ThorFire asked me if i could do a review on their new AA/14500 light, the upgraded TG06: the TG06S
I said yes.
So they sent me the light, and asked me if i could also post this Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQ4TY45
Here it is:
Comes in a simple cardboard box with spare O-rings and a user manual.
Pocket clip was already in place, the clip can be reversed too.
:nerd_face:
The output end:
The smooth reflector is as large as possible, and looks like it will throw pretty well for this flashlight size.
The LED is a cool white XP-G2.
The light can tail-stand.
Tube, head and tail:
Brass retaining rings in the head and tail
All seems to be nicely machined and assembled.
Anodized tail treads.
Proper tailcap assembly, with a switch on PCB.
17mm diameter driver PCB
Brass pill with an approximately 1mm thick shelf
Aluminium 16mm diameter LED board.
Glass lens without coating.
Still in the head (forgot to take it out for the picture) is a green glow in the dark O-ring.
Group photo with some competitors:
It’s not really small for a straight tube style design.
This is due to the tailswitch and the relatively large reflector.
But it’s also rugged because of the slightly wider overall diameter.
This is also reflected in the weight of the light (without battery):
ThorFire TG06S weighs 44.5 grams
Utorch UT01 weighs 35.9 grams (without its horrible clip and with TIR optics)
Jetbeam JET-1 MK weighs 26.5 grams
Klarus MI7 weighs 26.4 grams (also no clip, it came without one)
Here are the specs from the manual:
Seems legit, and yes, it’s pretty bright.
Similar output claims as above mentioned competitors.
Four modes, always starts in high mode: HIGH - MEDIUM - LOW - MOON.
Double tap for strobe.
Unfortunately driver uses PWM for medium, low and moon on AA batteries (Alkaline or NiMH)
To my surprise it uses PWM on all modes with a 14500 (Li-Ion).
Unfortunately it is visible too…
The PWM frequency seems to be around 400 Hz
The picture above shows moon mode on a 14500.
Comparing it with the Klarus MI7 on a wall outside:
Lumen output is quite similar in high mode on 14500.
But, due to the larger smooth reflector the hotspot of this ThorFire TG06S is tighter and thus brighter.
Using way too much contrast the difference is obviously much clearer:
~
Resuming:
The ThorFire T06S is a well built rugged AA / 14500 light with a good amount of throw for its size and form factor.
The driver, although it provides the light with a high output, could have been better, like the Jetbeam driver for example.