Once the AceBeam TK16 Copper was announced, it appears still pritty damned clear to me, that if the price for this little super-beauty will be in a quite acceptable range, there is absolutely no chance to escape.
Just because it has all the features, that amy previous Copper EDCās (S1A, Maratac, ReyLight etc.) do not, which means a tripple-LED configuration and especially the tail switch.
The TK16 arrived well packed in a shrink-wrapped vacuum plastic sheet and comes with replacement O-rings and Silicone-tailcap, one rec. 16340 550 mAh batterie and a Chinese and English language user manual.
I choose the version with the Osram KW1.1TG LED, because I didnāt had any flashlight with an Osram LED yet, and even because itās specified with considering nowadays trends reasonable moderate sounding 1300 max. lumens, but therefore with some higher amount of lux, of which the exactly measured rate or number is quite unkown, respectively not mentioned, whereas it seems to be more than obvious that the beam range distance of 338 meters quoted by AceBeam clearly derives from the lands of the myths and fairytales, but couldnāt have anything in common with reality.
The overall build quality seems to be very accurate and perfectly well done. No marks, bulges, scretches or any kind of sharp edges, the thread turns nicely smooth. The icing on the cake of the TK16 ā i.m.o. - is the recessed tail switch, that has a very clear defined drop point, that makes ungloved operations really comfortable and easy, as well as the UI comes along.
It has a well setted 3 modes (low, mid, high) ramping with memory function, plus seperated directly to trigger turbo, moonlight, strobe and lock-out mode, which in total remains all I need and like to have. Nevertheless the TK16 UI also offers a choice between āpowerā & āecoā basic operation setup.
The beam profile of the Tripple-Osram version shows a very accentuated and concentrated spot with only just a little bit of spill,
which is really exceptional and quite unusual for this types of small Tripple-EDCs, as I havn't seen it that way before.
The tint of the build in Osram KW1.1TG LED is a really nice cool white with a high turn to an intense simple-white, not as nearly perfect as my Vinz modded Xeno G10 with some sort of specially prepared Luminus SST-40, but at least not that far away.
Towards the end of part 1, a pic to allow some size comparison with some other full members of the EDC-Copper Gang.
f. l. Olight S1A, ReyLight Pineapple Mini, Maratac CR123, AceBeam TK16, Klarus M1C While this leads us to the - i.m.o. - biggest issue and substantial reason to mention for criticism on the TK16, which is AceBeams choice of the very poor little energy capacity enabling 16340 / Cr123 battery format, that absolute unnecessarily restricts and limits the allover usability, of an otherwise fantastic beautyful great EDC flashlight, as badly as the time of joy and fun to play around.
I made two decent nonprofessional right hand-helded measurements with full loaded battery.
First in continuous turbo mode, that was stopped after exactly 3 min 48 sec, because the temperature starts to get slightly more and more uncomfortable. Afterwards the remaining battery capacity was measured with 3,8 A.
Second in continuous high mode, that was stopped after exactly 6 min 20 sec, because I decide so. After that time the light was hot but just to hold. The remaining battery capacity was measured with 3,7 A.
In both cases the output of light decreases very slowly by very tiny small steps and not that much at all, so it appears as to be not that easy to recognize to my just human eyes.
Considering the current dimensions, 66.5mm/2.62" length x 23mm/0.91" head x 22mm/0.87" tube diameter, and weight of 72,50 g / 2.56 oz, it seems to be, at least i. m. o., quite a shame and somehow completely unaccountable why AceBeam didnāt gifted the TK16 that tiny bit more diameter and lenght to run with a 18350 or even better 18500 battery.
In hopeful intention to verify a few of the things that are mentioned above by visualisation, it's time to come up with some beamshots.
The choosen flashlights for this little beam comparison.
left side: ReyLight 3x XP-G2 ded. (18650), ReyLight 3x XP-G2 nw (18350); right side: Astrolux S41 S 4x Nichia 219c nw.
1. Location ā urban surrounding: distance to the buildings wall ca. 28 m.
Camera setup: - manual mode -, - iso 100 -, shutter time 2,0 s -, - shutter aperture 3.5 -.
Dark night
AceBeam TK16 3x Osram KW1.1TG - turbo mode !!
AceBeam TK16 3x Osram KW1.1TG - high mode
AceBeam TK16 3x Osram KW1.1TG - mid mode
For some better overview the 4 pics
2. Location: The beam track is a ca. 300 m long part of a sidewalk / bikeway on the east bank of Lower Rhine river. (river course 800 km )
Camera setup: - manual mode -, - iso 100 -, shutter time 2,5 s -, - shutter aperture 4.5 -.
First picture shows natural distance , second is with 11 x optical zoom.
Dark night
AceBeam TK16 3x Osram KW1.1TG - turbo mode
AceBeam TK16 3x Osram KW1.1TG - high mode
AceBeam TK16 3x Osram KW1.1TG - mid mode !!
For some better overview the 4 pics highest mode shrinked to 400 pixels formate.
My personal summary, first of all the AceBeam TK16 copper is an absolutely beauty-queen,
secondly a real overall top-notch of EDC-flashlight, that thirdly and lastly certainly should have deserved
a little more of size and mass to gain some energy capacities for highly desirable bits of longer operation times.
:LOVE: & :BEER:
Macs