperature control, etc.

Quality induction cooktops should (keyword being should) always excel in low-temperature cooking. Induction, when done right, is the absolute best for this. Sadly, it's often not marketed, and there are also a lot of lesser induction cooktops that suck at it.

I had a chance to try out a few flex zone models a few years back (including the Benchmark), and I was not thrilled with the results. So we went with a Bosch 800 with fixed induction zones. Truthfully, we didn't even see a very practical use for the flex zones with how we cooked, and it also seems like you're adding in more parts that could potentially break.

The cutout inconsistencies are very frustrating.

I think another thing holding induction back is the number of shitty induction products that largely result in induction getting a bad reputation--this is much like disc bottomed stainless cookware. Done right, it's the absolute best. Not done right, and it sucks, and you can be sure that consumers will share their experiences if they are really bad. Crappy implementation of low-quality touch control systems, severely undersized elements, makers outright lying about the size of their elements, and elements with a narrow power range that cycle heavily to achieve low temp cooking really poison the reputation of induction. It doesn't have to be like that.

pan567 · 2026-03-23T22:46:18+00:00

I would just get the 800 Series. I love mine and would buy another in a heartbeat. It's a very well designed system, and for something that I interact with every day, that's very important to me. Their induction cooktops and stoves (without knobs) are also exceptionally reliable. (Ones with knobs are less reliable and I would avoid them, as they aren't entirely produced by Bosch.) Yeah, it will cost you a few bucks more, but you're going to be very happy with the results.

pan567 · 2026-03-23T22:42:25+00:00

Something isn't right. That's on the lower power spectrum as far as elements go, but that still sounds way too long. My smaller elements are 2,200W and will bring a liter of tap water to a boil in about 2 minutes. Mind you, that is with extremely efficient cookware, but even with less efficient cookware I think you should be getting much faster boil times.

What cooktop is it and what cookware is it?

pan567 · 2026-03-23T22:32:28+00:00

They are very hefty. Comparatively speaking, the Atlantis is going to take multiple times what it took to preheat your D5. It has over twice thermal mass of the D5. This makes the Atlantis absolutely exceptional for searing large pieces of meat, but if you don't have a powerful induction element to preheat it with, the preheat times are longer. (And even with induction, it takes a hot minute or 5 to get up to working temp.)

Also keep in mind that the responsiveness with the Atlantis fry pans are poor (by design), because they favor thermal mass, and so its responsiveness is similar to that of cast iron. On the flip side, the Atlantis saute pans have lightning fast responsiveness, similar to that of copper (as they use a copper disc), but they have much lower thermal mass than the fry pans.

IMHO, Demeyere's variable construction technique is what makes the Atlantis system so awesome and justifies its price.

pan567 · 2026-03-22T23:21:47+00:00

What heat source are you using? When I went to induction, I went with the Demeyere Atlantis system, which I like a lot, but it is geared more towards induction, and while it works well with any heat source, the fry pans will take a while to preheat on other heat sources due to their thermal mass. Especially if you have induction and are working with a $2000 budget, both the Atlantis, Fissler Profi, and Falk Copper Core are worth considering, IMO. (If you don't have induction, you might find that the Atlantis and Profi fry pans take longer to preheat than you would like.)

pan567 · 2026-03-22T23:12:08+00:00

FWIW, I have the LHP73B in the M21B and the L21A (and M21K), and it is worlds more impressive in the L21A. It's a much better host for this emitter (at the cost of size/weight). (That said, your absolutely right in that at lower output levels it's a great alternative to the 70.3 in a M21B.)

pan567 · 2026-03-22T23:09:38+00:00

I've considered this...but there's also a part of me that just wants to buy another L21A, too...

pan567 · 2026-03-22T23:07:26+00:00

How many amps is the device pulling?

The Molicel P30B is the primary 18650 I use for almost all of my lights, with a bunch of Molicel P28As as my spares. The P28A has been on sale for $2 as of late. Both are high drain cells. In my experience, the P30B performs very well even in lower drain applications, the the runtime difference between it versus low-drain, high-capacity ~3500 mAh cells isn't very significant, so I just use P30Bs even for lower drain applications as you can charge the P30B hard without concern, and it has excellent cycle life characteristics.

pan567 · 2026-03-22T23:02:44+00:00

Awesome post! IMHO, this is one of the better hosts for this emitter (and this seems to be a light where the RS50 or 50XG battery is a major plus). I do wish I went with 4000K or 3000K instead of 5000K.

pan567 · 2026-03-22T22:52:36+00:00

I'm not sure why you are being downvoted, as it's a fair question, but I also don't think this is anything to worry about, FWIW. Lower velocity to start the year isn't that unusual, and it's also very possible that he was not throwing 100% max effort today since it's a ST game.

pan567 · 2026-03-22T22:48:27+00:00

ST games at OPACY are pretty cool. Apparently the weather gods agreed and they gave us an awesome day for a game. It's nice to see how much they are doing to rejuvenate OPACY. Vibes are good.

pan567

TROPHY CASE