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January 19, 2020

KeySmart Pro With Tile Review

Today I have a EDC gear review of the KeySmart Pro. This is a Key holder and organizer that can fit up to 14 keys. It also features Tile integration and to help you locate your keys with your smartphone and vice versa and a small flashlight. Thanks to KeySmart for sending this to me to take a look at and tell you about.

YouTube Version of this Review:

Purchase the KeySmart Pro on Amazon at the following Links:

White – https://amzn.to/2twSfuf

Black, Red, Gray, Pink https://amzn.to/2uZb7Cs

Packaging & Accessories

The KeySmart Pro comes in a nice retail box, that really emphasizes the tile functionality here. The back goes into more what the KeySmart is the accessories that are available for it.

What comes with the standard pro here is the KeySmart Pro itself, a small microUSB cable, and a manual. Optional accessories are available as add on purchases on the KeySmart website such as a Nano Scissors, USB 3 Flash drive both that go inside, a small pocket clip, quick disconnect carabiner or a magconnect. The magconnect looks the most intriguing to me and is something I would add on myself as it would allow me to more easily disconnect my car key from other stuff which is something I frequently do in the summer or on weekends.

Initial Impressions Physical

Build quality physically the KeySmart is made from a white non glossy plastic, the back piece here has some flex with it. The front side is where all the electronics are and it’s thicker. You have a micro USB port in the middle for charging the small built in flashlight and keeping the Tile going.

Putting your keys on seems easy enough and in concept it is but in practice it was kind of finicky. The box says it will hold up to 14 keys, 7 on each side but I think that would make it quite difficult to put together. What I found helps is to put about 3 keys on each side separated with the included washers between the keys and screw one side together and then do the other. They used a flat head screw which allows you to not need a tool as you can use a coin but honestly I would have preferred a large torx bit or something that doesn’t slip out as easy. One other thing to note is that when apart you have two sides, a screw side and a collar side. The collar side for me too big on some keys, the order you put the keys is important as a result as is the straightness of the keys. If a key is bent it will bind with others.

The bottle opener is a must to include in my book, only because it’s the loop that allows you to connect the KeySmart Pro to other stuff. My car key is too big to fit inside here so having a way to connect my KeySmart to other stuff is important and the bottle opener does that.

The Flashlight on the KeySmart is fairly low power, you won’t be using this for much other then to illuminate the key hold on a door and for that it works pretty well. You can click one to be on in momentary mode or double click the small button and the light will stay on for 10 seconds.

Tial integration

So if you don’t know Tial is a system thats integrated into a larger and larger number of devices that allows you to in this case find your keys with your smartphone using Bluetooth. You do need to download a free app to your Android or iPhone and once paired (an easy process) you can launch the app to find your keys via making the KeySmart play a song. You do have to be in range and from my testing that’s about 45 feet. I put them on different sides of the house and it was too far, but you could easily go room to room in your house and do the find sequence. Alternatively you can double press the Tial button on your KeySmart to find your phone even if it’s in silent mode. KeySmart says the battery will last for up to 45 days, a claim I was unable to verify.

Conclusion

Everyone’s keys are a little different, I like the idea of everything being more compact and in one place but for me I miss the ability to separate and downsize easily for certain situations like formal wear or going to the gym where I just need a car and house key. I also end up having a few bulky keys and fobs that don’t really fit the KeySmart Pro without additional rings and disconnects that I don’t always want to have with me. So for me I think I will use this more in the summer when I don’t have a jacket pocket to throw keys in and want something slimmer for my shorts pockets. That said the Tile feature here is really handy and does slim and organize your keys, I think this would be especially useful if your prone to losing your keys or say had many bags or jackets you put your keys in last and needed to locate them. The little light on the end of it works surprisingly well too to find that key hole at night too. The plastic here flexes a little more then I would hope but so far it’s held up. Maybe they could sell an aluminum back plate if you wanted a little more rigidity without much more weight.

So if you are interested in the KeySmart Pro or know someone it would make a perfect gift for I will have a link to where you can pick it up in the description below. Let me know if you think the KeySmart Pro would be a good fit for your EDC.

Purchase the KeySmart Pro on Amazon at the following Links:

White – https://amzn.to/2twSfuf

Black, Red, Gray, Pink https://amzn.to/2uZb7Cs

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/ZQGyeFj

January 15, 2020

Anker PowerPort III Duo Review (2 Port USB-C PD, 36W Total)

Anker has a new charger out on the market with the PowerPort III Duo. This is charger has 2 USB-C PD Ports and outputs total of 18W per port or 36W in total. It features Ankers PowerIQ 3.0 technology meaning it optimizes charging rates for your devices for maximum speed. Thanks to Anker for sending this to me to check out and do a review on.

YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging & Accessories

Packaging consists of a rectangular Anker box, that’s white and embossed wither an artistic Anker device pattern, the sides are a nice blue. The back doesn’t have many details about the charger itself, just the model number model name and customer support numbers for the most part. Inside the charger is held in place with a blue cardboard holder, with the manual and happy/no happy card. No cables are included in the package which is a little frustrating.

Specs And Power

As mentioned before this charger features dual 18W USB-C PD ports with Ankers PowerIQ 3.0 technology for a total of 36W.

Input Power is 110-240V and is 50-60Hz capable meaning it’s a good world travel charger.

Output Spec: 5V @ 2.4A
9V @ 2A
12V @ 1.5A

PowerIQ 3.0 allows for universal fast charging compatible up to 100W (Should your device and charger support them). This allows the charger to wok to whatever your device supports, Apple Fast Charge, Samsung Fast Charge, and USB PD.

I only have 1 USB-C to C meter right now and tested it by plugging in a 20,000mAh Anker Powerbank to charge and right away it started charging at 17.46W (8.90v @ 1.96V). I then plugged in my ipad via USB-C to Lightning cable and the ipad was happily charging. There was no change in the powerbank charging so each port is indeed separate. The charger gets a little warm (105F in the warmest spot I could find) while charging both devices at the same time but nothing to worry about.

On a recent trip with this charger I did have 1 complaint while I charged my smartphone and iPad at night and that was the LED in the front was just too bright in my room. Due to how the hotel was configured this unfortunately faced my bed. I was able to easily fix this by a bit of electrical tape though.

Conclusion

I have been using the PowerPort III Duo as a bedside travel charger for my mobile devices and for that it does pretty well. At 18W per port this isn’t enough to charge most laptops but works well for smartphones, tablets, gaming systems and power banks.

It’s a little disappointing to see the lack of gallium nitride charging tech on this charger to make it smaller and or deliver more wattage. That said that technology is still somewhat new and on the more expensive end and this charger is priced more on the budget side. Ankers charger and powerbank naming system is currently a little confusing on the naming structure in my opinion, and it’s a little hard to find the product you need without looking at them all. Some simplification or a different naming system would be appreciated in my opinion.

My conclusion is this is a good charger and if you should buy it really depends on what devices you have and what they support. This is a good general charger for me, it charges my Note 8 phone and iPad as fast as they need. I don’t have a Nintendo Switch and it’s not the fastest charger for one of those if you have one but still will charge it while playing games if needed. There are less expensive higher wattage chargers on the market but they tend to be single port. So this is a good mix of reasonable charge rate, 2 ports, in a still fairly small package (2.5” x 2.5” x 1”). It does also come with Ankers 18 month warranty too should something go wrong.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/DPX7d9M

January 10, 2020January 10, 2020

Wurkkos FC11 Review (Samsung LH351D 5000k 90 CRI, USB-C, 18650, $30) Discount Available

Wurkkos (Pronounced Workos) is a new brand on the market. They are being produced along with the assistance of Sofirn and sharing a factory. The Wurkkos FC11 caught my eye because it was using desirable Samsung LH351D high CRI emitter at 5000k, had USB-C and is pretty affordable. Thanks to Wurkkos for sending this to me to take a look at and review. Be sure to check the description of the video for a discount available to my viewers for this light.

YouTube Version of this Review:

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Packaging & Accessories

Packaging is a yellow and white cardboard box with just the company name on the outside. Inside the light came wrapped in a bubble, and accessories include 2 extra orings, generic lanyard, and a USB-A to USB-C cable. The light comes with a non deep carry pocket clip on it and a Wurkkos branded 3000mAh 18650 battery inside. I tested the battery capacity at 2854mAh on my Xtar VC4S charger. I can read the battery code as 01VCEAJ?1224?18CF0000180.

Construction

The Wurkkos FC11 is made from aluminum and hard anodized a semi gloss black. Very similar to Thrunite or Sofirn’s lights. The tail is flat, and magnetic, strong enough to hold the light horizontally. The knurling on the tail cap is straight but with some inpercise milled flats around it, It’s not noticeable unless your really looking. Threads are shallow square cut and anodized.

The body tube is ribbed which I like the look of, it’s different, not a grippy design though. The clip only attaches on one end of the tube but the tube is reversible so you could mount it at the front if desired. I do hope Wurkkos releases a deep carry pocket clip for this light as it would improve it’s EDC ability in my opinion. There is a little battery body rattle when the light is shaken violently but it’s minimal, and dual springs in the tail would improve the noise you get if you strike the light, but it didn’t ever lose contact with the battery for me.

The head is pretty standard looking, the semi transparent button has texture on top and sits fairly flat, it has a blue bezel that kind of reminds me of Olight but looks good. The sides around the pill area have a bit of a fin shape milled in and could use a little more deburring. The USB_C charging port is opposite the button and covered with a large silicone door that fits pretty well. The lens is plain mineral glass, the reflector has a basic orange peel and the Samsung LED is nicely centered.

Size & Weight

I measured the FC11 at 116mm in length. 24mm at the tail, and 25mm at the thickets part of the head. Weight with the included battery and pocket clip was 112.1g. The light is IPX 7 rated (Water upto 1 meter).

Size wise there are a lot of similar lights to the FC11. Length and diameter wise the Convoy S2+ is basically identical but my S2+ is the UV model so not a great comparison for beam shots. My Thrunite TC15 is about 7mm longer and about 1.5mm larger in diameter.

LED | Beam Shots | Heat

The Wurkkos FC11 is using the Samsung LH351D LED, in 5000k and is also considered high CRI at 90. This is a great LED to use, and one of the light communities favorites right now because of it’s high CRI and neutral tint. It’s also my first time getting a hold of this LED and I am a fan. Mine seems to be pretty neutral with just the slightest tint of green but I have heard of others getting a more green tinted LED. That’s how the bin lottery works unfortunately. The light uses an orange peel reflector behind a non AR glass. The beam profile here is does have a bit of a hot center, but fades nicely into spill. No undesirable rings or artifacts in the beam itself. Good for general use.

Runtime & Outputs

For my runtime graphs here I used the included Wurkkos 3000mAh battery and made sure it was fully charged each time. The driver is non regulated FET, and features a timed step down, after that output is linear to the cells voltage. I didn’t notice any slow PWM in the lower modes for this light and have equipment coming here soon so I can measure this on future lights. When it arrives I plan to update my blog post so make sure to check that out.

Turbo is listed at 1300 lumens and started to step down at about 75 seconds and was fully decreased to right about 25% relative output by 90 seconds. From here the light was a very linear decrease out to 425 minutes of runtime where LVP kicked in at 2.825V. I ran this test both from turbo and just high and got very similar outputs. You don’t see that many modern lights that have output graphs that look like this. It’s a cost cutting measure. Personally I would pay a few more dollars to have a regulated driver.

Heat was well controlled during my runtime tests. At 1 minute I measured 85F, at 5 minutes I measured 87F, and at 10 Min I masured 90F. This is actually pretty cool for a modern light.

Official outputs are listed as following.

Turbo 1300 Lumens
High 700 Lumens
Mid 300 Lumens
Low 50 Lumens
Eco 2 Lumens.

The Wurkkos FC11 has 2 UI options for people to choose, a stepped (Default) or a ramping. To change UI while off, hold the button for 3 seconds and the light will flash twice to let you know it’s switched.

The light ships by default in stepped mode, and it’s fairly straight forward. From off, tap to turn on, and tap again to advance in mode. You have eco, low, mid and high as part of the normal modes of operation. To turn off Long press when on. Double click to go to turbo, Triple click to go to Strobe, and 4 clicks to enter and exit lockout. The light also has memory mode for the single click modes. This is all pretty standard but at first I found myself clicking and holding to advance modes as many other lights do but this light doesn’t.

Ramping mode Is fairly straightforward, the light starts low and ramps up quickly to it’s highest output in about 1.2 seconds, and flashes to let you know it’s at the top. If you release and then press and hold the light will decrease in output in the same amount of time flashing to let you know it’s at the bottom. You can stop at any output and then click again to reverse the direction you were going mid mode. The same shortcuts of double clicking to go to turbo, triple click to go to strobe, and 4 clicks to enter and exit lockout work here too. There is no hold from off to get to low mode like you see on some lights when in ramping. Not a deal killer for me.

Recharging

Recharging here is accomplished via USB-C on the light itself. Unfortunately this requires a USB-A to C cable and USB-C to C is unsupported. Charging of the 3000mAh battery was very linear during the 4 hour and 37 minutes it took to go from LVP at 2.825V to full at 4.13V. It almost immediately went to charge at 1A and then declined slowly and linearly creating a very linear but not the most ideal curve for a lithium battery. The lights electronic switch flashes fairly bright red while charging and then goes solid green when charged. The light will operate in low mode during charging.

Pro’s

USB-C charging but not USB-C to C.
Samsung LH351D Neutral white high CRI Emitter
Very affordable price for a complete package
Magnetic Tail
2 UI options to choose from, stepped or Ramping

Con’s

I would prefer a deeper carry pocket clip option, if so this would make a decent EDC option.
Some people have reported a bit of tint lottery with the LED.
Non regulated drive, After initial step down the output is lower and linear based on voltage.
Dual springs would reduce the small amount of battery movement noise.

Conclusion

I will be honest, when I first saw that Wurkkos was offering me this light, I didn’t know who they were and didn’t think much of it initially, but I am glad that I looked closer and ultimately said yes to get my hands on it. For $30 at time of filming, a neutral tint, high CRI (90 CRI) emitter, onboard USB-C charging and an included 3000mAh battery, I am impressed. This would make a great gift light to give to someone as a first real flashlight or a good way to experience the Samsung LH351D LED if you haven’t already. While the ribbing on the body isn’t revolutionary it’s nice they decided to do something different to make them stand out a little bit from the other knurled lights on the market.

This is going to be my budget 18650 recommendation for people new to the hobby or want a beater light until I run across something better. This is a high value combination, good emitter, 2 solid UI choices and a complete package deal. It’s not perfect but the positives outweigh the negatives. Maybe we will see a slight revised model next year like we have seen from the likes of the WowTac A1 to A1S and they will fix a few of these minor things and stick in a regulated driver. Overall I recommend the Wurkkos FC11 and look forward to see what they do next.

Wurkkos has provided a discount till the end of the month to my viewers that I have in the description below this video, so if I have piqued your interest in this nice value flashlight be sure to check that out and save a few dollars while your at it.

Purchase the Wurkkos FC11 on Amazon at https://amzn.to/382Eqm7

Use the code U3E8R39N at checkout for a 17% discount

Full Image Gallery https://imgur.com/a/cx7CfgE

January 2, 2020

Klarus G15 Review (4000 Lumen EDC Flood, 21700, Cree XHP 70.2)

Welcome to 2020 and for my first review of the year I have the new Klarus G15 a small form factor 21700 EDC style light capable of upto 4000 lumens on Turbo from it’s Cree XHP 70.2 LED. Thanks to Klarus for sending me this early sample for review and evaluation.

Youtube Version of this Review:

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Packaging and Accessories

Packaging here is a nice high quality cardboard box with a picture of the light in front being part of the model number G15. The sides list the battery, capacity, and charging speed, and a highlight of the specs, including the 5 year warranty. On the back you have a more detailed spec chart and list of features. The light is IPX 8 water rated.

Included accessories are the Light itself, Klarus Branded 5000mAh button top protected 21700 battery. It’s listed as a 15A capable battery. The battery itself is long coming in at 74.7mm. Also included is a spare oring, Klarus branded lanyard, Felt pouch, manual and MicroUSB charging cable.

Construction

The light is made from aluminum and anodized a smooth fairly glossy black. The tail is flat allowing for the light to tail stand, but it’s non magnetic. The tail has been cut on the side to allow for the lanyard to attach. The body and tail are all one piece, with the long clip only attaching on the rear section. It allows for deep carry and it’s fairly stiff. The milling on the body tube to provide texture looks like the profile for an involute gear and then has 6 flats milled into the light. I like the pattern here, it’s a little different, provides good grip without being too aggressive. The flashlight only disconnects between the head and the body. The threads are raw aluminum, and beefy square cut with grease.

The head features the same button we saw on ST15R and XT21X in 2019. It’s a silicone button with an illuminated sliver of light around it that indicates battery status and goes Green/Red/Yellow. There is minimal milling on the sides for heat dissipation. Opposite the button is the flush fitting silicone port to protect the MicroUSB charging port. It’s at a standard depth and there is plenty of clearance for larger cables to fit. The head has minimal branding and labels on it, and light bronze color. The front bezel is smooth, and it looks like it will unscrew with the right tool. The lens is anti reflective coated glass, surrounded by a deep orange peel reflector with the large XHP70.2 LED at the center.

Size & Weight

I measured overall length of the Klarus G15 at 122mm, maximum diameter in the head at 27.5mm between the button and the charging port, and minimum diameter on the body at 23.24 between flats. Weight with the included battery and clip is 142.1g.

Looking through my light collection I don’t have a ton of 21700 sized lights that are super comparable here. Lights that I have that are similar are most often using an 18650 or end up being larger. I settled on comparing it to the Olight M2R Pro since they use the same battery and are physically similar. The Olight is a bit longer here, and heavier and is more tactical in nature. It’s also more of a thrower where the G15 is more about flood.

LED | Beamshot | Runtime

The Klarus G15 is using the Cree XHP 70.2 LED in a cool white 6500k tint. Being a 70.2 LED there is tint shift across the beam but it’s not as dramatic as I have seen from a few other lights. There is a slight increase in intensity in the center but this is more of a flood style light then a thrower. The spill is very wide and fades into nothing without a cutoff.

Mode Spacing here as you can see in the table below is ok but could be improved. There is quite a bit of difference to the eye between medium at 500 lumens and high at 2000 lumens. An additional mode in between would be nice. That said to the eye here is a difference between high at 2000 lumens and Turbo at 4000 but it’s not nearly as much as you might think.

Brightness Outputs from Klarus

Specs	Turbo	High	Med	Low	Moonlight	Strobe	Beacon	SOS
Brightness	4000 lumens	2000 lumens	500 lumens	100 lumens	1 lumens	4000 lumens	500 lumens	500 lumens
Runtime	1.2 hours	1.5 hours	6 hours	28 hours	200 hours	2 hours	120 hours	18 hours

My runtime’s didn’t match Klarus’s all that well. For my first runtime test I started the light on Turbo uncooled and the light steps down pretty aggressively quite quickly about 4 minutes before starting a seasaw motion as the light heated up, and them stepped down to cool off but then what was nice is that it went brighter again as thermals and battery power allowed. The average output for the first hour was somewhere around 60% relative output. The next hour was very stable at about 45% output, before the light started to step down slowly and small bumps at first before LVP kicked in at about 185 minutes of total runtime. Other major manufactures, namely Olight have started to be very honest about what their high lumen lights can do before stepdown and I believe Klarus should do this as well, it would be more honest then to suggest their lights can do 1.2 hours on turbo or 1.5 hours on high. Reality is no light can do this but it’s not obvious to non flashaholics.

Overall heat was well managed with the active thermal controls here. At 1 minute I measured 92F, at 2 minutes at 98F, and at 10 minutes I measured 96F. LVP kicked in at 2.688v which is lower then I would like to see.

UI here is simple and straightforward and it has 8 total output modes. 5 of those modes are constant on, and 3 are forms of blinking. From off, long press on the button to get to moonlight mode at 1 lumen. Press again and hold to get to low, keep pressing to cycle through low, medium and high. Double click to go to turbo. Tripple click to go to the blinking modes.

The light also features memory mode for modes other then turbo, moonlight, or the strobes. It also had lockout mode, but I personally just break contact with the battery as it’s easier and faster.

Recharging

The light recharges with a standard MicroUSB cable, this is a little frustrating given the price of the light and that it’s a new release for 2020 where USB-C should be the standard. I recharged the included 5000mAh battery from LVP at 2.825V to Full at 4.13v in 3 hours and 35 minutes with a maximum charging speed of 1.99A. As the battery capacity filled up charging slowed down as expected. I saw no problems with the built in recharging on this light.

Pro’s

Compact size for a 21700, nice fit and finish
I enjoy the new gear tooth milling in the body
Easy interface
Active thermal controls.

Con’s

MicroUSB instead of USB-C, at least the charging speed here is fast at 2A
Pretty cool LED tint with some of the characteristic XPH 70.2 tint shift across the beam

Conclusion

If you are looking for a compact 21700 style EDC flood light with an electronic switch up front, the G15 could be a good choice for you. It was a surprise to see active thermal management here that allowed the light to get brighter again after step down after it cooled off. Not enough lights do this in my opinion. I like the new texture here on the body of the light, hopefully it’s something that stays, I think it’s just about perfect for EDC, not too much to rip up your hand or pocket but definitely better than standard diamond knurling. 4000 Lumen turbo mode here isn’t quite as impressive as the numbers suggest, it’s not significantly different from the high of 2000 lumens. That said it’s really a light that’s best run on the lower output modes anyways for a more useful runtime. Hopefully in 2020 we see Klarus switching to USB-C (That support USB-C to C) in their higher priced lights and we can be hopeful that we will see something other then cool white too for us enthusiasts like myself that prefer warmer and neutral tints. With all that said I can recommend the Klarus G15 with reservations.

Thanks for watching to the end of this video and continuing to support me. Without your views, comments, and likes it wouldn’t be possible for me to continue to bring videos like this to you guys. I look forward to 2020 being a fun year and I have a few ideas for giveaways and other fun events for those of you who are viewers and followers on social media of the channel.

Full Image Gallery on this review https://imgur.com/a/9b3UVcV

Pickup the Klarus G15 at Battery Junction http://bit.ly/2udnN8F

Read more about the Klarus G15 at https://www.klaruslight.com/Products/GSeries/724.html

December 29, 2019

Anker PowerCore 10000 PD Redux Review

Anker has a relatively new powerbank on the market with the PowerCore 10000 PD Redux powerbank. This powerbank supports has a premium feel and a cross hatch texture on top. It supports USB-C in and out at a maximum of 18W, as well as USB-A out, and a low power trickle charging mode as well. Thanks to Anker for sending this to me to take a quick look at.

The YouTube Version of this Review

Packaging & Accessories

The packaging was standard blue and white and as a compact premium feel. In the box you get the powerbank, a mesh bag, and a USB-C to C cable that’s approximately 3ft long. Everything is covered by Ankers 18 month warranty too.

Power

Let’s talk about the specs of the powerbank here and then I will go into a few more details.

Specs

Total Output Power 18W

USB-C Input (PD): DC 5V=3A, 9V=2A, 15V=1.2A

USB-C Output (PD): DC 5V=3A, 9V=2A, 15V=1.2A

USB Output : DC 5V=2.4A

On first glance 18W of total power is a good thing. Given the capacity this will charge most smartphones twice and I have to agree. In charging my Note 8 which recognizes it as fast charging I got 2 charges from between 15-100% no problem. It charges my iPad as well with a USB-C to Lightning cable, and if the charger is above 2 bars, it does so at AC wall speeds. However when the powerbank drops below 2 bars charging speed will decrease down to a much slower rate.

While I don’t have a Nintendo switch to test this myself, this powerbank will charge one, but isn’t compatible with the Switches Charge and Play TV setting. Unfortunately the PowerCore 10000 PD Redux doesn’t have enough wattage to charge most laptops.

Trickle charge mode here is a nice touch. Often times on low power devices like some wireless headphones, fitness tracker, and some small low power keychain style flashlights. Some powerbanks will interpret the small power draw on these devices as the battery being full and shutting off prematurely. This is easy to turn on, just long press on the button before plugging in your device and you will get a green LED light up on the powerbank. Repeat this process to turn it off.

While I don’t have a way to take apart the powerbank I believe what’s inside is 2x 21700 5000mAh batteries. The size is just about right for that. Measured Capacity 5956mAh @ 5v 2A load using my EB Tester for a total of 30.64Wh energy. The stated 10,000mAh capacity doesn’t take into account the losses due to voltage step up or battery sag which really means under absolute idea conditions the capacity would be around an actual 7,500mAh of real energy assuming it’s one battery at a nominal voltage of 3.7V. I am not sure how 2 batteries in series changes that calculation.

Recharging the Powerbank.

You have 1 option to charge the Powerbank and that’s via USB-C. That said it supports input of power via USB-A to C cable (not included) at a rather slow rate of speed of 9 hours, or what I recommend is recharging via a charger that supports USB-C PD and doing so gets you a full powerbank in about 3 hours 23 minutes. During this time I saw the charging speed of 15v @ 1.2A for a total of 18W. While it’s nice to see the backwards compatibility of non PD supported, 9 hours is crazy long time for 10k capacity. I have reviewed a few USB-C chargers with PD support, make sure to check those reviews out if you need one.

Pro’s

Low Power Device Mode (Great for charging up devices pulling small amounts of current like wireless headphones)
15V mode here is hard to find on a 10k mAh powerbank but works here
Makes a great travel package with the Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim

Con’s

Slightly less efficient when compared with other 10k mAh powerbanks I have.
Rather expensive for 10,000mAh in late 2019.
No Qualcomm 3 support for the latest model Android phones.

Conclusion

The PowerCore 10000 PD Redux is a good powerbank and is one of the few that market that supports 15V needed for faster charging of the Nintendo Switch and some laptops. While this isn’t super practical for laptops it’s a much better fit for your smartphones, tablets, and other smaller portable devices. Full and primary support for USB-C here is a nice touch.

Anker has made an update to improve compatibility with some Anker chargers in May so now that thats fixed you should have pretty good compatibility other than Qualcom QC 3 support. This does pair perfectly with the Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim that I reviewed earlier, both fit in the powebanks bag and make a perfect traveling pair.

Value here isn’t what I typically expect from Anker unfortunately. This updated model has a significant premium over the older model without a ton of change. If your using it for a Laptop or Nintendo Switch then it’s worth the premium, but if your charging your smartphone or tablet while out on the go, I would struggle with paying the premium. That said I can recommend this charger with reservations.

Pickup this charger on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3686eVB

December 18, 2019

Thrunite TH01 Headlamp Review (1500 lumens, Cree XHP50 NW, 18350, MicroUSB Recharging)

Thrunite has a new headlamp it’s introduced with the TH01. It’s using an 18350 battery and Cree XHP50 LED (in Cool or Neutral white) and is capable of short bursts of upto 1500 lumens. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me to take a look at and review. I will have a link to where you can pick this up in the description below.

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Youtube Version of this Review:

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Packaging & Accessories

The TH01 ships in a rather plain almost cubic cardboard box like other Thrunites. It’s not a retail package so it really has limited info externally. Inside there is a large piece of foam where the light is sitting and underneath is the head strap and other accessories. Included accessories is the headlamp itself, 1100mAh 18350 battery, Headstrap, microUSB charging cable with an extra long microUSB connector, an extra USB port cover and oring, and the associated paperwork.

Construction

The TH01 is made from aluminum and is anodized black. Build quality here is good but nothing over the top. Instead of being a right angle light, the lens and LED assembly is in the middle of the battery tube, making the light in this configuration short and stocky. The XPH50 is a fairly large emitter, and its surrounded by a wide and shallow orange peal reflector and topped with AR glass lens. A little closer to the body there are some bars milled in for grip to help you rotate the light in the headpiece assembly

Each end features knurled end caps, when on your head the left side is where you will find the single control button, which has a large raised silicone button, with LED’s underneath to give you a charge indicator during charging (Red/Green), and then the MicroUSB port for charging. One note on this USB port is that it’s recessed slightly deep. While I can use a standard cable (I tried with a Monoprice and Anker cable) the connection that resulted is poor and it’s easy to bump loose. If I used the cable Thrunite provided in the package the connection is solid. The difference is the Thrunite cable’s MicroUSB end is just a little longer. This is really an unfortunate design choice.

The right side is the side that opens to remove or replace the battery. There is a single large diameter spring in the tail cap that maintains electrical contact and keeps it from rattling around. Threads are a fine ACME cut, short and dry. Thrunite made an interesting design choice here and that the diameter of the tube is a good deal larger then needed for the 18350 battery. It has a small shelf that runs the length of the tube, and you can see they ran wires here as well as put a copper coin in here to dissipate heat. If the tube was longer here and the inside changed slightly I could see this morphing into a 21700 version of this light in the future.

Size & Weight & Comparison

I measured the following dimensions of the TH01. Overall Length was 67mm, diameter of the body tube only 27.5mm. Diameter of the lens 27mm and diameter of the body + lens assembly 34mm. Weight with the included battery is 78.9g.

A headlamp that I have that’s somewhat comparable is the Olight H1R Nova. It’s a smaller right angle light running a RCR123 battery with considerably less output and battery capacity but is somewhat similar in length. Diameter of the Olight is about ½ that of the Thrunite TH01. The Olight’s weight with battery is 46.2g so almost ½ lighter.

To me these lights kind of serve different segments of the market, with the Olight being a more limited use light, less capacity and output. I personally use mine in my car in case I have a flat tire with a CR123 so that it better handles the extreme temp changes. The TH01 i see used more for camping or around the house where you want more runtime but still fairly light weight.

LED | Beamshot | Night Shots | Heat

The LED being used on the Thrunite TH01 is the Cree XHP50, no generation number is given. It’s a fairly large LED in physical size. Lucky Thrunite continues to offer this light in Cool or Neutral white. I have the Neutral white version and the tint here is on the warm side which I personally prefer.

The beam profile is good for this type of task headlamp. It has a very wide overall beam profile (I would guess about 170 degrees), but it has a fairly large hot center with good spill. The beam tint in my neutral white example does shift in the very center to a more white tint. Overall the tint is slightly warm and a little green. The tint in the very center does shift more to a true white which can happen with the XHP50 LED.

Run-time

As expected a light producing upto 1500 lumens, can consume quite a bit of power. That said in the lower modes the runtimes are more reasonable. In turbo the light lasts for just over 5 minutes before stepping down to 450 lumens this then lasts for about 55 more minutes before the lights starts stepping down more aggressively ending up with an overall runtime of just over 60 minutes. This is short but the light gets much better battery life if you go with one of the lower modes. High mode outputs 450 lumens and it can sustain this for 3 hours. When the battery is low the light starts to flash to let you know to recharge the battery. Low voltage protection kicked in at 3.05V.

Heat is well controlled on this light. I started the light out on Turbo and at 1 minute it measured 83F, at 5 minutes 108F, at 10 minutes 95F.

UI here is very simple and straightforward. One button to turn the light on, long press to cycle through the modes, double click to go to turbo. Long press from off turns the light on in firefly mode. Triple click to go to SOS. The light does have memory mode and will remember the mode you were last in with the exception of Turbo or firefly.

Recharging

This light charges via a micro USB connector on the body of the light. Unfortunately it’s recessed slightly deeper then standard, meaning the standard cables I tried to use from Anker and Monoprice resulted in a loose connection. The ThruNite cable that was included’s male end is just slightly longer and this makes all the difference to lock in that connection. Recharging on this light is pretty conservative at 500mA, meaning it took 2 hours and 41 minutes to charge the included 1100mAh battery. I would have liked to see a bit more speed here, 750mA would be perfectly save and save 25% off the charging time. Charging stopped at 4.163V. The light will come on in Firefly mode (0.6 Lumens) while recharging.

Pro’s

Neutral and Cool White are both available! It’s great to see Thrunite still offer this while other manufacturers seem to be stopping.
Pretty affordable smaller headlamp with a battery

Con’s

Deeply recessed MicroUSB port means a standard cable makes a poor connection. I would prefer USB-C anyways.
While it doesn’t rattle, the body tube’s diameter is a good deal larger than needed.
Charge rate is quite conservative, and some would argue slow, since its max charge rate is 500mA, and charging takes about 3 hours. This is like 0.5C so exceedingly safe.

Conclusion

An 18350 headlamp I think is a little bit of a strange size here, It’s significantly more battery capacity and max sustained current then an RCR123, but at least on the TH01 it resulted in a light that is kind of fat and longer then I feel like it needs to be. It seems like this design would scale up to an 18650 battery and almost be a better size to weight ratio as a result. The diameter of the tube seems more appropriate for a 20700 then a 18xxx battery.

Either way this puts out a significant amount of light on turbo and can sustain it for a reasonably long amount of time. However doing so really does consume quite a bit of power, so you would be better suited to only using the brightest mode you need in order to get the most runtime needed here. With the 3 strap design I could see this being useful for a runner or someone doing camping etc, provided they used high instead of turbo so they could see the 3 hours of runtime instead of 1 hour. Lastly, this ends up being fairly affordable for this level of output and Thrunites good customer service and 2 year warranty. I can recommend it with reservations.

You can purchase the Thrunite TH01 on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2S0kUlj or at http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-th01-1500-lumen-cree-xhp50-18350-rechargeable-led-headlamp/

Thrunite is running a promotion for people who purchase this light and write a review to revive a free Ti3. Contact Customer service to take advantage of this promotion.

December 8, 2019

Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim (30W USB-C)

Today I am looking at the Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim charger, while that’s a mouthful this seriously small charger can output 30W of power using GaN (Gallium Nitride) technology. This is a one port USB-C charger that I have found great through a few recent travels. Thanks to Anker for sending it to me to take a look at and review.

YouTube Version of this review:

Pickup the Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim at Amazon at https://amzn.to/2Pkn7Fg

Packaging

Packaging here is a white cardboard box with blue sides. It has texture embossed into the box and looks nice. Inside is a pull out paper tray holds the charger and happy/not happy card. No cable is included with the charger which is a little disappointing.

Looks and Exterior Construction

This is a seriously small charger, it’s smaller than I imagined. It’s footprint is less than a credit card. Exact measurements are 77mm by 46mm, and only 16mm thick. Weight is only 57.8g. So this ranks in at the smallest overall footprint and lightest charger I have per watt, considering this can output 30W. All the edges are rounded so there are no 90 degree corners.

It’s made of a semi gloss plastic and feels solid, no cracks or creaks. It has an almost fabric like texture on top that gives it a more premium feel and looks nice in my opinion. The plug on the back folds into the design which keeps the small compact profile when not in use. This also has the benefit that it only covers one us plug when on the wall or in an airport. On the front is a blue LED on top near the port. It’s a little bright when being used in a dark hotel room, so I put a small piece of electrical tape over it.

Interior Construction and Specs

Let’s talk about the technical specs a bit of this charger. Total max wattage is 30 watts, for input voltage it’s capable of 100-240V at 50/60Hz meaning it’s a world capable charger. This features Ankers Power IQ 3.0 technology which is the latest version, this optimizes charging to be as fast as possible with all different devices. While not exactly the same as Qualcomm Quick Charge or Samsung’s Fast Charge, or Apple fast charge or various other manufactures version, it’s compatible with all of those and you should generally get as fast of charging as you would with a charger that supports these technologies natively according to Anker. My testing agrees with this. It’s also capable of upto 100W which will be coming in future chargers.

I am still learning my USB-C test equipment, but have been playing a lot with it. I can confirm the charger is capable of 30W, actually slightly more. Anker lists the different modes as the following outputs that it’s capable of.

5V ? 2.4A

9V ? 3A

15V ? 2A

20V ? 1.5A

It does not have USB-C PD.

Pro’s

Big power for such a Small Size, Heat isn’t an issue
Great for travel
Supports all the needed standards

Con’s

No USB-C Cable is included, which is a little disappointing.
Blue LED is a bit too bright in a dark hotel room.
No USB-C PD support

Conclusion

The Anker PowerPort Atrom III Slim, is a very long name for such a small and capable charger. It may have only one port, but that one port is capable of 30W, combine that with Ankers Power IQ 3 technology and that means it will change almost any device as fast as the device allows. I have been using it on some recent travels, combined with an Anker PowerCore 10000 PD Redux powerbank, and it’s a great small combo, especially for quick airport or airplane top ups of my Note, or iPad. GaN chargers are here to stay, so if you don’t have one I definitely recommend the Atom III Slim as a great way to get into a reasonably high power charger for a low price to charge your USB-C devices.

Pickup the Anker PowerPort Atom III Slim at Amazon at https://amzn.to/2Pkn7Fg

December 1, 2019

Jetbeam PL-190R Review (Full Color Photography & Video Light, USB-C)

Today I have the JetBeam PL-190R on my review table. It’s a photography and video fill light that’s capable of full spectrum colored light as well as white light. The fill light also features a 5000mAh battery that can be as a power bank as well. Thanks to Jetbeam for sending this to me to take a look at and review.

YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging

Packaging here is pretty minimal, it’s a clear folded plastic box, the light sits inside a try, and the only accessories that are included are the manual, and a USB OTG cable for allowing you to plug in another cable to use the fill light as a battery power bank as well.

Construction

The PL-190R reminds me in shape and build quality to a modern smartphone but thicker. On the front you have a diffused plastic panel with some orange peel to help diffuse each LED. Around the edges you have a metal frame, it has ¼ 20 threads that enable you to mount the light in the portrait or landscape profiles. When mounted in a landscape format your jog wheels are on the left, and your mode and power button end up on the top right. In the lower right hand corner on the bezel you have the USB-A and USB-C connections. The back is made of glass and has a fairly small OLED screen in the top left corner.

Size & Weight

I measured the length at 129mm, width at 72mm, and thickness at 15.5mm. Weight was 216.4g. It’s roughly the same footprint as the previous model but thicker.

LED | Runtime

The PL-190R has a lot of LED’s onboard, 220 to be exact. 120 of those are for the white light, with 60 being a warm white, and 60 being a cool white LED. When combined together you get a tint of between 2500k and 8500k. The remaining 100 LED’s are larger RGB LED’s used for the color.

The screen has a built in runtime estimator on it but I found it to not be very accurate. I did a test where I set the light to 4000k and 100% brightness. The estimate showed about 2 minutes 50 second, but the light goes on for significantly longer. My only guess is that estimate is before any change in brightness. Total runtime in this mode was right at 200 minutes. The first 50 minutes or so are at 90% relative output, and 170 minutes are above 80%. After the 50 minute the mark output becomes a little unstable with it stepping up and down slightly. This isn’t noticeable to the eye but could be in photo and video settings probably.

UI & Modes

Instead of buttons to change modes, and brightnesses the PL-190R is using dials which I prefer. It’s easier and quicker to use the dials then a button, once you understand the UI it’s pretty induative. The brightness wheel rotates continuously where as the mode dial allows you to rock the wheel up and down and click. I only had problems here with the brightness wheel at very low power, it’s sensitive enough to make the light almost flicker when down at 1-2% if shaken or vibrated too hard.

This light has 3 modes of operation.

In white light mode, the light uses it’s 60 warm and 60 cold LED’s to make a mix of light to reach the desired tint. IT ranges from 2500k to 8500k in 100k increments. Brightness is controllable in 1% increments and the light is rated for up to 650 lumens at 8500k, and 570 lumens at 2500k.

RGB mode is similar, but using the 50 RGB LED’s. It’s measuring tint in degrees of color gamut, and isn’t quite as fluid as as the white LED’s since everything is being done on each die vs a combination of 2 or more LEDs. It’s also adjustable for 0-100% intensity. The other rocker allows you to adjust the color, and then saturation level as well. Think of color as the course adjustment and saturation as the fine adjustment. I don’t have the equipment needed to give a lumen level for colored light, but generally RGB’s don’t put out as much light as the equivalently sized white LED. Personally I see this as being more of a photography or video fill light to light a tabletop scene and you will see in my night shots it puts out a decent amount of light.

The light also features a couple of modes that are programmed in. Practically for a filming/photography reason I don’t see these being super useful but it didn’t take any more space to do and it’s a seperate mode so I guess no harm is done including it. There are a total of 9 scene mode available including Lightning I, Lightning II, SOS mode, Club simulation, Color chase, Candlelight, Police car, Red and green flashing, and Blue and green flashing. These are fixed modes and its’ not capable of speeding up or slowing down the change, but you can control the brightness.

Recharging & Powerbank Functions

The PL-190R has a 5000mAh battery built inside. This is used to power the light but can also be used as a power bank. Impressively the light is capable of delivering upto 18W in powerbank mode, up to 12V or 3A appropriately. Unfortunately it doesn’t charge via a USB-C to C cable, so a A to C cable is required for modern devices.

Charge time via the USB-C input was just under 3 hours and it charged at 2A no problem.

Conclusion

The Jetbeam PL-190R is an interesting take on a photography fill light with the addition of color it becomes more capable as a video fill light as well. While not the only name in the game, it’s probably one of the better known flashlight companies doing this. There are other similar products from some other Chinese companies but none quite as bright or as many features.

For me I will probably use this as a photography fill light, for some supplemental lighting. If you don’t follow my instagram make sure you follow because this is where you will probably see this in use first. I will keep my original Jetbeam fill light as my video light since it’s smaller and I don’t need the color features for video work like this review.

If you are interested I will have a link below to where you can find it on Jetbeam’s website and for a few US retailers I can find.

Full Image Gallery https://imgur.com/a/wySE6Md

Purchase the Jetbeam PL-190R at BatteryJunction at https://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-pl-190r-photography-light.html

See more information on Jetbeams website at http://www.jetbeamlight.com/products_show308.html