If the flashlight world had a common language, the Convoy S2+ would be it. It's a sub-$25 18650 tube light with a legendary emitter selection, a parts catalog deep enough to build a second light from scratch, and a modding community that's been hot-rodding it for a decade. This guide covers how to buy your first one, and then how to turn it into yours.
Why the S2+ is the default answer
Ask "what's a good first real flashlight?" anywhere enthusiasts gather and the Convoy S2+ comes back like an echo. Three reasons:
- It's honest. Real 18650 power, real drivers, real emitter options — no inflated lumen claims, no proprietary battery tricks.
- It's serviceable. Every part unscrews. Head, tube, tailcap, driver, emitter, lens, gaskets — all replaceable, all cheap.
- It's a platform. The S2+ is to flashlights what a small-block V8 is to hot rods. The aftermarket (which we stock heavily) lets you change everything.
Buying your first S2+
Start with the standard aluminum S2+ in your emitter of choice. If you want something that ages with character instead of hiding it, the metal-head club is real: copper, brass, titanium, and the ceramic-hard MAO finish. Copper and brass patina, titanium shrugs off everything, and MAO looks like lab equipment from the future.
Feed it a quality cell — a Molicel P28A is the classic pairing — and you're done. That's a complete, dependable light. Everything below is where the fun starts.
The mod tree
Level 1: bolt-ons (no tools)
- Carry: a friction pocket clip or screw-on clip, a belt holster, or a lanyard.
- Tail switch bling: swap the stock boot for an illuminated tail switch button in metal or rubber — your light glows on the nightstand so you can find it.
- Grip: tactical rings for a cigar grip, or colored rubber tailcap buttons just because.
Level 2: the 18350 shorty conversion
Swap the body tube for an 18350 short tube and the S2+ shrinks into a true pocket light. Run it on a Vapcell A11 18350. Matching shorty tubes exist for the fancy hosts too — copper, brass, titanium, and MAO.
Level 3: optics
The beam is a recipe: emitter + reflector + glass. Change any ingredient:
- Smooth vs orange-peel reflectors — smooth throws farther, OP smooths the beam.
- A TIR lens replaces the reflector entirely for a controlled, even beam.
- An AR-coated glass lens squeezes out a few more percent of light and kills the green glass tint.
- A red diffuser cone turns it into a signal/camp light.
Level 4: the heart transplant
This is the one that hooks people. Swap the emitter and driver and it's a different light:
- Nichia 519A emitter on PCB — the community darling. High CRI, neutral tint, colors look right.
- Matching 519A/SST40 driver — pick your mode groups and current.
- Forward clicky switch assembly — momentary-on before the click, the way tactical users like it.
- Fresh emitter gaskets, lens gaskets, and tube o-rings keep it sealed while you're in there.
The only specialty tool worth owning: round-nose pliers for unscrewing retaining rings without chewing them up.
Level 5: go weird — the UV conversion
Drop in a 365nm Nichia UV emitter, cap it with a ZWB2 filter, and your S2+ becomes a serious ultraviolet instrument — minerals, resin curing, pet-stain forensics, the works. We wrote a whole guide on 365nm UV if you want to go down that hole. Or skip the surgery and grab the S2+ UV Master Bundle pre-built.
The collector's corner
Once you own two, you're a collector; may as well be honest about it. The specialty finishes collection is where the S2+ stops being a tool and becomes jewelry — including the Green Circuit limited edition titanium we did as a shop exclusive, and the purple swirl Ti that never photographs the same way twice.
Sensible starting orders
- First light: S2+ + Molicel P28A + clip.
- First mod: add the 18350 tube + A11 cell + an illuminated switch.
- Full build: copper host + 519A emitter + driver + AR lens + pliers.
Browse everything in one place: Convoy flashlights and Convoy parts & accessories. Questions about a specific build? Use the Q&A box on any product page — answers come from the person who ships your order.