Astrolux FT02 vs FT03: why such price diffrence?

Domed vs dedomed

I thought FT-03 had unregulated (FET) driver, not a linear one.

You thought probably right Agro. I just didn’t check becasue I meant only to put it in opposition to Boost.
So let it be, (…) over FET and SST-40.
:beer:

I tried to learn more about it…None of the reviews that I see mentions that. Actually none shows a head disassembly. One appears to show regular spare o-rings.
Could you tell us some more about it?

Only some reviews nowadays show a complete disassembly, it was more normal back in the days.

I checked my FT02 and I was not completely correct: instead of one u-shaped ring there are two o-rings instead: one regular one at the reflector side of the lens, and one L-shaped one at the bezel-side also covering the side of the lens. So the lens is protected at all sides just like with an U-shaped ring but then a bit different.

Thank you for producing this picture djozz! :beer:

The design of the FT02 looks much better. I especialy like the functional design of the heatfins.

So… it seems FT02 is just built with more attention to details?

I’m quite surprised about Astrolux policy, it seems these two compete against each other. I imagine most of regular customers just pay attention to lumens, runtimes, batteries and not that much about LED or driver type. Can it be after announcing FT03 the interest in FT02 dropped? Judging by often promos: yes.

I also miss reviews that show the light comletly disasembled with mesurements of the parts like reflector hight, diameter. . .
If i had found one i would not have to ask this question. What diameter does the MCPCB have?

No, it’s a completely different driver design. You should see much more stable outputs over a cell cycle due to the boost circuit and the XHP35 is a great performer in a mid-sized thrower like this, nearly matching the output of a SST-40 while being throwier since it’s domeless.

Compared to a shaved/dedomed SST-40 the XHP35 will have better or equal output and basically equal throw per lumen (based on the numbers I’ve seen at least).

FT02 is a premium option that can match the performance of the FT03 in a smaller size. The trade off is the higher price.

I have both these lights, and while they seem similar, they’re really two very different lights.

FT03 advantages:

- Slightly higher output and throw (but only on a full battery)

  • Cheaper

FT02 advantages:

- Boost driver for regulated output, it’s just as bright on a half-drained battery as it is on a full battery

  • Smaller body and head, for easier fit in a coat pocket

I think it’s the boost driver, for regulated output on all battery levels, that makes the FT02 more expensive. The FT02’s XHP35 HI is a nicer LED, and allows for the smaller size for almost the same throw as the FT03.

But, yeah, if you don’t care about the size, and you keep your battery topped up, then the FT03 is a much better deal.

Note that both lights will eat your battery really fast. The FT02 even faster, since it’s gobbling up the energy from the battery at the same rate all the time. The FT03 output drops as the battery goes down, so will be dimmer and not use as much power by the time the battery is half-empty. But you’ll get more run-time at a high output from the FT02, since it doesn’t drop output until the battery is almost empty.

Very interesting considerations. Yeah, so we do have a bunch of factors justifying higher FT02 price.
However if I were a regular flashlight user I don’t think I’d pay attention to these details. So I think the sales of FT02 must had dropped since FT03 was announced.
Isn’t it high time for FT02 v2? Otherwise FT02 will die naturally due to lack of interest…

For us freaks the FT02 is mostly just a lesser FT03, it even has the inferior quality micro-USB (the socket of a friend’s FT02 even broke off from the driver board).
But the seemingly good build quality promises that it can handle much more abuse. But that is only true if many FT02 owners over time report on their always working FT02’s and FT03 owners report failures. But a broken USB socket is not a good start for my trust in the FT02 :frowning:

Yeah, on paper it’s hard to justify the FT02’s higher price over the FT03. Which is too bad, because I’m a big fan of boost drivers for their regulated output and ability to deliver max output with a battery that is almost empty. I wish more budget lights would come with optional boost drivers, even if it added to the price. IMO, they’re well worth it.

You’re right, the FT02 sales probably fell off when the FT03 was introduced. I suspect they’re likely not even still manufacturing it. Pick one up when it goes on a big discontinued sale.

I have both lights and now the 03 with XHP50.2 emitter. I prefer the FT02 for size and general use. I like 21700 lights over 26650 lights. It’s apples and oranges really. The FT02 seems to have been built up and had more R&D into it.
The only drawback is the built in Micro-Usb on the is fragile.

I have both lights and now the 03 with XHP50.2 emitter. I prefer the FT02 for size and general use. I like 21700 lights over 26650 lights. It’s apples and oranges really. The FT02 seems to have been built up and had more R&D into it.
The only drawback is the built in Micro-Usb on the is fragile.

I had both lights and sold the FT03. The emitter, boost driver, quality, and overall tint was better on my FT02. The only drawback is the higher parasitic drain, but that is fine as long as the flashlight is not stored with a battery.

It’s easy to kill the power with a slight twist of the tailcap, which stops the parasitic drain. But, yeah, it should have been designed with less drain. I don’t really like to keep lights locked out, or without batteries in them. I want to just pick them up and use them right away. But, at least the mechanical tailcap lock-out doesn’t add much time, as long as you remember it’s locked out.

“Note: The new batch of FT02 has improved the circuit, and the weakness will disappear. such as breathing lamp power consumption; charging current increased from 1A to 1.4A

Start off by saying I don’t have FT02. I do have Thrunite Catapult V6. Outside, where this type of light would get used the most, I like the tint of my FT03 SST40 better than the Catapult, which has XHP35 Hi emitter. FT03 just goes a smidge farther to my eye.

FT03 also has USB-C and, thus far, has behaved quite well and internal charging seems to work fine.

Agree kind of apples and oranges but still both fruit family. For the “average Joe” wanting a bargain thrower, it is really an excellent value.

Guess nobody is really arguing that but wanted to join in on the fun anyhow. : )