Review: XTAR WK42 Sirius CR High Performance EDC Flashlight

XTAR's WK42 Sirius CR EDC High Performance Flashlight:

First the manufacturer's specs:

LED = CREE XM-LU2, Main Body and Head = anodized 6N01 aluminum alloy with super hard type III finish, Switch = single clicky switch, Size = 23mm Head Dia./19.8mm Body Dia./21mm Tail Dia./76mm Length, Weight = 35g without battery, Battery = either one CR123A 3.0V or one 16340 3.7V, Working Voltage = 0.9-4.2 volts, Package Contents with WK42 = stainless steel clip, lanyard, o-ring, manual, and warranty card. Waterproof to IPX8 standards. Impact resistant from 1.5 meters. Gold plated positive plate.

Luminance Settings and Runtimes between CR123A (1400mAh) and 16340 (600mAh):

CR123A = 3Lm/200hrs, 30Lm/50hrs, 60Lm/6hrs, 190Lm/2.3hrs, Strobe = 190Lm, Signal = 60Lm, SOS = 60Lm.

16340 = 3Lm/90hrs, 30Lm/20hrs, 190Lm/1hr & 15min, 300Lm/1hr & 10min, Strobe = 300Lm, Signal = 190Lm, SOS = 90Lm.

Manufacturer's Note; "When using the fully charged 3.6V/3.7V 16340 lithium (did they mean Li-ion?) batteries, the WK42 automatically switches from Turbo mode to High mode after five minutes of normal use, so, the runtime is the accumulating time."

Max Light Intensity and Beam Throw between CR123A and 16340:

CR123A = 1060cd and reaches 65 meters.

16340 = 2500cd and reaches 100 meters.

Working Voltage = 0.9-4.2V

Moving on:The box was very nice, almost presentation style, with the front flap secured magnetically -

Inside the box everything was very secure and to my surprise there was also a keychain LED light included -

I can't believe how little it is!!! Perfect for having on one's self all the time and not even noticing it.

Some general pics starting with the tail end -

Orange-peel Reflector,.....even though you can't really tell in my off center pic, I don't believe the LED is truly perfectly centered, still, very close IF not.

Side Views -

Threads (I don't know what you call the thread design) -

Bottom Spring in Tail End (I can't believe how Heavy Duty it is! Almost thought it looked heavy enough to be used as a suspension component on a vehicle. LOL Plus my pic lacks showing how tall it really stands.) -

Positive contact plate inside head end -

General Pic next to wrist watch. I will add that the battery (Duracell Ultra Photo 123) is in as far as it will go without compressing the spring. -

2 pics next to my Coleman MAX (manufacturer rated for 120 lumens) flashlight I've been lugging around the last few years (hey, don't laugh, I don't yet own any other "cool flashaholic-style" flashlights to compare it to) -

No outside beam pics yet (YES, I'm very very sorry.). In a few weeks when I get a 16340 3.7V battery I will make a point to come back and post some. Following are a few basic pics limited to using a Duracell Ultra Photo 123 Lithium battery compared against my Coleman MAX (which may be fairly accurately rated at 120 lumens). All pics taken exactly 1 foot (12 inches) from the white (egg-shell white, matte finish) wall. -

Coleman MAX @ 120 Lumens / XTAR WK42 @ 3 Lumens -

Coleman MAX @ 120 Lumens / XTAR WK42 @ 30 Lumens -

Coleman MAX @ 120 Lumens / XTAR WK42 @ 60 Lumens -

Coleman MAX @ 120 Lumens / XTAR WK42 @ 190 Lumens -

My thoughts on the beam pattern and brightness settings; First, the beam patterns are actually round. My phone's camera distorted them. The pics don't show much difference between 30Lm and 60Lm, but to the naked eye there is a somewhat clear difference. That said, I do wish the 60Lm setting was actually maybe a 90Lm setting after doing some toying around with it outside after dark. Still, not a deal breaker IMO, but the two settings are relatively close.

I love the 3Lm setting. The 3Lm is low enough to not draw attention, yet softly lights up what's in front of you out to maybe 3 or 4 meters depending on how much other light exists around you at the time. I live in the heart of a small town with a minimal amount of street lights. Don't know the property lot size, but on either the 30Lm or 60 Lm settings I can clearly see what's going on anywhere in the backyard at night from the back edge of the house, and a bit beyond. At 190Lm I'm lighting everything up in everyone elses yards and a bit beyond. I would say XTAR's 65 meter beam distance rating on 190Lm is pretty darn accurate. Plus it is doing it with a fairly large spot beam and, to my delight, actually useable spill, which my Coleman MAX has never had at any distance.

Overall I'm VERY happy with the lumen output in all levels, except for the 60Lm setting which I do really think should be more like a 90Lm setting. I can't imagine the beam this tiny little flashlight is going to throw using a 3.7V 16340 battery on the 300Lm setting. And of course, when using a 3.7V 16340, the 60Lm setting is nonexistent. I expect to be ordering some NITECORE NL166 RCR123A batteries and a XTAR VP2 charger in the next few weeks. Once I get them I will update this thread with outdoor beam shots, and, using my real camera to do so, as opposed to my cell phone camera I used for all pics above in this review.

Anybody wondering about street price? Don't know what it costs in other countries, but I felt like I got a very fair deal. Not to mention I wasn't expecting the keychain light thrown in unannounced and more or less free of charge. I'll let the next pic speak to that -

Other features not mentioned above:

Underneath the firm opaque-white rubberish clicky switch is a red LED used as a low power indicator. When a well charged battery is being used the red light stays off. When the battery capacity falls below 25% it lights and stays on. When battery capacity falls below 5% it blinks continuously, at which time it is recommended by XTAR to change the batteries immediately (when battery capacity is very low, the WK42 may flash according to XTAR). In the hidden modes (Strobe, Signal, and SOS) the low power indicator is disabled.

When starting out with fully charged (at or above 3.5V) 3.6V/3.7V Li-ion rechargeable batteries (16340/RCR123A/...) the WK42 enables over-discharge protection in two ways. One is that in Turbo Mode (300Lm) it will step down to High Mode (190Lm) after 5 minutes. The second is that when battery voltage falls below 2.75V the WK42 turns off automatically. But keep in mind; If you start out with a partially drained rechargeable battery under 3.5V, the WK42 will think you are using a standard nonrechargeable CR123A battery and NOT enable over-discharge protection. And obviously anytime a CR123A (3.0V Lithium nonrechargeable) battery is used, over-discharge protection is disabled.

WK42 Memory Feature; Which ever of the 4 standard brightness settings you last turned off the WK42 from, will be the same settings it turns on with the next time you turn it on. None of the 3 hidden modes (Strobe, Signal, and SOS) work with the memory feature.

XTAR says; "...use protected Li-ion batteries..., remove batteries when flashlight will not be used for a prolonged period of time, clean electrical contacts regularly..."

Clicky Swich Operation; A single click turns the flashlight on in one of the standard brightness settings. Additional single clicks take you through the rest of the standard brightness settings. A quick double click takes you to the hidden modes (Strobe, Signal (signal in nothing more than a very slow flashing stobe), and SOS). Additional double clicks take you though the rest of the hidden modes. When doing a single click after being in any of the hidden modes, the WK42 always goes to the 3Lm standard brightness setting. To turn the WK42 off, press and hold the clicky switch for 1.5 seconds.

Other Thoughts and General Observation (IMO);

The clicky switch takes a firm press to activate. What I like about that is it can't easily be activated if not meant to be. The clicky switch is flat with the rest of the surrounding surface around it. The clicky switch produces an audible click with each press and feels very solid overall.

The lanyard is relatively small, soft and supple. Take that to mean secure and comfortable on the wrist. Not wirey and excessively sloppy like some I've had experience with.

The pocket clip is good overall, but IMO it comes off the flashlight easier than I'ld prefer. Still decent and strong in itself though.

Tail standing is rock solid (no imperfections allowing it to wobble on a level surface).

Grip is great anywhere you want to grab or hold it from. The pocket clip only enhances grip further.

The main body and head thread together very firmly and solidly. There is no slop whatsoever while threading them together. When the head and tail lock together there is a very solid stop, and shortly before reaching the stopping point you actually feel the rubber o-ring engage for waterproofness.

The lens is glass and appears crystal clear to the naked eye. Looking at the lens through my Belomo 10x Triplet it still appears crystal clear without the slightest hint of a hairline scratch or any other imperfection for that matter.

Overall I originally started out wanting a very small flashlight with a very specific feature set. For me, the XTAR WK42 is the only one that met that feature set. Maybe it will be to your liking too. If you have any questions, post below and I'll answer to the best of my ability.

Everyone take care and enjoy those torches! I hope my review helps others, even though I wasn't any help in terms of actual runtimes and outdoor pics and all that, at least for now. If there are other basic pics you would like to see, let me know and I'll post them. I'll tell ya another thing, pics don't do this flashlight justice. It looks much better in real life, and way smaller too! Even seeing it with my own eyes it is hard to believe it throws so much light from such a little platform!

Great review. And a fair price for a high quality light.

Oh! And welcome to BLF :-)

Cool light… I wonder which one is brighter between this XTAR or Solar storm SC03?( btw 1/2 price of this light :slight_smile: )

Interesting…like a mini Roche F6…almost

OP you should go thru and add the {width:} tag to your images so they fit better on the page…most times 75 is still very clean

Very interesting and nice little pocket flashlight

Thanks for the review…$36 is still way outta my “budget” price range

thanks for the review! looks like a nice lil light…but I just don’t like the form factor of 123’s for EDC. I’d prefer skinnier. 14500 or 10440 lights for me!

I wanted to but was never able to post the pics in a conventional way that would allow me to do so. Either that or it's just over my head and I can't figure it out. If a moderator has the capability and wouldn't mind doing so, if possible, that would be perfectly fine with me. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful in that way.

Your Welcome. One of the main reasons I decided to post a review is because so few reviews exist on this flashlight and are mostly limited to YouTube and don't really explain much.

Thanks for the review. I love to EDC 123/AA lights. This light looks good but kind of pricey for that old emitter. Xtar haven’t bother to update their lights now.

That's a good question. And they use different reflectors too with the SC03 reflector being smooth and the WK42 being orange-peel. One reason I personally really wanted the XTAR was for the low battery indicator feature. If it exists on the SC03 I'm not finding it.

Another thing I'm uncomfortable with about the SC03 is no claim on lumens for the low setting. From low the SC03 is supposed to be infinitely adjustable to any lower setting yet. But there's at least one review out there that wasn't too positive about it (can't remember the details).

Either way, the SC03 is a great light for the price! The WK42 simply filled more of my wants/needs. A head to head comparison would be cool though.

Thanks for the review!!!

I have the SC01 and the XTAR WK41, any comparison is meaningless. They are similar in form and having side switch, but as flashlights one is a 9/10 and the other 5/10.
I have the Xtar WK42, is one of my favorite cr123a, the low voltage warning recognizes primary and rechargeable, and it works for both, great flashlight, great design and great regulation.

Most in that size category don't even have half the features or reach it's brightness and some of them still cost basically the same for all practical purposes. Some less. I can certainly agree that some simply don't need or care about all the features the WK42 offers compared to others in the same form factor, and the WK42 simply isn't for them anyway.

Of course if someone is only buying it to turn around and customize it, that would be a different story all together.

I need an education on what a newer emitter would do for it? I couldn't find another in the same form factor that offers any more brightness, and if they don't, what's the difference with the emitter it does have? Am I completely missing something? Btw, don't take that the wrong way. I really don't know.

I've noticed after reading lots of threads that many agree with you. I like a little shorter, and the fatter part doesn't bother me. In the end I'm glad there are multiple choices for both preferences in terms of form factor.

they make it in a AA/14500 too

curious if the head of the cr123 version fits the AA . if so it would be nice to have both pieces

---> I thought the same thing when I saw it >>> looks like a mini f6 Roche

Wondering if it has low PWM like the wk50's if so it's a deal breaker for me.

nice looking light

@Skeeterwx XM-L2 can give approx. 20% more output with the same current but to tell you the truth can you really tell the difference? I don’t but newer is usually better right? :stuck_out_tongue: Take a look also at Olight S10-L2. It has better price than this with more output (400 lumens) and it will step down to about 60-70% after 4 minutes. You can usually get it cheaper on eBay through auction ($34-$36 shipped). I think that is really cheap for what you get and the regulation is really excellent with 16340.

The advise of low and advise of very low voltage with both chemicals (cr123a and rcr123a) is great ¿Any other in his category do the same?

+1 but I normally use protected 16340.

http://www.xtardirect.com/products/xtar-wk42-u2-sirius-edc-flashlight-only

Thanks for spelling that out for me! My thought would be if beam profiles are equal then a full 20% should be easily noticeable. In my mind if a 1/5th difference of anything isn't easily noticeable then I would think there really isn't a 20% difference.

LOL, yeah. But not necessarily. Newer can be anything ranging from a tweak in improvement to a leaps and bounds improvement. So it just depends. But yeah, I hear ya.

I did. For me overall it just didn't have the feature set I wanted. But that's a personal thing of course. At the same time I'm not buying into their 400 lumen rating. Of that extra 100 lumens over the WK42, the S10 is either adding 90% of it to spill light (not necessarily a bad thing, and something the WK42 has a fair amount of itself), or they're not getting it in general and are fudging their numbers.

At 300 Lumens XTAR claims the WK42 is at 2500cd with a beam reaching 100 meters. At 400 Lumens Olight claims the S10 is at 2700cd with a beam reaching 104 meters. So a supposed 25% increase in max lumens, but the beam only reaches 4 more meters? It would be very cool to see a direct comparison between these two. Because I think either XTAR is underrating their product, or Olight is overrating their product. I wonder if in reality they both end up dead equal in max brightness and beam distance?

One feature I REALLY liked about the Olight was the built in magnet, and I REALLY would like that feature on my XTAR. Maybe I could custom fit a magnet into the recess on the tail end? I'm also torn between the pocket clip design between both the XTAR and Olight, as the Olight one would MUCH more easily mount to the bill of a cap and such. Maybe the Olight one fits the XTAR? If true, another thing I really liked about the Olight over the XTAR was the specific brightness choices, whether the 400 Lumen rating is true or not. But when it came down to an overall package, the XTAR was simply the better choice for me.

I'm not seeing a price difference between the XTAR and Olight. I see both ranging from $35-$50 depending on who you choose to buy from. I saw the Olight as low as $34.95, but the same place also want $14.95 in shipping costs and a $3 handling fee. I think to suggest either is cheaper than the other is either nonexistent or simply splitting hairs.

Yup, basically a longer skinnier version of the WK42 with virtually the exact same feature set. So yeah, it pretty much comes down to choosing shorter and fatter vs longer and skinnier. I can only assume pricing would be equal, but honestly I never did check.

I have to think there's a chance that if you put the 14500 is some sort of spacer sleeve, it would probably work fine and the WK42 would probably never know the difference. Of course that's all assuming the WK42 has a long enough battery bay for the extra length.

If there is PWM, it isn't visible to my eyes. And I've really been paying close attention for even the slightest hint of it. Not a single hint whatsoever that I can see.

@Skeeterwx A well thought out decision you’ve made there. :beer:

I have both the XTAR WK41 and WK42. The heads are identical at least in shape. The battery tube is interchangeable.