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The Dereelight LED flashlights are available in a wide variety of configurations to suit individual preferences. Things such as the tint of the LED beam, the number of output levels, type of batteries used, and brightness bin of the LED are all variable. While this configurability is a fantastic feature of the Dereelight line, it can also be very confusing. Hopefully this guide will help you select the version that best fits your needs!
Before we start, let's go through some common flashlight terms:
Throw - How far the beam shines. The more throw, the better that distant objects can be illuminated. Throw is measured in "Lux".
Hotspot - The very center portion of the beam. When the beam is shined on a flat surface, the hotspot is the small circle of very intense light at the center. The hotspot is what illuminates objects that are out of reach of the beam's "spill".
Spill - The portion of the beam just outside of the hotspot. The spill is less bright than the hotspot, and it illuminates a wide area around the hotspot. The spill is what illuminates the immediate vicinity.
Tint - The tint is the side of the color spectrum that the LED's beam leans toward. All of the LED flashlights here put out brilliant white light, but some are "warmer" tinted, and some are "cooler" tinted.
Lumen - A unit of measure of the total light output. If you could gather all of the light emitted from the flashlight, and package it into a box, that's what lumens would measure. Don't confuse the lumen rating with how far the light will shine. Lumens will give you an idea of how well the flashlight will light up a room.
Lux - A unit of measure of brightness. Actually lux is more involved than that, but we'll keep it simple here. When you see lux measurements, the number tells you how bright the brightest portion of a flashlight's beam is. It doesn't measure the whole beam, just the brightest spot... usually in the center of the beam. Lux tells you how far the beam will shine (throw).
Pill - Also called an LED module, driver, light engine, etc. For the Dereelight flashlights, the pill is a small, threaded brass module that serves as a heatsink and contains the circuitry to power the LED. The LED is factory mounted on top of the pill. To change the pill in a Dereelight flashlight, simply remove the head of the flashlight and unscrew the pill from the bottom of the reflector. Install a new pill and reinstall the flashlight's head... it's that easy!
1) Determine how you want to use your flashlight. Do you need to spot objects at great distances, or do you want something for indoor and backyard use? How small do you want the flashlight to be? In general, the farther a flashlight throws, the bigger and deeper the reflector will be... this translates to a larger flashlight.
The DBS V3 with an R2 or Q4 LED will throw the farthest out of all the Dereelight flashlights. The DBS MC-E will have the most overall output, but will only throw half as far (its beam is more floody).
The CL1H is great for medium distance work, up to a couple hundred feet away. It's not quite as focused as the DBS, and its hotspot is larger. It is much smaller, however, about the size of a Surefire 6P. It still out-throws most other lights in its size range... a fantastic performer! It's a great light for belt carry, or clipped to a jeans pocket.
2) Determine how many output levels you want. Dereelight flashlights (and pills) come in versions that have either three output levels (High/Medium/Low), or only one output level (High). The C2H is by itself, it has four levels. The three output level versions are nice because you have the option for full bright when you need it, and the lower two levels for when you don't need as much light. The lower two levels will conserve battery power, allowing for longer runtimes. The single level versions are great for tactical work (law enforcement) or any other time you want the flashlight to come on at max output every time.
If you want three output levels, pick a version that has a "3" in the designation. For example: 3SM or 3SD.
If you want only one output level (High), pick a version that has a "1" in the designation. For example: 1S or 1SM
3) Determine what type of batteries you want to use... CR123 non-rechargeables, RCR123 rechargeable Li-Ion, or 18650 rechargeable Li-Ion.
3SD and 1S versions: One 18650 battery ONLY
3SM versions: 2 x CR123 or 2 x RCR123. With the optional extension tube, can also use 2 x 18650 or 4 x CR123 non-rechargeable batteries
1SM-2 versions: One 18650 battery, 2 x CR123, 2 x RCR123. With the optional extension tube, can also use 2 x 18650, 4 x CR123, or 4 x RCR123.
4) Determine which tint you would like (WC, 5A, etc.) The tint refers to which side of the color spectrum the beam color will "lean". All of the Dereelight's put out white light, but each tint "bin" will have its unique characteristics. The WC tint is towards the "cool" side, meaning it has a hint of blue/purple in it. The 5A tint is a "warmer" tint, meaning it has a hint of yellow in it. The WC is more like the tint from a fluorescent light... it's crisper and whiter. The 5A tint is more like an incandescent light... it's smoother and a bit buttery. It all comes down to personal preference, really.
WC = cooler tint
5A = warmer tint (The 5A tint is only available in the Q3 brightness bin)
The photo below shows various LED tints. On the left are "cooler" tints, on the right are "warmer" tints. Keep in mind all of these tints are white in real life... the camera doesn't capture them 100% accurately, and exaggerates the tint effects. The photo is a reference on how the various tints compare to each other.
From left to right: WC, WD, WG, WH, 5B, 5A
