REVIEW IMALENT DX80 COMPLETE.

REVIEW IMALENT DX80 PART 1




INTRODUCTION


We are probably in front of the led model of mass production that more power is able to generate according to the specifications of the manufacturer. This model, by philosophy, design and, power together with the delay in sales due to the changes being made at an electronic level, they are generating a great expectation. Today we will publish the first part of the model review. In this review part, we will talk about the characteristics of the model that are not being modified and that will help to clear doubts about the flashlight. Subsequently in future dates, we will complement this review with the final data offered by the manufacturer, power, regulation, runtime, thermal management and launch.


PRESENTATION

The DX80 comes in a carton box with a plastic handle. Attached to it is a color paper with all its characteristics. The simple box is very effective to protect the flashlight. Inside there is anti-shock material trimmed to protect the head and tail of the flashlight and do not suffer any damage. Inside it are perfectly located accessories. It is a simple and effective wrapping, but I personally plan to look for another accommodation of better quality.



As accessories the DX80 comes with charger, O’ring, manual and a holster, but that accommodates the flashlight in an efficient way. The DX80 already comes with a lanyard of braided cord




CONSTRUCTION QUALITY

Imalent has chosen materials of very good quality for its model. The body of the torch is made of 6063 aluminum alloy and the anodized is Type III with anti-abrasion termination. The tempered glass lens has anti-reflection treatment. At first glance we find a sober-looking model. Imalent has not recharged the flashlight with engravings, rather I think they could have put more engravings (on his web refer to this model as “the end of darkness”, it would look great on his body an Imalent type DX 80 End Darkness, or something. In addition to the absence of engraving on his body, it is remarkable that Knurlin is absent, which is replaced by a wide longitudinal lines running through the body. the headlight of my flashlight is on the way to China, I have not been able to test it very deeply, but my current perception is that it holds very well in the hand.




The few engravings that this model has are located in the Tail. In them we can see the model, brand, battery pack and some other stamps. On the side of the Tail is anchored Lanyard with braided cord. Being totally smooth, it allows the use of the X80 in Tailslan mode.




The head is increasing in thickness in a staggered way and is covered with dissipating structures in almost all except the area of indicators, pushbuttons and loading bay. It ends in a stainless steel bevel attack. In the same as we have already said we find the bay of charge of the integrated battery pack, which is protected by a rubber stopper. The pushbutton is big, and I think quite accurate in its use, and the Oled screen provides us information of some parameters of the flashlight. In the central part of the head, between the dissipating fins are seen air circulation gaps based on the internal design of this part and the dissipating inner structure.




For those of us who are crazy about multiled, the design of the reflector is a blessing. Lately we have been driven with multiled with hardly any reflector that flood a lot but do not project the light too far, or with XHP70 monoled flashlights and somewhat deeper reflectors that have a more conical projection. Here we are before a huge reflector, with 8 sections where they are perfectly centered 8 XHP70.2. In addition the sections are not too wide, and have relative depth.




The flashlight can be dismantled in half by separating the battery pack from the head. The threads are good, deep, and come clean and greased. The contact spring between the positive of the battery pack and the driver has a good thickness.



SIZE AND WEIGHT


As for its size and weight, it must be said that it is not a flashlight to carry it always in the pocket of the coat. It is a model of a size and weight that makes its planned use appropriate. That is to say, we will take it when we are going to make a walk, for example, but it is not a flashlight that we can carry always on top in case we need it. On the contrary, its size has other points in favor, such as the ability to carry a large reflector or dissipate the great heat generated. Below is the model compared to other flashlights and the weight measured by my scale.



USER INTERFACE

In the first place we will talk about the button. It has a large button and very good touch. Press and hold the flashlight. With short presses we will go through ways:

low > My low> My > My hi> hi. To switch off, press and hold.

To use the turbo we will use double pulsation and again double pulsation for strobe. With a simple press we will leave these modes and return to the last mode used. The DX80 has mode memory.

On the other hand one of the most relevant and very successful aspects in my opinion is the Oled screen, which will provide us with several parameters of the DX80 (low battery, high temperature warning at 50º internal, with three fast pulses shows us the lumen and voltage, and during charging the level of charge.




The charging function of the flashlight works perfectly. In addition, the pack is protected to over discharge.



PROYECTION

We are facing a brutally flooding model, and by saying flood, we are talking about flooding all over the sites, but also doing so a considerable distance. On this occasion more than using my soda collection Flashlight, I have chosen models for several reasons. On the one hand by bestial flood and power the Acebeam X80. On the other, by mixing power and launch the X60M. I have also selected other less powerful but more powerful flooders.



The projections on the wall will be presented in the second part of the review. First of all with the objective of seeing how the interior projection is presented the photos of the garage. Due to the configuration of the camera, the models around the 4000 lumens appear somewhat less luminous than reality, but the truth is that the projection of each one is clearly identified.




For the outdoor shoot I have made two groups. On the one hand the X60M, X80 and DX80 with fixed camera parameters (if you download a photo you can see them in any photo program).




In the other hand TK75, SD75, TN40 y DX80 en Mi, Mi-Hi and Hi. Another fixed camera parameters.




THE SECOND PART WILL PRESENT ALL THE RELATED TO THE PERFORMANCE AND THE CONCLUSIONS.

MODIFICATIONS PERCEIVED IN THE DEFINITIVE HEAD.

Once received the head seems that all the changes have been done at the electronics level. Nothing at the aesthetic level, nor of projection. Let's detail what I see that has been modified:

1.- On the display, the charge indicator goes slower than before. This does not affect the actual loading speed, which is still very high.


2.- There are a couple of new led indicators on the screen when the flashlight is on and it helps to locate the button when we carry it in the hand in the dark.



3.- The distribution of modes has been considerably modified, as we will see below.


DISTRIBUTION OF MODES, POWER, RUNTIME, LAUNCH AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT

Fortunately the modes have been corrected. Even so, it would be advisable for Imalent to adapt the manual specified to the reality of the current modes, runtime and throw. In any case as they are set up now they are fine. It should be noted that in the turbo mode I get much lower values, surely motivated by the calibration and characteristics of my integrating sphere, because Imalent sent me a document of a Test that indicated that the luminous flux was 32000 lumens.

As you all know, my sphere has been calibrated with Fenix flashlights from less than one lumen up to 4400. The diode included in it does not capture light in a linear way, ie, if for example an X value is 100 lumens, a value of 10X they do not have to be necessarily 1000 lumens, so the analysis done estimates the lumens in a curvilinear manner, predicting what that curve is going to be, and it does so with a margin of error statistically lower than 1% up to those 4400 lumens. Does this mean that the data from those 4400 lumens are erroneous ?, not exactly, what happens is that the% error can increase from that value, what must be taken into account when interpreting the results.
My sphere usually estimates values well up to 10-12 K lumens. Values higher I do not know





As for the runtime, I performed the download in Turbo, Hi and Mi-Hi mode. I observe that the Step Down jump much earlier than they did with the previous head, and the specified in my manual. The runtime in Hi mode is somewhat lower, and is much lower in Mi-Hi mode, but keep in mind that the light flux is significantly higher than specified in this mode. Despite them, for the amount of sustained power I feel runtime correct, because in addition we still have other very powerful modes below.
In fact as seen in the graph compared to other models, I have no other, and I think I have the best there is, that is able to approach her by delivering light for 80-100 minutes.







As for thermal management, in the general runtime graph we see that a performance improvement occurs when forced ventilation is activated, but it is a slight improvement. That means that the electronic regulation acts, but that the lantern dissipates by itself quite well.

Following the suggestions of BLF users I repeated the test in Hi mode in three ways in order to analyze the role of ventilation holes, and see if they actually influence heat dissipation.

1.- Test without ventilation
2.- Test without ventilation surrounding the holes that this model has with aluminum foil.
3.- Test with ventilation, worse not applying air on the flashlight, but extracting it. I have placed the fan upside down and have some distance from the torch in the sphere, in order to generate a gentle air stream, instead of applying air directly on it.



What is observed is that there are minimal differences in performance between one method or another, but that these differences are caused by the temperature of the flashlight. In addition, it seems that those torch holes influence from a certain temperature. For example the temperature was almost the same with aluminum foil and without the one until the 50º, in which they begin to produce differences more evident in temperature.




As for throw, it is a great thrower, but not as much as your specifications indicate (I have to say that my candle measurements are always somewhat lower than other users).




CONCLUSIONS.

My conclusions are brief and clear. On the downside, I think Imalent should correct the manual to fit the specified to the real. Little more I can say, the flashlight is great because it has to be large and I think in a model that uses 8 batteries it is not at all crazy to use a proprietary battery pack.

On the plus side I think it is very well built. And I think I have to make clear one thing beyond whether it fits more or less to the specified.

I have many very powerful torches, and some are almost perfect. But from what there is no doubt, is that the DX80 is the best flashlight in the power / projection / throw ratio of all that I have. For me it is a reference in the market, or the reference in its segment (bearing in mind that its segment are big flashlight). We speak of between 6000-7000 continuous lumens for almost two hours.

Subscribed. Very thorough review with the pictures and such.

Could you see any of the cooling fins? Are those air holes actually slots and then the fins press up against them to make it look like holes?

The video wasn’t working, but it might just need some more time to get fully uploaded.

Excellent finally a review. :+1:

A lot of work put down in this review! Thanks :+1:

Kind regards

I´ve insert a new video link.

Now I can’t see now because the head are in china. But I´m sure that are holes.

I do not think they change this part of the flashlight, but I do not know.

1/2 Review :smiley:

Thanks

Thanks

i wonder what type of battery they use, i bet it’s samsung 30q or sony vtc6

They say 8 x protected 30Q.

Nice review, thanks! :smiley:

Much more detailed review than I thought considering your circumstances.

What a dielema, the head needs to go back but do you want to part with it.
Tough choice. :smiley:

1st of all: great review! Thank you!!!

I have questions regarding the battery:
Are those 8 “normal” 18650?
The pack looks pretty non standard to me.
Can the cells in the pack be replaced?

I have many unused Panasonic 18650 3400mAh cells here.
Could I just solder them together?
Is it also possible to just use 8 cells and put them in, as they are….?

Thank you.

:smiley:

Its not easy access to the pack (I don’t know how can I do), and I think that the NCRB have no enough drain to this flashlight.

nice thanks
no fan?

Sorry my bad English, please, explain a little the question. :blush:

there is no ventilator behind those holes?

I’m pretty sure there isnt. Active cooling would be a whole other animal plus it would require pathways for cool air to enter and hot air to escape. This light doesn’t have that. It looks like it just let’s air in to expose more of the internal heatsink.

I’m still not sure if they kept the plate design heatsink from the video. Promo pictures show a different design.