Ultrafire SK-68 Cree™ Q5 Torch Review

Flashlight Fiesta #6

Ultrafire SK-68 Mini Cree™ Q5 Zoomable torch 

Price: £1.00 shipped
Manufacturer: Ultrafire 
Model:  SK-68
Power:.  Cree™ XR-E Q5 3W?
Run By: 1x AA / 1x 14500 Lithium ion battery
Vendor: Seller via ebay
Shipped From: Hong Kong 
Description: Ultrafire SK-68 Mini Cree™ flashlight. Hardened anodised finish, Camoflaged
What's in the Packet?:
1 X SK-68

First Impressions 
I have been looking forward to a SK-68 landing on my doorstep for a while now. I've heard some great things about them. People raving about the quality. Currently i have three or four of these SK-68's en route from the people's republic following a recent late night soirée on ebay. Today by chance this cheeky little Camoflaged one came winging its way to me.
Standing at only three and a half inches high this little torch pack a hell of a punch!. The main body is constructed of good quality aluminium with screw fittings which seem quite well machined.
A nice added feature to this torch is the incredibly sturdy steel belt clip. It great for hooking to your belt but it's pretty stiff to open at first. It's screwed in place at the top and doesn't feel like it would come loose anytime soon.

Overall the build quality is fantastic. I really can't believe that I only paid £1 for this. it's insane!. One great feature of this torch is the hardened anodised finish on the outside. It feels really nice and promises to be hard wearing. The LED module itself looks OK, not the best workmanship but certainly passable. The rear button switch has a tendency to move when you don't have a battery inserted but it's not really a problem.
The presence of an O-ring at the rear cap indicates a certain expectation of waterproofing. I don't think you would get a Zoomable torch thats 100% waterproof due to how they work but this torch at least should offer some splash protection. I'm tempted to drop it in a glass of water (briefly) to test its aquatic capabilities but hmmm.. I don't know...

Testing 
This torch can be powered by 1 X single AA or 1 X single 14500 lithium battery. As I don't currently own an 14500s I tested this torch with a brand new alkaline AA. Ultimately this means that this torch won't be pushed to its brightest. I can only assume then that there would be a measurable difference in brightness if a lithium battery was used.

Switching this thing on is the regular clicky rear button style. Nice and easy.
You get a choice of three modes - the standard full/half/strobe thing.

Blimey! This little torch is really bright! I never thought  you could get such luminescence for one measly AA battery.
The throw of light is good for something so small and the quality of beam is clear with very little spill. Nothing bad to report.
It's no light house but for what it is its really impressive

Waterproof? Half an hour in a plastic Jug. No problem!

I would say that this little torch is both waterproof and shockproof. Great value for money overall.

Destruction Test 

Rating: ✅✅✅✅✅ 5 out of 5
The Ultrafire 68 is the go to single cell flashlight at the moment. it's really hard to find anything in this price range that offers better waterproofing and shockproofing. this model is widely imitated. even the clones are good.
Fantastic value for money. Another cheap Chinese masterpiece for the price of a cheeseburger. quality once again out weighs the price.

Audis On Autopilot - Manchester

Driving through the street of Manchester this afternoon I noticed two strange looking Audi A7's in the queue next to me sporting some very high tech equipment inside and German number plates. These two cars are part of the "Piloted Driving" programme which is currently fine tuning Audi's auto pilot system. Not sure where they were headed and why they were in a suburb of Manchester but it's was enough to turn a few heads. When the cars pulled away it did appear that both drivers were not doing the driving, either that or they were driving with their knees!
Interesting stuff..

Sky Wolf Eye Q5 Pen Torch Review

Flashlight Fiesta #5

SkyWolfEye Cree™ Q5 Pen Torch

Price: £0.45 - £1.00 winning bids (4 purchased)
Manufacturer: SkyWolfEye
Model: TLY-B7
Vendor: Seller via ebay
Description: Cree™ Q5 Medical Pen Torch 1200lumens (ha!)
What's in the Packet?: Just the flashlight
Shipped From:  China 

First Impressions
These inexpensive pen light torches crop up all the time on eBay with prices varying normally between £1.10-£2.00 with shipping. As they are so cheap I thought it might be worth buying a few. Thankfully for me I managed to bag all four off eBay for between £0.42 - £1.00 which seemed really good.

These pen lights arrive well packaged and damage free. Upon opening the bubble wrap inner bag we find a good quality aluminium torch body, a reasonable screw on end cap and clicky on-off switch. The Torch seems well made, lightweight and reasonably durable. In terms of being waterproof I very much doubt it. Rubber O-rings are nowhere to be seen. I suspect this will be at least splashproof.
The LED itself is a bit of a mystery. It looks uncannily like a old 5mm LED? Is this really a Cree™ underneath? I'm not so sure at this point.

Testing
The light given off from this tiny LED is actually rather good.
Although this torch won't throw light very far it's better for close work.  Afterall it is labeled as being for medical inspection (nurses,doctors ,vets etc) so this shorter distance is ideal. The light ring emmited is more of a miniature spot beam. It's clear with absolutely no spill. Pretty good.

Rating:  ✅✅✅✅✅ 5 out of 5
Cheap, effective, handy are just some words to describe these little Chinese beauties. All four of mine arrived in good working order with no quality control issues whatsoever. I would recommend these in an instant- especially if purchased at less than £1.
Great value!


Update:
Yeah, that's definitely NOT a Cree LED in there.  - that's not to say that this light is crap.
Since I wrote this review I managed to sell all 12 of my Pen torches with no complaints.
I still maintain the 5 tick rating.. still great value just don't believe the seller bull about its Q5 led and power output!

UV-9 Ultra Violet Torch Review

Flashlight Fiesta #4

 UV-9 Ultra Violet Torch

Price: £1.20 shipped
Manufacturer: unknown?
Model: UV-9
Power: 5mm LED x9
Run By: 3x AAA
Vendor: Seller via  ebay
Description: 9 LED UV Mini Torch.
Shipped From: Hong Kong
What's in the Packet?: Just the flashlight and AAA barrel adapter

First impressions 
This little beauty arrived in good time from our friends in Hong Kong. The packaging was just a standard envelope with a piece of thin foam around the torch.
After unpacking a set of AAA batteries were fitted in the supplied battery cylinder and the torch fired up.
In the daylight the UV purple hue was very visible and clear.
The build quality really isn't up to much. The main body is made of a thin aluminium and the paintwork is not premium grade either, though I wasn't expecting much too be honest.
The power output of these 5mm LED can't be compared to the Cree™ style LED but with a good set of AAA's they are bright enough for most situations.
The lens is thin plastic which doesn't feel that good but it does it's job.

The clicky button operation is reliable and should last.  This device is simple and straightforward. It's not waterproof but it will hold up in the rain for a time. For the money it's alright.

Testing
This flashlight works quite well overall. The beam is crisp and clear. The Torch isnt likely be throw any great distance but for close work it's more than adequate. Reflective objects really pop out at you (as you would expect.) Everything works great, there's nothing bad to report.

Rating:. ✅✅✅✅ 4 out of 5
This torch should really recieve 5 ticks but that plastic lens just bugs me a little. It's a cheap lens but for a few pennies more they could have put a better one in.
This mini UV light is cheap, it's reliable and the battery life is pretty good too.
You can pick these up for around £1 on eBay so they are cheap enough to replace if something bad happens.
Definitely worth buying one....everything considered

Ultrafire E17 XML T6 Review

Flashlight Fiesta #3

Ultrafire Cree™ XM-L T6 LED Torch + Go Box

Price: £5.00 shipped
Manufacturer: Ultrafire 
Model:  E17
Power:.  1x Cree™ T6 XM-L LED  2600 lumens
Run By: 1x 18650 or 3 X AAA (18650 included)
Vendor: Seller via ebay
Shipped From: UK
Description: Ultrafire XM-L T6 LED Flashlight with Battery + Charger 2600 lumens, crenelated strike Bezel.
What's in the Packet?: 
1X T6 Torch, 1x 18650 battery, 1X Charger, 1x 18650 adapter, 1x 3 AAA adapter, 1x Mounting bracket, 1x Hard Case

I got both styles!

First Impressions:
On the mission for more  cheap Chinese Flashlights I stumbled across a few of these lurking around the auction pages.  It seems that these flashlight go boxes normally sell for around the £10-12 mark and higher . Fortunately for me I managed to bag three of these boxes for around the same price £5!  Yes , a high quality Cree™ T6 torch and battery/charger for a fiver. This seems an absolute bargain on paper so let's hope the torch lives up to its expectations.

All three of my T6 boxes arrived on time and together. These were well packaged and the royal mail hadn't stamped up and down on them too much during their journey from Birmingham.

Opening one padded envelope revealed a nice looking army style plastic hard case. This green case is securely closed by 6 fasteners around the sides of the lid.  Inside the box we find the battery charger, the Li-ion Battery, the mounting bracket, two different battery adapters and of course the T6 torch.

The Torch
The build quality of this torch is fantastic. The main body is made from top quality aluminium and has an attractive anodised black finish. The fixings and screw threads are well machined and everything feels weighty and solid .
Rugged seems the order of the day with this torch. It's  waterproof and shockproof to a certain extent. Each screw section does have an adequate rubber O ring So this item can be used in wet weather with a high degree of confidence .

Quality Cree™ T6's up close 

The T6 LED is a top quality Cree™ chip which promises huge amounts of light for less power. The electronics inside this torch seem well soldered and put together.

Accessories 
To stop the T6 feeling lonely those guys in China has added a few bits and pieces to get you going wherever you might be.
The Battery inside the box is a high powered lithium ion 18560 which is basically a very large AA but with more uumf.
The stated charge holding of this battery is 4200mAh which is absolutely ridiculous. Lol  the highest powered 18560 batteries at the moment are only pushing out 3000mAh at best. Quite why the battery manufacturer overstated the capacity so high is beyond me. None-the-less  this battery does work and holds a high charge.
The single battery charger is very cheap in build quality but it does it's job adequately. This charger will switch off when the battery has charged.
Other accessories include the 18650 adapter and the 3 AAA capsule adapter making this torch quite flexible in its power requirements. This pack also features a handlebar/Rifle mounting bracket which could turn out useful for some.

Testing
Comparing this to my most powerful Q5 torch and this thing blows it away! Im both astonished and a little bitter in a way. Astonished that this is at least 2 times brighter than my 5W XPE and bitter because I had paid a tenner for it!
So from today, this is my new high power wow-your- mates torch. The one that dazzle's the most at this year's bonfire night.
Light throw and light distance from this torch is excellent. Zooming the focus in and out demonstrates how this torch can adequately fill the surrounding area with clean, crisp lumination.

Blimey! The T6 in this thing is pretty bright! 

Rating: ✅✅✅✅✅ 5 out of 5
Once again we find our friends in China producing more top quality gear for silly prices. The Torch on its own is super high quality. it feels expensive in the hand and performs brilliantly as a high powered light solution. The extra bits are also pretty cool, For £5+ you get everything you need to run this torch in a convenient carry case. Trying finding something similar at the same price on any high street. You won't ...
This is bargain paradise and it's certainly sunny over here.

I will be buying more of these

Ultrafire WF-501B Red LED Flashlight Review

Flashlight Fiesta #2

Ultrafire WF-501B 3W Cree™ Flashlight with pressure switch

Price: £3.00 shipped
Manufacturer: HYA/YWS Ultrafire
Model: WF-501B
Power Emitter: Red Cree™ XR-E Q5 3W
Vendor: Seller via eBay
Shipped From: China
Description: Tactical 300lumen Red Cree™ LED Flashlight with pressure switch.
What's in the Packet?: 1 X Red LED Torch. 1 X pressure switch end cap, 1 X Rifle Mount bracket,  1 X Lanyard


First Impressions:
A nice red LED Torch has been on my shopping list for quite a while now. After searching eBay there appeared to be at least two or three choices to bid for. This particular model caught my eye as it was a branded Ultrafire device and included a fancy pressure switch fitting which seemed a bit of a novelty extra.

The Torch duely arrived through the door on time packaged in a plain jiffy bag.

The build quality of this torch is pretty good. The aluminium is nicely machined and the coating of the main body is a semi-glossy finish. Take this thing apart and you notice that whilst some bits look cheap, overall it's not too bad. Screw threads and rubber o-rings are good quality and I image this torch would be waterproof for a short time. The standard clicky button is good and works every time. This particular model only features on and off modes. Normally the 501B would have the generic 5 modes (strobe, did etc). This may feel like being short changed but many hunters and torch enthusiasts prefer just having the  one mode

Dodgy lettering along the side but nevermind

Inside we find the Cree™ chip mounted inside a bulb-like structure. A proper red LED is used instead of the colour filters you often find. Filter is far less effective at red light. The LED used in this torch is really bright and good quality.  It is wired a little strangely underneath but we won't go into that now.
The reflector is 'Orange Peel' style which means it has a slight texture to it. up close the quality doesn't seem too bad.

Testing:
I'm glad to report that this torch is really clear and really bright. In fact perhaps too bright if you want to use this torch for covert map reading, astronomy etc.
The pressure switch works really well. After all it's only a contact switch, but the build is good quality. The length of the switch cable is quite generous. You could easily fit this to a rifle or shotgun although we don't usually do that here in the UK.  This torch/switch combination could be used for other applications besides hunting.

Rating: ✅✅✅✅✅ 5 out of 5
It's really hard to find fault with this torch. As with many of these budget Chinese Torches the quality often outweighs the low price tag. This torch is no exception.  Both the torch and the pressure switch work perfectly. The red beam is bright and clear and you wouldn't be worried if it gets wet. Tremendous value!

303 Green Laser Review

Flashlight Fiesta #1 

Unbranded 303 Laser Device 1mW

The label says 1mW - I very much doubt that!

Price: £2 winning bid
Manufacturer: Unknown? Generic also called SD-303
Model: Laser 303
Power: 1mW (allegedly!)
Runs on:  1 X 18650 li-ion battery
Vendor: seller via ebay
Shipped From: UK
Description: 1mW Green Laser device. Powered by 1 X 18650 lithium battery. (Not supplied).
What's in the packet?: Envelope containing 1 X 303 Laser device and 2 X security keys.


First Impressions
I won't lie, I was more than a little excited when I won the eBay auction lot.  To add to the thrill was the knowledge that I had only paid £2 quid for it! I often see these 303's going for £5 and more on eBay it seems that This lot slipped through the bidding net...and with the money I've saved, I can buy a brace of dodgy 18650 batteries!

Breakdown of sections

The build quality of this device is on the whole very good for something so cheap. Fitting a 18650 battery was straight forward enough and the end cap screwed on nicely.

The additional star cap is well made and fits fine. This item comes with a handy lanyard (doesn't everything from China!?) which may prove quite useful as the item is quite long and easy to fall from your pocket (I image).

Testing

Blimey! This thing is completely awesome.  After turning the little key to power it on, the first visuals to be seen were the amazing star galaxy thing! With a gentle twist of the end cap a whole multitude of very bright stars move in and out like a kaleidoscope. It was very mesmerising.

Light up your shed with green stars!

For the really interesting stuff you have to remove the star cap first of all.  Now what you do next probably depends on what you have planned for it. If you require long distance laser activity then you want to leave the screw tighly in. The further you unscrew the cap the tighter and closer the focus becomes.  It's when this cap is unscrewed to its extent that the burning of matches and other such things becomes available (very childish! lol)

Outside field testing was unbelievable. This laser can travel a very long way! Point it upwards and it becomes a 100ft+ light sabre.  Testing showed that this device can put a spot on a building over a mile away!  

Close up of the secure locking feature

It has to be said that a reasonable amount of responsibility comes with owning one of these. This device could permanently damage eyesight if used incorrectly. You can image what would happen if a numpty bought one of these and started shining it a passing airplanes or into the eyes of people. It's obviously wise to avoid using these in public places or shining them towards anyone in general. People should really be using laser eye protection glasses when operating this device - incase of any reflections from shiny surfaces.  No where on the sellers ebay page does it mention eye protection and other safety notices. That's to be expected I suppose. Common sense is the best approach when using these lasers

Lies on the Label? 
Let's just take a look at that. It says <1mW yet its beam can travel for MILES and it's capable of burning your arm (yes I did try that) .
You try doing that with a standard 1mW green laser pen and it's just not happening. So what's going on? Rumour says that these lasers are generally 20mW and are labeled at a lower output to throw off suspicion at eBay and custom?  And why would you need to lock up a 1mW laser for goodness sakes? Why the keys?
It's all very fishy. I suspect all the rumours are true judging from my own testing.
1mW or 20mW care should be used when operating!
It is truly awesome though!!!

Rating: 5 out of 5

✅✅✅✅✅

This is a fantastic product for the money. You really can't go wrong if you are looking for a novelty grown ups toy. They are cheap and very powerful.  The star cap is a great feature, a whole side of a house can be filled with stars. Friends will be in awe. Buy one! Just be careful how you use it!

Recommended

Mr Aphoristic's Flashlight Fiesta

Introducing....

Flashlight Fiesta is a brand new series of reviews aimed squarely

at Torches or Flashlights.  When it comes to buying a great Torch at a great price it seems that eBay is where the smart buyers go. Comparing some of these prices to similar spec items on the High street you quickly start paying attention!

After much online bidding and waiting in for the postman a series of reviews will be written, good or bad. 

Already this week we see the first of the Flashlights land on the door step.  It's all very exciting!

The first on the review rosta will be the incredibly ridiculous 303 green Laser - which is purported to run at 1mW lol!  (Which I look forward to reviewing immensely) 

The second review will feature a tactical Cree™ Q5 red beam torch with pressure switch.  Ideal for fitting to a rifle if you are that way inclined 😂 ..extra novelty value definitely.

To be continued ....