This is from a DX.com contest win so thanks to DX.com for the light its a beaut.
So this is a quick review and I will follow up with more details in the next day or two.
The light come in bubble wrap inside a plain brown box wrapped in plastic bubbles amd inaide a plastic padded envelope. It shiped out on Nov 18 and arived Dec. 3
The light came out of the nox perfect mo blemishes anywhere the reflectors and glass spotless. The threads are all nice square cut and fully annodized. Each tube end has the annodizing machined of the emd for good contact. All parts thread together smoothly and very solid feeling. O-rings seem to fit nicely as well, you can feel them engage when tightening everything up but not enough to drag, well done.
I powered it up with 2 sony limn cells that are flat tops. They fit but you can shake the light and make it change modes. This light seema to be designed to use cells with protection. The positive emd has a spring contact and the negative on the switch end has a spring loaded plunger. Switch has a nice solid feel.
Outside body machining looks really good mo visible flaws amd the anodizing looks really good too.
Here are some pics , like I said this was a quicky review. I will try my hand at beamshots and tailcap readings.
Thanks for the review. Did you get around to current readings and beamshots? Can you compare the beam and output to another light we know? Any pictures with the extension tube on?
I’m very interested about this torch! It seems it appeared very recently since there is not much info about it anywhere yet. This could be almost perfect torch for me, its size, 3 XM-Ls and 2x18650s. Even though regular 2x18650s probably won’t produce enough power for 3 XM-Ls in terms of longer runtimes, i believe any NCR18650B based cells should do fine.
Looking forward to beamshots and i’m curious how this one compares regarding brightness to other 3x XM-L lights in the same price range, like Trustfire 3T6, Fandyfire 3T6 etc.
Don’t know if you own these other lights, but If you could do a runtime test on high and specify which batteries were used, that would be great!
Edit:
Just have seen about no mode memory in description. Now i wonder, does it change mode every time you turn it on or always starts in high after few seconds off. If it’s actually correct in description that is.
What settings for the camera work best ?
was gonna do some amp readings but forogot the light at home today - so tonight as well
It will go together properly in a 1x18650 format - I was hoping it would too.
I’m waiting for a set of trustfire flames for it as I mostly have laptop pulls. - that said I have played with it briefly and pull the cells and check their voltage - but If I recall it does have mode memory - I will confirm that for you guys though.
I’ve been testing with my with sony / konion hybrid cells. Just a little nervous as this is my first multi-cell light.
I’m not too sensitive to pwm bothering me and I might see some in the low mode, is there another way to check ?
I apologize for me taking for ever to respond. Been working extra hours getting some machines moved around at work and have 3 little ones at home when I get home. Been moving Injection Molding machines around our plant and trying to get it all done before this friday because I will be out for my knee surgery starting monday,
To be honest, i was contemplating about Trustfire 3T6 a lot, but opted out mainly for psychological reasons. If it was 8.4V max, then i’d probably go with it, but knowing it can take 3 cells and thus having a longer runtime (which i’m also after) would bug me as hell when i’d be using it with only 2 cells. Not that its length is bothering me that much when using 3 cells (if it would, there’s Xtar S1, although much more expensive) but that odd number, which is inconvenient to charge.
Weird, i know, but what can i do lol. There is another reason like this, why i gave up. But that can happen with any light i guess. Maybe i’ll get this light some day because i do like it, and you did a nice review there!
Millerman, thanks for amp readings and mode memory confirmation. As a matter of fact, i noticed many flashlights on DX are described as “mode memory: no”, so their mistake.
Looking forward to beamshots and runtimes when you get to it, keep up!
I bit the bullet and ordered one WF-3T6 from DX! Will probably post back some measurements (for larger database ), though unfortunately i don’t have adequate 18650s yet. Should get some 3100-3400mAh Panasonics and then do some readings…
Ohh, and i may as well take one Trustfire 3T6 later, for “on the go”. No doubt about its ability to offer longer runtimes using 1 extra cell, as much as inconvenient that may be.
Yes, it does increase voltage but then it also draws less current when using 3 cells, thus prolonging runtimes.
From what i’ve read, when running batteries in parallel (i.e. SkyRay King) voltage is always the same 4.2, but as you keep adding batteries you have more current at disposal. When in series, if using 3 batteries for 3T6 instead of 2, you get 12.6v vs. 8.4v, so with more voltage you don’t need that much current. Also heard parallel is safer, especially if using cheaper batteries.
Hi all. I received the torch awhile ago, but was busy with other things, hence i'm posting this now.
I've done some tests and posted a review on DX (under different name) which was a bit pain because of character limits. I got it done eventually and i hope it will help someone. You can check it on DX if anyone's interested, i guess it wouldn't make sense to copy/paste it here when millerman already did a mini review. That would be kind of hijacking the thread completely. :)
Anyway, let's get to important things, measurements and runtimes. So, these are all continuous runtimes until cutoff. Volts are an average between two batteries they settled at after cutoff and amps were measured on the beginning when batteries were fully charged and settled at 4.18V.
This was done indoors at 19 degrees Celsius. On high, the head got hot, but not so hot you would burn your hand on it, battery tube was mildly warm and tailcap almost cold. On medium, head warm and battery tube barely warm.
Yes, i know, these are not actually safe batteries because they are unprotected and it's also probably not good to force them to higher amp draw as voltage drops. But i didn't have any others at this moment. This is only to show what you could expect with better batteries. AmpMax 3400mAh are on the way right now and when they arrive i'll do the same tests, when i gather some time.
Notice how these ICRs had lower amps than XSLs, apart from the obvious shorter runtime. I don't know if ICRs are fake or not, or maybe early/old versions, laptop pulls or whatever, but the point is, i'm hoping for better amp draw with AmpMax batteries.
Here is wallshot, compared to WF-502B with T6 that pulls 2.6 amps. (mouse in for 502B)
Lights were about 1.5m from wall and camera settings like this:
Focal Length: 5mm
F-Number: F/3,3
Exposure Time: 1/30 sec.
ISO Speed: ISO-100
This is best i can do right now, when AmpMax batts arrive, i'll do outdoor shots. Also need to wait a bit for some nice weather.
There is one more thing. When i showed the torch to my friend, he asked why it isn't called like that? lol
(mouse in for regular designation)
Maybe this will boost its popularity. :)
That's about it, when i'm done with better batteries i'll get back here, if mods wouldn't mind me bumping this thread so much. In the meantime, if anyone has any questions, ask away and i'll be happy to help. Cheers!
WTF-36…too funny (I guess that’s the reaction you get when you switch it on!) :bigsmile:
I’m currently on the fence between this light or the Trustfire TR-3T6.
Thanks for you post here and the review on DX, there’s hardly any others threads about this light on BLF.
BTW I couldn’t see any of the photos you mentioned on the DX review, maybe I will need to register and log in to see them?
This UltraFire is currently sold out on DX but it’s cheaper here anyway.
.
Looking forward your tests of runtimes and draws with 3400mAh batteries.
.
I’m sure it would be OK if you started a new thread with your own review. There are a lot of multiple reviews of the same light on here, but this way all the information is in one place.
I hope to see more about this light including a comparison between this and the Trustfire TR-3T6.
.
I guess this one hasn’t caught on so much yet because the highly popular TrustFire has been around longer and the UltraFire cost’s about $10 more (actually almost $20 more on DX). I love the looks of the WF-3T6 with its extra knurling and Solarforce style tailcap. I also wish they would have made the battery extender match the looks of the rest of the light, don’t know why those are mismatched on many lights.
Sorry it took forever to respond. I must admit i'm both, slightly sad and happy in the same time. I was hoping for 2.0-2.2A on high but oh well... As before, here are continuous runtimes until cutoff.
On the other hand, runtimes are now more than acceptable for only two batteries! I didn't notice any difference in brightness obviously, for that small fluctuation of 0.01A on first two modes. These were actually peak values, same as for other batteries and they all normally operate in 1.78A-1.80A range. So it has to be "hardcoded" in the driver to pull about the same amount of amps for any batteries you put in. Still, after one hour mark of runtime, it seemed to me the light was a bit brighter than on the beginning. Maybe it pulled slightly more amps than required or maybe it has something to do with the fact these batteries hold voltage better under load. That's a whole lot of maybes and i'm probably wrong here, because it would also collide with "hardcoded" theory. Too bad i don't have a lux meter so i could confirm.
I have also edited previous post to include this results as well.
I thought so too.
Well, TrustFire IS technically better for more power and runtime if you don’t mind baseball bat layout.
I ment those pictures on product description page, but you probably figured that out by now lol. Wasn’t aware of it being sold out until now, but if i happen to need another, i’ll visit lightmalls, thanks.
My thoughts exactly.
I’d love to do that, but then i would need a WP6 and another six batteries before getting TR-3T6. Maybe one day…
At least one more person is interested in this one!
All in all, it is a good light and i'm satisfied with it. My only other complaint (except for 1mm too narrow lens as i've said in DX review) about this torch is it's hard to clean. Although, i don't let it get me down too much because i know this design contributes a lot to better heat dissipation. It is bright enough for me and i don't plan to mod it. Which i couldn't do anyway with my skills, yet. I'll better wait for something with 3x XM-L2 U2 and 2x 26650 batteries. :party:
Hi there i have a 3t6 that stopped working. I had someone “fix” it and they did but it would get hot and eventually stopped working again. Now when i put batteries in it the leds flicker a few times and thats it. It looks like some solder is on the outer housing. Could this be the problem?
In the picture the driver looks OK. The solder an the edges keeps the driver in place and makes electrical continuity with the housing which is necessary.
Is probably required to make more checks. Maybe the switch got loose?
(I guess that’s the reaction you get when you switch it on!) :bigsmile:
