$100 Budget MONSTER-Lights w/ 15000+ lumens: Wurkkos TS32-Nichia 519a. Comparison with Chinese LED Heavyweights: in Haikelite HK05, JKK76, Nightwatch NS59v2 Chaos. (Summary & measurements on P. 1)

In retrospect my flashlight education has gone through 3 phases (sorry for the long first post and wow what a world cup final!!):
1. Newbie me’s Phase 1: Top class CRI & R9 Nichia flooders: Close range flooders with beautiful and accurate color rendition. These are my Convoy S21D’s & Emisar D4V2’s, discussed here .
2. Phase 2 High CRI all-around everyday light: Mid-range flood-and-throw combo’s with equally wonderful color rendition, perfect for hobbyists and muggles alike. These are my Convoy M21B-E-F with Getian GT-FC40, discussed here .
3. Phase 3 What-CRI-? Throwers: Pocketable 1-batttery lights such as Wurkkos TS30 and Sofirn IF22a. The lower CRI does NOT mean they’re not fun or helpful lights, in some aspect for example the 1 km throw of Wurkkos, quite the opposite. These lights are discussed here .

My phase 4 is the exploration into what I call “super-lights” which in my mind is any light with monster lumen output and/or killer throw. Two important caveats however: I prefer not to spend more than $100 for lights, and at this price, plus the law of physics, for these budget super-lights I’ve adjusted my expectations accordingly. I don’t mind 1 minute Turbo step-down, or “tier 2” construction quality, as long as the light has no fatal problem. My typical use would be lower light level during my walk, interrupted by brief OMG all-out blasts for fun or safety check. Sustained all-out brightness all the time is not what I expect. At any rate, if your priorities or expectations are different from above, I’m afraid these lights may not be for you.

I have a few more of these super-lights coming besides Wurkkos TS32 such as Haikelite HK05, JKK76, Mateminco PD90S, etc., and was planning to open the TS32 self-gift on Christmas day. But the Wurkkos is on sale with a huge discount that brings it to below $100, and I feel un-easy talking about it without at least some preliminary check. So yesterday I cracked the box, and turned this baby on. Hopefully the result would help you to not miss the sale.

Single SFT40 light is common, but the ingenuity of combining it with 14000 lumens of Nichia goodness (a collective BLF idea) makes the TS32 very much a unicorn and is the prime reason I bought it. What’s special about the light, besides the great decision of combining 12 Nichia 519a for flood and an SFT40 for throw, is it’s a result of Terry @ Wurkkos working with Budgetlightforum click here. So yes this is a “local” product, entirely BLF born and bred :+1: .

Looking at the Terry’s BLF thread quoted in paragraph above, there have been three different versions of the TS32: 1st XP-L2 x 12 emitters, then LH351D x 12, then fortunately, this incredibly unique version of 519a 5000k x 12. I have other flashlights with 519a 4500k, but the 4500k CCT in 519a is just a little too warm for me. This 5000k CCT version seems to hit the sweet spot, warm but not too yellow. BTW, there is a fantastic review of TS32 on 1lumen if you want to read about it click here .

I’m adding an index of the interesting or fun posts that I’ve wasted the most amount of time on :person_facepalming: :slight_smile: . Hope it helps for anyone looking to waste time reading about Convoy.

* 4 Lights I would buy were I to start from beginning Click here

* Invasion of the High-Power Chinese LED’s Click here

* Info on mysterious Nealsgadgets Lishen Battery for the Chaos Click here

* Comparison of Effects of Convoy “Green Reflection AR Lens” (it’s a reflection not a tint) on Duv (it makes Duv about 20 points more negative) Here and white-wall beamshot Here

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SUMMARY Subjective opinions - please expect multiple EDIT and changes as I gain experience with time and more lights.

Wurkkos TS32
The 15000 lumen of TS32 Nichia 519a goodness is UNLIKE anything I’ve ever seen. It has a golden creamy (meaning not too yellow) tone and is so very very bright and floody (why it’s often described as “wall of light”). Note that this 519a 5000k is most beautiful in Turbo mode; the lower brightness hs some green tint and more positive Duv. In the context of comparing against these other 15000 lm super-lights, it has very clearly the most beautiful warm-colored wall-of-light, with the best color rendering as a result of its 98 CRI. 519a 5000k is less yellow than 519a 4500k, and I welcome this change.
Combining twelve hot 519a’s with the throwy, cool, bright SST40 central LED is an ingenious move, a result of this light being born and bred in BLF by hobbyists. The 519a stepdowns very quickly so I would suggest to use light with SST40 throw on Turbo or high, and 519a only on medium, with occasional burst of Turbo for the ultimate OMG Nichia hit.

Haikelite HK05
Flashlights has become such a fun hobby for me because there are nuances and characteristics that make each light special. No one light is completely best/better in every aspect. My Haikelite is the 5000k version, and the beam color is good in that it is warm, but it has a green tint. I fix the green tint with Zircon minus green filter. I would suggest either Zircon 803: 79.9%, Zircon 804: 83.6%, or Zircon 805: 86.6%, adjust to taste.
Clocking in at a fantastic 23,500 lm, the beam has an even spread, with a largish hotspot and bright spill. And yes OMG it’s bright and gives an absolutely spectacular wall of light. Subjectively the best out of this bunch. Whenever I turn this baby on, I am in awe!
The lights are available with 3 CCT options: 3000, 5000, and 6500k. Since I already had Jin Heng JKK76 with 6500k LED, for Haikelite I opted for the 5000k version. If you don’t want to have the green tint, then 6500k should be the choice. 3000k is out for me because it’s just going to be too yellow.
This is a HUGE light, dwarfing its friends Jin Heng JKK76 and Wurkkos TS32. So keep that in mind. During use I had to carry it in my small belt-loop camera bag. Build quality is Wurkkos class, not bad at all. The light is huge, heavy, and feel solid like a rock. I love holding it just for the brick wall solidity. Wonderful for its modest cost.

Nightwatch Chaos NS59v2
Solidly constructed and currently my most powerful light with 29,000 lm at Turbo turn-on, using the NealsGadgets Lishen LR2170LH batteries. I tried so many times to get past 30k for bragging rights lol but couldn’t. Still, this is the output champion for all lights that cost less $100. There are at least 3 versions of this light each using different LEDs and mine is version 2. Version 3 is called NS14R and now has side switch which I would prefer to this light rear switch. Also note there is no on-board charging port which I would have loved. The batteries are in series, meaning owner should take care to use identical batteries at same charging level etc. Not convenient to use because of lack of on board charging and side-switch, but bought because the light output is simply put, bonkers - enough said I hope.

Jin Heng JKK76
This light’s short length makes it feel compact compared to the other lights in this group. It is unusually robust/rock solid, and fantastic to hold. The internal cage and deep, large heat fins make it fun to look at and to own. I love it even though it has one of my no-no pet peeves (hold for off); I hope this shows how special it is otherwise.
While the Wurkkos TS32 has the tint advantage, JKK76 clearly has better brightness . This thing lit up the whole hillside, creating a bright and floody “wall of light.” The beam color tends towards white-blue LED color, and not warm like Wurkkos. While harsh, a white-blue beam provides more crispness and contrast for me. I would think it is better for search and/or safety function. Highly recommended despite of hold-for-off.
The beam is floody, yet the throw is a cool, super-thrower range 773m. How could that be?! It tells you the brute force output of this light. Despite of this throw, the peripheral brightness causes pupil to contract and decreases view distally. For this reason I don’t classify this as a “throwy” beam.

MEASUREMENTS
I repeat measurements multiple times, so there will be multiple edits in this post to update data as needed.

Lumen numbers posted are the highest value that I got, meaning if I there is a range, I tend to post highest value unless it looks ridiculous strange. Same thing with Duv, “best” values from a range is posted.

Weights
Nightwatch Chaos 355 gm (492 gm w/ Neal’s Lishen batteries)
Wurkkos TS32 439 gm (651 gm w/ Samsung 40T batteries)
Jin Heng JKK76 496 gm (702 gm w/ Samsung 30T batteries)
Haikelite HK05 511 gm (712 gm w/ Molicel P42A batteries)
Nightwatch NS103S Super Valkyrie 307 gm (402 gm w/ Molicel P42B & battery adapter, 423 gm with QB26800 battery)

Lenses "Green reflection (of ceiling light bulb) is desirable if you like less green beam tint (more negative Duv).
Jin Heng JKK76: Purple Reflection AR
Haikelite HK05: Non AR (no change using ceiling light bulb reflection test)
Wurkkos TS32: Purple Reflection AR
Nightwatch Chaos: Green Reflection AR
Nightwatch Super Valkyrie N103S: Green Reflection AR

WURKKOS TS32:
Throw 702 m Both LEDS, 371m 519a alone, 664m SFT40 alone
Output
Turbo start, highest value for each, from separate runs:
With Wurkkos batteries: 519a=12,700, SFT40=1700:Both LEDs: 13,000
With Samsung 40T batteries: 519a: 13900, SFT40: 1700, Both LEDs: 14900 (range 14000-14900)
With Samsung 30T 519a: about same as 40T ~14000, SFT40: about same as 40T ~1700. Both LEDs: max 15800 lm
Molicel P45B nearly identical result as Samsung 30T
With Samsung 30T & Zircon 1/4 Minus Green: 519a = 12160, SFT40 =1370
CCT, RA, and Duv
Nichia 519a only:
Duv (approximate avg from many repetitive runs)
Turbo –0.0020 to -0.0040
1 level down from Turbo: 0.0020 (range ~0.0030 cold, 0.0015 hot)
Essentially, the Turbo beam is fantastic & more beautiful than beams at lower brightness.
CCT ~5100
Ra ~98

SFT40:
CCT 6100 low output, 6400 high output

JIN HENG JKK76
Output: 22300 lm w/ Molicel P45B, 21600 w/ Samsung 30T
Throw: 773 m w/ Samsung 30T
Ra: 68
CCT: 6100 Turbo, 5808 Turbo-1, 5755 Turbo-2
Duv: 0.0060 Turbo, 0.0087 Turbo –1, 0.0094 Turbo-2
CCT increases and Duv decreases with higher output.

NIGHTWATCH CHAOS
Throw 754m
Output:
Nealsgadgets “Mystery” Lishen “LR2170LH”: 29300 lm
Molicel P45B 26900
Samsung 30T 25800
Samsung 40T 22900
Molicel P42a 22600
Convoy Liitokala 19300
Wurkkos 5000 mAh 18800

Ra 67
CCT 5808 Turbo, 5736 Turbo-1, 5529 Turbo-2, 5507 T-3, 5479 T-4
Duv 0.0047 Turbo, 0.0064 Turbo-1, 0.0093 Turbo-2, 0.0097 T-3, 0.0100 T-4
CCT increases and Duv decrease with higher output.

HAIKELITE HK05
Throw: 824m w/ Molicel P42a
Ra 70
CCT 5742 Turbo, 5599 Turbo-1
Duv 0.0084 Turbo, 0.0094 Turbo-1
CCT increases and Duv decreases with higher output.
Output
Output: Samsung 30T 23500 lm
Molicel P42A 20700 lm

NIGHTWATCH SUPER VALKYRIE N103S With SFP55.2L LED
Brightest single LED, single battery flashlight on the market.
Throw: 676m w/ Nealsgadgets’s Lishen Battery
CRI-Ra 71
CCT 6400
Duv -0.0002 Turbo, 0.0011 Turbo-1, 0.0022 Turbo-2
Duv more negative with higher output.
Output
Output: Nealsgadgets’s Lishen LR2170LH Battery 13090 lm :exploding_head:

Accessories & Batteries

beamshot

This chart from Nightwatch shows the LED’s that I am exploring

First Report of TS32
The 14000 lumen of 519a flood is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, including my car’s headlights :innocent: . It’s unreal in its presentation and LIT UP the whole hill side of my neighborhood. This is a quick on/off so not to worry neighbor was not disturbed, or at least didn’t know what just hit them (JK).

The beam color is wonderful Nichia 519a 5000k overall. Absolutely beautiful at Turbo level (Duv around –0.0020), less so at lower brightness setting (Duv around +0.0020). The more positive Duv is seen on white wall hunting, but not noticeable in actual use, and not a green monster like my Cree 70.2 by any stretch of imagination. I am used to Nichia 219b 4500k so I might be like the boy who cries wolf at any deviation from that intense rosiness. ie If I didn’t write this you may not notice it.

This is how I use my light so far: SFT40 on at Turbo (this is a cool and efficient LED), 519a on at level 3 (out of 5 level, 1 dimmest and 5 is Turbo), and hit Turbo for the occasion OMG hits. :smiling_imp: Using this way the light stays cool and I don’t need handle. Handle is great to have but I plan to take it off so I could put light in my jacket or loose side pant pocket. If this is how you use the light, it’s absolutely perfect. Step downs are quick in nearly all of these smallish super lights, so please expect that.

Sorry I don’t have any light in the same class. The closest I have is Wurkkos TS30 for now; it’s not a fair comparison I know. The TS30S with its great SBT90.2 LED still wins handily wrt throw, but up closer it is obliterated by the brightness and beautiful color of 12 Nichia 519a. Pictures are taken with same exposure to show difference in brightness.


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Were there supposed to be values in here. I ordered one. I am just curious about what kind of numbers you got.

Yes I’m adding the data now. This whole first page will be edited as I have more time and more lights.

Yes it nearly hit 15000 with Samsung 40T. :smiling_imp:

And I have Samsung 30T coming for these monsters. :innocent:

I appreciate it. Will keep watching.

Great shots. I like it. Let’s keep watching continue :laughing:

Hi Terry, IMHO this light is all about the twelve (!!) Nichia 519a’s and I appreciate Wurkkos’s decision to pay attention to hobbyists in the BLF community. The Nichia LED makes the light unique and the incredibly bright and beautiful beam something to behold. :+1: There’s nothing quite like TS32 on the market, truly an “enthusiast’s dream”.

Combining it with the cool/efficient and very throwy SFT40 for long central beam distance is another fantastic decision. With the handle off the TS32 fits jacket pocket or loose-pant pocket easily and becomes perfect for my daily walk.

Wurkkos definitely on a roll. Keep up the good work.

I got mine today from Amazon. Looks good. I am just waiting for the sun to go down to play with it a bit. Though, TURBO flood is impressive even in daylight. :smiling_imp:

Does anyone know of a diffuser that would fit the TS32?
I think the bezel is about 62mm OD.
I have searched a bit, but have not found anything yet.

This is a cross post, but thought it might be more likely to be seen here…

Beamshot of the SFT40 LED of Wurkkos TS32 vs same LED in Sofirn IF22a w/ TIR optic. Both shots at same exposure and WB. Nothing surprising, similar beam profile: intense small hotspot, not much spill.

Because the twelve Nichia 519a LED’s get hot quickly and stepdown, combining them with the SFT40, a cool, efficient bright and throwy LED, is an ingenious idea that could only came from hobbyists. Specifically BLF hobbyists. :+1: :innocent:

I haven’t measured TS32 yet but I got 600m plus for Sofirn IF22a. It’s looking good.

I added to the post above a beamshot of my M21E with GT-FC40 5500k to compare it with the SFT40 led that forms the central beam of TS32.

SFT40 (1700 lm in Sofirn IF22a measured w/ Texas Ace lumen tube) actually has less output than GT-FC40 (2200 lm), but what’s there is concentrated into an intensely bright central hotspot. This is why it is a good combination with the twelve 519a’s and their floody beam.

GT-FC40 in M21E host doesn’t concentrate/focus all output into an intense hotspot, instead spreads (so to speak) into a more even beam with medium strength hotspot and medium spill.

So where was it that you found this on sale for under $100?

Currently on wurkkos.com it comes out to US$99 with batteries and handle, though you’d have to wait for shipping from China. But given amazon’s price is close to 1.5x that even with a discount, it’s probably worth it.

@LOTL & epv, there’s a huge sale for TS32 on Amazon: 20% off by clicking the “coupon” square, and then on checkout add the code T7NAHM8M for another 20% off. AFAIK this should be the lowest price you could get for this light currently, and extra nice because it’s from US Amazon with prime shipping and privilege.

Details of the sale is here - AFAIK the sale ends 12-31: 40% OFF Wurkkos Powerful TS32 Flashlight(LH351D+519A LED) on Amazon US

TS32 US Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BJDTPGGZ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Thank you! Grabbed one with both discounts applied.

How much is it on Amazon? It’s $82 from Wurkkos direct.