[jayinhongkong]

I received a nice, spanking new Ultrafire flashlight with a 220 lumen Cree Q5 bulb today, along with a bunch of rechargeables and a charger. It worked great until I decided to put the batteries in backwards. It hasn't lit up since. I then got my brother's Spiderfire and took the Xenon bulb out. I put it in my flashlight and it lit up for a second; that was it. It won't light up in either flashlight now.

I now need some replacement bulbs. Anyone know of a place in HK that carries them? I'm guessing I can find them in Mongkok or SSP, but it would be nice to know where I can get a good deal so I don't have to buy more of them online (from an eBay seller in Hong Kong )

[jgl]

What are you after- if it's just an LED mounted on a star (or unmounted), then the internet is still your best bet for a Q5.

Cutter Electronics in Oz usually has Crees. Dealextreme.com has the Q5s listed for $9 including shipping (though they are a bit random with shipping times). Getting a single LED locally would probably be more trouble than it's worth- I've had a search before and turned up very little besides a possible electronics place out around Cheung Sha Wan or further.

If you're after xenon bulbs, I'm not sure. I've only looked at LEDs.

[jayinhongkong]

Thanks JGL. I'm looking for the LED mounted in a drop-in unit (w/ reflector and spring) for a Surefire 6P. I'm not tech-savvy enough to solder an LED and star (?) into my existing reflector.

I have a feeling I can get 'em in Mongkok or Sham Shui Po, but I'd rather have someone just tell me where I could possibly find them instead of hitting the streets for 'em. There are a bunch of guys on eBay who are based in HK and sell them, which usually means they're available at retail locations in HK...

[sarawesi]

There is a shop on Queens Road West which sells these flashlights and parts...but they are more expensive than SSPo. If you want the exact address, please PM me. However, I suggest you just head up to Apliu Street and walk around.

[jayinhongkong]

Thanks, I'll send you a PM. I'll check out SSP first, but if it doesn't work out, I have to get a bulb to replace my brother's. He looked devastated when he realized I'd blown out his bulb.

[jgl]

The shop on QRW is Cobra, it used to be in Vicwood Plaza and sells all sorts of weird quasi-military stuff (plus mouse mats with cute kittens on them, very weird). If you want, I can check in there over the weekend (I live nearby) but kinda doubt they'd have flashlight parts. Let me know.

Finding stuff like this in HK is really hard. I'm convinced that the net is the better way to go rather than traipsing all over HK. Store owners here don't even know what the different Cree bins are. If you don't have any luck locally, try posting on candlepowerforums. The people over there are an incredible wealth of geeky light information, and there is a pretty healthy marketplace section where people sell emitters, batteries and custom parts.

[jayinhongkong]

Ah, Cobra International. I used to go to their shop in Vicwood Plaza when I was like, 7 years old. lol. They're very expensive, though.

I headed out to Sham Shui Po earlier just to hit up Ap Liu Street, since I haven't been there in 10 years or so. I walked up the street in the rain and noticed there were lots of Surefire-style flashlights for sale. There was a pretty cute Chinese girl working at one of them, so I lingered at her stall for a little longer than I did at the rest. I decided to use my elementary Cantonese to see if she could sell me some bulbs. She laughed and said I couldn't buy 'em on Ap Liu Street.

I continued walking up the street and noticed one of the stalls in particular had a wide range of accessories for Spiderfire flashlights (another brand of Surefire clone). Apparently my Cantonese is better than I think it is, because I walked away with a 6V Xenon bulb for $28 and a Cree Q5 for $110, bargained down from $130. It actually worked out cheaper buying them in SSP than it was buying them online.

Fixed both flashlights. Can't wait for my brother to get home. Gonna mess with him and tell him I couldn't get a bulb to fit his flashlight anywhere. Don't think I'll be able to keep a straight face though. He was extremely upset when his bulb blew out. He's had a flashlight obsession since he was 4 or 5. If anyone's looking for Surefire-style flashlights, Ap Liu Street is the place to go. Sure, it took me a little out of my way, but I saw a lot of cool stuff there that I might have to go back and get at some point, like a flashlight mount for my airsoft Glock 17.

[jayinhongkong]

JGL, thanks for the info. I registered for candlepowerforums.com last night. Dealextreme has some great stuff, but I need to stop buying toys for a little while. Do you work out at Fitness First in Sheung Wan by any chance?

[jgl]

Originally Posted by jayinhongkong

JGL, thanks for the info. I registered for candlepowerforums.com last night. Dealextreme has some great stuff, but I need to stop buying toys for a little while. Do you work out at Fitness First in Sheung Wan by any chance?

Be careful with CPF- it can suck you into a blackhole of complete geekiness, it's great

Yes, I'm at FF Sheung Wan. I completely slacked off last year though and am slowly trying to re-motivate myself into the gym.

[jayinhongkong]

Oh ok, I work out there too. It turns out HK is a *great* place to get all things flashlight related. I'm already pretty geeky and participate on several boards, so I can't really get much worse.