Flashlight Fiesta
7W Q5 XPE Mini Tactical Flashlight
Price: £1.10 highest bid
Manufacturer: ??
Model: ??
Power: Cree™ Q5 XP-E diode @ 7W max (??? Hmm?? )
Run By: 1x 14500 lithium / 1x AA
Focus Type: Fixed
Vendor: seller via ebay
Description: 7W Cree™ XP-E powered flashlight. Mini Tactical.
First Impressions
This tiny little torch arrived yesterday morning professing to be a 7W Cree™ Q5 powerhouse!. Haha hardly. It's actually a mini torch much like the SK-68 (ultrafire/sipik etc) except that it has a fixed focus lens rather than aZoomable which does have its advantages. The build quality of this torch is OK. It's a thinner aluminium than other rivals in this form factor. The screw fitting are OK quality. The Lens and reflector seems to be in a sealed unit. I have not been able to separate much of the business end so far. This torch is advertised as being suitable for tactical applications but I'm yet to find out how? I can't see this being mounted to a rifle successfully. In terms of being waterproof this torch most probably is. It does have good rubber O-rings on the end cap and as the head is a sealed unit, this should be water tight in theory. This is where a fixed focus could work better than a zoom. Zoom parts have to move allowing air to enter and escape ....its not the best recipe for good waterproofing when your not air tight.!
As for being a 7W device, well that remains to be seen. My guess is that it's more likely 3W.
Much like the SK-68 we find a belt clip at the rear of the main body. It's not as strong or sturdy as the one found on the Ultrafire but it does function fine.
Testing
OK this torch doesn't throw very far, it projects a small spot on the target and little else. This is outdoors during the garden bush test. Indoors is a different story. Looking for the fuse box under the stairs was easy. Fitting a light bulb in the dark was simple. So the message from these tests is just keep it in the house for emergencies and it will serve you well.
Haven't tested how long the batteries last yet . I estimate a couple of hours max.
Dimmer than a Glow worms Arm pit? No!
Rating: ✅✅✅✅ 4 out of 5
As a backup torch during a power cut this would be fine. It throws just enough light out to enable you to see what your doing and it's easy to find a stray AA somewhere in the house. It's simple and effective.
If you had to compare it to the popular SK-68 then this thing falls way behind. Worth paying £1 for though definitely!