I’m looking for a new light for EUC riding. I currently have a SP36 which I find too big and heavy and also a thrunite TC15 that lacks throw and uses a micro USB that I dislike. A buddy of mine uses a Fenix TK16 v2 and it seems to be a good balance of flood and throw, but I dislike the buttons. I really like the features of my SP36 and the single button.
I need good flood and medium throw in order to see further ahead. I looked at hank lights and I’m quite interrested, but I’m new to all this. Through my research, I think a D1K might be a good format. I saw a few people riding EUC that said the D4Sv2 with XPL-HI is best, but this emitter isn’t offered anymore.
What do you suggest?
You might also want to ask over in [email protected] too but my favorite headlamp is a Zebralight W51 - one button, can be powered by a single AA battery (I use Sanyo Eneloops for rechargeable but it’s nice to be able to source a battery from anywhere in a pinch), waterproof, lightweight, pocketable, and doubles as a regular flashlight. Good amount of coverage flood-wise but can project decently well, and at the lowest setting it lasts 40 hours.
Zebralight W51
You probably mean H51, or H51w. The H53 series is the current equivalent.
I think OP wants something with a little more power. Zebralight has a suitable offering in the SC700d HI. It is, by all accounts excellent, and it is priced accordingly.
Shit, you’re right, H51w.
That said, yeah Zebralights in general are great. Same for Fenix!
Thanks for the suggestion! I didn’t know about this community, just subscribed. I might post there too later. I can’t find the W51 to do more research unfortunately. But I would prefer a 21700 battery since I would like to match the battery with another flashlight I have in mind for camping purpose.
No problem, happy to help! Hmm, unfortunately, it looks like that one was discontinued. Shame, it was a great light! Looks like there’s a similar model (502) they’re making now: https://www.zebralight.com/H502pr-Photo-Red-AA-Flood-Headlamp_p_175.html
I also use a Sofirn BS01 that uses 21700 on my singletrack MTB that I converted into a commuter/touring bike and it works pretty well, though if you use a battery that big it’ll limit how light the light can actually be.
That said, I do like my BS01 pretty well and they’re pretty affordable: https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-bs01-led-bike-light-teck
A 21700 is fine for the weight. I won’t mind I’m fine going bigger than my Thrunite. The only thing about the SP36 is it uses 3x18650, which is quite hefty. It’s hard to hold on with the wrist guards. It’s doable, but if I can get a bit smaller light I can also just bring a few extra batteries if needed, it’s better imo.
Thanks again for the suggestions though!
If you’re banking on extra batteries for quick swap-outs, the Sofirn might not be so viable: You have to unscrew 4 screws to pull the battery out. That said, I’ve run this thing for hours between charges so unless your trip is extra long, it would probably be OK. Alternately, you could get two and charge one while you run the other.
There are probably more ideal lights for what you want to do though TBH.
Yes, I’m looking for a light that I hold in hands. So I don’t think these form factor are the best for my use case. I want to aim it at the ground (I need to see holes and cracks in the road), but I also need to aim it at street signs or something I want to see in the woods for example.
It happened a few times that my Thrunite battery was all spent before getting back home. But maybe it won’t happen with a 21700 though.
I’m disappointed in Sofirn for not making the battery in their bike light field-replaceable without tools. They’re a real flashlight company. They know how to do this.
It’s not ideal, but I’m just glad the battery isn’t soldered in.
What’s EUC?
Electric unicycle I think
Exactly!
I actually recommend the Emisar DT8K Dual Channel. It’s the light I EDC and I sometimes also use it as a bike light. I find the 21700 grips more comfortable than the smaller 18650s. The strange shape makes it thinner in the pocket than anything else with a comparable size of head.
I suggest the Dual Channel loaded with one set of W2 LEDs and another set of 519As. That combination provides a lot of throw in the center with a lot of flood around it. If you want finer control you can configure it so you can adjust the relative strength of each channel, which will effectively act like zooming in or zooming out.
Overall it’s the most versatile hand light I have. And it’s oddities make it nearly ideal for us as a headlight.
Yes I saw that one, I also like the presence of aux lights so when it’s closed I get some lights that people can see. I was just wondering that if the optics are that small, maybe the throw wouldn’t be enough. I guess it’s fine. It would be quite a powerful flashlight.
Did you go with or without dome for the 519A?
The 519As in the light I EDC still have their domes. I have another light where the domes were removed and I prefer them intact, particularly for this combination. Removing the domes shifts them from flood toward throw and lowers the overall output by 10-15%. The W2s provide all the throw you could want, so the 519As are there to provide a good flood around the hotspot.
If you do decide to de-dome, bear in mind that it shifts the color temperature warmer by around 1000K. So if you want to end up around 4000K, buy the 5700K LEDs to de-dome.
The overall throw of the DT8 lights is something of a compromise, but it isn’t bad. I suspect I’m getting over 500m of effective throw from mine. The W2s have a lot of reach and the sheer volume of lumens helps too.
This thing is BRIGHT:
www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-sc33-edc-flashlight-5200lm
Also great:
www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-sc29-3000-lumens-edc-flashlight
The SC33 would be great, but tail switch. Not as useful for me because of the way I hold the flashlight while riding. It uses the XHP70.3 HI emitter, so I might get that type of performance in a D1K with this emitter. For the SC29, this is a great option, it checks a lot of boxes. Thanks!
The “double click for turbo mode” is good for high traffic areas, quick warnings (a car starts pulling out in front of you), and bumpy patches.
I also shine it on the ground next to me sometimes when I’m being passed. It makes me more visible and people usually drive around the bright spot, but it’s not blinding anyone. Anyway… I like these things, my Sofrin has pretty much been 10/10.
