Here are some comments/impressions of the mini-LT prototype that I just received. Unfortunately I have neither the ability or equipment to conduct a high level technical review so you get what you get.
Keep in mind that this is a prototype and what is sold may be different.
The mini came in a plain cardboard box with a 5000mAh flat-top battery, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and a lanyard. There were no instructions but this is to be expected from a prototype.
Physical dimensions:
- height: 6” (152mm)
- widest part of the head: 1.7” (45mm)
- widest part of the tail: 1.23” (31mm)
Here is a picture of what came in the package and a size comparison of the mini against common lights.
Software is Anduril. I didn’t bother to try out all the functions given that it’s a common UI. However I did notice that on the battery check the mini only flashed once. This is different from the other lights I have running Anduril and I’m not sure if something has changed from those that I have.
The switch light is orange and can be configured in the normal manner.
Charging rate is .75A or 1.5A depending upon the power source current. During charging the switch flashes blue and and turns to a solid blue when done or disconnected from the power source. After 30 seconds the standard switch color returns.
Immediately after charging I measured the battery at 4.16v on my DMM.
The mini can also be used as a power source if you have a USB-C to USB-C cable. The switch flashes blue when used this way and returns to the standard color 30 seconds after disconnection.
Battery: the mini is designed for a 21700 battery and came with a flat-top cell. There are dual springs in the head and tail cap so a longer battery can be used. I added a small magnet to the base of the battery giving it a length of 75mm and I was able to screw the tail cap down without any undue effort and the light still operated normally.
An 18650 battery works fine in the light. The dual springs hold the battery well enough that no amount of shaking made the light turn off. There was a slight rattle but only when the light was shaken hard.
Other comments:
- I measure 1A and .02A at the tail cap on maximum and minimum brightest, respectively
- no tripod mount
- functions when charging
- functions when plugged into a power source with only the head attached
- battery tube is reversible and the mini works with the tube reversed. The tail end has a tiny battery symbol and lines up with the switch just in case that’s important to you
- square cut threads
- there is a shallow grove in the bezel of the mini. It’s not deep enough for an o-ring which is unfortunate since I’d like to glue one in there if possible.
- the hook on top of the bezel does not line up exactly with the switch being a fraction off
- I don’t see any physical flaws on machining marks on the mini
I don’t have the ability to measure brightness so I did some visual comparisons against one of my BLT LT’s without the solder bridge.
Visually the LT is brighter than the mini but not by a significant amount on high. If I had to guess I would say that it’s about 25% brighter. This seems reasonable given that using an app on my phone I measured the lx to be 345 vs 225.
The low on the mini is noticeably higher than the low on the LT. Edit this because I forgot that the floor can be set through the UI.
Pictures: Note that I was using my cell phone so I don’t know if any corrections were done by it.
Final comment - I like the mini given its much smaller size and weight as compared to the LT. It’s bright enough but the low could be lower in my opinion. With the 21700 battery provided I would expect the mini to last a full weekend when camping given that it’s unlikely to be on all night or used at full brightness during that time.
ADDED 3/12/22 - I believe that the version number is ’2021 08 28’ but here is a LINK to the flashes when I tried to determine the version. I’ll correct this if I’m wrong.