This is the ThruNite TC15 Custom Edition, sent to me for review from ThruNite and NO other compensation other then keeping the light.
Light can be found on Amazon……….
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VQYW8J2?ref=myi_title_dp
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07W7R2DVK?ref=myi_title_d
Or on the main ThruNite site…………
http://www.thrunite.com/
They also asked me to mention , Free Ti3 key-ring torch worth $13.95 for the first 100 honest reviews on Amazon (Massage us on our Facebooke @ThruNite)
Now on to the review……………………………
The TC15 Custom Edition came well packaged in a larger outer box with the ThruNite box inside that and large bubble wrap around the inner box. The package includes the TC15 , Nylon Holster , Spare O-ring x2, Lanyard , Pocket Clip , ThruNite 3100mAh 18650 IMR Battery , USB Charging Cable , Spare USB port Cover and a Spare Side Switch Insert. This light is available in both neutral and Cool White.
This is an 18650 sized EDC with plenty of lumens for whatever the purpose may be , ranging from 2300 listed lumens in Turbo , all the way down to 1 listed lumen in firefly mode. A simple UI also on this light , with a long press for Moon Mode , Single click to turn light on , hold down switch to cycle through L/M/H , double click for turbo from any mode and another double click from there for strobe. A single click turns light off and L/M/H have mode memory.
The size is very comparable to the always popular BLF A6 and other 1 inch tube lights.
Shown here with the BLF A6 (on left) and the Olight M2R Warrior (on right) …………
I like the styling on this one with the “ribbing” , instead of the traditional knurling on the tube. Along with the more “flat” type finish on this light , the grip is exceptional with the rib and finish combination. I also like the (Bronzy) color on this new Custom Edition , I know opinions will vary however.
The Included nylon holster is lightly padded inside (front and back portion) and fits the light well , while having a belt loop holder and a plastic loop for attachment to a backpack or other desired places , with the help of a carabiner or other such attachment aids.
The Branding , or etching is all done well and I have found no thin or bare spots on the anodizing anywhere. As always with Thrunite , these lights are all serial numbered.
The clip is made sturdy and attaches with a good amount of force , it stays in place well once attached to the light , while holding firmly when attached inside my jeans pocket as well.
The XHP35 emitter is perfectly centered in a nice little smooth reflector and those sit behind an AR coated lens.
The Spring in the tailcap looks to be a good quality and appears to be gold plated (no spring on driver). The Tailcap is made flat also , so the light tailstands well , even when the lanyard is attached , as the lanyard eye is made on one side of the tailcap .
The fins are not large , as the light is not itself large enough to put large sized fins on, but for the small size , it seems ThruNite got the thermal regulation (step down) set about right.
All of the threads are well cut and smooth on this light. On this particular sample the lube was very lightly applied , which is something I am NOT used to seeing when I take a ThruNite product from the box.
The 3100mAh ThruNite Branded cell that comes with this package , can be charged either with the USB onboard charger , or the cell can be removed and charged externally on a traditional charger. I have also tried Button Top , High Drain cells of various brands and they all seem to work fine in the light. The High Drain Flat tops however , are too short for use in this light. The shorter flat top cells , will let the light operate , but with a bump or decent shake , the light will usually go off or change modes when using the flat top cells. This is due to only having the spring at the tail of the light am sure and just not enough pressure to maintain good contact with the shorter cells against the driver contact.
The side switch button is like many of the ThruNite switches and it is a nice metallic button. The center of the switch is lighted to indicate power on (Blue) , Low voltage (Steady Red) and improper charging or other problems with the cell (purple). When the cell capacity is at 20% or above , the Blue indicator will show (other than Firefly mode) , at 10% to 20% the Red indicator light will come on and stay on steady. At 10% or below the Red indicator will then start (Blinking Red) to let you know the cell is depleted. Once the cell is fully depleted the Low Voltage Protection will simply shut the light off.
As with most all the XHP35 based lights , this one puts off alot of heat. The step down is set to the point the light steps down , just about the time you think it will get “too hot” and for the small size the light seems to handle the overall heat pretty well
The driver seems to be well regulated on my sample , as I checked the lumens with the included cell in all modes with , a Samsung 30Q , LG HE4 and an Efest purple high drain. All were within around 30 to 40 lumens of each other when tested in the Turbo mode and stayed pretty close through the rest of the modes , with even less fluxuation in the lumens gap.
The run times and lumens listed by Thrunite also seem to be fairly accurate , as I know they will not be exact on every light no matter what company makes the light.
EDIT: Sorry , Forgot the beamshots , so here they are……………
Garage door 15 Yards—-L / M / H / Turbo
Garage 70 Yards————-Med/High/Turbo
Gate 50 Yards————Med/High/Turbo
Gate 75 Yards————High/Turbo
Gate 100 Yards———-High/Turbo
EDIT 2:
Just an update…………
I decided to take the original TC15 apart and I dedomed the XHP35 that was in it , just to see how much it tightened up the beam. I figure the result is about the same as putting a XHP35 HI in the light. (do correct me if I am wrong here)
The beams and lumens output were almost identical to begin with on the 2 lights.
Anyway the result was as expected when I started the simple mod , with a tighter beam and warmer tint from the dedomed emitter. Also as with pretty much any dedome , there was a loss of lumens. I dropped about 290 lumens in the Turbo mode at start , but with more light down the middle , the hotspot looks brighter than the TC15 Custom Edition that still has the dome on. There is still plenty of useable spill for walking or what have you with the dedomed emitter also , just not as broad of an area as it started out.
Here are the beamshots showing how much tighter the beam is now and the tint change , just incase anyone might be thinking about putting a XHP35 HI in one of these lights or doing a slice or dedome on the emitter that is in it.
10 yards (white) garage door / Medium Mode
Original (HD)………
DeDomed………
75 yards to trees / Turbo Mode
Original (HD)……
Dedomed…….
100 yards to Gate / Turbo Mode
Original (HD)………
Dedomed…….
Below is my test results for the lumens using the included Thrunite 3100mAh cell. All the run time testing and lumens testing in the charts , was done with the Thrunite cell only , since there was very little difference when testing other cells.
For those who may want to see the live outdoor footage comparing the Olight M2R Warrior and the ThruNite TH10 V2 with this light , that footage begins at 15:30 of the video timeline.
Video followed by listed specs………………….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PhTNl-KC2U&feature=youtu.be
Specifications
•LED: CREE XHP35 LED with a lifespan of 20+ years of run time.
•Runs on: 1 x 3100mAh 18650 IMR battery (included).
•Working voltage: 2.75V-4.2V.
•Charging current/voltage: 1.1A / 5V
•Output & Runtime (Tested with ThruNite 3100mAh 18650 IMR battery):
Turbo(2300 lumens~820 lumens /2 mins+83 mins),
High(1050 lumens/90 mins),
Meidum(250 lumens /6.5 hrs),
Low(25 lumens /68 hrs),
Firefly(1 lumens /41.5 days),
Strobe (830 lumens /180 mins).
•Peak beam intensity: 15200cd.
•Max beam distance: 246m.
•Power interface: micro USB charging port.
•Waterproof to IPX-8 Standard (2 meters).
•Impact resistant: 1.5 meters.
•Working Temperature: –20℃-40℃.
•Dimensions: 122.5mm (length) x 27mm (body diameter) x 24mm (head diameter).
•Weight: 71g (excluding battery).
•Accessories: Holster x1, Spare O-ring x2, Lanyard x1, Pocket Clip x1,
ThruNite 3100mAh 18650 IMR Battery x1, USB Charging Cable x1, Spare USB Rubber Cover x1, Spare Side Switch Cap x1.
Operation
•Turn On/Off
Press the side switch to turn the light on/off.
•Change Modes
With the light off, press and hold the side switch to get firefly mode. With the light turns on, press and hold the side switch to circle through Low, Medium and High mode. Double click to turn to turbo from any mode. Another double click to get to Strobe.
•ITC Technology
The light will automatically lower the current when temperature in LED or driver rises to 80 degrees centigrade to protect the flashlight from overheating. Thus to extend its lifespan.
•Battery Replacement
Take off the tail cap, insert the battery with the anode (+) toward the LED assembly (head of the light),
screw the tail on and tighten it all the way to operate the light.
•We suggest to charge the battery in the TC15 light. During charging, the indicator is RED; After being fully charged, the indicator will be BLUE; When indicator flashes purple, it means abnormal charging. Only firefly and low mode is available duing charging.
•Battery Capacity Indicators
Battery capacity: >20%, Blue light will be ON.
Battery capacity: 10–20, Red light will be ON.
Battery capacity: <10%, Red light will flash and remind to charge the battery immediately.
After being fully charged, Blue light will be ON.
Note: the battery capacity indicator will not work at Firefly mode, or when the battery capacity is 0%.
