"let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

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Rajat
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Re: "let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

Post by Rajat » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:32 pm

Indian Postal Service guarantees a Registered Post delivery - it cost me Rs. 130 to send my JetBeam to their service center in China. It takes 2 weeks, but the delivery is guaranteed. And you could have checked with the seller, since it is the seller's responsibility to warranty any goods, and get you a replacement if required. Was your light out of warranty, that you had to send it to China?
Yes but it works the way other Govt of India departments. Based on my experience I stay away from it for international deliveries. The only local Indian Postal Service that seems any good is Speed Post. Now even if your light is in warranty you still have to send it to the service center to be inspected and the reason for the fault to be determined. The cost of return is, of course, on the customer. Almost all manufacturers state this in their warranty terms and conditions. So in a way aglover's complaint seems to be justified as there is currently no support in India.

Secondly coming to the manufacturers. I have been using many Fenix flashlights lights for some time and some of these on a regular basis. Their specifications seem to be a bit overrated like quoting the maximum LED output instead of the actual flashlight output etc. but apart from this I have faced no problems. The only quality issues I faced was the LED was a bit off center in some of their older lights. Apart from this I hardly have any complaints.

Now having said this,Boy! Do I like my Surefires!!!
Zero Error! These are the best lights that I have used and I have used quite a few. The Surefires are worth the money you pay them and worth the buck they charge you. The best materials and machining and with until you see their TIR optics. Amazing!

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choombak
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Re: "let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

Post by choombak » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:25 pm

Rajat wrote:
Indian Postal Service guarantees a Registered Post delivery - it cost me Rs. 130 to send my JetBeam to their service center in China. It takes 2 weeks, but the delivery is guaranteed. And you could have checked with the seller, since it is the seller's responsibility to warranty any goods, and get you a replacement if required. Was your light out of warranty, that you had to send it to China?
Yes but it works the way other Govt of India departments. Based on my experience I stay away from it for international deliveries. The only local Indian Postal Service that seems any good is Speed Post. Now even if your light is in warranty you still have to send it to the service center to be inspected and the reason for the fault to be determined. The cost of return is, of course, on the customer. Almost all manufacturers state this in their warranty terms and conditions. So in a way aglover's complaint seems to be justified as there is currently no support in India.
That's very surprising, since I have only had stellar experience with Registered shipments. I have sold over a dozen lights on cpfmp, and not a single packet was lost. Yes, it is not as fast a FedEx, and takes 3 to 4 weeks anywhere in the world, but it costs a fraction of what FedEx charges.
Secondly coming to the manufacturers. I have been using many Fenix flashlights lights for some time and some of these on a regular basis. Their specifications seem to be a bit overrated like quoting the maximum LED output instead of the actual flashlight output etc. but apart from this I have faced no problems. The only quality issues I faced was the LED was a bit off center in some of their older lights. Apart from this I hardly have any complaints.
Fenix, like most other manufacturers, has switched to giving the ANSI lumens for their newly released lights. These are out-front values, but measured after sometime. ANSI certification takes anywhere from 6 to 8 months. For eg., take a look at the latest TK60 ANSI data. So no more overrated specs...
Now having said this,Boy! Do I like my Surefires!!!
Zero Error! These are the best lights that I have used and I have used quite a few. The Surefires are worth the money you pay them and worth the buck they charge you. The best materials and machining and with until you see their TIR optics. Amazing!
At what cost? For eg., a Surefire T1A Titan, taking 1xCR123, outputs 70 lumens, and costs a whopping $249, while a similar light the ]Sunwayman V10R costs $82, takes the same 1xCR123 battery, and outputs 210 lumens! TIR optics is available as well with other manufacturers too, and not just Surefire. IMHO, they are grossly overpriced for the features, and even for the reliability. Similarly, the cost of the Arc-P AAA is difficult to justify - for $45, you get a light using old LED, and putting out a meager 10 lumens. The only respite with Arc is they have a "lifetime guarantee - no questions asked", and require no receipt or proof-of-purchase while replacements (I did replace one light I purchased second-hand, and they asked no questions).

Rajat
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Re: "let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

Post by Rajat » Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:00 pm

Why is it that you only chose to compare the Surefire T1A Titan? Maybe its because you are not aware that other surefire lights exist and this is not to mention the other reasons. Well let me tell you something about these: The starting price of these lights is as low as $ 79 (A nitrolon body is in no way inferior and even has a few advantages) see http://www.opticsplanet.net/surefire-g2 ... light.html. And it is not only the G2 there are many other lights too. See Surefires website and you will see all the prices and these very lights are available for a better price on 4sevens or optics planet or even ebay.

TIR Optics: well yes, a Tata Indigo has a steering wheel and brakes and so does a Mercedes (Ok, not a Mercedes make it a Honda city or Hyundai Verna) . It depends on how efficiently and effectively they can be put to use.

ANSI data: thanks for the update, I was not aware of this but since I own flashlights made by both manufacturers (and others too) and from these are the the Fenix TK40 (excellent light I must say) and the Surefire LX2 are rated at 630 Lumens and 200 Lumens respectively. Compared practically the Fenix just beats the Surefire by a Very small margin. Now look at the size, reflector and other factors in both flashlights. Do not believe it? Well try it out at any time.

The above is not to mention that the LX2 beats any other light that I own with the same or slightly higher claimed output.

Generally expensive? Well yes, quality comes at a price.

Now all of the above does not mean that I am trying to pull down the Fenix lights (these are good lights) or other manufacturers and neither does it mean that I am trying to sell Surefires.

And probable delivery in 3-4 weeks: this sounds as good to me as the Fenix E01 ROTFL

choombak
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Re: "let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

Post by choombak » Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:43 pm

Rajat wrote: ...
And probable delivery in 3-4 weeks: this sounds as good to me as the Fenix E01 ROTFL
This is "guaranteed" delivery in 3 to 4 weeks - there is a difference between probable and guaranteed. And aren't you supposed to have a backup for any tool? ;-)

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Re: "let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

Post by aglover » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:09 pm

choombak wrote:all Surefire lights cost 25% more than what they did. Heck, if I am paying for a diamond, it is no surprise that I get one. :-)
i think paying 25% extra is worth if you can have peace of mind knowing you will be taken care if a problem arise. Also Rs. 3760/-(my tk10's cost at that time) is still worth diamonds for me.

choombak wrote:So saying Fenix sells 'cos its cheap is an overstatement.
I think 25% less than others is cheap
You may have got a lemon (sad, but happens)
I would have expected the daimond dealer to make that lemon shine again
do agree with the shoddy business ethics, and I have had a first hand experience of this with Fenix, but that's another story on another day.
Hence, as I said to Moin, it is best to purchase it from a local seller, since warranty and other such things are taken care of. Sorry you had a poor experience with Fenix.
BTW who is the local official dealer of fenix now. The one i bought from was a two mouthed Gentleman. Fenix and this Gentleman kept me throwing into each others court for "warranty"
Rajat wrote:TIR Optics: well yes, a Tata Indigo has a steering wheel and brakes and so does a Mercedes (Ok, not a Mercedes make it a Honda city or Hyundai Verna) . It depends on how efficiently and effectively they can be put to use
Right Rajat .Its like having a Honda for bangalore - mumbai trip with family when dependability matters. at such times concerns such as low mileage and higher cost of ownership is to be kept aside. And theres always Tata Indica for city travel with low cost and higher mileage, when you can always board a taxi if it fails in the middle of road. Sure Tata also makes Indicas which may have never failed their owners. BTW i do own an Indica also. No experience with Mercedes

and dont take this personaly , i dont want to remember that episode . only posted to warn a fellow member about my experience. its his money , let him spend anyway. But i would have been happy if someone took time to relate their experience - had i required an opinion. i am no expert on anything . i only owned 3-4 "imported" lights (if imported also include china made it will be 9 to 10). i think 250/- to 1000/- rs. use and throw "No warranti no garranti" china is no harm for use in city areas. only jungle trekking and remaote areas need a dependable light IMO.
Dont let this into a flame war. I will delete my post happily if any body likes.
Thanks

choombak
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Re: "let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

Post by choombak » Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:39 pm

No flame war - so don't worry - nothing is personal here, just opinions, and everybody has them. :-)

I think Fenix had a dealer in India - Bangalore, and we do have a thread in For Sale section about a long list of Fenix lights. This gentleman is from Bangalore as well. Searching on google gave me http://www.raysiti.com/fenix/home.php

It is sad Fenix did not honor the warranty they provide, and I agree - this should have been better. And it is surprising they'd do this - the competition out there is tough, and every dealer and flashlight company is trying to prove their worth - partly by investing in good CS.

I can understand your situation, aglover - it leaves a terrible bad taste in your mouth. I have first hand experience of Fenix's shoddy business practices though. Glad Surefire works for you, even if costly.

jayanta mukherjee
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Re: "let there be light" - my flashlight hardware.

Post by jayanta mukherjee » Sat May 19, 2012 11:31 am

Dear Moin,
Which site in India is selling them and from where did you get the below quotes?

1. E01(Black,Olive) [1 X AAA] - Rs.1,100
2. E05(Black) [1X AAA ] - Rs.1,800
3. E21 (Black) [2 X AA ] - Rs.2,500
4. LD01 [1 X AAA] - Rs.3,300
5. LD 05 [2 X AAA] - Rs.3,300

6. LD10(Black) [1 X A A] - Rs.4,200
7. LD 15 (Black) [1 X A A] - Rs.3,500
8. LD20(Black) [2 X A A] - Rs.4,800
9. LD25(Black) [2 X A A] - Rs.4,000
10.LD40(black) [4 X A A] - Rs.5,000

11. PD30(Black) [2 X CR123A] - Rs.5,000
12. PD20(Black) [1 X CR123A] - Rs.4,500
13. PD10(Black) [1 X CR123A] - Rs.3,700
14. TK11 R2(Black) [1 X 18650 or 2 X CR123A] - Rs.5,300
15. TK 15 R5 (Black)[1 X 18650 or 2 X CR123A] - Rs.6,000

16. TK 35(Black) [4 X CR 123A] - Rs.8,000
17. TK40(Black) [8 X AA] - Rs.8,500
18. TK45(Black) [8 X AA] - Rs.9,500
19. TK50(Black) [2 Dcell]- Rs.6,500
20. TA20(Black) [1 X 18650 or 2 X CR123A] - Rs.6,500

21. HP 20 (Head Lamp) [4 X A A] - Rs.6,500
22. HP 10 (Head Lamp) [4 X A A] - Rs.7,500
23. MC 10 (Head Lamp)[1 X A A] - Rs.2,500
24. HL 20 (Head Lamp)[1 X A A


Thanx in advance
Jayanta
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