Hi,
New member, been lurking for a couple weeks. Not really a Flashoholic (Yet?).
I’m looking at the Thrunite tn4a. Pretty sure I want the NW, but is it worth the extra money to get the HI LED? I think the specs say it throws farther, but honestly if it throws 150 yards, puts enough light out that I can tell it’s a dog not a coyote that’s good enough. I like the flood part of the light as much as throw.
Was thinking of getting a de-domed convoy C8 at some point, but not sure I really want to mess with 18650’s and all that stuff. For a guy who is not “into” flashlights and a Costco pack of AA’s lasts a couple years. Is it worth 18650’s?
I’ve actually had 3 TN4As, the NW & CW XP-L, and also the CW XP-L HI. The XP-L HI throws noticeably further. I much prefer the colour of cool white also, but this is a personal preference.
The TN4A is a really great light if you don’t want to mess around with uncommon batteries like 18650s. But at the same time, you also open yourself up to greater possibilities if you have such batteries.
I recently did a comparison of the TN4A CW XP-L HI and the Thorfire C8s (which uses the same host as a Convoy C8). The Thorfire is rated at 900 lumens and the Thrunite at 1050. The Thorfire was nearly comparable; it surprised the hell out of me. The Thorfire fell short by maybe 15%. Bear in mind that I paid £41 for the Thrunite, and you can get a C8 on banggood for less than £12.
You can get a throwy torch (C8), and an edc floody torch (S2) plus a pair of batteries and a good charger all for £5 more than a single TN4A torch without batteries. AND this doesn’t even take into account potential discount codes those items.
Thanks for the reply. At some point I’ll probably do the 18650 thing. Right now just want something better than the Costco 3 aaa lights I have around the house.
Cool website by the way. I learned a lot here already
What kind of flashlights do you presently have now? Do you carry any as an EDC, either in a holster or on a keychain? Which one is your favorite?
That information will help us gauge where you are now and what might be appropriate as the next step.
Threadneedle’s suggestions would be what I would prescribe for any budding flashaholic: never get one flashlight when two will do. :evil: And get a thrower to complement a floody flashlight. 0:)
But I’m not sure whether you’re a budding flashaholic or just a regular Joe looking for a good flashlight.
Definitely get the NW versions of their lights if you can. The Ti5 NW was out of stock for a long time on Amazon, and I waited for it. I own the Ti4 NW, Ti5 NW and T10T in NW and they are all awesome.
I dont edc a flashlight and probably more of a just looking for a good light guy. Atleast for now.
Current lights are Costco 3aaa and the “500” lumen 3c light. Haven’t seen any posts to mod those and not sure I want to jump in there yet.
thanks again
Hi, welcome from another relative newbie!
For your initial question, I’d recommend neutral white. I have a different neutral Thrunite (Neutron 2A), and the color/tint is excellent. Especially if you use it next to a “regular” (cool tint) LED, it’s just much easier on the eyes, less distracting glare from semi-shiny surfaces, and more accurate color depiction.
If/when you’re willing to explore 18650s, that really opens up a lot more possibilities. I just jumped into this world myself a few months ago when I took apart an old laptop battery pack to harvest some 18650 cells, so I didn’t have the initial cost. Yes, the batteries themselves are more expensive (at least $5/ea for good ones, the rule of thumb around here is to avoid anything with “fire” in the name), and you’ll need a charger (some can do AA’s also). But as threadneedle pointed out, a C8 is a fantastic light for a surprisingly low price, so you can get a full setup for ~ the same price as a TN4A. If you’re in the states, mtnelectronics is a well-respected dealer with good-quality stuff at reasonable prices. No crap to sift through like you’ll find on the Chinese sites. The owner there is named Richard, known as RMM here on the forum.
On the topic of batteries, even if you don’t go for 18650’s yet, you’ll get better performance from your light (and less waste) if you get some decent rechargeable AA’s (Eneloop is one good brand). I didn’t see whether you already have any rechargeables yet, but just about any decent modern LED light will work better on rechargeable NiMH batteries than it will on alkalines. I can’t explain the details, but NiMH’s play better with the regulated circuitry in the light, so they give you longer constant brightness rather than continually dropping brightness you’d get from alkalines.
Hope this helps, and have fun with your new light!
Looked at EUL batteries. Kinda pricey, do they really last that much longer than Duracells? I get the alkaleak stuff, but hoestly I have only had it happen a couple times and don’t remember it wrecking anything.
Probably be good in my metal detector though. If I ever get out with it again.
? if they are lithium how come they aren’t rechargeable.
You might consider NiMh rechargables as an alternative to AA primary’s.
Pros: directly interchangeable with AA in most applications, high current ability, cost-effective.
Cons: Initial cost, will not work with some electronics that require 1.5V per cell (NiMh is 1.2V).
If you find the cost of batteries is becoming a burden drop back in here and we’ll help you select exactly what you need with NiMh. Ditto LiIon.
Enjoy the world of high-performance lights :bigsmile:
Phil
” if they are lithium how come they aren’t rechargeable.”
.
Good question - The answer is that they are “Primary Cells”, and so are designed for a 1 time use… Once in, once out, and then that’s it. It’s Done! - True ‘rechargeables’ use a totally different chemistry, and so a very different voltage too.
Lithium ‘primarys’ have a voltage somewhere around 1.7-1.8v, while true Li-Ions have a ‘working’ voltage of 3.6-3.7v, and a charge voltage of 4.2v. - These are clearly Not compatible, and should never to be considered the same. - If a light is not designed for the 4+ voltage of a Li-Ion, then it could be destroyed, or not… It all ‘depends’ on the driver. - Not likely that it will Blow-Up, but you will just no longer have a working light. - That’s not a good thing
Bottom line is, that you have to Know what you are doing with these things.
If you are New to 18650 - My advice would be to NOT, start with taking a laptop apart to use the cells, just to be Cheap. - Start with a New, known quality cell, and then go from there as you gain experience. - It’s safer doing it that way, because you will know better about to what to be on the lookout for.
Thanks again for all the help. I’m not sure I understand discharge rates etc. enough to understand all the graphs you guys post. They look cool though. Run time is easy enough.
I think I’ll probably use Lithiums in the one I bought for use at a cabin. So I can check out stuff before I let the dog out. Or see what made what racket. (usually a racoon.) The other is just another house light with more reach when I’m outside.
The Costco lights I’ve been using. 3aaa, 4aaa versions are bright enough around the house. But outside, on high they don’t stay bright very long. So I swap Batteries more than necessary so I can still see a ways. It was either here, or CPF I read a post about advertised throw and someone said that is at a 1/4? lux. So cut it in half basically to get light on it and half again to put enough light on it to be useful. Figured the distance ratings were generous, but we will see. Still, these should be a huge step up from what I’m used to.
Anyway thanks again and I’m sure I’ll be back with more ?
