Tag: thrunite flashlight

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Thrunite Catapult Mini V2 Review (1100 Lumens, 515 Meters of throw, 18350)

Today I’m taking a look at the new Thrunite Catapult Mini V2. Now if you have watched my channel for a while you will know I really liked the original Catapult Mini and it’s probably my go to small thrower flashlight so I was excited when Thrunite said they had an updated model coming out. It’s using an SFT40 LED that’s brighter than the original light and a different optic setup, so lets see if it’s an improvement or not. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me to look at and review.

 

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Get the Thrunite Catapult Mini V2 at Amazon with the links below.

Desert Tan https://amzn.to/3oD2ee6 use code LXDG4Y7L to save 15%

Black https://amzn.to/3N1xbln Click the coupon on the page to save 15%

 

Packaging & Accessories

Standard Thrunite packaging here, the signature brown cardboard box with just the logo on the front and the line drawing on the side, opposite that is the indicator for the body color and LED tint. Inside the light is nicely protected with black foam. Accessories are the light itself, USB-A to C Charging cable, proprietary 18350 1100mAh battery, and a bag of extra o’rings, button, recharging port, and branded lanyard.

 

Construction & Design

V2 shares some similar design characteristics with V1 in roughly the same shapes but with a little different style. The light is made from 6061 aluminum and is available in two colors currently, a standard black and a Desert Tan that I have here. The V2 is slightly longer by about 4.5mm in length. The V2 to me feels more like most of the recent Thrunite Designs with a lanyard attachment point on the flat tail, allowing the light to tail stand. The grip on the body is a combination of very fine-milled lines, and then 5 milled flats around the side. The head has the standard Thrunite flat metal button with an LED Battery indicator in the middle and a standard USB Port cover opposite that. That head grows in size with a cone and a more traditional flat screw-off bezel that’s not glued in place. The V2 is using a traditional smooth deep reflector where as the V1 used a TIR-style optic and this has a pretty big difference in the beam pattern as we will see later. 

 

Retention

Retention options here are limited, as the light doesn’t have a clip, nor comes with a holster. It does come with a lanyard that attaches to the tail if you wish. The light does tailstand but that’s less useful with a thrower like this in my opinion. I do like the size of the light in my hand, and find it pretty comfortable to use. The tail is nonmagnetic.

 

Size & Weight

I measured the length at 85.81mm, the diameter of the head at 40.4mm, diameter of the body at 26mm. Weight with the battery installed came to 4.06oz. The light is drop rated to 1.5M, and waterproof to 2M (IPX8). Here is a photo comparing it to the Catapult Mini V1 and the Lumintop GT Nano all small form factor throwers. 

 

LED & Beam

The Catapult Mini V2 is using a SFT40 LED that I measured on my Opple meter at 5835k and 65 CRI, so more on the cool white spectrum and low CRI. DUV had no undesirable tints to it. This LED is combined with a traditional smooth reflector where as the V1 used a unique TIR style optic. The result is the beam patterns are quite different. Where the V1 was all throw, and basically no spill, the V2 has a very bright hot center (with a bit of a donut at closer ranges), and a bit of spill. This makes the V2 somewhat better as more of a general-purpose light rather than only a thrower. 

 

V2

 

V1

 

Outputs

Outputs here on the Catapult Mini V2 were generally higher then claimed when measured on my TexasAce lumen tube at the 30 second mark. This isn’t something I mind at all, a nice little benefit.

One other thing to note here on outputs is the candela rating or throw, the V1 was rated at 89,600 candela and 598 meters of throw. The V2 is rated at 66,150 candela and 515 meters of throw, so slightly less throw than the outgoing model, but you are giving that up for a bit more spill to make the light a little more useful as well as a brighter output in all modes.

 

Heat & Runtime

I will let the graphs do the majority of the talking here on this section. Turbo runtime lasts 90 seconds in my testing, stepping down to 400 lumens. This corresponds to the thermals that I measured on the outside of the light at 34C. It was able to run at this level for 1:20:00, with peak heat increasing to about 39C on the outside of the light. Skipping turbo and just going with high nets you another 6 minutes of total runtime, and running on just medium gives you 3:30:00 of total runtime.

 

User Interface

The Catapult Mini V2 is using Thrunight’s standard UI that they use with basically all of their lights. It has 3 modes during normal operations and shortcuts to Firefly and Turbo. To get to Firefly from off, just long press for about 1 second. For Turbo double press in any mode, and for strobe triple press. For the main modes once on just long press to cycle between them. The light does have memory and will remember only the main modes. There are 2 lockout methods with the light, first is electronic lockout which you can do by long pressing the button for 4 seconds when off, and the same to unlock it. The LED will breathe fading in and out when it’s locked out with this method. Or my personal favorite is just to mechanically lock it out by slightly unscrewing the body from the head to break contact. 

 

Recharging & Power

The Catapult Mini V2 comes with a Thrunite branded semi-proprietary 1100mAh 18350 battery. I tested this battery at 1181mAh in my Vapcell S4 Plus charger. What makes the battery proprietary is the plastic ring around the positive contact on the battery and the fact that there is both positive and negative contacts on the positive end. However, the Catapult Mini V2 only uses positive contact meaning a button top 18350 that’s long enough works here too.

Using the onboard USB-C charging port I was able to charge the light from LVP at 2.903V to full at 4.191V in 3 hours 3 minutes. Now this is a pretty slow charging speed of about 0.5A and only about 1/2C. So it’s super conservative given the battery capacity. I had no issues here charging with a USB-C PD charger either. 

 

Conclusion

I think it’s debatable if the Catapult Mini V2 is really an upgrade here, while it is brighter, and the beam is more useful as a general-purpose flashlight, it’s slightly not as good as the original at being a thrower, which was what is so impressive about the original. That said the V2 is more useful daily because of the spill and the throw is nearly as far. The SFT40 has a slightly cool white tint with no negative tints which is nice to see. 

 

I do like the design of the V2 light slightly better with the improved grip and lanyard attachment points. The rest is pretty similar and unchanged. While I am a little disappointed a proprietary battery shipped with the light, i’m glad it’s not required to function and that normal small button, button top works here or a standard battery with a magnet if needed.

I can definitely recommend picking up a Catapult mini, now which version I think comes down to how you plan to use it, and the V2 for me probably gets the slight edge over V1 just because it is more useful in more scenarios with the increase in spill. That said let me know what you guys think is the better light to go with and why in the comments below. If I have any discounts those will be in the description of the video along with links to my socials. 

 

Get the Thrunite Catapult Mini V2 at Amazon with the links below.

Desert Tan https://amzn.to/3oD2ee6 use code LXDG4Y7L to save 15%

Black https://amzn.to/3N1xbln Click the coupon on the page to save 15%

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Thrunite – TC20 Pro Review (3294 Lumens, 350 meters throw, USB-C, 20%)

Today I am looking at the Thrunite TC20 Pro. This is an updated version of the TC20 V2 that I looked at in the past, and the main difference is that the Pro is using a Cree XHP 70 HI LED and smooth reflector. As a part of this review, I will be comparing it to the Fenix PD36R Pro during my night shots section later on. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me to look at and offer an unbias review. Any discounts or deals I have for the TC20 Pro will be in the description below along with links to my social media accounts that I encourage you to go and follow. 

 

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Get the Thrunite TC20 Pro at https://amzn.to/3mU8U6g amd save 20% using code 47C8HFMW through midnight PDT 3/26/23

 

Packaging & Accessories

Standard Thrunite brown cardboard box here with the elastic band, I would call it functional minimalism. Inside is the entire kit with almost everything you need to maintain and use the light for years. You get the light itself, a 5000mAh 26650 Thrunite battery, nylon holster, USB-A to C charging cable, lanyard, a bag of extras including o’rings, button seal, USB port cover, and split ring, a manual, and warranty card.

 

Construction

Visually and construction-wise, the TC20 Pro is pretty much identical to the TC20 V2, with the main differences being the LED and Lens combination. The light is made from Aluminum and hard anodized black. Build quality is always good from Thrunite and this is no exception. The tail cap provides a flat surface that allows for tail standing and has a lanyard hole. The cap is removable and non-magnetic. Inside there is a stout spring on the tail end only.

The body tube has milled blocks in an almost frag pattern for grip. The corners are well-chamfered though so it’s not too aggressive. Square threads on both ends are anodized, smooth, and nonreversible.

The head features the standard Thrunite electronic switch with a metal button on top, and a small battery indicator LED in the middle. Directly opposite the button is the USB-C charging port that’s covered via a silicone rubber flap. It’s decent fitting and does stay out of the way. The light has moderate milling at the top for heat dissipation and weight reduction. The bezel is flat. The lens is AR coated and the reflector is smooth.

 

UI

UI here is Thrunite’s standard. Single press to turn on, long press once on to cycle up between the 3 main modes, double press to go to Turbo, triple press to go to strobe. It’s a very simple interface, and it’s easy to use which is nice but also limiting. A fast ramping interface would work pretty well here too given the limited number of modes and wide range of outputs it must cover. 

 

Retention

Retention options include the included nylon holster. It has elastic sides, plastic dring, and a fixed belt loop. It gets the job done but is just of average quality. The light also comes with a branded lanyard and split ring that can be attached to the tail if you wish.

 

Size & Weight

I measured the length at 118.1mm, the diameter of the body tube at 32.6mm, diameter of the head at 42mm. The weight of the TC20 Pro with the battery is 242.5g. The light is IP68 water-rated to 2 meters. Here are some comparisons with other flashlights, including the Fenix PD36R Pro I will be comparing it to in the night shots coming up soon.

LED & Beam

The TC20 Pro is using a Cree XHP 70 HI LED in cool white. On my Opple meter measured the tint at 6092k and 69 CRI. DUV is fairly neutral with no major tint shifts. When I compare it to my TC20 V2, it has much less tint shift and much less yellow/green, especially at lower outputs. The beam on the TC20 Pro is more spotty and throws a bit further and that makes sense with the smooth emitter and dedomed LED. When I compare it to the Fexnix PD36R Pro the hot spot is of a similar size but has a smoother transition into the spill where as the Fenix is much more pronounced. I would say the tint of the Fenix is more green, especially at lower outputs. There is a small amount of very fast PWM on all modes of the TC20 Pro.

 

Outputs

Heat & Runtime

The light is able to sustain it’s 3500+ lumens for 3:30 before stepping down to around 1800 lumens where it will run for 32 minutes, before stepping down to about 1600 lumens to finish out the remainder of it’s 1:00:00 runtime. Peak heat during this time was about 59C. Running on medium nets an impressive 9:30:00.

Where this light really shines in my opinion is the amount of time it can sustain well over 1000 lumens. This light maintains over 1400 lumens for 1:40:00. I frequently get asked what light can I buy that will stay over 1000 or 2000 lumens for an hour, well here is a good option for you if that’s what you’re looking for. In comparison to the TC20 V2 the Pro here doesn’t have quite a long of runtime but that’s to be expected with this different LED and more overall output.

 

Recharging

The TC20 Pro has onboard USB-C charging that’s protected by a silicone rubber port cover. I charged the light charged the light from LVP to full at 4.17v in 3:17:00. You are able to use the light during charging but only in low and medium modes. It charges via USB-C to C or PD without an issue. While the included battery is officially rated at 5000mAh, I tested mine with my Vapcell S4 Plus at 5437mAh.  

 

Conclusion

The Thruntie TC20 Pro is a worthwhile upgrade to the V2. It takes what was a moderately floody light and increases its ability to throw, while still maintaining the size and form factor we know. The tint here is better on the Pro, and over it’s competitors in my opinion, and I prefer the beam tint and shape on the Pro. You do take some small decreases in overall runtime though due to that higher comparison. 

Compared to the Fenix PD36R Pro, the TC20 Pro is less tactical with it’s UI and a bit more general purpose in my opinion. It’s also generally a better value and a light I can recommend over either the TC20 V2, or the PD36R Pro dollar for dollar in my opinion. 

 

Get the Thrunite TC20 Pro at https://amzn.to/3mU8U6g amd save 20% using code 47C8HFMW through midnight PDT 3/26/23

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Thrunite Catapult Pro Review (2713 Lumens, 1005 Meters Throw)

Today I have the latest and greatest version of the Thrunite Catapult Pro. This is a long-distance handheld thrower flashlight. It uses an SFT70 LED, which results in an improved throw of over 300 meters out to 1005 meters, and a 132,500 candela improvement. On throwers, it’s that candela number that you are looking for not lumens. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me. 

 

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Buy the Catapult Pro from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3SQkURn

Buy the Catapult Pro from Thrunite at https://thrunite.com/catapult-pro/#tab-description

 

LED & Beamshots

The Catapult Pro is using a Luminis SFT70 LED, this is a flat top LED and well known for its throwing capabilities. On my Opple meter, I measured about 6000k when in low, and it gets slightly cooler up to 6100k when in infinity high mode. CRI (Ra) measured at 68. The DUV showed it was just slightly green in person this is hard to notice. There is very fast PWM when using the infinity UI as you would expect, but high and turbo are free of it. 

As you show from the night shots section the beam is what you expect out of throw, a very small, very intense hot spot, this has a small spill around it that’s about half as bright, and then the wider spill is very minimal. Compared with older versions the beam here is more intense and has a tighter more defined spot. This is reflected in the greater distance and improvement of 132,400 candela. 

 

Output Testing

Turbo – 2450 out of Rated 2713 = 90%

Infinity High – 1620 out of Rated 1482 = 102%

Infinity Low – 50 out of Rated 42 = 119%

 

Heat and Runtime

Quickly let’s go through the heat and runtime here of the Catapult Pro. The light is able to sustain 1500 lumens or more for 9 minutes and it reaches 48C during this. The first minute and a half are good for at least another 1000-1500 lumens. In high mode the lights able to sustain the 1500 lumens for an impressive 14 minutes. Total runtime in Turbo and High are right at 1:50:00. I also tested by ramping to 1000 lumens and seeing how long it could hold this and that got me out to 2:17:00.

 

Packaging & Included Accessories

The packaging is the same as Thrunite’s standard brown cardboard box, with line drawings on the outside, and minimal info. Inside the light is well protected with foam. The accessories are the light itself, with a preinstalled 5000mAh 26650 protected battery, USB-A to C charging cable, nylon holster, branded lanyard, split ring, 2 spare O-rings, spare port cover, inner button material, and the manual. 

 

Construction & Design

The Catapult Pro is a step away from the design we have known on the Catapult V6 and V6 SST70 versions. While the tail sections are the same, the body tube is where the difference shows. Gone are the milled diamond grip pattern which was one of my favorite things, and they have been replaced with more traditional rectangle milling that Thrunite uses on other lights like the TN series. Here the blocks are a little larger and deeper, it makes for an aggressive grip on the black anodized aluminum. Interestingly all 3 versions of the Catapult have interchangeable heads and bodies, and they all work with each other. Anodizing here is good quality and matches very well with other black Thrunite flashlights I have. 

The light only separates at the top of the body tube right before the switch. Inside there is a beefy double spring in the tail and threads at the top are square cut, and nicely greased. The button is the same one that Thrunite uses on most of their models. It’s low profile and is a decent click for an electronic switch. Reverse the switch is the USB-C recharging port, with a good silicone cover that stays in place nicely.

The head design is similar to the TN42 V2 that I reviewed last year, where it’s a smooth cone on the exterior, silver bezel, large glass lens, smooth reflector, and a nicely centered LED.

 

Size, Weight, and Retention

With each revision of the Catapult, they seem to grow a little in size, and that’s no different here with the Catapult Pro. Length is 5.92” (150.5mm) long, 1.3” (33.5mm) in diameter at the body and 2.55” (65mm) at the head. Weight with the battery installed is 10.89oz or 308.6g. Weight increases only slightly 0.19oz over the outgoing Catapult V6 SST70 version. 

Retention options are the same as previous models, there is a place for the lanyard attachment at the rear with or without the use of a split ring using the branded lanyard. Your other option is by use of the nylon holster. This holster has a very minimal amount of padding inside, it features a fixed belt loop and plastic Dring. 

 

UI

The Catapult Pro has a change in UI, from Thrunites normal stepped modes to a ramping interface we have seen on a few other Thrunite lights. I don’t mind this because it allows for the user to dial in exactly how bright they need the light and optimize battery life. However here it’s just a touch slower than I would prefer. 

The ramping interface works logically and has memory mode. It’s infinity ramping, so if you press the button and hold it the light will ramp up, flash twice at the top of normal brightness, and then start ramping down, where it will then flash twice and start ramping up again. Long press from off to get to firefly, Double Press in any mode to get to Turbo, and triple press from any mode to get to strobe. One interesting note here about strobe is that it doesn’t produce anywhere near peak output. It’s only rated to 776 lumens whereas the light is capable of producing 2700 lumens in Turbo.

 

Recharging

Recharging here is accomplished with the onboard USB-C. The port cover here is good, it stays in place easily. I had no issues charging the ligh with USB-C to C or with chargers capable of PD. I tested the included 5000mAh Thrunite button top protected battery at 5543mAh. From LVP at 3.159v to full at 4.156v in 3:20:00 with a maximum charge rate of just under 2A for about 70% of the charging time. Let me know how you like the graph here, I got some new equipment that gives a more detailed output. 

 

Final Thoughts

I have been a fan of previous versions of the Catapult and the new Catapult Pro earns that spot and recommendation too. It’s a pretty big upgrade in performance over the previous version. It’s a significantly more focused, intense beam, and the result is 300 meters more throw than the previous version. 

The UI here will be a hit-and-miss thing for you depending on if you like ramping UIs. For me it’s a touch on the slow side but good. It would be nice if they would allow you to switch between a Ramping and Stepped UI, but that’s not a thing here. I do wish they would have kept the diamond milling on the body, while the rectangles on the Pro here are more aggressive they just look like most other Thrunite models, and the diamonds of the previous Catapults I thought elevated the look of the light and made them stand out. Fear not, the body tubes are interchangeable if you have previous models and want to make a switch you can.

This is the biggest upgrade Thrunight has done to the Catapult line, not only visually but also for performance. If  you want a handheld thrower that uses a single larger battery this one won’t disappoint especially with its fairly long duration on higher outputs. 

 

Buy the Catapult Pro from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3SQkURn

Buy the Catapult Pro from Thrunite at https://thrunite.com/catapult-pro/#tab-description

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Thrunite TC20 V2 Review (4000 Lumens, XHP 70.2, USB-C)

Today I am taking at the Thrunite TC20 V2. It’s not the newest model but it’s still recent and an update on the Thrunite TC20 V1. It’s running a Cree XHP70.2 LED, a 26650 battery, and has onboard USB-C charging. If you want a light that can sustain 2000 lumens for more than an hour, listen up. Thanks to Thrunite for “accidentally” sending this to me ?.

 

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Get the TC20 V2 in CW at https://amzn.to/3JgfX0p

Get the TC20 V2 in NW at https://amzn.to/3oFSV9A

 

Packaging & Accessories

Standard Thrunite brown cardboard box here with the elastic band, I would call it functional minimalism. Inside is the entire kit with almost everything you need to maintain and use the light for years. You get the light itself, a 5000mAh 26650 Thrunite battery, nylon holster, USB-A to C charging cable, lanyard, a bag of extras including o’rings, button seal, USB port cover, and split ring, a manual and warranty card.

 

Construction & Design

The light is made from Aluminum and hard anodized black. Build quality is always good from Thrunite and this is no exception. The tail cap provides a flat surface that allows for tail standing and has a lanyard hole. The cap is removable and non-magnetic. Inside there is a stout spring on the tail end only.

The body tube has traded knurls for milled blocks in an almost frag pattern. The corners are well chamfered though so it’s not too aggressive. Square Threads on both ends are anodized, smooth, and nonreversible.

The head features the standard Thrunite electronic switch with a metal button on top, and a small battery indicator LED in the middle. Directly opposite the button is the USB-C charging port that’s covered via a silicone rubber flap. It’s decent fitting and does stay out of the way. The light has moderate milling at the top for heat dissipation and weight reduction. The bezel is flat. The lens is AR coated and the reflector has a moderate orange peel. Overall small but positive design changes from the original.


Retention

Retention options include the included nylon holster. It has elastic sides, plastic dring, and a fixed belt loop. It gets the job done but is just of average quality. The light also comes with a branded lanyard and split ring that can be attached at the tail if you wish.

 

Size & Weight

I measured the length at 118.1mm, the diameter of the body tube at 32.6mm, the diameter of the head at 42mm. The weight with the battery is 242.5g. The light is IP68 water rated.

 

LED & Beam

The TC20 V2 is running the Cree XHP70.2 LED that Thrunite says is capable of 4000 lumens. It’s available in Cool and Neutral white, and I have the cool white version here. On my Opple meter, I measured 5737 lumens, 66CRI. The tint didn’t have any green tinge to it and it seems to be a constant current driver. 

You would think this would be a pure floody light but it actually has a decent amount of throw to it at the hotspot that’s fairly tight.

Mode spacing here is less than ideal. I am very happy that it still has firefly at 0.5 lumens, but with 3 main modes to cover 0.5 to 1800 lumens, there are some pretty big jumps there between medium and high going from 350 to 1800. Another mode somewhere around 1000 lumens would be nice at least.

I will insert the output results I got from my lumen tube testing here. 

 

Heat & Runtime

The light is able to sustain it’s 3500+ lumens for 3:45 before stepping down to around 1600 lumens where it will run for 45 minutes, before stepping down to about 1400 lumens to finish out the remainder of it’s 1:45:00 runtime. Peak heat during this time was about 58C. Running on medium nets an impressive 11:15:00.

Where this light really shines in my opinion is the amount of time it can sustain well over 1000 lumens. This light maintains over 1400 lumens for over an hour. I frequently get asked what light can I buy that will stay over 1000 or 2000 lumens for an hour, well here is a good option for you if that’s what your looking for.

 

UI

UI here is Thrunite’s standard. Single press to turn on, long press once on to cycle up between the 3 main modes, double press to go to Turbo, triple press to go to strobe. It’s a very simple interface, and it’s easy to use which is nice but also limiting. A fast ramping interface would work pretty well here too given the limited number of modes and wide range of outputs it must cover. 

 

Recharging

The TC20 V2 has onboard USB-C charging that’s protected by a silicone rubber port cover. I charged the light charged the light from LVP to full at 4.15v in 3:48:00. The curve here wasn’t as clean as I am used to seeing but nothing that I was concerned about. You are able to use the light during charging but only in low and medium modes. It charges via USB-C to C or PD without an issue. While the included battery is officially rated at 5000mAh, I tested mine with my Vapcell S4 Plus at 5500mAh.  

 

Final Thoughts

The 26650 flashlight form factor seems to have kind of fallen out of popularity with the increasing availability of 21700 batteries having similar capacities, but I like the 26650 size in my hand personally from an ergonomic perspective.

One of the best features here in my opinion is probably how long this light can sustain 1500+ lumens before stepdown. That’s a feat that many high lumen output lights just can’t do due to heat and battery fatigue. This does that with ease. That said mode spacing here could be better to give you something between 1853 lumens and 320 which is the jump between high and medium.

This is going to be a good all-around use light, I think it would be a good option for something like camping or emergency prep as it’s good around, has quite a bit of life at higher lumen outputs and size isn’t as critical of a feature.

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Thrunite TN12 Pro (18650 EDC Thrower for under $50, 1900 Lumens)

Today I am looking at the Thrunite TN12 Pro, it’s a slim form factor 18650 light, optimized for a throw, and tactical applications, but can serve that EDC roll as well for those that prefer a tail cap switch and turbo shortcut. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me to review and show you guys.

 

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Packaging & Accessories

The packaging here is standard Thrunite, protective, nice but not over the top. Accessories that come with the light, is the 3400mAh button top protected 18650 battery, lanyard, orings, spare port cover, pocket clip, nylon holster, USB-A to C charging cable, and manual.

 

Design & Construction

The TN12 Pro is made of hard anodized 6061 Aluminium and features a mechanical switch in the rear with a textured button that is a shortcut to turbo. It has protective rings around it which feature a milled-out area for the lanyard. The pocket clip mounts at the rear. The body section has small, deeply milled lines that provide a significant amount of grip but shouldn’t rip things up. The head section is glued to the body. The head is similar to most other Thrunite designs with the same style silver button, with a voltage indicator LED in the middle with an antiroll ring around it. The bezel is not removable but does have rounded crenulations to allow light to leak out if placed face down. Inside the reflector is smooth and deep. The lens is AR coated. Inside the light has a fairly stout spring at the rear as well as the front. It’s a dual wall light to allow for the use of the front and rear buttons. 

A note on the name here, Thrunite has traditionally used the TN naming for lights that didn’t have onboard recharging and used TC for lights that had onboard charging. They through out history when choosing the name here as it’s a TN but does have onboard recharging. Labeling here is minimal just the brand and model number on the front, and directly opposite the required markings and serial numbers. Other brands should take note of how small and minimal this branding is. 

 

Retention

Retention options are several here, first, you have the branded lanyard that can attach at the tail if you wish. You also have the nylon holster the light comes with, it’s one that Thrunite uses with other lights this size, plastic Dring, sewed dring, elastic side, and soft interior. 

The last is the pocket clip which mounts at the rear of the light. It’s a dual direction clip so it can be clipped to a hat if you want. While this isn’t as deep of carry as I typically want on an EDC, you rarely get that on a tactical light, so the 0.85” that sits above the clip is ok. 

 

Size & Weight

I measured the length at 5.15”, minimum diameter at 0.94”, and maximum diameter at 1”. I measured the weight at 5.07oz with battery and clip. Thrunite rates the TN12 Pro as drop resistant to 1.5 meters and IPX-8 water rated.

The main competitor to the TN12 Pro is probably the Olight Warrior Mini 2. The Thrunite is larger in all dimensions as well as weight which came in 0.82oz heavier, without the magnetic tail cap properties of the Olight, although these are mainly for charging.

 

LED & Beam

The LED being used here is the Luminus SFT40 LED in cool white. I measured it with my Opple Meter at 6000k 65 CRI. It’s a flat top LED in a relatively small package. The resulting beam is a small hotspot and very minimal spill. The throw is this light’s main thing and it does that well out to a claimed 380 meters. Some people have complained about coil whine on high mode, but it’s not something I can personally hear here. There is PWM but it’s very fast. 

 

Output Measurements

Here is a chart for my measurements of outputs using my DIY Lumentube. Everything was pretty close except for Turbo I couldn’t quite get to the claimed 1900 lumens. 

 

Heat & Runtime

I will try to let the graphs do most of the talking in this section and point out a few high points. Turbo runtime was good for about 2 minutes, jumping from near 1800 lumens to 800, in what looks like a thermal regulation with temps reaching 56C. There is one more step down to 400 lumens gradually out to the 7-minute mark which is where Thrunite gets the 7-minute runtime number from.

Turbo and High modes had very similar output curves with the only difference is really where they start at. Medium mode ran out past 6 hours. In all modes, the light runs at the end in low/firefly for several hours. 

 

UI

UI is similar to Thrunite’s standard UI, but with direct access to only Turbo on the tail cap. The light has the normal Eswitch up front and mostly normal UI there. Long press from off to go to firefly, however long pressing again shuts it off instead of going to low. Once in low, you can press and hold to cycle between low, medium and high. To access turbo double press the front switch or just turn on the rear tail switch. To get to strobe triple-click the eswitch. There is memory mode, here when the eswitch is used for low, medium and high only. As a result of the construction here there is no mechanical lockout. 

 

I did notice one UI feature that I think maybe a bug. When in medium mode if you leave the light for a few seconds, hit the button again expecting to bump up to high mode, instead the light bumps down to low. 

 

Recharging

Recharging here is accomplished via USB-C port that is capable of charging via C to C and or PD. Max charge rate I saw was 1.7A without issue in a near-constant current charge mode till the end. The total charge time of the included 3500mAh 18650 from LVP at 2.93v was 2:46:00. Full charge was measured at 4.18v.

The port cover here is worth mentioning. Like many, it’s rubberized silicon that pushes in place. They have a little dovetail to help keep it in place, but I find it kind of hard to push in and keep in place when in use. I found if I push the cover in and then pull it to the front of the light, it’s easier to put it in the dovetail and keep it in place. 

 

Final Thoughts

I have mixed feelings on the TN12 Pro, it’s not radically different from other models, but it’s a pretty great value if you’re looking for a throwy 18650 with onboard USB-C charging, cool white, and instant-on Turbo via the tail cap. 

 

For me, this doesn’t meet my EDC needs, but this isn’t really where the design is focused, as I feel like it’s more on the tactical side of things with EDC being a second thought. I had a hard time putting the port cover in place and keeping it there, it’s like the silicone is just slightly too long.

Overall it’s a good value right now with the coupons that are being offered on Amazon for a complete kit light if this niche is what you’re looking for and I think you will be happy with it. However, this isn’t different enough that I would rush out and buy it if I had a previous version or a light that did something similar. 

Buy the Thrunite TN12 Pro at Amazon https://amzn.to/3HikEpp

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Thrunite Archer Mini Review (400 Lumens, SST20, USB-C, Value)

For today’s review let’s look at the new Thrunite Archer Mini, an AAA-sized light with a tail switch, sealed 10400 lithium ion battery, and integrated charging. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me to take a look at with you. 

 

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Packaging & Accessories

Here is the packaging it’s just a thin white box with a pull-out plastic tray. The only accessories that come with the light are the pocket clip, USB-A to C charging cable, and manual. The battery is preinstalled and sealed (nonreplaceable).

 

Construction and Design

This is a simple flashlight in terms of design. It looks like the head or tail might unscrew but they are sealed. The light is smooth with no knurling or grip, to be honest, I don’t miss it here. The eswitch in the tail does stand proud and this can cause some accidental activations in the pocket so you will want to use lockout.

The head of the light unscrews enough to expose the USB-C charging port and LED indicator light. It’s a captured design so it doesn’t screw off entirely. There is a retention ring that can be unscrewed on the front of the light to remove the TIR optic and expose the LED.

 

Retention & Carry

The light features a snap on dual direction pocket clip that fits only in the tail position. It carries in the pocket deeply. I will note that with the raised and exposed button, I had issues with this light coming on in my front pocket unintentionally fairly frequently if the light was not in lockout mode. The good news is lockout is easy to access by just holding the button while the light is on until it shuts off and blinks twice. There is also a lanyard in the package if you wish to use it.

 

Size & Weight

I measured the length of this light at 83mm, diameter at the minimum on the body at 14mm, and maximum diameter on the head at 17.2mm. Weight with the battery and clip came in at 35.9g just 1.26oz. The light is IPX8 water-rated and drop rated to 1.5M. 

 

LED & Beam

The Archer mini is using an SST20 LED with a TIR Optic. I measured the tint at 5594 CCT on my Opple meter and a RA (CRI) of 63. So surprisingly on the cool side of neutral white. However, the LED does have a tint that’s pretty green, especially on lower output modes, a known characteristic of the SST20. The beam is a pleasant chape out of the TIR optic, good for the range of tasks this light will be doing. There is a very minimal amount of PWM here on low, and none on high.

 

Output Table

Heat & Runtime

I did my runtime tests with the internal 320mAh battery. Turbo stayed near the rated number just shy of 3 minutes before stepping down to 150 lumen output for 50 minutes and then stepping down to zero for a full runtime of 1:07:00. Heat during this time peaked at about 31C.

I also did a comparison with high vs low modes. As you would expect low at only 20 lumens lasts a considerable amount of time 8:26:00 and is very consistent. 

 

UI

The UI here is very simple but different from what I have seen on most other lights. It’s a 2 mode light and from off a single quick press turns the light on in low, to get to High, you just double press while on or from off. To step down to low from high you have to shut the light off and start from the beginning. While on if you long-press when turning it off, the light will go to lockout mode without a visual indicator. So for me, this is frustrating, only because it’s not how I expect the light to use. Most people won’t have an issue with this. 

 

Recharging

The Archer Mini has onboard USB-C charging that can be found, after partially unscrewing the captured head of the light. Underneath you will see the charging port, and a small LED opposite it to give charging status when recharging. It stays red when charging, and goes blue when charged. The light charges with no issue via C to C cables as well.

Recharging the sealed 320mAh 10400 battery from when the light shuts off to full took 1:06:00 at a maximum speed of 0.32A, so right at a 1C charging speed. The light will operate while charging.

 

Final Thoughts

It’s good to see something different than just a traditional AAA style light. I like Thrunite has chosen to conceal the USB-C charging port here as it is more secure than a more traditional silicone cover. That said it’s a sealed design so you can’t replace the internal 10400 battery, or use Alkaline/NiMH batteries in a pinch which is nice thing to have for a light this size. 

The LED here is just slightly cool white, but with a pretty strong green tinge. The beam pattern with the TIR is good. I find the user interface here to be a little frustrating, just because it’s different than 99% of the other flashlights I own and test. This has gotten better the more I use it, and it’s an issue most people won’t have. I think it’s pretty well thought out but for me will take more practice. 

It’s pretty affordable for everything it brings, but this isn’t going to be the light I reach for when I want a AAA sized light, just because of the UI and LED tint. That’s not to say this is a bad light, it’s just not something that’s currently going to displace others from my pocket with more traditional UI’.

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Thrunite TS2 Review (Emergency Survival Lantern & Powerbank)

Thrunite has a new product on the market with the TS2, they are calling it a self-rescue light. I am going to call it a mini lantern. It’s a simple product but well thought out and I think it has a wider appeal then just the flashaholic market. Thanks to Thrunite for sending this to me to look at.

 

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Packaging and accessories 

Packaging here is a step up from what Thrunite has done in the past, it’s a white cardboard box with color photos and info, upscale a bit. I will show a picture of everything that comes with this package, but let’s talk in depth about each piece in the next section.

Construction and Details

So the light part of this kit is the small plastic piece with the dome at the top. This plugs in via USB-C on the side of the 21700 battery, and doesn’t use the contact at the top of the cell at all. All power comes from the USB-C connector, the positive terminal isn’t used. The “light” part has a single protruding side where the single power button can be found. I did find the head works on other batteries, I tried a Acebeam 21700 I had with a USB-C on the side and it fit perfectly. Presumably if you had a Female USB-C cable you could plug this in and run indefinitely. 

The battery is a standard button top 21700, 5000mah cell coming in at 77.3mm long. Not much to write home here about other then it has a neat power indicator on top that I haven’t seen before. 4 LED lights with a tiny button that you press for 3 seconds to show you the power level. When recharging the battery these go solid green too.

 

Case and Hanger

The battery and light assembly slide into the plastic tube that it comes with. It stays in place via a magnet at the bottom of the tube. The helps to protect the battery, and server as an attachment point. You can attach a lanyard here, or attach it via the magnet. It’s enough strength to hold on a painted metal surface. Your last mounting option is a magnetic hook that’s magnetic and pretty strong. This would be great for attaching to a bag, clipping to a wire or branch, etc. 

 

Cables

The cable here deserves some attention. It’s a bidirectional cable, with multiple connection types. So you can use it to recharge the cell, just take the light off the battery to expose the USB-C port. Then use the cable via USB-A or remove the cap to expose the USB-C and charge via C to C. You can also use the cable to charge your phone or other device via the USB-C, Apple Lightning, or MicroUSB connections. Total charge time from when the battery was empty to full was 2:07:00. 

 

Size & Weight

Weight with the battery and light comes in at 3.00oz, add in the plastic case for a total of 3.65oz, and then the hook and everything else 4oz.  

 

LED, Beam, and Runtime

No data is given on what LED is inside of this light, but I can tell you it’s 4 warm LEDs under the diffuser which is nice. Official outputs are High at 118 Lumens, for 11 hrs, medium for 40 lumens for 30 hours, low at 5 lumens for 180 hours, and SOS at 118 lumens for 20 hours. I will insert my runtime graphs that show this. 

UI

UI here is very simple, the light has 3 modes, and one button. Push for about one second and the light will come on in the low mode. Press and hold to cycle up to medium or high. Double press to go to SOS mode. Single press to shut off. 

 

Conclusion

I like the TS2, while it doesn’t put out a ton of light, it’s a very functional small/light weight lantern of sorts. Like the box says, good for an emergency or rescue situation. I can see putting this in a glovebox in your car, in a go bag for natural disasters, in home or work desk for power outages, or to take camping to hang in a tent. The addition of the plastic sleeve makes it safer but I am not sure it’s quite kid proof since it’s only held in place with a magnet. Speaking of which the magnetic hanger is strong but I could see it coming loose if brushed up hard. 

 

I really like that nothing here is proprietary, I was able to get this working on an Acebeam 21700 battery I have with USB-C on the side. Remember it doesn’t use the batteries traditional contacts like all other flashlights use, it uses the USB-C port for power. 

 

As far as value it may not be the best value on the market, but it’s a unique product that I think a lot of people who watch my videos would find useful. The cable alone is really handy especially when travling to charge a variety of devices or lights. So I can recommend it without reservations. It would make a great stocking stuffer too for the holidays.