TS25 can be very bright for a short period of time (can output over 4000lm at start up, but dims to under 1000lm in 30s), but is not very good at producing high sustainable output. Here is the quote stating just that from the TS25 review by www.stephenknightphotography.com “This sustained brightness is pretty mediocre compared to the light’s peers. For example Wurkkos’s own FC11 LH351D can sustain 300-350lm, the Emisar D4K 519A Boost, Convoy S21E 519A, and Acebeam E70 Mini 519A can sustain 500-600lm.” So if you are looking for a light that can produce high sustainable output, TS25 is not for you.
However, TS25 Nichia version has very good tint and will last a very long time for lower output levels because of larger battery capacity (5000mAh for included cell). I have tried Samsung LH351D 5000K high CRI but it was no match for Nichia 519A especially because of reds (R9). See how skin color is rendered differently for the two leds here.
I was initially not impressed by the TS25 either compared to other 4x519A lights (like Hank’s). But then I discovered the Wurkkos 20350 short tube (and 20350 battery, though 18350 will work too)… and suddenly it became a whole new light. So much so that I bought a second one with another short tube.
So with the short tube it is a super keychain/EDC light, about as long as a TS10 but just thicker. Since it only needs to be used for quick bursts anyway on keychain duty, and the 20350 battery doesn’t have the stamina for long expeditions (1400mah), the heat/regulation is no longer an issue. And then for a keychain-sized light, the output becomes quite insane (even better since I de-domed the LEDs too, which was simple). And with AUX, Anduril 2, and USB-C charging to boot (to compensate for the smaller battery). It makes the TS10 inadequate by comparison, and most other EDC lights in that size-class really.
TL;DR - get the 20350 short tube for it, and it becomes a top-notch keychain/EDC light, to the point that the short tube really should be its default configuration.
Is there any technical problem they can’t use boost driver in this flashlight or it’s just a market secret agreement to use good led’s with awful drivers only and awful led’s with good drivers?
Because to me 200 lumens from 21700 flashlight looks ridiculous, manipulative and market fraud despite any claims about CRI
P.s. sorry for my naive questions - i am just 1st day in this hobby. was expecting performance similar to convoy s21 flashlights… really pity that I already ordered this piece of tech…
P.p.s. Is there any possible modifications to make it light for at least 400 lumens for at least 1 hour?
As much as i wanted the nichia i was worried the sustainable output would be too low for my usage so got the samsung leds.
Its a very compact 21700 torch so if you want more get a bigger one. I got the astrolux ea01s 10k lumens for £40. That seems the best bang for buck last time i looked with a beefier head to soak up the heat and probably run 800-1000lm all night.
At a total guess i like around 700 lumens for my woodland walks and pretty sure my ts25 keeps around that but haven’t fully tested it out. Id be interested to see some graphs on the samsung led but im getting much longer run times, which is what i was after.
example
my TS10 drops to about 100 lumens after using Turbo. By raising thermal limit to 50C, it now sustains about 300 lumens… using the default output ceiling of 120/150.
I do not use Turbo, since it is not sustainable and just generates excess heat while depleting the battery faster.
There’s no technical reason but there are lots of considerations. Many lights do use boost, buck, or boost-buck drivers, just not this one.
First is cost. Second is engineering expertise. Third is host design (must have space for the components on the driver board). Next is willingness. Last, but very important, is quality control in manufacture of the driver and reliability down the road, because if they can’t do the drivers properly and get lots of complaints or warranty claims, they can lose money, sales, reputation/face, and customers.
It’s surprising that this light can’t seem to maintain low lumen levels like 400, but it is what it is. Often when we see these terrible looking graphs, it’s just a consequence of thermals on constant output and lights will behave better when used as many of us use them (on for shorter periods of time, allowing cells to rebound a little when off/cooling). For a long time enthusiasts were chasing raw lumens and pushing emitters to see how much they could produce, and then some better but still basic drivers/firmware were created, which changed a lot. It’s just been recently that more people have been almost anti-lumen and clamoring for sustained output…and that’s fine, would certainly be nice to have more drivers with good regulation at higher outputs (as opposed to the simple 7135 350mA chips). More manufacturers are trying this out now and people are happier with those lights, and they’ve been able to do this without raising prices very much…awesome. We still don’t see really high quality engineering designs or reliable drivers in most lights but they’ve been getting a lot better. If we want the best we’ll have to start paying for it, assuming the manufacturers are willing to do it. Some just don’t see the need, and some have a long learning curve to be able to produce things like that.