Litesam was gracious enough to send me their PS11 flashlight for evaluation purposes. I’d like to take this time to thank Litesam for the opportunity to test their product out.
Litesam is a newcomer to the flashlight world; from what I can tell they’ve been around for about 6 months. I could not find a website, but they do have an Amazon store (which I’ll link below).
The PS11 arrived in a very nice retail package: inside were the following items
PS11 flashlight
Litesam branded 18650 battery (2600 mAh)
Nylon holster
Clip
Lanyard
USB cord
Spare cover for the tail-switch
Spare O-ring
Owner’s Manual
The PS11 is a very attractive flashlight; anodized in a semi-gloss black finish, with aggressive knurling found on the body tube and the sides of the tail cap. Branding is found on opposing flat spots (body tube) and is very well done. Both the head and the tail cap are removable.
A rubber coated switch is found on the end of the tail cap, and provides good feedback when clicked. There is an audible click when pressing and releasing the tail switch. Access to the tail switch is made easier by cut out sections in the wall – leaving a U-shaped end with slots cut out for the attachment of the lanyard. The PS11 is not really capable of tail-standing.
There’s a stainless steel bezel on the head; it is crenelated and can be removed quite easily (just unscrew it). The reflector is deep for the size of the flashlight, and smooth. Deep cooling grooves surround the side switch, which is located just behind the end of the reflector. The side switch is metal and slightly raised to aid finding the switch in darkness. Surrounding the side switch is a metal ring, and in between the two are LED lights (used for battery status). Directly opposite the side switch is the USB port; it is covered with a tight fitting rubber cap. Thanks to the flattened spot (where the USB port is found) being directly opposite the side switch; finding the side switch is quite easy (even at night).
The anodized threads are very well cut (square) and well lubricated (as received). Inside the tail cap is a sturdy spring, while the head features a contact point. The PS11 is very well made; solid and tight, with no signs of wobble or rattling when shaken.
The holster is very well done; made of nylon, with the flap being secured by Velcro. On the back is a pass-through loop for belts up to 3 inches in width, and a second loop that can be detached for easy attachment to a pack (or a belt). That loop is secured with a snap and Velcro.
The clip is short and very stout. The spring section is equally stout – more so than I prefer. The clip can be removed, but it isn’t likely to come off by accident.
Specs
Length – 5.67 inches
Diameter (head) – 1.38 inches
Weight – 4.8 ounces (excluding battery)
Features
LED – Cree XP-L
Maximum brightness – 1380 Lumens
Maximum distance – 285 meters
Maximum run time – 120 hours
Metal filmed reflector
Tempered, coated, mineral glass
Anti-roll housing
HA-III military hard anodizing
Battery status indicator
Low power warning
Over discharge protection
Mode Memory
Momentary On
IPX 8 – waterproof to 2 meters
Impact resistant to 2 meters
5 year Warranty
Limited lifetime Warranty (user pays for parts after 5 years)
Check battery status by pressing/holding side switch and press/release tail switch. Release side switch and count the number of green/red flashes (side switch led). Each green flash equal 1V and each red flash equals 0.1V. Example: 3 green flashes followed by 7 red flashes equals 3.7V of power left in the battery.
Low battery warning – when voltage is less than 3.4V the side switch led will flash slowly in green. With less than 3V left, the side switch led will blink red rapidly.
If the battery has less than 10% of capacity remaining, the flashlight will automatically reduce the output to avoid battery from over discharging.
UI/Modes
The tail switch turns the PS11 ON/OFF. Press/release the tail switch to turn the light on, press/release the tail switch to turn the light off. Half pressing the tail switch enters momentary on. Release the tail switch to turn the flashlight off, or fully press/release the tail switch to go into constant ON.
The side switch changes the modes. Press/release the side switch to advance through the modes: low, medium, high, low, etc…
Modes can be changed while the flashlight is in momentary ON – half press and hold the tail switch while clicking the side switch to rotate through the modes.
The PS11 has mode memory for the three regular modes (low, medium, and high). When turned back on, the flashlight will enter the last used mode.
There are 3 “hidden” modes: Strobe, SOS, and Beacon. The packaging itself does mention the Beacon mode, but the owner’s manual does not.
From the ON position, press and hold the side switch to enter Strobe mode. From there, press and hold the side switch to enter SOS mode. From the SOS mode, press and hold the side switch to enter the Beacon mode (flashes about once every 4 seconds). From any of the three special modes, press/release the side switch to go back to the last used regular mode. The flashlight does not memorize the special modes; if turned off while in strobe mode, the flashlight will come back on in the last used regular mode (next time it is turned on).
Low Mode – 30 Lumens, will run for up to 120 hours
Medium Mode – 300 Lumens, will run for up to 3.8 hours
High Mode – 1380 Lumens, will run for up to 1.5 hours.
Beam
A cool white beam with a fairly well defined hot-spot that gradually fades away to what ends up being very good spill. I’d call it a beam slightly more geared toward throwing ability, but retaining enough spill to provide an excellent field of view. It is a very bright beam of light (especially in high mode, but medium mode is impressive too).
As with all flashlights, I’d say the actual (usable) range [of the beam] is closer to one half to two thirds of the stated maximum distance. Beyond that distance, my eyes just can’t see a discernible difference well enough to tell how much light is hitting the target. In testing the PS11 I did find that reflective objects (eye reflections, and/or reflections from road signs) are easily seen at distances that are too far for me to know exactly what they are. My guess is that reflections can be seen out to 200 meters or better, but being able to tell what the object is will probably end somewhere around 150-160 meters.
Conclusion
I’m very impressed with the PS11. The build quality is excellent, as is the finish. I like the looks of the S11, and the feel in my hand. I think the beam is a great compromise and that it does an excellent job of illuminating a broad area. I’ve got a thing for metal switches, so that’s also a big plus in my book. It fits well in most pockets, but it’s probably a tad too big for EDC pocket carry.
I would much prefer the addition of a moonlight mode and I’d like to see easy access to both a moonlight mode and the high mode. I’ll likely end up removing the clip, since it’s a bit too short and too stout for my tastes.
At $54.99 (price on Amazon) I think the PS11 is a great buy (it comes with everything needed) and a smart choice for everything from hunting to checking the fuse box. I’ll gladly recommend it.