Category: Review

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Sofirn SP36 (6000 Lumens, USB-C Charging)

Sofirn has a new light on the market called the SP36. It’s basically a smaller, lighter version of the BLF/Sofrin Q8 that has charging over USB-C. Instead of 4 18650 batteries, it’s using 3, but retains 4 LED’s. Thanks to Sofrin for sending this to me to take a look at. Remember to checkout the coupons at the end of this post if you are interested in this light.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/Tfteaor
YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging
Packaging is pretty minimalistic. The light arrived in an unlabeled brown cardboard box with a bit of foam in the bottom. The light was in a thin sheet of bubble wrap. It arrived with a Happy/Not Happy card, a manual that while small print does a solid job of explaining things and does warn about using button top protected cells. It also includes a USB-A to USB-C cable which is nice given how USB-C is still an up and coming spec.

Construction
Construction of the SP36 is comparable to other Sofirn lights, and is good for the price range. The light is made from aluminum and anodized a semi gloss black. All edges are nicely machined. Threads are square cut but mostly dry. The tail cap is removable, and flat, it tailstands very well. Inside you can see 3 phillips screw holding the rear circuit board in place, these were very tight, but removable with the right driver and pressure. The board itself has 3 fairly heavy duty dual springs inside. The body tube has 3 bands of continuous heavy knurling on the outside, it’s a basic design but it’s effective. The inside has a seperator for the 3 batteries and when everything is screwed in I didn’t get any rattle.





The head is very reminiscent of the Q8, which this light is roughly based off of. Unfortunately the circuit board is glued in place, I tried removing it with a pair of snap ring pliers and ended up damaging the circuit board slightly. Reading on BLF the board is removable but it takes heat and a lot of work. The exterior of the head features milling on the sides for heat dissipation. On the front you have the only label on the light, it’s name. Below that is the button. It’s recessed into a milled area. Under the electronic button you have 2 green LED’s. Opposite the button on the other side of the light you have the USB-C charging port. It’s at normal depth and I didn’t have trouble with different cables I tried. The cover is tight fitting and stands proud a little bit. It’s rounded and comfortable in the hand. The bezel is smooth and flat, it’s all one piece so it’s not removable. The lens is glass and has some anti reflective coating. The optic is a deep quad with thin walls.




Unfortunately the head lacks a threaded insert for connecting the light to a tripod or for a solid attachment point for a lanyard. This is disappointing to me as I really like that on these larger lights, I think it helps for use with area lighting and lanyard attachment. I will have to look up some paracord work to use an attachment instead.

Size
The SP36 feels good in my hand. If the Q8 is just a little too fat, the SP36 should be about right. I measured total length at 125.25mm, maximum diameter at 49mm, minimum diameter at 45mm and weight with 3x Samsung 30Q at 436g.

Compared to the Q8 you really notice the difference in diameter in the head. There is a difference in size in the body tubes but it’s less than you would think. Only about 5mm of difference in diameter. The difference in weight with 30Q’s is 157g. While that’s significant both lights are heavy enough it’s hard to tell much of a difference when in use.


LED/Runtime/Heat
This light uses the Cree XP-L2 LED’s in the 5300-5700k range. Mine seems to be on the cooler side of this, I guess I will call it neutral white, better than cool white. Beamshot is more of a flood then the Q8, but with the 6000 lumens its enough power to throw ok too. Good general purpose beam. There are not any real artifacts i notice at 10+ feet. At shorter distance there are definitely petals in the beam due to the deeper quad reflectors.The head can be powered directly off USB-C but it won’t get anywhere near full brightness.

The light does have LVP (Kicks in at 2.8V) but Sofrin recommends using button top protected batteries. I didn’t have any of those I wanted to use with this light so I used button top Samsung 30Q’s for my runtime tests which worked well. Turbo (6000 lumens) ran on this light for 2 minutes before stepping down to a relative output putting it around 1200 lumens where the light ran and declined out to the 145 minute mark where it stepped down significantly over several steps over the next 30 minutes. At about 180 minutes the light effectively was at 0% relative output but still powered on out to 400 minutes.

The SP36 6000 lumens and smaller diameter means it gets warm, pretty quickly. At the brightest I measured the light at 1 minute at 104F, at 5 minutes at 107F, and at 10 minutes at 116F. This is quite warm, and the light gets even warmer, after about 20-25 minutes (I did a brief turn off, then turn on and run again) it was at 139F which is too hot to hold and is in burn you territory.

UI
NarsilM 1.2 Firmware with good ramping support. It has lots of options but it’s also easy to use. I love the ramping, it’s easy and intuitive and you can pick the exact amount of output you want. On this light there is no complaining when it comes to mode spacing. I plan on leaving my light at the default settings but if you do want to change things please consult the UI section of the manual. You need to read it more than once before attempting to make any setting changes. Things that are configurable are vast. You can disable ramping and go with 12 different mode spacing options, you can configure moonlight levels, thermal controls (Several), blink modes, mode ordering, LED locator feature, battery level indicators etc.

In stock mode the light also has memory mode, direct access to turbo with a double click. Triple click shows the battery level. 4 clicks to lock or unlock. When in max output mode double click to get to the different strobe modes.

Recharging
The SP36 features USB-C for recharging which is great. Unfortunately it only accepted a charge while using a USB-A to USB-C cable, not a C-C cable. It doesn’t support USB-C PD for faster charging meaning it took me 4 hours and 25 minutes to charge 3x Samsung 30Q batteries that were depleted. The peak charge rate I saw was 1.86A. With the ability for USB-C to draw more wattage from a compatible charger, and that this light has 3x batteries it would be nice to see this utilized but for the price here, I am just happy it has USB-C.

Pro’s

  • Proven Design & well built (Except for the glued in board)
  • USB-C recharging
  • Good NarsilM 1.2 firmware
  • Good pretty comprehensive manual, with some funny translation easter eggs. Very small print though.

Con’s

  • No Tripod mounting hold or place for a Lanyard. Kind of disappointing as this is a larger heavier light and I tend to use a lanyard with them.
  • XP-L2 LED’s in a cooler neutral white.I would love to see some different LED’s (warmer, High CRI, etc). offered here as would many on BLF. I would love to see something like a LH351D used on this light.
  • Heat – It gets really hot, fairly quickly and can get dangerously hot.

Conclusion
The Sofirn SP36 what you get when you take a BLF Q8 and reduce it by ¼ in most ways. It has one less battery, the body is narrower, and it’s lighter, but the spirit of the Q8 and SP36 are same. It gains USB-C charging which is great to see over MicroUSB, but it’s not gaining a big speed increase USB-C is capable of, so with 3 18650 batteries it still takes a while to charge. The built in charger does seem to add some cost over a Q8 which is to be expected. The SP36 is a good light, I think the decision between it and a Q8 variant comes down to how much you want built in USB-C charging and how much of a tint/LED snob you are. Both are great lights and I don’t see getting rid of either anytime soon.

 

Deals

Sofirn SP36 Light Only https://amzn.to/2WpSIrA
Sofirn SP36 Kit Version https://amzn.to/2WmgaGl

Save 20% on either light with the coupon code “B5LGDT2Y”

 

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Olight PL-2RL Review (1200 lumen Weapon Light + Laser)

Today I have a review of the new Olight PL-2RL Baldr weapon light from Olight. This light takes the PL-2 which I reviewed last year and adds a red laser to the bottom of the light. A few things on the flashlight itself were improved upon and then the addition to the laser. Thanks to Olight for sending this to me to take a look at.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/l4MvtiC

YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging
Packaging is similar to Olight’s others from 2018. It’s a white cardboard box with texture, and a picture of the light printed on the outside. On the back it has stats about it and runtime specs. I prefer if Olight would relocate the SN/Barcode because when you pull the tab to open the package that piece comes loose.



Accessories include the light itself, 2x CR123A batteries, small Hex wrench, and a 1913 rail piece (The Glock is preinstalled). If you don’t know the Glock rail is slightly smaller, it will work on a 1913 rail but move around more than is desired.

Construction
This light is very similar in construction to the original PL-2 but with a laser module screwed on to the bottom. It’s built of aircraft grade aluminum and is pretty sturdy. The anodizing finish on the light looks the same but in my experience it and the lens clean up easier. I sprayed mine down with Ballistol, let it sit for about 15 minutes while cleaning other things and the powder residue on the front of the light and on the lens easily wiped off with a microfiber towel. My PL-2 was more difficult to clean.


The buttons appear to be the same, they click from the side, not from the back, have a rubberized texture and are ambidextrous. The battery door has a tab to pull up and then it hinges up. This means you most likely will need to remove it from your weapon to swap batteries. Not a huge deal with the toolless mounting system on the PL-2RL. It has visible springs in the front nearest the lens, but the rear terminals are also spring loaded, just not visible. Not much movement in them.

The mounting system has been improved on the PL-2RL. It still features a toolesss quick release lever which I really like. What’s new is this is now more spring loaded. In the unlocked position the light is very hard to shake off accidentally, if you push on it some you can get it to come off. To get it off you have to press in on the lever to expand the jaws a bit. This is definitely an improvement, the PL-2 would just drop free when the lever was in the unlock position, I could see if you were in a tactical situation how the lever may be caught on something and if that happened your light would fall free. With the new PL-2RL that is much less likely to occur.

The light does have a bright yellow warning sticker about the laser that also features as the indicator for the modes. I wish this was done differently. I understand there is probably import/legal regulations regarding the laser, but I wish the mode indicators were laser engraved into the light as a more permanent fix. I find the yellow a bit distracting and it’s not very tactical. I think i’ll either cut the sticker and remove the bulk of the yellow part or use a sharpie or paint marker to make it black.



Size and Weight
This isn’t a small weapon light. The addition to the laser adds quite a bit of bulk to the light. On a full size pistol it’s ok, but on anything much smaller it’s borderline too big in my opinion. Length of the PL-2RL is 83mm, width is 36.5mm, depth is 48mm. Depth of the PL-2 was 30.5mm.

Weight with batteries of the PL-2 is 116g.
Weight with batteries of the PL-2RL is 140g an increase of 24 grams.
It is IPX6 water rated so it should do fine in heavy rain or dropped in a puddle if removed quickly. It’s not a diving light.

Hold a zero?
In my testing the light held a zero pretty well. I tested the light on a couple of Glock’s chambered in .45 ACP, 10mm, and 9mm. I also tested it on an AR9 pistol. We didn’t zero it on every firearm but we did on 10mm and AR9 and after the first few shots it held its position well. I know Olight had some initial issues with the PL-2 and 10mm, we didn’t have any issue after running it through a variety of rounds.

To adjust zero there are two set screws near the laser part of the housing to set windage and elevation. An included Torx wrench does come with the light. One thing I would improve is when adjusting elevation and windage some clicks that you could either feel or hear would be useful, to improve the speed of adjustment. So you know each click is for example 1 MOA etc. You can zero it without shooting a round at home if you have your iron signs setup. Point your unloaded firearm in a safe direction, and zero the laser to your iron sights.

LED/Runtime
The PL-2RL is advertised as producing 1200 lumens through a CREE XHP 35 HI LED in Cool White, however those are peak lumens. Like many high output flashlights the PL-2RL will step down in brightness to 400 Lumens after 1.5 minutes. The runtime is then an additional 100-105 minutes depending if the laser is on or off. In mode 2 when the light is on at a constant 400 lumens, runtime is increased to 105 or 120 minutes depending on if the laser is on or off. The lens is glass, with a plastic TIR style reflector. It creates a very hot center, minimizing spill. The Olight PL-2RL can use 2X CR123A or rechargeable RCR123A cells. If using the rechargeables runtime won’t be as long. This is one case where I would recommend using Primary batteries for longer shelf life, and because the runtimes will be longer due to the reduced capacity of the rechargeable batteries.

The laser is a 5mW red laser that’s similar at 15 yards to a 3moa red dot. It’s running at a 645-655nm wavelength. Max runtime of laser only is 75 hours. Having the laser on doesn’t change runtime much of the XHP 35 HI LED. Olight lists the difference in mode 1 (1200 lumens, then 400 lumens after 1.5 minutes) of only 5 minutes if the laser is on. In mode 2 (Constant 400 lumens) the runtime difference with the laser on is 15 minutes less.

Beamshots
The beamshots are identical to the PL-2. It’s a large hot center and throws decently well. The laser seems to be pretty centered in the middle of this beam. See my video for the examples.

UI
This light uses the same side to side toggle buttons as the PL-2 has. They work best to push from the side in. These work pretty much the same as the PL-2 for light uses. If you long press on either switch you get momentary on, if you quick press you get constant on, and if you click both together you gets strobe (Doesn’t work on laser only mode). On the back of the laser you have a 3 position selector switch, Left, Center and Right to select what combination of laser/light are on when the buttons are pressed..

When the selector switch is all the way to the left you get laser only. It will come on with either left or right button, and pinching each button at the same time doesn’t do anything in this mode.

When the selector switch is in the center you get a Light + Laser option. In this mode when you pinch both switches together the light will strobe and the laser stays on all the time.

When the selector switch is to the right you get only a light. In this mode the light works exactly like the PL-2, giving you momentary with a longer press or constant on with quick press.

Rather then a big yellow warning sticker about the laser, I would prefer they laser engrave the 3 positions into the light itself as I think most people will remove the sticker. Engraving is also much more durable.

Pros

  • Buttons with tactile and audible click
  • Quick open battery door
  • Improved Tool free quick disconnect mounting system
  • High performance but it can’t be sustained due to heat

Cons

  • The addition of the laser makes this quite large and heavier.
  • Holster options will be limited, meaning you may have to have one custom made.
  • Somewhat pricey batteries (CR123A)
  • Strobe interface isn’t ideal requiring pressing both buttons at the same time.

Conclusion
I have enjoyed testing the Olight weapon lights, for me they have worked well on a variety of guns and platforms. The PL-2RL is a nice addition to the line. It’s downfall is it’s size, even on a full size pistol it’s pretty big.. For me it’s probably going to live on one of my AR platforms due to the size and having to get a custom holster. I like the addition of the laser, it makes aiming in the right conditions a little quicker and easier once you have it zeroed in.

I like the Norse mythology name of the PL-2RL Baldr, the god of light. Each weapon light from Olight shows their growth in knowledge and experience in this segment of the industry and this is what you want to see to keep making better products. Olight needs to work with holster manufacturers in advance of a light release to have better support for their weapon lights if they want a wider adoption rate. I am interested to see what they come up with next.

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ReyLight Copper LAN & Pineapple Review(14500, Nichia or XPL Emitter, Raw Copper)

On my review table today I have the ReyLight LAN V3, and ReyLight Pineapple V3 both in solid copper. This light can use AA, or 14500 sized batteries and is designed with upscale EDC in mind. Thanks to ReyLight for sending them to me to do a review.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/VDDIBbW
YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging
Packaging is the same as the V3 Pineapples and Ti LAN’s. It’s a nicely fit box with a slip over sleeve printed to look like Bamboo. The Pineapple box has the light printed on the front in a wire form. The LAN box has the Chinese character I believe on the front. On the back is the FL1 Standard chart showing runtime and lumens with a 14500 and AA battery. The tells the simple instructions. Inside the light is held in place with black foam, and the only extra you get is the clip and 2 orings. These copper lights do come sealed in a bag to prevent oxidation.






Construction
The big difference in these lights that instead of using titanium on the LAN, or Brass on the Pineapple, ReyLight has went with copper for both lights. The copper used on both lights has a very thin UV cured coating on it to protect it from immediate oxidation during production. This thin, I can smell the copper on my hands after handling it. With enough use it should come off, or I found that 100% acetone (Use it in a well ventilated area please, available in the nail polish area of your favorite big box store) will remove it with minimal effort.

At the tail on the Pineapple, this is the same as the brass version, only a different material. Tolerances on the button are improved. I get less side to side rattle and none up and down.

On my Copper LAN I have the optional rear bezel that can accomodate 12 pieces of tritium. Unfortunately it seems the tolerances on this part are not as good. I get more side to side rattle and some up and down rattle. This trit holder is also slightly larger than the body size of the light.

Body tubes on both models are the same as their brass or titanium counter parts. The LAN has 3 rectangles milled for aesthetic design. The Pineapple rings provide some functional grip as well. The heads are the same on their respective models as well, no big change. Rey does have some GITD O rings that can be put on the exterior of the head on the LAN for added effect. Both lights feature a bezel that let’s light escape when face down. One thing to note is that to change the battery, on the V3 lights, it’s the head that’s designed to be removed, and the tail stay in place.





Weights
Ti LAN weight without battery was 64.8g, Copper LAN without battery was 109.5g.
Brass Pineapple without battery was 93.7g, Copper Pineapple without battery was 98.6g.

LED/Runtime/Heat
ReyLight offers a choice of LED on these two copper lights. The standard LED option is the Nichia 219C in about 4000k with 90 CRI. Optionally there is the Cree XPL LED at 6500k. In my lights the Nichia is in the Pineapple, and the Cree is in the LAN. The reflector is the same in each light, with a medium orange peel, and double anti reflective coated glass. Beam pattern is very similar, and in my opinion good for EDC. The hot center is a medium size and fades out to a moderate amount of spill. Personally I prefer the Nichia emitter myself because of the warmer tint and higher CRI but it’s nice to see Rey is offering options.



Heat
When using a 14500 and running on high the light can get fairly warm. The V3 driver does contain basic thermal control which is an improvement over V1 and V2.

Runtime
For my runtime tests I used a protected button top Keeppower 14500 800mAh battery. Both lights use the same driver, and are very similar physical designs, so rather then compare to each other by model I am going to compare the two different emitters since that is the main difference between the two I own. Either model is available with either driver.

The Nichia emitter total runtime was about 95 minutes. Turbo lasted for just a couple of minutes, before the light took a step down due to thermals and ran at a declining 50% relative output with a steady decline that was fairly linear. At the end the light did a brief step up before low voltage protection kicked in.

The Cree XPL emitter had a very similar pattern. Total runtime was shorter, at a total 75 minutes, after a few minutes the lights stepped down to slightly above 55% relative output and its curve was a little more steppy, not quite as smooth. At the end the light did step up briefly before low voltage protection kicked in.

UI
This is the 3rd generation of the Reylight Driver. With the Nichia emitter it has, moon (0.2 Lumens), Low (8.5 Lumens), Medium (90 Lumens), and High (470 Lumens) with a 14500 battery, along with memory mode. On a AA Moon is 0.2 Lumens, Low is 3.2 Lumens, Medium is 30 Lumens, and High is 130 Lumens. A 14500 really wakes this light up in terms of output..

Carry
I am a big fan of the ReyLight Pineapple and LAN series of lights for EDC. I like the 14500/AA form factor for EDC. It’s enough light to be useful for EDC tasks without being too large in a variety of front pants/shorts pockets. While not the thinnest light in this class I don’t find it to be too large either. The Clip was reviews for V3 of these lights making it a bit more substantial. I have not had a bending or catching problem with this design. It carries reasonably deep in the pocket too. The gap that the clip provides on the light is required, if you want to run without a clip Rey sells a small titanium washer to take the clips place.



Pro’s

  • Almost Raw copper, the coating is super thin (Can still smell the copper though the coating) and easily removed with acetone, but will stay in place if you want to preserve the untarnished look.
  • The LAN has a new optional tail design that’s slightly larger but with 12 places for Tritium, the total light holds 16 trits.
  • LED options, including a warm, high CRI Nichia emitter.
  • Pretty affordable for solid copper.

Con’s

  • Tolerances with my fatter 14500 batteries (KeepPower) are tight in the battery tube. You need the help of a strong magnet to remove them on the LAN, the Pineapple body tube isn’t quite so tight. Olight’s 14500’s work well as do Enloops and Duracell rechargeable NiHM batteries. This got better as I took the batteries in and out a few more times.
  • Some button rattle on my LAN with the optional tail to hold a larger amount of trits.

Conclusion
The ReyLight copper LAN and Pineapples are very similar to their previous Titanium and Brass models but now with Copper as the material. While copper is heavy, it’s not so much extra weight that I notice a difference when either light is in my pocket. I like how they carry in my pocket, and I love the 14500 tail click form factor. I love that I can easily strip the coating off the light and have it patina. I plan to do that with my LAN for sure. The only thing I can fault a little bit are the tolerances. The battery tube seems slightly undersized for my Keeppower 14500 batteries and sometimes create a bit of a vacuum when trying to remove cells making it a little more difficult. This has gotten better the more I remove the battery from the light. Button tolerances are something that has been the achilles’ heel of the Pineapple and LAN designs. While things are mostly better the button may bother some people. Personally it doesn’t bother me, especially for a custom style light at this price point.

Despite this the ReyLight LAN and Pineapple are for me one of my most carried models of lights on a daily basis month over month because of the size and function. For me it just works really well and they are one of my favorites. I also think they are a great value for a entry level custom light. I am glad to offer copper to my brass and titanium families.I am looking forward to building that copper patina over the next few months.

Ordering
RayLight has a Facebook group where Rey keeps everyone up to date on new models, and other info. Right now it’s the best place to find and order a light direct from him. https://www.facebook.com/groups/221544235032559/

You can also email him direct and pay with Paypal Rey@reylight.net

He also now has a web page and is working to get international orders working. https://www.reylight.net/

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Wuben T70 Review (4200 Lumens, USB-C, 26650, Choices)

Today on my review table, I have the Wuben T70 4200 lumen flashlight. The light is powered by an included 26650 battery and has USB-C for recharging. Wuben as a brand has been out for a little while but for me this is the first light from them I have had. Thanks to Banggood for sending this to me to look at.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/n9D0kce
YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging
A lot of thought was put into the design and perfection of the packaging on the Wuben T70. The outside of the package is a black box with a picture of the light touting the 4200 lumens and a few of the key facts. On the back of the box are some stats, and a runtime chart. The box itself has a magnetic closure on the right hand side. Inside the box the light is nicely held in some laser cut foam, underneath is the paperwork. On the right hand side there is a cardboard box which contains all the accessories. The belt holster is nylon and decent quality, it’s got a plastic D loop, velcro belt loop, and a place for an extra battery on the side. IT also comes with a Wuben branded flat lanyard, and a Wuben branded USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and a pair of extra o’rings. Overall the packaging here is nicer than most other flashlight brands.






Construction
This light is made from Aluminum and anodized in a smooth black semi gloss finish. Starting at the tail cap, the light tail stands well due to the flat tail cap. It has some milled accents in it that serve as grip. Inside the tail spring is double, and beefy. Threads are square cut and smooth, and the oring is large. The lanyard hole is small for the lights diameter, no para cord is fitting through this one. I like that it has a very small battery symbol on the side laser engraved in to tell orientation. More lights should do this. The body tube is glued to the head section of the light. It has lengthwise grooves milled into it that are on the larger side about 4.25mm.





The head section of the light has quite a few milled in areas that act as heat syncs. Flats are milled in for the button and the charging port opposite. The button is surrounded by a silver ring. The button itself is silicone and has a clear W in it so the power indicator LED underneath shows through for battery status.

The charging port opposite is a silicone cover and seems to fit well, I had no air pressure issues with it or having it come loose accidentally. Underneath is a USB-C charging port. The top part of the head has more heat syncs and has 6 design areas milled in. The front strike bezel is raw aluminium with a few machining marks left behind.

Machining quality overall is very good for this price range of light. Edges are chamfered where you expect and a little sharper in others. Overall it creates a nice package, anodizing is good quality too.

Size/Weight/Comparison
Overall max length is 140mm, maximum diameter in the head is 42 mm, minimum diameter is 31mm in the body tube. Weight with the included battery is 256g and the light is IPX68 water rated which is very respectable for onboard charging, Dropping it in water won’t be an issue.

The Lumintop ODF30 is pretty similar in size to the Wuben T70 but without the onboard recharging. Diameter in the head is nearly identical, as is the body tube diameter. The Wuben T70 is about 22mm longer in overall length. I like the extra length of the T70 in my hand and I think it’s a little better balanced light too. See the video for

LED/Runtime/Heat
The Wuben T70 features a Cree XHP 70.2 in Neutral White. It’s a big emitter. The box lists that Wuben plans to offer the light in Warm, Neutral and cool white.

I found the beam to be pleasing for an XHP 70.2, and a good all around beam. The hot spot in the center is relatively large and the spill isn’t too dim. It’s a useful beam for general use. It has some Cree Rainbow being an XHP 70.2, the center is the most neutral white, it goes a bit yellow on the outside of the hotspot, and just slightly blue at the outside edges of the spill.,

The reflector is a nice aggressive orange peel and it has a fairly thick piece of double anti reflective coated glass. Heat is pretty well controlled after 30+ minutes of runtime the light is warm at 104F but not uncomfortable or dangerously hot. It’s large enough that shorter runtimes get a little warmer but nothing to worry about.

Runtime
Turbo Runtime on this light is good for about 3 minutes before the light steps down. This stepdown is significant to about 25% relative output, but remember this is still roughly 1000 lumens. It continues here for a solid 93 minutes before the light steps off sharply at LVP. Overall runtime was 95 minutes from turbo. My runtime test was done with the included 5000mAh Wuben battery.

UI
This light has 2 UI modes, and it’s fairly easy to switch between them. By just triple clicking when the light is on. It confirms you have changed modes by blinking

First is the standard defined mode UI for this light. It’s a Low at 40 lumens, medium at 400, high at 1300, and turbo at 4200. The light has memory so it resumes where you left it when you power it back on. It does have instant access to turbo by pressing and holding when the light is off. I could see this accidently coming on unintentionally but I didn’t have that problem, and losing the tail cap any is a good mechanical lockout. The light has strobe at 4200 lumens, and SOS at 100 lumens. To get to them just double click and single click t o switch between them.

Ramping UI
The ramping UI is also available on this light but it’s got some caveats. It starts on low, and ramps up slowly, blinking at the top, or bottom of the range to let you know where you are. However if you are anywhere in this range that isn’t at the top or bottom and want to go the opposite direction, you can’t you have to go to the end of the range before going backwards. For example if on low and wanting to make the light brighter you click the button and hold and let off when it’s at the desired brightness. Let’s say you have you want to make it less bright, so you press the button again and the brightness continues increasing until you hit turbo at 4200 lumens before you can start decreasing. To further complicate this the light has memory so it can start very bright if that’s the last mode you used.

To improve this it would be simple, like on Narsil firmware just reverse direction when the button is pressed and have it be a little faster.

Charging
The light features USB-C for recharging which is great, but it will only charge with a USB-A to USB-C cable. I tried charging with a USB-C to C cable with various power sources and nothing. This isn’t the first time I have seen this on a USB-C light. Total charge time using a 2A charger, with the included 5000mAh Wuben battery and the supplied USB-A to USB-C cable, was 3 hours 31 minutes.


Pro

  • Nice machining, anodizing, and overall construction.
  • Emitter Tint options including neutral and warm white as well as body color choices.
  • USB-C charging but isn’t USB-C to C compatible like many other lights
  • Includes a 5000mAh 26650 battery.

Con

  • Ramping UI has no reverse, so if the light is too bright you have to go all the way to the brightest to then start to decrease it. It would be more useable if had the ability to ramp down when the button is pressed, like the Emisar D4.
  • Manual needs some polish of a native English speaker.
  • Short Replacement warranty of 15 days. While the light is warrantied for longer for repair 15 days is very short. Registering the product increases this time.

Conclusion
The Wuben T70 is a pretty good light without any major flaws. I can think of a few ways in my opinion to improve the ramping UI, and make it USB-C PD compatible but that’s about it. It feels nice in the hand, and is pretty well balanced with the 26650 battery. I like that it comes in different body colors, and 3 emitter choices. If you are looking for a little larger general purpose light with USB-C recharging that throws pretty well the Wuben T70 would be a nice choice. I am looking forward to reviewing more lights from Wuben in the future to see what l this new brand can do.

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Olight S2R Baton II Review (18650, EDC, 7500K, Magnetic Recharging)

Olight has a new pocket sized 18650 EDC light with the revised S2R Baton II. I am going to be calling this the “Blue” edition for more then one reason that I will get to during my review. Thanks to Olight for sending this to me to take a look at.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/4Zk6iWD
YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging
Olight has a packaging theme for 2018 and the S2R Baton II is no different. It’s a white cardboard box, with a zip top. On the front it shows the light, on the sides it gives a QR code and warranty time period (5 years). On the back it describes the light in pretty good detail and gives a runtime table. I do wish they would put the serial number elsewhere on the box because after opening it’s too easy to lose the flap with the serial on it.

The light is held in a white plastic holder, underneath are all the accessories held in place with a cardboard warning to remove the plastic protector to operate the light. Accessories for the S2R II include the customized 3200mAh Olight battery, Black pocket clip, Standard olight lanyard, Revised MCC II Charger, instructions and brown felt Olight bag.





Construction
If you have seen my review of the S1R Baton II you will notice a lot of the same design similarities on the S2R Baton II. The light is made from aluminium and anodized a semi gloss black. Starting at the tail you will see the magnetic charging port. I did test the open contacts for safety wirth steel wool and didn’t have any issues. There is a magnet in the tail cap that is sufficiently strong to hold the light in a horizontal position on a painted steel surface. The tail also has a spot drilled in for the narrow included lanyard. The body tube and tail cap are all one piece. Changed from Version 1 of the S2R is the new texture. It’s a pyramid type design with the top milled off. It looks kind of like a corn cob. I like this new texture it provides quite a bit of grip but isn’t so aggressive it will tear up your hand or pocket.



The head is nearly identical in physical look to the S1R Baton II. It’s just slightly longer both in the top part and the bottom. The side button has an LED in the center used for low battery indication. It’s surrounded by a gloss blue ring, an olight signature. The clip is removable but fixed in place. The only markings on the light are the S2R Baton II Name and the serial number. Opposite this is the Olight logo.

The top of the light features a recessed blue Olight bezel. Unlike on the S1R Baton II the S2R Baton II bezel is inside the body of the light slightly. On the top it’s engraved 1150 lumens, 7500k, and 70 CRI. It features a revised TIR optic that I will talk about in another section.

Size & Weight and Comparisons
The S2R Baton II shrinks a little in size over version 1, about 5.5mm by my measurements. Diameters at the head were reduced by 0.10mm. Overall the S2R Baton II, length was 99.66mm, Diameter at the head is 23.91mm and weight with battery is 97g.




LED/Beamshot/Runtime
Olight has chosen a Luminous SST-40 LED in Cool white. Unfortunately it’s a very cool white, at about 7500k. This means it’s a pretty blue beam. Mine seems to have some green tinge as well. Personally this is disappointing, I don’t mind this emitter in the S1R II I reviewed a few weeks ago, but in the S2R II it’s cooler. I personally prefer a neutral or warm emitter. I suspect Olight choose such a cool tint because they can get slightly higher lumens which could be a benefit in a numbers race.

Beam pattern
The S2R Baton II uses a revised TIR optic. Gone is the small bubble in the middle as before, instead the lense is concave and the has a flat center. Looking in you can see the LED much better. The reflector looks to be white and the material is unknown. The effect on the beam pattern is a larger hot center that is pronounced. The spill is present but quite small in intensity. I would say it’s very similar to the Gen 1 TIR optic and that one is not better than the other.


S2R Baton 1, on left, S2R Baton II on Right

Runtime
Runtime was similar to what I have come to expect from the new breed of high output lumen number lights. Total Runtime was 350 minutes from Turbo to where the light shut off. Turbo 1150 lumens lasted for 2 minutes before the light stepped down significantly to 400 lumens where it lasted for about 230 minutes from my graph. The light stepped down a gain to medium (120 Lumens) for about 20 minutes, and then stepped down again to low (15 lumens) and faded into moon mode (0.5 lumens). I will throw an output graph from the S2R up to compare, it’s a quite a bit different. I kind of like how high is higher. My guess is that Olight decided to make High only 400 lumens to increase runtime and make heat less of a factor. For EDC this is ok, but I think I would want more in several situations.

UI
The S2R Baton II has the standard Olight UI many of us have come to know, and I like with the slower fades from off/on and between modes. From off, long press to activate moonlight mode at 0.5 lumens. To turn on in normal modes single click the switch, to change brightness level hold the button and the light will cycle through the 4 available modes lowest to highest. Double click to access turbo. Triple click to access strobe. The light also features memory mode for normal modes.

Lockout can be accomplished when the light is off by pressing and holding the switch for 2 seconds until moonlight mode comes on and immediately shuts off. If you then press the button the red LED under the power button will come on to let you know your in lockout mode. To exit lockout press the button for about 1 second until moonlight mode stays on. Personally I will just give the body of the light a ¼ turn to mechanically lock it out. The light features a short 3 minute timer, and a longer 9 minute timer. If these are setup (See the included manual) the light will automatically shut off when the end of the timer is reached.

Charging
The new MCC II charger is like we saw on the S1R Baton II. It’s edges are rounded, and it’s still magnetic. It can now charge at 1A. Charging Time from a completely empty battery to charged was 5 hours and 30 minutes. Maximum charge rate I saw was 0.85A. I tested this on 2 different charges with 2 different metres to check and that’s what I saw. 5.5 hours charge time is quite a bit still. I would like to see a higher then 1A charge rate on their updated charger. That said this is very safe and conservative charge rate.

The LED indicator has moved from the cable into the bottom side of the charger. As I have said before this is a good and bad thing. If you use the charger with the light standing in vertical position you can no longer tell the charging status unless you lay it over horizontally. However if you charge it on your bedside and you like complete darkness like I do then it’s a good thing.

As an EDC
While I am a big fan of 18650 batteries in flashlights I don’t love them for EDC because of the increased diameter usually. The S2R is an exception to that, it’s quite narrow, and combine that with a deep carry clip I find it fits pretty well in a front jeans pocket and hasn’t been a problem. On the S2R II Olight has included the double direction clip they have had now on all their new lights this year. New however is that it comes with a glossy blue PVD coated clip, to match the bezel around the switch around the lens. Don’t worry they also include a black clip if you would like to be more stealth. The clip is also built to hold the lanyard if you would like, or there is a hold for it on the tail of the light. One thing to note is the clip only mounts one direction, for a head up carry.

Pro’s

  • I like the new barrel design and grip. Its an increase but not too aggressive.
  • Carries well in the pocket for EDC
  • New charger with speed increase is good but the LED giving charge indicator is less visible.

Con’s

  • 7500k is really cold in tin, more so then the older model. Olight seems to not want to produce warm, neutral or high CRI options.
  • Not very mod friendly as the bezel seems glued
  • Proprietary battery is necessary for onboard recharging to work. The light does work with a button top.

Conclusion
The Olight S2R Baton II is a small incremental improvement over the original S2R. Both lights excel in the EDC category in my opinion due to their small diameter and good deep carry pocket clips. The S2R II clips is slightly less deep carry but the light overall is slightly shorter too. For me the S2R Baton II falls down with it’s choice in LED and only one option. 7500k is a very cool tint, while it’s personal preference it seems like a majority of enthusiasts prefer a neutral or warm LED tint, and a higher CRI option too if available. For me I would prefer this, and would take fewer lumens, and a lower runtime to get it. I do understand though that flashlight marketing seems to focus on lumen count, not CRI or tint.

If you like a cool tint light and are looking for a great EDC form factor the Olight S2R Baton II will fit the bill quite well.

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Convoy T2 (300 Lumens, AA Powered, Tint Choices)

Convoy has a new design on a small EDC style AA powered flashlight, the Convoy T2. Thanks to Gearbest for sending this to me, let’s take a look.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/oAr9Fc8

YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging
Packaging is very minimal on the T2. The light was inside a small bubble wrap bag, inside a generic white box. No instructions or extras were included.

Construction
The T2, is basically a scaled down Convoy S2+ designed to run on AA sized batteries.Physically it’s a pretty generic tail clicky light. The light is made from aluminum and is anodized in a eggshell black. There is standard diamond shaped flat knurling on the tail, body, and head of the light. It’s fairly smooth and non aggressive Threads are square cut and had a bit of grease on them. The tail cap has wings for attaching a lanyard but they are not quite tall enough to allow the light to tail stand as the button stands proud. The button has a bit of texture on it’s silicone surface. The clip unfortunately is not designed for deep carry. It can be mounted on the top or bottom of the body tube, and doesn’t allow much space for thicker material or deep carry.


The body tube contains the same knurling as does the head. The head is very plain and pretty standard. Under the glass lens there is a glow in the dark oring. The lens fairly deep and has an orange peel finish. The LED is nicely centered but there is quite a bit of space around it. A physically larger LED would fit.




Size/Weight
I measured the Length of this light at 93mm, Diameter at 22mm. Weight with an enloop and lanyard is 75g. The light is IPX8 water rated. Length seems about average for a AA light, but it is a bit thicker in diameter.



LED/Beam Pattern/Runtime
The LED in my example is a Cree XPG2 T6-3b at about 5000k. The Same LED is offered in 4200k, and 6500k. I think if I was to get another I would go for the 4200k version. 5000k seems to have a bit of purple tint to my eyes. Beam pattern on this light is good for an edc, it has a larger hotspot, and it gradually spills of to less. Beam distance is about 50 ft at max. On high it’s rated for about 300 lumens.

The light is designed to work on 1.5V, so for my runtime test I ran it on an Eneloop AA battery. Total runtime was right at 45 minutes on high. Strangely the light output increase over the first 25 minutes the light was on. It wasn’t much but my graph clearly shows it. Between 30 and 40 minutes the decline was fast and to nearly zero output.

I also ran the light with a keeppower 14500 battery at higher voltages Overdriving the LED. You don’t notice that many more lumens but the output graph sagged as the voltage decreased upto the 50 minute mark where low voltage protection kicked in on the battery I presume and shut off power flow.

UI
UI on this light needs a bit of a tweak in my opinion. It has 3 constant on modes that equate to 1% of total output, 10% and 100%. These are ok. The light also has memory. What I don’t like is double click to strobe. I find it too easy to accidentally enter strobe when trying to adjust modes quickly. I would prefer no strobe or triple click or long press for strobe if they decided to still have one. I did notice some PWM when on low mode.

 

Pro

  • Well built, similar to other Convoy’s
  • Available in a few different LED tint options.

 

Con

  • Strobe is too easily accessed, I would prefer it removed entirely.
  • PWM is pretty apparent on lower modes.
  • A bit thick for a AA light. No official 14500 support but it does seem to work.
  • Wish the body was available in some of the other Convoy colors.

 

Conclusion
The Convoy T2 is a solid low cost AA style light from an established reliable brand. For me it’s a little generic in it’s look but it functions well. I would prefer a UI that removes strobe or makes it less easy to access.

If you were looking for a low cost light but with a few tint options to give to family members and didn’t want to mess with a lithium option, I think this would be a good option. I am not in love with it as a pocket EDC but it would be a good option to throw in bags or coats for a just in case option with some rechargeable batteries (To prevent corrosion).

Gearbest has provided a coupon to use during their 11.11 sale to get this light at a steep discount. So if your interested this is going to be the best time to pick up this light.

Get it for $11.99 with coupon code “GB$LEDT2” https://goo.gl/17V7dK (

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Frelux Synergy 1 Review (Custom EDC Light)

The light I have here is the FreLux Synergy1 pass around light, that has been going to various forum members to play with and review if that is what they do. This is the first review I am aware of that features the updated driver, with the high CRI Nichia emitter. It’s brighter than the previous and has better mode spacing. I didn’t buy it and by the time you have seen this review it will be sent on to the next lucky pass around member. Thanks to Benjamin and /u/ozythemandias for letting more people try this new little light.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/lGYBpu8
YouTube Version of this Review:

Packaging
The Synergy 1 comes in a small Altoids sized tin. There is laser cut foam that fits the light perfectly. Inside is a sticker showing battery orientation. On the outside the Frelux logo is laser engraved into the tin. There isn’t a manual with this light, but it really doesn’t need one. I would like to see a certificate of authenticity or serial number card included, it’s pretty common in the custom knife and flashlight market.

Construction
Benjamin is an instamachineist and owns his own IT services company. His level of detail and tolerances in the parts are first rate. You can just tell that a lot of time and thought went into the design of the Synergy 1. For instance batteries don’t rattle even with the cap off because the tolerances are so tight. They just kind of glide into place. All the edges are nicely chamfered and more. All the aluminium parts are manufactured using a Fanuc RoboDrill in Benjamin’s garage in the USA.

My version here is a tumbled aluminium that’s been clear anodized. Tumbling is super consistent. Even the pocket clip is tumbled, which I like because it helps hide any scratches. The light also came with a small wring where you could attach a lanyard if you wanted.


The shape of this light is different and hard to describe without seeing it. It’s a side by side battery configuration and a little bigger then a bic lighter. The end profile of the light is almost a figure 8, with the outsides being a bit wider, than the middle. The top, has some machined jimping, almost like a picatinny rail, but much closer together and not as sharp but enough to lock in for grip. This top is a hexagon shape, with angular sides, corners are rounded over. This taller area is where the emitter is and it’s sticks out the most. The bottom area is rounded over and just has small flat on the bottom with a small area of jimping where your index finger naturally sits. When you hold it like this, your finger naturally fits over the single switch.




The rear is a separate piece, it has a single central thumb nut that keeps things together. It’s cut like a gear but with the teeth being shallow and having flats. This keeps the light together and the clip in place. The nut threads onto a small threaded brass shaft that keeps all 3 main body pieces of the light together.The tail cap itself has markings engraved on it to “Reload” and “Make Ready” to loosen, and tighten the tail cap. The edges here are machined and nicely rounded over allowing you to get a good grip and pull the cap onto the light, and tighten the nut with the other hand.



This is an older or prototype body I believe because it doesn’t feature the positive and negative symbols on the body itself. This is a nice improvement and one that basically solves the problem of knowing which way to install the batteries. I think a keyed approach would also work well.

LED/Runtime
The light is using a Nichia 219C high CRI LED, in a fairly warm tint. It’s using a double anti reflective coated lens, underneath is a small short reflector that has a mild orange peel.

The beam pattern is nice for EDC in my opinion, it’s similar to a TIR style optic but with a hotter center, and dimmer spill. For me this is great for EDC, it’s enough light to see a bit of distance but also wide enough to see around you too. For me I tend to use this type of light under desks at work, looking in the mailbox, quick walks with a dog, etc

The Synergy 1 has very recently received an updated driver that improves the UI and outputs. The new Nichia driver has the following outputs at 30 second intervals: Low 1.4 lumens, Medium 25 lumens, High 125 lumens.

High Runtime
For my runtime tests I used 2x Amazonbasics NiMH rechargeable batteries. High was a very consistent output for 55 minutes before a rapid decline the last 5 minutes. Total runtime was 61 minutes before the light turned off. This was pretty respectable for a light outputting 125 lumens.

Medium Runtime
Medium was more of what I would expect to see from an NiMH typical S discharge curve. Total runtime was about 525 minutes or 8.5 hours. Most of this was at about 65% relative output, decreases were small and smooth.

Low Runtime
Low is only 1.4 lumens so it lasted a very long time. It’s the longest runtime I have actually tested with Ceiling Bounce. Just shy of 3000 minutes, or 50 hours. The graph has one spike that I have to think is an error. The last 500 minutes or so did see a step down before the light decreased.

UI
UI is very simple on this light, Low, Medium, and High in that order. One thing I have noticed with the updated driver is that on low, I sometimes get a very brief flash when I first turn the light on. I think this is because

How does it carry
The Synergy 1’s design is well thought out. I carry it in a right small jeans coin pocket and tend to hold it in my left hand in kind of a pistol type grip. My Index finger perfectly aligns with the milled jimping on the bottom and my thumb fits nicely on the jimping on top. This leaves my pointer finger easy to access the button to function the light.



In the small coin pocket it fits nicely, but you do notice the thickness a bit. I usually have a knife in my right front pocket, and a few other random things deeper down. Ever since surgery my phone lives in my left pocket and when carrying this light I prefer it that way. If I put my phone in the right pocket the chance to scrape or scratch the screen as I draw my phone increases which I don’t care for. Other then that it carries nicely here. For me it’s comfortable to sit in an office chair with the light in this pocket and my seatbelt doesn’t interfere in the the car. I have carried it a little in the left front pocket and don’t care for it as well there due to it being a tad wide to share the space with my phone.

*Pro’s *

  • Made in the USA with fantastic machining and tolerances. I would love to see a Made in USA (Or Flag) somewhere on it, maybe inside the tail screw recessed area.
  • While my version is clear anodized I have heard only fantastic things about the colors being offered. If I end up getting one it will definitely have some color.
  • I like how upgrades are available such as anodizing and a titanium pocket clip.

Con’s

  • The switch is mechanical, it takes a good amount of force to use and is loud. I also seem to get a brighter flash before getting low sometimes.
  • Battery polarity markings, My older body doesn’t have the + and – markings that newer lights have, this would help making sure you have the orientation correct. A keyed approach would also be a good solution here.

Conclusion
The Frelux Synergy 1 is a fun little custom EDC light from a maker who wasn’t into the flashlight scene like many of us are. A ton of thought has gone into the ergonomics to make a unique light that feels good in the hand and pocket, while being very functional at the same time. The fit, finish and machining quality are all top notch and easily beats production lights. Version 2 of the driver only improves this light, by offering more output and a revised UI that while very simple is more enthusiast friendly, by being linear and having a true moonlight mode.

If you don’t follow Frelux on Instagram I would strongly encourage you to do so. Benjamin does a great job of posting nearly every day showing what he is working on, new products, build progress, and pre sale notification. This light is being built in batches and so far it’s been super popular, so if you want one you may have to watch closely so that you can get in when a batch drops.

Frelux has recently launched a second flashlight product the FML takes some of the Synergy 1 ideas but instead of being an EDC it’s a worklight with a magnetic base, and the light being on a flexible arm, and scaled up to run on 1X AA for an increase in runtime.

Frelux is definitely a brand to keep an eye on. His designs and ideas in the flashlight game are only getting better. I wouldn’t be surprised to see if Frelux becomes the next Grimsmo type company, growing from a garage to a shop to hiring more than one employee, and upgrading machines to produce more new designs all while documenting and sharing the process on social media. Definitely keep an eye on this company and pick up one of his designs if you into custom lights.

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Acebeam H30 Headlight Review (4000 Lumens, USB-C, 21700,XHP 70.2, Red, Green)

The headlamp lumen arms race takes another step with the newest release from Acebeam the H30 Headlamp. The previous brightest headlamp I had had has been the Thrunite TH30 at 3300 lumens. The Acebeam H30 is 4000 lumens, contains a 21700 battery, and has USB-C charging and can act as a power bank. Thanks to Acebeam for sending this to me to take a look at.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/qikUjn8
YouTube Version of this Review: 

Packaging & Accessories
The packaging is a compact full color retail box. The front advertises the big lumen number, USB-C and the 21700 battery. The back gives lots of stats. Inside The light came in a plastic bag on one side with the 21700 preinstalled. On the other side were the other accessories such as the headband, spare orings, and a USB A to USB-C cable that also has a place to plug a cable to charge your phone along with a warranty card, instruction manual, and certificate of authenticity. I do wish it came with an adapter tube like some other 21700 battery lights I have, so you can run an 18650 assuming the springs are long enough.








Construction
The light itself is made from aircraft grade aluminum and is hard anodized in a satin black. Starting at the left end cap, this is the one that gives access to the Acebeam branded 21700 button top battery. It’s got markings indicating it’s where the battery is and which way to twist for open and close. The knurling on the outside of the cap is more for looks then grip. Each end is spring loaded. The cap end has a large stiff spring. Threads were well greased, anodized, and square cut. The bore for the battery is not perfectly centered in the body of the light, with a bit more mass being on the emitter side. This is similar to how the Jetbeam HR30 that I reviewed this year was. The right side cap is similar in appearance however this is where the USB-C charging port lives and the cap is notated as such, again with directions. You must fully remove the cap to access the charging port. There is a little pin in the center under the clear plastic cover which must be for grounding? When the light is charging a red LED comes on. When being used as a powerbank you get a blue LED.






The central body is where the business is. On top are the two UI buttons, an orange square that is an on/off mostly, and a black domed circle. The back of the light has some shallow ribs for cooling. The front has the main emitter in the middle, It’s a big XHP 70.2 emitter in what’s a fairly shallow orange peel reflector. The front glass is just 19mm in diameter. Above and to the left and right of the main emitter are the colored emitters. On the left is red, and on the right is green. These are behind frosted plastic lenses. The front aluminum piece is held on with 3 recessed hex screws.




It may seem like a simple thing but I like that the headband on the H30 came pre assembled and ready to use right out of the box. On the outside band Acebeam is written in several places, it does contain a over the head strap too. On the inside of the band there are silicone strips all the way around to help keep the light in place on a helmet or something like that. It’s a nice step over not including any or a partial. The holder for the light itself is made of a silicone rubber. It has too large hoops that go over each end of the light when the caps are off. This is a pretty tight fit and not the easiest to take on or off, but holds firm for rotation. Pretty nice headband.




Size/Weight/Physical Comparisons
Overall length is 89.5mm, at it’s narrowest on the end caps are 29mm, and the widest at the center tube at 39mm. Weight with strap, and battery came in at 182g which makes is on the heavy side. This weight is noticeable but carries fairly well with the top head strap adjusted.

LED/Runtime
For the main emitter the Acebeam H30 uses a Cree XHP 70.2 LED in cool white at 6500k. It sits behind a piece of anti reflective coated glass, and a shallow orange peel reflector. The beam pattern is similar to other XHP 70.2 but without the donut at short ranges. It does have some Cree rainbow on the corona of the hotspot, it goes a bit warmer. As you keep going further out into the spill it cools off. It looks like a few other LED options may be coming, like a 5000k main emitter, and a Nichia UV emitter, or Nichia 219C for High CRI for the secondaries.


White is available in the following lumen spacing. 3 lumens, 120 lumens, 380 lumen, 1100 lumen. Turbo is good for 2200 lumens for 5.5 minutes then it drops down to 1000 lumens for about 2.4 hours. The light also has Turbo Max which has 4000 lumens for 1.5 minutes then drops to 1000 lumens for 2.5 hours.

White runtime had a total of 150 minutes from turbo max down to low voltage protection kick in. I saw a little more length in runtime for Turbo max, about 2.5 minutes before it decreased. The decrease is quite substantial. Down to about 25% relative output from those 4000 lumens, so about 1000 lumens. Still a ton of light for a headlamp. The light as able to maintain that 1000 lumens for the remainder of the 147 minutes. That
is a long runtime for 1000 lumens. The 21700 5100mAh battery shows it’s advantage here over an 18650. Heat was pretty well controlled. The light gets on the upper end of warmish but never uncomfortably hot when on the head.

The Red Emitter is a Cree XPE2-R2 emitter at 630nm. Red has only one mode at 50 lumens but is diffused very well. It’s runtime is 10 hours. It has no hotspot. I would prefer a dimmer red mode for up close map reading because 50 lumens is fairly bright.

Green Emitter is a Cree XPE2-G3 emitter at 530nm. It’s rated at 70 lumens for a runtime of 11h. It’s diffused very well and has no hotspot.

UI
The H30 has 2 buttons on the top a circle and a square next to each other for UI control The Square is flat, and the circle is domed a bit. Depending on what color mode you are in the buttons do slightly different things. For normal white operating modes, the orange square is On/Off. When the light is it comes on in the last previously used mode. Use the circle to go up in mode up to Turbo (Not Turbo Max). Double click the square to go to Turbo Max (Full 4000 lumens). Triple click to go into the Red SOS mode. When in any mode long pressing on the circle (about 1.5 seconds) will go into the color modes. A short press of the round button will switch color modes (Red to Green, Green to Red), and a long press of the circle will move back to white mode at low output.
Moonlight mode is also available if you hold the square for about 1 second when the light is off. Overall the UI takes a little getting used to. I think 2 buttons make sense.

Recharging And Powerbank
*Recharging: *This light has a USB-C port under the right side cap. You must completely remove the tailcap to access the port. Maximum charging rate I saw while charging from an empty battery was an even 2A. This is great to see and speed the charging process up but it still took 3 hours and 23 minutes to charge the battery to completely full. While charging there is a red LED in the center of the light that goes solid when completely recharged. The included Acebeam branded battery is a button top but flat top cells work too, for all functions of the light. Standard USB A to USB-C cables work or the cable that’s included.

What was odd and I am seeing on more and more USB-C flashlights are that they seem to have a problem charging with USB-C to USB-C cables/power sources. The H30 is no different. I tried charging it using an Anker USB-C to USB-C cable and a couple of different charger I have that support USB-C and none work. If I used a USB-A to USB-C charger it works without an issue.

*Powerbank: *This light can also be used as a powerbank. Included was a special USB-C cable that has a female USB A port on it to allow you to plug in another cable (Not included) to charge your phone or other device. I was able to pull 2.5A from a full battery for a while, but the light is happier pulling 2A for a longer time. When using as a powerbank you get a Blue LED under the plastic cover showing which way the power is flowing.

Pro

  • Preassembled headband with silicone all the way around.
  • Pretty good heat control for such a bright light
  • Really long runtime for 1000 lumens 147 minutes)
  • Ok beam profile for an XHP 70.2, Great beam profiles for Red and Green
  • Good charge/discharge speed.

Con

  • On the heavy side – the top band helps when on the head.
  • I would like an additional lower power red mode for map reading.
  • USB-C to USB-C charging doesn’t work.

Conclusion
Acebeam has built a flagship headlamp with the H30 that ticks a lot of boxes. The XHP 70.2 isn’t my favorite emitter due to the Cree Rainbow and beam pattern but if your not super picky I think you won’t mind. They have made a light that can sustain 1000 lumens for a substantial amount of time and burst up to 4000 lumens for short duration. The penalty you pay for this is weight. At 182 grams it’s on the heavy side but I got used to it, especially after adjusting the top head strap. I am glad USB-C is becoming more common on lights, and the extra powerbank feature here is a nice bonus. I think the Acebeam H30 is best for someone who needs a high output headlamp for a long amount of time, it certainly has significantly better runtime then some of it’s 18650 based counterparts.