Category: Review

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Thrunite TH30 Headlamp (3350 Lumens, XHP 70.2 LED)

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.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/zuZo4rz
YouTube Version of this Review:

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.

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Convoy C8+ in Sand (Best Budget Thrower for the $?)

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.

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

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.

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Olight M1T Raider (500 Lumen, Tactical EDC CR123A)

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.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/dqsO18H
YouTube Version of this Review:

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.

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Nitecore NU25 (Lightweight Headlamp, High CRI, USB Rechargeable, Red LED)

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.

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

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.

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JetBeam WL-20 (Tri-Color rotating head Hunting Light)

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.

Full Image Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/6Z11Bit
YouTube Version of this Review:

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.

Learn more at the official WL20 website http://www.jetbeamlight.com/products_show289.html and it can be found on Amazon as well https://amzn.to/2zFCLq4

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Thrunite 2C V3 Review (1100 Lumens, Ramping UI, Short + Long tube)

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.

Full Image Gallery for this Review: https://imgur.com/a/zwNCRhe

YouTube Version of this Review:

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.
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 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.

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 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/

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Litesam ED08 Review (14500, EDC)

Litesam is a newer brand operated by the same people who run FiTorch. It’s a single emitter AA/14500 sized light designed with everyday carry in mind. Thanks to Litesam for sending it to me. Due to some recent wrist surgery I am going to try and keep this shorter since typing and editing with a splint/cast isn’t the most fun thing to do right now. So if you see fewer reviews and videos from me over the next 8 weeks this is why.

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging is a small cardboard box with a slip on cover where all the details are located. It was a very tight fit and a little difficult to open without ripping it open. Inside the light was contained in a clear plastic tray with the light, holster, lanyard, and extra oring, and extra tail button. The battery was preinstalled but needed to have a plastic disk removed before it was operational.

The light is made from black anodized aluminum. Its fairly light weight in at 55g with the included battery and clip. Length comes in at 101mm and diameter at 18.25mm and compared to a few other 14500 lights I have the ED08 is slightly longer then my Reylight Ti-Lan V3, and quite a bit longer then my Olight S1A. However of the 3, the ED08’s diameter is the smallest. The knurling is a diamond shaped with the flats having additional texture and a few milled areas. Shape wise it’s fairly generic and is just about as thin as possible for as possible. Threads were standard but dry.

The tail has 2 large lanyard holes that also serve the purpose of protecting the button. The light will tail stand but its not the most stable doing so.The button is a loud clicky mechanical style that takes a decent effort to push. I didn’t have any trouble with it coming on accidently in my pocket. The lens is smooth and LED is well centered.

LED, UI, Runtimes

This light uses a Cree XP-L in Cool white. It’s one of the most cold tint’s I have seen in a light this year or longer. The beam pattern is good for EDC tasks, it’s got a hot center and projects decently well. It’s flood is functional.

Included battery is a Litesam branded, button top, protected 14500 rated at 750mAh. It’s overall length is 52.13mm. I had no issues with it

Runtime on 14500

On the supplied 14500 total runtime from 100% output to 0 relative output was about 110 minutes. Most of the time was below 50% relative output. high lasted about 2-3 minutes before the big step down occurred. Medium is where this light stayed for most of its curve.

Advertised brightness’s are high at 700 lumens, 100 lumens on medium, 30 lumens on low. 700 lumens for both Strobe and SOS.

Runtime on Eneloop resulted in less overall output but more of that higher output for longer. It was able to keep over 90% relative output for about 50 minutes before a large decrease over the next 20 minutes. Overall runtime was 105 minutes.

Parasitic Drain was measured at 0.23mA.

 

UI

The UI of this light is one area that could be improved a lot in my opinion. It goes from High, Medium, Low, Strobe and then SOS. For EDC I prefer a light to start in its lowest mode giving the user the option to bump up if needed and retain night vision. I also really don’t like having to cycle through Strobe and SOS as part of the main mode group. These would be much better under a sub mode, requiring a double or triple click to get there.

 

Pocket Clip

In the pocket this is decent. The clip is built for thin pockets, jeans or any canvas type material will have a hard time fitting to the top of the clip and thus not as deep as possible. Personally I prefer as deep as carry as possible and this one could be deeper. Other then that I had no issues during carry or retention.

Pro’s

  • I like that it includes a decent 14500 cell in the package with the light for the low price.

  • Thin profile with good knurling

  • Good Beam profile for an EDC light

Con’s

  • Has Strobe and Beacon in main modes, these would be better as a shortcut or a secondary mode on an EDC light.

  • Very cool tint

  • Pocket clip could be deeper and designed to fit thicker pants.

Conclusion

At time of writing this light can be found in the US for less then $25 on Amazon (Affiliate Link). Given that it comes with a 14500 battery I find this is a pretty good value for this size of light if you don’t mind cool white. I don’t have the equipment to get an accurate lumen reading but when comparing it to other AA lights I feel like the rating of 700lm may be a little optimistic. I personally don’t care for the light having Strobe and SOS in it’s main mode group and the fact that it starts in high, with memory on all modes. Hopefully Lightsam offers a revised UI in the future that takes the special modes out of the main group as it would make the light a more attractive EDC option.