1) Disclaimer
2) Premise
3) Introduction
4) Packaging
5) Materials, assembly, processing, finishes, anodizing
6) Specifications
7) User interface
8) User experience
9) LEDs, light output and beamshots
10) Conclusions
11) Aspects positive
12) Negative aspects
13) Neutral aspects
14) Final grade
1) Disclaimer
If my English is good, you can congratulate me. If my english is bad, you can blame google translate ;)
More and more often I find myself using flashlights during my excursions or in daily life, therefore I define myself as a user who has also become passionate over time.
In addition to indicating objective data and measurements, I will always try to be very clear in highlighting strengths and weaknesses, in explaining the impressions during use and what I would like to see or obtain.
All photos, info, measurements, unless otherwise indicated, are my own flour.
I do all this because I enjoy it, mine is a hobby and a pleasure, in life I do anything else, so I apologize in advance to the professionals of the sector, to the enthusiasts and to the simple users for the mistakes that surely are and will be present in mine pages.
If you notice errors, typos or have other reports to make, please let us know, I will be happy to update my pages with your reports.
2) Premise
The main reason why I bought this TS21 is because it was possible to choose Nichia 219C leds instead of the Luminus SST-20, which I own on other torches and which, although very good, are not among my favorite diodes. Also here we have a complete package with Anduril2 firmware, metal clip and the possibility of purchasing a short tube separately (the following photo is with the short tube) to use the flashlight with 18350 batteries.
3) Introduction
We are in the EDC category, that is tools to carry with you every day.
It is a very competitive category characterized by increasingly miniaturized and increasingly performing products.
The TS21 is no exception, despite being fitted with a 21700 battery as standard, it is quite compact, but I prefer it with the short tube because it makes it very light and pocket-sized.
4) Packaging:
The TS21 comes in the classic white and orange hardcover typical of the parent company.
Outside we find white labels that indicate the model and type of LED, while inside we have:
-torch
- bubble wrap
- instruction manual (English, German, Japanese and Chinese).
-2 spare o-rings
- lanyard
- usb-a / usb-c cable
- metallic clip
- the 21700 battery is not present because I ordered the version without.
On this occasion I added
- reducer tube
-2 18350 batteries
-2 diffusers one white and the other orange
- silicone rings
5) Materials, assembly, processing, finishes, anodizing:
The torch is made of aluminum in the classic black anodization.
The manual reports a type III type of anti-abrasive finish, but I ruined the anodizing when I mounted the clip on the short tube, you can see it in the photo.
The threads run smoothly, but on the short tube there is a defect, an incision / step, which however does not compromise the fluidity during screwing.
The 18350 battery has a smaller diameter than that of the tube, but remains stationary inside it, even by shaking the flashlight vigorously, no noise or movement of the cell is noticed.
Bezel:
embattled stainless steel. It's always nice to find the steel bezel especially in this price range.
The Bezel is glued, very difficult to unscrew and as per the manual, proceeding with the disassembly risks compromising the waterproofing and voiding the warranty.
Lens:
tempered mineral glass.
Optics:
TIR in synthetic material.
Head:
We find a print with the word "HOT" and a serial number. It has no molding imperfections.
Below the bezel, the surface is smooth with 8 longitudinal grooves.
Next we find the central part of the head characterized by the switch, on the sides the cooling fins, while on the back the charging port. The USB-C port is not perfectly aligned with the milling of the head, however the insertion of the USB plug is smooth and presents no difficulty.
The switch has good feedback, is backlit and can be customized (off, low, high, flashing).
I noticed an anomalous absorption when the led is set to High, I'll talk about it later.
Still below we find the print with the brand and the name of the model.
Body:
On the long tube there are 7 transversal grooves, of which the first and last are used to house the clip. In addition to the aesthetic reason they should increase the grip.
Personally I don't like it, I like the feedback it provides. Just a personal preference, but I much prefer the short tube on which there are only 2 grooves, one of which is used to accommodate the clip.
Tail:
Flat, wide, with longitudinal grooves that increase grip, with the ring for the lanyard in the right position.
Inside we find a fairly handsome magnet, which does its job perfectly. The magnet is either loved or hated, there is no version without a magnet in the catalog.
The tail is well made, rational and allows you to use the flashlight vertically.
Finally we find the battery symbol printed just above the passage for the lanyard.
Threads:
Well made, but on the short tube there is a manufacturing defect that does not compromise its functionality.
The segments screw very smoothly and easily. There is a uniform layer of fat.
O-ring:
The bezel is glued so it is difficult to tell if there are 1 or 2 o-rings in the head, but between the head and body and the body and the tail there are 2 o-rings.
Lanyard:
classic black lanyard.
Battery:
A 5000mAh Wurkkos branded 21700 battery can be chosen for only € 4.
I didn't buy a 21700 but a 2 18350 800 mAh 5C for about 11 €.
I bought them to try them, the capacity is + 20% compared to the declared, but the discharge capacity is lower than the peak power required by the TS21. At the same price there are excellent Vapcell or keeppower with 9-10A discharge.
6) Specifications:
• LED: Nichia 219C 5000k
• Material: aluminum alloy
• Low voltage warning: yes
• Reverse polarity protection: yes
• Lens type: mineral with hardening treatment
• Optic: TIR in synthetic material
• Switch position: head
• Memory: yes
• Tail stand: yes
• Luminous flux: 2800LM
• Battery:
• Head diameter: 28mm
• Length: 113.4mm
• Weight of the flashlight without battery: 78g
• Water resistance: IPX8
7) User Interface:
Anduril 2.
Anduril is my favorite UI because it can be customized and configured according to your tastes or needs.
Explaining how it works and customizes would be too expensive, here I will just describe what I have done on mine.
1) thermal configuration:
on the TS21 by default the stepdown is set at 45 ° C, I moved it 20 ° C higher.
It is a particular configuration, because I will use it with supports, but that makes it no idea to be held with bare hands.
Before moving the step-down it is good practice to check if the temperature sensor is correctly calibrated and if it is necessary to calibrate it from scratch.
2) status led set to low:
on high there is high absorption, so I changed the configuration to low, even if during the day it is not visible.
8) User experience:
The flashlight is very compact, especially the head, it does not seem to have a unit equipped with 21700 in your hands.
As a form factor I prefer it in the short version, because it becomes an excellent flashlight to insert in any pocket.
Steel bezel, clip, magnet and any diffusers make it suitable for any occasion.
Small and comfortable I find it perfect, like other EDCs, to be mounted on the shoulder supports of your backpack:
or on the helmet, via gopro holder:
or on the bike handlebar, via gopro holder:
The first test to which I subjected the flashlight was the immersion test: flashlight turned on, in 25cm of water for about 30 minutes: the glass did not fog up and the interior was free of humidity.
Immersion test passed with flying colors.
One thing that at first puzzles during use is the operating principle of the status LEDs:
Normally the led is amber or green depending on the hardware used.
During charging or the power bank function it turns blue.
One gets confused when during use the status LED suddenly turns blue or purple (blue mixes with amber).
None of this is mentioned in the manual, but one of the Wurkkos staff members on budgetlightforum replied that when there is a sudden change in voltage, the blue LED lights up for about 30 seconds.
Another problem I encountered is the high absorption of the amber status LED when set to High.
Also on budgetlight forum a user measured this absorption which would be 13mA and identified the problem in an undersized resistor of the USB controller.
If you are interested you can read both discussions:
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/68011
The advice is not to worry about the blue led that lights up and to set the led switch to off or low if you do not want to avoid abnormal battery drainage.
Without beating about the bush, the default thermal configuration (step-down at 45 ° C) makes the use of the torch unnerving, because it continuously cuts the current to manage the heat. Despite the over 2000 lumens it can deliver, in default mode it can deliver only a few hundred lumens continuously.
To signal the power-bank function, the possibility of use while recharging or without battery, by connecting only the head to the USB power cable. In these last two cases, however, only the first 4 power levels will be available.
I also bought some rubber rings, I was especially interested in the GITD ones, but they are disappointing:
they do not fix well in the grooves and the brightness of the GITDs is almost zero and lasts very little, moreover the colored ones seem to have been recycled from the sale of some electronic cigarette.
Failed.
9) Led, light output and beamshots:
Last but not least we come to the crucial aspect of each flashlight: LED and light emitted.
Led
This Nichia 219C offers excellent light: using the flashlight you immediately notice that there is no perceptible dominant color cast that often affects the LEDs and that the light is of a very natural white.
Of the LEDs I tried, it is the one that currently offers the closest light to that present during the day.
Some measurements with 100% light on 18% gray card.
If you are looking for a HiCri led in a neutral color, which is as close as possible to sunlight, I would say that this led is the right choice.
Runtime
For my use I have set the thermal break at 65 ° C, with Anduril the upper limit is 70 ° C.
This allows me to use it at high power when I am hiking and place it on the helmet or backpack, but also to use it as a normal EDC without getting burned, reminding me not to go beyond level 5 or at most 6 of the step mode.
Below is a comparative runtime of 20 minutes (all torches were cooled during measurements) with sampling every 30s in the first 5 minutes and every minute after the fifth minute.
After the initial performance cut in the first 4 minutes, the TS21's graph highlights how it maintains consistent performance until the twentieth minute. From 5 minutes onwards, the outside temperatures fluctuated between 58 and 60 ° C.
TS21 levels: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-Turbo
Burst 700 levels: Low-Med-High
M21F levels: Eco-Low-Med-High
IF25A levels: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-Turbo
Light beam
The light beam is characterized by a wide spot that gently degrades into a spill which is also quite wide, the result is a very flood beam, greater than that of the IF25A cousin.
There are no dominants, color variations or rings.
Very well, if you are looking for a flood torch it could be for you.
Here are 2 sets of night shots, in a natural environment, using this set-up:
26mm f1.6
iso3200
1 / 15s
WB 5000k
Tree at the bottom 115m.
Convoy M21F GT-FC40 4500k
Level low-mid-high:
Tree at the bottom 115m.
Wurkkos TS21 219C 5000k
Level 5-6-7-turbo:
Tree at the bottom 115m
Sofirn IF25A SST20 4000k
level 5-6-7-turbo:
Tree at the bottom 65-70m.
Convoy M21F GT-FC40 4500k
Level low-mid-high:
Tree at the bottom 115m.
Wurkkos TS21 219C 5000k
Level 5-6-7-turbo:
Tree at the bottom 65-70m
Sofirn IF25A SST20 4000k
level 5-6-7-turbo:
The TS21 shines very well in the first few meters, but despite having enough power it cannot shoot beyond 65-70m.
10) Conclusions
I would define the TS21 as a product for aware users:
it can be brought home with less than € 30 (I paid € 26 without battery), it has excellent hi-Cri LEDs that make an excellent light with faithfully reproduced colors and it is very pleasant to observe.
The package is complete: flashlight, clip, bottom magnet, steel bezel, lanyard, usb-c charging, power bank function.
However, the premature overheating, the lack of some information on the manual, the anomalous drain of the status LED, the important cut in performance despite the declared 2800 lumens, the complete but "complex" firmware for beginners, are aspects to keep. into account.
Although I have recommended it on several occasions to those who asked me for a small flashlight with a good light, I must say that the use in the field has given me half a disappointment: in some respects the flashlight looks like a beta version not yet refined to be launched. on the market.
Personally I could use it in a short tube version during my excursions: a backup torch to be placed on the shoulder of the backpack and to be used as a candle with its diffuser.
Who do I recommend it to?
To those looking for a small, compact flashlight with a light as close as possible to daylight and at the same time want a complete firmware and customize like Anduril.
11) Positive aspects:
1) Led: a very white, neutral light. So far, of the LEDs tested, the one that comes closest to daylight.
2) Very competitive price
3) Complete package
4) Possibility to mount the short tube
5) Power bank function, use when charging or without battery.
12) Negative aspects:
1) Excess of heat that leads to a sudden cut in performance
2) Excessive drain of the led switch set to high
3) The manual is not up to date, it reports the Anduril1 procedures and does not give information on the status LED, forcing the user to search for information on the net or to contact customer service.
4) inefficient customer service: less than an hour after purchase, I send a message to customer service to ask if it was possible to make a change to the order. They reply after two days informing me that the package has already been shipped.
5) Charging the 18350 in TS21, by my powerbank, current go up to ≈ 3A. This is a bad new for battery life.
13) Neutral aspects:
1) the firmware is not immediate requires a minimum of study and tests
14) Final rating:
1) TS21 torch: 6.5 / 10
2) Short tube: 7/10
3) Batteries 18350 7/10
4) Diffusers: 8/10
5) Rubber rings: 4/10
.
