FREEME ✌ ASTROLUX EA02 SFT40/ CULPM1.TG Anduril UI Flashlight Group Buy

If it has the 5sf Bin, I will absolutely order, but is there anyway to tell, or just through testing lumens and throw and our best educated guesses?

It sounds like a 3030 W2 because the Boost HX (4040) can take up to 9 amps, so I thought. The W2 maxes out at about 8 amps. So if 8 to 8.5 amps is turning it blue, either it's an HX with a bad reflow or something else that's wrong, or a W2. Also sounds like a straight FET+1 based on results with the better batteries - certainly not amp regulated on turbo.

Yea, for binning, only way to tell is comparative measured output and/or best guess. It's not so easy, but I've done some bin tests before. We had some unknown sellers touting high bins, like with XP-L's, and turned out to be false. They can be honest, just too blindly trustworthy of their sourcing - who knows how many hands they go through, and it's pretty much all grey market sourcing on these small quantities. Hank, for example, has always been a trustworthy retailer, he either can prove the bins himself, or insists on traceable docs for the LED sourcing -- dunno how he does it, but Mark at Cutter.au is the same way, or he directly sources since he is a wholesaler/commercial retailer as well.

Just received mine, home today. Shame can't get the EC03 green. This green is like army dull green. Think'n it's a W2 but can't get access to the LED by hand - need to take it to the shop. Popped in what I had laying around - a Sofirn 21700 4000 at about 4.1V. Don't see the blue on turbo with it on for 10-20 secs but it starts getting warm. Hope can get the bezel off, and hope the pill is threaded to the head, and can be opened - looks like it's not one piece but can't budge it by hand. Will have to wait - got a pile of compost to move...

It's 4040 in size (I checked against a 3535 centering piece) so must be a Boost HX - good news!

I got the bezel off, removed the reflector. Still want to try strap wrenches to see if the head piece can be unthreaded from the pill area.

It sure is a deep reflector.

Is that for soldering? I couldn’t get my BLF GT to undo at the base, only the bezel….I really hated soldering on that one.

Mine landed in the country today, so hopefully have a review up by next weekend

Beamshot test for 3 flashlights that use Osram CULPM1

EA02 and L21A's head size appear to be fairly similar, but the EA02 is a LOT deeper reflector

SF47T has a smaller head/reflector size.

(side comment: something I notice about the EA02 beam hotspot is that, perhaps due to the deep reflector, there is a slightly more intense center hotspot inside the center hotspot, at least it looks like that to me)

1) Astrolux EA02 (CULPM1) beamshot

2) Convoy L21A (CULPM1) beamshot

3) Sofirn SF47T (CULPM1) beamshot

Soldering would be easier, yes. I do have a couple sizes of the bevel edge tips, like this 45 deg one, but almost like you'd need a smaller angle for reaching down so far. But for me not just soldering, I want to get access to the shelf to sand it smoothly, or at least do a close inspection - most of these lights don't have a smooth surface for MCPCB mounting, some leave burrs on the drilled holes, or excessive machining marks (raised point in the center), and sometimes I find contaminants under the MCPCB keeping it from being level.

I've been experimenting with batteries - oh boy, you have to get it just right to get the best output. About 9 amps seems the sweet spot. Any much higher, you lose output, and a fully charged 40T will get higher. About the turning blue thing, when you go from max ramp to turbo, yes the spill area looks more blue and I don't see the hot spot turning blue, least on on my unit. Even for below 8 amps turbo, the spill area is more blue on turbo than max ramp. At max ramp, the spill area actually has a decent tint, I'd guess in the low 5000K's, quite nice.

The behavior is a FET+1 design. Tried peaking at the component side of the driver, but think the LED wires were too tight. Looks like I'll have to remove the LED wires to see it all.

I can't achieve the throw # spec'd. I'm seeing lower than 400 kcd taken at 5 meters with the best cell configuration.

A fully charged Wurkkos 26650 5000 fully charged is about right, and it fits! All the LK 5000 cells I've tried, and relabeled LK 5000's, I have don't fit. A Shockli 5500 does fit. Might be older generation LK's don't fit, newer ones do? Not sure yet...

Odd I'm seeing almost the reverse of d_t_a as far as battery fitting is concerned. Again, may be generations - I got a lot of older LK's.

Thanks for testing with a charged Samsung 40T.

I decided to give another try with the Samsung 40T on the EA02 after reading your experience.
You’re right, the spill becomes bluish but the hotspot doesn’t appear to be bluish (but looks a bit cooler temperature).

However, I tried doing ceiling bounce with a lux meter (I’m using HS1010A lux meter). Place the EA02 at the same location in a small enclosed room, pointed at the ceiling.

With Samsung 40T (almost full charge ~4.05v) at ramp ceiling level, I get ~102 Lux on the meter. And double-click to Turbo, the ceiling bounce Lux meter reading is 112 (spill looks bluish)

With a different battery, not as high-drain older 21700, at ramp ceiling level, I get ~99 Lux reading on the meter, Double-click to Turbo, the ceiling bounce Lux meter reading is 120 (spill not so bluish)

There is a drop in Lux reading (I suppose that means lumens reading is lower too, unless my light meter is just reading cooler/bluish as “lower lux” than the not-so-cool light (on the less high drain battery) as “higher lux” which can be another explanation…)

~

For batteries, I tried to do some measurements.
the diameter opening on my EA02 green is about 26.7mm. The Vapcell 26650 and Shockli 26650 is also around 26.7mm, but the batteries won’t slide in the EA02 tube.

The Lii-50A I have and the Wurkkos 5000mAh 26650 is around 26.2mm diameter, no problem sliding them inside the EA02 tube…

Vapcell & Shockli 26650:

Liitokala Lii-50A & Wurkkos 26650

I think my Lii-50As are newer generation (and probably not as powerful as earlier generation LK)

Well, glad I didn’t grab any from Mateminco straight away, I’ll thoroughly test my review unit from Banggood.

If it’s running a FET+1 (what’s the +1, is that just a single 7135?) then I won’t be stocking this model. Damn it, I hoped for a buck driver like the L21A.

I wonder it we could just remove one of the tail springs. Just keep in mind that if it’s the 5SF bin, it could be entirely normal if we haven’t seen one before at 8-9A? The Sofirn SF47T was I think the 7R (first batch) and that was very cool white, the L21A was a nice neutral.

What were they thinking with that green. Looks all washed out. The FT03 green is so much nicer.

I like it. More reminiscent of an OD green. Got shipping notification this morning ( :+1: ). The trick will be working out power cells based on the consensus thus far. This will be my first 26650 capable light, so I have no cells in that size (yet). Closest I have to 9A would be 18650 GA’s, or maybe some Sofirn 18650’s. Hopefully good enough until a suitable candidate in 26650 is identified that will fit the skinny tube. Psyched nonetheless after reviewing VR’s and d.t.a’s videos.

Here's a collection of Astrolux greens and they are all different. I don't have green FT03 though:

I have 26650 batts that fit fine, some fit but are tight, and others that don't fit at all.

The GOLISI and Vapcell K64 fit fine, while the Shockli has to be played with because it's tight on the top, then it goes in fine for me, and can be removed fine. It's a mess and all because it's 0.5 mm or less too narrow - probably 0.2 mm added would do the trick. The MF01 mini's don't have a problem, and other 26650 Astrolux's are ok too.

The reflector sure is deep. Reflector I.D. is 53.5 mm, outer height is 73 mm. The outer diameter of the bezel is 63.5 mm:

Here's the problem. That white plastic centering piece doesn't appear to be threaded, I can turn it, but it doesn't come up at all. The LED wires aren't long enough to pull the driver out to get to those LED wires, so, I'm sort of stuck in how to remove the MCPCB and driver.

Opening the switch, I snipped the LED black lead but the white wire requires a cutter/snipper with a long thin end to get deeper into the hole.

Yikes! I'm committed now to solve this since the black lead is cut

Output Tests

Before I disabled it, I did lumens and throw measurements on a SHOCKLI fully charged, measured 8.75 amps (about the best #'s I got)

  • Maukka calibrated lumens: 1303 at start, 1206 at 30 secs
  • 374 kcd, taken at 5 m on a Extech LT45

Those are disappointing lumen numbers, sounds the same as the L21A. It does change between chips though, I’ve had some L21A’s get 1200 at 30 sec and others 1350ish

Maybe message Mateminco and ask how to remove the centering ring

It's the worse scenario. The head is glued to the pill and looks like the centering ring is press fit in. I can get it out but I'll drill or cut it. Should be able to still use it.

This may have killed my interest. Some very good point would have to appear for me to forget about the glue…

The reflector depth and CULPM1 had raised the score but someone came up with glue… I hate glued threads.

This is something you’ll have to get used to as more brands are now doing this. It makes it more reliable to the general public when things stay tight.

Maybe dismantle it and blast with a heat gun for awhile and use strap wrenches in a vice

Just wondering, what’s the Mateminco model number for the Astrolux EA02? I haven’t seem to find it yet…

Mateminco MT-Y1

I will stop buying them.
If it were a top brand…

Fair enough, but at these budget prices it doesn’t really bother be that much unless of course it fails