TPOS D02
Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Summary:
| Battery: | 2x 18650 Proprietary (5200mAh) |
| Switch: | Tailcap 2-stage |
| Mode Groups: | M1: Low, Medium, High, Turbo M2: Turbo M3: Strobe, Beacon, SOS M4: Standby, Lockout |
| Memory: | Yes |
| LED Type: | XM-L (Cool White) |
| Lens: | Glass |
| Reflector: | Aluminum (Smooth) |
| Tailstands: | Yes |
| Price: | $69.99 Shipped |
| Provided by: | Banggood |
Pros:
Extremely solid build. Wielding it as a mace I feel as though It could be used to break through a brick wall.
Silky smooth annodized threads.
Versatility in the combination flashlight battery pack + power bank.
Mechanical Lockout and switch lockout.
Very nice holster included.
Cons:
My sample has a defective positive pole spring (Detailed below).
Complex UI.
"constant current circuit"
Inconsistencies(Detailed below).
Function/ UI:
I measured the throw at 30sec to be 31900cd @ 1meter.
Using an Xtar VI01 I measured approximately 5000mAh charged capacity when charging from 3.20v to 4.16v with the included micro USB cable and usb adapter.
The charging time was 7 hours and 45 minutes. The charge rate begins around .80A and stabilizes around .70A for the majority of the charge cycle, decreasing during the last hour of charging. The charge stops completely at 4.16v and the red led changes to blue.
The UI is very intricate. It took me about 30 minutes of fiddling with the switch, reading and re-reading the instructions in order to get some consistency in mode changing.
Here is a condensed version of the instructions:
Switch and Pressing Patterns:
- PP - Partial Press, release within .4 seconds
- PA - Press All-the-way down, release within .4 seconds
- LPP - Partial Press, release after .4 seconds
- LPA - Press All-the-way down, release after 2 seconds
- TPP - Tactical mode, Partial Press, release after .4 seconds
- TPA - Tactical mode, Press All-the-way down, release after .4 seconds
- PT - Press All-the-way down twice in quick succession within .4 seconds
Operating:
With the light off -
- PP to enter daily mode (Last brightness level used is on)
- PA to enter daily mode (Turbo mode is on)
- TPP momentary on (Last brightness level used), when button is released the light will go off.
- TPA momentary on (Turbo mode is on), when button is released the light will go off.
With the light on and in daily mode -
- PP to cycle through brightness modes (Low - Medium - High - Turbo)
- PA to turn off.
- LPP to continuously cycle through, release button when desired mode is reached.
- PT to enter special mode - strobe
With the light on and in special mode -
- PP to cycle through special modes (Strobe - Beacon - SOS)
- PA to turn off.
- PT to return to daily mode (Last brightness level used is on)
Standby:
- Small parasitic drain.
Lockout:
- With the light turned on, LPA. The light will turn off and flash once. Very low drain, requires unlock before light will turn on.
Unlock:
- LPA, light comes back on in high.
With my particular sample, I can access everything except for the Low - Medium - High modes. After a lot of trouble shooting and some discussion with a helpful BLF user I came to the conclusion that my sample is defective. The part that seems to be restricting mode changing appears to be the positive pole on the proprietary battery pack. It tends to get stuck when compressed.
Along with L-M-H being inaccessible in my sample, there are some inconsistencies when the tailcap is loosened and then re-tightened. This may be also because of the sticking positive pole or it could be in the tailcap itself. Often after any changes involving the tailcap or removing the battery pack the flashlight will not turn on at all after being reassembled.. with any series of tailcap pressing or holding. After loosening the tailcap and then tightening several times the flashlight will regain the ability to turn on. Again, only in Turbo.
Apart from the spring issue, after having used it for a little over a week I have memorized the UI and after messing with the tailcap a bit I can consistently switch mode groups and function types (except for L-M-H). It takes very precise taps to utilize any of the features that require button release "within 0.4 seconds".
Runtime Test:
Fairly straightforward test. I have the light indoors with little air movement (air conditioned test area). Measured the output and the temperature over the course of 230 minutes.
Ambient temp: 76*F
Battery: Full charged (4.16v, 2x 18650 proprietary battery pack)
Mode: Turbo/"Ultra-High"
I would not consider this light to have a "constant current circuit". There is a fairly consistent decline in output from start-up until about the 3 hour mark when the output drops at a much faster rate.
Pictures:
The TPOS D02 arrived in the standard bubble mailer. Inside was this box loaded with accesories.
Contents:
1 x TPOS D02 Flashlight
1 x Flannelette bag
1 x TP02 (5200mAh battery pack)
2 x o-rings
1 x Adaptor
1 x Micro USB cable
1 x Holster
The proprietary battery pack. Micro USB out and standard USB in. The positive contact (Circle in the center of the pack, 2nd picture) is the suspected culprit of my sample's mode switching issues.
The included holster is one of the best I have in my collection.
Some close ups. The annodization is very well done. I was not able to find any defects under the anno in the time I spent going over it with a 'fine tooth comb'. :)
The color is slightly matte black. The tailcap boot is quite a bit more interesting than your standard black or GITD version.
A look at the very nicely centered XM-L emitter, and the super smooth reflector.
Micro Breakdown:
A look at the annodized, triangular cut threads, and the brass contact rings in the tailcap and underside of the head. Unfortunately, both are glued shut.
Comparison/Beamshots:
SK68, Convoy C8, Skyray 3T6 (2x 18650), Uniquefire UF-V8 (2x 18650), TPOS D02
For the beamshots comparison I chose the very common C8, XinTD x3, Uniquefire UF-V8, and the TPOS D02.
50 yards out to the center tree trunk. 10 yards to the hanging tree limb. All beams taken at the same manual settings.
C8 vs TPOS
Mouseover TPOS and Mouseout C8
The TPOS D02 has a very usable beam. The outer edge of the spill makes for the perfect brightness to keep an eye on where you are walking, and the beautifully focused hotspot and corona makes for a reasonable throw.
Conclusion:
Picking up this interesting looking flashlight for the first time I was very excited. It feels very nice in the hand, and feels very well built. The tailcap design makes for a very firm grip. The beam profile is one of the most usable I have come across in a thrower type flashlight. I was pleasantly surprised by how close to the rated capacity I was able to measure, expecting far lower actual capacity.
But unfortunately, the defect in my sample doesn't allow for L-M-H mode changing, and suffers from some very annoying inconsistencies with the contact points. These issues coupled with the poor driver and a rather complex UI I rate the TPOS D02 a 2 out of 5.
