This was only apparent to me after creating a lumen tube to test lumens. I found this weird behavior with Anduril and was wondering if anyone else has seen this or has been discussed before.
Anduril lights will sometimes be able to enter a mode that generates more lumens than standard turbo but there is no reliable way for me to replicate this. I’m not talking about the top of the ramp vs. standard turbo. For example, I have an Emisar D4v2 with SST20 at 4000k and a Lumintop FW3A with XPL-HI at 5000k. Both should have a max turbo of around 3000 lumens. At the top of the ramp (level 120) they are about 1300 lumens and standard turbo is about 2500 lumens. However, sometimes both can hit closer to 3300-3500 lumens (or what I call “super turbo”) if the right conditions are met. I always start my tests with cold LEDs and a full Samsung 30Q but that doesn’t ensure I enter super turbo. On the FW3A, I have Anduril 2 so I found I sometimes can enter super turbo if I momentary turbo at the top of the ramp. But still, it doesn’t always work. At standard turbo, my Emisar D4v2 pulls 15.2A but at super turbo it pulls 18.1A according to my clamp meter.
My Lumintop is Anduril 2 and the Emisar is Anduril 1 but both have this behavior. The best way I have found to enter super turbo is to try to enter turbo from near the top of the ramp.
I mean it doesn’t matter much in a grand scheme of things since standard turbo or super turbo can be only sustained for a few seconds. This is weird quirk is why I believe reviewers are coming up with very different numbers for lumen output and candela. For example, I think this reviewer never reached super turbo so he measures 2600 lumens at most: Emisar D4v2 review | It's an EDC flashlight with 3000 lumens | 1Lumen.com (he has a calibrated lumen tube). That is also the lumens I measure when I enter standard turbo.
No non-Anduril lights exhibit this type of behavior from my experience.
I just uploaded two videos of it happening (see below). It took me longer to get the D4v2 into super turbo and it was burning hot.
EDIT: There is no bug with Anduril and the weird behavior was due to diffusion sheet fluorescence.
After playing around a bit, a somewhat reliable way to get into super turbo is to: ramp to max from off (1H) -> double click to get “standard turbo” -> ramp down slightly (1H) -> double click again to get “super turbo.” Super turbo will have 30-40% more lumen output. This doesn’t always work though.
I use a lumen tube with diffusion sheets and a decent lux meter. Whether or not my calibration is accurate is not even important. A standard turbo double click will read 250 on my lux meter but if I manage to get super turbo firing, it goes up to 330+ which is clearly outside of possible measurement error.
Cool thanks grizzly and anyone else who’s willing to test this.
As a preview, I plan on doing quick reviews of a bunch of lesser-known Chinese flashlights. The reviews won’t be in depth but the comparisons might be useful since I also own brands that are more popular outside of China.
The super turbo issue is messing up my measurements though. All measurements were done either with a Samsung 30Q 18650 or Lishen LR2170LA 21700 and done at startup with the flashlight at room temperature. The prices are in CNY.
It’s not a bug, it’s a feature! Secret super turbo mode.
That sounds very interesting, i need to check my Anduril flashlights. I don’t have a way to measure lumens but I can measure the current. Not sure if I will find it, though.
Surprised, I’ve just tried to verify fogofwar’s claim in my studio, using a Sekonic and an Arri light meter with several Anduril 1 and 2 lights mounted onto a tripod, against a white wall.
Result:
No super turbo available, whatever clicking pattern tried.
Verification check with a FLIR revealed no extra-exaggerated temperatures, higher than the usual turbo-heat-buildup.
Could be fogofwar’s lux-meter has a non-linear jump because of switching sensitivity ranges, revealing opposite tolerances in low and high ranges. Try with an ND filter on the sensor to reduce the light enough so the meter does not switch range.
Or it could simply be because the lights get moved slightly with clicking, as seen in the videos, so keep them steady.
Cell phones have a light sensor built into them, you can use a small space/room to light up with the flashlight and measure lux using the CPU-Z app or any app that can read the sensor.
You have good points and thanks for checking. However, I have many lights around the same lux range and have not seen a jump in my lux meter like this (see my spreadsheet). Also, when it steps down from super turbo, the lux readings smoothly go down.
I’m kind of a perfectionist as you can see and wanted to just pin down my measurements. Testing the Anduril lights have been the most puzzling. My Mateminco is in another location or I would check it too.
Moving the lights around only affects the reading by under 5 lux even if I move it to the edges.
I figured out what was happening a few days after this last post. The printer paper diffusion sheet that I used was generating some fluorescence and/or changing the color temperature. After removing the sheet which was probably too close to the entrance, and making other modifications, the behavior in the OP was no longer observed. In conclusion, nothing is wrong with Anduril and thanks for everyone who tried to test this.
