Review Dongrui DR-923 ( branded Ultrafire ) 1 x 18650 XM-L Thrower

Specifications from Aura Buy product page : HERE

Specifications:
Brand: DONGRUI
Model: DR-923
Emitter Brand: Cree
LED Type: XM-L
BIN: T6
Color: White
Number of Emitters: 1
Voltage Input: 3.0~4.2V
Battery Configuration: 1 x 18650 (not included)
Circuitry: Digital regulated 1500mA
Brightness: 600LM
Runtime: 1 hour
Number of Modes: 5
Mode Arrangement: Hi > Mid > Lo > Fast Strobe > SOS
Mode Memory: No
Switch Type: Reverse clicky
Switch Location: Tailcap
Lens: Coated Glass Lens
Reflector: Aluminum Smooth/SMO
Strap Included: Yes
Clip Included: No
Accessories/Spare parts: -
Others Features: Beam range: 100m, Rainproof
Dimensions: 6.02 in x 2.17 in x 2.17 in (15.3 cm x 5.5 cm x 5.5 cm)
Weight: 77.83 oz (222 g)






For review I have the Dongui DR-923 ( branded Ultrafire ) single 18650 XM-L flashlight from Aura Buy. Now right off the bat let me tell you this is a serious thrower , 44000 Lux @ 1 meter on high makes this a serious bit of kit for anyone who like a flashlight with some reach . And reach it does , I took the light for a walk past a local park , and it literally lit up the other side of the park . If not for the ambient city lighting , it would have been seriously impressive . I have many lights that can make it to the other side , but the DR-923 did so with authority .

On receiving the light I was impressed by the build quality on the body as well as tail switch , the clicky is very nice and mechanical and I have not seen any fluctuation in output ( decent clicky quality ) . The emitter pill seems to be very nicely made , and looks to allow moding or emitter upgrades with little issue . In fact the entire light is very modular making it very mod friendly , and not parts that I can see are glued .












Priced @ $24.89USD at time of review , this light offers a lot of value for your money and simple upgrade possibilities for the future , sort of future proofing the light . The light is of very sturdy construction which seems to help with the thermal dissipation from the emitter , I say this as the light at no stage got more than warm ( ok its winter here ATM ) at any stage , and all that aluminum around the head ( cooling fins ) actually look to be doing their job . Now its not all sugar and spice , just one little thing , the driver . It just happens to be one that has no mode memory , so starts in the next mode after being turned off .












Performance:

Now I did mention this light can throw didn't I , and I was pleasantly surprised as to just how well it threw . Even in medium mode this light throws nuts compared to other lights out there , and it really does run with the big dogs so to speak . Now whether you believe my light box or not , this light does pump some what , around 750+ Lumen on high , around 380 on medium and 100 on low . On high there was some output sag , and the 750 is where it seems to stabilize and hold .

High = 44000Lux @ 2.6A
Medium = 24000Lux @ 1.2A
Low = 6400Lux @ 0.33A

Now if you were around 5 or so years ago , people used to brag about 6400Lux of throw , I kid you not . 24000Lux was serious bragging rights and if you touted 44000Lux , well , people may have wondered what you were smoking ! Today you can buy serious throwers for $25 or less , and compared to a few years ago , if you didn't shell out $100 then you were not trying hard enough to own a light that had bragging rights . How things change , now you can buy serious power for the price of a take out meal , and not only that , but quality has taken a serious leap forward in the budget sector of flashlights, offering prospective owners more value than ever before . And so it is with the DR-923 , aside from the driver ( no mode memory ) , I have nothing to complain about ( how disappointing is that ) .



Beamshots:

Low mode



Medium mode





High mode





The digital SLR tells it all , at this short distance the flashlight is almost blindingly bright in high mode , and if you look at the image of Low mode you can see large XM-L hotspot , don't be fooled , it throws and throws hard and still has useful spill . The XM-L thrower to me , is the best flashlight one can own for a all rounder , it throws and has useful spill that makes XM-L a very desirable product . I don't think I have given a second thought to any other emitter since the XM-L became available . And the DR-923 from Aura Buy is a perfect example of how a XM-L flashlight is capable of performing .

I give this one a solid 9 out of 10 , as I had to deduct one point for the driver used in the light . Another 50c spent on a driver with mode memory = oh yeah ! Bottom line , 44000Lux on high , it throws hard , really hard .

Aluminum reflector ( smooth )
Glass Lens
O rings at joins
very tight body ( no slop , not even battery slop )
Very nice positive clicky ( reverse )
Solid construction
5 Modes - High - Medium - Low - Strobe - SOS ( no mode memory )
Nice anodizing ( color ? )
Nicely cut threads
Very nice lanyard included
Powerful thrower
9 out of 10


I would like to thank Aura Buy for the opportunity to review the DR-923 , and I am happy to recommend this flashlight for anyone looking for a decent thrower in a portable ( 1 x 18650 ) package . ( surprisingly good light )

Great write up! This is the kinda thing to have rollin' around in the back of the mind before you go buy a flashlight. Thanks for taking the time to write it up and share.

-c

Thanks for the review.... that is indeed one nice flashlight... to bad is "so expensive" :crackup:

its a nice flashlight but not worth the $$$. you can buy a convoy C8 T6-3C driven at 2.8A putting out 700 lumen (truly 700 lumen) for $15 shipped. i just got mine today and it is pure amazing. for twice the price of the one you reviewed you can get a 4x XML T6 or U2 putting out 2000-2500 lumen depending on efficiency.

I'm in the process of compiling a couple reviews from aurabuy as well. Is the standard lux measurement still at one meter?

Is there any current regulation? None of your values agree with current spec. You said you "deducted one star" for the choice of driver. Do you have any images of it?

Incidentally, livinloud, have you checked for regulation on your light? I feel like I'm the only one that cares about this.

^^^Me too guess they hit up a load of us! Definitely looking forward to your review CP

Nice review Old4570...guess I need to get a lux meter now! +1 :beer:

regulation???? Sorry man, just woke up and slightly confused what you mean on regulation? (BTW how did you guys get to do these reviews for aura?

I was contacted. Not sure about OP, but probably the same.

Regulation as in: how much does the LED current vary with battery charge level. It is common (especially in single-18650 lights) to direct-drive the thing because it's cheaper and your typical customer (like you) doesn't know any better.

"It turns on and it's bright. FIEV STAHRZ FRUM ME!!" :undecided:

I was also contacted but they offered me a $10 AAA then changed there mind because it was out of stock and still have yet to send or agree to a flashlight???

Lets see , Id say direct drive on high with only voltage regulation , like most drivers ...

As the battery voltage drops , so would current and output ..
Want good regulation = 8.4v ( 2 x 18650 ) but then you will want a MM and some time to keep an eye on the batteries so you dont flame it .

I check throw @ 1 meter as its convenient and accurate ( reading to reading ) and yeah I use a lux meter , light box is first calibrated with a light of known output .. ( makes life easier )

I then take a light out for a walk , to see if it performs well or not , and there just happens to be a park that I walk past . And the XM-L just lights up everything in front of you .. If I was in a dark place and something went bump , Id want a XM-L with me, any XM-L .. XR-E and XP-E , ???? maybe for a keychain light or a small AAA light . Once you get to AA or 14500 or 16340 or larger , go XM-L .

Livinloud said:

regulation???? Sorry man, just woke up and slightly confused what you mean on regulation? (BTW how did you guys get to do these reviews for aura?

Click to expand...

Aura Buy = Was contacted and asked to do a review
Regulation = Maintaining current .. Amps

There are a lot of drivers out there ..

Direct drive = Now there is a certain voltage going to the emitter , lets call it 3.7v for arguments sake .. As long as the battery can maintain a voltage above 3.7v ( under load mind you ) the light will be in regulation ( maintain current ) more or less .. The higher the current draw , the higher the voltage sag under load and the faster the battery is drained . So if you say ran the light in low mode , 0.3A current draw , there would be negligible voltage sag and the light would maintain regulation for quite some time ...

Now if you had a light that pulled 5A , it would maintain regulation for ? maybe 5 minutes on a freshly charged battery , and after that it would be in steady decline ... ( we are talking single 4.2v set up here ) .

Variables are - CURRENT - VOLTAGE SAG - BATTERY - and a bunch more .

Their are people who dedicate themselves to this , do you really want to ?

Want regulation , 2 x Li-ion or 8.4v , want safety ( well safer ) and less stuff to worry about = 1 x Li-ion or 4.2v ...

And then their is a whole bunch of other stuff I wont bother getting into .

ill check into how it maintains the current from the batteries......never thought of that. its got a 2.8A driver so i will test this out. any good suggestions on how to properly test this?

OK , simple way = Multi meter ...

Charge a battery , rest it for an hour or so .. Check voltage !

1. Check Voltage .. Battery
2. Then check current draw in light on high ( Amps )
3. Then run light for 5 minutes
3. Check Batt Voltage and current draw
4. Run light for 5 minutes
5 Check Batt Voltage and current draw

Do this till the flashlight stops ( 3v cut off - does your light have a safety cut off ? ) anyhow there will be severe dimming towards the end

This will give you a graph - I used to call them run time graphs ...
But it will give you some information and understanding of what happens first hand .



Here is such a graph

im selling one of these as a laser with heatsink and focus adapter http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/fs-dongrui-dr-923-host-custom-heatsink-focus-adapter-82743.html