ThruNite TH10 V2 XHP 35 HI "Thrower" Headlamp // Full Review

This is the new ThruNite TH10 V2 “thrower” Headlamp , sent to me for review and NO other compensation other than keeping the light.

(links are NON affiliated)
TH10 V2 can be found at the main Thrunite site …… http://www.thrunite.com/th10-v2-rechargeable-throwing-headlamp/

or at the Amazon / Thrunite site …… Amazon.com

The TH10 V2 came in an Amazon box with large bubble wrap inside , around the ThruNite box. The contents of the ThruNite box include the TH10 V2 headlamp , a Thrunite 3100 mAh high discharge cell , the 3 strap type headband , an extra silicone / rubber holder for the headband , USB charging cable , a clip (for EDC) , 2 spare O-rings , 1 extra USB charging port cover , the user manual and a thank you card.

This is a 90 degree head , XHP 35 HI powered headlamp with boost driver. The emitter sits perfectly centered in the smooth reflector and the lens looks to be an AR coated glass. The Bezel is a smooth bezel as used on many of the ThruNite lights.

The Branding or etching is well done on the head of the light and instead of traditional knurling , this light has what I call “ribbing” on the tube. The “ribbing” is done with lateral grooves along the length of the tube , with smaller lines cut around the tube between the lateral lines. This ribbing provides a good grip and feels good to me personally and I think it gives the light a nice look also.

The TH10 V2 comes with the 3 point type (strap over the top of your head) headband and the light can be adjusted easily up or down in the silicone holder to the position you like and it seems to stay in position well. The headband is fairly comfortable to wear and seems to stay in place better than the single strap headbands do , especially with alot of movement or activity. There is also the included pocket clip which makes this light easily double as an EDC / pocket carry light. You simply remove the light from the headband , snap the clip on the tail end of the tube and you are go to go with your EDC light (head down carry).

There is a built in USB charging port that allows you to charge the cell inside the light using the provided charging cable , which is rated at 1.5 amps charge rate. If you prefer to charge the cell externally on a charger that is easily done also , as this is NOT a proprietary type cell that comes with the light.

There are some small fins on the back of the head , as there is not alot of room on the small head for big fins. The light does not get really hot before the step down from Turbo mode though and for such a small head the light seems to handle the heat pretty well. All of the threads were lightly lubed when I inspected those and they are very smooth operating and well cut.

The switch button sits down in a smooth aluminum ring on the head end of the light. Although the switch boot looks black when the light is off , is actually somewhat translucent to allow the indicator lights under it to show through when the light is in operation.
When the light is switched on (other than firefly mode) the indicator light under the switch boot shows through in Blue during normal operation. When the cell capacity is around 20% the LED indicator will turn to Red and will be constantly lighted. Once the cell is at 10% the switch indicator light will blink Red and the main LED will flash 3 times also , while the RED indicator light will continue to blink.
The indicator light also shows when the light is being charged , with RED indicating “charging” and Blue indicating “fully charged”. If there is a problem when charging (improper charging) or other problem when the USB port is used , the switch indicator light will then turn to purple.

I have tried the Protected Panasonic NCR18650B in this light and it IS a VERY TIGHT FIT. Also with the protected Panasonic cell the Turbo mode would not stay on and the light stepped back down to high within 1 to 2 seconds. I feel that this would most likely be the result with most protected cells , unless they have a high enough amperage rating to allow for the current the boost driver used in this light needs. The UNprotected High Drain FLAT Top cells will let the light operate and maintain contact with some slight bumping or jarring , but when there is a harder jolt or bump to the light the flat top cells loose contact enough that the light will flicker. ALL of the UNprotected High Drain BUTTON Top cells that I have (Efest Purple , LG HE4 , LG HE2 , Samsung 20R , and Samsung 30 Q) fit and work fine in the light and FROM VERY SHORT TEST , seem to also charge fine inside the light with the built in charger.

The Lumens , run time and tail amperage were all tested with the included 3100mAh ThruNite cell and I also did some testing with a Samsung 30 Q (3000mAh High Drain) and a LG HE4 (2500mAh High Drain). The Lumens output is just a little better with the 30 Q and the HE4 in Turbo mode (only about 70 lumens) and the rest of the modes were very close using those 2 cells of what the included cell is doing. The tail amperage was also very close with all 3 cells , so instead of making charts for every cell tested , since they are that close , I just made the charts with the included ThruNite cell showing ALL the test I did and then listed the lumens comparison from the 30 Q cell since it had the highest Lumens readings of all the cells tested. I am sure the driver must be pretty well regulated just judging from this.

Here are my testing charts…….

The beam from this headlamp is a pretty tight hot spot for a small reflector head lamp , with a little bit of Corona around the main hotspot and a good useable spill for walking or such. The throw is also very good for the small head and reflector.

Here are the beamshots………

2 Feet from white Garage door on Firefly and Low………

50 Yards from Gate on Medium / High / Turbo……

75 Yards from Gate on Medium / High / Turbo……

100 Yards from Gate on High and Turbo……

150 Yards from front of Barn on High and Turbo……

I almost forgot to say anything about the UI. It is a pretty simple one really and there IS mode memory for the last used mode , or the mode you turn the light off in. A single click turns the light on or off and the Firefly mode is a semi long press from off (about 1 1/2 second). You can advance to the next mode (LOW) with a press and hold of 1 second from the firefly mode and each level advancing is either a 1 second press and hold , or you can simply hold down the switch button and cycle through each mode and release when the desired mode is reached. The mode order excluding Firefly is Low / Medium-Low / Medium / High / SOS. The Turbo mode can be activated from any mode including OFF , with a quick double click of the switch. And yes that reads right in that the SOS IS included in the main UI. I have already suggested to ThruNite that they consider making the SOS mode hidden (possibly 3 clicks) to activate it , or something of that nature.

Other than the SOS mode being in the main UI sequence , I am really liking this light. It has a great throw for the smaller sized head / reflector , it looks good and has a good feel. The fact that it can be used for a headlamp or EDC , make it a little more versatile than most of the headlamps out there right now and it comes as the complete package if someone does not have cells or a charger already and wanted this light. Of course as with all my Thrunite products that I have to date (I think 15 now) this light has the great build quality that I have come to expect from the ThruNite products. I have to give this one a thumbs up.

For those who may not want to watch the whole video the live outdoor footage comparing this light with the Thrunite TC15 and the Olight H2R Nova , starts at 12:24 of the video timeline.

Video followed by listed specs…………

Specifications
•LED: CREE XHP35 HI with a lifespan of 20+ years of run time.
•Runs on: 1 x IMR 18650 3100mAh battery.
•Reflector: Smooth reflector.
•Working voltage: 2.75V-4.2V.
•Charging current/voltage: 2.75 - 4.2 V.
•Output & Runtime (Tested with ThruNite 3100mAh 18650 IMR battery):
◦Turbo (2100-753 lumen; 2 mins+73 mins)
◦High (1100 lumen; 90 minutes)
◦Medium (350 lumen; 4 hrs)
◦Medium-Low (138 lumen; 13 hrs)
◦Low (37 lumen; 57 hrs)
◦Firefly (1 lumen; 40 days)
◦SOS (630 lumen; 285 minutes)
•Peak Beam Intensity: 23600 cd.
•Max beam distance: 307 m.
•Impact resistant: 1.5 meters.
•Waterproof to IPX-8 Standard (2 meters).
•Weight: 71g without battery&head-strap.
•Dimensions: 107mm (Length) x 28.5 x 24mm

Nice review. I really like the looks of this light, but the SOS in the main UI is a deal killer for me.

Thanks Lamont……Yea I am hoping they will get the SOS out of the Main UI.

I have the TH30. It has the useless SOS mode as part of the main group. What were they thinking? Anyway, if you wait a few seconds in the mode you’re in, it will go back to the lowest mode in the next press of the power button. I’ve gotten used to it. Otherwise a great headlamp.

Thrower headlamp? Did they lost their minds?
Mike

For my needs, I agree. I use my floody headlamps for closeup electronic work, etc. A throwing headlamp would be useless for my needs.

OMG what the heck is wrong with Thrunite engineers. Blinky modes not hidden is a deal breaker. Thanks for the review.

Yes I also have the TH30 , exact same UI on both of these lights. I think they are both great lights really and the extra half second to get past the SOS , while not idea , is not THAT bad.

Headlamps with this kind of throw while not good for close up work , ARE good for the hunters as we have in my area. Ever tried shooting a 350 pound hog that was mad at you with one hand holding a flashlight and the other hand holding a rifle or shotgun?….lol

Under weapon. It is better to move light in aim direction, than head movement. Try, you will know what I mean.
Mike

I agree but not everyone has a scope mounted or under mounted light on their weapons. I started hunting when I was 11 and I tried everything thru the years. (about to be 56) Just saying the headlamp is useful for hunting purposes and a close up floody headlamp does not do much to light out 150 yards ahead if you need to see that far while using a headlamp. Also if you have someone in front of you that you are trying to help light things , you don’t want to be pointing your weapon at them or in their direction to give them more light.

This is a very useful handlamp for outdoor activities. I received mine the other day and really enjoy this light. At $48 with the current coupon this is a good value IMHO. This is definitely going to go on some backpacking trips with me.

I asked my Thrunite contact exactly that when I reviewed the TH30.

The answer is that Thrunite’s usual e-switch UI puts a blinky mode on a second double-click after turbo, but if you run the TH30 on a low-drain protected cell, going to turbo will trip the protection circuit immediately, making SOS unavailable. They believed it important to be able to use SOS even with an inappropriate battery.

I let them know I disagreed.

Having SOS as part of the main group is a must if you really need it. If you break a leg or are mauled by a bear, you can click to it fast and then go unconscious or deal with the problem. Of course, if you are not alone it is not needed. Just my take on why it is in the main group and others are free to disagree.

I agree it would be better with hidden SOS.

With that being said , it really isn’t as bad with the SOS in the main sequence as one might think. You can totally avoid the SOS by turning the light off in any of the other modes of , Low , Medium-Low , Medium , or High and then it will come back on in the mode it is turned off in.

If you are advancing through the modes , when you get to High , just a quick double click will take it right over the SOS to Turbo , and back to Low from there , then just hold the button down as usual to get back to the mode you want.
Even the SOS is only a quick double blink when advancing modes , (around 1/2 second) instead of the single blink , (about 1/4 of a second) as the advance of the rest of the modes have. It does not stop on the SOS mode as long as you holding the button down though and will advance right through like the other modes do.

I am not aware of any of the smaller headlamps that have as much throw as this one , but then it seems we get something new almost every week now days , so who knows?..……lol

Try mountain biking with a floody headlamp.

Robo, thanks for this excellent review. I’ve been happily using the light with a protected Orbtronic 3500 MaH. No problem with relatively sustained turbo. Beam is perfect for my use. Main improvement would be a 21700 with more heatsinking for longer output with (hopefully) less extreme heat.

I’ve never cared about in-light charging, because the light is unusable when you charge. Better to have a fresh battery in the light while you recharge a second one.