“REVIEW”: Lumintop Frog – 10180 / 10440 / 3xAAA – SST20 4000K - NarsilM [Pic Heavy] - Beamshots Added -

Other Types of Lights Keychain / Pocket Flashlights
4

Thanks Correllux :wink:
I guess if it was a cashew I’d probably eat it instead of using it :smiley: Mouth light projector it would become, then :stuck_out_tongue:

Your question on the reflector is reagrding the review on the M3Pro, right? As far as I can remember, it screws from left to right (clockwise) and unsecrews counter-clockwise. I don’t own an U16, though.
To open it, maybe you can use the thumb, wrapped in a piece of cloth (to avoid scratches) and try to unscrew it or just pull it. Zeroair has a review on it (eventually the old version) and said “The reflector comes right out too.” (On The Road U16 Flashlight Review – ZeroAir Reviews).

I hope you manage to remove it smoothly :wink:

Thanks Marvin8 :wink:
Hope to do them on the weekend, and post them as soon as possible :wink: I am curious to see the range and illumination outside, in the dark!

5

This too shall pass…if you were to eat it. lol

Thanks…I’ll see if I can get it removed this weekend. I read Zeroair’s review first then searched here. Dinged it up a tiny bit trying to gently pry it free…very little space and hardly anything sticking above the head. I’m glad OTR is still around. Don’t hear their name much anymore but they’re great lights, great quality.

Back to the Frog. :slight_smile:

6

great review, thanks for including the mcpcb pics, and size comparisons to other lights

also thanks for showing the lowest mode compared to a FWAA… great info

7

That would pass…with much cost :smiley: :disappointed:

Have you tried to use something like a rubber suction cup, making it adhere to the reflector’s inner walls and applying some strength to rotate it?
I never tried it but maybe it works. Later on I will confirm the threading direction and post it here.

OTR is still making nice lights and I guess they have some to be out but they were affected by the shortage of chips, too. They have some small models, 16340 and 14500 to be out. I hope they will release them soon :wink:

Thanks jon_slider :wink:

I figured that the PCB size would be interesting specially if people want to mod the FW1AA or the GT Nano and put a 3535 LED there :wink: I guess the Osram W1 will not be interesting under the Frog TIR, it will create artifacts and tint shifts, eventually.

As for the FWAA, it has a higher lowest level, for sure. The SP10 Pro, even with 14500 inside, has a similarly low level, and it is probably the one that compares the most with the Frog :wink:

The ML mode can be configured in 7 different levels, but the second lowest is already higher than I would want :innocent:

8

I didn’t try that….loathe to try anything inside the reflector! :slight_smile: I tried two different grades of hockey puck and some softer but firm 3/8” sheet rubber that has decent grip…but all slippage. I just stopped there until I could try to figure out what I should be doing. Don’t go to a bunch of trouble for me, but if you do want to see what the reflector on yours is like that’d be nice…thank you. I almost messaged them about the 14500 model shown in photos but not as a product listing (M5 I think?) but it’s a little chunky and with the most recent 14500 light releases I’m not sure theirs is so attractive anymore. Other than the hold for on/off I kind of like their simple UI and that Gear Lock feature is really pretty neat and useful. …that reminds me…I do want to message them to ask about the origin/translation for “Poka Yoke.” lol

Y’know, one of the things that struck me about their product listings was the great lengths they went to convey features and technology for the lights. They really did an excellent job, and it was all their own work, not copy/paste community borrowing junk like most do. I think that says something about them, and it’s generally confirmed in the quality of the lights. Kind of refreshing to see…in the sea of aliexpress.

9

I just confirmed, the threads are clockwise. But the reflector has 2 small holes/grooves to fit tweezers and help rotating it :wink:
Try some leather gloves and make some pression. It will surely give up and will start rotating.

As for the M5, they were preparing a new one, a while ago. Probably bigger than the M150 and the SP10 Pro, of course. And the UI is much simpler of course.

They are still a solid brand, innovative in some ways but that doesn’t get much of a recognition within the community!
I have a bunch of their lights and soon I would like to get one of their big ones, a thrower with a battery pack. pretty solid construction and good UI as well!

10

I messaged them on ali and got a very nice long reply. Turns out the reflector in this one is pressed in for better heat dissipation. Sooo….I guess this one will remain unmodded. Just not enough there to attempt to pry or wiggle it out. She confirmed the M5 is on permanent hold until they can procure the MCU chips again, and yeah, that’s affecting all of their models and development, too. They’re having some difficulty with emitters, too.

And get this…poka yoke. She gave me a screenshot of google search results. How embarrassing. lol :slight_smile: But I’ll be damned…it’s a Japanese phrase, more of a concept, that basically means designing something so that mistakes cannot be made. So in this case, battery polarity, they haven’t done physical prevention but are just referring to the electronic circuit sensing. It’s another of Toyota’s contributions (like just-in-time manufacturing).

I noticed their bike light…looks really solid and might be a better recommendation than many that are often talked about. However, apparently they can’t or won’t sell the remote battery packs for it right now due to shipping troubles…so maybe not a good recommendation for those who don’t homebrew.

Nice folks, good products. (I……suppose……the same can almost be said for the makers of the Frog……)

11

So, as promised, here are some beamshots from the Lumintop Frog, in comparison with other keychain flashlights.

First, I must say that the differences between using a 10180 or a 10440 or 3xAAA cells, on max (Turbo), aren’t very significative in terms of distance/range. They exist, they are visible as I’ll try to show below, but they are no very significative in terms of overal output. Maybe at close range there is more intensity, but at longer distances, it won’t matter that much.

My observations and opinion of the Frog in outdoor use are as follows:

- the range is not very long, the useful beam reaches 30m-40m max, independently of the battery configuration I was using

- the tint is very pleasant and good outdoor, not too warm, but not cold, and it mixes well specially in green environments (I don’t like it so much indoor)

- the beam shape is quite floody, although the hotspot has some definition, due to the type of TIR it uses.

In comparison with other keychain lights such as the Trustfire Mini X and the RovyVon A8, the beam of the Frog is better, more pleasant and reaches further distance.
In comparison with the GT Nano, it has obvious differences that I don’t need to detail, since the LED and reflector produce a very different type of beam.

Here are some of the beamshots for you to make your judgement!!

FROG

Trustfire MiniX > RovyVon A8 > LT GT Nano

FROG

Trustfire MiniX > RovyVon A8 > LT GT Nano

FROG

Trustfire MiniX > RovyVon A8 > LT GT Nano

FROG

Trustfire MiniX > RovyVon A8 > LT GT Nano

FROG
10180 vs 10440 vs 3xAAA

@ 15 m > @ 45m > @ 55m

Now, some appointments on ergonomics:

And finally…the epic… Tales of the Frog :face_with_monocle:

The Nightingale Frog and the Rose

Sempervium Frog

Echeveria Anura

The Grasshopper Frog and the Ants

Strawberry Fields Frogs Forever

The Frog and The Beetles

CatDog CatFrog

And that’s all frogs folks :smiley:

12

> Strawberry Fields Frogs Forever

LOL

> The Frog and The Beetles [sic] Beatles

13

Sorry to know that :frowning: No modding possibilities for that ligfht after all :zipper_mouth_face: Maybe you can use some diffuser to make the beam better :wink:
Hum, I thought it would take a while for them to produce the M5, but it seems that it is a really long wait due to the chip shortage. And emitters too? Any particular emitters? I know that they won’t be able to get the Nichia 219C 5700K as they were discontinued.

Ahah, the Poka Yoke ! I guess I was never curious enought to ask about the origin, but it seems a very good explanation, given that they at OTR like to be thoughtful when making a flashlight! And we, customers, thank them for that :smiley:
Thanks for clarifying that too :wink:

I was never interested in the bike lights nor their big headlamps. since I don’t ride and since they are quite big. However, they seem to be a very solid solution, and to have good heat dissipation. As for the battery packs, it is troublesme that they cannot ship it, as the pack is incomplete that way :frowning: Maybe it is more for the chinese market.

Ohhh, I missed that one :person_facepalming: I was going to write Beatles and wrote beetles :person_facepalming:

I was tired when writing! I spent a lot of time trying to know the name of the “echeveria” and the “sempervivum” :smiley:


BTW, the Frog near its natural environment, about to make “Frog Splash” :smiley: :crown:

14

Strawberry Frogs Forever….that made me laugh too! Great beams and pics!

There’s just one more that I’d like to see:

Bull + Frog

OTR didn’t mention any emitters specifically and I didn’t ask. I did notice that they were out of their “warm” versions for a couple lights. I almost asked if I could get just a reflector because I know I could press it back in correctly, but then I thought that it might be possible that I could offend them by suggesting their product wasn’t good enough. It’ll do…beam isn’t bad outside, just on walls or larger open/flat areas. I’m walking away from the whole deal just pleased that I learned about poka yoke. :slight_smile:

15

Ahah, the bulls were not in the field, so I couldn’t get a pic of them :smiley: The sheep were nearby, but too far to get a pic from the wool! I’d cal it “The Curly Frog” :smiley:

I don’t think they would be upset with you asking about a new reflector. I’m sure they know people mod the flashlights. I guess I only have 1 OTR that wasn’t modded (the M4). You could get a “NO” as an answer but I believe they would probably understand the request :wink:

16

Thanks MascaratumB for your Lumintop Frog review and for your other reviews.

Both the Lumintop GT Nano and Frog are in my "show and tell" collection and I was thankful for your warning about the Frog not having Reverse Polarity Protection, along with your previous warning in another review that the GT Nano does not have Reverse Polarity Protection.


I was wondering:

1) How did you discover that the Frog and GT Nano do not have Reverse Polarity Protection?

2) Is there a non-destructive way to test if a flashlight has Reverse Polarity Protection?


Some of my lights that require button-top batteries use built-in protruding bumps that only allow the positive button-top end of the battery to make electrical contact which provides "physical" Reverse Polarity Protection if the battery orientation is accidentally reversed, but I'm wondering if there is a safe way to test for "built-in electrical" Reverse Polarity Protection (without causing any damage) for "lights that use button-top batteries and do not have the built-in protruding bumps" or for "lights that use flat-top batteries".

Thanks again.

17

Very nice review MascaratumB!

That sure is a tiny flashlight and I like the lighted switch. And very cool pictures!

18

Thanks MascaratumB for very informative review.

I have ordered one Frog and one Nano Pro on Neals Gadgets and one AAA long tube, using the 25% discount.

Looking forward to enjoying these two wonderful tiny lights. I already have the regular Nano Copper, also bought from Neals Gadgets. I like it very much. Will be interesting to compare the original Nano with the new Nano Pro.

19

Thanks roostre :wink:

These are indeed two nice flashlights :wink:
As for your questions:
1) How did you discover that the Frog and GT Nano do not have Reverse Polarity Protection?
I guess on the Frog I accidentally inserted and 10440 reversed into it. I was not remembering that the GT Nano didn’t have RPP, but I accidentally inserted it upside down and the light started getting hot. I didn’t click the switch, though!!!

2) Is there a non-destructive way to test if a flashlight has Reverse Polarity Protection?
I guess that it may depend, but I would say that what I did with the Frog, that is what I do with other lights, is a non-destructive way. BUT it is not advisable.
Normally I insert the Li-Ion cell in reverse position, let it stay for a while (seconds) and if it does get hot suddenly, I know it doesn’t have RPP; if it the cell/light doesn’t get hot, I will know that it has RPP. I never click the switch, though!
Some flashlights that only take button top cells, have physical RPP, since the button top needs to fit the space in the driver. Those who don’t have that, you need to be more careful.

Thanks NeutralFan :wink:
The lighted switch on this one is more evident than the GT Nano, making it more useful! I learned that one can enable/disable it, which is a good thing too for the sake of parasitic drain.

Thank you TermsakC :wink:
Seems like you have a nice collection of these small lights there :wink: They are addictive :wink:

I wish they made it with Anduril 2 for the sake of having other options, but I guess I can live well with NarsilM !

20

Am I missing something, or are there no side-by-side comparison shots between the Frog and Nano using the same scene and distance?

21

No, there are no side-by-side beamshots between the Frog and the GT Nano because they would be worthless in this case :wink:

The GT Nano is a thrower, while the Frog is a floody light, with very different distance ranges.

Instead you have beamshots on the same scene, smae distance but from the individual flashlights, on this post : “REVIEW”: Lumintop Frog – 10180 / 10440 / 3xAAA – SST20 4000K - NarsilM [Pic Heavy] - Beamshots Added - - #11 by MascaratumB

I hope it helps :wink:

22

Have you measured the current the lighted switch draws? Since it’s red, it’s probably pretty high. Green would’ve been a much better choice.

Curious to know how long it would take to deplete the tiny 10180 80mAh battery.

23

I just measured it with the 10880 battery - hopefully correctly - and the readings are: 179.2µA or 0.17mA

For this measurement, the switch led was configured to be enabled when the light is OFF.

With the LED disabled with the light OFF , these are the readings: 21.9µA or 0.01mA

I am not sure if the values with a green LED would be higher or lower, but in my sample, these are the readings!

Out of curiosity, for the GT Nano they are:

enabled when the light is OFF: 177.8µA or 0.17mA

disabled with the light OFF: 21.0µA or 0.01mA

:beer: