Today I have an Omars AC Powerbank. This is a little different from the powerbanks I have taken a look at in the past. This one has an AC output jack on it that’s good for up to 80W. It also has 2 USB ports that are capable of up to 3A each. Thanks to Omars for sending this to me to take a look at. Pickup this Omars AC Powerbank on Amazon https://amzn.to/2oh65e1 Save 10% with the code OMARS80W
Construction
Construction of this Powerbank is mostly plastic. It’s quite large, It’s pretty big, and heavy. Think ream of paper but not quite as wide. I measured the weight at 934G. It feels decently constructed and I would guess internally there may be a metal structure inside to keep it rigid. Omars also makes a model of this powerbank with twice the capacity in what I can tell the same footprint. To me it seems like this model the batteries are near the rear because of how it balances. On the front there is a button to turn it on, and 2 standard USB ports. Under the cover on the left is the ungrounded AC plug, with a manual switch to turn it on and off.
The manual isn’t bad but it’s not great either. It’s pretty short and generic. It’s not the level I would expect for an $80 electronic. Packaging was a brown cardboard box with an Omars sticker sealing it all in. there was a good amount of foam keeping everything in place.
Power/Features
The manual does say that the AC port is using Fixed wave inverter and is not suitable for small motors. I tested it with an AC fan and it worked but introduced a wine in the motor that I figured is not healthy. This is unfortunate but not uncommon with consumer DC to AC inverters.
I charged my laptop (With it powered off) from 6% to 100% using the Omars power bank . My laptop has a 56wh battery and the Omars has an 88wh. I was pleasantly surprised that after this full charge the powerbank indicated it had between 50-75% of power left. My killowatt meter showed 0.5kwh so this adds up. Losses due to conversions were less than what I expected. With my laptop I would expect about 2 full charges out of this powerbank.
Uses for this I can see being places where size and weight are less important but you need to keep your AC devices. Car camping, emergency preparedness,
Recharging
I completely discharged the powerbank and plugged it into the included 12V barrel wall charger and it charged in right at 3 hours. I thought this was a great charge speed given the large capacity. When measured on my kilowatt meter, it was pulling 36W at the beginning. What I didn’t love is the use of the
Conclusion
The Omars AC Powerbank does a good job at what it claims to do, I had no problems with the way it operates while being reasonable. It would be nice if small motors worked well with it, and it did work to power a fan. I can see potentially using it to charge a laptop once while car camping maybe or at a convention but in doing so you pay a pretty sizeable penalty in size and weight. This isn’t something that I would want to hike with at least in this size. As long as you recognize the the limitation of this type of powerbank and they fit your application you won’t be disappointed in having one.
On my review table today is the new WowtTac A4 thrower. It uses a Cree XHP 35 HI LED and a deep reflector to achieve a claimed 820 meter throw. The A4 follows the older established design of a thrower by using 2× 18650 batteries in series. Thanks to WowTac for sending this to me to take a look at.
Packaging
The Wowtac packaging is a compact, long box that folds up from the front flap to reveal the light sitting in a foam protection. Underneath is the only accessories the light comes with (2 orings) and the manual.The box on the outside is pretty plain with not many details but it does make mention of an A5 model that currently is unannounced and I wonder what this might be to fit in this box.. . . .
Construction
The light is made from aluminum and anodized in a semi gloss black finish that’s even and without flaw. The tailcap is mostly flat with a slight recess with nice deep diamond knurling on the edges. It does have a small lanyard loop. Threads are square cut. The spring in the tail cap is rather short, and doesn’t have much travel.
The body tube is one long piece of aluminium that is symmetrical on both ends and it’s completely round. Knurling is deep and a diamond pattern. It feels nice in the hand, grip wise. I do miss it not having any flat areas though that help locate it’s orientation in the hand and help find the front power/mode button.
If the head of the Wowtac A4 looks similar, that’s because it is. The Thrunite Catapult V6 is identical in design with the only difference being that the Catapult V6 is that it has micro USB recharging opposite the main button and the threaded area where the tube connects is made to accommodate the different power sources. This makes sense, because Wowtac receives technical assistance from Thrunite on their designs. Think of Wowtac as the value brand for Thrunite. In this end this is good for both companies as it helps increase volume of manufacturer and lowers costs for both. The reflector is deep and smooth, the bezel is silver aluminium and looks like it should unscrew with the proper tool. The button itself is silver and metal, in the middle is a LED indicator that shows blue when the light is on. When the battery power is less then 20% it turns red, and when less then 10% the red will begin to flash.
I measured the length of the A4 at 202mm, maximum diameter at 58mm, minimum diameter at 25.3mm and weight with batteries at 321.5g. The light is IPX8 water rated.
LED/Beam/Runtime/Heat
This light uses a Cree XHP35 HI LED in cool white. It sits in front of a deep smooth reflector with anti reflective coated glass. The LED is nicely centered. It’s tint while cool white is fairly neutral.
The beam pattern is a small very focused hot spot in the center, with a large but dim spill. The spill has a hard cut off on the edges. It’s pretty identical to the Catapult V6. Heat isn’t too much of a concern, it’s big head does a good job of dissipating heat during operation.
UI & Modes
The UI of this light is simple and straightforward. From Off Long press to receive “reading” mode of 0.5 lumens. When on in any mode, long press to move up in brightness. Starting at Low of 22 lumens, Medium of 180 lumens, high of 950 lumens. From any mode the light is on you can double click to go to turbo at 2000 lumens. The light has Strobe which you can get to from tubo by double clicking again.
Runtimes
I performed my runtime tests with 2x Thrunite 3400mAh Protected button top 18650 batteries. Total runtime was just shy of 140 minutes in my runtime test. Turbo runtime was consistent with the 1.5 minutes that WowTac claims. The light stepped down 9 times over 22 minutes until it stabilized and ran for the remaining 120 minutes before an abrupt shut off. Step Downs were not the smoothest and most were drastic.
Batteries
This light does not ship with batteries, which is a first from WowTac. It needs 2x protected button top 18650 cells as specified by the manual. Flat tops without buttons or protection are too short to make contact. There while there is a spring in the tail cap there isn’t a ton of give to it. Magnets will work as a spacer if needed. For my test I used 2x Thrunite 3400mAh protected button top cells. Working voltage is 5.5-8.4v, so CR123A and 18350 cells are not an option for this light.
Comparisons
2018 seems to be the year of the thrower, and I have had several this year to review. I have not been disappointed in any of them. The Thrunite Catapult V6 has a super similar head as the Wowtac A4, and they use the same LED, however they give different throw distances. The WowTac has a claimed 820m, while the Thrunite claims 750m. My assumption is that the WowTac is driving the LED a bit harder due ot the higher voltages.
Pro
High Value for a large 2× 18650 thrower
Offers a firefly 0.5 lumen mode that throws well due to the reflector geometry
It should be pretty simple to change the emitter on this one if you wish
Minimal and tasteful branding on the light
Con’s
No batteries included, this is the first model from WowTac to have that.
Only offered in Cool white at the moment.
Conclusion
2018 Seems to be a popular year for throwers and I am enjoying it so far. The WowTac A4 offers everything you would want in a budget oriented handheld thrower, in a narrow but longer package. I think it’s a nice option for people who have lots of 18650 batteries and a charger already or don’t need USB charging.
Personally I am finding that I enjoy using the 1× 26650 battery format throwers a little better than the 2× 18650 category of throwers just because they are easier to carry in a bag and fit in my hand. That said the 2X 18650 form factor is well proven and works well. The Wowtac A4 is an affordable option, with a great beam profile for long distance throwing.
If you are interested in purchase, the light appears to be sold out at WowTac direct right now, but is available from Amazon yet (Affiliate Link).
Today I have the new Thrunite TH30 Headlamp on my review table. This is a fairly slim profile headlamp that can also double as a EDC type light. It has a impressive 3350 lumen turbo mode, is USB rechargeable and ships with a Thrunite IMR battery. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me to take a look at.
Packaging
Packaging is typical of what we are used to from Thrunite, simple, and functional. It’s a small brown cardboard box with minimal details printed on the outside. Unfolding it from the front cover reveals the headlamp packed in white foam. The battery is preinstalled with a protection disk. One of the nice things is that the head strap is already assembled and attached to the light. Underneath are the accessories which include a Micro USB cable for charging, pocket clip for the light (Can’t be used while in the headlamp mount), extra head mount, usb cover, manual, and branded black and red 3 piece head strap.
Construction
The TH30 itself is made from aircraft grade aluminium and is anodized a fairly shiny black. The light comes into 3 basic pieces, the head, body tube, and tail cap. Starting at the tail cap, the bottom is flat, and non magnetic. Knurling matches the body tube in a fairly aggressive diamond pattern. Threads under the cap are ACME style, and were lightly greased. The body tube has a pretty minimal diameter, and it has the same knurling as the tail cap. The pocket clip can mount onto the body tube either near the head or tail. Unfortunately the clip isn’t very deep carry when mounted near the head , but is reasonable when at the back of the light.
The head itself is fairly typical of a right handed light but it has been slimmed down where possible. As a result it only has cooling fins opposite of the emitter, and the sides are flat which is where the writing on this light are located. The only button is on the top of the light surrounded by an uncoated aluminum accent bezel. It’s a large, domed textured silicone rubber button that is semi transparent. Underneath are charge status indicators. The button stands a little proud and as a result the light won’t slit flat on it’s head.
The mount and stap were nicely preassembled. The mount itself is made from a black silicone rubber and is the style where you pass the light through silicone rubber hoops. This means the light stays put pretty well and isn’t the easiest to remove or add back. The head strap bands are black with red Thrunite lettering woven into the fabric. It’s a fairly basic strap and doesn’t include any of the silicon strips on the inside to keep the strap in place on helmets.
Size/Weight/Water Rating
I measured length at 106.5mm, minimum diameter at 23.6mm and maximum diameter at 28.2mm. Weight of the light with the included cell and head strap was 172.3g. The light is IPX8 water rated.
LED/Runtime
This light uses a Cree XHP 70.2 LED available in both cool and neutral white. My example here is in neutral white which is my preference. The LED is quite large but nicely centered in the reflector. Lens is glass and anti reflective coated, the reflector has a orange peel on it that does a good job of smoothing out the beam.
Runtime on the included 3100mAh IMR battery totaled 110 minutes from Turbo. When starting on high the light really steps down after about 5 minutes due to heat and is only running at about 25% relative output where it ran for the majority of the time. I saw very little difference when I ran a cooled output for 20 minutes compared with uncooled as well suggesting it’s a timed/voltage decline. Stepdowns were smooth. The last 10 minutes of runtime the light will start flashing to let you know the battery is depleted and ready to shut down.
Total Runtime
Uncooled 20 Minutes
Cooled 20 Minutes
Heat is a bit of a concern with this light on turbo since it produces up to 3350 lumens. During my test, the head easily reached 120F while on turbo within about 3 minutes. This is hot, but it won’t burn you. When being warm as a headlamp the silicone rubber mount does a good job of insulating your skin from the heat. The manual does say for the safety battery, driver and LED they recommend not using the light at the maximum for more than 10 minutes.
The beam is mostly flood and quite smooth. The center is slightly hotter but it’s nicely diffused thanks to the orange peel reflector. This light really isn’t a thrower but because of it’s power it does a decent job out to about 100 yards or so.
Battery and Recharging
Included in the package is a 3100mAh Thrunite Branded high drain, button top IMR 18650 battery. While not officially mentioned, given the performance characteristics it’s believed this battery is a rewrapped Sony VTC6 with protection. Working voltage of this light is 2.75V to 4.2V so 2x CR123A batteries will not work in this light.
Recharging is accomplished via a microUSB port on the very top of the head of the light. I like this location as it’s out of the way. The usb cover is attached with a decent amount of material as well and an extra is included in the packaging just in case. A red LED is under the main operation button will let you know the light is charging and it turns blue when charged. I measured max draw during charging at 1.5A which matches ThruNite’s claims, and a full recharge took 2 hours and 34 minutes. The light can be powered on to low mode during charging via USB.
UI and Mode Spacing
Changing modes in this light is easy. When the light is on pressing and holding the button will cycle through modes. The light starts on low, and progresses linearly though Low, Medium Low, Medium, High, and SOS. To get to turbo at anytime double click, and to use firefly when the light is off just long press. The light will remember the mode you were last in except for Firefly, Turbo, or SOS.
Turbo (3350 lumens for 1.5 min then 1050 lumen after step down)
High (1275 lumen; 90 minutes)
Medium (352 lumen; 5 hrs)
Medium-Low (130 lumen; 14 hrs)
Low (25 lumen; 60 hrs)
Firefly (0.5 lumen; 32 days)
SOS (645 lumen; 305 minutes)
The light can be mechanically locked out by just breaking contact with the tail cap or body tube. Given this lights power I would recommend doing that.
Pro’s
Available in Neutral or Cool White
Mode spacing is nice, and it has a simple UI but I wish strobe was not part of the main group.
Very smooth floody beam, not much noticeable tint rainbow to me.
High quality included battery that is non proprietary.
2 Year free replacement warranty, with a limited lifetime warranty after that
Con’s
Pocket clip is reversible but not very deep carry
The button cover protrudes a little so it won’t stand on its head very well.
Wish it had active thermal controls
Conclusion
If you have followed my reviews for a while you will know I am a fan of headlamps, for me it’s probably in the top 3 types of flashlights everyone should own. The Thrunite TH30 is a very nice high lumen headlamp option. Understandably Turbo doesn’t last too long, due to the immense amount of heat 3350 lumens creates, but the lower modes are sufficient. I really like that this headlamp uses non proprietary batteries which makes getting extra’s or a replacement easy and less expensive than some other brands. I like that the light comes with an excellent and safe battery as well, I think it’s an extra layer of safety to have a protected cell when your using one on your head. I think it’s safe to say this is my favorite headlamp of 2018 so far.
Today I have a Convoy C8+ in the new Sand color to take a look at. The C8+ has a deep smooth reflector and works as a great budget thrower. For those of you who don’t know Convoy they have a reputation of providing great quality lights for very low prices. This sand colored C8+ was provided to me by Gearbest Link) to take a look at and I thank them for that.
Packaging
Packaging is pretty much non existent. My C8+ came in a white cardboard box that got got crushed a bit during shipping.The light doesn’t come with any accessories other than a lanyard that was already attached. Nothing on mine was tight either so make sure you tighten up the front lens and body/tail caps prior to first use.
Construction
The C8+ is made of aluminium and is anodized with a color they call sand but it’s pretty close to the Cerakote color Burnt Bronze which I happen to really like. Starting at the tail cap you have a black rubber clicky button. It does full click and momentary. There are lanyard holes on both sides and the light will tail stand. Threads are ACME cut and were lightly greased on the rear. On the body tube the knurling is pretty deep and aggressive. I like the diamond pattern.
The head itself has lots of cooling fins milled into it. It gets larger to accommodate the large and deep reflector which is what gives allows this light to throw. The front bezel has very shallow crenulations. It’s very easy to remove, allowing the smooth reflector to come out and access to the emitter circuit board. This is an easy light to mod.
In the hand I find it’s mostly comfortable. It’s a little short with the larger head unless you grip up on it, it works pretty well in a cigar grip.
Length was measured at 142mm, diameter of the body tube is 25.2mm, diameter of the head is 44.5mm and empty weight is 145 grams. No claims about water rating was made but it has orings everywhere I would expect so it should be pretty decent. It survived a brief sink test.
LED/Runtime
This light uses a Cree XPL HI LED that’s available in 4 different color tints. (6500k, 5000k, 4200k, 3000k). Mine is in 4200K which I quite like as a neutral white. I don’t notice any tint rainbow to it. Beam pattern is consistent with a deep reflector thrower. Small, hot center, with minimal spill and a hard cut off. High mode is listed as 1100 Lumens.
For my runtime test I used a 3500mAh NCR18650B battery. Light fall off started to occur pretty fast and it was a very linear drain for the first 80 minutes down to about 45% relative output. At this point the light started taking larger decreases down to where it shut off at 130 minutes.
UI
This light is using revised UI from Convoy. It’s a little hard to describe in words as there are several modes, so ill include the Diagram that Convoy Publishes. The light has 12 mode groups that you can switch the light into by entering configuration mode by doing a bunch (10+ taps or until the light stops turning on and you will be in config mode) By default from what I can tell I believe the light I received ships in mode 1 which contains 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 35%, 100%, Strobe (Fast then Slower, then fast), Biking (Steady on at about 50%, with super fast strobe every second), and then a battery check that counts out voltage. The light does have memory and momentary. The good thing is between the 12 modes offered there is just about something for everyone and it’s not too hard to switch if you have the directions handy.
Pro’s
I love that the C8+ comes in a wide variety of tint options, make sure to pay attention when ordering.
It’s great value for the money, for under $30 shipped it might be the best thrower for the money.
Moddable – Lots of mods exist for Convoy lights, I think I will do the glowing tail cap for this one.
Con’s
While I love the new “sand” or burnt bronze color it does feel a little chalky to the touch, and I know some people dislike this.
On the larger side of things, not EDC-able in a front pant pocket (Works ok for a coat)
Barebones packaging, no extras, or manuals included.
Conclusion
The Convoy C8+ is a great bargain 1× 18650 cell thrower. For under $30 shipped to the USA it’s hard to find a better thrower with as many tints as the Convoy C8+ offers and as many operating modes. I love that it comes in 2 main tints (Black and Sand) and that the light is pretty moddable. This Convoy is pretty well built and is a nice value. If you don’t mind waiting for overseas shipping this is a great value thrower.
Gearbest has provided a coupon code of “ConvoyC8” to allow you go get this C8+ in Sand for $19.99 at https://goo.gl/VckBeo (Affiliate Link)
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Up Next I have several lights (Thrower, Headlamp, and more) so make sure you are subscribed to my Youtube Channel so you won’t miss the next review.
Today I have on my Review table the new Olight M1T Raider. This is a tactical style EDC light with 2 modes, a rear tail switch and upto 500 lumens out of a CR123 battery. In looks it is similar to the Olight I3T I reviewed last month. Thanks to Olight for sending this to me to take a look at.
Packaging
Packaging is the familiar white cardboard box that Olight has had on several of their recent releases. On the outside is a large picture of the light, and details are all on the back. The box has a pull tap on the top and you slide out the white tray that contains the light and accessories. In the package you get the light with the removable pocket clip preinstalled, a CR123A Olight branded battery (With plastic insulator that must be removed before use), a lanyard, and an instruction manual that in this case is only in english. I suspect that’s due to this light being released a bit earlier elsewhere in the world a little earlier this summer.
Construction
The M1T is made of aircraft grade aluminum and is hard anodized a semi gloss black. The design is pretty similar to the Olight i3T but with some changes. Starting with the tail switch the top is a grippy rubber with a dimpled pattern. The side walls of the button are plastic, this means you need to actuate it more straight up and down not roll onto it from the side. I like this and think it helps prevent accidental activation. The tail cap has very fine knurling on it that seems to attract dust and dirt easily. The there very back there is a place for the small diameter lanyard to fit. Inside the tail cap instead of a spring, it has a spring loaded brass button.
The body of the light has a helix style spiral like the i3T had but this time it has some straight knurling pressed in, I like the look of this and like the additional grip it provides.
The head is rather simple, no additional heat sink or knurling on the body. The front Olight blue bezel has returned and this time with a DNA catcher of sorts on it. It’s not smooth but not sharp enough to damage you pocket. All branding and marking are on the head. The lens is recessed and a TIR style optic. You can see a few of the wires underneath the TIR optic which is uncustomary.
The pocket clip is a scaled up version of what’s been on the M2T, and i3T to fit the size and proportions of the M1T. This is a good clip in my opinion. It sits reasonably deep, can fit onto a hat
Sizes, Weight, and Comparisons
Overall length 91mm, diameter 21mm. Weight is 65g with the included battery and clip. The light is IPX8 rated.
LED/Runtime
This light uses a Luminus STT40 LED in cool white. The tint isn’t super cool, and more on the neutral side of things. As mentioned previously a TIR style optic sits on top.
!{width:80%}https://i.imgur.com/IAAHwUn.jpg Beamshot!
Runtimes
For my runtime tests I used an Olight branded 650mAh 16340 battery. The light ships with a Olight branded CR123A. Total runtime on the 650mAh battery was 70 minutes. Turbo lasted about 5 minutes and what was notable is that there really was not much sag in light output during this stage. The stop down was sharp and put output at about 55% relative output for the remainder of the 65 minute runtime. Runtime at the end was an abrupt shut off.
This light doesn’t have Low Voltage Protection which is disappointing. The manual specifically says to use protected batteries (RCR1234 or 16340) if using rechargeables which to me means that it doesn’t have LVP. This is disappointing to me for a light in this price range and from a premium brand. However with this family of lights it does seem to be what Olight is doing.
UI
The UI of this light is a simple 2 mode only. It’s similar to Streamlight’s protac tactical series lights. The switch on the rear of the light works in momentary with a half press then can lock on in either of the two modes with a full press. By default the light comes on in high mode. To get to low from off you need to do a very fast double click. I find it easiest to do this in momentary then lock on if needed. It takes a little bit of practice to get right but once you do it’s easy to repeat.
High modes is 500 lumens, and low is 5 lumens. Part of me wishes there was a medium mode of maybe 150 lumens which I find would be nice for EDC uses but it would complicate the UI a little for a tactical light.
Pro
For a CR123A light it’s pretty slim, but it could be shorter. Either way I find it carries well in the pocket.
The Olight blue bezel is back!
I like the new clip, it’s 2 way and carries well
Con
No LVP
Low mode takes practice to access
Cool White only
Conclusion
If you want a tactical (High mode first) EDC light this is a pretty nice option. In essence this is a scaled up version of the Olight i3T. They use the same LED, same style lens and rear button, have a similar clip and exterior design. To me the most disappointing thing to me is the lack of Low Voltage Protection on a light of this price and from a premium manufacturer. Lack of LVP only matters if you are using it with rechargeable batteries but that’s what I do for EDC because it’s a lower cost of operation.
As an EDC this carries nice, and is fairly deep in the pocket. It’s minimal diameter and it’s length isn’t too long. I like TIR style optics on EDC lights because I find the beam patterns to be useful. A good mix of flood and light throw. The UI on this light is good when you remember it’s tactical. While it starts on high it does have low but it takes a little practice to get to easily. Overall this is a nice tactical EDC option available from Olight.
Today I have a new lightweight headlamp from Nitecore the NU25. This headlamp offers 3 LED colors, 1 Main white emitter, 1 lower lumen high CRI emitter and then a Red emitter. It contains a built in 610mAh non replaceable battery and is rechargeable via micro USB. Thanks to NitecoreStore.com for sending this to me to take a look at.
Packaging
The packaging is a cardboard hanger style package with the center being clear plastic showing the light and all the accessories. The package touts the lumens,k battery size and it’s IPX6 water resistance. Included with the light is a comfortable elastic band that has a zebra style pattern with Nitecore written in yellow on it. On the inside there is a silicone line at the front to help it keep from sliding on a helmet or your forehead. The light also comes with a branded Nitecore cable with a velcro tie to keep it organized.
Construction
The light itself is available in 3 Colors of glass reinforced plastic, Black, White, and the Yellow that I have. The light is rectangular and is 50mm long, 33mm tall and 18mm thick. On the top there are 2 buttons a main power, and a red power button, each are made of gray silicon rubber. On the bottom is the USB charging port covered again in the gray silicon rubber. The hinge mechanism fits in from each side and the angle is controlled with 2 ratcheting strips built into the rear of the light. You have a total of 5 adjustment points for about 45 degrees of adjustment. Weight with the strap was 45.6 grams. (Size comparison)
LED/Runtime
The main emitter in this light is a Cree XP-G2 S3 LED making a maximum of 360 lumens, lower modes are 190, 38, 1 lumen. The make and model of the high CRI LED isn’t mentioned but it’s rectangular in shape nad is good for 20 lumens. The make and model of the red LED isn’t mentioned , it’s good for 0.9 and 13 lumens.
Beamshots
Main Emitter –
High CRI –
High Red –
Outdoor Main –
Runtime of the main LED from start to finish was longer than I expected for a 610mAh battery. Turbo lasted for about 8 minutes and then the step down was in slow linear steps over the next 100 minutes or so to 15% relative output where the light lasted for another 220 minutes. The light does one final spike in brightness for a low battery indicator before going to absolute moon mode.
UI
The UI on this light is simple and straightforward. It has 2 dedicated buttons for the 2 color of LED’s. First you have the red button which when pressed turns the Red LED on Low, press again get the red on high, press again and you get a slow red beacon. Long press to turn off. If you long press the red from off you get a battery check.
Long press on the main power button and you get the high CRI LED. This only has one mode and is suitable for close up tasks like reading a map or book. Shot presses activate the main white LED. This has 3 modes and comes on in low first. Fast double click on the main power mode once the light is on and it will jump to turbo.
The light also has lockout in any state if you press both switches at the same time. The red indicator will flash once to let you know its locked. To unlock repeat pressing both switches again.
Recharging
Recharging isn’t a fast process, I tested it from empty to a full charge taking 2 hours and 10 minutes. The light can be used while charging which is a nice feature. This could be connected to a power bank or wall charger and run kind of indefinitely.
Pro’s
High CRI reading mode
Despite the small battery it lasts a surprisingly long time
Dim Red Mode that is great for map reading or short distance tasks, can bump up to brigher if needed.
UI that starts on low on both white and red mode
No PWM, it uses a constant current
Con’s
All Plastic Construction
Slow recharging Speed
Conclusion
I was surprised at how light the NU25 was and how long it lasted with the small battery. While it didn’t make a ton of light during this long run time if your going to be using it during hiking or something like that it should produce enough that you can navigate. I really like the addition of a white high CRI LED. I wish it was the main LED but know that high CRI LED’s are usually less efficient. I do appreciate that the NU25 has a low red mode that’s actually useful and not too bright like some of the recent lights I have tested. Overall the NU25 is a good light for it’s weight. If you can afford more weight I would personally recommend a light that took a removable higher capacity battery like an 18650. That said if your hiking or in another application where every gram matters the NU25 is a nice option.
On my review table today I have the JetBeam WL-20 a flashlight designed for hunting. It can be mounted to a rifle with optional accessories jetbeam produces. This light has 3 colors (White, Red, and Green) and features 2 LED’s per color. Thanks to JetBeam for sending this for me to take a look at. Let’s take a closer look at how Jetbeam achieves this multicolor hunting light.
Packaging
The package is similar to other recent JetBeam lights with a blue and black cardboard box. On the outside it has highlights and on the back is a runtime chart. On the inside is a plastic shell that houses the light and all the accessories. It’s a pretty full package. Included with this light is the Flashlight itself, it comes preinstalled with a Jetbeam protected button top Jetbeam 18650 with microUSB recharging. Also included is a branded holster with a bit of padding, Plastic D Ring, velcro belt loop, lanyard and microUSB charging cable. It comes with a small bag of spares including an extra red o Ring and rear tail button boot.
Construction
The head of this light is what sets it apart from some of the others, it rotates around the body. This allows the side by side lens configuration to only show 2 of the 6 total LED’s in the light at a time. Between colors it’s a heavy detent that almost requires two hands to operate. It makes a louder click moving between modes. Staying with the head of the light it’s and the rest of the light is made from aluminium that’s black anodized. The front bezel of the light is unanodized and has a short but sharply milled front bezel. The lens is glass with anti reflective coating. The lens is interesting as it has two deep recesses for the side by side LED configuration, with part of the middle reflector cut out.
The rest of the head has some milling for heat sinks and areas milled out to provide a bit of grip to turn it left and right. The body below is much smaller in diameter and 4 flats with knurling in between. It’s smoother knurling. On two of the flats an edge has been milled in for style and to aid in grip.
The Tailcap has one main on/off button that stands proud and is a textured rubber. It’s a pretty stiff button and can be used as momentary or a full press for a lock on. Next to the button are two paddles, these are metal and are similar to what you would see on a tactical light but with less grip. These are used for mode selection and act as pure momentary switches. The tail has small holes for attaching the lanyard, no paracord here. The light doesn’t tail stand due to a slightly proud center tail button and being unstable in this configuration.
Threads were square but and very smooth but dry. The Oring is a little larger than usual and is red rather than black. The WL20 use a stiff dual spring arrangement in the tail cap. In the head there is also dual springs but these are much less stout.
Overall weight with the included battery is 218 grams. Maximum diameter at it’s widest point is 42mm, minimum diameter is 26.5mm. Length is 146mm and the light is IPX8 water rated.
LED/Runtime/Drain
This light uses a total of 6 LEDs. The White LED’s are Cree XPG3 S4 LEDs in a very cool white. The Red and Green LED’s are only mentioned as “3535”. The lens is deep and it produces a beam pattern that was better than I expected. It’s a bit egg shaped in the spill but the hot center is pretty round at short distances. At longer distances it’s pretty normal.
Runtime
Jetbeam ships this light with the 2600mah microUSB rechargeable battery. However the offical runtimes they give on the package and in the manual are done using a 3500mAh cell. All my tests have been done with the 2600mAh cell that shipped with the light. To save time I won’t go into depth describing runtime just give a few facts and provide the graph.
White – Total runtime was about 150 minutes with flashing near the end. Turbo (1000L was good for about 5 minutes before stepping down to high. Step downs are hard steps.
Red – Total run time was 140 minutes with slow decline but it ran at 80% most of the time before an abrupt end and LVP kickin in.
Green – Total run time was 130 minutes with 1 small step down after 90 minutes. The end was and abrupt shut off in 3 short stages.
UI
The UI of this light depends on which color mode you have it in. In all 3 modes, the large round button at the tail cap is your main on and off. The momentary paddles work for momentary and will cycle the light through modes if that color has one. To rotate between colors rotate the head of the light left or right. It has a strong and audible detent.
In Green this light has one brightness level at 300 lumens. Paddles work for momentary, center button is on/off and can be momentary with a ½ press.
In Red this light has two modes, 125 lumens and 20 lumens. The paddles work for momentary and will cycle between modes. If it’s on a constant on the paddles just will cycle modes. High is the default red mode and it does not have memory in this mode.
In White this light has 4 main modes and strobe. Eco is 20 lumens, Low is 120 lumens, high is 330 lumens, and Tubro and strobe are 1000 lumens. The light will start off in turbo if using the main on/off. From there you can use the paddles to advance to eco, low, high and back to turbo. When off hitting the paddles will give you strobe, or from on a long press on the paddles will give you strobe.
Recharging and the Battery
The WL20 comes with a Jetbeam branded button top 2600mAH battery that has built in microUSB for charging. It says it’s rated for 1A charging speed but in my testing the best I got was 0.73A this resulted in a empty battery taking 4 hours 40 minutes to recharge. Personally I will use a more traditional charger instead.
A note about durability of this type of battery in a light designed for possibly mounting on a rifle. The additional circuit board not only makes the battery longer than a typical 18650 but it adds an additional possible failure point due to recoil. In a hunting environment you probably won’t be taking lots of shots, but in a more tactical environment you might be. I would recommend using a button top battery battery without protection instead for better durability.
Pro’s
One handed operation and rotating emitter.lens setup make it unique and it works well.
Heavy detents and big buttons make it easy enough to use with gloves but it almost takes two hands to rotate the head into a different color mode.
Brightest Red and Green modes I have tested thus far
Throws pretty well and has a decent beam pattern for the side by side LED configuration.
Con’s
It’s relatively heavy, while you could mount it onto a firearm I don’t think you would want to because of the weight and battery.
The white emitter has a very cool tint.I would prefer Neutral White or warm white myself and for the UI to start in eco first.
I would prefer the white emitter mode to have one addition moonlight mode since Red is still too bright for up close work.
Head rotation is almost too difficult, especially while wearing a cast.
The manual and packaging are not in sync as to which LED’s are in use in the light.
Conclusion
I was pretty interested in how this light accomplished it’s multi color LED’s and how much that would compromise beam quality. The good news is it was a lot better than I expected. It’s not a perfectly round beam but it doesn’t have many artifacts or ugly pieces too it.
As a weapon light I think there are better options that are smaller and better suited to attaching directly to a rifle. However as a hunting light that you might hand hold or use to get to a tree stand or blind and then use after the shot I think it would work fairly well. It has the strongest green mode on a light I have tested and that can be useful for finding a blood trail. It’s nice to see that the red mode has two brightness levels but the low is still a bit too bright for my liking for up close work.
This is a niche light, and won’t apply for the vast majority. For those that do need a hunting light that’s multicolor this is certainly an option for you that should work pretty well.
I have enjoyed the previous lights from Thrunite that I have taken a look at and they asked if I would be interested in looking at a current model of the Thrunite 2C V3. The Thrunite 2C V3 is an all in one light with onboard charging and it’s flexible in its physical size and with the batteries it can use. Thanks to Thrunite for sending it for me to take a look at.
What’s in the package
The box is similar to other Thrunite’s I have reviewed recently. It’s a sturdy brown paper box with limited markings and information. The goodies are all in side. Included is the Flashlight itself, pocket clip, lanyard, MicroUSB charging cable, bag of spares (Oring, 2 USB port covers, and button diagram), and Thrunite button top protected, high discharge 3400mah 18650 battery. The holster is made for this light and it fits nicely. There is a plastic d-ring at the top and the belt loop is fixed.
Construction
This light is made from aluminium and is hard anodized with a smooth gloss finish. Some interesting design choices have been made to keep this light short and flexible with it’s battery sizes. Starting at the back the rear is flat and non magnetic. There is a small hole drilled for the lanyard and below that is the only place a clip attaches to the light. The clip itself is very deep carry and works well for both length of the light. The body tube is 2 pieces with square cut threading and an O ring. This design allows battery size flexibility which I will talk about more in a few minutes. The knurling is a diamond pattern and is deep and aggressive.
The head portion of the Neutron 2C has the anti roll ring which contains the electronic button with LED charge status indicator in the center. The button sits pretty flat and has a nice audible click. The microUSB charging port is opposite. It’s standard depth so any standard cable should work well. The charging cover is a smart design. It uses a larger looped piece of rubber that goes around the entire head of the light and this is what the door sealing out moisture is located. The result is it’s super easy to replace if needed.
Size & Water Rating
Length in long configuration 125mm
Length in short configuration 94mm
Width at it’s maximum 26mm
Width at it’s minimum 24.5mm
The light is IPX8 water rated. Short Long
LED/Runtime/Parasitic Drain
The LED used here is a Cree XP-L V6 in Cool White, Neutral White is available as well and is my personal preference.The reflecto is smooth and fairly deep. LED centering is nice, and everything sits behind a antireflective coated glass lens.
This light can use a variety of different sizes of lithium batteries. It ships with a Thrunite button top, protected, high drain 3400mAh battery which is how I will most likely use it the most. It will also work with 2X CR123A, 1X 18350, 1× 16340, or 2× 16340. Button tops are recommended. I had some minor issues getting my flat top 18350’s working with small magnets. Working voltage is 2.7-9.0V.
Short Long
Beam Pattern
The Neutron 2C throws quite well for an EDC. It has a small hot center with a moderate spill and hard cut off. It’s a pretty useful beam pattern.
Runtime
I ran my runtime test with the included 3400mAh 18650 battery. In Turbo mode the light will last about 10 minutes before you see a large decline to about 65% relative output. This will go for about 60 seconds before a slow gentle decrease down to 10% relative output when the Low Voltage Protection cut in. Low Voltage cut off with the included battery was 2.93V. I measured parasitic drain at 0.3uA.
UI
UI on this light ramps. That means there isn’t defined modes for the most part. Using a long press from off and the light enters firefly mode at 0.5 lumens. Long press again and you get to what Thrunite is calling Infinity Low at 12 lumens. Here is where the ramping begins. Long pressing again and the light begins increasing in brightness slowly. It takes 6 seconds to reach Infinity high at 650 lumens. Double click at any time to reach Turbo at 1100 lumens, and double click again to reach strobe. When in the ramping modes you can stop at any time at the desired brightness. If you long press again it will begin decreasing. The light will flash at both high and low ends to let you know you have reached the maximum or minimum.
Recharging
Recharging is accomplished via the microUSB port opposite the switch on the light. Unfortunately the light only recharges at a maximum speed of 1A. This means it’s a bit slow to recharge. In my test it took 4 hours and 52 minutes to recharge from 2.93V to 4.2V. The LED button contained within the button of the light acts as both a battery level indicator while the light is in use and a charging indicator while charging based on the color and blink pattern.
Pro
Available in Neutral and Cool White emitters
Flexible in output to whatever level desired, but the ramping is a little slow.
Flexible in length and battery
3400mAh high drain 18650 battery is included.
Con
1A recharging is a little slow. It would be nice to see this move up to 2A.
The ramping output of the light doesn’t cover the entire range. Nothing between 650 lumens and 1100 lumens. Ramping is only available between 12 lumens and 650 lumens.
Conclusion
The Thrunite Neutron 2C V3 packs a lot of features and flexibility into one small package with a nice UI. I would like to see ramping be a bit faster and cover the entire range of the lights output ability. That said it’s an all around nice light that really give the user a lot of flexibility in what battery they they want to run (Or what’s available), flexibility to in the length of the light without any extra parts to buy, option of the emitter tint, and flexibility to charge onboard via microUSB. Overall I think this is a light that will appeal to both enthusiasts and non flashaholics. Pickup the ThruNite Neutron 2C V3 on Amazon at (Affiliate Link) or from Thrunite Direct http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-neutron-2c-v3-1100-lumen-flashlight/
(Size comparison)
