“REVIEW”: Wuben E12R – Powerbank Flashlight – USB-C Charging – 18650 - 1200 lumens [Pic Heavy] (OD beamshots: #15)

EDIT #1 : Some more tint comparison bemashots, with stock and pebbled TIR

EDIT #2 : Testing LVP while using powerbank and flashlight function

EDIT #3 : Added night outdoor beamshots


Hi BLF!

This is my review of the Wuben E12R flashlight!

The flashlight was sent by Wuben for review with no other compensation than keeping the flashlight and accessories. Thanks Jelina and Wuben!

The flashlight can be found in the following stores (non-affiliated links):
Wubenlight.com:
(EU)https://www.wubenlight.com/collections/outdoor-camping/products/wuben-e12r-1200lm-power-bank-flashlight?\_pos=1&\_sid=a1df050fc&\_ss=r
(USA) Wuben E12R Flashlight - 1200 Lumens, Type C Charging

Wuben Official Store at AliExpress: Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

Being this a recently launched flashlight, I couldn’t find other reviews on it. I may add them later here.

This said, I will do my review in an unbiased way, as I normally do, being it gifted or bought! :beer:


GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Body Colour: Red ( also sold in Black )
Material: Aluminium
Emitters: Osram P9 (Cool White)
Optic: Clear TIR
Battery: 18650 (protected / long battery)
Charging: USB-C
Discharching: USB-A
Switch: Electronic Side Switch
Max runtime: 173h
Max beam distance: 179m
Max output: 1200 lumens
Candela: 7985cd
Waterproofness: IP68 (2 m underwater for 1h)
Impact resistance: 1m
Low Voltage Warning: Yes (detailed below)
Reverse Polarity Protection: Yes (but not specified)

Other Specifications
Powerbank function: through USB-A cable, this flashlight can be used as Powerbank.


PACKAGE

The Wuben E12R and accessories arrived in a Wuben branded box, that contains general information on the front and back. It is a very protective box made of cardboard and plastic to protect the items inside.

Inside we find: a red Wuben E12R flashlight; a protected blue 18650 3100mAh 3.7V 11.47Wh Li-Ion Wuben branded battery, a Wuben branded lanyard, a Wuben branded diffuser, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, the User Manual, 2 spare o-rings, the user Quality Control Certificate.


FLASHLIGHT

So, what about this Wuben E12R?

First, it has a very nice colour! This is one of the few red flashlights in my collection, so it stands out in some way! :partying_face: The red anodizing is very vibrant, being a mix of matte and shinning!

Second, this is a powerbank flashlight! Sometime ago, Wuben released the magnificent TO50R that also has a powerbank functions, and now they launch the E12R, what is nice addition to their line-up. Although using 18650s, it can be a good option to take on a trip and have it charging your phone or other lights/batteries/devices at least to a certain extent.

Third, I would not consider this is as an EDC flashlight due to its bigger size, but it surely can be a “back-up” flashlight (for a flashaholic at least), or an “around the house” flashlight. Due to its circuits (charging/discharging) in the tail and not in the side, it is not small as some of Wuben’s previously released models. Still, it has Wuben’s quality and “touch”.

Fourth, althought being a “tube” flashlight, the E12R has a very nice appeal, due to the knurling in the body and also the fins in the head! It is an interesting approach in knurling what we have here, and I am not sure if I have seen it in other lights (at least not in my collection). Both these and the anodizing provide a good grip. The pocket clip also helps :stuck_out_tongue:

Fifth, unlike other Wuben models, and also competitor lights from other brands, the e-switch is easy to find in the E12R. Why? Because it protrudes in relation to the body, and because it can be a lighted switch.

This said, let’s see the E12R composition!

- the bezel glued with red Loctite, it has with grooves to allow the light passing if the flashlight sits on a flat surface

- inside there’s an o-ring around the clear TIR optic, which has no glass lens for protection

- below the TIR there is a custom white gasket that surrounds the Osram P9 Led

- the emitter sits in a copper DTP MCPCB with more than 1mm thickness (1.2mm or 1.5mm probably)m under which there is a good layer of thermal paste

- outside, the e-switch is under a semi-transparent silicone cover with a W on it, that allows the inner leds (blue, red and green) to shine for different purposes (to be detailed below)

- the head has some fins for heat dissipation and also foe better grip

- in the front the Wuben brand/logo is carved in low relief, while in the back the same happens for the E12R

- of course the HOT engraving is on the bezel, on the back side

- the head and battery tube are all made in 1 piece as the head structure is screwed in/put in place through the top

- there was a long blue sticker advising to remove the insulation plastic from the battery negative before using the flashlight

- the tube part has some “triangular” shaped knurling and some grooves that definitely help in the grip

- inside the flashlight body there is a tube structure, to make the charge/discharge process possible

- the pocket clip is not deep carry, and it is not reversible despite there are some other grooves in the flashlight body (they are narrower than the one of the clip)

- also the pocket clip has a lanyard hole where…you can attach the included lanyard

- the shape of the pocket clip’s tip can provoke some “bruises” in the anodizing if it is rotated often

- there is a battery polarity indication near the bottom of the tube, before the tail (+ is up, - is down)

- on the other side, the CE logo and the flashlight serial number

- the tailcap is detachable from the rest of the flashlight

- it is composed by a thin and flexible spring, an o-ring, square and trapezoidal threads that arrived well lubricated, and also the charging/discharging circuits that I didn’t dismantle

- outside it also has the same type of triangular knurling

- there is a big silicone cover on the tail to protect the USB A/C ports from water and dust

- when lifted up, we see both the USB ports and the charging/discharging status indicator leds (4 dots)

- the silicone cover+ is protective, but it needs to be really pressed down to prevent water and dust from entering

- the part is held in place by 2 screws

  • the flashlight also tailstands, which makes total sense since a diffuser was included in the accessories.

Still in the overall perspective of the flashlight, these are its weight & dimmensions!
As said, it is not a small nor lightweight flashlight, but it is not deeply heavy. However, backpack will probably be a better place to carry this light, instead of a jeans pocket! Unless, you know…cargo pants :smiley:

Now I’ll show with some more detail each part of the Wuben E12R!
Starting from the top, this is a nice view from above the head. It looks even better in person. Everythings seems perfectly aligned under the TIR optic.

However, due to the combination of TIR + custom gasket + led, there are some artifacts in the beam, that I’ll try to show later. One of those is related to a slight misalignement of the gasket vs led, which provoked an even more “squarish” beam on my original configuration.

That is why I decided to try opening the head…

NOTE: I do not recommend to open the head of the flashlight as it will void the warranty and may lead to external and internal damage of the flashlight components :exclamation:

Long story short :
Beam has artifacts. Beam had a not so-normal misalignement. I wanted to fix that.
I heated the head with the hairdryer for some time, and in the intervals I tried to rotate it.
I put my pliers inside a cowhide glove and after heating I made some force to try rotation. After a while heating and rotating, the bezel started moving and I took it out.
I noticed there was the mentioned “misalignement” and fixed it by slightly rotating the gasket and putting the led in the center of it. DONE!!!

And this is what I found inside :wink:

Here are some close-ups from the head and its inner components. I mentioned them in the list above, just in case.
( click the leds images for bigger photos )

About the TIR, this doesn’t seem a “special” TIR, at least in terms of size. So, maybe it can be replaced for another one for a more narrow or wide beam. And…no, I didn’t try it this time :stuck_out_tongue:

Here’s how the grooves on the bezel allow the light to pass, letting one see if the light is ON on a flat surface. Useful and also a pretty effect on the bezel

Continuing down…
You’ve seen the outside, now let’s check the inside of the flashlight. At least what is possible.
As said, there is an inner tube, it has 3 “veins” that go from the head to the tail, feeding the charge in and out of the flashlight.

In the PCB seen in the bottom there is no spring, just a flat metal contact with a small tip. The PCB has the E12R and a numeric reference there too (not coincident with the Serial Number).

Due to the absence of spring in the + side, and also due to being a long tube, the Wuben E12R flashlight doesn’t accept unprotected/small 18650 batteries, such as the unprotected flat top Sony VTC6 I put into it (left, below).
So: protected button top batteries are the way to go with this flashlight.
Also: as Wuben includes a battery in the package, you don’t need to worry about this in case you don’t have such type of batteries :wink:

Towards the tail!
Some of the things I said above: big protective silicone cover, USB A and USB C ports, status indicator leds, small and flexible spring, sealing o-ring, square and trapezoidal threads (not bad machined), well lubricated at arrival, nice knurling.

The cover needs to pressed down to make its job, don’t leave it loose, or water/dust will enter!!


SWITCH FUNCTIONING

NOTE: This section encompasses: LOW BATTERY WARNING and BREATH INDICATOR

I’m not in ups and downs, but now let’s go up a little bit to check how the switch works.
Besides “no colour”, it may 3 different colours shining there: BLUE – RED – GREEN!

LOW BATTERY WARNING
BLUE:

  • Constant BLUE: Is lighted when the flashlight is turned ON and the battery is charged above 90%. It will remain lit up for 5 seconds.

- Flashing BLUE: Is lighted when the flashlight is turned ON and the battery is between 90% - 40%. It will remain lit up for 5 seconds.

RED:

  • Constant RED: Is lighted when the flashlight is turned ON and the battery is between 40% - 15%. It will remain lit up for 5 seconds.

- Flashing RED: Is lighted when the flashlight is turned ON and the battery is below 15%.

Summary:

BREATH INDICATOR
Also known as “night flashlight locator”! It is a nice function that the E12R has, to enable the switch to act as a flashlight locator.

GREEN

  • Switch will “breath” (lit up and then faint) GREEN. To activate/deactivate, make a triple click from ON or OFF, from LOCKED or UNLOCKED! That’s it!

This particular section shows that when turned ON (if battery is above 90%) the switch will be Constant BLUE, and if the “breath indicator” is activated, it will the start lighting up/down the GREEN led in the switch. At any time we can click 3 times to deactivate it.

NOTE 1: GREEN has PWM (noticeable when moving the light) :confounded:

NOTE 2: Whenever the tailcap is totally unscrewed and power is disconnected, and then put back in place, the GREEN locator will be automatically activated, even if it was not active before!!

NOTE 3: I left the “breath indicator” turned ON before going to sleep and it battery was at 4.11V. When I picked the flashlight again after 8h30, it was still at 4.11V!


CHARGING & DISCHARGING (aka Powerbank function)

Here’s a tip:

This read, do as said and start CHARGING the light! You will notice that:

- 4 leds lit up mean it is fully charged

  • a led blinking means that it is charging the battery up to that “level” (if the 3rd led is blinking, it means that battery is being charged from 50% to 75%.)

NOTE 1: It is not mentioned if this flashlight can be charged through USB-C to USB-C cable and I don’t have any to try it :weary: :cry:

NOTE 2: If the flashlight has no battery inside and it is plugged to a power source (as in charging), it can be used normally. I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS AS IT MAY PROVOKE CIRCUIT DAMAGE TO THE FLASHLIGHT.

NOTE 3: Max charging in this flashlight with the included 18650 battery reached 4.12V. After charging it the first time (4 leds lit up) I took the battery out and put it back inside, leaving it to charge some more time. After that time, Voltage was the same.

NOTE 4: the included charging cable is around 70 cm and it is Wuben branded :wink:

How about the discharging, also referred here as POWERBANK FUNCTION?

After connecting the USB-A cable to the E12R and to the device you want to charge (be it micro USB or USB-C), the leds in the tail lit up and then will start “vanishing” as the battery juice is drained.

NOTE: the flashlight can still be used as such while being used as powerbank!


ACCESSORIES

Well, some more photos now!

This is the included battery, a protected 18650 3100mAh 3.7V 11.47Wh Li-Ion cell, Wuben branded, in blue wrap. The top is slightly raised, not a “full” button top.
It is longer than unprotected cells and there is no rattling inside.
There was a protective plastic to prevent drain during shipping.

As said above, this flashlight doesn’t take unprotected/short batteries!


And now a combo: diffuser and lanyard!

The diffuser is quite nice, tough but allows good illumination even on the lowest mode!
It is Wuben branded (I try to show it in the photo). It can be bought separately and it also fits the TO46R model :partying_face:

Link (non-affiliated): Wuben AC1 Silicone Flashlight & Torch Diffuser for Photography

The lanyard, can be attached to the pocket clip, as it is the only place for it once the flashlight has no (lanyard) hole.

As for the User Manual it provides the relevant information (although not all, such as RPP).
It is well written (at least in English) and it is presented in 10 languages :exclamation:
(Click to see bigger photos)

One thing I emphasize: Warranty policy!! That is how good/all brands should work :+1:



USER INTERFACE

How does the Wuben E12R work?
Well, it has 4 regular levels – ECO > LOW > MEDIUM > HIGH – and 2 special modes – STROBE and SOS. It has mode memory for the 4 regular levels

To operate this flashlight:
Press & Hold from OFF: enter ECO level (the lowest level) :partying_face: :student: :crown: :beer:

NOTE: if the hold is continuous, it will advance to the other modes “tout de suite” !
———-

1 click from OFF: Turns the light ON in the last regular used level. When ON:

- 1 click: turns the flashlight OFF

- 2 clicks: enters HIGH level

- 3 clicks: activates/deactivates the “breath indicator” (GREEN led in the switch)

  • press & hold: cycles through the regular levels Eco > Low > Medium > High > Eco…

NOTE: When in HIGH level: 2 clicks enter STROBE
———-

2 clicks from OFF: Turns the light ON in STROBE. When in Strobe:

- 1 click: turns the light OFF

- 2 clicks: enter SOS (and 2 clicks alternate between these 2 modes)

  • press & hold (2 seconds): enters the last regular used level

3 clicks from OFF: activates/deactivates the “breath indicator” (GREEN led in the switch)

NOTE: This action can be done with the flashlight locked or unlocked
———-

4 clicks from OFF: locks / unlocks the flashlight electronically
a) Locking: the light and the switch (RED) will blink 3 times
b) Unlocking: the light will stay ON in Eco mode after unlocked.

NOTE: if the power is disconnected physically while the flashlight is locked, when reconnecting power, the lock will be kept. The GREEN indicator will be turned ON automatically.

/////

CONSIDERATIONS: Despite there are some things I don’t like in this UI, I surely like the possibility to access the lowest level (ECO) from OFF, and the 1 click for ON/OFF. :+1:
At the same time, I don’t like the:

- 2 clicks from OFF to STROBE

- 2 clicks from HIGH to STROBE

  • not having direct access to HIGH from OFF

OUTPUT & RUNTIME
I honestly don’t have much to say about these specs, apart from:

- well spaced modes, as is a Wuben characteristic

- seems to be an efficient flashlight

  • perhaps with a reflector it could have more intensity, once the P9 can throw light far (as seen in the Wuben E10)


FLASHLIGHT COMPARISON

Time for some flashlight comparison!

Wih the “reds” of my collection. 2nd photo is under sunlight, to check the differences in reds :wink:

Vs Zanflare F1 and Convoy S2+ (the Zanflare is larger than the E12R, although 1mm or 2mm shorter)

Vs Brinyte PT18 Oathkeeper and Olight M2R Warrior

The Wuben family :LOVE (T10R, TO46R, E12R, E19, TO50R, E05, and T70 double tube)


ILLUMINATION

There is no visible PWM on the E12R (apart from the GREEN “breath indicator). Despite this, there are some “lines” slightly visible in the Eco and Low modes, as I tried to show in photo. BTW, the photo was taken above the led with no TIR on it, hence the shape :stuck_out_tongue:

As for the beam, as I mentioned above, it has artifacts.
Some description:
First and overall, it has a squarish look, that I presume can be related to the internal shape of the head (as seen above it has 2 side grooves to sit the gasket)

Second, it has a defined hotspot with a white colour. The spill, on Low it seems to be a mix of white and yellow, where white is predominant; on Medium and High it becomes white only.

Third, the outer spill has that squarish look still on white, and after that starts to appear a more yellowish colour. This is due to the gasket reflecting the led’s colour and because it is a TIR lens. An OP reflector would probably mitigate this yellowish colour. I believe it will not be so much visible in outdoor environment and also when it blends with other colours, but against a white wall, it certainly “may bother” some of us. Definitely a thing I would like Wuben to improve.

Although not tested outdoor yet, this flashlight seems to provide a good compromise between flood and throw, specially due to the more defined hotspot. It is not a dedicated flooder or thrower, though.

In the photos you see a beam profile from the side (eft), then one projected in the ceiling (middle) and then a photo without TIR nor gasket (right). In this last one you can see why I think the “complete” beam has the squarish look.

Some GIFs with the 4 levels on the beam pattern. To see the progression you can click on the one with the luxmeter. Photo is illustrative, not good for lux or cd measurement . It was taken 1.70 m away from the light.

Below I present some tint comparison with different leds/ settings.
Photos were taken with cellphone. Settings: 5000K , ISO 800, 1/500s shutter

Vs Luxeon MZ 5700K / OP reflector (Convoy S2+)

Vs XP-L HD 6500K / SMO reflector (Zanflare F1)

Vs Nichia NVSW219BT ~5000K / OP reflector (“BLF 348”)

Vs Luxeon V2 4000K / Frosted TIR Optic (RovyVon Aurora A23)

Vs XP-G3 5000K / TIR optic & diffuser sheet (Wuben T046R)

Vs XP-L Hi 3D 5000K / Carclo 10511 optic (FW3A)

Vs Samsung LH351D 5000K / Quad TIR optic (Wuben TO50R)

Vs Luxeon V 4000K / Carclo 10511 optic (Convoy S6)

As I am not in my village, I will only be able to take some outdoor beamshots later. They will be added to the thread, wherever possible.


OVERALL CONSIDERATIONS

Here I will list what I like and what I think that could be improved in this Wuben E12R flashlight!

What I like?

- The colour. This is a vibrant red that I like. Not having many red flashlights, it surely stands out!

- The overall construction and machining. Seen the knurling detail and also the grooves all over the body, in which I will include the threads, I would say that the work in this flashlight is immaculate!

- The USB-C charging. Starting to have more flashlights (and also the phone) with USB-C charging, having another light that uses the same type of cable is considered a plus :stuck_out_tongue:

- The powerbank function. Although I may feel that an 18650 is probably not “ideal” for a powerbank, because it has less juice than a 21700 or 26650, it is good to have an 18650 light with this function!

- The direct access to ECO. Wuben, you are in the right way with this!! The flashlight has a good combination of mode memory and direct access to the lowest mode, what is awesome, specially in a light that can be used for camping or travelling as this one. Well done!

- The efficiency. Again, this is a characteristic from Wuben, and I am glad they are conciliating output and runtime pretty well.

- The accessories. Not so much for the lanyard or the o-rings, which are also good, but mostly for including a diffuser and the 18650 battery in the package is an awesome thing, special because the flashlight doesn’t take unprotected/shorter batteries!

- The “breath indicator” switch. It is nice to have: a) the indicator; b) the possibility to activate and deactivate it!

- The ON / OFF operation. Again, not having to press & hold to switch the flashlight OFF is a good relief :smiley:

- The tailstanding.

  • The easiness to find the switch.

What I would improve?

- The pocket clip vs anodizing. After rotating it sometimes, the bend on the clip started to make some “scratches” in the battery tube. Changing the pocket clip design and making it align with a “groove” could be a good option, or eventually reinforce anodizing in that area.

- The access to STROBE from HIGH. Well, even after looking to the UI configuration it would be a tricky thing to do, but I would not include a “double click” to access STROBE while in HIGH. I would rather have a double click to go back to the previous mode (if HIGH was activated itself from a double click). There is no simple way to change it in the current configuration, but…maybe 4 clicks or a very long press from HIGH/ON could be a nice option to do it?!

- The access to STROBE from OFF. If from ON a double click is to access HIGH, I would like to have it from OFF too. Again, maybe there was different way to access Strobe either from ON or OFF.

- The USB ports silicone cover. Although the cover stays in place if pressed well, I am afraid that it may be lifted up accidentally more than one can predict. Therefore, water or dust can enter and…eventually ruin the flashlight. A better “closing” would be good.

  • The beam pattern and artifacts. Despite this is may be an “all around” or a backpack / backup-up flashlight and not an EDC item, I guess that the beam pattern could be improved to make it more “round” and with less shifts. I am not sure if a black gasket would help in that, or maybe a different TIR, but the flashlight could benefit from a slight improvement on this. The tint doesn’t bother me that much in this case.

This said, I don’t have more considerations to do except thanking Jelina and Wuben for sending the flashlight for review. :beer:
I am starting to see improvements in the User Interface and I hope that soon enough Wuben can perfect it :wink:

Outdoor beamshots will be taken/added later.

Thanks for reading! :+1:

I’d like to have a utility light like this. When traveling, I always pack a USB charger in case phone needs it. I can see the benefits to packing extra 18650’s for flashlight and being also able to use them for phones. I wish specifications for products like this are more clear in calling out certain things.

1) drain current. With the light off and battery inserted, what’s the vampire current?

2) LVP: the specs should call out the exact level of low voltage protection. And whether the LVP is different for using the light as a flashlight vs power bank.

I wish the tint was warmer.

Shame about the length. Your images below:

It’s a lot longer than an S2+, which is the longest light I’ll tolerate in my pocket. And with the TO50R being shorter, the only justification for the extra pocket space is if you can’t afford the TO50R.

Well, I would like to help you more in those specifications/measurements, but unfortunately I don’t have the necessary tools for it :frowning:
I am longing to acquire them, but then the wallet says “no” and I am not able to help on this.

About the drain current, I only did that experience (from night to day) but it just took 8h30 so I can’t get many conclusions on it.

About the LVP, I guess it will have something to do also with the battery used. As this light only uses protected batteries, I believe the protection will trip when voltage is enough Low to stop draining.

I may do some experience on this, when I see the included battery is becoming drained. Or maybe I can charge my phone with it and check how low it gets!

I’ll post the information here :wink:

Well, It is indeed longer than the S2+ and than other 18650 lights! As I said, cargo pants or a backpack will be a better place to carry this flashlight as backup eventually :wink:

Yeah, the TO50R, for the size and the amount of charge it has/can provide, can be a better option (also the UI and the tint are outstanding!!!) but the price is 3 times more :money_mouth_face: what may lead some people to prefer a more budget option.

TO50R is one of the grail lights I have, but I only use it for specific situations (such as photography or other convenience), not for a backpack flashlight) :stuck_out_tongue:


Thanks for reading both of you :+1:

Nice review, MascaratumB. :+1:

I have got no idea what is so special about the Osram P9 led to use it instead of a normal XPL HD?! This led is GREEN. :confounded:

You definitely see the difference, even compared to the Luxeon MZ 5700K which I considered quite green when I used it in an S2+. I guess a LH351D 90CRI would look great in this flashlight. Maybe the square beam is partly also caused by the led?

Thanks Skylight! :+1:

Well, I am actually happy that you brought up this subject! I literally jumped out of the couch - where I was almost sleeping -, picked the E12R and a couple of other lights, pikced a pebbled TIR and…took some photos.

So, I have to say that this Osram P9 is not as green as it seems. BUT, the clear TIR optic creates a yellowish/greenish artifact aroung the white part of the beam that gives the impression of that eventual green tint!

This is mostly related to the TIR, than with the led.

For that, I picked the pebbled TIR and took the folowing photos (ON THE LEFT). Stock TIR (on the RIGHT)

To keep consistency I kept the camera settings: 5000K , ISO 800, 1/500s shutter.

The only thing I changed was the level of the flashlight (for the photos on the review I used ECO and here I used LOW).
(Photos on the right are over exposed due to the type of hotpost, more bright. Settings were kept in each photo)

Vs Luxeon MZ 5700K / OP reflector (Convoy S2+)

Vs SST-20 5000K / 12 x clear TIR (Fireflies ROT66 GEN II)

Vs XP-L HD 6500K / SMO reflector (Zanflare F1)

Vs XP-G3 5000K / TIR optic (Wuben T046R)

Vs XP-G3 5000K / TIR optic & diffuser sheet (Wuben T046R)

Vs Samsung LH351D / SMO reflector (Tool AA V2.0)

Vs Samsung LH351D / SMO reflector (Tool AA V2.0) [AUTO SETTINGS on the camera]

You will notice that the stock TIR has strong influence in the beam, making it more greenish that it actually is!

And I guess their preference for this led may be something related to the its’ efficiency, maybe?

And take a look at the Samsung photos, see how much they differ from photo to photo depending on the interaction of beams and manual vs auto settings!

I hate to say it because I like Wuben but, that is the ugliest light I have ever seen. :smiley:

Yup, TO50R is on my “maybe as a Christmas or birthday present” list because I’ll never justify the price tag buying it for myself…

I am a huge WUBEN fan, I like their lights and even own a few. But I am somehow not a fan of the red color and this particular design. Still, a good light and a great review.

:smiley: Well, I guess I’ve seen some worse, but it’s a matter of tastes :stuck_out_tongue: Maybe the black version is not so “aggressive” !!

Well, the price has drop a little bit, but it still is a very expensive light. Worths every cent for the quality, but it is indeed a not cheap flashlight

Thanks :wink:
Well, as I mentioned maybe the black version is slightly more appealing! It has some differences :

Or, again, it is a matter of taste! I won’t say this is the most gorgeous light I’ve ever seen, but I end up liking the colour :wink:

As mentioned above, after river345 interpelation, I decided to do some “amateur” test to check LVP and other stuff!

Aim: use the powerbank function and the flashlight function to test LVP
Settings:
1st Scenario = Charging phone through E12R powerbank function
E12R: 4.05V > 3.48V
Cellphone battery: 45% > 100%
Starting hour: 15h55 | End hour: 17h20 (elapsed time: 1h25m)

NOTES:

- Switch Green indicator was OFF.

  • PB function started with 3 tail indicators ON, ended with 1 indicator ON (green).

2nd Scenario = Charging the On The Road 311 through E12R powerbank function
E12R: 3.48V > 3.26V
16340 battery: 3.40V > 3.69V
Starting hour: 17h23 | End hour: 17h33 (elapsed time: 10m )

NOTES:

- Powerbank function shut OFF at 3.26V

- Switch Green indicator was OFF, but it started blinking RED.

- PB function started with 1 tail indicator ON, almost immediately started blinking green and ended with 0 indicators ON.

  • By this time the flashlight could mostlty be used in Eco and Low. However, I shut it OFF in Low, then I was able to maintain it.

3rd Scenario = Using flashlight light on MEDIUM level
E12R: 3.26V > 3.06V
Starting hour: 17h39 | End hour: 17h49 (elapsed time: 10m )

NOTES:

- I shut the flashlight OFF after 10 minutes to check battery.

- From then on I could only use it on Eco and Low.

- Flashlight got 38ºC warm on the head, 37ºC in the transition to the body, 34ºC near the tail.

  • Switch Green indicator was OFF, but it was blinking RED.

4th Scenario = Using flashlight light on LOW level until it powers OFF
E12R: 3.06V > 2.90V
Starting hour: 17h54 | End hour: 18h23 (elapsed time: 29m )

E12R: 2.90V > 2.85V
Starting hour: 18h28 | End hour: 18h30 (elapsed time: 2m )

NOTES:

- The flashlight itself OFF on the 2 times I tested this.

- I could only use it on Eco and Low.

  • Switch indicator was OFF, but it was blinking RED.

CONCLUSIONS:

- Even with the battery below 3.20V, it can still be usable on 2 levels for a fair amount of time (Low for almost half an hour, so I imagine that Eco can be extended way above it!).

- LVP for powerbank function activates before the cell runs too low, what is good both for the cell and for its eventual use as a flashlight.

- LVP for flashlight function activated at 2.90V, what is the lowe threshold I would let my cells go. Forcing it beyond that may lead to battery “damage”, although the flashlight cuttoff steps in when a little below that level.

- In this test, after the powerbank function shut off at 3.26V I wasn’t able to use it again (the tail leds don’t turn on, nor the cellphone starts to charge).

Hope this helps to clarify some things about this flashlight! All tests were done using a multimeter, and the clock :smiley:

Many thanks for the detailed answer, MascaratumB! :sunglasses:

If it was not for the throw you should keep the pebbled TIR. I know that clear optics can cause a green beam, I have the same problem in a FF E07 with Luxeon V2 and a D4S with XPL2.

Or they prefer the led because they got a cheap lot of it? :smiley:

Nice comparison beamshots! Sometimes it happens to me that once I take a whitewall beamshot of two or three flashlights I see which leds are more green and which are rosy. If you want a led to look green just put a 219B SW45K led next to it.

When I edit my photos I frequently notice that the camera sets a parameter not only for the color temperature but also for the green and pink colors.

Wow, thanks for the detailed testing!

Thanks Skylight! :wink:
Well, I can add something more than: the TIR is actually what turns the beam into a square. I experimented it on my RovyVon Aurora A23 (that also uses a TIR) and the soft beam of Luxeon V2 4000K undet a frosted TIR immediately turned into a yellowish squarish thing, nasty as f**k :confounded: It was even worse than this one :open_mouth:

So, the issue is the lens! After I take the outdoor beamshots, I will blacken the white gasket to see if it avoids some of those artifacts (at least the greenish part) but I wouldn’t count much on it. A pebbled or frosted TIR will be a better solution.

Maybe, or maybe due to efficiency. I still think that the led could be better (warmer in this case) but for a CW led, it seems better than a XP-L2 or XP-G3, that are hideous even the best TIR :smiley:

I am having something like that, I guess. Sometimes, between beamshots, I have to close the app and then restart it (with the same settings) because it seems to assume a standard colour for all the beams. It is annoying :weary:

I am still experimenting the best combinations for beamshots, but they almost never represent what I really see! The more illustrative situation is with the Nichia NVSW219BT ~5000K that is “pure white” to my eyes, not rosy and that appears as rosy in the photos.

Oh well, we do what we can with what we have :beer:

Thanks Scallywag, I hope it is helpful in some way :wink:

I was happy to see that after charging almost half the cellphone I was still able to use the flashlight for a while (if done on ECO I guess it would run for hours!) and the light hanged very well!

Adding some night beamshots!
And fancy photos!

Using the diffuser cap:

at 5m

at 7m

at 25/30 m

at 40m

at 70 m

at 150m

at 170m

Outdoor tint comparison with Luxeon V2 4000K (on the right side)

:+1: :beer: