EDC-Light 3x XHP-35 HI NW
Summary:
Battery: | 3x 26650 (18650 can be used, but no spacer was included) |
Switch: | Reverse Tailcap Clicky |
Modes: | Turbo - Medium - Low |
Mode Memory: | Off-time (2 seconds). |
LED Type: | 3x XHP-35 HI NW |
Lens: | Glass |
Reflector: | Aluminum - Smooth |
Price: | $95 |
Provided by: | CNQG |
Function:
Standard reverse clicky switch operation.
Full click on. Half press for mode change. Turbo - Medium - Low. Full click to turn off the flashlight.
All throw measurements are lux values taken at 7ft and calculated back to 1 meter (Rounded to the nearest hundred). Estimated output (Lumen) values are calculated based on measurements obtained through a DIY 'pvc lumen tube' in an effort to achieve diffusion of dissimilar beam profiles. As such, these values should be taken as "rough approximations."
One of the bigger issues with the EDC-Light Triple XHP-50 was a very unstable driver. This has been fixed with the Triple XHP-35 version with a greatly improved driver. The turbo mode maintains the max output of ~4800lm for about 60 seconds then begins to gradually step down (during the next minute) to a 'High mode' of about 3650lm.
After the stepdown to 'high' the flashlight maintains the roughly 3650 lumens until the 60 minute point after which it drops out of regulation and hits the low voltage warning (LVW) at 65 minutes. The LVW, which is a constant slow flashing, can be ignored if one so desires by simply half pressing the tailcap switch.
This new driver allows the user to jump back up to turbo at any point during the life of the batteries.
At the 9 minute mark the temperature is 137°F at the hottest point in the head (A small fan was activated moments later and ran for the remainder of the test). Ideally the driver should have throttled back the output before this point, but that doesn't appear to be a function of this particular driver. Granted, this is a very poor situation for a flashlight to be operated in. The ambient temperature is 80°F with little to no air movement and the flashlight is head-standing on a piece of glass inside a PVC lumen tube. Normally a hand would be acting as both a heatsink and an early warning system of the flashlight potentially getting too hot.
Pictures:
If you're skimming around you might be having some Déjà vu. No I haven't gone insane and reviewed the same flashlight twice...
There's two!
They are practically identical except where it really matters as previously detailed above.
There are the three XHP-35 HI NW emitters.
These are the XHP-50 emitters from the previous sample.
The driver for those XHP-35 HI NW emitters.
Comparison:
I brought out my heavier hitters for a large variety of size, emitters, reflectors, throw, and output. Each is estimated above 2000 lumens with the BTU Shocker on the upper end with an estimated 4000lm+ output.
Convoy S2+ Triple XPG2 (11A DirectDrive), Roche M170, Quad LED + Handle, Maglite MTG2 (5A), Notorious HID, Nitecore TM16, BTU Shocker (XPL-HI, 5.7A DirectDrive), EDC-Light Triple XHP-50
I pulled the 3 other multi-well reflector lights for closer comparison.
Beamshots:
The first set is single emitter lights of varying outputs and with the Cometa and K50v2 having throw values similar to the EDC XHP-35 HI. The location is approximately 150 yards to the top of the tree.
The second set is a more fair output comparison between large multi-emitter flashlights.
EDC-Light Triple XHP-35 HI NW modes: Turbo - Medium - Low
Conclusion:
This EDC-Light 3x XHP-35 HI NW is a vast improvement over the previous XHP-50 sample I reviewed. This one did arrive with a similarly dirty lens and dirty threads; however, the finish is pristine, the reflector looks better, and the lens and threads are easily cleaned.
The primary improvement is the very stable and well regulated driver. This driver allows for a very high output and a re-accessible turbo mode. The downside of this high output is the amount of heat generated. Thus, this is not a flashlight to be placed on the ground or propped up and left on while in turbo or the high stepdown.
Overall, I think the EDC-Light Triple XHP-35 HI is a nice flashlight. It throws a lot of light a respectable distance downrange. Build quality is still great with the same integrated shelf and lots of mass to help deal with the heat.