Review: Small Thrunite Ti 2011 and 2012 versions

OK, so after more than month and a half of waiting I receive my so awaited Ti :bigsmile: And not only one, but two. A big thanks to TN for resending me the light because of such long waiting :slight_smile: I received different versions though, and after a pleasant conversation with support staff (Sabrina, David) I want to share with you and them my thoughts and to try to ā€œimproveā€ this great little light that I really do like :stuck_out_tongue: (despite being direct driven on HI. Yeah, I love regulated lights :bigsmile:)

Moon low Ti, 2011 version, will appear always on the left, and 2012 version (3 lumen low) on the right. For beam shots comparison I have added Lumintop Worm also, always in the middle (on 3 light beamshot comparison)

OK, lets start with the outside comparison: both lights have no anodizing flaws and knurling (there are veeery minor differences on the heads, but nothing naked eye can notice :bigsmile:) is excellent, great for one hand operation :slight_smile:

Lenses: double AR coating on 2011 version, normal(?) coated lenses on 2012 version.
Well, Iā€™m quite noob in this, but David told me that 2012 version has coated lenses also. Maybe Iā€™m wrong, but I thought that lenses with hue (purple in this case. That blue tint on 2012 version is just the sky, it doesnā€™t have any hue) are better, i.e. less reflectance.
Both are crystal clear, but Iā€™d suggest to TN to switch back to 2011 version lenses if they can :slight_smile:

Reflectors: H (eavy)OP on the left (2011) and L (ight)OP on the right (2012). The shape/size is identical on both.
Well, I was quite amazed after I received this light. With that reflector, Ti has better defined hotspot than my Worm with SMO reflector! :open_mouth: Definitely a very good reflector for XP-E emitters that can still provide a very good throw.

Beam patterns are very similar but (donā€™t know if itā€™s due to slightly off center emitter on 2012 version) I can see more artifacts on the new version :expressionless: So, in my opinion, Iā€™d suggest to keep the HOP reflector for smoother beam (beamshots to follow).

Ok, hereā€™s the biggest ā€œflawā€ IMHO: in this pic and also on pic where I compare reflector (upper part of the pic) you can clearly see how ā€œbadlyā€ the head is mounted :bigsmile: (on both lights)
Looks like the inner, brass part, is smaller (in diameter) and thereā€™s is a gap between. Both parts are glued I suppose, but in my opinion, a bigger brass part will fit better and that diff in diameter will not be noticed so much.

Another thing: o-ring. Looks like it doesnā€™t have a, lets say, special place, thus it can be slightly off sometimes. Solution? Well, a narrower place to put that o-ring in or just a thicker o-ring maybe, just in case :wink:
Hereā€™s an example of Worm head, Lumintop did it right I think.

Other thoughts: I like that TN used that foam to switch between modes and prevent rattling, instead of the spring. On the first pic you can see that ā€œgapā€ when the light is off (I have used GP Eko for my testings, they are 44.3 mm long).
Despite of the design, it tail stand quite well on flat surfaces (very useful for some :P)

OK, lets see how it performs - time for beamshots.
As I said before, I chose Worm (1xAAA light, LO-HI 2 modes) to compare it with Tis. All batts where almost fully charged, so Ti could be slightly less bright on HI because itā€™s direct driven. Worm is fully regulated, so it will keep HI at almost 100% till batts are depleted.
Hereā€™s both Tis on low (remember, 2011 version on the left, 2012 on the right).
BTW, tints are good on both, on a cold side. 2011 version has very slightly yellow, hot spot tint.

Yup, moon low is almost unnoticeable! :open_mouth:

Hereā€™s a 3 light comparison (all in low mode). Worms low, as stated in the official specs, is 10 lumen only.

All on HI.

NOTE: 3 lumen Ti looks a little bit brighter, yes. It has LOP reflector that helps throw better, but (!) 3 lumen version Tis has brighter HI mode, itā€™s driver related. So, which beam profile would 3 lumen 2011 version have? Even more similar.

Hereā€™s my manual, Photoshop tweak to lower the exposition. 2012 Ti won here :smiley:

To sum up, great little light. If TN can smooth out these small ā€œimperfectionsā€, Ti will be one of the best AAA lights :stuck_out_tongue:
Thanks for reading.

PS: special thanks to Xenoā€™s E03 fingergrooves, helped me a lot to make pics :bigsmile:

Very nice side-by-side comparo.

Thanks !

Nice reviewā€¦Short and to the point.

Nice comparison! Thanks!

I didn't know that there were so many changes.. Now heading to check my three Tis. :)

Thanks for the fun comparo!! :D

and wrong!, LDO1 will be one of the best AAA lights :p

Hahaha :bigsmile: OK, I will add this then: ā€œone of the best AAA lights for that price (16 bucks)ā€ :bigsmile:

thanks for the nice review. highly informative and detailā€¦

Iā€™m a noob to flashlights, but I disagree. I purchased an LD01 about a month ago and wasnā€™t fully happy with it. My ti arrived yesterday and itā€™s a better light IMO. It has better knurling for 1 handed operation, is shorter and has a better UI. The LD01 clip actually fits it perfectlyā€¦ Better than it fits on the ld01 even!

Thanks for signing up, soloz2!

Great review SashiX, thanks very much! Frontpageā€™d and Stickyā€™d.

:bigsmile:
ThruNight Ti :open_mouth:
Found this deal right hear on BLF. :~
Ti = The Best $5.00 US Dollars ever spent!
very nice and put on an old silver chain found around the house.