Noctigon K1 info / review

Yours isn’t broken. I get the same hole in the center at very close distances in Convoy L2, C8 and P60 builds using the CSLPM1 and CSLNM1. Not sure why it happens, guessing it has something to do with the height of the emitter. But I’m probably wrong.

Here are the specs from Hanks sales link.

W1 (Osram CSLNM1.TG): 900lm, Lux : 650kcd

W2 (Osram CSLPM1.TG): 1400lm, Lux: 550kcd

I wish this was going to be available with the Osram at warmer (even neutral) tints. Is there any particular reason as to why the white flat isn’t or can’t be available at 4000-5000k?

She was joking. Read the last part of her post.
“This light is not meant to be used for up-close work. Because it’s a dedicated thrower, the hotspot is small and intense. It takes a few meters for the beam to collimate, and up-close it makes a donut-shaped beam. This is totally normal for throwers, but it may be unexpected for anyone who hasn’t used a long-range thrower before.”

Interesting, I didn’t realize it would still burn off the excess voltage in the same way. I suppose you get the advantage of constant current instead of PWM but that has it’s downsides (like tint shift with changing current) too.

Because Osram hasn’t produced it at those tints. I doubt there is a physical/engineering reason why they can’t, as they’ve had emitters with very high luminance and 95+ CRI in warm tints.

Those lumen numbers seem too high for the Osrams.

Hank, what tint and flux bin are the Osram 1mm and 2mm?

That’s what I mean. It seems odd because these emitters are designed for throwers (or at least perfect to use in them), and we know that warmer temps are better for throwers. So if there is no physical/engineering reason why they can’t be made, why haven’t they?

They are listed at 6000k tint. Check out: OSRAM CSLNM1.TG & CULNM1.TG 1mm², CSLPM1.TG & CULPM1.TG 2mm²

900 and 1400 lumens seems reasonable.

That part was a joke. :slight_smile:

(edit: added a smiley to the OP to make it more obvious that I don’t actually think it’s broken … it’s mostly just demonstrating why throwers aren’t used at close range)

I’ll see if I can find a higher-amp cell for another turbo test.

Like all linear regulated drivers, it stays in regulation until the battery voltage falls below the emitter Vf. The amount of time it stays flat depends almost entirely on which battery is used.

I don’t have any high-amp 21700 batteries though, which are what you’d want if the goal is the longest regulation period on turbo. I only have high-energy (high mAh) cells, which give longer overall runtime with less heat, and are better for every mode except turbo.

In any case, I hope to add more runtime tests to the graph. It takes a while to run each test and recharge the cell though.

Why would you want to do that?

That part is hidden inside the light while it’s assembled, with no risk of shorting. While it’s split into two pieces though, it wouldn’t be a good idea to carry the handle by itself. It would get thread lube all over, and could get lint in the USB port. It’s not meant to be carried around like that.

At minimum, loosen the tailcap before trying to carry the detached handle in a pocket.

That’s fair. However, it’s not a cold blue tint like an Olight. I find it looks surprisingly good during use.

Other LED options are coming though, for people who want a lower color temperature and are willing to give up some throw. The one reviewed here is the version optimized for maximum throw.

This is my first Osram White Flat light, and mostly I’m just amazed how such a small light can actually compete against a massive thrower like the BLF GT.

More lumens or more throw… pick one.

I know which one I prefer for this light — definitely throw. But I recognize that not everyone will want to max out one characteristic… it’s okay to trade some performance for a more balanced result.

I’m not sure if it’s the first with smooth ramping. However, there is also a stepped ramp which is there specifically to make output consistent and runtimes predictable. If you want to know how much runtime to expect, use the stepped ramp.

There is also a “manual memory” function which can be used to make the light turn on at the same level every time. This keeps the output and runtime even more consistent, since you can save a favorite level and have a shortcut to it. Simply go to the level you want to save, then click 5 times. Then every time it turns on with a click, it’ll go to that level.

Not sure, since I haven’t tried the W2 version. Hank says the W2 regulates to 7.8A instead of 4.9A though.

About direct driving though, it might be safe when using a low-amp cell, but even my weak 48G can overdrive a 1mm White Flat a little bit beyond what is safe, and that quickly reduces the LED’s life span and performance. Also, an unregulated FET PWM driver doesn’t get flat output on any mode, so the output will always be different.

With a higher-amp cell, it’s definitely not a good idea to direct drive a White Flat. It can turn the LED into smoke pretty quickly. However, high-amp cells are fine in this light. The power regulation keeps the LED safe. It also makes the driver heat up faster though, so people may find that high-amp cells might cause thermal regulation to decrease output even when the light doesn’t seem hot.

That’s debatable. Cooler tints have more Rayleigh scattering, but cooler tints also make more lumens. Real-world measurements have shown that cool white throwers work pretty well. If DB Custom is around, he might have some test results to share.

Having tried both 4000K and 6000K throwers, I don’t see any difference aside from color. However, after using throwers with both XHP35 HI and White Flat, there’s a huge difference in performance per gram and per Watt. The larger emitter requires a much larger host and/or much higher power usage in order to reach the same level of throw.

With the LEDs on the market today, it’s basically a choice between two things:

  • Warmer color temperature
  • Smaller host

When I want a thrower, I’ll generally grab the smallest one which throws far enough for my needs. This tiny White Flat LED allows me to have a host half as large as I would otherwise need, and I think that’s a pretty worthwhile benefit. It’s the difference between carrying the K1 in my coat pocket or having to bring a backpack to carry the GT.

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Order placed! I was hoping it would come in a bit less expensive, but this is really a bargain for a 650k lux pocketable light. My first megathrower was the original DEFT and that was what 100-150k lux for the first ones and gladly throw $350 or so to get one of those.

What i’m curious about is how much this appears to beat the D1S i have that I put the same led into. I think the D1s is around 300k lux. So I’m thinking this will appear about 25% more throw. But perception is always weird. I’ve become a fan of Emisar/Noctigon stuff because it comes with some of the most impressive specs, but also really nice quality for the price.

Let’s be honest though, on such a pencil beam thrower, the only mode we want is turbo. It’s not like it’s an edc or big bulky search and rescue light with a broader beam and more output.

True. On/off is enough.
Mike

Flashlights are a TINY portion of overall LED production, very specialized models like are common here are a TINY portion of that.

These are designed for very directional lighting, possibly for car headlights? Not all of these emitters are made to be adapted to every purpose like indoor lighting where warm white is common.

Not for me. I use my GT Mini for my nightly strolls. I have miles of unlighted sidewalks (the realtors now call sidewalks “walking trails”, but I’m old and will continue to call them sidewalks), running throughout my neighborhood. I don’t have to use the light all the time, and I use very low most of the time until I get to the lakes area and look for critters in the water or along the banks, then I use turbo. That’s what makes Anduril so great. I can long press to turn on the lowest level, single click to turn on at my own preset level, or double click to get full power. It looks like this new light will replace my GT Mini.

So according to the specs the WF2 throws 1483m and the WF1 does 1612m. Only 8.7% more throw. Wonder if the difference will be noticeable in real life.

Let’s be even more honest though. The difference between a flat “turbo” graph and a non-flat “turbo” graph is that one of the two is artificially limited. It could do more, but it doesn’t. So it’s debatable whether it should even count as “turbo” or if it’s just “100%”, since turbo kind of implies that it’s higher than what can be sustained long-term.

I see this point come up for every hot rod light, and it seems to be more about psychology than technology.

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Hot Rods……WOT…. :stuck_out_tongue:

visicology?
perscepticology?
uberception?
farcology?

Do I need it no. Do I want it yeah

pretty much all of us on this forum 99% of the time :smiley:

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