Recommendation for Floody Light
 

Just bought a Romisen RC-C8 II R2 Flood-to-Throw LED Flashlight, and was unimpressed with its overall light output. I'm using it as my main light on my bike with a lockblock, and I have a Fenix LD-20 attached to my helmet.

I liked the full flood mode in theory, but in practice and on the bike, it just did not illuminate the road far enough in front of me for it to be practical. I was only using AAA's, but I've heard that using 18650's in the Romisen RC-C8 only improves battery life, and not light output.

Are there any other floody lights that are brighter than the Romisen in the ~$50 range?

There are very limited adjustable beam lights, and even more so with higher output flashlight. To get more flood pattern, you will need a smaller reflctor on the same emitter or a larger Die emitter on the same reflector size. SST50, P7, MCE are larger die will usually will be more floody but they also have a higher power consumption. XP-G is more efficient but in a smaller Die which means that they will tend to be more of a thrower unless the reflector is fairly small.

I just got some S Mini lights from Shiningbeam. It uses the XP-G emitter but since the reflector is very small, it cast out a more of a floody beam. I measured a hotspot beam of about 40 inches wide shot from a distant of 15ft. I bought three of those and when I put two side by side and compare them to a Magicshine 900, it was almost the same bightness and beam pattern. The rated lumen is 360 but probably 270 OTF. I did do a runtime and got 3hrs of runtime with the battery voltage still at 3.3 volt and some decrease in lumen. It finally shutoff at 3hrs and 7 minute at 3.28 volt from the AW2900 mah 18650.Ideally if you can fine a small flashlight in a small reflector package using the newer XM-L emitter(larger Die than the XP-G) driven at 1 to 1.5 amps, then that will be best. Darn thing is so small, it makes a good helmet light without the battery pack.

The other choice will be using a host and different P60 drop in and try out different emitter like the MCE or SST50 to get more flood. The good thing with drop in is that you can upgrade to try different emitter as they come out. The bad thing is that some are undriven because of the limited design to dissipate heat. Regardless, most will still have more output than the Romisen.

The big question - are you going to be using 18650's or are you in need of something that uses AA or AAA cells.. If you upgrade to 18650's you will open yourself up to better and more powerful lighting options. The initial investment of charger and cells add some cost but it is worth it..

One thing many of us have found here is that when you get new lights you ad to what you're already using instead of replacing what you're using. Besides giving you redundancy, it also gives you more flexibility with the illuminated area while giving you even more to think about. :p

I don't mind going to 18650's but after investing in a good set of batteries and a charger, it bumps up the price.

For that kind of money, I'm wondering if I should just get the Busch and Muller Ixon IQ, since I already have Eneloops and a charger.

Based on my limited experience, you're asking for two different things here. I've had two big floody lights -- P7 and MCE -- and my TK-11 (R2) with half the light output outthrows both of them. Putting more power into a flood pattern hits diminishing returns real quick.

Why aren't you asking for more throw? What do you think about using two lights?

I am running a Romisen RC-C8 II R2 Flood-to-Throw and a MG P-Rocket Cree XP-G R5 in combination. I am confused by your above statement. The RC-C8 is wonderful when adjust to full flood but of course this comes at the expense of throw. The design of flood to throw is such as to give you one or the other not both.

I am more impressed with the Romisen than I am the MG-P in terms of bike riding performance. The Romisen is much better at being a nice flood with some throw than the MG P rocket (OP reflector) is at being a strong thrower with some flood.

I am considering buying another RC-C8 to add to the lineup. The flood on that thing is killer and coupled with an even marginal thrower it gives a nice riding setup. :thumb:

The OP is using AAA cells in his romisen and there be a significant output difference when using 18650's vs AAA cells in this light..

This review lead me to believe otherwise, but I will look into some 18650 batteries and a charger if you're saying there is a significant output difference.

I will test mine later tonight and see if there is difference in output. I always recommend people to make the jump to 18650's, it just gives you so many more options in higher power lights..

Any update?

I'm still wondering if the Romisen RC-C8 is brighter with 18650 batteries or if they simply provide longer run times.

I checked mine and the 18650's only provided a slight uptick in illumination. You should still consider upgrading to 18650 because of the larger pool of bright lights available with those cells..

best bang for the buck 18650 lights are, priced lowest to highest.. The new S mini could easily be used as a helmet light, since it is so light..

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...4-II-R5/Detail

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...-rocket/Detail

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...P-dsh-G/Detail

I don't know if you would call this a floody light, and I don't even know if I'm qualified to describe lights at all. I bought this light recently and mounted it to my handlebar. I only used it at night once on a short ride, where there was street lighting. I think it works well, and I think I could use it on an unlit road, though I don't know fast it would let me go. It's only $36, and it uses two CR123 cells. Are two of those cells like a single 18650 cell?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

Tom

A single CR123 is 3v, so 2 x CR123 is 6v for your flashlight. A single 18650 is 3.7 nominal volt. Most LED Volt forward are in the 3v range so that means most Led flashlight can run on 18650. However the body size is the issue. Flashlight has spring contact on one or both end and can accomondate the longer lenght of a 18650 but a CR123 is 17mm diameter and an 18650 is 18mm. Those flashlight that were design for CR123 most likely are machined out to fit CR123 only and does not have clearance for the 18mm dia of an 18650.

Thanks, Colleen.

FWIW. The LED inside most tacticals runs ~4V. That is more or less the voltage of one 18650. Some tacticals run two 18650's. Does that mean a brighter light? Maybe, maybe not. There will be some kind of diode driver that will drop the voltage before it hits the chip. With two batteries the manufacturer can boost output or boost endurance and anything in-between. That out the way, the reason I jumped in here was to tell you that the floodlight par excellence is the MagicShine bike light. I am in my 2nd week using one and I am glad I went against the tactical geeks and bought a bike specific head-light. Tacticals are great for throw but when I am riding at night I am much more concerned with right here than with what is 1/4 mi down the road! If the MagicShine were all flood and no throw it would still be a great light. It's hellaciously bright and that is a kind of throw all its own.

Ever notice that the tactical advocates are usually using two (and more) lights together? That is an attempt to get some flood out of what are otherwise pretty throwy lights. That is what I used to do with my 4AAA Ascent 1/2W LED Commuter Headlights. Run two of them and point one of them slightly cockeyed to the right to light up the gutter and keep me out of the storm drains! Now with one light I have the best of both worlds and it uses four 18650's for run-time that you measure in hours, not minutes. Seriously, the MagicShine beam is practically panoramic but it has a center cone that reaches out if you tilt the light up. The only thing better IMO would be two of them! I am not a MagicShine seller, just a MagicShine convert. You know how the newly converted can be...

H

L - just in the unlikely case you hadn't heard, there's a recall on MS battery packs: http://www.bikerumor.com/2010/11/15/...es-stop-using/

You can get some very floody flashlights if you're looking for flood. I just added a second 18650 mount to my bike so I could use my TK11 for throw along with my L2/MCE for flood. With the MCE alone (350 lumens OTF) there was a huge patch of light in front of me but it didn't go that far down the road. With the two together I am very comfortable at 25mph.

Ended up purchasing a B&M Ixon IQ because I didn't want to purchase 18650 batteries and a charger. Will report back with my reviews once I receive the light, especially since it's a less popular product.

Once you make the jump to 18650 cells and charger you will have more choices in higher powered lights..