Cree flashlights

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I bought a cree flashlight from a gun show in dallas and i droped it the other day and now it wont work. I cant find any info on these people besides some chinese website and it says nature x smart on it.
I looked them up and there phone number is disconnected.
Any idea? Anyone ever deal with cree?
Can i try to remove bulb and replace it? The bulb seems to be set in some plastic so it doesnt just pop out..
Thanks for any help in advance
Jake

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
I bought a cree flashlight from a gun show in dallas and i droped it the other day and now it wont work. I cant find any info on these people besides some chinese website and it says nature x smart on it.
I looked them up and there phone number is disconnected.
Any idea? Anyone ever deal with cree?
Can i try to remove bulb and replace it? The bulb seems to be set in some plastic so it doesnt just pop out..
Thanks for any help in advance
Jake

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

If it's an LED flashlight, the "plastic" it's mounted to is likely Berquist substrate, which is a heat-sink material designed to move the heat away from the LED, and it's unlikely you can remove it and replace the LED, you'd need to repace the entire module.

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oops, looks like those are full flashlights
 
Kids, this is why 80% of the flashlights sold at gun shows are garbage.

You won't get what you didn't pay for.

-Mike
 
Jake,

If you'd like someone to take a look at it and see if they can determine what's wrong with it, send me message. I have the equipment to poke around at what the power electronics are doing and might be able to figure out what's not working right. Unlikely that the LED was damaged, they're extremely durable to shock. Likely a wire was knocked loose or a component in the micro-power supply inside had a connection to its PCB damaged by the shock.
 
IMHO, the best value in chinese flashlights is Solarforce. They sell complete flashlights and all kinds of parts. I own several of their lights and throw every one of them hard on my driveway few times before using them to ensure their reliability. You can buy the replacement module from the US dealer's website (Google is your friend) or from e-bay seller itc_shop if you don't mind waiting for your purchase to arrive from China. I don't recommend other sources because some of them sell lesser quality lights with the Solarforce logo.
 
Irony: Solarforce uses the same CREE LEDs that are in the "CREE" brand LED flashlights.

I don't think CREE manufactures the CREE branded flashlights. Likely they're third party branded flashlights using the CREE name under license. I've never dealt with their flashlights, but I've worked with their LED division as a supplier.
 
Jakes: Cree is (probably) the manufacturer of the LED module. It's a generic light that happens to be using a Cree LED. They are all over eBay. I have bought a handful of UltraFire brand ones. They are clearly made under the same dictate of some random company as they are all styled the same, but often have different threads and odd differences.

Regardless, for the $12 with shipping I pay for them, I am very very very happy.

However, in your case you likely broke a solder join somewhere or most likely you killed the module in the tailcap that controls the emitter. Breaking the LED emitter itself would be an impressive feat!

Your options are as follows:

1) Try to convince the dealer to take it back. I'd bet your odds of this are good as he only paid about $1 for the unit.
2) Take it apart and find the red/black wires that power the LED. The will be TINY and likely on the back end of the "emitter unit". On the back of the heat sink (the big aluminum block). Hook up between 3 and 12 volts (possibly up to 18 if it's a true CREE). If the emitter lights, you have a partial diagnosis.
2a) If the emitter does not light, investigate the solder joins, possibly you can resolder it.
3) If the emitter does light, check the spring in the cap and the positive tab at the emitter base.
4) If still no luck, you have likely broken the circuit board that lives in the tail cap. This is the most likely problem. The Chineese units use a TRASH cardstock circuit board that is the single greatest point of failure!

If you think this is the case, not all is lost. You can throw all crap away and jerry rig up a switch with Radio Shack parts easily enough. You'll be limited to full power, but, so what.

If you are hell bent on getting this thing fixed "properly", you're throwing money away. Go to eBay and guy a $7 one so you can reuse the expensive batteries you now own that won't work in anything else. I have bought a bunch from JK Boonton Supply [email protected]. He is in New Jersey so you at least have a dude to talk to/speaks English/etc if things go bad. But everything he has comes direct from some China junk manufacturer, but at least they check it first.

Feel free to drop me a line if you have any more questions.

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I notice you're in "central mass". I'm in Templeton, I'll be happy to help if you want.
 
Jakes: Cree is (probably) the manufacturer of the LED module. It's a generic light that happens to be using a Cree LED. They are all over eBay. I have bought a handful of UltraFire brand ones. They are clearly made under the same dictate of some random company as they are all styled the same, but often have different threads and odd differences.

Regardless, for the $12 with shipping I pay for them, I am very very very happy.

However, in your case you likely broke a solder join somewhere or most likely you killed the module in the tailcap that controls the emitter. Breaking the LED emitter itself would be an impressive feat!

Your options are as follows:

1) Try to convince the dealer to take it back. I'd bet your odds of this are good as he only paid about $1 for the unit.
2) Take it apart and find the red/black wires that power the LED. The will be TINY and likely on the back end of the "emitter unit". On the back of the heat sink (the big aluminum block). Hook up between 3 and 12 volts (possibly up to 18 if it's a true CREE). If the emitter lights, you have a partial diagnosis.
2a) If the emitter does not light, investigate the solder joins, possibly you can resolder it.
3) If the emitter does light, check the spring in the cap and the positive tab at the emitter base.
4) If still no luck, you have likely broken the circuit board that lives in the tail cap. This is the most likely problem. The Chineese units use a TRASH cardstock circuit board that is the single greatest point of failure!

If you think this is the case, not all is lost. You can throw all crap away and jerry rig up a switch with Radio Shack parts easily enough. You'll be limited to full power, but, so what.

If you are hell bent on getting this thing fixed "properly", you're throwing money away. Go to eBay and guy a $7 one so you can reuse the expensive batteries you now own that won't work in anything else. I have bought a bunch from JK Boonton Supply [email protected]. He is in New Jersey so you at least have a dude to talk to/speaks English/etc if things go bad. But everything he has comes direct from some China junk manufacturer, but at least they check it first.

Feel free to drop me a line if you have any more questions.

- - - Updated - - -

I notice you're in "central mass". I'm in Templeton, I'll be happy to help if you want.

See this is why NES is so great. Where else would you get a detailed response AND an offer to help?
 
Cree does not manufacture flashlights, they manufacture the LED's (which are very good LED's). Whatever no-name company that made the flashlight likely advertised it as "Cree" meaning they used good Cree LED's.
 
Jakes: Cree is (probably) the manufacturer of the LED module.
Cree manufactures LEDs. So far as I know they are not in the business of making flashlights. Many of the top quality flashlight manufacturers advertise themselves as using Cree LEDs in their products.

Does the flashlight itself have any brand markings on it? If it is actually a name-brand flashlight, then you should know who to contact. If it has no brand name on it, or if it says "Cree" on the flashlight, then I suspect that you got sold some imitation crap which may or may not even have a Cree LED in it. [sad]
 
Thanks for all the responses i think its time to take it apart and see what i can find.
The nature x smart name i called and the number is disconnected.. it was that number from trademarkie or whatever it said..
I dont believe i paid all that much for it so taking it apart wont bother me..
Time for a good small light for carry..

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
Thanks for all the responses i think its time to take it apart and see what i can find.
The nature x smart name i called and the number is disconnected.. it was that number from trademarkie or whatever it said..
I dont believe i paid all that much for it so taking it apart wont bother me..
Time for a good small light for carry..

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Try this one

http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-bc10.html

Wife and I swear by it.
 
Last edited:
So, what's better, the Cree R5 EDC, or the CREE XM-L T6?

Both are basic small flashlights taking the same 123 battery. The only difference is the Cree LED they use.

Cree should just have a web site ranking them. Maybe they do, but I can't find such a thing.
 

I just bought the BC25 to replace my surefire G2 (it would have cost more money to upgrade my G2 to a forward clicky button and Cree XML Led).

http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-bc25.html

I love it. Nothing like having 650 Lumens at your disposal for five minutes (then it steps down to 450 due to heat protection). It even has the ability to output 100 Lumens (twist the lens) for when you don't need to blind someone and just need some light.

An added bonus is this thing throws light wicked far. According the the spec it can throw the light 150m! I haven't tested out the distance to see if that claim is true, but it can throw the light a good 200ft no problem, that much I have tested.

So, what's better, the Cree R5 EDC, or the CREE XM-L T6?

Both are basic small flashlights taking the same 123 battery. The only difference is the Cree LED they use.

Cree should just have a web site ranking them. Maybe they do, but I can't find such a thing.

The Cree XP-G R5 is a good LED, but the XM-L T6 far surpasses it in light output when paired with the right batteries. 2 CR123A's will allow the XM-L to output to its max output. Keep in mind, the higher the lumen output, the quicker the batteries will drain. This is why I opted for a light that has two modes, high and low.

To compare the LED's themselves hit up the link below. You are looking specifically at Discrete (Directional) LED's since that is what you want in a tactical flashlight.
There is not list that compares them all, but each LED page has the relevant Lumen output info right there, so no need to download the data sheet.

http://www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products
 
I don't want a "tactical" flashlight. I want an all around flashlight, used mostly in the backyard, camping, or on a boat. Oh, and the R5 wasn't even on your list/matrix thingie.
 
I don't want a "tactical" flashlight. I want an all around flashlight, used mostly in the backyard, camping, or on a boat. Oh, and the R5 wasn't even on your list/matrix thingie.

From the amazon link to the BC20:

Features:
Premium Cree XP-G R5 LED
Powered by two CR123 batteries

R5 is just a code for the bin level, the actual LED designation is XP-G. R5 is a pretty high bin level, which is why the flashlight is rated for 305 lumens. Anything with a forward clicky switch (like the BC20 by jetbeam) is considered "tactical." Obviously you can still use it as a general flashlight. The XP-G R5 is perfectly fine for general use. It is probably better since it will drain the battery slower than ones with the XM-L LED's. Unless you expect to need to blind someone (or give them a seizure with a strobe function), the BC20 is fine.
 
Actually, I was looking at the BC25, which says:
"JETBeam BC25 - 650 Lumen XML T6 LED Flashlight - Uses 2xCR123/1x18650"

I would then want the charger with 2 batteries at $31.95, for a total of $99.95, which is pretty pricey for a flashlight!

I was looking at the Liotec a while ago:
link 1: Liotec Rocks.
link 2: Flashlights
but now am not sure they are still around.

I really just want something with a good throw out to at least 100 yards, and don't need the strobe or any other stuff, and don't plan to mount it. Rechargeable batteries make more sense than to keep buying expensive lithium ones.
 
Actually, I was looking at the BC25, which says:
"JETBeam BC25 - 650 Lumen XML T6 LED Flashlight - Uses 2xCR123/1x18650"

I would then want the charger with 2 batteries at $31.95, for a total of $99.95, which is pretty pricey for a flashlight!

I was looking at the Liotec a while ago:
link 1: Liotec Rocks.
link 2: Flashlights
but now am not sure they are still around.

I really just want something with a good throw out to at least 100 yards, and don't need the strobe or any other stuff, and don't plan to mount it. Rechargeable batteries make more sense than to keep buying expensive lithium ones.

For a general use flashlight, $100 is pretty pricey. I got the BC25 as an EDC and it fulfills that purpose just fine. Have you looked at the Candlepower forums? There are a ton of Flashlight junkies over there.



http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/content.php
 
leds are quite damage resistant, which is a good thing because they are always the most expensive part of cheap flashlights, but if it broke through a drop some kind of soldered connection probably broke.
before any disassembly look into the head and see if the circuit board (where the positive of the battery touches) is connected to the side of the light on the edge. that is the most likely place to break since the weight of the battery slammed against it when you dropped it.

cheap flashlights can be good too if you have a simple understanding of how they work. i edc'ed a cheapo ultrafire (10 bucks) for a couple of years until i got a fenix

good brands in order of price are
fenix
jetbeam
quark
surefire

balder is totally decent too and a newcomer to the flashlight game (cheap and decent lights)
 
leds are quite damage resistant, which is a good thing because they are always the most expensive part of cheap flashlights, but if it broke through a drop some kind of soldered connection probably broke.
before any disassembly look into the head and see if the circuit board (where the positive of the battery touches) is connected to the side of the light on the edge. that is the most likely place to break since the weight of the battery slammed against it when you dropped it.

cheap flashlights can be good too if you have a simple understanding of how they work. i edc'ed a cheapo ultrafire (10 bucks) for a couple of years until i got a fenix

good brands in order of price are
fenix
jetbeam
quark
surefire

balder is totally decent too and a newcomer to the flashlight game (cheap and decent lights)

I know doctaq and this man knows his lights.
 
I've got an OLight Warrior M-20 SX with a Cree XM L 5; it's a great light with 3 output settings (and the strobe). It is a bit large for every day carry but I do love the tail cap mounted output switch, instead of having to keep twisting the head for adjustments. I've dropped it a few times and no problems with functionality.
 
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