Review: Wurkkos TS25 updated with Production Model Aux info

LED Flashlights – General Info 21700 Flashlights
1

I received a Review Sample of the Wurkkos TS25

here are some first impressions

I like the LEDs Color Temperature, and Tint Duv. The beam profile is also to my liking, as it has a good hotspot.

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The TS25 is a nice size for a jacket pocket, and weighs 145 grams with battery. It feels good in hand, not too large, and I like the slender waist body design.

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The switch is also nice, it can be located by feel, because the button protrudes with straight sides. I also like the travel and feel of the button. It is crisp, predictable, and easy to use.

Light arrives in simple smooth ramping mode and turns on at 75 lumens
there is Last Mode Memory enabled

Aux arrive in multi color changing mode…
7C from Off cycles the Aux. There are a total of 6 steps, including Aux Off

The different Aux colors have different brightness. For example the red is dimmest and reads 0.09 lumens on my meter, whereas the green is brightest and reads 0.38 lumens

The aux create a pattern with many petals, like a mandala. The multi color changing Aux setting is very colorful:
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Battery check with 3C works to make the main LED count voltage. The aux turn on in between. Instead of staring into the optic, I just shine the light on my hand. This makes it easy to count the white light flashes, without being distracted by the Aux lights.

The Green button light turns on for 5 seconds when the light is first turned on. It is Off at all other times.

I have set my Aux to Red, for now:
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The thermal calibration is accurate, within 1C of my IR gun. I ran the light at the ceiling in advanced ramping until it stepped down, at which point the body was at 49C, from which I infer the thermal ceiling is set to 50C by default.

I have one suggestion for future revisions:
I would like the green button light to stay On all the times,
both when main LEDs are On and also Off…
I like illuminated buttons. :wink:

2

Thanks for the review.

I am excited about this light. It seems like it would make a good work light.

3

Possibly yes. The beam profile is very good imo, and the LED has great color rendering.

If you use the light at indoor distances where 200 lumens or less is more than enough, It will probably work well.

otoh, my personal opinion is that you should not expect to use the claimed 4000 lumen Turbo, because it steps down very quickly to less than 100 lumens. At least with the current Thermal limit, which I think is appropriate.

know that I am Anti Turbo, and I turn it OFF completely. I also just lowered the ceiling to 90/150 = 250 lumens. I prioritize Sustainable Output that does Not trigger thermal step down. just disclosing my bias.

Also note there is no pocket clip, though I personally dont carry such heavy lights in pocket, it would do well in a tool bag or stuck to a metal shelf. I just tested the tail magnet on my fridge, and it does work to hold the light horizontally, without sliding down.

happy to help answer any questions, thanks for taking the time to comment

4

Sir, I could not agree with you more. Especially about the always lit power button...need it.

I am enjoying the light as well. It's a good design overall, missing just the button light honestly, I'm really not into the aux led thing.

Edit: Would also be nice to have an efficient driver in there. I started looking at my KR4 with Hank's boost driver, and wondering....

5

I don’t need too much of a bright light for what I do. I work on CNC machines. I work in the dark insides of machines in fairly well lit factories. I like hi CRI because it’s easier to distinguish wire colors, and I am a tint snob.

I’ll trade color for lumens all day. I think lumens are over rated in the flashlight world. Just an easy number companies use to sell lights.

I like that the button is not the usual rubber or silicone button. That’s makes it easier to clean the hydraulic fluid and grime off at the end of the day.
I like a very floody light because I need it for work up close.
A magnetic tail cap is a great addition so I can stick it to the steel doors or panels of machines.
Some level of water resistance is almost a must since I have dropped my lights in oil tanks before. I dig them out quick and wipe them off but still.
The lack of clip is almost a deal breaker. I do clip my lights to my belt when I’m working.
The slight hourglass shape is nice for when your hands (with gloves) are soaked in hydraulic oil.
The UI and Aux leds just lets it show that my light is half the price of most name brand lights and still offers a lot more. And that I am a flashlight nerd.

6

Which LEDs does it have?

7

agree… I think there will be some fine tuning to bring the aux and button function in line with more standard Anduril 2 RGB controls.

I just removed the bezel and confirmed the LEDs are 5000K 519a. The color rendering is top notch, particularly in regard to Red, far superior to LH351D

I would not call this a Very Floody beam, it is more like a Carclo Narrow Clear, that throws a more concentrated beam of light. Not what a carclo wide frosted beam would do, which is what I mean by very floody… try looking at the beam profile in the first photo to get a sense of what I mean.

As far as water resistance, I would not volunteer to drop any light into hydraulic fluid… this one does have O ring seals, but they are not double, like in actual dive lights. I have not looked at how the button is installed, I do not know how it might be sealed. Bezel does have an O ring that presses on the optic, plus another O ring at the bottom of the bezel threads…

Regarding pocket clip, there is a groove for one, hopefully a suitable clip can be sourced. I do think a clip is a very important option, to clip to a belt. Else a Holster for that purpose.

5000K 519a :+1: It is the LED I asked for, and I confirmed it is what I received.

You cant tell from the photo, but with my eyes I could see the little corner marking that I look for to ID 519a. I compared them to an LH351d I had just removed from an SC21, which has an obviously larger dome, that extends almost to the outer edges of the die. The domes on the 519a are a little smaller.

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I suggest you contact Wurkkos to offer your help with the Aux and Button light coding :wink:

I do not know if the Aux lights have LVP, do you know? I think yes because iirc the RGB Aux should have LVP. Can you confirm? The present Aux configuration is not yet using standard Anduril coding, but I was told that is the intention for the next revision.

8

First of all, thank you for the review!

I did, some time ago. No direct response, but I should receive one intended for a review today. Sadly it comes without flashing pads AFAIK. Also the firmware modifications of Anduril by Wurkkos are not made public (required by GPL license). I assume that they have injected a full new aux implementation into the code, bypassing everything from Anduril. Hopefully it’s no hardware implementation (that would be really scary). So when I have received it, I will take some photos and measurements and then start disassembling/destroying it. :frowning:

9

correct, there are no flashing pads

Im sure you will be able to figure out the Aux config… Wurkkos Wants to make them Anduril compliant… I think they just hack the Aux for prototyping, because they dont know how to do it properly, yet.

Im sure your help will be very valuable, I hope you connect with someone that can appreciate your skills and solve the Aux config challenges.

truth be told, I just turn the Aux off… It was a fun affair, but the thrill is gone… LOL

I care more about Sustainable Output, and High CRI. I do not use Turbo, and dont really need Aux. The one feature I most want, is for the button light to just stay on all the time.

10

Thanks for the feedback. In the end I’ll probably still buy one because it looks like a nice light to add to the collection.
Wurkkos has been coming out with a some good lights for a good price.

As for work, I can always stick with the Convoys. There cheap, fairly durable, and if I break it I can always repair it.

11

I’m wondering if this has any battery drain issues that plagued the TS21.

12

too soon to tell
the present batch uses Aux firmware that is not the final version

we have to wait for the Production run,
it will use different Aux firmware than the small batch test run

The main LEDs are very nice, and Anduril 2 is fully functional for the main LEDs. Im very pleased with the 519a 5000K color rendering and neutral Tint Duv.

I also like the size and form factor in hand. And the button works very well for me…

btw, there is a feature I just learned. The button light changes color as the battery drains… Once the battery gets low, I will be able to observe if the Aux lights turn off by LVP. I expect they will.

AFAIK the LVP bug has been fixed in Anduril
the other issue is for the Aux to last a long time, in On condition as a locator, they need to be very dim… Only bright enough to see in the dark.

Aux lights that are visible during the day, have short battery life.

High levels of Aux brightness are not practical to be left on 24/7, even w LVP
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I expect the Production run will have the ability to dim the Aux so they last a long time. I also expect LVP is already working in the TS25 I have now.

Thanks to the magnet, I have it attached to some metal above my sink, with the Red Aux On… When I walk through the house turning off the lights before bed, I should be able to see the flashlight at the ready…

when the Aux turn off, in a few weeks maybe, I will be able to check the battery voltage to confirm LVP

maybe someone with a bench power supply will confirm LVP works, sooner

13

Did some measurements yesterday. With aux off it needs 0.09 mA, with aux on depending on color 9 to 25 mA.

The current version might not have LVP for the aux LEDs because it doesn’t use Anduril to control them.

14

Great info, I will check voltage on the one Im running on Red Aux 24/7… maybe 7 days to drain the cell… My brain is the LVP for the light. :partying_face:

If you figure out how to reflash the TS25 to the updated firmware from gchart, I will be interested to copy you.

15

Got some schematics from Wurkkos. Looks like aux LEDs in the first batch of TS25 are controlled by hardware, not by the microcontroller that runs Anduril.

16

Thank you very much…

btw, I found the drain for the Red Aux and calculate it will last 13 days… will keep an eye on it with daily battery voltage checks…

I will just turn the Aux off when not under daily supervision, to eliminate any risk of overdischarge…

btw, the button light changes from Green to Red when voltage goes below 3.6V:
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17

13 days? What a bummer.

I also don’t like the button stick out. Does it turn on when you lay it flat down on the table and press on the backside?

18

this is a prototype, the Aux lights will use Anduril 2 on the production model, which allows a lower brightness on Aux

I like that the button sticks out so I can feel it in the dark.

if you are worried about false activation while carrying the light, I suggest you use physical lockout

19

Thanks for the review. I’m confused about some of the comments regarding the aux light and button indicator. Are they tied together - like if you disable the aux lights, you also disable the button indicator?

I like to have a low-current button indicator LED on/flash so I can find it in the dark. I don’t need to overly drain the batteries with aux lights though, so I’d like to have the aux off but button indicator on. Is that how the TS25 works? Or…will work?

20

Possibly yes… cant say for sure until we see the next batch,