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You have to get pretty lucky with surefire tbh, yes you can buy some hosts on ebay. Prices vary and you tend to find 6p, z2 from £60 up. Surefire c2 and m2 expect around double that. Ebay.com is a better option and buy from the states, yes possible import duty(never much over £20) but more choices.
p60 drop ins, only crap from china tbh. Tana does some amazing work with his triples and uses the h17f driver(awesome). Vinh you know as well for triples and quads, a mate has bought a couple in the last few months issue free. Then adventure sport(matt) does some nice xhp70/mt g2 etc p60's. These ones are 8.4v so better suited for an 18650 host and fed on 2x 18350 or better still on a 2x18650 host.
Ebay is ok the odd time, someone selling their collection or 1 or 2 of. Its hit miss and pot luck basically. Most are not bored to 18650, so 16650 cells are required. Maybe good for up to 5a..................still bright! There are some bored 6p's on ebay, also CPF. Prob looking around $80-$90 all in for a bored surefire 6p host, then $120-$170 for a triple/quad p60 of your choice. Try Tarik out(tana), his work is above and beyond perfection! Nice 219b triple(wont be crazy output as can not be driven too hard, but more than bright enough and a stunning CT/ hi cri).
For an EDC light that is tank like in build, the HDS from Henry is a great choice. The rotary UI is excellent, yes only 200lm in the 219b but its enough for edc uses. The design of the reflector just makes it brighter than what you would think and it is a real 200lm not a chinese 200lm.
For a cheaper start into the world of p60's, check out flashaholics and the solarforce lights for a host. Also can buy from solarforce them selves for a decent quality 18650 host.
p60 wise, check sportac triples out, the (flashaholics has single mode nichia 219b 4500k in, shows 5000k but it is a little warmer to my eye). For a touch under £30 they are hard to beat, look at illumination gear, they have the 219c 4000k 2 mode. This is also very nice and one of my work p60's. Shipping from US and the p60, totals a little over £40 all in. Couple that with a solarforce host, under £60 gets you a great set up.
The sportac triple 2 modes are 20%(so 150-200 OTF lumens) and 100% which LED choice depends on lm, 600-1000 OTF.
At the mo, some of my work lights , these are sportac triple 2 modes and an EDC plus triple xp-g2 4000k...................so useful!
None are bored for 18650( standard they run on cr123 cells x2, which are 3v each, so 6v for the original bulb/led p60. The sanyo 16650 2500mah 4.35v cell works perfectly in place to feed the sportacs.
The triple optics help focus the 3 LED's into a huge hotspot that punches light a decent way, yet can be used close up due to the floody nature.
For a mule type light, undo the little ring and gently pop out the optics(can scratch easy so be careful) and get a triple mule
I like your style matt!!! ready and waiting........................lets hope for not too long. The x9 looks similar in size to the x65 type lights, handle will probably have 8x 18650's in. The x45 makes a contender for a high output flooder.
x65vn next to they fair size k60vn(larger than the tn40)
I might feel a bit too self-conscious to use a really big light in public lol. The DQG Tiny fits in my pocket without looking like an erection and can light a football field!
If I had the money vinhs 2 new lights would fill the gap nicely. TK75vn or TK61vn.
$1300+ 😔
I just hope the x9 is far cheaper and has a nice tint as the Seeker Pro was too white and throwy for XHP70.
Who cares what others think, driving my Subaru around will no doubt make drivers think "****" Basically I get what I like, *beep* others if they don't like. Back to lights, many times when out, no one has commented in any negative way. If anything it always brings positive conversation and interest. Tools can be fun, customised to how you want. Larger lights do feel great, kind of confidence inspiring with the size/weight. Not only that but on lower outputs, you can have days...weeks or usable light . (You know power cut,zombie apocolpise etc).
Those vinh lights are very nice, but to have that kind of money tied up in a light is too much for me. I am more concentrating on lights that get more use(convenient due to being a size that can be carried/uses easy). The p60's and hosts have kept my interest going for a while now and still not bored. Just so usefu, and a triple or quad hi cri p60 never grows old for me. Host gets beat up, just swap p60 to a new one . Very flexible....
Think back to mag days, 6d etc which are huge yet weak in output. No one cared then about size, if anything its kind of cool to have a monster light imo.
Simple steps for me in a decision on what light. 1st off application, is it work, fun, walks etc etc . Size of light, UI as no point in having an all singing dancing light with a funky UI. Fuel type , stored for ages as back up (lithium)or user so rechargeable to save costs.
X9 does look a very nice light, as you say though the colour temp at that kind of price is important to me. I don't want cool white 6500k xhp70's. I want 4000-5000k as being flood biased, colours are important .
Presume thats the xp-g2 de-dome version, more pencil beam due to limited in output(xp-g2 can not be pushed too hard). Vinhs figures are conservative, but comparable to his lights(if one is 500kcd and another 600kcd, you can be sure it will be 100kcd more in throw). The 850kcd will defo be closer to 1000kcd..............so a chance to own a light that has 1,000,000cd !!!!from an LED, which is very impressive.
I would not touch imallent with a barge pole, few have had DOA lights, no customer service along with poor quality control. Too much money on a whim imho, much better to get a more established brand.
The x45 is up my street Matt, like it but i have a tk75vnQ70 of which is very similar with 4x xhp70's and ~16,000lm. Vinhs may push past that , maybe 16-18k, but the difference from 16,000 to 18,000lm to the eye is very hard to tell. Roughly 4x the lumen to appear twice as bright is a simple rule of thumb.
Standard x45 comes out measured around 14,000lm so the 16.5k is LED lumens and not out the front. Still its bright!!!! I also prefer to choose the colour temp, would much rather have 5000k than 6500k with a flood bias light. The tint has been off on some samples sent out, too much money again on a whim over tint.
As a brand i like acebeam, they are not perfect, but decent and up there with thrunite and fenix or very close to. Imalent, i just dont trust..............i need back up or decent warranty. I wont buy nitecore anymore either, QC is just to iffy for my liking.
Variable output is very useful, have the v11r and HDS rotary, being able to dial in the exact output, whilst using or prior to turning on is great.
These days standard UI from manufacturers(like moon/low/med/high/turbo and hidden blinkies) just dont do it for me. I like programmable drivers like the h17f and vinhs vn4. I can have a 1 mode or 6 mode group if i want, the h17f will let me even pick the output of each mode in 24 steps. Memory or not etc etc, temp adjust for driver, turbo level timers......... So flexible and user friendly, everything else just seems old hat now.
I also like simplicity, single mode or 2 mode, a usable low for daily/nightly uses, high for fun/wow uses. Sometimes clicking through modes is just a pita for me.............depends on light and use in mind as so many variables.
Yeah I've read a few reviews now and the tint is getting bashed. Looked ok in the vid. The batteries are packed in there tight too and with no USB charging the battery wrappers will take a right hammering. I'm surprised how cheap it's going for though.
Wife has bought me the Noctigon Meteor 219c for my birthday next month, can't decide on batteries yet, only Efest BT's seem to be stocked in the UK. This will be my last light before I get a big 20,000+ lumen torch with decent runtimes on the 10,000+ modes
Reyt, got a Nitecore MH27uv on order for the little lad and I'm currently debating whether to get my first copper light (BLF X5) to patina it's **** or my first P60 possibly using a bored 6P. It has to be fricken tiny, floody and stupidly powerful.
Not too sure tbh, the xhp35 HI's maybe the brightest but need two cells to run. If made for 4 cells in series then 7000+ lm iirc. P60 format is small, so your always limited with heat/throw. But for a similar size host to a lenser p7/t7,2500- 3000lm is a lot! The single xhp70 shaved dome is around 3000lm, but if fed on 2x26650 cells, it can get to 4000lm due to far less voltage sag under load. For now it's in my c2 which is bored . Fed on 2x18350 IMR cells. The cryos head helps with heat, triad tail cap is a zeroRez , so can handle any amount of Amps.
Trouble with going 2x26650 is a large host though, I prefer one that will get used and can be carried easy. P60's are great , so many options to lego parts and swap drop ins. Unlimited .........
08 April 2017, 05:42 AM
Basically I get what I like, *beep* others if they don't like. Back to lights, many times when out, no one has commented in any negative way. If anything it always brings positive conversation and interest. Tools can be fun, customised to how you want. Larger lights do feel great, kind of confidence inspiring with the size/weight. Not only that but on lower outputs, you can have days...weeks or usable light . (You know power cut,zombie apocolpise etc). 
