CREE Q5 LED Flashlight $8 at Daily Checkout

Any good?

any free shipping codes

How do you tell/check if the emitter is indeed Q5?

Thanks, ec (#4), I was hoping unscrew the head assembly and visually inspect the chip for certain signature marks. Was just curious as it does not make outlandish lumen claim like Meritline's Q3 flashlights and was wondering if this is Q3.

This looks exactly like the one from ShopHDE at $6 - indicated by the Price change of ^$2 in the heading. I don't need another 3xAAA light as I am running low on good AAA's and I am not getting them anymore.

^ no, it's the same die and construction, they just test and bin them for brightness after manufacture. The company that integrates (supplies and solders) it onto the heatsink and electrical contact "star" backing could stamp a model # on the backing, but I've never seen a generic Cree LED based assembly that was stamped.

In the old days you could tell a (lower bin) P series from a Q series by having less than 4 bond wires but I doubt Cree even makes any as low in output as the P series anymore... and least not in a "3W" designated LED.

Although 120 lumens is definitely possible, it is also possible they are reporting higher than actual lumens out the front too but I do suspect it's closer to accurate, at least with fresh batteries.

#6, didn't know Q3/Q5 are from the same "batch". In that case this has to be Q3 for $3.

Think you are very generous with 120 lumens. Based on the cheapo flashlights I read about I venture to guess the brightness of 80 lumens or at most 100 lumens.

For $8, I recommend this 1xAA light:
Small Sun ZY-A29 CREE Q3-WC 3-Mode 150-Lumen White Zoom Convex Lens LED Flashlight(1 x AA)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.90635

(Reviewers report that output is 100 - 120 lumens.)

^ Everyone has their own needs but to me, a very cheap focusing light would reduce water resistance too much. I'm tough on lights though, I wouldn't buy anything with a plastic lens (unless it were a higher end light and the plastic was shatter/crackproof polycarbonate) or rear clicky switch, as both have been early failure points on those I've bought.

I'm also not very fond of the machining on the generics, if you use a light a lot (hence needing to recharge the batteries) opening them will chew up the threads over time regardless of whether you've lubed them... so my next generic will likely be stainless steel instead of aluminum, if I ever feel I need another generic.

Don't know about the longevity/reliability of those stainless steel ones - I'll take your word for it - but the ones you suggested some time ago sure do look nice!

I am not concerned with reliability as when that comes I figure there will be better cheap ones available and it will only give good excuse to "splurge" on more cheapos.

^ I used to do that, keep buying generic lights, then I found a deal on an ITP EOS A3 (titanium version but without a deal price I would've settled for stainless to save a few bucks).

I modified it a bit to reverse the clip, get rid of the keychain nub so it can tailstand, shorten the clip so it fits tailstanding, put some heatshrink tubing over the body tube so it's kinder to my teeth if holding it in my mouth. I doubt I'll ever replace it unless it fails someday or I lose it.

Careful not to swallow it! <g> That's some impressive little dinky thing with impressive performance. Understand why you are singing the praise. Regretfully, though, it's a little out of my league.