Astrolux MF02 CW review w/ measurements (XHP35 HI, 4x18650)

Thanks for the detailed review - so glad I decided not to order this light, even for the reduced GB price… too many trade-offs and already reported problems, besides the underwhelming performance (compared to what has been promised).

Got mine today and I unscrewed the driver to see what’s inside.

The person applied the heatpaste on the retaining ring have no clue what they’re doing. Also the current is running through 3 screws which is very bad design. (lexel is right about this)

Thanks for the excellent review Maukka !

In the Banggood store, on the page of the Astrolux MF-02, now you read the following:

Note:

We have changed the range and peak beam Intensity of the flashlight, but it will not influence the use. Thank you.

What does it mean exactly?

Also, if the reflector and the output remained the same, how is it possible that the peak beam intensity has changed?

Maybe they improved led focusing.
On the picture it is written 720000 cd.
We will see.

So they cheaped out by not threading a retention ring into the design, how to remedy this?
The more I’m learning of design issues, the less I’m liking I bought one. Mine has yet to leave BangGood.
The MF02 is 1/2-2/3rds the cost of competitors
Bangood order cancelled. TN42 ordered

Note:

We have changed the range and peak beam Intensity of the flashlight, but it will not influence the use. Thank you.

It is a sibylline phrase ... They do not say "we have improved ..." but just "we have changed". Moreover, what does it mean "but this will not influence the use" ??

The standby drain really turns me off.

I have my second MF02 unit sitting on my desk here next to me. I have another which had a driver board fail in. After significant hoop jumping on my part to satisfy Banggood, they sent me a replacement head for the first light. Now it works flawlessly.
My observations with no test equipment:
The light has a lock-out feature to limit the parasitic drain. After use, it should be locked. However, for hours I left it with the green switch light blinking and it appeared to have no effect. I played around with the light for quite a bit while camping the last few nights at a nearby lake here in the US (California).

After over an hour of running, mostly in Turbo with brief off periods, the light was only mildly warm. Ambient temperature was 42 deg F.
The power indicator in the switch was still showing green. When I returned home, I placed the Sony VTC6 cells into my Nitecore Superb SC4 charger and in an Xtar to verify. They were right at 75%.
I must say, this light is IMPRESSIVE. I know there is a light or two out there that will outperform it (Specifically the Thrunite TN42) according to the tests I have seen but for $82 shipped to the US, they aren’t over 2X as good. I compared it to my Thrunite TN32UT and it vastly outshines it in both throw and overall light. Note: Before anyone says anything, I know they are not apples to apples. The Thrunite 32UT is running a dated XM-L2 dedomed and the MF02 is running the XHP-35. BUT, both are 4x 18650 throwers at close to the same size head. The Astrolux has a vastly cheaper MSRP.

I highly recommend this light, especially if you can get it for under $100.

I am offering BLF Narsil driver for this light for 18.5€

Way better UI

Its a Buck driver so Carrier needs to be modded 4S

I have received my Astrolux MF02 in neutral white and am extremely happy with it. I had to take the driver out though as one or two washers were loose inside. This would mean the current path from driver to body your flashlight was not optimal. I cleaned all the surfaces with contact cleaner and reassembled. The tint for me is absolutely perfect at just over 4000K estimated and I have tested throw and output in comparison to my other throwers. My results are showing close to 3000 lumens and approximately 530kcd. (I am just using lux meter on phone calibrated to other lights). I’m referencing from a Btu shocker and haikelite MT07 upgraded model with xhp70.2 Also the blf q8 is known at around 55kcd. Extremely happy with this light. I don’t know if meteminco has beefed up the driver in recent months because this is throwing overt 100kcd more than maukkas review. Also the nw could be a higher bin. Interesting.

your lux test is very lightly way too high comparing to other lights with same throw might work, but the error is way too high getting from 50k to 500k readings of your cellphone
Maukkas Lux-/Spectrometer costs more than 2k$, so I would trust his measurements
There are no higher flux bin 4000K LEDs than CW both usually in D4

Yes, well it will be interesting to see more measurements with neutral white emitter. I have also removed driver and cleaned contacts and saw a nice 20% increase (I measured throw after cleaning). Spring bypass is next.
I am not very knowledgeable of different flux bins but I saw that you dropped in a neutral white emitter into the MF02 that threw more than the cool white. How does that work if it is a neutral white out performing a cool white?

Cree divides up their emitters into different groups. After production they are tested and measured by a machine that measures brightness and color. I think the brightness bin variation is plus or minus 7%. So you can have an emitter on the high end of a D4 bin and an emitter on the low end of the next higher E2 bin and practically have the same output.

You can also have a NW D4 that is on the higher end of the scale and a CW D4 that is on the lower end of the scale and the NW will be brighter.

With the xhp35 the “brightness” bins are: A2, A4, B2, B4, C2, C4, D2, D4, E2 and E4. So 10 groups. They measure them at 0.35A and the A2 bin is classified at a minimum of 330 lumen. The E4 bin at 635 lumen.

Try downloading the Cree datasheets for the xhp35 and soak up all that info. It’s pretty interesting.

You’ll notice the high color temps tend to have the higher flux bins and the warmer ones have the lower bins.

Anyone know max amp draw for each battery if 4 batteries are used in the MF02?

The battery carriers are 2s2p meaning they put out 6 volts and the driver is a boost design.

So with just two batteries in the carrier it would probably draw 6 amps from each one. With four batteries in the carrier, it would be 3 amps from each one.

(I’m estimating a little bit high due to the boost driver drawing more amperage from the batteries as voltage goes down.)

Thanks JasonWW. That would mean if I could make the protected NCR18650B's fit, they would actually work if I always used 4 of them. I have a lot of those batteries so want to use them where I can.

Yeah, those might be a snug fit, but I’m sure you can get them to work. If they won’t squeeze in there you might be able to trim the spring or replace the spring with ones that collapse down a bit farther. The xhp35-HI are not power hungry emitters.

Thanks. Should be here by Wednesday if I believe tracking.

Maukka, do you have a website with links to all of your reviews? I love your reviews and would love to read through more of them.