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Introduction 3 months ago I reviewed a very interesting light from Wuben, the Wuben X2. Its unconventional, rectangular design maximizes pocketability and is a refreshing change from the cylindrical norm. Today, I will be reviewing its larger sibling, the Wuben X1. While the overall design and form factor are distinctly similar, the substantially larger size allows for a significant increase in output and run times. We are talking about soda can light performance, while being able to comfortably fit in a large jacket pocket. This is, indubitably, an intriguing prospect, so let's dive into the review and see if the Wuben X1 can deliver. Unboxing Before I begin the unboxing, I want to mention that the Wuben X1 is made of aluminium and comes in 2 finish options: Black anodizing and White Micro-Arc Oxidation. The sample I will be reviewing today is the latter. The Wuben X1 comes in a nice, mostly white box. The top of the box features a picture of the top of the torch, along with the brand and model name. The Wuben X1 is dubbed Falcon. The bottom of the box includes a detailed specifications table as well as details about the manufacturer and representatives, certifications, barcodes, serial numbers etc. Most importantly, it states that the Wuben X1 is covered by a 1 year warranty. On the other hand, the Wuben website product page clearly states that the warranty of the Wuben X1 is 5 years. I am going to go with the website on that one, as it definitely makes more sense for the level and price of this product. The 2 larger sides are uneventful, only sporting the company logo. The 2 smaller sides have photos of the front and rear of the torch. Upon opening the box, we are greeted by a holster and a smaller white box. Under the holster, there is the user manual. The accessories in the box are quite spartan and include only a USB C to USB C charging cable and a lanyard with spring loaded clips on each end. The holster contains the torch, but let's have a look at the holster first. There is a plastic buckle at the front that secures the flap. At the back, there is a plastic D ring and a belt loop. The belt loop is double. The inner loop is permanently sawn on the holster, for absolute safety and the outer loop can open and close with 2 buttons so users can put the holster on their belt temporarily, without needing to open the belt. The inside of the holster is soft and will not damage the finish of the torch, even with extended use. The torch itself comes wrapped in a plastic bag, which features a yellow sticker. As the batteries are not (supposed to be) removable, the only way to ensure safe shipping is to electronically lock the light and that is exactly that Wuben did. The sticker explains to the user that the torch is locked and how to unlock it. The Wuben X1 in Micro-Arc Oxidation white is a beautiful torch. Wuben opted for Black anodized bezel and tail, which looks nice and also makes me think that the reports I have read online about MAO not being as resilient as specs say and chipping more than black anodization may have some truth in them. The button and screws are also black. The top features the operation button while the bottom has 2 small screw holes and a lanyard attachment hole towards the rear end, on one side. The screw holes are for attaching the optional bicycle mount. On one side there is a rubber flap, covering the USB C charging port. There is also a grill, covering an aluminium heat sink. On the other side, there is another grill, covering a small fan. The front features 3 Cree XHP 70.2 emitters in a row, behind a triple, shallow, orange peal reflector. The combination of the large emitters with such a reflector is a clear indication of a floody beam. The tail cap features the serial number, the battery capacity in mAh and Wh and the battery voltage. 7.4V clearly means 2 Li-Ion batteries in series. There is a warning to not disassemble but the 4 screws in the corners look very inviting. The button is placed in the centre of a removable plate and has a clear dot in the middle, through which an indicator LED shines. It is slightly recessed and easy to find in the dark, without gloves. It requires a pressing force of about 500g to activate. Unscrewing Despite the warning, I went ahead and removed the 4 screws holding the tail cap. This is fairly straightforward, as there is no thread locker, but be extremely careful if you decide to do so. The tail cap is under considerable tension and you are guaranteed to strip the screw holes if you do not keep pressure on the tail cap while removing the 4 screws. And I mean a whole lot of pressure. Consider yourselves warned. Removing the 4 screws allows the tail cap to come off and reveal 2 batteries in series, as the voltage inscribed on the tail cap indicated. The batteries are Wuben branded, unprotected, flat top, 21700 Li-Ion batteries with a stated capacity of 4800mAh. They are not proprietary in any way so the batteries of the Wuben X1 can indeed be replaced with any unprotected 21700 Li-Ion batteries when the included ones wear out. Take great care to make sure the batteries used are well matched, as there is no balancing function. There are thick, high quality springs on both ends of the battery tubes. Since I started removing screws, I thought I'd take a look at the fan. Removing the 3 screws that hold the grill over it, the fan is revealed. The reason that the grill has 3 instead of the 4 expected screws to hold it in place is also revealed, as the 4th corner of the fan seems to be a conduit for the cables travelling towards the button. So let's remove the button and follow the cables. There are only 2 cables from the fan that are soldered onto the PCB that is under the button. This reveals a 2 things. 1. The fan is not speed controlled, it is either fully on or fully off. 2. The Wuben X1 cannot be IP68 waterproof (submersible) as the water can follow the cables to the PCB. The following picture explains how the fan, blowing air through the heat sink, keeps the torch cool enough to achieve constant output. It also reveals the rather exaggerated translations from Chinese to English that Wuben uses in their marketing material. I certainly hope to not be blown away by a hurricane while testing the torch. Build Quality and Finish The build quality of the Wuben X1 is excellent. The fit is immaculate, the Micro-Arc Oxidation is perfect, there are no sharp edges and the product looks and feels premium in all respects. Size Comparison Here is the Wuben X1 next to a soda can torch with comparable output, the Sofirn Q8 Pro. It is clear that one of the 2 can be comfortably carried in a jacket pocket while the other cannot. Specifications The specifications of the Wuben X1, as found on the company's website, are in the following table: The Wuben X1 comes with 3 Cree XHP 70.2 emitters with a colour temperature of 6000K that can provide a maximum output of 12000 lumens. That is a bold claim for a torch of this size. The specifications table includes outputs, run times and beam distances for all main modes and Turbo, which is very nice to see. As expected from our previous investigation, the Wuben X1 is not submersible but rather has a water proof rating of IP55. There are other manufacturers that have managed to put fans on IP68 rated torches, so I would have liked the Wuben X1 to have achieved the same. The size and weight information on the specifications sheet is accurate. User Interface The user interface of the Wuben X1, as found in the manual, is shown in the diagram below: From Off: Click to turn on. Hold to turn on directly to Eco mode, regardless of previous mode used. Double click to turn on directly to Turbo, regardless of previous mode used. Hold to cycle between Eco, Low, Medium and High. Triple click to turn on directly to Strobe. Triple click again for SOS and triple click again to go back to Strobe etc. Double click to go to Turbo. Quad click to lock the torch. The torch flashes 3 times to indicate it has been locked. From On: Click to turn off. Hold to cycle through the main modes Eco, Low, Medium and High. Click and hold to programme current main mode (explained in Modes and Programming section). Double click to go to Turbo. Triple click to go to Strobe. Triple click again for SOS, triple click again to go back to Strobe etc. From there click to go to the previously used main mode (Eco, Low, Medium or High) or double click to go to Turbo. From Locked: Quad click to unlock and turn on Eco mode. Click, wait 0.5 sec, double click, wait 0.5sec, triple click to reset torch to factory default. The torch unlocks and turns on low mode to indicate a successful factory reset. There is mode memory for the 4 main modes. The Wuben X1 also features an indicator LED at the centre of the button. The LED lights as follows to indicate the battery level. Modes - Programming The Wuben X1 has 4 main modes (Eco, Low, Medium, High), a Turbo mode and 2 flashing modes (Strobe and SOS). The output levels of the Wuben X1 can be seen in the following table. The numbers provided by Wuben are in black and my measurements are in orange. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. My Lumen measurements show that the Wuben X1 cannot reach the advertised 12000 Lumens but can reach a very respectable and usable 10570 Lumens of maximum output, which actually surprised me for the size of this torch. All other modes exceed the specs. Unfortunately, that includes thew Eco mode, which I measured at 36 Lumens rather then 20. The Candela and Throw I measured indicate the same, as I actually measured more throw than indicated in the specs, except for Turbo. A very interesting feature of the Wuben X1 driver is that the 4 main modes are programmable. The torch comes with the 3 lower modes set to their lowest values and High set at 2600 Lumens out of the 2000 to 3000 Lumens range. Each mode can be separately and steplessly adjusted to the value ranges indicated in the table below: The programming is very easy. Turn the torch on to the mode you want to programme and then click and hold. The torch will steplessly ramp up from its current output to the maximum value for the selected mode and then start ramping down to the lowest value and repeat endlessly until the button is released. The output level at the moment the button is released is saved for that mode. The top and the bottom of the ramp are indicated by a flash. Photometry I took some photometry readings with an Opple Light Master Pro. The results are in the following table. As shown in the table, the Cree XHP 70.2 emitters used in my sample have a CCT of between 5118K and 5464K, depending on the output, rather than the stated 6000K. They are also 80 CRI, instead of the expected 70 CRI, which is amazing! The DUV is, as expected, on the green side, but not by much and overall the quality of the light produced by the Wuben X1 is not at all bad for such a high output torch. Here is a comparison photo of the Wuben X1 on the right and the Sofirn Q8 Pro on the left. The white balance was locked at 5500K. Beam Profile The beam pattern of Wuben X1 is very floody and, similarly to the torch front, rectangular. Even though I found that strange to begin with, it is actually quite usable as the light is directed where you need it and not at the sky. Video Comparison I compared the Wuben X1 with the Sofirn Q8 Pro, both on Turbo, in the following video. The distance from where I am standing to the end of the lane is 70m. Driver The Wuben X1 uses a buck driver that provides fully regulated output regardless of the voltage of the 2 Li-Ion cells in series that power it. It also features thermal regulation low voltage and over current protection. There is PWM detected by the Opple Light Master Pro but it is definitely in the safe range and neither my eyes nor my camera can see it. Here is what the camera saw: Current Draw The following table shows the current draw of the Wuben X1, using the included batteries. Battery and Charging The Wuben X1 utilizes 2 standard, non removable (officially), unprotected, flat top, 21700 Li-Ion batteries with a capacity rated at 4800mAh or 17.76Wh each, for a total of 35.52Wh. I measured the batteries in my charger and found one to have an internal resistance of 23mOhm and a capacity of 4862mAh and the other to have an internal resistance of 28mOhm and a capacity of 4979mAh. Clearly, the batteries included in the Wuben X1 are high quality. The USB C to USB C cable provided is connected to the port under the rubber flap, for charging. The indicator LED lights up red while charging and blue to indicate that the charging has been completed. If the charger used can support it, the Wuben X1 can charge via the Power Delivery protocol, at 9V 3A, in 2 hours. Here is the indicator LED on the switch, while charging and when fully charged. The following chart shows the charging of the Wuben X1 , after it had been depleted completely to the point where the torch turned itself off due to low voltage protection. Low voltage protection is triggered when the batteries in series drop to 6V, as the Wuben X1 uses a buck driver and 6V emitters. Indeed, I measured the batteries when the low voltage protection was triggered and found one at 3.02V and the other at 3.07V. The charging lasted slightly less than the 2 hours promised and was completed in 1 hour, 57 minutes and 47 seconds. It required 40.3362Wh of energy. The current reached a maximum of 3.042918A. At the end of the charging cycle, one battery was at 4.19V and the other at 4.17V. Runtime Charts I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. The Wuben X1 is rated at a maximum of 12000 Lumens. According to my measurements, the output at turn on was 10570 Lumens. It was at 10040 Lumens at 30 seconds (ANSI). The output started falling rapidly at 53 seconds, down to 2600 lumens at 1 minute and 15 seconds. It remained steady until the 1 hour, 58 minutes and 28 seconds mark, when the Wuben X1 turned off. The temperature on the body was warm but not hard to hold without gloves. The interesting part is that according to the specifications, the drop from turbo should have been to 3000 Lumens, which is the top value that High mode can be set at. Instead, it was 2600 Lumens, which is the default value for High mode. Here are the first 10 minutes of the above chart, in greater detail. I also did the full runtime graph on High mode. The Wuben X1 turned on at 2720 Lumens, was at 2710 Lumens at 30 seconds (ANSI) and slowly stabilized to 2640 Lumens, where it remained until the 2 hours, 2 minutes and 8 seconds mark, when it turned off. Here are the first 10 minutes, in greater detail. Now, as I said above, the fact that turbo dropped to 2600 Lumens instead of 3000 lumens raised some questions. So, of course, I had to investigate. I set high on its highest level of 3000 Lumens and run the test again. The results were the same. It seems that turbo will drop down to 2600 Lumens, regardless of the programming of the High mode. Here are the first 10 minutes of the previous chart, in greater detail. This raised a further question. Is the Wuben X1 able to sustain High at 3000 Lumens? Only one way to find out. I set High to maximum and ran a test. The Wuben X1 turned on at 3150 Lumens, was at 3120 Lumens at 30 seconds (ANSI) and slowly declined to 3010 Lumens at 1 hour, 44 minutes and 15 seconds, when it turned off. The temperatures were, as expected, the highest recorded in this test series, reaching about 55°C at the head and around 50°C at the body, making the torch difficult to hold with bare hands. Therefore, it remains a mystery why Wuben chose to write in the specifications that the Wuben X1 will drop from turbo to 3000 Lumens, which, as demonstrated, it is capable of, but programmed it to drop to 2600 Lumens instead. Possibly a mistake, oversight or miscommunication between the engineers and the marketing department - we will never know. Here are the first 10 minutes of the previous graph, in greater detail. Conclusion The Wuben X1 is a unique torch with an innovative design and excellent build quality. The rectangular shape makes it pocket friendly while maximizing its output capability and battery capacity. The machining is perfect, with no sharp edges, the fit is immaculate and the Micro-Arc Oxidation and Anodization are superb. It utilizes a fully regulated buck driver with thermal regulation, over current protection and low voltage protection that provides stable output levels with no visible flickering. The driver is powered by 2 non removable (officially), high quality, unprotected, 21700 Li-Ion batteries in series. The Wuben X1 uses 3 Cree XHP 70.2 emitters in a row. Even though the specs indicate that they should have a CCT of 6000K, the ones in my sample have a CCT of 5118K - 5464K, depending out output level, and an 80 CRI, which is amazing! The DUV was on the positive side, but not by much. Other reviewers have reported 70 CRI emitters, so not quite sure what to make of this. Maybe the emitter stock changed and I got lucky. The torch utilizes a small fan, blowing air through the fins of an aluminium heat sink, to keep thermal under control and it seems to managing that exceptionally well, as it can sustain a stable output of over 3000 Lumens for the entire run time. The fan is audible but not annoying. The button is slightly recessed and easy to find without gloves. It requires a force of about 500gr to press. The charging took 01:57:47, which is slightly less than the 2 hours stated in the specifications. The Wuben X1 is definitely a premium torch with premium features and, also, a premium price. At the time this review is published it can be purchased directly from the company's website at $199 for the white and $178 for the black variant. Is it worth the price? For the features and build quality, but most importantly for the form factor and portability, yes! Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Wuben X1: Pros + Innovative, pocket friendly, rectangular design. + Intricate construction with perfect machining and no sharp edges. + Immaculate fit and finish. + Superb Anodization and Micro-Arc Oxidation. + Fully regulated buck driver with thermal regulation, over current protection and low voltage protection. + 80 CRI Cree XHP 70.2 emitters with a CCT of 5118K - 5464K. + Active cooling system. + Can sustain over 3000 Lumens for 1 hour and 45 minutes. + Output levels measured very close to specification, except turbo. + Throw and duration measured above specification, except turbo. + Fast USB C charging with Power Delivery. + Battery level and charging indicator LED. + 5 year warranty (even though the box erroneously states 1 year). Cons - The maximum output is 10570 Lumens instead of 12000 Lumens. - Turbo drops to 2600 Lumens instead of 3000 Lumens. - No moonlight mode. - Only IP55 water proof rating. - The box states a 1 year warranty even though the warranty on the website is clearly 5 years. - Non removable (officially) batteries.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Wuben for providing the sample for review Polymeros Achaniotis 24/08/2023

Introduction The evolution of the torch industry has been steadily driven by advances in LED and battery technologies and while innovation is definitely present, it is rarely ground-breaking. A torch is a usually cylindrical item, with a button or two to control it and a clear lens through which one of more LEDs shine. Some torch companies though are more daring and innovative than others so when Wuben approached me to propose a review and I had a look at their inventory, I realized that it is definitely one of those companies. Looking through their inventory, I chose the most unusual and interesting torch they make and I am going to review it for you today: The Wuben X2. The Wuben X2 comes in 3 different material choices: Aluminium, Copper or Titanium. The Aluminium is offered in 3 different anodization options while the Titanium in 4. It goes without saying that I picked the funkiest of the bunch, the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash. But before taking a look at the torch, it is definitely worth it looking at the box that it comes in, as this unboxing is definitely a premium experience. Unboxing The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash comes in a square white box with the company logo over a suspicious looking slit on the top and some basic model and company information on the back. 2 of the sides show only the model name while the 3rd includes some marketing quotes and the 4th has 2 QR codes that lead to the company web site and their Facebook group but most importantly states that the warranty period is 5 years, which is great. The top of the box seems to be magnetically held in place and opens in the middle, offering a premium unboxing experience. The first thing to see is a white box that contains the user manual. The manual contradicts the box, stating that the warranty is only 1 year, but as their website also states a 5 year warranty, I feel confident in saying that the manual is wrong. Under the manual we find the torch, protected in a soft nylon sleeve, and the accessories. There is also a yellow sticker explaining that the torch comes locked for shipping and how to unlock it. The accessories are a red silicon diffuser and a lanyard. There are no spare o rings as the torch is not supposed to be opened by the user. The lanyard is actually very interesting as its end can be removed to reveal that it is also a USB A to USB C charging cable. The observant among you, may also have noticed that one of the lanyard's sides is a metric measuring tape. Very nice Wuben! The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash is definitely unconventional and unique. Its rectangular shape maximizes pocket comfort and will not roll off the table. It is also nice to hold in the hand as all corners are chamfered and perfectly finished, with no sharp edges. The Ink Splash colour scheme is definitely a riot and will get noticed! The design includes several oblong grooves that can be filled with glow in the dark epoxy, as the company prompts on their website, if the user chooses so. There are also 4 slots on the top and 6 slots on the bottom of the torch for 6mm x 1.5mm tritium vials. The bottom also features a very shapely and useful clip, which can be easily removed as it is held in place by 2 screws, but keep in mind that 4 of the slots for the tritium vials are actually on the clip. The top has a lanyard hole for the included - or any other (I was able to fit standard 4mm paracord through it with some effort) - lanyard, the operating button and the hidden charging port, which I will show you in a bit. The sides are less eventful but still very nice to look at and include some shallow cooling fins. The front end reveals 3 Samsung LH351D emitters in a row with a shallow, orange peel triple reflector while the rear end includes the serial number, the information that the battery capacity is 2000mAh and the warning to not disassemble. The torch is held together by 1.5mm hex screws and despite the warning can be taken apart (at the user's own risk) to service or replace the (proprietary) battery pack when it wears down in time. The button at the top is an innovative approach as it consists of a hinged metal slab that presses down on a plastic button underneath and can be lifted to reveal the hidden USB C charging port and battery level / charging indicator light. Very nice! The silicon diffuser can be placed over the lens to provide a diffused red light. Build Quality and Finish The build quality of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash is excellent. The machining is excellent, the fit is immaculate, the anodization is spectacular and perfect, there are no sharp edges and the product looks and feels premium in all respects - including the price. Size Comparison Here is the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash next to the Olight Baton Pro. The Baton Pro features a higher capacity battery but the shape of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash makes it more pocket friendly. Specifications The specifications of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash, as found on the company's website, are in the following table: The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash comes with the Samsung LH351D emitters that offer lower maximum output than the Osram P9 emitters but are warmer and high CRI, as opposed to the cooler and low CRI P9. User Interface The user interface of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash, as shown in the user manual, can be seen in the diagram below: From Off: Click to turn on. Hold to turn on directly to low mode, regardless of the previous mode used. Double click to turn on directly to Turbo, regardless of the previous mode used. Triple click to turn on directly to strobe. Triple click again for SOS and triple click again to go back to strobe etc. Double click to go to Turbo. Quad click to lock the torch. The torch flashes 3 times to indicate it has been locked. From On: Click to turn off. Hold to cycle through the main modes low, medium and high. Click and hold to programme current main mode (explained in Modes and Programming section). Double click to go to Turbo. Triple click to go to strobe. Triple click again for SOS, triple click again to go back to strobe etc. From there click to go to the previously used main mode (low, medium or high) or double click to go to Turbo. From Locked: Quad click to unlock and turn on in low mode. Click, wait 0.5 sec, double click, wait 0.5sec, triple click to reset torch to factory default. The torch unlocks and turns on in low mode to indicate a successful factory reset. The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash features mode memory for the 3 main modes, low, medium and high. Turbo, strobe and SOS are not memorized and the memory mode cannot be turned off. It also features an indicator LED near the bottom of the button. The LED lights as follows to indicate the battery level. Modes - Programming The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash has 3 main modes (low, medium, high), a turbo mode and 2 flashing modes, strobe and SOS. The output levels of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash can be seen in the following table. The numbers provided by Wuben are in black and my measurements are in orange. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. My Lumen measurements show that Wuben is quite honest in their specifications for the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash as my measured values are well within the margin of error from the provided values. The Candela and Throw I measured indicate the same, as I actually measured them to be slightly higher than indicated in the specifications. A very interesting feature of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash driver is that the 3 main modes are programmable. The torch comes with all 3 modes set to their lowest values but each mode can be separately and steplessly adjusted within the value ranges indicated in the table below: The programming is very easy. Turn the torch on to the mode you want to programme and then click and hold. The torch will steplessly ramp up from its current output to the maximum value for the selected mode and then start ramping down to the lowest value and repeat endlessly until the button is released. The output level at the moment the button is released is saved for that mode. The top and the bottom of the ramp are indicated by a flash. Photometry I took some photometry readings with an Opple Light Master Pro. The results are in the following table. As shown in the table, the Samsung LD351D emitters used in the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash have a CCT of around 4500K and a slightly negative Duv. In my eyes they seem quite neutral or slightly on the green side, and as both my eyes and the Opple Light Master Pro are not spectrometers, you can take that with a grain of salt. In any case, here is a comparison photo of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash on the right and the Olight Baton Pro on the left. The white balance was locked at 5500K. It is obvious that the tint of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash is warmer and significantly more neutral than that of the Olight Baton Pro. Beam Profile The beam pattern of Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash is very floody and, similarly to the torch front, rectangular. Even though I found that strange to begin with, it is actually quite usable as the light is directed where you need it and not at the sky. Video Comparison I compared the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash with the Olight Baton Pro, both on turbo, in the following video. The distance from where I am standing to the end of the lane is 70m. Driver The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash uses a buck driver that provides fully regulated output regardless of the voltage of the 2 Li-Ion cells in series that power it. It also features thermal regulation, low voltage and over current protection. There is PWM detected by the Opple Light Master Pro but it is definitely in the safe range and neither my eyes nor my camera can see it. The only mode that seems to be pulsing at a low frequency is medium, but I still could not see any flickering. Here is what the camera saw: Battery and Charging The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash utilizes a proprietary, non removable (officially) battery pack, which incorporates 2 14500 Li-Ion batteries with a total capacity of 2000mAh. The included lanyard doubles as a charging cable! The USB C plug on one end of the lanyard plugs into the USB C charging port under the button of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash. The indicator LED lights up red while charging and blue to indicate that the charging has been completed. The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash can also be charged with any other USB A to USB C or USB C to USB C charging cable and any 5V charger, including Power Delivery enabled chargers. The following chart shows the charging of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash, after it had been depleted completely to the point where the torch turned itself off due to low voltage protection. The charging lasted less than the 3 hours declared in the specifications and was completed in 2 hours, 37 minutes and 31 seconds. It required 11.1245Wh of energy. As the current draw never exceeded 1A, any 5V 1A charger can be used to charge the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash at full speed. Runtime Charts The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash utilizes Samsung LH351D emitters and is rated at a maximum output of 1800 Lumens. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. According to my measurements, the output at turn on was 1742 Lumens. Over the next 6 seconds it reached its maximum level at 1757 Lumens which is very close to the declared 1800 Lumens and definitely within the margin of error of my equipment. It was still at 1756 Lumens at 30 seconds (ANSI). The output started falling rapidly at 1 minute and 4 seconds, slightly exceeding the 1 minute declared in the specifications, down to about 700 lumens, which is lower than the 800 lumens declared in the specifications. It remained steady for about 1 hour and 17 minutes. It then started dropping and the torch turned off at 1 hour, 19 minutes and 12 seconds, exceeding the 1 hour declared in the specifications. The Titanium construction of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash coupled with the use of high CRI emitters make for some high temperatures that reached up to almost 60°C at the head of the light. The button was also hot as it is located on the head of the torch but the body was quite comfortable to hold. Here are the first 10 minutes of the above chart, in greater detail. I also did the full runtime graph on High. The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash turned on at 377 Lumens which is very close to the declared 400. It was quite steady, dropping very gradually to 367 Lumens at 2 hours, 56 minutes and 38 seconds. It then declined faster to turn off at 2 hours, 58 minutes and 10 seconds, exceeding the 2.5 hours declared in the specs. Here are the first 10 minutes, in greater detail. Conclusion The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash is a unique EDC torch with an innovative design and excellent build quality. The rectangular shape makes it pocket friendly while maximizing its output capability and battery capacity. The machining of the Titanium is perfect, with no sharp edges, the fit is immaculate and the anodization is superb. It utilizes a fully regulated buck driver with thermal regulation, over current and low voltage protection that provides stable output levels with no visible flickering. The driver is powered by a non removable, proprietary battery pack consisting of 2 14500 Li-Ion cells in series. The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash uses 3 Samsung LH351D emitters in a row with a CCT of 4500K, providing about 1800 Lumens of high CRI output at a neutral Duv. The beam profile is rectangular and very usable. The button is a bit mushy and less clicky than I would like it but it gave me no issues whatsoever. It lifts to reveal the USB C charging port. The charging took 02:37:31, which is less than the 3 hours stated in the specifications and a good balance to ensure the longevity of the battery pack. The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash includes 10 slots for 6mm x 1.5mm tritium vials which can decorate the torch and make it easy to locate in the dark. The Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash is a premium torch with premium features and, also, a premium price. For the month of May 2023, it can be purchased directly from the company's website at a 20% discount, for $246.40. On top of that, you can use the coupon code WUBENHB15 for an additional 15% discount, bringing the price down to $209.44. Is the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash worth the cost? For the features, material, funky anodization and build quality, definitely! But for the readers that want the features, quality and form factor but do not care for Titanium or the fancy anodization, there is also the Aluminium version that starts at $78.40, with the 20% discount, and using the coupon code WUBENHB15 brings the price down to $66.64. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Wuben X2 Titanium Ink Splash: Pros + Innovative, pocket friendly, rectangular design. + Titanium construction with perfect machining and no sharp edges. + Immaculate fit and finish. + Superb anodization. + Fully regulated buck driver with thermal regulation, over current protection and low voltage protection. + High CRI Samsung LH351D emitters with a CCT of 4500K and neutral Duv. + Output levels measured very close to specification. + Throw and duration measured slightly above specification. + USB C charging port hidden under the button. + Battery level and charging indicator LED. + The included lanyard is also a charging cable and a measuring tape. + 10 6mm x 1.5mm tritium vial slots. + Red silicone diffuser included. + IP68. Cons - No moonlight mode. - Low PWM frequency on medium. - Non removable (officially) proprietary battery pack. - Mushy button.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Wuben for providing the sample for review Polymeros Achaniotis 23/05/2023

Introduction There are not many occasions in my every day life where I need more than an EDC sized torch, but there is always some excitement and a smile when wielding a torch of larger proportions and ridiculously high output. Today is such an occasion, so with some excitement - and a smile - I present to you the most powerful torch Sofirn has to offer: The Sofirn Q8 Pro. The Sofirn Q8 Pro is a soda can type torch which promises high output, long run times, a good user interface and other interesting features, all at a very affordable price. Let's put that to the test, shall we? Unboxing The Sofirn Q8 Pro comes in the usual unassuming, generic brown cardboard box that Sofirn likes to use. If it keeps the cost down, I am all for it. Only, in this case, there are two boxes. Inside one of them, we find the torch, protected in bubble wrap, a 1 meter long USB A to USB C charging cable, 2 spare O-rings for the battery tube and 1 spare O-Ring for the bezel, a spare button cover and the manual. The other box contains the optional holster and diffuser, found on the company's website but not offered on Amazon.co.uk at the moment. The torch comes with a little tag, secured around the body with a rubber band. The tag explains that there is an insulator in the battery compartment, stopping the batteries from making contact and thus rendering the torch inoperable, for safe shipping. The insulator needs to be removed before the torch can be used. The Sofirn Q8 Pro is a black, cylindrical light, 132mm long and with a diameter of about 59mm at its widest point, which is the front bezel. The body features knurling which allows for a secure grip without being too aggressive. The button is rubbery, textured and slightly raised, so it is easy to find by touch, but can also be pressed while in a backpack or in a (very large) pocket. Thankfully, there is a lock out option to cover that contingency. The area around the button has some heatsinking in the form of fins, while at 90 degrees to its right there is a rubber flap. Lifting the flap, reveals the USB C charging port. Another 90 degrees to the right, at the exact opposite side of the button, we find a standard 1/4" threaded hole that allows the torch to be mounted on a tripod. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I will not presume to tell you if the Sofirn Q8 Pro looks good or not, but I can definitely say that it is an elegant and unassuming design that seems to mean business. That is even more true about the business end of the light, which features a quadruple orange peel reflector with deep enough cups to add a bit of throw. The emitters at the bottom of those cups are 4 Cree XHP50.2 6500K LEDs. The battery compartment can be accessed by unscrewing the light into two halves and contains 4 batteries. The front side has an insulator covering which must be removed to reveal the circular battery contacts. The threads are square cut, come pre-greased and operate smoothly. The batteries are Sofirn branded 18650 Li-Ion and rated at 3000mAh. The inner circular battery contact is for the positive contacts of the 4 batteries while the outer circular battery contact gets the negative via the metal body of the battery compartment. The metal body of the battery compartment gets the negative from the batteries through 4 thick double springs at its bottom. The thickness of the springs, the fact that they are double and the whole design seems capable of transferring the power of the batteries to the driver with minimal losses. It is also easy to mechanically lock out the torch by unscrewing the battery compartment by half a turn, thus breaking the contact between its non anodized lip of the battery compartment and the outer circular contact of the head. The driver is secured with 2 screws, which can be removed to access its other side. There, we see 2 black and 2 red cables, that transfer the current from the driver to the emitters. I am not sure why double cabling was preferred to using a bigger gauge cable, but it certainly will help to transfer power with less resistance. The 5 white cables are for the switch and its indicative LEDs. There are no programming pads on the outer side of the driver to update the firmware of the ATTiny85 chip that controls the torch, but the easy access to the inner side means that the same can be accomplished with a SOIC clip directly on the chip. With the insulator out of the way, the Sofirn Q8 Pro s ready for action, which is indicated by the 2 green LEDs on the switch. The diffuser is plastic and fits on top of the torch when it tail stands, but is loose and will fall if the torch is lifted up and tilted. It can also break if it is dropped. I would definitely prefer a silicone diffuser. The holster is adequate and closes securely via a hook and loop stripe at the front. It is functional but I would prefer it if it was made from a thicker material. The back features both a sewn belt loop, as the most secure option and another that is secured via hook and loop, to allow fastening the holster to a belt without unfastening the belt. The holster also features a plastic D ring. Quality The build quality of the Sofirn Q8 Pro is very good and on par with other Sofirn lights. The fit and finish are excellent, the knurling is of good quality and the anodization is without any flaws. The addition of a stainless steel bezel is welcome and adds protection and aesthetics. Specifications The specifications of the Sofirn Q8 Pro, as found on the company's website, are as follows: The torch features 4 Cree XHP50.2 emitters with a CCT of 6500K (cool white - there is also a neutral white version at 5000K) which provide a maximum output of 11000 Lumen and a maximum throw of 400m. It is powered by 4x 3000mAh 18650 Li-Ion batteries, is USB C rechargeable and incorporates a power bank function. The Sofirn Q8 Pro is made of aluminium and is 134mm long and 59mm wide at the bezel. The weight without the batteries is approximately 408g (I measured 418g without the batteries and 604g with the batteries). The Sofirn Q8 Pro is water proof rated equivalent to IPX8. User Interface The user interface of the Sofirn Q8 Pro is a love or hate deal, as the light features the Andúril2 UI. Personally, I love it and deeply enjoy the fact that it is feature packed but still provides simple, quick and intuitive access to the basic functions. Others hate it and consider it too much work, as the manual is extensive and even the flow chart found at the company's website can be intimidating to look at. Andúril2 offers a Simple UI, which the torch comes set to, that allows for all the basic functions, while remaining relatively simple. 10 clicks and hold the last, and you enter the magical realm of the full Andúril2 experience. Give it a chance! You will love it! In my experience, after the initial shock, it is very easy to start using Andúril2 and have an occasional look at the flow chart to remind oneself of the more advanced functions. An important thing to do when you take any Andúril2 light out of the box is to perform a temperature calibration, as the light will depend on it to perform proper thermal control and balance brightness with temperature. That is also the best time to set the temperature limit. I find 50°C to be a good temperature limit and the tests done in this review were done on a calibrated light and with a 50°C temperature limit. Size Comparison The following photos offer a direct size comparison of the Sofirn Q8 Pro to the Olight X7R. the Sofirn Q8 Pro is slightly longer but has a smaller diameter at the head. Tint and Beam Shots The tint of the Sofirn Q8 Pro is the cool, greenish (above BBL) tint that is expected of the Cree XHP50.2 emitters. It is very similar to the tint of the Olight X7R. The XHP50.2 used in the Sofirn Q8 Pro are not high CRI. We can also see from the angle of the beams that the Olight X7R has a floodier beam pattern than the Sofirn Q8 Pro. The beam pattern of the Sofirn Q8 Pro is a product of the LED type and size and the reflector it uses. With the 5x5mm Cree XHP50.2 emitters and orange peel reflector, it is not surprising that the result is a floody beam but the depth of the reflector cups adds some throw. There is a wide hot spot surrounded by a corona ring and a smooth flood of light. I tested the Sofirn Q8 Pro over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Sofirn Q8 Pro to the Olight X7R. Driver The driver of the Sofirn Q8 Pro is a linear, unregulated driver that uses PWM to dim the light, on all levels, except, of course, on full. The PWM is visible to the camera but not visible to the naked eye, on any level. Even though I prefer constant current drivers, PWM is an efficient and cost effective way to achieve LED dimming and if it is done at a high enough frequency, as seems to be the case here, it is not a problem. The driver features thermal regulation, low voltage protection and reverse polarity protection. Current Draw The lowest setting of the Sofirn Q8 Pro (floor of the ramp) only draws 3mA. The top of the ramp draws 8.03A and Turbo requires 22.4A. You can run the Sofirn Q8 Pro with all 4 batteries or with 3 or 2 or even 1 battery. Each of the batteries provided with the Sofirn Q8 Pro can output up to 10A (tested) so in order to get full brightness on Turbo you need to use at least 3 batteries. All measurements were taken with all 4 batteries in the torch. Charging The batteries included with the Sofirn Q8 Pro are rated at 3000mAh and I measured them to be right around that number (2953mAh / 3016mAh / 3032mAh / 2997mAh) The torch has under voltage protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.9V. The batteries' internal resistance was measured at around 50mΩ (50mΩ / 53mΩ / 54mΩ / 40mΩ). It is clear that the batteries included with the Sofirn Q8 Pro are of high quality. Charging the Sofirn Q8 Pro is very easy. Just lift the rubber cover and connect the provided cable or any other USB C cable to the charging port and its other end to a charger. Both USB A to USB C and USB C to USB C cables can be used as well as any charger, including the ones that support PD. This is very convenient as you can charge the Sofirn Q8 Pro with any USB C cable and charger you have at hand. The blue indicative LEDs on the switch blink while the light is charging and stay steadily on when the charging is completed, at 4.19V. Charging the Sofirn Q8 Pro from 2.9V to 4.19V took 4 hours, 51 minutes and 7 seconds. The maximum current drawn was 2.8385A, so a charger that can provide at least 3A is recommended to achieve the fastest charging speed. A charger is not provided with the light but you can use your phone charger. Power Bank Function A very nice feature of the Sofirn Q8 Pro is its ability to function as a power bank. When the power bank function is in effect, the red indicative LEDs turn on. There is no information available regarding the current that the power bank function can provide through the USB C port so I had to investigate. I found that the Sofirn Q8 Pro can provide a maximum steady output of 3A for 2 hours, 19 minutes and 19 seconds. The output is very stable and the end of the test the voltage of the batteries was 3.15V. The power bank function provided a total of 34.8759Wh while discharging the batteries from 4.19V to 3.15V. Charging the batteries from 2.9V to 4.19V requires, as we saw in the previous section, 48.9621Wh. This means that the power bank function has a efficiency of over 71%, without even taking into account that there is still some energy remaining in the batteries as the power bank function stops when their voltage drops to 3.15V and they can still be discharged to 2.9V by using the torch. Output & Runtimes The Sofirn Q8 Pro is rated at 11000 Lumen output and 400m of throw. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. According to my measurements, the maximum output (at turn on) was an impressive 14310 lumen, which is 30% more than the advertised 11000! ANSI output (at 30 seconds) was 13365 Lumen and 45 seconds it was still 13320 Lumen. Then the output declined steadily to 8859 Lumen at 1 minute, 4396 Lumen at 1.5 minutes and 2277 Lumen at 2 minutes. It remained at that level until 00:05:45 and then dropped to 1359 Lumen. The rest can be seen in the graphs below. The first graph is the full runtime graph that my equipment can record with a sampling interval of 5 seconds. At 29 hours, 9 minutes and 55 seconds, the Sofirn Q8 Pro was still on, with an output of 0.5 Lumen. Most of the action happens in the first 5 hours though, so here is a graph that shows that part of the runtime in greater detail. And here are the first 10 minutes. The temperature was very well controlled, as you can see in the runtime graphs. The head and body temperatures are very close, which shows the excellent thermal conductivity of the torch. The torch was temperature calibrated, according to the manual, and the temperature limit was set at 50C. The actual temperatures near the button and on the body of the torch can be seen on the graphs and were kept well within the set limit. All in all, the Sofirn Q8 Pro gave outputs of over 1000 Lumen for over 3 hours and 40 minutes, when turned on at Turbo, which is very respectable, especially considering the very high initial output. Usage at more moderate levels, will of course, result in higher runtimes. The maximum intensity of the light was measured at 52241cd, which translates to a throw of 457m. That is 14.25% more than the 400m advertised. Conclusion The Sofirn Q8 Pro is a value for money, soda can sized torch that will not disappoint. Its aluminium body is well made and hard anodized and the fit and finish is beyond its price point. The size and weight are good for its output rating and the 4 provided 3000mAh 18650 batteries allow for ample runtime. The maximum measured output of 14310 Lumen is 30% over the advertised 11000 Lumen, which is very impressive, and the beam profile is well balanced. The tint of the Cree XHP50.2 LEDs is a cool, above BBL (greenish) tint and the CRI is low, but this is countered by the high lumen output these emitters allow the torch to achieve. The driver is linear (unregulated) and uses PWM to dim the output, so PWM is present at all output levels, except on Turbo. The frequency of the PWM is high enough to not be visible to the naked eye and did not tire me when using the light. The Sofirn Q8 Pro can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk in a kit with the batteries but not with the diffuser and holster and the cost at the moment this review is written is £89.99. Sofirn have provided a 30% discount code for the readers of this review, which brings the price down to £62.99. That is a very competitive price for a torch that can provide over 14000 Lumen and incorporates USB C charging and a power bank function at 3A. The discount code is: polymeros30 For the rest of the world, the Sofirn Q8 Pro can be purchased directly from the Sofirn website on its own, as a kit with the batteries or as a kit including the batteries, diffuser and holster. Disclaimer: I get absolutely no percentage of the sales or any other personal benefits from Sofirn, except for the fact that the torch was provided for review free of charge. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Sofirn Q8 Pro: Pros + Value for money + Maximum output of 14310 Lumen (of 11000 advertised) + Maximum throw of 457m (of 400m advertised) + Power bank function at 3A with good efficiency + USB type C charging at 3A + Aluminium Alloy construction with good fit and finish + Low Voltage Protection which turns off the torch when the battery voltage drops to 2.9V which preserves the health of the batteries + Thermal regulation + Well balanced beam + 4x 18650 Li-Ion 3000mAh (actually measured) high quality batteries included + Low power, charging and power bank function indicator LEDs on the switch + Andúril2 UI + Lighted button with indicative LEDs + IP68 + Compatible with all button top 18650 batteries + A diffuser and a holster can be purchased from the company's website at low cost Cons - The driver is not regulated and uses PWM to dim the emitter - The quality of the optional holster could be better - The optional diffuser is made of plastic while a silicone diffuser would be better  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Sofirn for providing the torch for review Polymeros Achaniotis 01/10/2021

Introduction No matter how you approach it, the marketing claims of the Acebeam X75 are fascinating. Not only do they promise a maximum brightness of 80.000 lumens, which makes it the 2nd most powerful production torch in the world, but also the highest sustainable output, which is indubitably much more useful and important. Couple that with the top level design, build quality and electronics of Acebeam, add the 100W USB C charging and 100W Power Bank capabilities and you have a truly amazing torch. My only issue when I was offered a review sample was which emitter option to choose from. Acebeam offers the Acebeam X75 with 3 emitter choices: The Cree XHP70.2 6500K, which provide the maximum output of 80.000 Lumens. The Cree XHP70.2 5000K, which provide a more neutral tint, at the cost of a slight decrease in brightness, reducing it to 75.000 Lumens. The Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K, which provide the highest intensity of 426.409 Candela and a throw of 1306m, at the cost of a reduced brightness of 67.000 Lumens. I was divided between the 1st and 3rd option. Should I go with for the maximum brightness or the maximum intensity? Then it occurred to me that if I found it hard to decide, so must many others that are looking to purchase the Acebeam X75 . There was only one thing to do and that was to get both. Welcome to the Acebeam X75 XHP70.2 6500K vs XHP70.3 HI 6500K Comparative Review! Unboxing The Acebeam X75 comes in a white and orange box. The front of the box features a photograph of the torch and highlights some of its main features, such as the 60W (with the standard charger) or 100W (with the optional charger) Power Delivery 3.0 USB C charging. the Power Bank function, the Mechanical Lock feature and the Air Duct cooling system. The warranty period is indicated as 5 years. The back side of the box does not offer any information on specifications, but rather the company address, a few QR coded links and the usual certification logos. The top and bottom of the box has nothing special to show, except a nice, bright orange colour. The top is plain while the bottom has 1 or 2 bar codes. One of the sides features the company logo while the other shows the chosen options of colour and emitters. The Acebeam X75 comes in 2 finish options: Type-III Hard Anodized Oxidation, in black colour. Micro Arc Oxidation, which is an amazing off-white colour. The 3 emitter options, as mentioned before, are: Cree XHP70.2 6500K, with a brightness of 80.000 lumens and a throw of 1150m. Cree XHP70.2 5000K, with a brightness of 75.000 lumens and a throw of 1082m. Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K, with a brightness of 67.000 lumens and a throw of 1306m. You can get the black finish with any of the 3 emitter options but the white is only offered with the Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K emitters. The box closure is magnetic. Upon opening it, you are greeted with a lot of packing material, protecting the torch, a yellow card and a white box. You can already glimpse that the torch on the left is black while the torch on the right is white. The yellow card is a quick start guide, explaining how to remove the insulating film between the battery pack and the driver before the first use and including some safety and usage instructions. As for the white box... ...it contains all the accessories and documentation. The documentation consists of the manual and the warranty card, while the accessories include the charging cable, charger (in a plastic white bag), adapter (if you are outside the US - here the UK adapter is shown), 2 little bags of accessories and a silicone cover for the head of the torch. Some of you may have noticed that the latter is only in the second photo. That is because the black torch came with the silicone cover installed, while the white torch came with it in the accessories box. The smaller of the 2 little bags contains 2 small screws, 2 larger screws, 2 large round O-rings, one small rectangle O-ring and a torx wrench that fits both types of screws.. The larger of the 2 little white bags contains a spare fan. It is an Acebeam branded DC brushless fan, which operates at 5V and draws 0.2A (so it has a power rating of 1W). It is frameless and has an apparent special construction. The Acebeam X75 comes with a 60W Power Deliver charger as standard, but you can get it with the optional 100W charger for an added cost of $47.90. I opted for the latter and did not regret it. The 100W charger has 3 USB C ports and 1 USB A Port. You can see their output specs in the 2nd photo. The foldable prongs are compatible with US power outlets. UK or EU adapters can be applied and are provided, according to the region of the buyer. The black Acebeam X75 comes with the silicone cover installed while the white (MAO) one comes in a protective nylon bag, without the silicone cover, which as we saw is in the accessory box. Let's take the torches out and install the silicone cover on the white one as well. The Acebeam X75 is a large soda can style torch, with non-removable or, more precisely, necessary for operation handle as the operating buttons are on the handle itself, which is very convenient. The silicone cover protects the front of the torch and has holes for the cooling fins that it covers. Not only does it protect the torch, but also the user from accidental burns resulting from contact with the hottest part of the torch during operation. The silicone cover also provides information, as it changes colour when its temperature exceeds 55°C. Let's remove the silicone covers to really show off the beautiful design of the Acebeam X75. The crenulated bezel is made of stainless steel and is black in both finishes. So are the buttons and the screws. Everything else is made of Aluminium and is either black or off-white, depending on the chosen finish. The head is thicker than the battery tube and the deep fins provide cooling surface. There are openings all around the head to allow for air flow, as there is a cooling fan and a copper heat sink inside the torch! The handles feature 2 operation buttons and a Mechanical Lock switch. There are airflow holes at the rear of the head as well. Opposite the handle, there is a UNC 1/4" socket for mounting the Acebeam X75 on a tripod. To the left of the handle there is a pressure release valve, to relieve pressure in case something goes wrong with the battery pack and pressurised gases are released. To the right of the handle, there is an indication LED. The tail of the torch is flat and allows it to tail stand. You can unscrew and remove the tail cap to reveal the charging port. The battery pack capacity is 61.2Wh. The front of the Acebeam X75 is impressive, with 12 shallow, orange peel reflectors housing the 12 emitters. Let's remove the protective film and have a closer look! The 1st photo shows one of the Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters that are in the black sample and the 2nd one of the Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K emitters that are in the white sample. As you can see, both are 4 die emitters, which makes the Acebeam X75 a 48 LED die torch! The Cree XHP70.2 is a domed emitter while the Cree XHP70.3 HI is dome-less and has a smaller die area, which explains both the lower brightness and the higher intensity (and therefore throw). To keep the heat generated by all those emitters under control, a copper heat sink can be glimpsed through the head fins. But I will elaborate on the cooling system later. Under the tail cap there are written specifications and instructions, 2 indicator LEDs and a recessed reset switch. The USB C port is on the side, inside the threads of the tail cap. Although I can see the simplicity and reliability of this design, I do not like it. The tail cap feels too generic and non-luxurious when removed, especially when compared with the high end feeling of the Acebeam X75 in general. But the real issue is practical. Not only can the tail cap be damaged or lost, but also the grease in the threads got on my hands and smeared everything a few times before I got used to the notion and became mindful enough. A tail cap system such as the ones used in the Olight X7R or Olight Marauder 2 would have been nicer. An exposed, water proof USB C port, such as the ones used in high end mobile phones would have been even better. The battery pack unscrews from the head as expected. There is an insulating film that needs to be removed before use. The driver is covered, except for a hefty, spring loaded contact point in the middle, which corresponds with the equivalently hefty positive terminal in the centre of the battery pack. The threads are square cut, well greased and smooth. Build Quality and Finish The build quality of the Acebeam X75 is outstanding. The fit is perfect and both the Type-III Hard Anodization (black) and the Micro Arc Oxidation (off-white) finishes are flawless. Cooling System The cooling system of the Acebeam X75 is the best I have ever seen in any torch. Not only is it the best, but also user serviceable, which is an amazing feature. Removing the 4 torx screws that hold the handle in place is very easy, using the provided torx key. The handle comes out, revealing the copper heat sink that cools the head of the torch. Here we can see the copper heat sink, as well as the 5 contact points that transfer the control commands from the handle buttons to the driver of the torch and power to the fan. The heat sink can be cleaned by the user. The contact points correspond with the 5 pogo pins on the handle. The connection is insulated by a rectangle O-ring, for which a spare is provided, as we saw earlier. The fan can also be cleaned by the user and even replaced with the spare one provided if it fails. 2 small screws must be removed with the provided torx key to replace the fan. Spare screws are provided, as we saw, both for the smaller fan screws and the larger handle screws, so if the user drops and loses one, it is not a problem. The Acebeam X75 features intelligent thermal control. This means that not only does the fan not work all the time, but even when it does, it adjusts its speed according to the temperature of the driver. Size Comparison The Acebeam X75 is on the large end of the spectrum for soda can type torches. There are of course much larger torches out there and taking into account its Lumen output, the Acebeam X75 is quite compact for the power it packs. That said, it is by no means a torch you can put in a large jacket pocket. Here is the Acebeam X75 between the Olight Marauder 2 and the Sofirn Q8 Pro. Specifications The specifications of the Acebeam X75 with Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters can be seen in the following table: The specifications of the Acebeam X75 with Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K emitters can be seen in the following table: I really like the fact that so much information is given on output, intensity, throw and run times, on all settings. Very few companies are so transparent about the specifications of their products. It is clear from the specifications that the Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters offer higher output... …while the Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K emitters offer higher intensity and throw. Other than that, the 2 samples are exactly the same, except for the finish, of course. The Acebeam X75 is IP68 standard waterproof and can be submerged to 2m. User Interface The user interface of the Acebeam X75 is simple and intuitive. It is based on a dual switch design and a Mechanical Lock. The Mechanical Lock is disengaged on the black torch and engaged on the white one, in the following photo. When the Mechanical Lock is engaged, the switches cannot be physically pressed. The front, bigger switch is the Auxiliary Switch and the rear, smaller switch is the Main Switch. The Main Switch is raised higher and therefore easy to differentiate by feel. The following diagrams explain the operation of the Acebeam X75 in detail. The user interface of the Acebeam X75, in my own words, is as follows: Main Switch From Off Click to turn on (with memory for the 4 main modes, Low, Med1, Med2 and High). Click and hold to turn on at Ultra-Low mode. Double click to turn on at Turbo Triple click for Strobe. From On Click to turn off. Hold to cycle through the main modes (Low, Med1 ,Med2, High). You can do that even from Ultra-Low, Turbo or Strobe. Double click for Turbo. Double click again to return to previous mode. Triple click for Strobe. Click to turn off, click and hold to cycle through the main modes or double click for Turbo. From Turbo, double click to return to previous (before Strobe) mode. There is no way to go directly from Strobe to a previous, non Turbo mode. Auxiliary Switch From Off Press momentarily to manually stop the fan if it is running. Press and hold for 3 seconds to turn the Fan Mode (Windy Mode) on or off. This is indicated by 3 flashes of the indicator LED on the right of the handle. Green for on, red for off. Click 10 times to switch between Power and Eco mode. Power mode is indicated by the main emitters turning on for a moment and getting brighter. Eco mode is indicated by the main emitters turning on for a moment and getting dimmer. The Acebeam X75 ships in Eco mode. From On Click and hold for momentary Turbo. The buttons feel a bit mushy but are easy to use and of high quality. The mushy feeling is caused by the mechanics involved in having a Mechanical Lock that can block the pressing of the switches. Modes The output levels of the Acebeam X75 can be seen in the following table. The numbers provided by Acebeam are in black and my measurements are in orange. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. My Lumen measurements show that the Turbo output of both emitter types do not reach the specs but are still very impressive. The Cree XHP70.2 6500K are up to or even slightly above specs in Lumen output on all modes except Turbo. The Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K have lower Lumens output than specs on all modes. It seems like Acebeam just copied the lower mode numbers from the Cree XHP70.2 6500K specs but of course the Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K will be a bit lower. The Candela and Throw I measured are also lower than specs in all modes, but again impressive for these floody beams. The Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K is the stronger emitter in this category. The following graph shows the lumen output on all modes for both emitters. The Cree XHP70.2 is more powerful on all modes. And this graph shows the throw on all modes for both emitters. The Cree XHP70.3 HI throws further on all modes. So, what will you choose, Lumen output or throw? For me, both emitters have more than enough of both. It is just a matter of which feature you favour the most. Photometry I took some photometry readings with an Opple Light Master Pro. The results are in the following table. The CCT of both emitter types is quite similar and start around 5500K in Ultra-Low to gradually rise to around 6200K on Turbo. The Δuv of the 2 emitter types is different though, with the Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K having a higher Δuv on all modes and therefore a greener tint. Both emitter types are above BBL on the lower 5 modes but as the output rises they get closer to neutral and go below BBL on Turbo. Here is a photo of the tint in Ultra-Low, where it is the greenest. The Cree XHP70.2 6500K is on the left and the Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K on the right. The photo was taken with a manual white balance of 5500K. Beam Profile The beam pattern of both emitter types in the Acebeam X75 is very floody but there is a definite, albeit small difference in intensity and beam angle. Video Comparison - Drone footage For the video comparison of the Cree XHP70.2 versus the Cree XHP70.3 HI version of the Acebeam X75, I enlisted the help of the excellent photographer and videographer Daniel Beacock and his drone. We tested the two versions of the Acebeam X75 over distances of 191m and 470m. Here are some revealing frames from the video: And here are the same stills, in animated GIF format. Driver The driver of the Acebeam X75 is a digitally regulated, constant current boost driver, which takes the 14.4V from the battery pack and delivers 24V to the emitter array. Both emitter types are 6V, so they are arranged in 3 parallel banks of 4 emitters in a row to work with the 24V that the driver provides. This arrangement should be able to maintain constant brightness regardless of the battery voltage. The driver also features smart temperature control. Large copper heatsinks and thermal pads provide the thermal path to the main copper heatsink. Very refreshing to see such a high quality driver. There is no PWM, detected or visible, in any of the modes. Battery Pack and Charging The Acebeam X75 comes with a proprietary battery pack. This is unappealing for many users but necessary when you are dealing with this kind of configuration of 4 21700 high output batteries in series. The battery pack supports Power Delivery charging at 60W or 100W and also Power Bank functionality at the same power levels. The charger that comes as standard with the Acebeam X75 can provide 60W but it is possible to upgrade to a 100W charger for an added cost of $47.90. I opted to test the 100W charger. The supported modes are listed on the charger itself. Theoretically, C1 and C2 should be the same, but in reality they do not support all the same protocols. Here are the protocols supported by C1, C2 and C3 respectively. And here are the Power Delivery output modes supported by C1, C2 and C3 respectively. Both C1 and C2 can be equally used to charge the Acebeam X75 at 100W but if you want to charge other devices, C2 supports the most protocols, including a set of PPS in Power Delivery. These are the modes supported (in green) by the USB A port. The cable provided is 1m long and of very high quality. It supports 100W (20V, 5A), as expected, but also supports transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps, which is a pleasant surprise. The specifications of the battery pack are shown in the table below. To charge it, you must remove the tail cap and plug in the USB C cable. The right indicator LED turns red to indicate charging. The left indicator LED turns blue to indicate that the Power Delivery protocol is being used. The right indicator LED turns Green to indicate that the charging is complete. The following chart shows the charging of the battery pack with the 100W charger, after it had been depleted completely to the point where the torch turned itself off at 11.62V. The charging starts at 3.6W for about 10 minutes and then jumps to 100W for about half an hour. Then it gradually declines until the charging is completed at a total charging time of about 1 hour. This charging process used a total of 65.44Wh while the battery pack is rated at 61.2Wh, which is very good charging efficiency. The voltage of the battery pack at the end of charging was 16.73V. When used as a Power Bank, the battery pack supports Power Deliver 3.0 up to 100W, with PPS. As shown below, it can provide power at 100W for about 30 minutes. The total energy provided in this scenario was 50.24Wh and the voltage of the battery pack at the end was 12.88V. This means that the battery pack was not completely depleted and could still operate the torch, at the lower levels, but it did not have enough power to be able to provide 100W output. The charging of the battery pack after it has been used in Power Bank mode as above is shown in the following chart. The charging took 49 minutes and used 61.5Wh. The efficiency of the battery pack as a Power Bank is therefore 50.24Wh / 61.5Wh = 82% which is very good. Runtime Charts The Acebeam X75 has Power and Eco modes, which differ mainly on how it handles thermals, or in other words on the temperature the driver tries to keep itself below. It also has a Fan On mode (which Acebeam calls Windy mode) and a Fan Off mode (which Acebeam calls Non-Wind mode). I want to make it clear that the Fan On mode does not mean that the fan is running all the time. On the contrary, the fan is temperature controlled and will run only when and at the speed that is needed. I decided to only test the Acebeam X75 in Fan On mode, as I do not see the point of disabling the fan on such a powerful torch. The torch will still work safely without the fan, as it will regulate itself thermally but as the specs show, it will be severely crippled in high output duration. And to be blunt, I do not see a possible need for aural stealth when you are producing over 60.000 Lumens of light. The first chart shows the full runtime of both emitter options in Power Mode, on Turbo. All the details are noted on the chart. Here are the first 10 minutes of the above chart, in greater detail. The following chart shows the full runtime of both emitter options in Eco Mode, on Turbo. All the details are noted on the chart. I was initially surprised by the fact that the maximum output of the Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters is higher in Eco mode than in Turbo mode. So, I verified it several times and it is consistent. The only possible explanation is that the limiting factor of the maximum output for the Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters is the level of power that the battery pack can provide and that the extra power draw of the fan may be limiting the maximum output on Turbo. Of course the fan is only rated at 0.2A, which means that should not be significant. It would be interesting to see how a larger battery pack, with 2 parallel banks of 4 21700 batteries in a row would work with this torch. I am not sure if I would prefer to carry the extra size and weight in order to gain the extra run time and possible extra output, if any, but I would definitely like to have the option. Acebeam may oblige in the near future (wink - wink). Here are the first 10 minutes of the above graph, in greater detail. I also did the full runtime graph on High, for both Power and Eco modes. No surprises here. High in Power mode is the most impressive achievement of this torch, as the sustained output at this level is unrivalled by any other torch in the world! Most impressive! Here are the first 10 minutes, in greater detail. Even in Eco mode, the sustained output on High is impressive. Here are the first 10 minutes of High output in Eco mode, in greater detail. Finally, I proceeded to test Med2 and realised that at this output of 10.000 lumens, there is no difference between Power and Eco modes as the fan hardly ever turned on, at very low speeds. So here is the full Runtime graph for Med2. This is definitely a very useful mode, as it will provide around 10.000 Lumens for an impressive 55 minutes! Conclusion The Acebeam X75 is a very impressive torch. It is the second most powerful torch in the world in maximum brightness and the unrivalled first in sustained high output. It has the best cooling system ever implemented on a torch, which is also user serviceable and it features an intuitive user interface, with Mechanical Lock and the control buttons placed on the very comfortable handle. The design is beautiful and the machining of the host is intricate with no imperfections or sharp edges. Both the black Type-III Hard Anodization and the off-white Micro Arc Oxidation finishes are impeccable! The driver is a fully regulated boost driver which provides 24V for the 3 banks of 4 in a row 6V emitters . It features constant current output without measurable or visible PWM on any of the modes. The Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters provide the highest Lumen output while the Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K provide the highest intensity and throw, at the cost of some lost Lumens. That said, they both have plenty of Lumen output and throw and are both just as impressive. The choice is yours, depending on which feature you prioritize. I intend to keep both but I would very much like to see which one you prefer, so leave a comment to let me know. The proprietary battery pack will probably be considered a disadvantage by some users, but realistically you cannot have a safe, high output battery pack of 4 balanced, high drain 21700 Li-Ion cells that can charge at a rate of 100W, provide Power Bank output of 100W and power such a powerful torch without it being a sealed device. The battery pack will charge in 1.5 hours using the included 60W charger or in just 1 hour using the optional 100W charger, which will set you back an extra $47.90. Well worth it, in my opinion, as it is a great quality PD 3.0 charger that you can use to power most of your other devices, including phones and laptops. The most negative thing I have to say about the Acebeam X75 is the location of its charging port, which is under the removable tail cap and inside the threads. Even though this design is indubitably very robust in its simplicity, the removable tail cap feels less luxurious that the rest of the Acebeam X75 and it could be lost or damaged while removed. But the most important issue with the design is that having the USB C socket inside the greased threads caused me to smear the grease on my hands and subsequently all over the torch several times, before I got used to the idea and became mindful enough to avoid doing so. Another thing I would have liked is a lower output mode, as the lowest mode, named Ultra-Low, is actually 900 Lumens. I would have loved an indoor friendly mode that could light up the inside of a room or tent and last for a very long time. Unfortunately, making a driver that is very efficient at high output levels, means that you lose the ability to have very low output levels. How much will the torch with the highest sustainable output in the world set you back? Well, less than I expected to he honest. The price starts at $399.90 for the black Type-III Hard Anodization finish with Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters and the 60W charger. You can add $47.90 if you want to upgrade to the 100W charger and $45 if you prefer the Cree XHP70.3 HI emitters. The off-white Micro Arc Oxidation finish is $30 extra, but only comes with the XHP70.3 HI emitters, so you have to factor that into the price as well. Therefore, the cheapest configuration available is the black Type-II Hard Anodization with Cree XHP70.2 6500K emitters and 60W charger, at $399.90 and the most expensive configuration available is the off-white Micro Arc Oxidation with (compulsory) Cree XHP70.3 HI 6500K and (optional) 100W charger at $522.80. The prices may seem high to some, but actually the cost per Lumen is lower than most high power torches in the market at this point and that is not even taking into account the excellent quality and high end electronics. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Acebeam X75: Pros + Highest sustainable output in the world! + The best active cooling solution ever implemented in a torch! + 2nd highest output in the world. + Digitally regulated constant current boost driver which provides stable output and high efficiency (up to 98%) with no PWM. + User serviceable cooling system. + Excellent fit and finish in either black Type-III Hard Anodization or optional off-white Micro Arc Oxidation. + USB type C 60W or 100W charging. + 100W Power Bank functionality with measured 82% efficiency. + Low Voltage Protection. + Smart Temperature Control. + Simple and intuitive User Interface with Mechanical Lock and buttons on the handle. + Replacement fan, extra screws, extra O-Rings and torx wrench provided. + Silicone protective cover with temperature indication. + Excellent quality 100W Power Delivery 3.0 charger (optional) or 60W charger (included). + Excellent quality 1m 100W (20V, 5A) USB C cable provided, with transfer speed capability of up to 20Gbps. + IP68. Cons - Removable Tail Cap. - USB C charging port in the threads of the Tail Cap. - A mode that is lower than 900 Lumens would be useful.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Acebeam for providing the samples for review Polymeros Achaniotis 15/11/2022

Εισαγωγή Πριν περίπου τρεις μήνες ξεκίνησε μία νέα συνεργασία με την NEXTORCH. Η NEXTORCH δημιουργήθηκε το 2005 και όπως αναφέρει είναι High-End κατασκευαστής φορητών φακών. Η γκάμα προϊόντων της περιλαμβανει φορητούς φακούς για διάφορες ανάγκες, όπως για στρατιωτική χρήση, για εξωτερικά περιβάλλοντα πχ στο βουνό, για σώματα ασφαλείας όπως security, για σώματα επιβολής του νόμου πχ αστυνομία όπως και για κυνηγούς. Επιπρόσθετα υπάρχουν και κάποια μοντέλα φακών που μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν και στο ιατρικό τομέα. Στο site της NEXTORCH μπορούμε να βρούμε όλα τα προϊόντα τους, το eshop για παραγγελίες, το Download Center για να κάνουμε download το manual οποιουδήποτε προϊόντος χρειαστούμε όπως και το Blog. Μετά το πρώτο μας Review με το πρώτο προϊον που δοκιμάστηκε και ήταν το NEXTORCH K3RT 330 έφτασε στα χέρια μας ένας δεύτερος φακός. Στον πάγκο των δοκιμών ανέβηκε λοιπόν ο NEXTORCH C STAR . Όπως αναφέρεται και στο official site είναι ένας multifunctional φακός που μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί σε διάφορες καταστάσεις με κάποιες προαιρετικές βάσεις που θα αναλύσουμε παρακάτω. Unboxing - Συσκευασία - Παρελκόμενα Ο NEXTORCH C STAR αντίθετα με τον NEXTORCH K3RT 330 δεν έρχεται σε ένα μικρό κουτί αλλά σε μια πιο απλή συσκευασία που είναι ενα πλαστικό "σακουλάκι" που σφραγίζει με ένα κομμάτι χαρτόνι που έχει πλαστικοποιηθεί ελαφρώς για μεγαλύτερη αντοχή που είναι και το λογότυπο της NEXTORCH. Πράσινες πινελιές και άσπρο φόντο συνθέτουν την εικόνα με το λογότυπο της εταιρείας. Το πράσινο με το λευκό να αναφέρουμε ότι είναι και το logo της Nextorch. Ο NEXTORCH C STAR συνοδεύεται από πέντε χρόνια εγγύησης. Η επαναφορτιζόμενη μπαταρία καλύπτεται από 1 χρόνο εγγύησης. Τέλος υπάρχει BARCODE για να γίνει Register αν το επιθυμούμε όπως και στο site θα βρούμε serial number lookup. Στην μπροστά πλευρά της συσκευασίας θα βρούμε όπως είπαμε εκτυπωμένο το λογότυπο της NEXTORCH, το μοντέλο που είναι το C STAR όπως και μια περιγραφή για τον τύπο του φακού. Στην πίσω πλευρά υπάρχει μία φωτογραφία του προϊόντος και αναγράφεται ότι καλύπτεται από 5 χρόνια εγγύηση. Υπάρχει το BARCODE όπως και μερικά στοιχεία για την NEXTORCH (email, website, διέθυνση κτλ). Ανοίγωντας την συσκευασία θα βρούμε τον NEXTORCH C STAR και τα παρελκόμενα του που είναι ένα καλώδιο φόρτισης USB TYPE-A σε USB TYPE-MICRO B και ένα μικρό φυλλάδιο - εγχειρίδιο χρήσης με ότι πρέπει να γνωρίζουμε για την λειτουργία του φακού. Επιπρόσθετα στο φυλλάδιο αναφέρονται και τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά του. Στο manual υπάρχει η αγγλική γλώσσα όπως και άλλες, αλλά δεν υπάρχει η ελληνική. Παρόλα αυτά οι φωτογραφίες που υπάρχουν βοηθούν επιπρόσθετα στην κατανόηση των λειτουργιών. Στην πράξη βέβαια δεν θα χρειαστείτε καν το manual αφού αν ασχοληθείτε 2-3 λεπτά θα έχετε μάθει τις λειτουργίες του. Για αρκετά προϊόντα υπάρχουν τα manual και στην παρακάτω διεύθυνση Download Product Manual – NEXTORCH Μαζί με τον NEXTORCH C STAR μας στάλθηκαν και 2 πρόσθετες βάσεις στήριξης. Η μία ειναι για να τοποθετηθεί ο φακός σε ενα καπέλο ή σε ένα κράνος αν και στο κράνος υπάρχουν πολλοί περιορισμοί και η δεύτερη βάση για να τοποθετηθεί σε ένα ποδήλατο ή ακόμα και σε ένα ηλεκτρικό πατίνι αφού είναι βάση στήριξης για τιμόνι. Όπως βλέπουμε στην παρακάτω φωτογραφία έχουμε τον NEXTORCH C STAR μαζί με την βάση στήριξης για το κεφάλι/λαιμό, το εγχειρίδιο χρήσης, το καλώδιο φόρτισης, την βάση στήριξης bike clip για το ποδήλατο/ηλεκτρικό πατίνι και την βάση στήριξης multi-mount clip για το καπέλο κράνος. Τεχνικά Χαρακτηριστικά Τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά του NEXTORCH C STAR παρατίθενται παρακάτω: Light Source: COB Color Temperature: 6500+- 600 K Light Output: 170 lm (white) / 20 lm(white) / Constant Red / Blinking Red / Runtime: 2 h / 11 h / 18 h / - / Beam Distance: 19 m / 7 m / - / - / Battery: Built-in 640mAh lithium battery Diamensions Light Size: 60mm (length) x 46mm (width) x 17 mm (height) Weight: 64g (with battery) Water Resistance: IPX4 Impact Resistance: 1m Material: Engineering Plastics Ας αναλύσουμε λίγο τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά για όποιον μπορεί να δυσκολεύεται στην κατανόηση τους. Ο φακός έχει 4 διαφορετικές λειτουργίες ως προς την ένταση και το χρώμα του φωτός που βγάζει. Η πρώτη είναι στα 170 Lumens που φτανει το φως μέχρι τα 19 μέτρα και η διάρκεια της μπαταρίας είναι 2 ώρες, η δεύτερη στα 20 Lumens που φτάνει μέχρι τα 7 μέτρα και η διάρκεια είναι 11 ώρες, η τρίτη είναι λειτουργία σε κόκκινο χρώμα που φωτίζει μόνιμα και έχει διάρκεια 18 ώρες και η τέταρτη είναι λειτουργία Strobe που σημαίνει οτι αναβοσβήνει σε κόκκινο χρώμα. Το υλικό που έχει κατασκευαστεί ο φακός δυστυχώς δεν είναι αλουμίνιο αλλά Engineering Plastics. Το βάρος του είναι 64 γραμμάρια μαζί με την μπαταρία (πανάλαφρο). Επιπρόσθετα έχει πιστοποίηση IPX4 που σημαίνει ότι είναι Splash Proof οπότε στην περίπτωση που τον χρησιμοποιείται στην βροχή δεν θα αντιμετωπίσετε κάποια δυσλειτουργία. User Interface Η χρήση του NEXTORCH C STAR είναι εύκολη και δεν θα ταλαιπωρήσει κανέναν στην εκμάθηση του. Ο διακόπτης βρίσκεται στο πάνω μέρος του φακού. Πατώντας τον διακόπτη για 1 δευτερόλεπτο ο φακός φωτίζει με λευκό φως στην μεγάλη σκάλα. Αν πατήσουμε ξανά γρήγορα τον διακόπτη θα αλλάξει στην μικρή σκάλα. Αν πατήσουμε τον διακόπτη για 1 δευτερόλεπτο τότε θα σβήσει. Αν τώρα πατήσουμε τον διακόπτη για 3 δεπτερόλεπτα τότε θα φωτίσει στο λευκό φως το πρώτο δευτερόλεπτο αλλά μετα θα γύρισει στο κόκκινο φως. Και εδώ ισχύει οτι και πρίν. Αν πατήσουμε μια φορά θα αναβοσβήνει κόκκινο και αν πατήσουμε για ένα δευτερόλεπτο τότε θα σβησει. Σε όλες τις περιπτώσεις πρέπει να πατηθεί ο διακόπτης για 1 δευτερόλεπτο για να ανάψει ή να σβήσει οπότε είναι και δύσκολο να τον ανάψουμε ή να τον σβήσουμε καταλάθος . Δεν υπάρχει λειτουργία μνήμης που σημαίνει ότι σε όποιο mode και αν ξεκινήσουμε τον φακό όταν τον κλείσουμε δεν θα το κρατήσει. Αν για παράδειγμα τον χρησιμοποιήσουμε στο λευκό φως στην μικρή σκάλα όταν τον σβήσουμε και τον ξανά ανάψουμε θα είναι στο λευκό φως στην μεγάλη σκάλα. Στην παρακάτω φωτογραφία βλέπουμε τον NEXTORCH C STAR που έχει αφαιρεθεί από την βάση για το κεφάλι/λαιμό ώστε να χρησμοποιηθεί με άλλη βάση στήριξης. Modes and Run Times Στον παρακάτω πίνακα αναφέρονται τα επίπεδα λειτουργίας, η απόσταση, και ο χρόνος λειτουργίας. Έγινε δοκιμή στο High και είχαμε αυτονομία 1 ώρα και 56 λεπτά που είναι πολύ κοντά στο μέγιστο θεωρητικό των 2 ωρών. Έπειτα ο φακός απενεργοποιήθηκε μόνος του. Φόρτιση Η φόρτιση γίνεται με την χρήση ενός καλωδίου USB TYPE-A σε USB TYPE-MICRO B. Δυστυχώς οι περισσότεροι κατασκευαστές αρχίζουν να χρησιμοποιούν στις συσκευές τους USB TYPE-C όποτε σε περίπτωση που θέλετε να φορτίσετε τον φακό όταν είσαστε πχ διακοπές θα πρέπει να έχετε μαζί και το καλώδιο του αν το κινητό σας είναι USB TYPE-C. Βέβαια σε αυτήν την περίπτωση υπάρχει και αντάπτορας από USB TYPE-C σε USB TYPE-MICRO B. (Δεν υπάρχει στην συσκευασία). Για να επιτευχθεί η φόρτιση, στο κάτω μέρος του φακού υπάρχει ένα λαστιχένιο καπάκι που προστατεύει την υποδοχή USB TYPE-MICRO B από σκόνες και νερά, το οποίο θα πρέπει να το ανοίξουμε. Έτσι αποκαλύπτεται η θύρα φόρτισης. Αφού συνδέσουμε το καλώδιο θα ανάψει ένα κόκκινο LED δίπλα στο κουμπί ενεργοποίησης του φακού το οποίο υποδηλώνει ότι ο φακός φορτίζει. Στην παραπάνω φωτογραφία βλέπουμε το Dust/Water cover από λάστιχο που προστατεύει την θύρα φόρτισης. Η φόρτιση ξεκίνησε. Κατά την διάρκεια της φόρτισης το LED είναι κόκκινο ενώ όταν ολοκληρωθεί η φόρτιση το LED γίνεται πράσινο. Η φόρτιση ολοκληρώθηκε. Στο manual δεν καταφέραμε να βρούμε το χρόνο που απαιτείται για μια πλήρη φόρτιση. Σε δοκιμή που πραγματοποιήσαμε ο χρόνος που χρειάστηκε για μια πλήρη φόρτιση ήταν περίπου ο ίδιος που χρειάστηκε για να αδείασει η μπαταρία στο High. Όπως αναφέραμε προηγουμένως η μπαταρία άδειασε σε 1 ώρα και 56 λεπτά ενω για μια πλήρη φόρτιση χρειάστηκε 2 ώρες και 3 λεπτά. Ο χρόνος φόρτισης για μπαταρία λιθίου 640mAh είναι λίγο μεγάλος. Το LED πάνω στον φακό, μας δείχνει και το επίπεδο μπαταρίας όταν είναι σε χρήση. Όταν η μπαταρία είναι πάνω από 70% το LED είναι πράσινο. Από 30% έως 70% είναι πορτοκαλί και από 30% κάτω είναι κόκκινο. Όταν πλησιάζει η μπαταρία να αδειάσει τότε αναβοσβήνει κόκκινο. Δοκιμές Κάπου εδώ ήρθε η ώρα για να κάνουμε μερικές δοκιμές και να δούμε πόσο καλός είναι ο συγκεκριμένος φακός καθώς και τις χρήσεις του σε διαφορετικές περιπτώσεις. Καταρχήν να αναφέρουμε ότι το μέγεθος του είναι Compact που σημαίνει ότι μπορούμε να τον έχουμε μαζί μας και να αποθηκευτεί σε οποιαδήποτε σημείο θέλουμε. Οι βάσεις είναι αποσπώμενες οπότε δεν χρειάζεται να τις έχουμε όλες μαζί αλλά μπορούμε να διαλέξουμε ποια θα χρειαστούμε. Στην παρακάτω δοκιμή χρησιμοποιήσαμε την βάση στήριξης multi-mount clip για να στερεώσουμε τον NEXTORCH C STAR σε ένα καπέλο. Με την χρήση της βάσης που βρίσκεται στην συσκευασία μπορεί να στερεωθεί είτε στο κεφάλι είτε στο λαιμό μας. Με την βάση στήριξης Bike Clip μπορεί να προσαρμοστεί στο τιμόνι του ποδηλάτου. Θα χρειαστεί λίγο δύναμη για να ασφαλίσει το λαστιχάκι στήριξης πίσω από το πλαστικό. Προσωπικά δοκίμασα να στερεώσω τον φακό στο κεφάλι και τον χρησιμοποιήσα στην μικρή ένταση για να γράψω ένα κείμενο στον υπολογιστή το βράδυ, που το Laptop δεν είχε φωτιζόμενο πληκτρολόγιο. Το φως δεν με ενόχλησε καθόλου. Η πλαστική βάση προσαρμόζεται στο μέγεθος του κεφαλιού αλλά λόγω του πλαστικού υλικού δεν είναι το ίδιο άνετη με κάποιον φακό που μπορεί να έχει ιμάντα από μαλακό υλικό. Στην περίπτωση που τον χρησιμοποιήσουμε στον λαιμό μας όπως στην πρώτη φωτογραφία τότε δεν ενοχλεί καθόλου αφού το βάρος είναι πολύ μικρό. Σε αυτήν την περίπτωση αν επιθυμούμε μπορούμε να "κλείσουμε" και την βάση στο πίσω μέρος ώστε να μην μπορεί να βγεί ο φακός από τον λαιμό μας όπως φαίνεται στην παρακάτω φωτογραφία. Ακόμα και να μην το κάνουμε όμως η βάση αγκαλιάζει τον λαιμό μας και δεν πρόκειται να φύγει ή να μετακινηθεί. Η λειτουργία του φακού γίνεται από ένα κουμπί που είναι αρκετά μεγάλο στο πάνω μέρος του φακού και δεν θα μας δυσκολέψει ακόμα και αν τον έχουμε τοποθετήσει στο κεφάλι μας, ή στο ποδήλατο. Η χρήση του δεν προορίζεται για να φωτίσουμε σε μεγάλες αποστάσεις όχι μονο των σχετικά λίγων lumens που βγάζει αλλά επίσης και της Wide δέσμης. Επιπρόσθετα η αυτονομία του δεν επιτρέπει να χρησιμοποιηθεί όταν πχ είμαστε σε ένα βουνό διότι η μπαταρία δεν μπορεί να αντικατασταθεί, που αυτό σημαίνει ότι θα πρέπει να περιμένουμε 2 ώρες για να ξαναγεμίσει. Αντίθετα σε μια βραδινή βόλτα με το σκύλο ή σε κάποιο σκοτεινό δρόμο που θέλουμε να φαινόμαστε για να ξέρουν τα αυτοκίνητα ότι είμαστε εκεί, θα μας καλύψει χωρίς κάποιο πρόβλημα. Μία ακόμα λειτουργία που έχει είναι το κόκκινο φως. Πολλοί θα αναρωτιούνται ποια ή ποιες είναι οι χρήσεις του. Μερικές από τις χρήσεις που έχει το κόκκινο φως είναι οι παρακάτω: Ως security warning light. Αν χαλάσει πχ στο ποδήλατο το κανονικό λευκό φως μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί το κόκκινο ως εναλλακτική για να μας βλέπουν και να βλέπουμε και εμείς λιγο. Επίσης χρησιμοποιείται και σε πύργους κινητής τηλεφωνίας, ανεμογεννήτριες ώστε να φαίνεται ότι υπάρχει ένα εμπόδιο για πιλότους μικρών αεροπλάνων. Διατηρεί την νυχτερινή σου όραση. Τα μάτια μας χρειάζονται αρκετή ώρα για να προσαρμοστούν στο σκοτάδι αλλά λιγότερο από ενα δευτερόλεπτο για να χάσουμε αυτήν την προσαρμογή. Το κόκκινο φως διατηρεί την νυχτερινή μας όραση και φωτίζει όσο πρέπει για να μπορούμε να βλέπουμε μέσα σε ένα χώρο. Δεν ενοχλεί τα άλλα άτομα όταν είμαστε σε έναν κλειστό χώρο. Απλό παράδειγμα σε ορειβατικά καταφύγια. Για να μην ξυπνήσουμε τους άλλους αλλά ταυτόχρονα να μπορούμε εμείς να βλέπουμε στο σκοτάδι χρησιμοποιούμε το κόκκινο φως. Επίσης και να πέσει το κόκκινο φως στα μάτια ενός άλλου δεν θα τον ενοχλήσει. Το ανθρώπινο μάτι είναι λιγότερο ευαίσθητο στο κόκκινο φως. Χρησιμοποιείται σε στρατιωτικές αποστολές. Στην παραπάνω φωτογραφία βλέπουμε τα δύο Modes λειτουργίας σε λευκό και κόκκινο φως αντίστοιχα. Η επόμενη δοκιμή ήταν να δούμε αν πράγματι είναι Splash Proof. Καταρχήν η USB θύρα φόρτισης είναι στο κάτω μέρος του φακού οπότε και σε περίπτωση βροχής πολύ πιο δύσκολο να φτάσει το νερό εκεί. Παρόλα αυτά ψεκάσαμε τον φακό με νερό από λάστιχο υπό μορφή σπρέι ενώ ήταν σε λειτουργία και δεν αντιμετώπισαμε δυσλειτουργία. Προσοχή το Splash Proof δεν σημαίνει σε καμία περίπτωση ότι μπορούμε να βυθίσουμε τον NEXTORCH C STAR μέσα σε νερό. Η πιστοποίηση IPX4 σημαίνει -> IPX4 – Protects from splashing water, no matter the direction. Συμπεράσματα Αξίζει η αγορά του; Προσωπικά έμεινα ευχαριστημένος από αυτά που προσφέρει και το βασικό στην τιμή που τα προσφέρει. Η τιμή του στο Official Site της εταρείας είναι στα 17,59 δολλάρια που την θεωρώ πολύ καλή τιμή. Η τιμή είναι με την βάση στήριξης για τον λαιμό ενώ το Bike Clip και το Multi Mount Clip πωλούνται ξεχωριστά τα οποία δεν κατάφερα να τα βρω στο official site. Η δέσμη φωτός που βγάζει είναι Wide ώστε το φως να καλύπτει μια μεγάλη επιφάνεια χώρου με αντίκτυπο βέβαια την απόσταση. Θα σας παρέχει το φως στην ένταση που θέλετε όπου και αν βρεθείτε. Πολύ χρήσιμο για τεχνικούς που σίγουρα αξίζει να το έχουν στην τσάντα με τα εργαλεία τους αφού μπορούν να το έχουν στο κεφάλι ή στο λαιμό και τα χέρια τους να είναι ελεύθερα. Μπορούμε να "ρίξουμε" φως σε σκοτεινά σημεία ή σε σημεία που δεν υπάρχει ο φωτισμός που χρειαζόμαστε. Ένα από τα αρνητικά είναι ότι η μικρή σκάλα φωτισμού ειναι 20 lumens και η μεγάλη στα 170 lumens. Δεν υπάρχει κάποια ενδιάμεση σκάλα ώστε να καλύψει περισσότερες περιπτώσεις. Ο φακός μπορεί να περιστραφεί 180 μοίρες πάνω στην βάση ώστε να σημαδέψουμε ακριβώς στο σημείο που θέλουμε να φωτίσουμε. Ως τελικό συμπέρασμα είναι ένας απλός φακός για απλά καθημερινά πράγματα, σε μικρή τιμή και σε μικρό μέγεθος. Φτάσαμε στο τέλος του Review. Για οποιαδήποτε απορία το θέμα είναι ανοιχτό για ερωτήσεις. Θετικά + Πέντε χρόνια εγγύηση + Τέσσερα διαφορετικά Modes + Value For Money Αρνητικά - Αργή φόρτισης μπαταρίας - Από τα 20lm το επόμενο επίπεδο είναι τα 170 lumens  TheLAB.GR

Εισαγωγή Πριν περίπου ένα μήνα ξεκίνησε μία νέα συνεργασία με την NEXTORCH. Η NEXTORCH δημιουργήθηκε το 2005 και είναι High-End κατασκευαστής φορητών φακών. Η γκάμα προϊόντων της περιλαμβανει φορητούς φακούς για διάφορες ανάγκες, όπως για στρατιωτική χρήση, για εξωτερικά περιβάλλοντα πχ στο βουνό, για σώματα ασφαλείας όπως security, για σώματα επιβολής του νόμου πχ αστυνομία όπως και για κυνηγούς. Επιπρόσθετα υπάρχουν και κάποια μοντέλα φακών που μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν και στο ιατρικό τομέα. Στο site τους https://www.nextorch.com/ μπορούμε να βρούμε όλα τα προϊόντα τους, το eshop του για παραγγελίες, το Download Center για να κάνουμε download το manual οποιουδήποτε προϊόντος χρειαστούμε όπως και το Blog. Και τι πιο ωραίο από το να ξεκινήσουμε το πρώτο μας Review με το πρώτο προϊον που μόλις έφτασε στα χέρια μας και το οποίο προσωπικά το λάτρεψα για τις λειτουργίες και την χρηστικότητα που έχει. Στον πάγκο των δοκιμών ανέβηκε ο NEXTORCH K3RT . Εκ πρώτης όψεως φαίνεται σαν ένας φακός σε μέγεθος στυλού εξού και ότι ανήκει στην κατηγορία των Penlights. Όπως θα δούμε όμως στην συνέχεια δεν είναι απλά ένας φακός αλλά και αρκετά παραπάνω. Στην πράξη έχεις τρεις λειτουργίες που θα αναλύσουμε παρακάτω. Unboxing - Συσκευασία - Παρελκόμενα Ο NEXTORCH K3RT έρχεται σε ένα αρκετά μικρό κουτί το οποίο παρουσιαστικά είναι απλό αλλά όμορφο. Η συσκευασία είναι από σκληρό χαρτόνι που έχει πλαστικοποιηθεί για να είναι πιο ανθεκτικό . Πράσινες πινελιές και άσπρο φόντο συνθέτουν την εικόνα με το λογότυπο της εταιρείας. Το πράσινο με το λευκό να αναφέρουμε ότι είναι και το logo της Nextorch. Ο NEXTORCH K3RT συνοδεύεται από πέντε χρόνια εγγύησης. Η επαναφορτιζόμενη μπαταρία καλύπτεται από 1 χρόνο εγγύησης. Τέλος υπάρχει QR-CODE για να γίνει Register αν το επιθυμούμε όπως και στο site θα βρούμε serial number lookup. Στην μπροστά πλευρά της συσκευασίας θα βρούμε την εικόνα του NEXTORCH K3RT και ότι αφορά έναν φακό των 330 Lumens. Σε αυτό το σημείο αποκαλύπτεται και το δεύτερο χαρακτηριστικό του που είναι ότι μπορεί να σπάσει ένα τζάμι πχ αυτοκινήτου σε περίπτωση ανάγκης. Αναφέρεται ότι η φόρτιση της μπαταρίας γίνεται από την USB TYPE-C θύρα και ότι τροφοδοτείται από μία μπαταρία λιθίου των 320mAh. Πιο χαμηλά υπάρχουν κάποια επιπρόσθετα χαρακτηριστικά όπως η αδιαβροχοποίηση, τα οποία θα τα αναλύσουμε αργότερα. Στην πίσω πλευρά αναφέρονται τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά όπως η USB TYPE-C θύρα φόρτισης, η μπαταρία των 320mah, η nano-ceramic κεφαλή για το σπάσιμο τζαμιών όπως και το βάρος του, οι διαστάσεις κτλ. Στην δεξιά πλευρά αναγράφονται οι τέσσερις επιλογές λειτουργίας που έχει ως φακός και η αυτονομία που μας δίνει σε κάθε λειτουργία ενώ στην αριστερή πλευρά αποκαλύπτεται και η τρίτη λειτουργια του NEXTORCH K3RT που είναι ότι μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως Kubotan για αυτοάμυνα. Στην πάνω πλευρά δεν αναγράφεται κάτι ενώ στην κάτω πλευρά θα βρούμε το serial number όπως και το barcode. Ανοίγωντας την συσκευασία θα βρούμε μια πλαστική θήκη στην οποία υπάρχει ο φακός και τα παρελκόμενα. Τα παρελκόμενα είναι το καλώδιο φόρτισης USB TYPE-A σε USB TYPE-C, δύο ανταλακτικά O-RINGS για την στεγανοποίηση του φακού, Siliga Gel για την υγρασία και ένα μικρό φυλλάδιο - εγχειρίδιο χρήσης με ότι πρέπει να γνωρίζουμε για την λειτουργία του φακού. Στο manual υπάρχει η αγγλική γλώσσα όπως και άλλες, αλλά δεν υπάρχει η ελληνική. Παρόλα αυτά οι φωτογραφίες που υπάρχουν βοηθούν επιπρόσθετα στην κατανόηση των λειτουργιών. Στην πράξη βέβαια δεν θα χρειαστείτε καν το manual αφού αν ασχοληθείτε 2-3 λεπτά θα έχετε μάθει τις λειτουργίες του. Για αρκετά προϊόντα υπάρχουν τα manual και στην παρακάτω διεύθυνση Download Product Manual – NEXTORCH Tεχνικά Χαρακτηριστικά Τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά του NEXTORCH K3RT παρατίθενται παρακάτω: Light Source: CREE® XP-G3 LED Output: 330 lm / 65 lm / 9 lm / Strobe Runtime: 45 min / 2 h / 11 h / – Battery: Built-in 320mAh lithium battery Distance: 70 m / 30 m / 12 m / – Material: Aerospace aluminum Alloy 6061-T6 Finish: Type II hard anodized Diameter: 125 (length) x 12.9 (body dia.) x 14.3 mm (head dia.) Weight: 37g (with battery) Impact Resistance: 1 m Water Resistance: IPX7, 1m Ας αναλύσουμε λίγο τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά για όποιον μπορεί να δυσκολεύεται στην κατανόηση τους. Ο φακός έχει 4 διαφορετικές λειτουργίες ως προς την ένταση του φωτός που βγάζει. Η πρώτη είναι στα 330 Lumens που φτανει το φως μέχρι τα 70 μέτρα και η διάρκεια της μπαταρίας είναι 45 λεπτά, η δεύτερη στα 65 Lumens που φτάνει μέχρι τα 30 μέτρα και η διάρκεια είναι 2 ώρες, η τρίτη στα 9 Lumens που φτάνει μέχρι τα 12 μέτρα και η διάρκεια είναι 11 ώρες και η τέταρτη είναι λειτουργία Strobe που σημαίνει οτι αναβοσβήνει. Το υλικό που έχει κατασκευαστεί ο φακός είναι αλουμίνιο αεροπορικού τύπου και το φινίρισμα είναι Type II hard anodized με σκοπό το αλουμίνιο ως υλικό να μην μπορεί να διαβρωθεί αλλά ούτε και να "ασπρίσει" με τον καιρό. Το βάρος του είναι 37 γραμμάρια μαζί με την μπαταρία (πανάλαφρο) και μπορεί να αντέξει πτώσεις από ένα μέτρο. Επιπρόσθετα αντέχει μέχρι ένα μέτρο βάθος οπότε στην περίπτωση που πέσει στο νερό ή τον χρησιμοποιείται στην βροχή δεν θα αντιμετωπίσεται κάποια δυσλειτουργία. Ο διακόπτης είναι Chrome Plated. Επιπρόσθετα ο NEXTORCH K3RT διαθέτει κλιπ από ανοξείδωτο ατσάλι, το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται για να στερεώσουμε τον φακό σε μία τσέπη, ζώνη, θήκη τσάντας, τσεπάκι κτλ. Το κλιπ είναι αρκετά δυνατό οπότε δεν θα αντιμετωπίσουμε κάποια δυσκολία στο να στερεωθεί και να μείνει στην θέση του. Δεν χρειάζεται να ανησυχούμε μήπως πέσει ή φύγει από εκεί που τον τοποθετήσαμε. User Interface Η χρήση του NEXTORCH K3RT είναι εύκολη και δεν θα ταλαιπωρήσει κανέναν στην εκμάθηση του. Ο διακόπτης είναι στυλ forward clicky. Τι σημαίνει αυτό. Πατώντας τον διακόπτη στην μισή διαδρομή ο φακός ανάβει. Αν πατήσουμε τον διακόπτη τελείως τοτε ο φακός θα μείνει ανοιχτός στην λειτουργία που του έχουμε ορίσει. Όταν πατηθεί τελείως θα ακουστεί και το χαρακτηριστικό κλικ. Υπάρχουν όπως αναφέρουμε 4 λειτουργίες φωτισμού. Η μεγάλη, η μεσαία, η χαμηλή και το strobe. Αν συνεχίσουμε να πατάμε τον διακόπτη είτε στην μισή διαδρομή είτε γρήγορα μεχρι να ακουστεί το κλικ τότε όλες οι λειτουργίες επαναλαμβάνονται. Υπάρχει λειτουργία μνήμης ώστε αν διαλέξουμε πχ το strobe όταν κλείσουμε και ξανανοίξουμε τον φακό να είναι στην ίδια λειτουργία. Modes and Run Times Στον παρακάτω πίνακα αναφέρονται τα επίπεδα λειτουργίας, η απόσταση, και ο χρόνος λειτουργίας. Θραύση κρυστάλλων-τζαμιών Όπως αναφέραμε και προηγουμένως μια ακόμα λειτουργία του NEXTORCH K3RT είναι ότι μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί σε μία περίπτωση ανάγκης για να σπάσουμε κάποιο τζάμι-κρύσταλλο. Πως επιτυγχάνεται αυτό: Στο μπροστινό μέρος του NEXTORCH K3RT υπάρχει ένας δακτύλιος ή όπως οι περισσότεροι το γνωρίζουμε ως bezel το οποίο είναι από ατσάλι με τρεις κυλινδρικές μύτες (beads) από ζιρκόνιο, ένα ορυκτό που βρίσκουμε στη φύση και φημίζεται για την σκληρότητα ,την αντοχή του αλλά και την εξαίρετη ομορφιά του. Το τζάμι ειδικά σε ένα αμάξι είναι δύσκολο να σπάσει με ένα οποιοδήποτε αντικείμενο λόγω της επεξεργασίας που έχει γίνει. Αυτό έχει ως αποτέλεσμα να μην μπορεί να σπάσει εύκολα σε περίπτωση που χρειαστεί διότι για να επιτυχθεί αυτό πρέπει να ασκηθεί αρκετή δύναμη σε ένα μικρό σημείο ώστε να δημιουργηθεί ράγισμα και στην συνέχεια να σπάσει. Ένα από τα σενάρια που κανένας μας δεν θα ήθελε να βρεθεί είναι σε ένα αμάξι το οποίο έχει πέσει μέσα στο νερό και βουλιάζει. Με τα χέρια μας, το τζάμι του αυτοκινήτου δεν πρόκειται να σπάσει και δυστυχώς δεν έχουμε πολύ χρόνο στην διάθεση μας. Με το NEXTORCH K3RT, το οποίο λόγω μικρού μεγέθους μπορούμε να το έχουμε μαζί μας όπως ένα στυλό, μπορούμε να λύσουμε το συγκεκριμένο πρόβλημα. Το μόνο που θα χρειαστεί είναι να χτυπήσουμε, πιέσουμε το τζάμι-κρύσταλλο με το μπροστά μέρος του NEXTORCH K3RT που βρίσκονται τα beads. Η θραύση τζαμιού-κρυστάλλου μπορεί να χρειαστεί και σε ένα δεύτερο σενάριο που έχει αναφερθεί πολλές φορές και δυστυχώς δεν είναι άλλο από τις περιπτώσεις που γονείς έχουν ξέχασει κάποιο παιδί ήκατοικίδιο μέσα στο αμάξι σε μια ζεστή μέρα του καλοκαιριού, το οποίο μπορεί να αποβεί μοιραίο αν δεν κάνουμε κάτι. Self-Defense - Αυτοάμυνα - Kubotan Η τρίτη χρήση του NEXTORCH K3RT είναι για αυτοάμυνα ως Kubotan. Πάλι με την χρήσης της κεφαλής στο μπροστινό μέρος του φακού μπορούμε να ασκήσουμε πίεση, χτύπημα σε κάποιο μέρος του σώματος. Πολλοί θα αναρωτηθούν για την νομιμότητα του να έχουμε μαζί μας κάποιο αντικείμενο, όπως σε αυτήν την περίπτωση τον συγκεκριμένο φακό. Ως Kubotan μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθούν πολλά απλά καθημερινά αντικείμενα, τα οποία είναι νόμιμο να έχουμε μαζί μας. Το ίδιο ισχύει και στην περίπτωση του NEXTORCH K3RT. Λόγω του σχήματος της κεφαλής όπως και των beads μπορεί να δημιουργήσει από λίγο έως αρκετό πόνο, ανάλογα με το πόση δύναμη θα ασκήσουμε και σε ποιο σημείο θα χτυπήσουμε. Να πω ότι δεν άντεξα στον πειρασμό και το δοκίμασα στον ευατό μου :P. Καταρχήν να αναφέρω ότι επειδή το μέγεθος του φακού είναι μικρό χωράει εύκολα μέσα στο χέρι μας και επίσης το grip είναι πολύ καλό, οπότε και δεν θα γλυστρίσει ο φακός μέσα από τα χέρια μας. Λόγω του σχήματος της κεφαλής, των beads από ζιρκόνιο και της σκληρότητας του ζιρκονίου πράγματι χωρίς να ασκήσω μεγάλη δύναμη κατάφερα να πονέσω ακόμα και στο χέρι. Δεν θέλω να φανταστώ πόσο θα πονέσει αν χρησιμοποιήθει με μεγαλύτερη δύναμη ή αν χτυπήσουμε κάποιο πιο ευαίσθητο μέρος τους ανθρώπινου σώματος. Οπότε δεν έχει σημασία πόση δύναμη έχετε. Το χτύπημα θα το καταφέρετε μια χαρά. Φόρτιση Η φόρτιση γίνεται με την χρήση ενός καλωδίου USB TYPE-A σε USB TYPE-C. Είναι πολύ θετική η χρήση του USB TYPE-C, αφού όλοι οι κατασκευαστές σιγά σιγά τοποθετούν το συγκεκριμένο Interface στις συσκευές τους και αυτό έχει ως αποτέλεσμα να μην χρειάζεται να έχουμε μαζί μας πολλά διαφορετικά καλώδια φόρτισης. Για να επιτευχθεί η φόρτιση ξεβιδώνουμε το μπροστά μέρος του φακού και αποκαλύπτεται η θύρα φόρτισης. Αφού συνδέσουμε το καλώδιο θα αναβοσβήσει ένα κόκκινο, πράσινο LED. Για να ξεκινήσει η φόρτιση ΠΡΕΠΕΙ να πατήσουμε τον διακόπτη. Αν τον ξαναπατήσουμε η φόρτιση διακόπτεται. Όπως βλέπουμε και στην φωτογραφία παρακάτω, υπάρχει και ένα O-Ring που είναι για την στεγανοποίηση της θύρας USB. Αν το O-Ring χαλάσει μέσα στην συσκευασία υπάρχουν δύο ακόμα. Αν το Ο-Ring στεγνώσει μπορούμε να χρησιμοποιήσουμε ελάχιστο γράσσο σιλικόνης. Το O-Ring προστατεύει από το νερό και την σκόνη ώστε να μην διεισδύσει στην θύρα USB. Η φόρτιση ξεκίνησε. Κατά την διάρκεια της φόρτισης το LED είναι κόκκινο ενώ όταν ολοκληρωθεί η φόρτιση το LED γίνεται πράσινο. Η διάρκεια φόρτισης όπως αναφέρεται στο manual είναι 2,5 ώρες. Στην πράξη ο χρόνος αυτός ισχύει αφού το συνδέσαμε σε μία υποδοχή USB του Laptop και χρονομετρήσαμε το χρόνο που ήθελε για μια πλήρη φόρτιση και ήταν κάτι λιγότερο από 2,5 ώρες. Ο χρόνος φόρτισης για μπαταρία λιθίου 320mAh είναι δυστυχώς αρκετά μεγάλος. Η φόρτιση ολοκληρώθηκε. Έχοντας βγάλει το καπάκι για να συνδέσουμε το USB καλώδιο φόρτισης. Διακρίνουμε το O-RING. Δοκιμές Κάπου εδώ ήρθε η ώρα για να κάνουμε μερικές δοκιμές και να δούμε πόσο καλός είναι ο συγκεκριμένος φακός. Καταρχήν να αναφέρουμε ότι το μέγεθος του είναι λίγο μεγαλύτερο από ένα στυλό, που σημαίνει ότι μπορούμε να τον έχουμε μαζί μας και να αποθηκευτεί σε οποιαδήποτε σημείο θέλουμε. Η πρώτη δοκιμή ήταν να δούμε αν πράγματι είναι αδιάβροχος όπως αναφέρει. Δεν είχαμε την δυνατότητα να τον βυθίσουμε σε ένα μέτρο βάθος οπότε αρκεστήκαμε να γεμίσουμε ένα δοχείο με νερό και να τον βυθίσουμε μέσα εν ώρα λειτουργίας. Τον αφήσαμε 10 λεπτά για δοκιμή χωρίς να αντιμετωπίσουμε οποιοδήποτε πρόβλημα. Η χρήση του είναι πανεύκολη και χωρίς το manual αφού όλες οι λειτουργίες πραγματοποιούνται από τον διακόπτη στο πίσω μέρος με την χρήσης του ενός μας χεριού. Για πολλούς η απορία θα είναι: Πόσο καλά φωτίζει. Στο High η απόσταση όπως αναφέρει είναι 70 μέτρα. Πράγματι και χωρίς να έχουμε το απόλυτο σκοτάδι η δέσμη κατάφερε να φτάσει αρκετά μακρυά. Το τίμημα είναι ότι ζεστένεται αρκετά το μπροστά μέρος του φακού και η μπαταρία θα κρατήσει 45 λεπτά. Η θερμοκρασία στο μπροστά μέρος του φακού δεν μας επηρεάζει αφού τον φακό τον κρατάμε από πιο χαμηλό σημείο οπότε απλά σε εκείνο το σημείο είναι ζεστός. Στα 65 και στα 9 Lumens ο NEXTORCH K3RT δεν ζεστένεται καθόλου Με τις ρυθμίσεις τις φωτογραφικής μηχανής στο manual και να είναι ίδιες και στις δύο φωτογραφίες, βγάλαμε το κτίριο πριν και μετά με την χρήση των 330 Lumens. Η διαφορά όπως βλέπουμε είναι εμφανής. Στην παρακάτω φωτογραφία και σε μικρή απόσταση δοκιμάσαμε όλα τα modes δηλαδή στα 330 Lumens, 65 Lumens και στα 9 Lumens. Τα 9 Lumens έχουν χρησιμότητα για πολύ κοντινή απόσταση πχ μέσα σε ένα δωμάτιο. Ο NEXTORCH K3RT έχει σχετικά κατευθυντική δέσμη που όσο μεγαλώνει η απόσταση ανοίγει σιγά σιγά. Στην παρακάτω φωτογραφία βλέπουμε το Pattern της δέσμης σε πολυ κοντινή απόσταση. Το περισσότερο φως βγαίνει στο κέντρο και διαχέεται σε μικρότερη ένταση γύρω από την κεντρική δέσμη. Συμπεράσματα Αξίζει η αγορά του; Προσωπικά έμεινα ενθουσιασμένος από τον συγκεκριμένο φακό και ήδη πήρε την θέση του μέσα στο καθημερινό shoulder bag που έχω μαζί μου. Η τιμή του στο Official Site της εταρείας είναι στα 49 δολλάρια που την θεωρούμε πολύ καλή τιμή για αυτά που προσφέρει. Θα σας παρέχει το φως στην ένταση που θέλετε όπου και αν βρεθείτε. Η φόρτιση με USB TYPE-C θα σας λύσει τα χέρια διότι δεν θα χρειαστεί να έχετε κάποιο επιπλέον καλώδιο πέρα από το καλώδιο για το κινητό σας. Πολύ χρήσιμο για τεχνικούς που σίγουρα αξίζει να το έχουν στην τσάντα με τα εργαλεία τους. Μπορούμε να "ρίξουμε" πολύ φως σε σκοτεινά σημεία ή σε σημεία που δεν υπάρχει ο φωτισμός που χρειαζόμαστε. Ένας φακός που θα αντέξει σε όλες τις καταπονήσεις. Θετικά + Πέντε χρόνια εγγύηση. + Τέσσερα διαφορετικά Modes + Λειτουργία Penlight, Glass Breaker, Self_Defense + Value For Money + USB TYPE-C Αρνητικά - Αργή φόρτισης μπαταρίας - Από τα 65lm το επόμενο επίπεδο είναι τα 330lm.  TheLAB.GR Ευχαριστούμε την NEXTORCH για την παραχώρηση του δείγματος δοκιμής.

Introduction Having someone to hold your torch so you can have both hands free is useful in many situations, especially if they are good at pointing it where you want to see and of course, not in your eyes. When no such brilliant helper can be found, a head torch can do just as good a job. Head torches come in many different varieties, ranging from low CRI - high output, to illuminate large areas to high CRI - low output, for illuminating closer, with better quality light. Sofirn sent us one of their head torches to review, that can combine both: The Sofirn HS20. The Sofirn HS20 is a dual head lamp, with independent controls for a high output - low CRI and a low(er) output - high CRI emitter. This sounds like a brilliant idea, so let's delve into it and see how they've done! Unboxing The Sofirn HS20 comes in a generic brown box with the company logo stamped on the top and a sticker specifying the exact model it contains. The torch and all the accessories are tucked inside in no particular order. The accessories include a 1m (3ft) long USB A to USB C charging cable, 2 spare O-rings, the head strap and the manual. The torch itself comes protected in a bubble-wrap bag. There is a label on the torch, held with a rubber band, reminding the end user to remove the insulation paper from the battery (which is shipped inside the torch) so the torch can function. The design of the Sofirn HS20 makes it a dedicated head torch, as it is not convenient to operate in hand. It consists of a tube, with 2 end caps and a protrusion in the middle of the tube, which houses the 2 emitters and their optics. On top of the protrusion there are 2 buttons, to control the 2 emitters separately. The emitter on the left (as you face the torch) is a Cree XHP50.2 inside an orange peel reflector. Despite being marketed as a spotlight, this configuration with a large dye emitter and a shallow, orange peel reflector is not going to focus the light into a narrow beam and have a lot of throw. I consider it instead to be the high output option. The emitter on the right is a Samsung LH351D CRI90 behind a TIR optic, which is protected by a glass lens. This is marketed as a flood light and indeed the TIR optic makes it floody. It is also the high CRI, lower output option. One of the end caps is marked with the USB symbol. The other has the mandatory CE / RoHS / do not throw in the bin markings. Unscrewing the USB marked end cap reveals the USB C charging port. Unscrewing the other end cap reveals the battery, with the insulating paper on top. The battery is a Sofirn branded, button top, 3000mAh, 18650, Li-Ion battery. A brass puck at the back of the driver PCB makes contact with the positive terminal of the battery while a thick, good quality spring on the end cap makes contact with the negative terminal. The torch fits securely in the silicone cradle of the head band and the straps are soft and adjustable. Build Quality The build quality of the Sofirn HS20 is... OK. All parts fit together nicely and the anodization is uniform but there are some milling defects that can be seen under the anodization, especially on the edges of the milled grooves at the back. This has no functional consequences whatsoever, of course, but it detracts from the aesthetics. Specifications The specifications of the Sofirn HS20 as found on the company's website can be viewed below. The high output Cree XHP50.2 emitter has a CCT of 6000K-6500K and a CRI of 70 while the high CRI Samsung LH351D emitter has a CCT of 5000K and a CRI of 90. The USB C port facilitates fast charging with 2A current and can charge the included battery in 2.5 hours. User Interface The Sofirn HS20 features one switch per emitter, for fully independent control. From OFF: Click throw / flood button to turn on throw / flood emitter. Press and hold to select modes low / medium / high. Click to turn off. Double click throw / flood button to turn on throw / flood emitter on Turbo. Click to turn off. Triple click any button to activate lock out. The flood emitter will flash twice. Clicking any button while in lock out mode will make the flood emitter flash twice to indicate the torch is in lock out mode. Triple click throw / flood button to go out of lockout mode and turn on the throw / flood emitter. Press and hold throw / flood button to turn on throw / flood emitter on Eco mode. Keep holding for more then 1sec to go to and cycle through the standard modes: low / medium / high. Click to turn off. From ON: Click the throw / flood button to turn off the throw / flood emitter. Double click the throw / flood button to go to Turbo on the throw / flood emitter. Click to return to the previous mode. Triple click any button to cycle through throw / flood / throw + flood. Long press the throw / flood button to select modes low / medium / high on the throw / flood emitter. Click to turn off. The switches are also lit, to provide information on the battery level. Modes and Run Times The Sofirn HS20 has 5 modes for each emitter: Eco, Low, Medium, High and Turbo. The output of each mode for each emitter as well as the 2 emitters combined together, according to Sofirn, is shown in the following table. My measurements are in the table below in orange, while the company specifications are in black. It looks like the specifications of the Sofirn HS20 are quite accurate! Size Comparison Here is a side by side photo of the Sofirn HS20 with the Sofirn HS10. The Sofirn HS20 is quite compact for a dual emitter head torch with a 18650 battery. Photometry I took some photometry readings with an Opple Light Master Pro. The results are in the following table. The CCTs of both emitters seem to be warmer than spec. The CRI readings are what is expected. On the other hand, it looks like the Opple Light master pro has trouble reading the Duv of the Cree XHP50.2 emitter, which, as you can see in the following photos, taken with a white balance of 5500K, is definitely not on the rosy side. The photos show the Sofirn HS20 on the right, compared to the Sofirn HS10 on the left. The Sofirn HS10 uses a Samsung LH351D 5000K emitter, which is the same with the Sofirn HS20 flood emitter. On the first photo we see the Sofirn HS20 spot light, on the second the flood light and on the third, both. Beam Profile As there are 2 emitters with their separate optics in the Sofirn HS20, we have 2 beam profiles and of course, the combination of both. The first photo shows the beam profile of the spotlight, with the Cree XHP50.2 emitter and the shallow, orange peal reflector. The second photo shows the beam profile of the floodlight, with the Samsung LH351D emitter and the TIR optic. It is obvious that the first has a tighter hot spot than the second and as it also has more output, it is certain it will throw further. In the last photo, we have the combined beam profile of both emitters. Beam Shots Here are some beam shots of the Sofirn HS20 flood light, spot light and dual emitters, at Low, Medium, High and Turbo. The following video shows a comparison of the Sofirn HS20 to the Sofirn HS10, on Turbo, using both emitters of the Sofirn HS20. The distance to the end of the alley is 70m. Driver The driver of the Sofirn HS20 features thermal step down, reverse polarity protection and low voltage protection. It is a FET driver and uses PWM on all modes to control the output. The PWM is of high frequency and not visible to the eye. Here is the PWM when only the spotlight is on: Here is the PWM when only the floodlight is on: And this is the PWM with both emitters on: The camera can see the PWM but the eye cannot. Current Draw The following table shows the current draw of the Sofirn HS20, using the included battery. Charging The Sofirn HS20 comes with USB C onboard charging. The battery included with the Sofirn HS20 is rated at 3000mAh and I measured it at 3043mAh. The battery's internal resistance was measured at 50mΩ. It looks like the battery included with the Sofirn HS20 is of high quality. The torch has under voltage protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.88V. Charging the battery of the Sofirn HS20 is very easy. Just plug the included USB A to USB C cable and any USB charger that can provide the required maximum current of 2A into the USB C socket on the torch to charge it. Using a lower output charger will still work but the charging will be slower and take more time. There is also support for USB C to USB C cable charging. The indicative LED next to the USB C socket will turn red while the battery is charging and green to indicate a full charge. Charging the Sofirn HS20 battery from 2.88V to 4.12V, where the charging terminated, took 2 hours, 28 minutes and 2 seconds, which is in accordance with the 2.5 hours charging specification. The maximum current drawn was 1.7688A. Output & Runtimes The Sofirn HS 20 is rated at a maximum output of 2700 Lumen and a maximum throw of 136m. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. Running the Sofirn HS20 with the included battery and using both emitters yielded a maximum output of 2616 Lumen at turn on and 2456 Lumen at 30 seconds (ANSI). That is very close to spec. The outputs of the spotlight and floodlight emitters were also up to spec. You can see the full runtimes of each emitter separately and both together, on Turbo, in the graph below. Here are the first 10 minutes, in greater detail. I measured the throw of the Sofirn HS20, using the included battery and both emitters, at 138m (4732cd). The spotlight was measured at 127m (4002cd) and the floodlight at 71m (1271cd). Conclusion The Sofirn HS20 is a value for money, dual head torch that includes a high CRI floodlight and a high power spotlight with independent controls and an intuitive and simple user interface. It comes with a comfortable, adjustable head strap, USB C 2A charging and a 3000mAh 18650 battery. The build quality is good and the design is very functional, but the finish could be better aesthetically, as there are some small imperfections in the milling, under the anodization. The driver uses PWM to control the output in all modes, but the PWM is high frequency and not visible or in any way tiring to the eye. The driver also has thermal regulation, low voltage protection and reverse polarity protection. If you are in the UK, you can purchase the Sofirn HS20 from Amazon for £56.99, minus a 10% voucher available at the time of this review. From anywhere in the world, you can purchase it from the Sofirn Website for $41.99 plus the tax for your country. For Greece, the tax is $5.46 and brings the total cost to $47.45. Let us summarise the pros and cons of the Sofirn HS20. Pros + Dual emitters, 1 high output Cree XHP50.2 and 1 high CRI Samsung LH351D, with independent controls. + Simple and intuitive user interface. + High and true to spec output. + Temperature regulation, low voltage protection and reverse polarity protection. + USB C 2A onboard charging with USB C to USB C support. + 3000mAh 18650 Li-Ion battery included. + Comfortable and adjustable head strap. + IP68. + Value for money. Cons - Small imperfections in the milling, under the anodization.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Sofirn for providing the torch for review Polymeros Achaniotis 13/04/2022

Introduction Things that try to do two jobs are often mediocre at both, so when I was offered a review sample of the Acebeam Rider RX I was sceptical. You see, this particular torch is marketed not only as an EDC torch but also a fidget toy. And the immediate thought that comes to mind is what compromises had to be made for it to be both? Acebeam is a company that thinks things through in their designs and implementations and I was interested to see how they went about it, so I accepted the sample and will be presenting my findings and thoughts in this article. Let's delve into this review and find out if the Acebeam Rider RX is a good EDC torch. Fidget toy. Both. Unboxing The Acebeam Rider RX comes in a simple white box, with a clear window at the front through which you can see the torch. The front of the box also states the brand and model while the back has the company information and various certifications and QR codes. The two sides have the company logo and the 5 year warranty, respectively. The top and bottom of the box are plain white. Inside the box, we find the torch, in a clear, moulded plastic that holds it in place and under that we find the accessories. The accessories include the user manual, a lanyard, spare o-rings and the short USB-A to USB-C charging cable. The manual unfolds to a single sheet of paper. One side of it is written in English and the other side is in Chinese. In the following photo you can see the English side. The construction of the Acebeam Rider RX includes an outer tube, made of stainless steel and an inner tube made of aluminium. The outer tube comes in 4 different finishes that you can see in the following photo, while the inner tube is always anodized blue. The sample that was sent to me is the blue version of the Acebeam Rider RX which is the most discrete one, as the outer stainless steel tube does not contrast with the inner aluminium tube. It is a very nice blue as well. The torch is very pocketable, as it uses a 14500 / AA battery and is well designed and appealing to the eye. The outer tube has cut outs through which you can see the inner tube. Very nice. The front of the torch shows clearly the double tube design while the back has the switch. The mid section is the most interesting part, with the cut outs that show the inner tube. The clip is large and bidirectional and to he honest does not look remotely as elegant as the rest of the torch. It is very functional and the size and shape are deliberate, as they are necessary for the fidgeting function. It is held in place by two screws. As you can see, the cut out for the clip allows for it to be moved to the side and then forward, as the arrow indicates. There is a spring loaded ball bearing that will engage into the 3 small holes to stop the clip assembly in specific places. The switch is simple, flat and allows the torch to tail stand. The lens comes protected with a film that must be removed before use. Once the film is removed, we can see the shallow, smooth reflector and the emitter. The emitter is a Nichia 219F at 5000K. In order to open the battery compartment, we first need to follow the arrow and move the clip to the side and then forward. This action pushes the inner tube to the front and exposes the front part of it. As a consequence, the switch is recessed inside the outer tube and is unreachable. This could work as a mechanical lock out as well. Now that the front part of the inner tube is exposed, we can just unscrew it to gain access to the battery compartment. The battery comes inside the torch, with the positive terminal insulated for safety. At the back of the battery, there is a thick, good quality spring, while the positive terminal at the front of the battery makes contact with a brass button on the driver PCB. Some of the electronics are on this side of the PCB as well. The battery that comes with the Acebeam Rider RX is a Li-Ion 14500 with a rated capacity of 920mAh. It also features a USB-C charging port. Very convenient. Build Quality I am certain that it was clear from the photos that the build quality of the Acebeam Rider RX is very good. The fit and finish are impeccable and the anodizing and painting are excellent. Specifications The specifications of the Acebeam Rider RX, as found on the company's website, are as follows: The Acebeam Rider RX features a Nichia 219F emitter, with a CRI >90 and a neutral CCT of 5000K. The output of 650 Lumens is not exceptional, but for a high CRI torch in this size it is normal, if you want any kind of duration on high. The smooth but shallow reflector throws to 96 meters, which is quite respectable for the size and adequate for EDC purposes. The size and weight of the Acebeam Rider RX make it very easy to carry. A great feature of the Acebeam Rider RX is its ability to use Ni-MH and Alkaline batteries, in addition to the Li-Ion battery it comes with, so you are never out of power. The output with the lower voltage batteries is, of course, also lower. User Interface The user interface of the Acebeam Rider RX is simple and intuitive. The switch is a forward clicky, which means you half press repeatedly to select the mode you want (momentary use) and full press to keep the torch permanently on at the currently selected mode. There are four modes that you can cycle through it that way, Ultra Low, Low, Mid and High and then the cycle repeats. There is mode memory, so the torch with start at the last used mode. A double half press will put the torch in SOS mode where it automatically shines an SOS in Mors code. Fully pressing the switch at that point will leave the torch running in that mode, while another half press instead will move forward within the normal 4 modes. Modes and Run Times The following table shows the output levels and respective durations of the Acebeam Rider RX with the included Li-Ion battery as well as with a Ni-MH and an Alkaline battery. My own measurements show slightly less brightness than the specs, but not by much. The Ni-MH battery I used was a white Eneloop. Fidget Factor The fidgeting function of the Acebeam Rider RX relies on the movement of the clip, which exposes the front part of the inner tube, as shown below. I was not sold on it to begin with, but when I got my hands on the sample and tried it, it quickly grew on me and I found it quite satisfying. I have not and would not fidget with the Acebeam Rider RX in the presence of other people though, as it is quite loud and I expect it would annoy them. Another point to consider is that the front of the clip slides on the paint of the outer tube, which seems to be of very high quality and resilient so far, but I am sure that with time and many repetitions, the friction will damage the paint. Size Comparison The size of the Acebeam Rider RX is quite standard for a 14500 torch. Here is is between the Lumintop Tool 2.0 and the Olight i5T, for comparison. This is a very pocketable form factor and that is why 14500 sized torches are a popular EDC choice. Photometry I used an Opple Light Master Pro to measure the CCT, CRI and Duv of the Acebeam Rider RX. The results for all four output modes can be seen below, from Ultra Low to High. The CCT is quite close to spec across all four output modes and the CRI is consistently above 90, as promised. Unfortunately, the Duv is positive, which means a greenish rather than a rosy tint. To visualise that, I took the following photo, with the white balance manually set to 5500K. On the left we have the Lumintop Tool 2.0, modified with a Nichia 219b sw45k R9080 emitter, which is very rosy. In the middle is the Acebeam Rider RX and on the right we have the Olight i5T which is known to have a distinctly greenish hue. Beam Profile The beam profile of the Acebeam Rider RX can be seen in the following photo. There is a defined hot spot, that guarantees some throw, and adequate spill. A well balanced beam profile for EDC. Beam Shots I tested the Acebeam Rider RX over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Acebeam Rider RX to the Lumintop Tool 2.0, modified with a Nichia 219b sw45k R9080 emitter and the Olight i5T. Driver Acebeam usually employs very high quality, constant current drivers with no visible or invisible flickering. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the driver of the Acebeam Rider RX. The Opple Light Master Pro shows high risk flickering in the Ultra Low and Low modes, while there is still flickering albeit non harmful on Mid and High modes. The details of the modulation can be seen below. This is how my camera sees the modulation of the Acebeam Rider RX. Current Draw The current that the Acebeam Rider RX draws in each of the four modes can be seen below. The maximum current drawn, on High, is 2.56A, so any button top 14500 battery that can provide at least that output, will work well with the Acebeam Rider RX. Charging The battery included with the Acebeam Rider RX is rated at 920mAh and I measured it at 955mAh. The battery's internal resistance was measured at 75mΩ. It is clear that the battery included with the Acebeam Rider RX is of high quality. The torch has under voltage protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.83V. Charging the battery of the Acebeam Rider RX is very easy. Just use the included USB-A to USB-C cable and any USB charger or computer USB port to charge it. Unfortunately, the battery does not support USB-C to USB-C cable charging (no PD support). The indicative LED around the positive terminal will turn red while the battery is charging and green to indicate a full charge. Charging the Acebeam Rider RX battery from 2.83V to 4.19V, where the charging terminated, took 3 hours, 13 minutes and 54 seconds. The maximum current drawn was 0.4362A, so any USB charger or computer USB port will be sufficient. A charger is not provided with the light but you can use your phone charger. Output & Runtimes The Acebeam Rider RX is rated at a maximum output of 650 Lumen and a maximum throw of 96m. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. Running the Acebeam Rider RX with the included battery yielded a maximum output of 614 Lumen at turn on and 542 Lumen at 30 seconds (ANSI). The output kept dropping gradually until the 2 minute and 11 seconds mark, when it dove to 396 Lumen. From there, it gradually dropped to 370 Lumen over the next 6 minutes and then dropped to 302 Lumen. From that point on, the output gradually declined until it turned off at 1 hour, 14 minutes and 57 seconds. From the runtime graph we can deduce that the output level is dependant on the battery voltage and timed step downs. There is no thermal regulation as I was able to reset the torch to full output by turning it off and back on. Here are the first 10 minutes, in greater detail. I used a white Eneloop to test the Acebeam Rider RX with a Ni-MH battery. The output starts at 172 Lumen and climbs to 176 Lumen over the first minute of operation. It then drops to 123 Lumen for another 6 minutes and then to 76 Lumen until almost the 2 hour mark. Then there is a brief increase in brightness, while the driver attempts to compensate for the dropping battery voltage and after that the output drops to very low levels for another hour and 20 minutes before the torch turns itself off. It is obvious and expected that when using a Ni-MH or an Alkaline battery the voltage is boosted to be able to drive the emitter and therefore the output is more stable. Here are the first 10 minutes of the above graph, in greater detail. I measured the throw of the Acebeam Rider RX, using the included battery, at 94m (2190cd), which is close enough to the 96m declared in the specs. With the white Eneloop battery, the throw I measured was at 50m (622cd). Conclusion The Acebeam Rider RX is a 14500 sized EDC torch with a fidget function. It features a double tube design, with the outer tube made of stainless steel in 4 different finish options and the inner tube made of blue anodized aluminium. The quality of the construction, painting and anodization is excellent and fidgeting with it can be fun, but is also loud and may annoy some people in the vicinity. The beam profile and output are optimized for EDC use and the torch is operated by a forward clicky tail switch which feels rather mushy but is easy to use. The user interface is simple and the mode spacing is good. The emitter used in the Acebeam Rider RX is a Nichia 219F with CRI>90 and CCT=5000K which is above BBL in all output modes but not as much as other torches, like the Olight i5T. It is rather close to natural day light, which is also above BBL. My measurements of the output levels found them to be below specs, but not by much. The Acebeam Rider RX can be ordered directly from the Acebeam website and costs $54.95, including the battery and shipping. Let us summarise the pros and cons of the Acebeam Rider RX. Pros + Excellent build quality, painting and anodizing + Stainless steel outer tube with aluminium inner tube + Engaging fidget function + Impeccable and intricate machining + High CRI 5000K emitter + Low Voltage Protection. + USB -C rechargeable battery included + Supports Li-Ion, Ni-MH and Alkaline batteries + Simple and intuitive UI + IP68 + Easily pocketable form factor + Reverse polarity protection Cons - Flickering, especially in Ultra Low and Low levels - No thermal regulation - The battery does not support USB-C to USB-C cable charging - Above BBL  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Acebeam for providing the torch for review Polymeros Achaniotis 28/03/2022

Introduction A little over a month ago, I reviewed the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K and was impressed by its quality and performance. Being quite fond both of Titanium and of high CRI emitters, I could not resist testing the CRI95+ variant of the E70 in a Titanium host. Acebeam offers two finishes for their Acebeam E70-TI, a stonewashed finish and a PVD coated finish in rainbow colours. Titanium is a fantastic metal, being very strong and hard for its weight, but it is far from optimal for torches because of its poor thermal conductivity. That, coupled with the high CRI emitter, which by default has low efficiency and produces much more heat than the Cree XHP70.2, means that if you are after performance you would be much better off sticking to the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K. The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is not about performance, it is about eye candy! The high CRI emitter offers a pleasant tint and excellent colour rendition that compliments the luxurious look and feeling of the Titanium host perfectly. So, Lumen hunters, that's your cue to exit. Tint snobs, high CRI lovers, Titanium devotees, follow me! Unboxing The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ comes in a white box with a clear window that allows a view of the light. The box emphasizes the 5 year warranty and the high efficiency, constant current boost circuit, both attesting to the high quality of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+. The back side of the box does not offer any more information on specifications, but rather the company address, a few QR coded links and the usual certification logos. My Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ sample is neither the stonewashed nor the PVD coated version. It is a unique sample I procured from Acebeam at a reviewer's discount and it is Chromium Electroplated Titanium. And it is gorgeous! The top and bottom of the box have nothing printed on them, so nothing to show. One of the longer sides lists the possible applications of the torch while the other shows if the battery is included, the emitter type and a warning regarding safe usage. Regarding the emitter choice, there is 6500K, 5000K and the 95+ CRI 4500K LED that is featured in today's sample. The 6500K and 5000K are 6V Cree XHP 70.2 LEDs while the 95+ CRI 4500K is the GT-FC40 which is a 12V LED and comes with a different driver. The maximum output of the CRI95+ emitter is rated at 2500 Lumen, the 6500K at 4600 Lumen and the 5000K 10% less (according to a company representative). The box features magnetic closure and opens like a book to reveal its contents. The accessories include a charging cable, 2 spare O-rings, a storage bag and a lanyard, not pictured here as it came attached to the light. The leaflets include the manual, a warranty card, safety instructions and a note explaining the battery is in the light and the insulation sheet needs to be removed before use. The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ comes with the lanyard pre-attached. I removed the lanyard to better show the torch, which features a unique design that is very harmonious and pleasing to the eye. The bezel is crenulated and the head features alternating circular and oblong designs, which work well together. The 8 oblong grooves are meant to house 12x2mm tritium vials according to Acebeam, but are not deep enough to completely cover them, measuring only 1.60mm in depth. As the glass tritium vials are very fragile, protruding equals a 100% chance of breaking. I would suggest to Acebeam to either make the grooves deeper by 0.5mm or, if not possible, to not advertise them as fit to house 12x2mm tritium vials. The body of the torch features a helix design, with cut outs revealing the inner tube and creating a beautiful visual effect. It also features 6 oblong grooves where it connects to the head that are meant to house 6x1.5mm tritium vials and are perfectly sized for it. The tail part of the tube features tapped holes where the milled clip comes pre-attached. The clip features an oblong groove that fits a 12x2mm tritium vial perfectly and is deep enough for it. There are 3 sections at the back end of the body. One with the clip installed, one with tapped holes, where the clip could be moved to - no idea why though - and one with bigger holes, where the lanyard came pre-installed. Removing the lanyard is very easy but re-installing it requires thin tweezers, which is probably why the company opted to ship the light with the lanyard already installed. In total, the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ features an intricate design which looks quite busy but still harmonious and pleasing to the eye. The machining of such a design is not an easy feat, especially in Titanium and with the level of detail and quality we see here. The business end of the torch comes with a protective plastic film, which must be removed before use. Under the protective film, we can see the shallow orange peel reflector and the GT-FC40 CRI95+ 4500K emitter. The combination of such a large LED with the shallow OP reflector guarantee a very floody beam. The back end of the torch is quite simple. It is where the switch for the operation of the torch is located. I like the simple, recessed design of the switch which allows the torch to tail stand and helps to protect from accidental activation. Clicking the switch is both easy and satisfying, without too much resistance but with adequate feedback. The web address of the company is printed around the switch, which I find unnecessary and deducting from the aesthetics of the light. I do not mind the name of the light and the hot warning symbol printed at the front, but I would also prefer it if the CE and crossed out bin symbols were omitted. The head and body unscrew to reveal that the battery ships inside the light, with the positive terminal insulated for safety. The threads are thick and square cut and, on my sample, rather gritty. The battery is an Acebeam branded 21700 Li-Ion battery, rated at 5100mAh and it features a USB C port near the positive terminal. Both battery contacts feature thick, good quality springs. These are probably adequate, but I would have still liked to see double springs or spring bypass wires in such a powerful light, to reduce the resistance even further. This would not have changed the brightness, as the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ features a boost driver, but could have helped a little with efficiency and run times. As mentioned before, there is an inner tube, as the light features an electronic switch at the back and both the negative terminal of the battery and the switch need to be connected to the driver. On the driver end, the body contacts the outer tube and connects to the battery negative and the two gold plated contacts near the perimeter connect to the inner tube and transfer the switch presses. The spring in the middle of the driver makes direct contact with the positive terminal of the battery. Having springs on both ends makes the torch resilient to bumps and drops, as the battery is suspended between two springs under pressure and is not likely to momentarily disconnect and turn the light off. Quality The machining quality of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is very high. Even at close inspection, there are no flaws. No edge is sharp, not a single spot less than perfectly milled. This is indeed a top quality light. On very close inspection, the Chrome Electroplating is not as perfect as the milling, with some hairline marks present and the Chrome Electroplating not quite reaching inside the grooves, but as the production torches are either stonewashed or PVD coated, that will not be an issue there. Specifications The specifications of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ are not clearly listed on the company's website but I was able to gather them and they can be seen in the following table: Of course, the Chrome Electroplating finish is just for my sample. The commercially available finishes are, as mentioned before, stonewashed and PVD coated. I weighed the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ at 138g without the battery and 218g with it. The GT-FC40 emitter has a CCT of 4500K and a CRI of 95+ while it also features high R9 (rendition of the colour red, which is rare even among high CRI emitters). Acebeam claims the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ can achieve a maximum brightness of 2500 Lumen. User Interface The user interface of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is simple and intuitive. Despite featuring a recessed button, and a lock mode, a double click is required to turn the light on. This prevents accidental activation of unlocked lights and protects even the most careless of users from accidental activations, which would be disastrous with such a powerful light. The user interface of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is as follows: From Off Double click to turn on (with memory for the 4 main modes), click again to turn off. Click and hold from off to turn on at Moonlight mode. Keep holding until if flashes three times to lock the light. Click and hold again to unlock into Moonlight mode. Triple click for Strobe. Click to turn off or double click for Turbo. From On Click to turn off. Hold to cycle through the main modes (Low, Mid1 ,Mid2, High). Double click for Turbo. Double click again to return to previous mode. Triple click for Strobe. Click to turn off or double click for Turbo. From Turbo, click to return to previous (before Strobe) mode. There is no way to go directly from Strobe to a previous, non Turbo mode. Acebeam does not provide the output ratings of each mode, but I measured them for you and you can see the actual numbers in the table below. Notice that the Turbo output slightly exceeds the specifications. Unfortunately, my equipment is unable to measure the brightness of the Strobe mode. Beam-shots The beam pattern of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is exactly what can be expected from a large emitter combined with a shallow, orange peel reflector. The light is very floody, with a large hot spot and a lot of spill. Compared to the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K with the domed Cree XHP70.2 emitter, the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ with the flat GT-FC40, has a bit more throw per Lumen and a tighter hot spot. I tested the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ outside, over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ with the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K and the Fireflies E07 (with 7 Nichia 219b sw45k emitters). Driver The driver of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is a digitally regulated, constant current boost driver, which should be able to maintain constant brightness regardless of the battery voltage and also features smart temperature control, reverse polarity protection and low voltage protection. Very refreshing to see such a high quality driver. There is no PWM in any of the modes. Tint and Size Comparison The tint of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is a neutral - warm 4500K and seems to be slightly below BBL. This light is a joy to behold, provides excellent colour rendition (including red) and is very pleasing to the eye. In the comparison photo below, you can see the neutral - pink tint of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ in the middle, compared to the green tint of the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K on the left and the rosier tint of the Fireflies E07 (with Nichia 219b sw45k emitters) on the right. The above photo also offers a size comparison between the lights. The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is not a light that can be easily carried in your trousers pocket, but it fits fine in a winter jacket or a backpack. Battery and Charging The battery included with the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is a 21700, rated at 5100mAh and features onboard USB C charging. The specifications of the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port, as shown on the company's website, are listed in the following table: I measured the capacity of the battery at exactly 4716mAh which is rather low compared to its 5100mAh rated capacity. The battery's internal resistance was measured at 26mΩ. The light has Low Voltage Protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.8V. Charging the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is very easy. Just connect the provided cable or any other USB C cable to the charging port and its other end to a charger. Both USB A to USB C and USB C to USB C cables can be used as well as any charger, including the ones that support PD. This is very convenient as you can charge the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port with any USB C cable and charger you have at hand. The LED on the battery lights up red to indicate that it is charging and turns green when the charging is completed, at 4.14V. The Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port took 6 hours, 22 minutes and 27 seconds to charge from 2.8V to 4.14V. The maximum current drawn was 0.899A, which is low for a 21700 battery and explains the very long charging time. A charging circuit which can support 2A charging would have been much better. As the specifications indicate that the standard charging current is 1A, I can't help but wonder if it would be OK to charge the battery at 2A through a charger with large enough cradles to fit a protected button top 21700. A very nice feature of the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is its ability to function as a power bank. This is facilitated by the USB A port on the included charging cable, but a USB C to USB C cable can also be used, even for devices that do not support power delivery. When the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is functioning as a power bank, its indicative LED turns blue. There is no information available regarding the current the battery can provide through its USB C port so I had to investigate. Anything above 2.7A and the circuit would immediately reset. I gradually reduced the current until I found it to be initially stable at 2A, which is a good output. Unfortunately, this only worked with a fully charged battery and after 40 minutes of drawing 2A, the circuit started resetting. At the end of the test, and after countless resets, the battery voltage was 3.14V. I tempered my expectations and tried drawing 1A from the battery and this seems to be the maximum supported current for the power bank function, as the battery was able to maintain it with stability for 3 hours, before the circuit reset a few times and then turned off. I would have much preferred it if it had turned off without the resets, as I am not sure if they could damage any sensitive equipment being charged. The battery voltage at the end of the test was 2.99V. The Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is a battery packed with nice features such as onboard USB C charging and power bank functionality, along with a large 5100mAh capacity. Nevertheless, the actual capacity of 4716mAh and the slow charging speed leave something to be desired, especially considering the $23.90 price tag. EDC Bulb Acebeam offers an accessory which adds a lot of value to the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port. It is the Acebeam EDC Bulb. The Acebeam EDC Bulb attaches to the top of the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port and connects to the battery's USB C port to draw power. The installation and operation are explained in the animation below. The specifications of the Acebeam EDC Bulb as found on the company's website, are in the following table: This tiny plastic attachment adds a lot of functionality to the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ and is a must buy, especially since it normally costs only $3.99 and is currently on offer for a mere $0.10. Unfortunately, it is also out of stock. The modes that the Acebeam EDC Bulb supports, along with their respective run times, are listed in the table below: The Acebeam EDC Bulb is so simple and at the same time so useful and nicely implemented! It really adds value to the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port. Current Draw The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ has a low parasitic drain that is below the ability of my clamp meter to measure. The Moonlight mode draws 129mA. The Low, Mid1, Mid2 and High modes need 302mA, 565mA, 1.295A and 2.167A respectively and Turbo requires 10.64A. If we compare those values to the ones we got from the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K we can clearly see how much efficiency is lost. This translates to less light and more heat. It is the price we pay for high quality light. Here is a comparative table showing the measured light output versus the current draw. This allows us to calculate the efficiency of each mode in both torches. As we can see the efficiency of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is much lower. Output & Runtimes The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ with the 4500K GT-FC40 CRI95+ emitter is rated at a maximum of 2500 Lumen. Acebeam does not declare its maximum throw. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. According to my measurements, the maximum output (at turn on) was 2564 Lumen, which slightly exceeds the declared 2500 Lumen. ANSI output (at 30 seconds) was 2288 Lumen and the rapid output decline continued down to 896 Lumen at 1 minute and 12 seconds. It then declined gradually as the temperatures rose, to 840 Lumen over the next 1 hour, 29 minutes and 28 seconds. After that, it stepped down to Mid1 level for 2 minutes and 39 seconds and then dropped to Low level for a further 19 minutes and 2 seconds, before it turned off. While the output of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is good for its size and taking into account that it is using a very high CRI emitter, the low efficiency of that emitter along with the Titanium construction cause some extremely high temperatures to develop. The head of the torch exceeded 90°C! The body is somewhat protected because Titanium does not conduct heat well, but still reached over 60°C during the test. This is definitely not a light to hold in bare hands on Turbo for extended periods of time. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the Runtime Graph in greater detail. I also ran the test on High output. Thermals were more manageable this time as output was reduced. The body stayed below 55°C and the light output was stable and lasted for 2 hours, 10 minutes and 37 seconds on High, before it turned off. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the High Runtime Graph in greater detail. The light quality of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is really impressive and so is the premium feeling of the Titanium body, but efficiency suffers for it and thermals are a definite consideration. The torch is very usable, despite the low efficiency and high temperatures and I actually prefer it and use it much more than the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K because of the significantly better quality of the light it produces Acebeam does not specify the maximum intensity and throw of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+. I measured the maximum intensity to be 8932cd and the maximum throw at 183m. Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ vs. Acebeam E70-AL 6500K The following graph compares the output and thermal performance of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ to those of the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K. As expected, the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ has both lower output and less run time, while the temperatures are much higher. Notice the higher difference between head and body temperatures in the Titanium host versus the Aluminium host, which is indicative of the bad thermal conductivity of Titanium. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the comparison, in greater detail. For the first 10 minutes, the Titanium body is even more comfortable to hold than the Aluminium. It goes without saying that an Aluminium host and a high efficiency emitter win in performance. The high CRI emitter and Titanium host win in light quality and premium feeling. The choice is yours to make. Conclusion The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is a light that emphasizes quality. The machining of the Titanium host is intricate with no imperfections or sharp edges. The driver is fully regulated and provides constant current output without any PWM on any of the modes. The GT-FW40 CRI95+ 4500K emitter is below the BBL and produces a very pleasant beam with fantastic colour rendition. The User Interface is simple and functional and extra care has been taken to prevent accidental activations. The size is normal for a 21700 light and not too easy to fit into trousers pockets, although not impossible. I would prefer to carry the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ in my backpack or in the pocket of a winter jacket. Or a holster, which should have been included. The optional Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port battery features USB C onboard charging and Power Bank functionality while the Acebeam EDC Bulb optional accessory adds a lot of usability and value. If you are looking for a premium quality torch that feels luxurious to hold and produces light equally as luxurious to look at, then the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ is a light you should consider. If you prefer efficiency and high output, then look at the Acebeam E70-AL 6500K instead. The Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+ can be purchased directly from the company's website and the cost at the moment this review is written is $208.80, including the battery and shipping, worldwide. The light without the battery costs $188.90, but keep in mind that only button top protected 21700 batteries that can provide at least 10.64A of current will work. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Acebeam E70-TI CRI95+: Pros + Below BBL CRI95+ 4500K emitter produces excellent light quality. + Digitally regulated constant current boost driver which provides stable output and high efficiency with no PWM. + Luxurious Titanium Body construction. + Long runtimes. + Impeccable and intricate machining. + USB type C charging integrated in the battery. + Low Voltage Protection. + Quality springs on both sides of the battery. + Smart ITS Temperature Control. + Simple and intuitive UI. + 6 slots for 6x1.5mm tritium vials. + IP68. + The battery provides Power Bank functionality. + The Acebeam EDC Bulb optional accessory is very useful. Cons - Bad thermal performance. - Low efficiency. - The 8 slots on the head meant to house 12x2mm tritium vials are only 1.60mm deep and cannot protect the fragile glass vials so are not fit for purpose. - The battery is expensive. - The battery takes a long time to charge. - Actual battery capacity is 4716mAh instead of 5100mAh. - A holster should be included.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Acebeam for providing a reviewer's discount for the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 28/09/2021

Introduction Sometimes you need a pocket torch and sometimes you need a head torch. And then, there are times your usage scenario is so versatile and complex that you need to cover all possible situations. We all have to make compromises with the EDC torch we carry and choose the one that is most likely to serve our needs for the day, but what if there was a torch that was so versatile it could eliminate the need to choose? Brinyte aspires to provide the answer to that question with their new Brinyte HL16 Noctua. The Brinyte HL16 Noctua is a headlamp like no other that I have seen, as its head rotates from 0 to 90 degrees, including 3 intermediate positions, thus providing unparalleled versatility and eliminating the need to compromise when choosing your EDC torch type. But what compromises did Brinyte have to make, if any, to realise such a unique and complex design? Read ahead to find out. Unboxing The Brinyte HL16 Noctua comes in a very nice cardboard box that is held closed with a blue paper ribbon, bearing the company's logo. The front of the box features a photo of the torch, emphasizing its articulated head and the magnetic charging capability. The back is less exciting, but provides a useful QR code to find out more about the product. The top and bottom of the box are plain white, while the longer sides feature the name of the torch and one of them has a photo of the torch mounted on the included head strap. Upon opening the box we find a card, explaining that the battery is already inside the torch, but insulated from the tail cap by an insulation film. The film has to be removed before the torch can be used. Inside the box we find a head strap, a magnetic charging USB cable, 2 spare O Rings and 2 leaflets. One of the leaflets is the warranty registration card which will allow the owner of the torch to extend its warranty from 2 to 5 years, free of charge, by registering the product on the company's website. The other leaflet is the user manual, which is easy to understand and includes helpful illustrations. The magnetic charging cable is 53cm long, including the plug and magnetic head. It is rather stiff and not at all like the much nicer charging cable that is included with the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper, which is supple, sleeved, significantly longer at 102cm and features an illuminated magnetic charging tip. This is a definite downgrade from the magnetic charging cables of previous Brinyte models. Thankfully, the much nicer cable included with the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper is compatible with the Brinyte HL16 Noctua. If the charging cable is a bit disappointing, the head strap makes up for it. It is very well made, has a good quality rubber cradle for the torch and adjustable size. The weaving is elastic and features ventilation holes which are a big help in warm weather. Finally, the torch itself! The Brinyte HL16 Noctua features a unique design, with an articulated head that can turn from 0 to 90 degrees. It is made of black anodized aluminium, with blue accents and has a large rubber button with the company logo engraved on one side and a magnetic charging connection point on the other. The head and the tail of the light feature a faceted milling design that provides both added grip and aesthetics. The articulated head is designed and executed with precision and definitely adds to the value and - I am sure - to the manufacturing cost of the torch. There are several detents visible, which means the head will not only stop in the 0 and 90 degree position but also in some positions in between. The clip is sturdy, thick and well designed. It comes positioned in the bezel up carry orientation and is as deep carry as can be, allowing for the articulated head. It can easily be removed and installed in the bezel down carry orientation, which makes the torch a very deep carry. With the clip removed, the Brinyte HL16 Noctua can be mounted onto the head strap. The front of the light features a crenelated bezel with an eye catching design. Inside the head sits a smooth reflector, which is unusual for a head torch as it will increase the throw, but taking into account that it is not very deep and that the torch is a multifunctional one, it was probably chosen to balance the beam for all uses. The tail cap is smooth and features a magnet that is not very strong but can hold the weight of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua in any orientation. Unscrewing the tail cap reveals the insulating film blocking the negative pole of the battery from making contact with the spring of the tail cap. Let's remove it. The included battery is a Brinyte branded 16340 Li-Ion battery, with a rated capacity of 650mAh. The spring in the tail cap is not thick, but should be sufficient for the current requirements of this torch. The head features a brass button battery contact, with no spring. Despite only having a spring on one side of the battery, hits and bumps did not cause the Brinyte HL16 Noctua to turn off. With the insulator film removed and the battery re-installed, the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is ready for action. Quality The build quality of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua does not allow for any complaints. The fit and finish are excellent, the milling is perfect and the anodization is without any flaws. Articulated Head The one unique feature of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is its articulated head, that will turn from 0 to 90 degrees. The movement of the articulated head is smooth and enjoyable and makes for an addicting fidget toy. Besides the two extreme positions, the head of the torch will stop in 3, equally spaced, intermediate positions, thus allowing for the light to be directed where it is needed. This is a very nice and useful feature that I have not seen on any other torch available today. Size Comparison The following photos offer a direct size comparison of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua to the Olight S1R Baton II. The Brinyte HL16 Noctua is significantly longer, despite using the same size battery. This is a compromise Brinyte had to make to achieve the articulated head design. Nevertheless, the torch is still easily pocketable and the added functionality of the articulated head is worth the extra length. Tint and Beam Profile The tint of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is above the BBL (greenish). It is similar to the tint of the Olight S1R Baton II but warmer, although that could easily just be due to the tint lottery. The emitter used in the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is not high CRI. We can also see from the angle of the beams that the Olight S1R Baton II has a floodier beam pattern than the Brinyte HL16 Noctua. The beam pattern of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is well balanced although the smooth reflector makes it throw more than the average EDC or head torch. On the other hand, that helps balance the lower power, giving it about the same intensity and throw as the Olight S1R Baton II, despite having about half the Lumen output. There is a clear hot spot surrounded by the spill which gradually fades out. No ugly artefacts, despite the smooth reflector. Beam Shots I tested the Brinyte HL16 Noctua over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua to the Olight S1R Baton II. Driver The driver of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is a linear, unregulated driver that uses PWM to dim the light, on all levels, except, of course, on full (High). The PWM is visible to the camera but not visible to the naked eye, on any level. Even though I prefer constant current drivers, PWM is an efficient and cost effective way to achieve LED dimming and if it is done at a high enough frequency, as seems to be the case here, it is not a problem. The driver features thermal regulation, low voltage protection, over charge protection and reverse polarity protection. Specifications The specifications of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua , as found on the company's website, are as follows: Despite the table stating that the maximum output is 500 Lumen, the actual advertised output as stated in the manual is 520 Lumen. I have made Brinyte aware of the mistake in the table and they will correct it. The output is lower than other contemporary torches of this size and that is the 2nd compromise that Brinyte had to make so that the Brinyte HL16 Noctua can have its articulated head. This is because the thermal mass of the head is too small and the thermal conductivity through the articulation is too restricted to allow for higher output. Nevertheless, 520 Lumen is more than enough for any task expected from a torch of this size and the articulated head will definitely come in more useful than a few seconds of extra brightness. The Brinyte HL16 Noctua is IP66 rated which means it is dust tight and can withstand powerful water jets, but it cannot be submerged. That is the 3rd and final compromise, after the limited maximum output and longer body, that Brinyte had to make to allow for the articulated head. IP66 is more than adequate for normal use and unless you drop your torch into a puddle, you should be alright using it in any situation. The drop resistance rating is a respectable 1.5m, so the articulated head does not seem to limit the durability. The maximum throw is 140m, which is a lot for the 520 Lumen rating and is due to the smooth reflector. User Interface The user interface of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is very simple and can be seen in the following animation. To turn the torch on, press and hold the button until it lights up. The torch features mode memory, so it will turn on at the last used mode. Press the button to cycle between the 4 main modes: High, Medium, Low, Moon. Press and hold the button to turn the torch off. Double click the button at any time to enter Strobe mode. Press again to go to the previously used mode. I disagree with the company's decision to make the UI go from high to low as I find this counter intuitive, especially on an EDC or head torch. When I am on Moonlight and need a little more light I would like to be able to go to Low without having to be blinded by High first. I also miss the ability to turn the torch on at Moon mode, regardless of the previously used mode. Some torches use press and hold from off to go straight to Moon mode, but as the Brinyte HL16 Noctua uses press and hold to turn on, this is not possible. I understand that the press and hold to turn on choice makes a lock function unnecessary, but I would prefer a Moon shortcut and a lock function. Modes and Run Times The brightness of the modes and the respective run times, according to the manual, are shown in the table below. I have added a row with my own measurements. It is very refreshing to see a company that does not overestimate their product's Lumen output! Kudos to Brinyte! Current Draw As the UI of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua goes from High to Low, so will our current draw measurements. The torch draws just over 1.4A on High, just over 0.5A on medium, 134mA on Low and 13mA on Moonlight level. The current requirements are not demanding and the battery is a standard 16340, so the Brinyte HL16 Noctua has the advantage to be able to run on any 3.7V Li-Ion 16340 battery. Charging The battery included with the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is rated at 650mAh and I measured it at 697mAh. The battery's internal resistance was measured at around 112mΩ. It is clear that the battery included with the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is of high quality. Another positive point for Brinyte. The torch has under voltage protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.77V. The indicative LEDs around the magnetic charging port are lit green during operation if the battery charge is from 100% to 40%, lit red if it is from 40% to 5% and blink red if it is below 5%. Charging the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is very easy. Just use the included magnetic cable that automatically attaches to the torch when you get it near enough. The other end of the cable is a standard USB A plug and can be connected to any USB charger or computer USB port. The indicative LEDs around the charging port will turn red while the torch is charging and turn green to indicate a full charge. Charging the Brinyte HL16 Noctua from 2.77V to 4.18V, where the charging terminated, took 2 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds. The maximum current drawn was 0.5542A, so any USB charger or computer USB port will be sufficient. A charger is not provided with the light but you can use your phone charger. Unfortunately, the indicative LEDs turned green way before the charging was actually completed, indicated by the green arrow in the chart above. The voltage of the battery at that point was around 3.9V and there was still a long time to go and a lot of energy the battery could absorb and store before the charging actually completed. This is a practice that some other companies, such as Olight, have as well and with which I do not agree. Brinyte maintains that this increases the battery life as it is not fully charged every time and also that most users will not take the torch off the charger the moment the indicative LEDs turn green. In my opinion, this is nonsense. I want to know when my battery is actually fully charged and not have to guess (or use measuring equipment as above) and if I want to give my battery a full charge to get the full run time it is for me, the user, to decide. Having indicative LEDs that lie to me and having to leave the torch on the charger for a longer time, with no visual indication of when the charging is actually completed is most inconvenient and has no advantage whatsoever. Output & Runtimes The Brinyte HL16 Noctua is rated at a maximum output of 520 Lumen and a maximum throw of 140m. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. According to my measurements, the maximum output (at turn on) was 556 Lumen, which is 7% more than the advertised 520. ANSI output (at 30 seconds) was 510 Lumen and at 2 minutes it was still 463 Lumen. Then the output declined rapidly over the next 38 seconds to 315 Lumen. It then followed the gradual declining curve of the battery output and gave useful light for over an hour, as the specifications promise. The rest can be seen in the graphs below. The first graph is the full runtime graph. And here are the first 10 minutes, in greater detail. At the end of the battery life, the very low output fluctuates as the indicative LED flashes red to show that the remaining battery capacity is below 5%. The temperature was very well controlled, as you can see in the runtime graphs. The head and switch temperatures are close but there is some difference despite their close proximity, which demonstrates the thermal impedance of the articulated head. The maximum intensity of the light was measured at 5002.4cd, which translates to a throw of 141m. That is 1m more than the 140m advertised. Conclusion The Brinyte HL16 Noctua is a unique EDC sized head torch with excellent build quality and an articulated head which allows it to turn its beam from 0 to 90 degrees relative to the body of the light, including 3 intermediate stops. Its aluminium body is well made and hard anodized and the fit and finish are flawless. The torch meets and exceeds all of its specifications, which is refreshing to see as very few manufacturers respect their customers enough to provide true and accurate measurements. The head band provided is very comfortable, it is adjustable and the weave allows for ventilation. The clip is unidirectional and very well designed and can be installed in 2 positions, for bezel up or bezel down deep carry. The driver uses PWM to dim the output, so PWM is present at all output levels, except on High. The frequency of the PWM is high enough to not be visible to the naked eye and did not tire me when using the light. The unique articulated design of the head of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua imposed some limits on this torch. The maximum output is lower than most comparable sized torches due to the thermal barrier imposed by the articulated head while its total length is increased and its waterproof rating decreased for the same reason. Nevertheless, the advantage provided by the design will outweigh the limitations for many users. Besides, maximum output is only available for about a minute on all small torches and after that, the output of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua is similar to theirs. The Brinyte HL16 Noctua is currently under mass production and scheduled to be available for purchase at the end of October 2021 from the company's website and the cost will be $69.98. Brinyte have provided a $10 discount code for the readers of this review, which brings the price down to $59.98. The discount code is: HL16Noctua Disclaimer: I get absolutely no percentage of the sales or any other personal benefits from Brinyte, except for the fact that the torch was provided for review free of charge. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua: Pros + Unique articulated head design that allows for 0 to 90 degrees position, including 3 intermediate stops + Measurements show specs to be accurate and not exaggerated, showing respect to the customer + Good and balanced beam pattern + Good quality head strap + Magnetic charging + Magnetic tail cap + Included good quality battery + Low Voltage Protection, Over Charge Protection and Reverse Polarity Protection + Thermal regulation + Low power and charging LED indicator + Good quality unidirectional clip that can be placed in 2 positions, for bezel up or bezel down deep carry + Compatible with all 3.7V Li-Ion 16340 and with 3.0V CR123 batteries Cons - High to Low User Interface - Charging indicator indicates charging complete a long time before it is actually completed - Maximum output limited to 520 Lumen - Longer than most 16340 torches - IP rating limited to IP66 - The driver is not regulated and uses PWM to dim the emitter - The charging cable is a downgrade from the one included in previous Brinyte models  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Brinyte for providing the torch for review Polymeros Achaniotis 16/10/2021

Introduction There are many quality torches out there for the enthusiasts and the collectors and even more cheap and cheerful ones for people who just want to have some light in the dark. But the characteristic that the majority of buyers are after is the one that is actually the hardest to find: Value for money. This is the area where, in my experience, Sofirn actually excels, as I have yet to find a brand that balances quality and price as well as they do. And while they are still more expensive than most cheap and cheerful (aka rubbish) torches on the market, they are not so by much, making their offering quite appealing to many users. The model we will be looking at in this review is the Sofirn SC31 Pro. The Sofirn SC31 Pro is an EDC style torch, so it is a pocketable size, packed with features and providing a very decent light output, at a very competitive price. Intrigued? Let us see exactly what it does and how it accomplishes it. Unboxing The Sofirn SC31 Pro comes in a colourful cardboard box, which is common for many Sofirn models and the exact model is indicated only on the sticker at the back of the box. As the box is common for many models, no features or specifications are indicated on it. Inside the box is a clear plastic moulded case that holds the torch securely and protects it during shipping. In the recess, under the plastic case, we find the accessories as well as the manual. The accessories include the charging cable, the manual and a zip lock bag with the rest of the accessories. The charging cable is USB type A to USB type C and its length is 104cm, including the plugs. The zip lock bag contains a lanyard and 2 spare O-rings. The Sofirn SC31 Pro is made of aluminium with black anodization and has a side button and a pre-installed clip. The body has knurling, to make it grippy and the tailcap features a hole for the lanyard. The sides of the driver portion feature some small fins for heat dissipation. Everything is nicely finished and chamfered, except for the lanyard hole and the fins that are somewhat sharper, but not much. On the opposite side of the button there is a rubber cover and under it, a USB type C charging port. The tail cap has some knurling that helps to grip it and screw it on or off. The battery ships inside the light but an insulator prevents it from touching the negative spring so the light cannot be activated during shipping. The threads are square cut and come nicely greased. They are anodized, so even a slight unscrewing of the tail cap will break electrical contact and mechanically lock the light. The included battery is a Sofirn branded button top 18650 with a capacity rating of 3000mAh. The battery tube can unscrew from the torch head also. This allows it to be replaced with the optional Sofirn 18350 Short Tube, available on the Sofirn website for $1.49. There are springs on both the tail cap and the head of the torch, ensuring compatibility with different length 18650 batteries and also the continuity of the circuit during drops and bumps. The springs are thick and of high quality. They are more than adequate for the current this torch draws. The included tail cap has a lanyard hole (which could have smoother corners) and is not magnetic. An optional, Sofirn Magnetic Tailcap is available at the Sofirn website for $1.69. The Sofirn SC31 Pro features a smooth reflector and a cool (6500K - in our sample) or neutral (5000K) Luminus SST-40 emitter. Quality The build quality of the Sofirn SC31 Pro is surprisingly good - for the price point and feature set - and on par with other Sofirn lights. The fit and finish is excellent, the knurling is of good quality and the anodization is without any flaws. There are a couple of somewhat sharp edges - specifically on the fins and the lanyard hole - and the 2 indicative LEDs on the switch (which can be turned off or set to blinking mode through the Andúril UI) are not quite aligned, which is a perfectionist's nightmare, but these are details that would raise the cost and can be considered acceptable at this price point. Specifications The specifications of the Sofirn SC31 Pro, as found on the company's website, are as follows: The net weight is declared to be 59g. I weighed it at 61.7g without the battery and 107.7 with the battery. The length and width of the torch are not mentioned. I measured the length to be 11.5cm and the width 2.6cm. The Sofirn SC31 Pro is rated at 2000 lumen light output and 200m of throw, which is an excellent performance for its size. User Interface The user interface of the Sofirn SC31 Pro is a love or hate deal, as the light features the Andúril UI. Personally, I love it and deeply enjoy the fact that it is feature packed but still provides simple, quick and intuitive access to the basic functions. Others hate it and consider it too much work, as the manual is extensive and even the flow chart can be intimidating to look at. In my experience, after the initial shock, it is very easy to start using the light and have an occasional look at the flow chart to remind oneself of the more advanced functions. An important thing to do when you take any Andúril light out of the box is to perform a temperature calibration, as the light will depend on it to perform proper thermal control and balance brightness with temperature. That is also the best time to set the temperature limit. I find 50C to be a good temperature limit and the tests done in this review were done on a calibrated light and with a 50C temperature limit. Beam-shots The beam pattern of the Sofirn SC31 Pro is a product of the LED type and size and the reflector it uses. With the 5x5mm SST-40 and a smooth reflector, it is not surprising that the result is a somewhat tight hot spot that throws nicely, surrounded by a nice, usable spill. All in all, a very balanced and usable EDC beam pattern. There are various rings and coronas that are typical of smooth reflectors and may annoy white wall hunters, but those are unavoidable with smooth reflectors and the smooth reflector is what is giving the Sofirn SC31 Pro a very nice throw. I tested the Sofirn SC31 Pro over a distance of 70m, which is more than adequate for an EDC style torch. The following video shows a comparison of the Sofirn SC31 Pro with the very well known and much more expensive Olight Baton Pro. Both torches are rated at 2000 lumen and it is obvious that the Sofirn SC31 Pro has a tighter hot spot while the Olight Baton Pro has more spill. I will let each of you decide which one you prefer. Driver The driver of the Sofirn SC31 Pro uses PWM to dim the light, on all levels, except, of course, on full. The PWM is visible to the camera but not visible to the naked eye, on any level. Even though I prefer constant current drivers, PWM is an efficient and cost effective way to achieve LED dimming and if it is done at a high enough frequency, as seems to be the case here, it is not a problem. Tint The tint of the Sofirn SC31 Pro is the cool, greenish (above BBL) tint that is expected of the Luminous SST-40 emitter. It is very similar to the tint of the Olight Baton Pro. Next to them, for reference, the Fireflies E07 with Nichia 219b sw45k emitters which are high CRI and very rosy (below BBL). The SST-40 used is not high CRI. Charging The battery included with the Sofirn SC31 Pro is rated at 3000mAh and I measured it to be exactly that! The light has under voltage protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.8V. The battery internal resistance was measured at 80mΩ. Charging the Sofirn SC31 Pro is very easy. Just lift the rubber cover and insert the provided USB type C cable to charge the light. The indicative LEDs on the switch turn red to indicate the light is charging. They turn green when the charging is completed, at 4.16V. Charging the Sofirn SC31 Pro from 2.8V to 4.16V took 2 hours, 6 minutes and 53 seconds. The maximum current drawn was 1.8859A, so a charger that can provide at least 2A is recommended. A charger is not provided with the light but you can use your phone charger. Current Draw The Sofirn SC31 Pro has a very low parasitic drain of 1mA, with the indicative LEDs on the switch, on (they can be turned off). The light also has a very low moonlight mode that only draws 4mA. The maximum current draw, on Turbo, is 6.11A, which the provided battery is more than capable of. Output & Runtimes The Sofirn SC31 Pro is rated at 2000 lumen output and 200m of throw. I measured it at 1899 lumen at turn on (Turbo), 1785 lumen ANSI (30sec), while throw actually exceeded the specs by 10% and measured at 220m (12108cd). The temperature was very well controlled, as you can see in the runtime graphs below. Turning on the light at Turbo, will cause a rapid rise in temperature, followed by a huge dip in output, while the temperature stabilizes. This can be avoided if the light is not on Turbo, but used at a more moderate output level. The light was temperature calibrated, according to the manual, and the temperature limit was set at 50C. The actual temperatures on the button and on the body of the light did not exceed 51.5C and 38.2C, respectively. All in all, the Sofirn SC31 Pro gave very usable light for about 2.5 hours, when turned on at Turbo, which is very respectable. Usage at more moderate levels, will of course, result in higher runtimes and lower, if any, output dips, due to temperature management. The Full and 10' runtime graphs tell the story in great detail. All significant changes in output are marked. Conclusion The Sofirn SC31 Pro is a value for money, EDC torch that will not disappoint. Its aluminium body is well made and hard anodized and the fit and finish is beyond its price point. The mildly sharp edges of the fins and the lanyard hole are not a concern, but could have been smoother. The size and weight are great for EDC and the provided 3000mAh 18650 battery allows for ample runtime. The output is more than enough for EDC purposes and the beam profile is very balanced, with enough spill and a lot of throw for its size. The tint of the Luminous SST-40 LED is a cool, above BBL (greenish) tint and the CRI is low, but this is countered by the high lumen output this emitter allows the light to achieve. The driver uses PWM to dim the output, so PWM is present at all output levels, except on full. The frequency of the PWM is high enough to not be visible to the naked eye and did not tire me when using the light. The Sofirn SC31 Pro can be purchased from the Sofirn Website and the cost at the moment this review is written is $25.99, plus $2.99 shipping, worldwide. That is a lot of torch for the money! Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Sofirn SC31 Pro: Pros + Value for money + 6061 Aluminium Alloy construction with good fit and finish + Hard and flawless anodization + USB type C charging + Low Voltage Protection + Thermal regulation + Well balanced beam, good for EDC use + 18650 Li-Ion 3000mAh (actually measured) battery included + Low power and charging LED indicator + Andúril UI + IP68 + At least 2.5 hours of usable light per charge + Compatible with all 18650 batteries + Removable, pre-installed clip + Magnetic tailcap ($1.69), short (18350) tube ($1.49) and diffuser ($1.69) available as optional accessories Cons - The fins and the lanyard hole could have smoother edges - The driver uses PWM to dim the emitter - Indicative LEDs on the switch are not aligned  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Sofirn for providing the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 25/06/2021

Introduction This review is brought to you by a stroke of good luck. I was looking at the Acebeam E70-AL as the design and specifications had caught my eye, when I stumbled upon a giveaway the company was doing on BLF. Tyche ruled in my favour and upon receiving my prize, I decided that a review was in order. Acebeam is well known amongst torch enthusiasts as a higher end company and both their products and their price tags reflect that. The Acebeam E70-AL may not be the most value for money option available but the specifications and quality are way beyond what you will find in budget friendly lights. Are you interested to see what the Acebeam E70-AL has to offer? Let's start at the beginning. Unboxing The Acebeam E70-AL comes in a white box with a clear window that allows a view of the light. The box emphasizes the 5 year warranty and the high efficiency, constant current boost circuit, both attesting to the high quality of the Acebeam E70-AL. The back side of the box does not offer any more information on specifications, but rather the company address, a few QR coded links and the usual certification logos. The top and bottom have no print, so nothing to show. One of the longer sides lists the possible applications of the light while the other shows if the battery is included, the LED colour temperature and a warning regarding safe usage. Regarding the LED choice, there is 6500K which is what my prize came with, 5000K and another option not depicted on the box, which has recently been added to the company's website, a 95+ CRI 4500K LED. The 6500K and 5000K are 6V LEDs while the 95+ CRI 4500K is a 12V LED and comes with a different driver. The output of the 6500K emitter is rated at 4600 Lumen, the 5000K 10% less (according to an company representative) and the 95+ CRI 4500K emitter at 2500 Lumen. The box features magnetic closure and opens like a book to reveal its contents and a thank you note from the company. The accessories include a charging cable, 2 spare O-rings, a storage bag and a lanyard not pictured here as it came attached to the light (as seen in the photos above). The leaflets include the manual, a warranty card, safety instructions and a note explaining the battery is in the light and the insulation sheet needs to be removed before use. I removed the lanyard to better show the light, which features a unique design. The Acebeam E70-AL is made of aluminium and has flawless machining and anodization. The anodization of the main body is black and there is an inner tube which is anodized blue. The design is very harmonious and pleasing to the eye. The bezel is crenulated and the head features alternating circular and oblong designs which work well together. The 8 oblong grooves are meant to house 12x2mm tritium vials according to Acebeam, but are not deep enough to completely cover them, measuring only 1.60mm in depth. As the glass tritium vials are very fragile, protruding equals 100% chance of breaking. There are some hard to obtain 11.5x1.4mm and 10x1.5mm tritium vials that would fit nicely but even if you can find them, the colour choice is quite limited. I would suggest to Acebeam to either make the grooves deeper by 0.5mm or, if not possible, to not advertise them as fit to house 12x2mm tritium vials. The body of the light features a helix design, with cut outs revealing the blue anodized inner tube and creating a beautiful visual effect. It also features 6 oblong grooves where it connects to the head that are meant to house 6x1.5mm tritium vials and are perfectly sized for it. The tail part of the tube features tapped holes where the simple and functional clip comes pre-attached. There are 3 sections at the back end of the body. One with the clip installed, one with tapped holes, where the clip could be moved to - no idea why though - and one with bigger holes, where the lanyard came pre-installed. Removing the lanyard is very easy but re-installing it requires thin tweezers, hence why the company probably opted to ship the light with the lanyard already installed. In total, the Acebeam E70-AL features an intricate design which looks quite busy but still harmonious and pleasing to the eye. The machining of such a design is not an easy feat, especially with the level of detail and quality we see here. The business end of the light comes with a protective plastic film, which must be removed before use. Under the protective film, we can see the shallow orange peel reflector and the Cree XHP70.2 emitter. The combination of such a large LED with the shallow OP reflector guarantee a very floody beam. The back end of the light is quite simple. It is where the switch for the operation of the light is located. I like the simple, recessed design of the switch which allows the light to tail stand and helps to protect from accidental activation. The web address of the company is printed in white, which I find unnecessary and deducting from the aesthetics of the light. I do not mind the name of the light and the hot warning symbol printed at the front, but I would also prefer it if the CE and crossed out bin symbols were omitted. The head and body unscrew to reveal that the battery ships inside the light, with the positive terminal insulated for safety. The threads are square cut, smooth and come nicely greased. The battery is an Acebeam branded 21700 Li-Ion battery, rated at 5100mAh and it features a USB C port near the positive terminal. Both battery contacts feature thick, good quality springs. These are probably adequate, but I would have still liked to see double springs or spring bypass wires in such a powerful light, to reduce the resistance even further. This would not have changed the brightness, as the Acebeam E70-AL features a boost driver, but could have helped a little with efficiency and run times. As mentioned before, there is an inner tube, as the light features an electronic switch at the back and both the negative terminal of the battery and the switch need to be connected to the driver. On the driver end, the silver ring seen on the perimeter contacts the outer tube and connects to the battery negative and the two gold plated contacts near the perimeter connect to the inner tube and transfer the switch presses. The spring in the middle of the driver makes direct contact with the positive terminal of the battery. Having springs on both ends makes the light resilient to bumps and drops, as the battery is suspended between two springs under pressure and is not likely to momentarily disconnect and turn the light off. Quality We have already seen the extraordinary quality the Acebeam E70-AL has, for a production light. Even at close inspection, both the machining and the anodization are perfect. No edge is sharp, not a single spot less than perfectly anodized. This is indeed a top quality light. Specifications The specifications of the Acebeam E70-AL, as mentioned on the company's website, can be seen in the following table: The Acebeam E70-AL is made of aerospace grade aluminium which has premium type 3 hard anodization. It features the very powerful Cree XHP70.2 LED which allows it to achieve an impressive maximum brightness of 4600 Lumen. The maximum throw distance is 240m, which means that the light is very floody, as expected from the configuration of the LED and the reflector. The Acebeam E70-AL is quite resilient and sturdy, with an IP68 water proof rating and a 1m impact resistance User Interface The user interface of the Acebeam E70-AL is simple and intuitive. Despite featuring a recessed button, a lock mode and the ability to hard lock the light by unscrewing the head 1/4 of a turn, a double click is required to turn the light on. This prevents accidental activation of unlocked lights and protects even the most careless of users from accidental activations, which would be disastrous with such a powerful light. The user interface of the Acebeam E70-AL is as follows: From Off Double click to turn on (with memory for the 4 main modes), click again to turn off. Click and hold from off to turn on at Moonlight mode. Keep holding until if flashes three times to lock the light. Click and hold again to unlock into Moonlight mode. Triple click for Strobe. Click to turn off or double click for Turbo. From On Click to turn off. Hold to cycle through the main modes (Low, Mid1 ,Mid2, High). Double click for Turbo. Double click again to return to previous mode. Triple click for Strobe. Click to turn off or double click for Turbo. From Turbo, click to return to previous (before Strobe) mode. There is no way to go directly from Strobe to a previous, non Turbo mode. The rated output and runtimes of all the modes can be seen in the table below. Beam-shots The beam pattern of the Acebeam E70-AL is exactly what can be expected from a large emitter combined with a shallow, orange peel reflector. The light is very floody, with a large hot spot and a lot of spill. I tested the Acebeam E70-AL outside, over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Acebeam E70-AL with the Emisar D4V2 Ti (with 4 Cree XP-L HI 5000K emitters) and the Fireflies E07 (with 7 Nichia 219b sw45k emitters). Driver The driver of the Acebeam E70-AL is a digitally regulated, constant current boost driver, which should be able to maintain constant brightness regardless of the battery voltage and also features smart temperature control, reverse polarity protection and low voltage protection. Very refreshing to see such a high quality driver. There is no PWM in any of the modes. Tint and Size Comparison The tint of the Acebeam E70-AL is cool white at 6500K (5000K and 4500K with high CRI options are also available) and it is definitely above BBL and distinctly green. This is by no means a pleasing tint nor is the light high CRI. The intend was to maximize output and efficiency. In the comparison photo below, you can see the Acebeam E70-AL in the middle, compared to the more neutral tint of the Emisar D4V2 Ti (with Cree XP-L HI 5000K emitters) on the left and the much rosier tint of the Fireflies E07 (with Nichia 219b sw45k emitters) on the right. The above photo also offers a size comparison between the lights. The Acebeam E70-AL is not a light that can be easily carried in your trousers pocket, but it fits fine in a winter jacket or a backpack. Battery and Charging The battery included with the Acebeam E70-AL is a 21700, rated at 5100mAh and features onboard USB C charging. The specifications of the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port, as shown on the company's website, are listed in the following table: I measured the capacity of the battery at exactly 4716mAh which is rather low. The battery's internal resistance was measured at 26mΩ. The light has Low Voltage Protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.7V. Charging the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is very easy. Just connect the provided cable or any other USB C cable to the charging port and its other end to a charger. Both USB A to USB C and USB C to USB C cables can be used as well as any charger, including the ones that support PD. This is very convenient as you can charge the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port with any USB C cable and charger you have at hand. The LED on the battery lights up red to indicate that it is charging and turns green when the charging is completed, at 4.14V. The Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port took 6 hours, 22 minutes and 27 seconds to charge from 2.7V to 4.14V. The maximum current drawn was 0.899A, which is low for a 21700 battery and explains the very long charging time. A charging circuit which can support 2A charging would have been much better. As the specifications indicate that the standard charging current is 1A, I can't help but wonder if it would be OK to charge the battery at 2A through a charger with large enough cradles to fit a protected button top 21700. A very nice feature of the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is its ability to function as a power bank. This is facilitated by the USB A port on the included charging cable, but a USB C to USB C cable can also be used, even for devices that do not support power delivery. When the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is functioning as a power bank, its indicative LED turns blue. There is no information available regarding the current the battery can provide through its USB C port so I had to investigate. Anything above 2.7A and the circuit would immediately reset. I gradually reduced the current until I found it to be initially stable at 2A, which is a good output. Unfortunately, this only worked with a fully charged battery and after 40 minutes of drawing 2A, the circuit started resetting. At the end of the test, and after countless resets, the battery voltage was 3.14V. I tempered my expectations and tried drawing 1A from the battery and this seems to be the maximum supported current for the power bank function, as the battery was able to maintain it with stability for 3 hours, before the circuit reset a few times and then turned off. I would have much preferred it if it had turned off without the resets, as I am not sure if they could damage any sensitive equipment being charged. The battery voltage at the end of the test was 2.99V. The Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port is a battery packed with nice features such as onboard USB C charging and power bank functionality, along with a large 5100mAh capacity. Nevertheless, the actual capacity of 4715mAh and the slow charging speed leave something to be desired, especially considering the $23.90 price tag. EDC Bulb Along with the light and battery, my giveaway prize included a nice little accessory which adds a lot of value to the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port. It is the Acebeam EDC Bulb. The Acebeam EDC Bulb attaches to the top of the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port and connects to the battery's USB C port to draw power. The installation and operation are explained in the animation below. The specifications of the Acebeam EDC Bulb as found on the company's website, are in the following table: This tiny plastic attachment adds a lot of functionality to the Acebeam E70-AL and is a must buy, especially since it normally costs only $3.99 and is currently on offer for a mere $0.10. Unfortunately, it is also out of stock. The modes that the Acebeam EDC Bulb supports, along with their respective run times, are listed in the table below: The Acebeam EDC Bulb is so simple and at the same time so useful and nicely implemented! It really adds value to the Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port. Current Draw The Acebeam E70-AL has a low parasitic drain that is below the ability of the clamp meter to measure. The Moonlight mode only draws 20mA. The Low, Mid1, Mid2 and High modes need 83mA, 216mA, 748mA and 1.961A respectively and Turbo required 10.40A. These values are rather low for the Lumen output and attest to the efficiency of the driver and emitter combination. Output & Runtimes The Acebeam E70-AL with the 6500K emitter is rated at maximum of 4600 Lumen and 240m of throw. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. According to my measurements, the maximum output (at turn on) was 4494 Lumen, which is short of the advertised 4600 but still very close to the specs and definitely within the error margin of my equipment. ANSI output (at 30 seconds) was 3805 Lumen and the rapid output decline continued down to 1210 Lumen at 57 seconds. It then stayed stable at a very impressive for the size of the light 1218 Lumen for a further 1 hour and 54 minutes! After that, it stayed for 5 minutes at 153 Lumen and finally dropped to 53 lumen for a further 53 minutes, before it turned off. The temperature regulation was very good and the body of the light was within the ability of a person to hold with bare hands. The test was done indoors, without any cooling or ventilation, so the results will be even better outside. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the Full Runtime Graph in greater detail. The stability and efficiency of the Acebeam E70-AL are truly impressive and make for a very usable and reliable light. In contrast to the unregulated drivers used in more budget oriented lights, the driver of the Acebeam E70-AL features a constant current output, providing a stable and constant light output and long run times. Turbo output is short, as dictated by thermal regulation and the laws of physics, but it is there for the short bursts that it may be needed for. High output is incredibly steady and lasted for an impressive 1 hour and 55minutes, after the turbo activation, which is 10 minutes more than what the specifications say. According to the specifications, the maximum throw of the Acebeam E70-AL is 240m and the maximum intensity 14400cd. I measured 210m and 11005.28cd. I charged the battery of the Acebeam E70-AL with an external charger to 4.20V, to see if I can squeeze any more performance out of the light but the gain was minimal, increasing the maximum output from 4494 Lumen to 4561 Lumen, the maximum throw from 210m to 214m and the maximum intensity from 11005.28cd to 11437.92cd. Therefore, I think that the company's decision to terminate the charging at 4.14V and thus increase the longevity of the battery is correct. Conclusion The Acebeam E70-AL is a light that emphasizes quality. The machining is intricate with no imperfections or sharp edges. The type 3 hard anodization is uniform and without flaws. The driver is fully regulated and provides constant current output without any PWM on any of the modes, while being very efficient. The Cree XHP70.2 emitter contributes to the high output and efficiency of the light. The User Interface is simple and functional and extra care has been taken to prevent accidental activations. The size is normal for a 21700 light and not too easy to fit into trousers pockets, although not impossible. I would prefer to carry the Acebeam E70-AL in my backpack or in the pocket of a winter jacket. The optional Acebeam IMR21700NP-510A with Built-in USB C Port battery features USB C onboard charging and Power Bank functionality while the Acebeam EDC Bulb optional accessory adds a lot of usability and value. The Acebeam E70-AL can be purchased directly from the company's website and the cost at the moment this review is written is $94.80, including the battery and shipping, worldwide. The light without the battery costs $74.90, but keep in mind that only button top protected 21700 batteries that can provide at least 10.40A of current will work. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Acebeam E70-AL: Pros + Digitally regulated constant current boost driver which provides stable output and high efficiency with no PWM. + High Turbo output for the size of the light. + Long runtimes. + Impeccable and intricate machining. + Perfect type 3 hard anodization. + Aerospace grade Aluminium Alloy construction. + USB type C charging integrated in the battery. + Low Voltage Protection. + Quality springs on both sides of the battery. + Smart ITS Temperature Control. + Simple and intuitive UI. + 6 slots for 6x1.5mm tritium vials. + IP68. + The battery provides Power Bank functionality. + The Acebeam EDC Bulb optional accessory is very useful. Cons - The 8 slots on the head meant to house 12x2mm tritium vials are only 1.60mm deep and cannot protect the fragile glass vials so are not fit for purpose. - The battery is expensive. - The battery takes a long time to charge. - Actual battery capacity is 4716mAh instead of 5100mAh. - A holster should be included.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Acebeam for doing the giveaway and Tyche for providing the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 24/08/2021

Introduction With the multitude of companies that make torches nowadays, it is getting very hard to distinguish between the true value for money offerings and the overpriced, low quality ones. Price alone, certainly cannot be the determining factor as there are a lot of cheap lights out there that are not worth even a small fraction of their seemingly bargain of a cost. Wurkkos is known as a good value for money brand and I thought it would be interesting to test one of their lights and see if they live up to their reputation. The model we will be reviewing is the Wurkkos TS30, which is one of their higher spec lights. So without further delay, let's see what the Wurkkos TS30 has to offer and how it will do under our microscope. Unboxing The Wurkkos TS30 comes in a a nice cardboard box with the company logo and colours. The box appears not to be specific to the Wurkkos TS30 as the model is only indicated on the sticker at the bottom. Opening the box, we are greeted with a very nice presentation. Everything is neatly arranged and protected within laser cut outs in the black protective foam. That is a really nice touch and stands out from some of the other budget offerings. Inside the box, besides the light itself, we can find the manual, a tab instructing the owner to remove the insulator from the battery negative before using the light and the accessories. The accessories consist of a lanyard, 2 spare O-rings, a battery spacer if anyone wants to use a 18650 battery in this 21700 light, a 1m USB A to USB C charging cable and a very aggressive strike bezel with 4 very long spikes. The Wurkkos TS30 is made of black anodized aluminium and is a medium sized light. It is definitely not an EDC, pocket friendly little torch, but it will easily fit in a backpack or large jacket pocket. It features a side switch surrounded by cooling fins, on the other side of which there is a rubber flap protecting the USB C charging port. The head is wider than the body, measuring at 49mm diameter, and features a stainless steel bezel with crenulations so you can see if the light is on when placed on its head. The body has a pattern which offers some grip, without being very aggressive. The flap is easier to open and close than some other lights I have used and seems quite secure. The Wurkkos TS30 features a smooth triple reflector for its 3 Luminous SST40 emitters. The tail cap has 2 lanyard holes and can allow the light to tail stand, somewhat precariously. The battery tube can be unscrewed from both the head and the tail cap. The threads are smooth and the diameter is different on each side so the tube cannot be reversed. The Wurkkos branded 21700 battery comes inside the light and there is the mentioned black insulating disk blocking the negative contact, for safe shipping. The head features a brass protrusion to make contact with the positive pole of the battery. The tail cap has a thick double spring, which looks more than capable of transferring a lot of current, with minimal losses. The 21700 battery that comes with the Wurkkos TS30 is wrapped in a white sleeve that features the company logo. Despite the fact that the Wurkkos TS30 is advertised with a 4800mAh 21700 battery, the one in my sample claims to be 5000mAh. We are going to test that. Strike Bezel One of the accessories that come with the Wurkkos TS30 merits special mention. It is none other than the very aggressive strike bezel. This is milled from a solid bar of stainless steel and cannot be too cheap to manufacture. Personally, I find it superfluous and it cannot be legally carried in the UK where I live and I guess in many other countries. But I get that some people may be into this kind of "tactical" stuff. In my opinion, the cost of manufacturing this bezel could go into improving something else, as the torch already comes with a very nice bezel. Exchanging the bezels is really simple. Just unscrew the one the light comes with and screw in the other. The light looks... quite unique with the strike bezel installed. Wurkkos advertises this bezel for self defence and breaking glass in an emergency. Quality The build quality, fit and finish of the Wurkkos TS30 is definitely beyond its price range. I was quite impressed by the fact that even the cooling fins are chamfered and the anodization is flawless everywhere, even on all the edges. The blowout of the Wurkkos TS30 in the image below shows that everything is laid out as it should be. All materials seem of high quality and fit for purpose. Specifications The specifications of the Wurkkos TS30, as found on the company's website, are as follows: As you can see, the Wurkkos TS30 uses 3 Luminous SST40 emitters to deliver its light output, which is rated at 5950 Lumen for the 6000K version, which we are testing and 5000 Lumen for the 5000K version. The maximum throw is rated at 480m. The light uses the included 21700 battery but can also be used with a high drain 18650 battery, with the included sleeve. It is IPX-8 rated for water resistance. The specifications state that the Wurkkos TS30 is 182 +/- 1g. I weighed my sample exactly at 178.7g. The battery weighs 74.1g, bringing the total to 252.8g. Not too bad for the power it packs. User Interface The user interface of the Wurkkos TS30 is quite simple and intuitive. The light features 2 modes, Stepped and Ramping. Out of the box, the light comes in Stepped Mode. Stepped Mode: From Off Click for on, click again for off. Click and hold from off to turn on at Eco (moonlight) mode. Keep holding until if flashes to change into Ramping Mode. Click again for off. Double click for Turbo. Click to turn off. Triple click for Strobe. Click to turn off. Quadruple click for lockout. Repeat to deactivate. From On Click to turn off. Hold to cycle through the main modes (Low, Mid, High). Double click for Turbo. Click to return to previous mode. Triple click for Strobe. Click to return to previous mode. Quadruple click for lockout. Repeat to deactivate. Ramping Mode: From Off Click for on, click again for off. Click and hold from off to turn on at Eco (moonlight) mode. Keep holding until if flashes to change into Ramping Mode. Click again for off. Double click for Turbo. Click to turn off. Triple click for Strobe. Click to turn off. Quadruple click for lockout. Repeat to deactivate. From On Click to turn off. Hold to ramp up or down. Ramping changes direction when the button is pressed again within 1,5 seconds. The light flashes to indicate reaching the lower or upper end of the ramp. Double click for Turbo. Click to return to previous setting. Triple click for Strobe. Click to return to previous setting. Quadruple click for lockout. Repeat to deactivate The brightness, runtime and beam distance of each mode can be seen in the following table. The Wurkkos TS30 features Mode Memory. This means that it memorizes the last brightness level used (except Strobe). Mode Memory cannot be deactivated. While the light is in lock out mode, you can access the Eco mode momentarily by holding down the button. If you prefer a mechanical lock, you can just unscrew the tail cap half a turn. This will disconnect the battery and is recommended for long storage. Beam-shots The beam pattern of the Wurkkos TS30 is exactly what can be expected from a triple light with smooth reflectors and 5x5mm emitters. Very close up the pattern shows a triangular shape but at any working distance it becomes perfectly round. There are several rings, typical with smooth reflectors and a well defined hot spot. Installing the strike bezel effects the shape of the beam a lot. I tested the Wurkkos TS30 outside, over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Wurkkos TS30 with the Sofirn SP36 Pro (also with Luminous SST40 emitters) and the Fireflies E07 (with Nichia 219b sw45k emitters). Driver The driver of the Wurkkos TS30 is not regulated and uses PWM to dim the light, on all levels, except, of course, on full. The PWM is visible to the camera but not visible to the naked eye, on any level. Even though I prefer constant current drivers, PWM is an efficient and cost effective way to achieve LED dimming and if it is done at a high enough frequency, as seems to be the case here, it is not a problem. The Wurkkos TS30 driver also features Advanced Temperature Regulation (set at 60 degrees Celsius), Low Voltage Protection and Reverse Polarity Protection. Tint and Size Comparison The tint of the Wurkkos TS30 is cool white at 6000K (5000K option is also available) and even though it is above BBL, it is not significantly green. This is actually quite a nice tint for a 6000K Luminous SST40 emitter. In the comparison photo below, you can see the Wurkkos TS30 in the middle, compared to the much greener tint of the Sofirn SP36 Pro (also with Luminous SST40) on the left and the much rosier tint of the Fireflies E07 (with Nichia 219b sw45k) on the right. The SST40 used in the Wurkkos TS30 are not high CRI. The above photo also offers a size comparison between the lights. Charging The battery included with the Wurkkos TS30 is a 21700, rated at 5000mAh and I measured it at exactly 4922mAh. The light has Low Voltage Protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.7V. The battery's internal resistance was measured at 42mΩ. These measurements show that a high quality battery is actually included with this light. The indicative LEDs on the switch of the Wurkkos TS30 show the level of the battery charge. Green means that the remaining charge is at least 30%, red that it is below 30% and flashing red that it is critical and the light will soon turn off. Charging the Wurkkos TS30 is very easy. Just lift the rubber cover and insert the provided (or any) USB type C cable to charge the light. Both USB A to USB C and USB C to USB C cables can be used as well as any charger, including the ones that support PD. This is very convenient as you can charge the Wurkkos TS30 with any USB C cable and charger you have at hand. The indicative LEDs on the switch flash red to indicate the light is charging. They turn green when the charging is completed, at 4.16V. The Wurkkos TS30 took 3 hours, 13 minutes and 28 seconds to charge the included battery from 2.7V to 4.16V. The maximum current drawn was 1.7466A, so a charger that can provide at least 2A is recommended. A charger is not provided with the light but you can use your phone charger. Current Draw The Wurkkos TS30 has a low parasitic drain that is below the ability of the clamp meter to measure. The Eco (Moonlight) Mode only draws 4mA. The Low, Mid and High modes need 352mA, 1.24A and 6.63A respectively and Turbo required 16.99A. Output & Runtimes The Wurkkos TS30 6000K is rated at 5950 Lumen and 480m of throw. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. According to my measurements, the maximum output (at turn on) was 5000 Lumen, which is short of the advertised 5950 but still very respectable for the size and cost of the light. ANSI output (at 30 seconds) was 4563 Lumen and at 1 minute the output had dropped to 4401 Lumen. At 2 minutes the output had decreased to 2943 Lumen and then declined rapidly to reach 747 Lumen at 00:02:44, where it stabilized and slowly decreased to 454 Lumen from 00:02:44 to 01:45:10. Then a strange thing happened which I cannot fully explain. A slow oscillation in output started to occur, with its floor exactly where the declining curve of output would have been and its amplitude steadily rising. This means the output was at least equal and mostly higher than it would have been otherwise, even exceeding 1000 Lumen at some points. Then the gradual decline of the output resumed and the light turned off at 02:29:36, while it was still holding an output of 171 Lumen. All in all, a very useful output profile, managing heat, battery capacity and output quite well. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the Full Runtime Graph in greater detail. I did discuss the strange oscillation with a couple of electronics experts but without a look at the driver components (the driver is glued in place and not removable) they could not offer more insight into the cause. I think it is happening around the time the battery voltage is near the Vf of the emitters, but why that could cause this behaviour, I cannot say. If any electronics experts can offer an explanation, I would appreciate leaving it in the comments. Conclusion The Wurkkos TS30 is a value for money light that will not disappoint. Its aero grade aluminium body is well made and hard anodized and the fit and finish are beyond its price point. The attention to detail is also there, with chamfered cooling fins and impeccable anodization. The size and weight are great for its output rating and the provided 21700 battery allows for ample runtime. The output is more than enough for most purposes and the beam profile is well balanced. The tint of the Luminous SST40 LED is a cool, slightly above BBL but without being too green tint. The CRI is low, but this is countered by the high lumen output these emitters allow the light to achieve. The driver uses PWM to dim the output, so PWM is present at all output levels, except on full. The frequency of the PWM is high enough to not be visible to the naked eye and did not tire me when using the light. The Wurkkos TS30 can be purchased directly from the Wurkkos Website and the cost at the moment this review is written is $45.99, including shipping, worldwide. That is a lot of torch for the money! Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Wurkkos TS30: Pros + Value for money + High output and throw + Aerospace grade Aluminium Alloy construction + Impeccable anodization and fit and finish + USB type A to C and type C to C charging + Low Voltage Protection + Advanced Thermal Regulation + Well balanced beam + 21700 Li-Ion 5000mAh battery included + Low power and charging LED indicators + Simple and intuitive stepped and ramp UI + IP68 + At least 2.5 hours of usable light per charge + Compatible with all high drain 21700 batteries Cons - The driver uses PWM to dim the emitter. A regulated, constant current driver could have been used instead of including the strike bezel.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Wurkkos for providing the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 05/08/2021

Introduction There is a question that gets asked a lot in the torch world: Which is the best torch? Many would argue that there is no definitive answer to that, as it depends on the requirements and the usage scenario. The best answer to the question, as it is asked is this: The best torch is the one you have on you when you need it. To carry a torch at all times is a thing most people do not think about and only after one starts doing so, does one realise how incredibly useful it can be. But to do so, it has to be small enough to be inconspicuous and powerful enough to be useful. Another requirement for most users, except size and power, is low cost, so it can be affordable and not a big deal if it gets scratched or damaged in the line of duty. Today's review is about a light that ticks all those boxes, and then some: The Sofirn SC21. The Sofirn SC21 is a small, powerful and budget friendly light that also features a high CRI emitter and onboard charging. Intrigued? Read on to find out more! Unboxing The Sofirn SC21 comes in a generic brown box with a sticker that specifies the contents. Inside the box we find the extensive manual and the accessories. The manual is in many languages and the accessories include a clip, a lanyard, 2 spare O-rings and a charging cable. The charging cable is USB type A to USB type C and its length is 104cm, including the plugs. The light itself comes protected in a bubble wrap bag. Inside the bag, along with the light, there is an orange label, explaining that there is an insulator inside the light that prevents the battery from making contact so the light can be shipped safely. That insulator needs to be removed before the light can be used. The Sofirn SC21 is made of aluminium and features a side button with an LED charge indicator. On the opposite side of the side button there is a rubber flap with the USB logo engraved on it. The flap can be opened to reveal a USB type C charging port. The tail is magnetic and the magnet is strong enough to hold the weight of the torch in any orientation. There are also 2 lanyard holes and 2 respective grooves so the lanyard does not compromise the ability of the light to tail stand. The business end of the Sofirn SC21 features a glass lens protecting an orange peel reflector. The emitter used in the Sofirn SC21 is a Samsung LH351D 5000K 90 CRI LED. It is good to see a neutral white, high CRI emitter used in an EDC torch. I expect this till take a toll on brightness and run times, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make for better light quality. The torch unscrews around the middle to reveal the battery compartment, with the battery already installed. An insulator is covering the driver side, preventing the positive terminal of the battery from making contact with it. The positive terminal of the battery makes contact with the driver PCB through a brass contact point. The negative terminal makes contact with the body with a good quality spring. The spring is not very thick but it should be more than capable of transferring the power required without significant losses. The battery that comes with the Sofirn SC21 is a Sofirn branded 16340 Li-Ion button top battery, rated at 800mAh. The clip can be placed on the back side of the light, as shown below. It allows for lens down deep carry and is bidirectional, which some people like as it allows clipping the light on to a hat and using it as a headlamp, but others dislike as it is not as secure as a unidirectional clip. The end of the clip drags on the head of the torch when the two parts are unscrewed / screwed so I expect that over time it will damage the finish, unless it is carefully lifted to avoid that. Quality The milling quality and anodization are very good, without any sharp edges or visible defects. Even under close inspection the finish and knurling look good. Specifications The specifications of the Sofirn SC21, as found on the Sofirn website, are listed in the table below. The Samsung LH351D 5000K 90 CRI LED is a high light quality choice, rather than a high brightness / high efficiency one and I agree with it. The company claims a maximum output of 1000 Lumen, which is a bold claim. We will test that. The throw is rated at 135m. User Interface The user interface of the Sofirn SC21 is designed to please both those that prefer a stepped mode torch and those who like ramping. Out of the box, the light comes in stepped mode. The stepped mode works as follows: From OFF single click to turn ON. Press and hold to cycle through the main stepped modes (Low – Medium – High). From ON single click to turn OFF. To change to the ramping mode (or back from the ramping mode to stepped mode), you need to do 4 fast clicks while the light is on. The ramping mode gives you full flexibility to adjust the brightness steplessly from Moon to Turbo level and works as follows: From OFF single click to turn ON. Press and hold to change brightness steplessly (“ramp”). Ramping changes its direction when the button is pressed again within 1.5 seconds. The light flashes once when it reaches the lower or upper end of the ramp. From ON single click to turn OFF. In either stepped or ramping mode: From OFF hold for 1 second to turn on at Moonlight level. Double click to activate Turbo mode from OFF or ON. While in Turbo mode, single click to return to the previously used mode. Triple click to activate Strobe mode from OFF or ON. While in Strobe mode, single click to return to the previously used standard mode, or press and hold to cycle through SOS - Beacon - Strobe. The light features both electronic and mechanical lock out. The electronic lock out works as follows: From OFF, 4 fast clicks to activate lockout. Another 4 fast clicks to deactivate lockout and turn the light on at the memorized level. When the light is locked, the main LED blinks twice when the button is pressed to show the status of being locked. While in lockout mode, hold the button to use Moonlight mode momentarily. If you prefer a mechanical lock out, unscrewing the battery tube by 1/4 turn, will break the connection of the negative terminal of the battery to the driver. The Sofirn SC21 also features mode memory, so it will turn on at the last used level (except Turbo). Beam-shots The beam pattern of the Sofirn SC21 is what can be expected from a Samsung LH351D emitter in a shallow, orange peel reflector. It provides a balanced beam with some throw and flood, perfect for EDC. The hot spot is well defined and large and the spill is uniform without any artefacts, thanks to the OP reflector. I tested the Sofirn SC21 outside, over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Sofirn SC21 with the Olight Baton 3 and the Olight S1R Baton II. The Sofirn SC21 offers a more neutral and high CRI beam while the Olight torches have a cooler tint and low CRI but higher output. Driver The driver of the Sofirn SC21 provides constant current to the emitter on all modes. There is no PWM that my camera could detect on any output level. The driver also features Thermal Regulation, Reverse Polarity Protection and Low Voltage Protection. Tint and Size Comparison The tint of the Sofirn SC21 is neutral white, at 5000K. In the comparison photo below, you can see the Sofirn SC21 in the middle, compared to the much cooler and greener tints of the Olight Baton 3 on the left and the Olight S1R Baton II on the right. The Samsung LH351D 5000K emitter used in the Sofirn SC21 is high CRI (90). The photo was taken with the white balance set to 5500K. The length of the Sofirn SC21 is 73mm, which is 10mm longer than the two Olights. That is mostly due to the fact that it uses a reflector and a glass lens instead of the TIR optic used by the two Olights. This offers the advantage that the glass is much harder to scratch than the plastic TIR and does not burn like the plastic can if there is any debris on it, so I actually prefer it. The USB C port also takes more space than the proprietary magnetic charging that Olight uses. As much as I like the magnetic charging system, there is something to be said for not having to carry around a proprietary cable. Battery and Charging The battery included with the Sofirn SC21 is a 16340, rated at 800mAh and I measured it at exactly 788mAh. The light has Low Voltage Protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.5V which is too low and will wear out the battery, so it should have been set higher. The battery's internal resistance was measured at 79mΩ. These measurements show that a high quality battery is actually included with this light. The indicative LED on the switch of the Sofirn SC21 shows the level of the battery charge. Green means that the remaining charge is at between 100% and 70%, red that it is below 70% and flashing red that it is critical and the light will soon turn off. I would have preferred at least one intermediate indication between 70% and almost empty. Charging the Sofirn SC21 is very easy. Just lift the rubber cover and insert the provided (or any) USB type C cable to charge the light. Both USB A to USB C and USB C to USB C cables can be used as well as any charger, including the ones that support PD. This is very convenient as you can charge the Sofirn SC21 with any USB C cable and charger you have at hand. The indicative LED on the switch flashes red to indicate the light is charging. It turns green when the charging is completed, at 4.21V. The company advertises that the charging of the Sofirn SC21 takes 1 hour, with a 5V charger, capable of providing 1A. It actually took 1 hour, 28 minutes and 25 seconds to charge the included battery from 2.5V to 4.21V inside the Sofirn SC21. The maximum current drawn was 0.9541A, so a charger that can provide at least 1A is recommended. A charger is not provided with the light but you can use your phone charger. A charging current of almost 1A for a 800mAh 16340 battery is rather high and despite being convenient as it charges the battery fast, it will take a toll on the battery longevity. That said, most lights do the same, including the 2 Olights we saw earlier. Output & Runtimes The Sofirn SC21 is rated at a maximum output of 1000 Lumen and 135m of throw. I do not own a multi thousand dollar worth integrating sphere, just a logging Lumen meter and a home made integrating tube. The array is calibrated with 3 separate, professionally measured lights and gives me consistent results, but there is definitely room for error and deviations are to be expected. The output of all modes as well as the respective run times are shown in the table below. According to my measurements, Moonlight is 0.5 Lumen (instead of 1), Low is 17 Lumen (instead of 10), Medium is 93 Lumen (instead of 100), high is 323 Lumen (instead of 400) and Turbo is 848 Lumen at turn on (instead of 1000). The maximum output (at turn on) of 848 Lumen is short of the advertised 1000 by about 15% but still very respectable for the size of the light and especially the fact that it uses a high CRI, neutral white emitter. Output at 30 seconds was 798 Lumen and at 1 minute the output was still 786 Lumen. At 2 minutes the output had decreased to 744 Lumen and then started to decline faster due to thermal regulation to reach reach 206 Lumen at 00:02:51, where it stabilized until the temperature dropped enough and the output rose to 307 Lumen (High) at 00:10:34. It then stayed at that level, with the temperature slowly rising, until at 00:27:54 thermal regulation decreased the output to 254 Lumen. The light remained at that output level until 01:01:45, when the temperature had dropped enough. It then tried to increase the brightness to 307 Lumen, which only happened momentarily as by then the battery did not have enough voltage to support that level of output. Therefore, the light stepped down to 91 Lumen (Medium) for about 6 minutes and then to 17 lumen (Low). It then sustained that output for as long as possible. Unfortunately, the light will not turn off when the battery can no longer sustain the Low output and the brightness just declines with the voltage. It would have been much better if the light just turned off when the battery dropped to that level as that way we would see only regulated output and the battery longevity would be better. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the Turbo Full Runtime Graph in greater detail. Turbo is good and impressive but is hardly the mode that is actually most used in a torch. Therefore, I decided to make a runtime graph for High. The graph is self explanatory. The output is stable and regulated. It maintains High output for 58 minutes, then steps down to Medium for 6.5 minutes and then to Low for as long as the battery can sustain it. Again, we see there is no cut off when the battery can no longer sustain the Low output. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the High Full Runtime Graph in greater detail. The Sofirn SC21 is advertised to produce 4533cd and therefore have a throw of 135m. I measured 3488.16cd which means that the actual throw is 118m, about 12% less than advertised. This is to be expected as the maximum output measured was 848 Lumen instead of the 1000 Lumen advertised, which is about 15% less. Comparison with Olight Baton 3 & Olight S1R Baton II I was wondering how much of a disadvantage on brightness and efficiency does the high CRI emitter of the Sofirn SC21 introduce compared to lights that prioritize brightness and efficiency over tint and CRI. So, I decided to compare the above runtime graphs with those of the Olight Baton 3 and the Olight S1R Baton II. It was clear from the tint comparison that the Sofirn SC21 offers a much more pleasant, less green and neutral tint than the two Olights and also much better colour rendition as it is 90 CRI instead of the 70 CRI Luminous SST40 emitters the Olights use. As we can see in the comparative graph below, the Olight Baton 3 is by far the most efficient light, but also "cheats" a bit by setting its high output lower than the Olight S1R Baton II, to reserve power. The Sofirn SC21 did surprisingly well, both in brightness and in efficiency considering the neutral tint and high CRI. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the Turbo Full Runtime Comparison Graph in greater detail. What is even more interesting is the much more realistic scenario of using the lights on High rather than Turbo. That way, the much hotter Samsung LH531D of the Sofirn SC21 does not need to step down due to thermal regulation and sits between the two Olights in brightness. It also outperforms the Olight S1R Baton II in run time, albeit while being less bright. The following graph shows the first 10 minutes of the High Full Runtime Comparison Graph in greater detail. There is no winner here, just 3 very good EDC lights, each with its advantages and disadvantages, according to the emitter that was selected and the programming of the driver. It does speak volumes though that the Sofirn SC21 is standing as equal amongst equals, with comparative advantages and disadvantages depending on preference and usage scenario, with 2 lights that cost twice what it does. Current Draw The Sofirn SC21 has a low parasitic drain that is below the ability of the clamp meter to measure. The Moonlight Mode only draws 10mA. The Low, Mid and High modes need 60mA, 197mA and 788mA respectively and Turbo required 2.83A. Conclusion The Sofirn SC21 is an small EDC torch that ticks many boxes. It uses a Li-Ion 16340 battery to power a 5000K, 90 CRI Samsung LH351D emitter and produce a maximum of 848 Lumen and 118m of throw (measured). This is indeed an excellent performance for a high CRI light with neutral tint and even though it falls short of the advertised 1000 Lumen and 135m, it is very respectable and more than enough for EDC purposes while the quality of the light is more than enough compensation for the reduced performance. The driver is regulated and provides stable output with no PWM on any level. It incorporates Thermal Regulation, Reverse Polarity Protection and Low Voltage Protection. The only flaw in my opinion is that the low voltage protection only kicks in at 2.5V which is not good for the battery. It should turn off the light at around 3V. The build quality and anodization are very good and the user interface is simple, intuitive and versatile, providing both stepped and ramping options. The button is easy to press and incorporates an indicative LED which shows the battery level and also when the light is charging and when the charging is finished. The Sofirn SC21 uses a glass lens and aluminium reflector combination which is much harder to scratch than a plastic TIR optic and does not melt if there is debris on the lens. The tail cap is magnetic and the magnet is strong enough to hold the light at any orientation. The clip allows for lens down deep carry and is bidirectional so the Sofirn SC21 can be clipped to a hat to use as a headlamp. The Sofirn SC21 can be purchased directly from the Sofirn Website and the cost at the moment this review is written is $23.99, including the battery or $20.99 without the battery. Shipping costs $3.99 and tax varies depending on the country of destination. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Sofirn SC21: Pros + Value for money. + High CRI. + Neutral 5000K tint. + No PWM at any output level. + Glass lens and Aluminium reflector. + Aluminium Alloy construction. + Very good anodization and fit and finish. + USB type A to C and type C to C charging. + Fast battery charging, in less than 1.5h. + Low Voltage Protection. + Thermal Regulation. + Reverse Polarity Protection + Well balanced beam. + 16340 Li-Ion 800mAh (788mAh measured) battery included. + Battery level and charging LED indicator. + Simple and intuitive stepped and ramped UI. + IP68. + Bidirectional clip, which some users like as it can be clipped on to a hat to use as a head lamp. + Compatible with all button top 16340 batteries that can provide at least 3A. Cons - Low voltage protection turns off the light at 2.5V which is too low and can damage the battery and affect its longevity. - Fast battery charging can affect battery longevity. - Bidirectional clip, which some users dislike as it is not as sturdy and easy to use as unidirectional clips. - The clip could scratch the finish over time. - The battery level indicator LED could have more levels.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Sofirn for providing the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 07/09/2021

Introduction It is not always easy to walk the line between quality and value for money but Sofirn seems to have mastered the skill well. About a month ago I reviewed their EDC style torch, Sofirn SC31 Pro, and it was so good for its price that it peaked my curiosity. It therefore prompted me to have a look at their bigger and brighter models. I asked their representative and she obliged by sending me the Sofirn SP36 Pro, a 8000 lumen lighirnt with Andúril firmware, 4 LEDs and 3 batteries. This is by no means an EDC light. Its size puts it in the Soda Can lights category, albeit on the thin side of the genre. The generous specs and competitive pricing make for a combination that is hard to beat. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We need to see the light first and what it can do. Unboxing The Sofirn SP36 Pro comes in an unassuming, generic brown cardboard box with a barcode sticker that provides information about the contents. Inside the box, we find the light, protected in bubble wrap, a 1 meter long USB A to USB C charging cable, 2 spare O-rings and the manual. The light comes with a little tag, secured around the body with a rubber band. The tag explains that there is an insulator in the battery compartment, stopping the batteries from making contact and thus rendering the light inoperable for safe shipping. The insulator needs to be removed before the light can be used. The Sofirn SP36 Pro is a black, cylindrical light, about 12,5cm long and with a diameter of about 5cm at its widest point, which is the front bezel. The body features knurling which allows for a secure grip without being too aggressive. The button is rubbery, textured and slightly raised, so it is easy to find by touch, but can also be pressed while in a bag or in a (very large) pocket. Thankfully, there is a lock out option to cover for that contingency. The area around the button has some heatsinking in the form of fins, while at the exact opposite side there is a rubber flap. Lifting the flap, reveals the USB C charging port. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I will not presume to tell you if the Sofirn SP36 Pro looks good or not, but I can definitely say that it is an elegant and unassuming design that seems to mean business. That is even more true about the business end of the light, which features a quadruple smooth reflector with deep enough cups to ensure a healthy amount of throw. The emitters at the bottom of those cups are 4 Luminous SST40, 6500K LEDs. The battery compartment can be accessed by unscrewing the light into two halves and contains 3 batteries. The front side has an insulator covering which must be removed to reveal the circular battery contacts. The batteries are Sofirn branded, size 18650 and rated at 3000mAh. The inner circular battery contact is for the positive contacts of the 3 batteries while the outer circular battery contact gets the negative via the metal body of the battery compartment. The metal body of the battery compartment gets the negative from the batteries through 3 thick double springs at its bottom. The thickness of the springs, the fact that they are double and the whole design seems capable of transferring the power of the batteries to the light's driver circuit with minimal losses. It is also easy to mechanically lock out the light by unscrewing the battery compartment by half a turn, thus breaking the contact between its non anodized lip and the outer circular contact of the head. With the insulator out of the way, the Sofirn SP36 Pro is ready for action, which is indicated by the 2 green indicator LEDs on the switch. Quality The build quality of the Sofirn SP36 Pro is surprisingly good - for the price point and feature set - and on par with other Sofirn lights. The fit and finish are excellent, the knurling is of good quality and the anodization is without any flaws, except a few points at the edge of the cooling fins. The edges of the fins are also somewhat sharp, not enough to cut, but if you run your finger against them they seem like they would benefit from a little refining. Specifications The specifications of the Sofirn SP36 Pro, as found on the company's website, are as follows: The light features 4 SST40 emitters at 6500K (cool white - there is also a neutral white version at 5000K) which provide 8000 lumen of max output and 450m of max throw. It is made of aerospace grade aluminium and is 126,7mm long and 50mm wide (which I verified to be correct). The weight without the batteries is 300g (I measured 297g without the batteries and 437g with the batteries). The Sofirn SP36 Pro is USB C rechargeable and rated IPX8. User Interface The user interface of the Sofirn SP36 Pro is a love or hate deal, as the light features the Andúril UI. Personally, I love it and deeply enjoy the fact that it is feature packed but still provides simple, quick and intuitive access to the basic functions. Others hate it and consider it too much work, as the manual is extensive and even the flow chart found at the company's website can be intimidating to look at. There is another kind of flow chart, provided for Andúril by the coder, which I personally prefer. They are different approaches to the same user interface: In my experience, after the initial shock, it is very easy to start using the light and have an occasional look at the flow chart to remind oneself of the more advanced functions. An important thing to do when you take any Andúril light out of the box is to perform a temperature calibration, as the light will depend on it to perform proper thermal control and balance brightness with temperature. That is also the best time to set the temperature limit. I find 50C to be a good temperature limit and the tests done in this review were done on a calibrated light and with a 50C temperature limit. Beam-shots The beam pattern of the Sofirn SP36 Pro is a product of the LED type and size and the reflector it uses. With the 5x5mm SST40 emitters and smooth reflector, it is not surprising that the result is a somewhat tight hot spot that throws nicely, surrounded by a nice, usable spill. All in all, a very balanced and usable beam pattern. There are various rings and coronas that are typical of smooth reflectors and of multi emitter lights and may annoy white wall hunters, but those are unavoidable in this configuration and do not cause any problems in real world use. I tested the Sofirn SP36 Pro over a distance of 70m. The following video shows a comparison of the Sofirn SP36 Pro with the Olight X7R, the Fireflies E07 (Nichia 219b sw45k) and the Lumintop X9L. Driver The driver of the Sofirn SP36 Pro uses PWM to dim the light, on all levels, except, of course, on full. The PWM is visible to the camera but not visible to the naked eye, on any level. Even though I prefer constant current drivers, PWM is an efficient and cost effective way to achieve LED dimming and if it is done at a high enough frequency, as seems to be the case here, it is not a problem. Tint The tint of the Sofirn SP36 Pro is the cool, greenish (above BBL) tint that is expected of the Luminous SST40 emitter. It is very similar to the tint of the Olight X7R. Next to them, for reference, the Fireflies E07 with Nichia 219b sw45k emitters which are high CRI and very rosy (below BBL) and the Lumintop X9L which uses a Luminous SBT90.2 emitter. The SST40 used in the Sofirn SP36 Pro is not high CRI. Charging The batteries included with the Sofirn SP36 Pro are rated at 3000mAh and I measured them to be right around that number (2950mAh / 3060mAh / 3049mAh) The light has under voltage protection and turns off when the battery voltage drops to 2.8V. The batteries' internal resistance was measured at around 120mΩ. Charging the Sofirn SP36 Pro is very easy. Just lift the rubber cover and insert the provided USB type C cable to charge the light. The indicative LEDs on the switch turn red to indicate the light is charging. They turn green when the charging is completed, at 4.22V. Charging the Sofirn SP36 Pro from 2.8V to 4.22V took 4 hours, 57 minutes and 17 seconds. The maximum current drawn was 1.8712A, so a charger that can provide at least 2A is recommended. A charger is not provided with the light but you can use your phone charger. Current Draw The Sofirn SP36 Pro has a very low parasitic drain that is below the ability of the clamp meter to measure. It shows between 0mA and 1mA, with the indicative LEDs on the switch, on (they can be turned off through the Andúril UI). The light also has a very low moonlight mode that only draws 3mA. The top of the ramp drew 5.93A and Turbo required 16.34A. You can run the Sofirn SP36 Pro with all 3 batteries or with 2 or even 1 battery. Each of the batteries provided with the Sofirn SP36 Pro can give up to 10A (tested) so in order to get full brightness on Turbo you need to use at least 2 batteries in the light. All measurements were taken with all 3 batteries in the light. Output & Runtimes The Sofirn SP36 Pro is rated at 8000 lumen output and 450m of throw. I measured it both with batteries fresh off the charger and after they had rested. With batteries fresh off charging, the maximum output (at turn on) was 7417 lumen, which is short of the advertised 8000 but still very respectable for the size of the light. ANSI output (at 30 seconds) was 6716 lumen and at 2 minutes the output had dropped to 1490 lumen. It then gradually increased to 1767 lumen until the 5 minute mark. Over the next 30 seconds the output dipped to only 300 lumen and gradually increased to over 500 lumen over the next 15 minutes, to stay at around that level until the 5 hours and 40 minutes mark. With rested batteries, the maximum output (at turn on) was 6726 lumen, which is 9.3% less than with batteries fresh off the charger. ANSI output (at 30 seconds) was 6364 lumen, which is 5.2% less than with batteries fresh off the charger. At 2 minutes the output had dropped to 2327 lumen, which is 36% more than with batteries fresh off the charger. It seems the initial extra burst of energy that the batteries can give fresh off the charger has a big toll! The output gradually decreased to 2190 lumen until the 4 minutes and 5 seconds mark and over the next 20 seconds the output dipped to 518 lumen, where it remained stable, gradually increasing over the next hours, to reach a maximum of 931 lumen at 5:13:55. It then dropped gradually, to 222 lumen, at 5:40:10. From these 2 scenarios it is obvious that even though the batteries fresh off the charger will give a bigger, more impressive boost, the advantage lasts about a minute and has consequences for the entire runtime of the light. Moreover, it is highly unlikely it will happen in real life anyway, as most people do not keep the light on charging all the time. The temperature was very well controlled, as you can see in the runtime graphs. Turning on the light at Turbo, will cause a rapid rise in temperature, followed by a big dip in output, while the temperature stabilizes. This can be avoided if the light is not on Turbo, but used at a more moderate output level. The light was temperature calibrated, according to the manual, and the temperature limit was set at 50C. The actual temperatures on the button and on the body of the light can be seen on the graphs and were kept well within the set limit. All in all, the Sofirn SP36 Pro gave very usable light for about 5.5 hours, when turned on at Turbo, which is very respectable. Usage at more moderate levels, will of course, result in higher runtimes and lower, if any, output dips, due to temperature management. The maximum intensity of the light, with rested batteries, was measured at 56784 cd, which translates to a throw of 476,59m, which is 5.9% more than the 450m advertised. Conclusion The Sofirn SP36 Pro is a value for money, Soda Can sized light that will not disappoint. Its aluminium body is well made and hard anodized and the fit and finish is beyond its price point. The mildly sharp edges of the fins are not a concern, but could have been smoother. The size and weight are great for its output rating and the 3 provided 3000mAh 18650 batteries allow for ample runtime. The output is more than enough for most purposes and the beam profile is very balanced. The tint of the Luminous SST40 LED is a cool, above BBL (greenish) tint and the CRI is low, but this is countered by the high lumen output this emitter allows the light to achieve. The driver uses PWM to dim the output, so PWM is present at all output levels, except on full. The frequency of the PWM is high enough to not be visible to the naked eye and did not tire me when using the light. The Sofirn SP36 Pro can be purchased from the Sofirn Website and the cost at the moment this review is written is $49.99, including shipping, worldwide. That is a lot of torch for the money! Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Sofirn SP36 Pro: Pros + Value for money + High output and throw + Aerospace grade Aluminium Alloy construction with good fit and finish + USB type C charging + Low Voltage Protection + Thermal regulation + Well balanced beam + 3x 18650 Li-Ion 3000mAh (actually measured) batteries included + Low power and charging LED indicator + Andúril UI + Lighted button with indicative LEDs + IP68 + At least 5.5 hours of usable light per charge + Compatible with all button top 18650 batteries Cons - The fins could have smoother edges - The driver uses PWM to dim the emitter  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Sofirn for providing the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 30/07/2021

Introduction I am not really into tactical torches, as I prefer the EDC type, with many modes and complex user interfaces that the tactical ones usually lack. And to be honest, I was always wondering why can't tactical torches incorporate both the quick, simple, tactical operation and the versatility of more than 1 mode. Apparently, Brinyte thought the same when designing the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper, which is a tactical torch with simple and quick tactical operation, without sacrificing multiple modes. In fact, it looks like Brinyte made no compromises when designing this torch and included everything, so the question becomes, how well did they implement all the features and does the torch live up to its ambitious specs? Time to find out. Unboxing I received my review sample of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper in a plain brown box, which is the practice of Brinyte with samples, to minimize the shipping costs. The retail version comes in a nice box. The light comes with a full accessory pack, which includes a holster, a charging cable, a couple of spare O-rings, a lanyard and the operation manual. The operation manual comes in a unique format, written on 4 cards, held together with a small clip. It includes all the information needed to understand and operate the torch. The holster is very well built. It has a Velcro closure, 2 side pockets that can carry extra batteries and a plastic belt loop with a 360 degree swivel. The Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper comes in two colours, black and desert tan. Our sample is the latter and I find it to be a beautiful and practical design. It is definitely too large to carry in a pocket, but that is what the provided holster if for. It features a large head, a side switch with LED indicator, a removable pocket clip (which is quite superfluous for a torch of this size), a tactical ring and what I will name a "claw ring", with an aggressive claw. On the opposite side of the side switch, there is a pad for the magnetic charging cable. The tail cap features 2 large, rubber buttons, for the tactical operation. The big head features a relatively deep and wide reflector, which is almost smooth, promising a beam with a lot of throw but also some useful spill, perfect for a tactical scenario. The rubber tail cap buttons are easy to use, even with thick gloves. The tail cap also includes a hole to attach a lanyard. The battery ships in the light itself, with an insulator tab preventing the negative pole of the battery from making contact. This has to be removed before the light can be operated. The battery is a Brinyte branded, button top 18650 Li-Ion battery, rated at 3100mAh. I think the size of the light warrants the use of the more energy dense 21700 battery type and I hope Brinyte will make that change in the next version. That would provide better run times and the possibility for higher output as well. After removing the tail cap, the claw ring can also be removed and, after that, the tactical ring, which features a lanyard hole. The clip just snaps on, and can be removed as well. There are 2 O-rings on the tail part of the light, one for the water proofing of the tail cap and the other to stabilize the tactical ring. The claw ring is very helpful at gripping the torch and getting it out of the holster both quickly and securely and also provides a very secure grip while operating the light. The aggressive claw is good looking and possibly useful in tactical situations but it will most certainly be illegal to carry in many countries, so Brinyte made it easily removable and the light can be used fully without it. The part of the claw ring that goes over the tail cap has 2 internal ridges that have to be aligned with corresponding grooves on the tail cap, for proper installation. The bezel of the light is also removable and the light can be used with or without it. It is not very aggressive and it is useful as it allows you to see if the light is on when it is head standing, so I see no reason to take it off. Maybe Brinyte is planning to release a more aggressive bezel, as an accessory or one made of stainless steel. The light features thick, good quality springs on both sides of the battery, which should ensure uninterrupted use if the torch is bumped or dropped and also reduce the electrical resistance, maximizing the output. The light fits in the holster comfortably and there are cut outs for the claw ring and for the part of the tail cap that is protruding from it. The cut out for the claw ring is much too large, which is strange for a purpose built holster. I wish they had made it a closer fit. The protruding tail cap, allows for tactical operation of the torch, even when it is in the holster and the cut out at the bottom of the holster allows the light to shine out of it. It seems like the lower part of the holster does not fit the head of the torch well, so the round hole is deformed quite a bit when the torch is in the holster. Even though the holster has very nice features and good quality, it should be refined, to fit the claw ring and the head of the torch more closely. Quality The quality of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper is that of a premium production torch. The fit and finish is perfect and the anodizing is flawless. My sample came with some paint chipping on the secondary tail switch housing and 2 small nicks on the back of the tail cap. As this is a review sample that may have been handled before, I cannot say if this is a common occurrence but I expect it is not. I am fairly certain that if a retail torch was delivered like this, Brinyte would replace the tail cap, under warranty. Specifications The main features of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper, as found on the Brinyte website can be seen below: Features Brinyte patented tactical ring design, easy to grab at top speed Compatible with one 18650 battery or two CR123A batteries Fast charging function Intelligent power indicator Regulated power supply maintains constant brightness Overcharge, over-discharge and overheat protection Reverse polarity protection prevents damage from improper battery installation Alloy aluminium reflector with professional optical analysis Aircraft-grade high strength aluminium AL-6061-T6 with premium Type III military hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish There is not much one could ask that is not in there. The technical parameters of the light, as found on the company's website, are as follows: Technical Parameters ANSI/NEMA FL1 Turbo High Middle Low Strobe SOS Output 2000+ Lumens 450+ Lumens 60+ Lumens 10+ Lumens 2000+ Lumens 60+ Lumens Runtime 1min + 90mins 150mins 930mins 1870mins / / Beam Distance 360+ m / 393.70+ yds Intensity 32000+ cd Impact Resistant 1m / 1.09yds Protection Proof IP68 Working Voltage 3.0 – 6.0V Dimension 164mm (Length) x 25.4mm (Body Dia) x 41mm (Head Dia) Net Weight 170g / 0.37lb (excluding battery) These are some ambitious numbers, for the size and type of this torch. We will certainly put them to the test. User Interface The user interface of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper combines the directness and simplicity that defines tactical operation with the option to have a more complex interface, controlled by the side switch, with more modes and usability. There is a very clear diagram in the manual that explains the operation of the light, in detail: Beam-shots The Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper produces a beam with a well defined hot spot that promises good throw. The hot spot fades into a greenish corona that whitens out towards the edge of the spill. There are numerous rings in the beam, which is normal for a smooth reflector. I tested the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper over a distance of 70m, which is what I would expect a tactical scenario usage would be. The following video shows a comparison of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper with 2 very well known contenders, the 1800lm Olight M2R Pro Warrior and the 2200lm Olight Warrior Pro. I think the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper is holding its own very well against the two very strong contenders. I will let each of you decide which one you prefer. Driver The driver of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper provided a steady beam, without apparent PWM on all 4 output levels of the light. It also features constant brightness levels (as we will verify in the runtime test) as well as overcharge, over-discharge, overheat and reverse polarity protections. That seems like a complete set of features and a very well designed driver Tint In the following photos you can see the tint of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper in comparison to the Olight Warrior Pro and the Olight M2R Pro Warrior. The pictures were taken with a manually set 5500K white balance. As you can see, the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper has a cool white tint, while both Olight torches feature warmer tints. Charging The Brinyte branded, button top, 18650 Li-Ion battery that comes with the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper is rated at 3100Mah. I measured the actual capacity at 3003Mah, using the Opus BT-C3100 smart charger. The internal resistance of the battery was measured at 92mΩ. The charge level of the battery is indicated on the side switch, as depicted below. The charging cable has a blue light on it that makes it easy to find in the dark and illuminates enough to help you locate the charging pad on the torch. As soon as you get the charging cable close enough to the charging pad, it snaps on magnetically. The indictor LED on the side button will turn orange momentarily... ...and then red, as the charging begins. When the charging is completed, the indicator LED will turn to green. If the indicator light remains orange, that indicates something is wrong. It could be dirt / debris on the charging surfaces or a malfunction. The under voltage protection will turn the torch off, as soon as the battery voltage drops below 2.8V. The charging from that level until full, took 2 hours, 5 minutes and 15 seconds. The diagram of the charging can be seen below. The charging terminated when the battery reached 4.19V. 1 minute after the light is turned off, the indicator LED on the side switch will turn on, to make it easy to find the light in the dark. The brightness level is perfect for the purpose of helping to locate the light in the dark without being distracting and is comparable to tritium vials. The power consumption of this function is negligible and it will take many months before it has any serious impact on the battery level. It can be turned on or off by holding the side switch down for 10 seconds. Current Draw So let us measure the power consumption of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper when it is off and also in all output modes. The clamp meter was calibrated first. The power consumption when the light is off is just 6mA. The torch consumes 119mA on low, which is rated to produce 10 lumens. Medium is rated at 60 lumens and consumes 206mA. High is rated at 450 lumens and consumes 937mA. Finally, turbo mode is rated at 2000 lumens and draws 6.5A. Here is a table with all the measured values and outputs. Output & Runtimes I measured the output and runtime of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper in my home made integrating tube. A high quality electronic thermometer with 2 probes was also use to monitor the temperature. One of the probes was placed near the side switch and the other on the battery tube. The Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper outperformed its own specs in both brightness and duration. The temperature regulation worked flawlessly and kept the temperatures very low, not exceeding 35.2 Celsius. I think the temperature setting is quite conservative and it could definitely allow for higher temperatures, which would in turn allow for longer turbo runtimes. The only measurement where the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper fell slightly short of its specs was the light intensity. The Specs say it has an intensity of 32000cd while I measured 31567cd. This means that the throw is 360m in the specs while I measured it to be 355m. This is very close and can be attributed to differences in environmental conditions, which influence the measurements. Conclusion The Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper is a tactical torch, with dual tactical tail switches, offering Turbo and Strobe modes at the touch of a button. It also features a side switch, with a battery level and charge indicator LED, that allows for 4 output levels, Strobe and SOS functions. That is an excellent combination of tactical and EDC functionality, with no compromises in either. It features a deep (for the torch size) and almost smooth reflector which provides a well balanced beam with excellent throw and useful spill. The tint is a cool white. The quality of the machining is very good as is the anodization and the light is IP68 water proof rated. The feel of the switches is very tactile and the tail switches are easy to locate and use, even with thick gloves. The light comes with a full set of accessories, including a holster, a lanyard, spare O-rings and a pocket clip. It has both a tactical ring and a claw ring, which is easily removable, as it is probably illegal to carry in some countries. The magnetic charging is very easy to use and the provided battery is a Brinyte branded button top 18650, rated at 3100mAh, which I measured to be 3003mAh. I believe that for this size light, Brinyte could have used a 21700 battery, which would provide even better run times and output. That said, the light already exceeds its specs and the output and run times are very good. The driver has a full set of every protection possible and provides a stable and PWM free output. There is not much that can be improved on the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper. The only possible upgrades would be the use of a 21700 battery and a better fitting holster. Well done Brinyte. The cost of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper comes to $135, which is justified for the build quality and multitude of features. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Brinyte PT18pro Oathkeeper: Pros + Combination of tactical operation dual tail switches and multiple-mode side switch + High quality fit and finish + Flawless anodization + Magnetic charging + Constant current driver with full set of protections and no visible PWM + Well balanced beam, good for tactical use + Removable claw ring and tactical ring + Power and charging LED indicator + IP68 + Battery, holster, lanyard and spare O-rings included + Compatible with all 18650 batteries + Two CR123A batteries can be used if needed Cons - A 21700 battery design would be better, for this size torch - The included holster should have a better fit around the head of the light and a smaller tactical ring cut out.  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Brinyte for providing the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 01/02/2021

Introduction Despite living in an age of rapid scientific and technological advancement, there is actually very little innovation going on. Companies focus more on marketing than research and development and "new" products seem more like copies of each other than developed and designed with the needs of the consumer in mind. As a reviewer I enjoy seeing products with true innovation, products that were developed with some actual thought in the design process. Such is the Brinyte T28 Artemis that Brinyte sent me to review. The Brinyte T28 Artemis is a hunting light and its design and function are specifically tailored for the job. With an interface that is intuitive and easy to use -with or without gloves- and a triple light source (white, red, and green) without the need to carry extra filters, the Brinyte T28 Artemis is the most complete hunting light anyone could wish for. Does that mean it is perfect? Well, nothing is and I do not expect this light to be the exception. But let's delve into the review and find out if Brinyte did justice to Artemis, the ancient Greek goddess of hunting. Unboxing I received the review sample in a plain cardboard box, but that is not what the consumer gets, as the Brinyte T28 Artemis normally comes in a nice retail package. Inside the box there is a comprehensive instruction manual, laid out on 3 cards, which are held together with a nice hook and lanyard. There are also some spare o-rings and a USB type-A to type-C charging cable, which is long enough to comfortably set the battery on a table while charging it and not have it hanging from the socket, as might be the case with the cables some other manufacturers provide. As this is a light that can be mounted on a riffle with the appropriate mount (not included), a remote switch is included in the box. The remote switch replaces the tail cap of the light, has a spiral cable and includes a button to power on or off and separate buttons for increasing or decreasing brightness. The back of the switch has an adhesive-backed Velcro patch, so the switch can be mounted and removed freely. The cable has a stress relief, to avoid damage from movement. The conducting spring is not particularly thick, but it should be sufficient, since the battery is only subjected to modest power draw. Last but not least, the star of the show, the light itself. A lanyard comes pre-attached to the tail of the light. The lanyard is of nice quality but I would prefer it to be adjustable and have a sturdier tying end. The aesthetics of the light are nice and seem to be permeated by a faint military air, in a modern way. The anodization is flawless and there are no sharp edges anywhere. The light can tail stand, but I would not trust it as the head is a lot wider than the tail. Headstands are a lot safer, and the crenellated bezel ensures you can see if the light is on. The battery ships safely inside the light casing, with one of its terminals insulated by a tab. The battery is a 21700 Brinyte branded and claims a capacity of 5000mAh. It has a USB C port near the positive terminal and can be directly charged with the provided cable and a charger. The Brinyte T28 Artemis features a spring on the driver end as well as the tail cap. This ensures the light will not turn off if bumped, as pressure is applied on both ends of the battery. The springs are similar to the one on the remote switch, nice quality but not thick. This is how the light looks with the remote switch installed. Quality There is not much to say about the quality of the Brinyte T28 Artemis. The fit and finish is as good as I have seen in any production light. The anodization is flawless and the controls are responsive and sturdy. The threads are nicely cut and even though thicker springs are always nice to have, if the light is not drawing much current they do not make an important difference. The lanyard could (and should) be adjustable and with a thicker tying end, but that is not a major complaint as it is replaceable. Specifications The features and technical parameters of the Brinyte T28 Artemis, as found on the manufacturer's website, are the following: FEATURING · Powered by one 21700 rechargeable Li-ion battery · Brinyte patented tri-color lighting sources switch design · Rotating head to zoom in and out the beam · Tail stepless dimmer switch design, easy to meet any brightness requirements · Threaded lens for more effective concentrating effect · Regulated power supply maintains constant brightness · Overcharge, over-discharge and overheat protection · Reverse polarity protection prevents damage from improper battery installation · Aircraft-grade high strength aluminum AL-6061-T6 with premium Type III military hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish TECHNICAL PARAMETERS ANSI/NEMA FL1 Turbo(White) Turbo(Red) Turbo(Green) Output(Flood/Spot) 650+/360+Lumens 140+/55+Lumens 130+/70+Lumens Max Runtime 135mins 220mins 270mins Beam Distance 525+m/572+yds 255+m/277+yds 340+m/370+yds Intensity 69600+cd 16480+cd 29160+cd Impact Resistant 1m/1.09yds Protection Proof IP66 Working Voltage 3.0-4.2V Dimension 182~196mm(Length) x 25.4mm(Body Dia) x 54mm(Head Dia) Net Weight 200g/7.05oz (excluding battery) Unfortunately, I do not have the equipment to measure the brightness of the light to compare to the claims. The weight is a bit more than claimed though, at 216.2g. The battery weight is 73.6g. The only point where I will have to strongly disagree with the specifications claimed is the "regulated power supply which maintains constant brightness". That is not the actual case as the driver is not a buck/boost driver and the brightness decreased as the voltage of the battery diminished. It would have been much better if the light actually featured a driver that maintained constant brightness until the voltage protection kicked in. User Interface The user interface is where the Brinyte T28 Artemis truly shines - pun intended. The light turns on with a 1.5 second depress of the tail switch. This ensures that accidental activation is unlikely. Nevertheless, it is not impossible, as it could happen in a backpack, so I would like to have seen a more secure lockout option. A momentary depress of the same switch will turn the light off. The brightness level is controlled by twisting the same switch, like a volume dial. It controls the brightness in a step-less way, from 2% to 100%. Step-less rotary control is my preferred user interface in any light, as it is the most intuitive way to accurately dial in the exact amount of light needed, something that can be important in hunting. A green LED next to the button confirms the light is working normally, which is a nice touch. Its brightness is low enough so it is not distracting. The button / dial is large enough to use with thick gloves, which is essential for hunting and verifies that a lot of thought went into design of the Brinyte T28 Artemis. The remote switch also has on / off and dimmer functions. On / off is controlled by a momentary depression of the central switch. + and - control the brightness. The sturdy, military styled selector at the front is the means to select the LED used. The Brinyte T28 Artemis has 3 LEDs inside, and this selector actually moves the one needed to the centre, behind the lens. That is a very clever design, as other hunting lights have to either rely on add-on coloured filters or separate reflectors / optics for each colour LED, limiting the optic size available to each LED and / or increasing the size of the light. The unique design of the Brinyte T28 Artemis that moves the required LED in place, allowing for the use of a single, large optic, is optimal. But not only is the Brinyte T28 Artemis a step-less rotary control light with 3 separate LEDs, it is also a zoomie. So, twisting the head will zoom in the light, focusing the beam and increasing the throw distance. The controls of the Brinyte T28 Artemis combine to create the most comprehensive, intuitive, easy to use and complete user interface I have seen to date. Beam-shots The Brinyte T28 Artemis uses a Fresnel lens. This will provide the nice, uniform beam of a conventional spherical lens, at a fraction of the size and weight. Behind the lens, are 3 LEDs, a white in the middle, flanked by a red and a green LED. The relevant selector with mechanically move the selected LED at the centre, behind the lens and connect it to the driver. In that way the Brinyte T28 Artemis can produce white, red or green light, using the full size of the lens. The beam in full flood is not very floody. As the light is meant for hunting, it will be used from middle to long distances, so it makes complete sense that it is calibrated for those distances. In full zoom, the beam is very concentrated. Here are the same, on a flat white surface. In full flood the Fresnel lens creates a very uniform beam, with a defining circle around it. The LED itself can be just spotted in the centre. In full zoom, some artefacts are visible, but that does not show in the real world, at long distances, where the full zoom would be used. Here is a short video, using the Brinyte T28 Artemis outside. Driver The driver of the Brinyte T28 Artemis uses PWM to control the brightness, even at full brightness. That is to be expected and the PWM was not visible to my eyes. The shortcoming of the driver that needs to be addressed is the fact that it is not regulated, meaning the brightness of the light is dependant on the battery voltage. As the battery charge is used up and the voltage drops, the light becomes dimmer. Tint The tint of the white LED in the Brinyte T28 Artemis seems to be an above the BBL, cool CCT. Here it is compared to some other lights. From left to right we have the Brinyte T28 Artemis, the Olight S2R Baton II, the Sunwayman V20C and the Fireflies E07 Ti/Cu. The beam-shots are with the Brinyte T28 Artemis in full flood, in mid zoom and in full zoom. And here is how the colours compare to the white lights. Charging and Runtimes To charge the Brinyte T28 Artemis, you have to take out the battery and plug it into your own charger, using the provided cable. A red indicator light in the centre of the positive terminal will signal the charging. It will turn blue when the charging is completed. The battery is a Brinyte branded 21700 lithium-ion with a claimed capacity of 5000mAh, which I actually measured to be 5040mAh, so right on the money. Voltage protection kicked in when the battery voltage dropped to 2.68V. Charging it from that level, took 3 hours, 56 minutes and 25 seconds. The charging terminated when the battery reached 4.19V. The maximum current drawn from the charger was 1.4248A, so your charger must be capable to provide at least that. If not, the battery will still be charged, but charging will take longer. The runtimes specified and measured are in the table below. The ones measured are by far greater than the specified values. It is apparent that the specified runtimes refer to where the light produced is bright enough to be usable in hunting. As the driver is not actually regulated, the brightness will drop with the voltage of the battery, so the light, after a point, will not be bright enough to be usable. I hope Brinyte will address the issue and make a new version with a buck / boost driver, as this is my only grievance with this light. The light may have gotten dimmer as the voltage of the battery dropped but there was no visible step down due to thermal regulation. That is to be expected from a 650lm light of this size. The highest temperature measured during the run-time tests was 45.6C. Current Draw The current drawn from the battery of the Brinyte T28 Artemis was measured in all configurations using a digital clamp meter. The calibration for both the tail and the remote switches was done first. Then the parasitic drain was measured, which is very low. Here are the measurements for the lowest and highest settings, using the white LED, for both switches. Here are the measurements for the lowest and highest settings, using the red LED, for both switches. Here are the measurements for the lowest and highest settings, using the green LED, for both switches. The table below contains all the measurements, in Amps. Conclusion The Brinyte T28 Artemis is a very well designed and executed hunting flashlight. It features white, red and green LEDs, a step-less rotary control and a zoom function with a Fresnel lens. Its IP rating of IP66 ensures protection from dust and powerful water jets, which is as much as anyone can expect from a zoomie and good enough for all hunting conditions. The light is solidly built, with good fit and finish and a flawless anodization. I wish the logo on the tube would align with something on the head of the light, but that is actually surprising expensive to ensure and definitely not worth the increase in price it would cause. The user interface is the most complete, comprehensive and easy it could be and designed to be used with thick gloves, if needed. My only grievance is that the driver is not actually regulated and brightness is directly dependant on battery voltage. It would be so much more useful and nice if the light could actually maintain constant brightness, regardless of the battery level. The cost of the Brinyte T28 Artemis comes to $145.50 which is justified for the build quality and multitude of features. It would be even more so, with a better, fully regulated driver. Let's list the Pros and Cons of the Brinyte T28 Artemis: Pros + Extremely intuitive and complete user interface + High quality fit and finish + Flawless anodization + 3 separate LEDs for white, red and green, moved into place at the centre behind the lens by a mechanical selector + Fresnel lens + Step-less rotary control + Zoom function + Remote switch for power and brightness control included + IP66 + 21700 USB C rechargeable battery with 5040mAh actual capacity Cons - Despite claims for a regulated driver that provides constant brightness, the brightness was actually dependent on battery voltage - Accidental activation is unlikely, but not impossible - The included lanyard should be adjustable and have a sturdier tying end  TheLAB.GR Thanks to Brinyte for providing the light for review Polymeros Achaniotis 24/09/2020