Review: Trustfire Mini-01

Yeah the low is good. I think a different driver that could do just Low first, then High would be good too for a general edc.

My AW IMR 16340’s just arrived for the Mini-01 :bigsmile: On charge at the moment. I’ll post again once ive tested them.

I just tested the IMR 16340’s.

I measured a peak of 3.07A which then settled to 2.8A on high :bigsmile:

Mine arrived today to the land of the long white cloud.

Must say even running old grey TF’s it was pretty cool.

Then I put in the yezl’s, it was no longer cool, rather warm actually.

This has to be the best value/light output EDC so far.

Even put a diffuser on it on low and it should provide about 3 hours of bivy illumination when in the bush, while providing a very minimal weight penalty.

Happy days!

II’z

Sounds like your enjoying it anyway :bigsmile:

The last weeks I thought of buying this light or not, but now I pulled the trigger :wink:
I’m really curious how it will perform, but I think the 16340 Yezl’s I bought should do the job!

Great :bigsmile: Let us know what you think when it arrives. The Yezl’s are very good in this light. Very bright, and good run times also considering the output.

I will try mine outside tonight with the IMR 16340 and post my findings compared to the Yezl cell.

Cheers
Matt

i pulled the trigger as well. where are you guys purchasing these yezl cells from?
i have some eXtreambeam 16340’s….anyone ever heard of these?

Forum member ‘Torchythebatteryboy’ sells the Yezl’s through ebay here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Yezl-top-quality16340-CR123a-rechargeable-3-7v-protected-batteries-case-/290757867215?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item43b284f6cf#ht_3378wt_1271

Been waiting for almost a month and mine hasn’t arrived yet. The long wait is killing me. :weary:

You should probably have it soon then :slight_smile:

Yeah, you’re still better off than I am, gloomy. Mine arrived a week ago but they sent me a cell phone battery instead of the mini-01! After an angry email they resent the correct item and I have to wait another 3-4 weeks for my mini. Argh!!!

Sure hope so. Sorry to hear they sent you the wrong item. I’d go ballistic too if that happened to me.

Got my Trustfire Mini today and tried to use 14500s. Could not find anything with the same thread as the head. Any ideas?

Lennart

Edit/added; I know they make a AAversion but want to stay twisty to not make it longer than about 80mm.

How are you finding the Mini-01? Some interesting Lego’s you were trying there :slight_smile:

the seller for the yezl’s make it seem better than imr’s. has anyone tried both cells yet. i havent ordered yet, but i would like to get the cell’s that would make this mini brightest

One advantage of the Yezls is definately the protection circuit!

Has anyone ever tried modding this light, is it necessary to mod it due to the heat problem?

Personally, I feel like this light needs no modding. We have a thumb-sized little stainless steel constructed torch that harbors an XM-L LED. With a 16340, we get a measured 400-550 lumens out of a tiny light. We should expect it to heat up like a BBQ, and should not expect long run times. For what it is, it is awesome.

You could mod it for lower currents, less lumens, longer run times, and sure, less heat. But… aren’t there other 1x123a size lights out there that already do that with a Q5 or something in them? The only thing I would change on my Mini is to swap in a smooth reflector.

Obviously opinions vary. But I wouldn’t call the high heat on this baby a “heat problem”. I call it “expected”. I am thoroughly impressed with this little beast right out of the package. :slight_smile:

Then again… if you guys come up with an awesome mod that makes total sense, I’m down. :slight_smile:

I have the Yezl and AW IMR 16340’s.
The Yezl look and feel like a good quality cell. The wrapper is nice, it all has a solid feel to it. The AW has a plain red wrapper that is very thin and cracks easily. I have had to tape both my 2 day old AW cells.

I measured the Yezl supplying 2.4A to the Mini-01, and the AW IMR measured a peak of 3.07A and a steady 2.8A.
The IMR is definitely brighter, but doesn’t have a protection circuit for over discharge, but if you are careful, you can tell when it’s time to recharge. Using mine on and off for a minute or so a few times in a row is enough to discharge the cell to the point where it’s no longer fully charged and it’s not supplying the full amount of current anymore. You notice a gradual dimming of the light, and if you turn it on when the cell is half full, you will notice it doesn’t get too hot to hold either.

The light does go through a cell quickly, but I have been quickly removing and testing the cell voltage when it’s clearly visible the light has gotten a bit dimmer, and I’ve measured 3.6-3.7 volts, so provided you keep an eye on it, there shouldn’t be much chance of over discharge.
The light was pulling 1.68A from the Yezl at 3.7v, so that explains the visibly dimmer light.

For brightest output, the AW IMR 16340 wins(not by a huge amount, but it is brighter), but it won’t last quite as long as the Yezl, and doesn’t have a protection circuit.

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I’m getting good results with Ultracell 16340 LifeP04’s off ebay. £1.56 for 1 including free postage.

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Price went up a bit,or I can´t find them.