(machine translated from german, Review: TrustFire T90R | Taschenlampen Forum)
Last year, TrustFire presented their new thrower: The T90R is based on the Luminus SBT90.2 and two 21700 batteries connected in series and can be charged via a built-in USB-C connection.
After I had previously been able to deal with the T70 from the same company, I was very excited to see what the new one would do. A copy has now reached me, for which I sincerely thank TrustFire. By the way, this is not a review lamp, but was an unconditional gift for a short collaboration.
Overview
- Luminus SBT90.2 / 5700K LED
- Operation with 2 x 21700 LiIon cells 640,000 cd, 1,600 meters range (manufacturer information)
- Forward Clicky + side button
- IPX8
- Maximum fall height 1 m
- Internal charging via USB-C
- Intelligent temperature control
- 4-level capacity indicator
- Polarity
- Weight with/without original battery: 459 / 307 g
- 3-year guarantee
Scope of delivery
- Lamp
- Battery (insulated with insulator plate)
- Multilingual instructions
- Lanyard
- USB-C cable
- 2 spare O-rings (head - battery tube and battery tube - end cap)
- Suitcase
In some countries there may also be a remote switch and a magnetic parallel mount (rifle mount).
Lamp body
Fig. above: The T90R (right) is actually handy, but optically a different caliber than the T70 sibling. The slightly thicker battery tube suits me well.
The machining and finish of the T90R is consistently high quality. There are no sharp edges, no milling marks, no anodizing errors. The anodizing has a TF-typical satin finish, as if the lamp had been painted. The knurling is gentle but provides a secure hold.
Fig. above: The expensive SBT90.2 in an absolutely clean reflector …
Fig. above: … and in front of it and a lens with a coating.
Figures above: Both springs are designed twice.
Fig. above: The side button is easy to find thanks to the clear knob structure.
Battery and internal charging
Fig. above: The lamp is delivered with an inserted battery and insulating plate.
TrustFire does not deliver individual cells with the T90R, but a battery containing two 21700 LiIon cells. The battery has a capacity of 5 Ah, at a nominal voltage of 7.4V that is 37 Wh. However, individual cells also fit in the lamp, which should then be protected.
Fig. above: The battery appears to contain two regular, individually protected cells.
When I received the lamp, the battery had a voltage of 8.02 V, after the first charging in the lamp (USB-C) I measured 8.07 V. The missing voltage may drop across a diode in the tailcap (UF = 0.205 V), which allows charging when the lamp is off. The charging electronics of the lamp supports several voltages, the battery is protected. From the outside, I have the impression that both cells have their own protective electronics.
TrustFire prohibits CR123A and 18650 cells, but allows button-top 21700s without protection circuitry (use with caution). However, the lamp itself does not switch off, but regulates from 3V into a very economical mode. I would strongly recommend using the original battery or protected rechargeable batteries.
Fig. above: The rubber cap of the USB-C connection sits so well in the lamp body that you can hear the inflowing air when you pull it out. This is absolutely perfect.
Fig. above: Despite the large head, the T90R sits comfortably in the hand.
UI
No surprise: The proven UI of the other TrustFire lamps with rear switch and side button can also be found in the T90R. The rear switch is a so-called forward clicky. By touching it lightly, the lamp offers momentary light, which can be used to write Morse codes, for example. It is switched on fully depressed. The user switches through the 4 modes with the side button, holding it down longer leads to the strobe. All modes, including the strobe, are saved and can then be called up via momentary light.
| Low | Medium | High | Extreme Bright | |
| Luminous flux | 35 | 350 | 1200 | 4800 |
| Runtime | 112h | 26h | 4.2h | 100min |
| Range | 140 | 429 | 736 | 1600 |
| Brightness | 4900cd | 46010cd | 135424cd | 640000cd |
There are two RG LEDs under the rubber of the side, which indicate the state of charge of the batteries:
| Green | 100 to 50% capacity |
| Yellow | up to 20% capacity |
| Red | up to 5% capacity |
| Red flashing | under 5% capacity |
LED
On the 9 mm2 of the SBT90.2 light area there is a lively 4800 lm. For comparison: The XHP35 Hi that shines in the TrustFire T70 packs its 2300 lm into 5.9 mm2 . This corresponds to a luminance that is almost 1.4 times higher than that of the older Cree LED. And what does that mean now? Nothing but more throw, more light and more warmth. We want one thing in a thrower, we have to deal with the latter. Or the lamp.
The SBT90.2 is only available in two color temperatures, among which TrustFire has opted for the 5700K variant. This is not a surprise since most lamps from this manufacturer come with this color temperature. In low mode, the Luminus, together with the AR glass, gives us a rich green color cast, which, however, decreases in the other modes and disappears in the highest mode. The light image is even without a clear tint shift.
The lamp is power-controlled with normal, invisible ripple in the light signal, no PWM, absolutely flicker-free light.
Range
According to ANSI FL1, a lamp’s range is based on Peak Beam Intensity. This is the maximum brightness of the lamp between half a minute and two minutes after it is switched on.
To determine this intensity, I set up a measuring distance of 7.59 meters between the T90R and my Benetech GM1020 lux meter. The lamp was not cooled, the ambient temperature was 21 °C. The lux meter records a value every second:
The maximum brightness is found in the relevant period immediately after 30 seconds: 322331cd, i.e. 1135m.
The maximum brightness since switching on was: 524577cd, 1449m.
The range is determined from the distance at which we can just measure the glow of the lamp like moonlight on a clear night (0.25 lx defined in ANSI FL1).
It is debatable how reasonable this definition is. The maximum brightness is only a snapshot for a modern lamp that has to master heat and energy management in the interests of the user so that the information in the brochure also looks good.
My hobby measurements show different values than those of the manufacturer. There can be many reasons for this, one of them being the short measuring distance, which I could not extend without compromising the result through reflections. A variance in the batteries or a calibration error in the temperature sensor can also be the reason. However, 1600 meters is quite sporty with this small head size (reflector diameter approx. 65 mm) and possibly not so easy - if at all - to realize theoretically.
For comparison: the Imalent UT90 only gets 308023 cd after 30 s (source: zeroair.org), and that’s not even a reasonably regulated lamp.
I also checked whether the brightest level can be reactivated after one minute:
It works. At the end of the ordeal, the lamp on the collar was 54 °C, otherwise it does not exceed 50 °C at room temperature without cooling.
Runtime
In contrast to the brightness, I measure the running time when the lamp is cooled. You can see that the temperature control is then quite active and the permanently maintained brightness is higher:
Fig. above: The lamp cannot maintain the maximum brightness even with slight cooling (of course), but it regulates itself within the first minute and thanks to that Cooling, intelligent temperature control and controlled driver at almost 200,000 cd, which only falls slightly over 1 ½ hours. Realistically, this results in a permanent range of between 888 (197 kcd) and 849 m (180 kcd) in this area. This is slightly below what a T70 can do for about 45 minutes, i.e. half the time. However, one must not forget that the T90R throws more light forward, which means that the spot and thus the illuminated area is significantly larger. We’ll see that in the beamshots.
I explicitly measured the influence of the cooling:
You can see the clear effect of the stable temperature control. Starting with sample 108 I activated the fan cooling. Uncooled, the lamp produces about 32% less.
Voltage at the end of the runtime: 6.24 V. For the second highest mode, TrustFire states approx. 135 kcd (736 m). These are kept stable.
Beamshots
Fig. above: T70 (left, XHP35) and T90R (right, SBT90.2) vs. screen (distance approx. 4 m), both in low mode. You can see how much more light the T90R delivers at a similar intensity.
ISO 400, ¼ s, F/4
Scene 1:
Scene 1, excerpt:
Scene 2:
Scene 2, excerpt:
Discussion and conclusion
TrustFire asks almost 200 EUR for the T90R on Amazon Germany. This includes the battery, but due to the increasing number of SBT90.2 throwers, it only works if high quality and a high technical standard are offered. The manufacturer supplies both with this lamp. It is built like a tank, regulation and energy management are exemplary, there is a stable, long range for approx. 1 ½ hours, and, as is typical for LEDs, a fairly large area is illuminated with neutral white light. In addition, this lamp does not get overly warm. Technically, it sweeps away the competitor Imalent UT90, which is 10% cheaper but almost unregulated and requires a special charging cable.
I like the format of the lamp. Batteries connected in series definitely have electrical advantages, and I personally prefer normal formats from 18650 to 26650 far more than Coke cans. This is of course a question of personal preferences and glove size.
My conclusion: The T90R is of high quality, technically uncompromising and absolutely practical. In view of the price, it is primarily intended for professional use, and (not only) it will do well there. She has my recommendation.