Lumintop ODL20C USB Type-C Rechargeable Thrower [New]

DB_Custom · 2018-07-11T15:36:22.000Z

I reviewed the Manker U21 and Utorch UT02 in a side by side comparison HERE sometime back. They both made less than 1100 lumens with the Utorch being the brighter of the two.

And a quote of myself to the friend that gifted this sample light to me…

“DB Custom wrote: So now, after it’s been here about 2 hours, it’s making 1414.5 lumens from a sliced XHP-35 V6 3A E4 (5700K), nice white tint, for the most part. Removed R050 sense resistor and replaced it with an R025 for 4.83A at the tail. Replaced 24-26 ga wire with 22ga Turnigy. 101Kcd for 635.61M throw with no modification to the emitter/reflector relationship.
I measured 890 lumens before the change. Cell is a new LiitoKala 26650 5000mAh black and gold. (literally hasn’t been in a light til now but was charged a few days ago.)”

890 lumens from the sample light, doesn’t seem like they were trying to get anyone excited about it with the samples.

Delta_V · 2018-07-11T16:11:52.000Z

Wait, that 890 lumens was from the Lumintop? Or one of the Manker/Utorch?

If it’s the former, that definitely sounds like a pre-production issue. I think I’ve seen three reviews that all tested it’s intensity to be in the 170-190 kcd range. That wouldn’t be possible unless they’re pushing 1700+ lumens, and at least one of the reviews tested the output at ~1900 lumens.

wstrachan · 2018-07-11T16:21:30.000Z

It looks very similar to the Utorch UT02 or the Manker and I’m sure that’s no coincidence. The host design is near identical with more fins and a couple mm longer head. The UI is quite different and in my opinion better. Output is noticeably brighter with a ever so slightly tighter beam. I really like mine! I’ve had it for about three weeks now and have been using it as my favorite mid sized light.
In comparison to it’s twin brothers (the UT02 and the Manker) it well outperforms both.

DB_Custom · 2018-07-11T16:32:09.000Z

Intensity has less to do with lumens than you might think. Many a light has had some intense candela readings from de-domed XP-E or XP-G2 emitters with only 500 lumens. Pretty sure it was in the 83Kcd range , will have to see if I can find notes on it.

Yes, the Lumintop I got made 890 lumens.
The Manker was 1164 and the UT-02 was 1193 if I recall it correctly, Initially the Manker came out making bigger numbers with higher pull on the cell but it had some driver reliability issues at those levels so they toned it down.

I got an outstanding 1745 lumens with a black LiitoKala 26650 when I first tested it with the new driver and emitter modded in, tail current at 6.49A. Obviously I did that due to it’s very low performance level in stock trim. Assuming that they got some reviews back from the sample lights and made some adjustments…

Edit: a quote from the review I did of the Manker and Utorch side by side… “The surprise here is that it’s the Utorch UT02 that’s brightest! That 3170 on my meter is 1093.65 lumens, The Manker made 3100 on the meter for 1069.5. On lux, the UT02 makes 97.75Kcd for 625.3M while the U21 makes 95.75Kcd for 618.87M. I’m using MNKE 26650’s, same batch, fresh off the charger at the same voltage of 4.19V to start.” The Utorch pulled 2.3A at the tail and the Manker pulled 2.24A. Same drivers, same emitters.

dra00 · 2018-07-11T16:29:44.000Z

DB Custom:

[…] Replaced 24-26 ga wire with 22ga Turnigy. […]

Do you really think it makes any difference? I’m curious. We talking here about few cm don’t we? From my other hobby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfU21ZabQ-Y

DB_Custom · 2018-07-11T16:37:57.000Z

dra00, depends on what kind of current you are trying to push. The difference in a flashlight between 26ga and 22ga can be pretty drastic. Maybe not in these low current 12V lights, but definitely so in the direct drive variants that pull high amperage. Especially multi-emitter lights or the new breed of quad die 6V emitters.

I mod lights for a hobby. Hundreds of lights. I eliminate resistance and go for ceiling performance in virtually every light I make, it’s just what I do. I take my time and try to apply all the tricks. I find it satisfying, like identifying stamps in a collection might be for a stamp collector. (I have a few boxes of those somewhere too, from my childhood. Some of those could be worth something if I ever started checking again as many of what I had were very old 45 years ago…)

Edit: Centimeters? Hardly! I always put the wires on the driver then put the driver in the light. I then cut the wires to fit the MCPCB using only the length that’s needed, no extra. If you want to check the driver in a light I made you’re going to have to de-solder the leads…

dra00 · 2018-07-11T16:37:55.000Z

OK, I understand that Thank you for clarification.

DB_Custom · 2018-07-11T16:40:14.000Z

The highest tail current I’ve achieved to date in a flashlight was in one of my own build. 48.8A at the tail. Wasn’t expecting this much and fried a switch, literally melted the plastic housing! Had to resort to a $25 Tofty switch (not made anymore, older members will recall them)

DB_Custom · 2018-07-11T16:43:03.000Z

FWIW, the ODL20C is one of my preferred thrower EDC style lights, I use it often giving it status over the many other lights I have. I think the styling cues are well played, the fins on the head well thought out (it’s relatives have none) and once again I am surprised at the delivery from Lumintop, they’re proving themselves to be a top player over and over again. Well done!

Delta_V · 2018-07-11T16:43:36.000Z

DB Custom:

Intensity has less to do with lumens than you might think. Many a light has had some intense candela readings from de-domed XP-E or XP-G2 emitters with only 500 lumens. Pretty sure it was in the 83Kcd range , will have to see if I can find notes on it.

Yeah, with the same size reflector, an XHP35 HI will achieve less cd/lumen than an XP-L HI, which will have less cd/lumen than a de-dedomed XP-E or XP-G2.

My comment was made based on the XHP35 HI that the Lumintop comes with. Knowing the performance of XHP35 HI and XP-L HI lights with similar reflectors (Emisar D1S, Utorch UT02, Thrunite Catapult V6, etc.), the Lumintop isn’t going to hit 170+ kcd with an XHP35 HI without pushing at least 1700 lumens.

DB_Custom · 2018-07-11T17:03:32.000Z

Possibly.
An emitter focus change can have surprising results. Sometimes the factory get’s it wrong. Sometimes the lens is a bottleneck. Sometimes the same reflector with a slight differenct in surface finish kills the result. Lumintop didn’t quite nail focus in the big GT, for example. In that case the centering ring was too thick…

But yes, you’re point is well observed.

I do remember getting the MaxToch SN6X-2S in the group buy, factory de-domed XM-L2 emitter with quite nice throw… like 335Kcd. A simple lens swap to an UCLp gained 27Kcd in throw…. as always, the Devil is in the details.

Delta… I’ll just continue to hope that Lumintop sourced some better components on that driver to enable it to run at those levels… the originals failed and it was a big mess which is why those other lights are now so underpowered. Boosting a single cell to supply the 12V emitter isn’t as easy as it might seem, proven out by the problems that have arisen… I cut the sense resistor to half what they had on my light and it still only pulled 4.83A at the tail, still very underpowering the XHP-35 emitter at the emitter. Which is why I rebuilt it.

Edit: What happens when the single cell gets down to 3.4V or so? To maintain the 12.6V (approx) that the emitter needs to make the lumens we require the boost circuit has to boost a whopping 370%! As the cell falls further, this continues to go up. Setting up the driver to fail by overheating, typically. With a fresh charged cell at 4.2V the boost isn’t so horrible, amperage draw is low at the tail and demand on the battery is reasonable… as the cell dies and the boost circuit tries to maintain it’s output the demands on the cell go up and up, a situation that I myself really don’t like. The cell is heating up, more demand than ever is placed on it, really tough on the cell. Even a top brand named cell has trouble with this, I hate to think what some of the cheap cells used go through… this is why many protected cells fail to work in a boost circuit light, or fail to work well.

BOMBAY · 2018-07-12T00:43:49.000Z

whether the construction of the switch is the same as in the u21 / UT02, or switch to a new, improved?

dra00 · 2018-07-25T17:29:57.000Z

gerasalex:

[…]
… it will be interesting when receive flashlight ODL20C with what accumulators at you, it will work without problems. That to me already specifically the nobility, a problem in a flashlight or in accumulators.

Gerasalex, both type of my 26650 batteries fits - Imalent from DN70 & DN35 and KeepPower 6Ah. In case of Keeppower I needed to pull out these orange/red stickers from the tube.

And I am very happy with this light - pretty well build and a lot of throw BUT my last thrower was (and still IS ) EagleTac M2XC4 so no experience with the latest ones.

gerasalex · 2018-07-26T14:58:39.000Z

dra00:

Gerasalex, both type of my 26650 batteries fits - Imalent from DN70 & DN35 and KeepPower 6Ah. In case of Keeppower I needed to pull out these orange/red stickers from the tube.

It is about ODL20C? In a turbo mode your accumulators work with ODL20C?

dra00 · 2018-07-26T15:03:01.000Z

W/o problems. Keep in mind that KeepPower has no protection and Imalent has high current protection - DN70 works with XHP70 with much higher current.

gerasalex · 2018-07-26T15:16:32.000Z

dra00:

W/o problems. Keep in mind that KeepPower has no protection and Imalent has high current protection - DN70 works with XHP70 with much higher current.

To me Shockli 26650 5500 batteries мАч already go. Нere at a forum someone wrote that flashlight ODL20C with Shockli works without problems in a turbo the mode. I will know when there arrive accumulators. Thanks!

dra00 · 2018-07-26T15:20:14.000Z

As I read Shockli 5500 is basically the same as KeepPower 6000 so I am sure they will work. I maybe should remove these stickers from tube.
Cheers

bilakos10 · 2018-07-26T20:43:04.000Z

Lumintop please pay attention below.

I just got a unit from Banggood in order to review it.
After running the flashlight on turbo for around 10 seconds, it stepped down and will no longer be able to access turbo's output ever again.
I tried a few high drain 18650 and 26650 cells but no difference.

Here's what I am experiencing.
If I am in Low or Middle and double click then the flashlight jumps on High (it should jump to Turbo).
If I am already in High and double click, I do go to Turbo but the output is not changing at all.
I know that I jump on Turbo because the next click on the switch does nothing - technically it brings me back to High, but in my case High = Turbo. The very next click will start cycling through modes so we are back to the normal modes.

I am speculating that something has gone bad in my driver.
Any thoughts on that?

gerasalex · 2018-07-26T20:31:33.000Z

bilakos10:

Lumintop please pay attention below.

I just got a unit from Banggood in order to review it.
After running the flashlight on turbo for around 10 seconds, it stepped down and will no longer be able to access turbo’s output ever again.
I tried a few high drain 18650 and 26650 cells but no difference.

Here’s what I am experiencing.
If I am in Low on Middle and double click then the flashlight jumps on High.
If I am already in High and double click, I do go to Turbo but the output is not changing at all.
I know that I jump on Turbo because the next click on the switch does nothing - technically it brings me back to High, but in my case High = Turbo. The very next click will start cycling through modes so we are back to the normal modes.

I am speculating that something has gone bad in my driver.
Any thoughts on that?

Probably at you a problem with the driver since the turbo the mode doesn’t work.

bilakos10 · 2018-07-26T20:57:59.000Z

And here's a video of the problem that I described in my previous post.
www.youtube.com/embed/NYxBEOaEhWQ