Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Lumintop TD16 -1000Lm,XM-L2,1x18650 REVIEW

Hello
When I received this flashlight my first impression was how handy is this model,very well built,massive aluminum
and what a nice beam it produces-just what I like.
After about 3 weeks I am still impressed of this light.
Read my review to learn more about Lumintop TD16 and its features and UI.

The overall design looks similar to the previous model TD15,but now the body is absolutely knurling free,
the tactical ring is made of thick rubber and changing the lighting mode is possible by big,well placed side switch.


As a tactical flashlight,TD16 features very well made,smooth stainless steel strike bezel at the front.
It is just the right thickness. Very well polished,no sharp edges.


The tail cap is also equipped with stainless steel crown which has some sharp edges,but I've never felt any discomfort.
Everything is on the right place,the tailcap button is placed sufficiently high.
The tailcap crown is removable,but it protects the switch from accidental activation and provides tail stand feature.
So it's good to keep it on place.
Both front and tail crowns provide good self defense option and protect the flashlight from damage.


Lumintop TD16 has very good deep sturdy pocket clip,locked by the grip ring.
Thanks to its shape the clip is verycomfortable to use and holds the flashlight firmly.
Stable pocket clip
The rubber grip ring makes the flashlight very handy and has great anti-slip function.


Technical information from Lumintop
1. 99% high-transparency tempered glass with anti-reflective coating.
2. Stainless steel crenelated Strike Bezel.
3. Superb heat release system provides excellent heat transport capacity.
4. Front side switch.
5. Aerospace aluminum body. Mil-Spec hard-anodized. O-ring Sealed.
6. High ductility steel clip provides multiple carry options.
7. Combat Ring with anti-rolling design.
8. Tactical tailcap switch, press for momentary-on, click for constant-on.
Waterproof IPX-8 underwater 2m
Beam distance 310m
Impact resistant 1.5m
Operating voltage 2.8-7V
Max output / Runtime 1000 lumens / 1.5 hours
Medium Output / Runtime 220 lumens / 6 hours
Low Output / Runtime 35 lumens / 40 hours
Length 5.97 inches (153mm)
Bezel Diameter 1.50 inches (38.5mm)
Body Diameter 1 inch (26mm)
Weight 5.46 ounces (156g)
Battery Type 2 x CR123A / 1 x 18650

Lumintop TD16 comes in a normal package with good accessories-very long lanyard(52cm/20.5 inch),
spare tailcap cover,3 spare O-ring,simple holster,user's manual,desiccant.
There is a Quality controll sticker on the box.
My opinion is that the flashlight deserves a better holster.The supplied holster is too simple-thin,
there's no good protection for the flashlight and the options for attaching are not enough for me.
But this is just my opinion.
There's no Velcro on the back.(you can see it better in the video)


Anodizing is excellent matte black.
Robust construction.Very good build quality.Excellent heat dissipation design.


The side switch is very well placed.It is with the size of a typical tail switch.This makes it very comfortable and easy to access.
The both switches have very good feel-not too stiff,not too soft.The side switch is electronic type.It makes the typical sound for these switches.
The tail switch is the best switch I ever used.Excellent for momentary and constant activation.


Lumintop TD16 can be disassembled on three main parts.


The battery tube is good thickness.Some of my Sanyo protected batteries fit well,some not.Too thick batteries may be a problem for this flashlight.
Flat top batteries can be used.There is a spring at both ends.This ensures high protection for the battery and the driver board and
maximum connection for shorter batteries.


The screw threads are rectangular,slightly trapezoid cut.Very well made.Anodized at the tail end for maximum durability.
Tail cap lock out is also possible if needed.


Lumintop TD16 is equipped with powerful Cree XM-L2 T6 LED and deep smooth reflector.
The result is excellent beam.One of the best I've seen.

The LED is perfectly centered.

99% high transparent glass with anti reflective coating.



The light from the Cree XM-L2 T6 LED is cool white.No yellowish,greenish or bluish tint.
The beam is beautiful-very well concentrated hotspot with quite enough spill. Just the right proportion.
Very bright.
TD16 does excellent throw for the smooth reflector this size.
I see no circular patterns.
There's no any sign of PWM at any lighting mode.


Short video,presenting the UI and design specifics.
(turn on annotations)



User Interface

The user interface is simple and convenient.
Three constant brightness modes and three flashing modes.
The dual switch design is well used here.
The tail switch activates and deactivates the light.
The side switch changes the different modes.

-Tail cap switch- Lightly press for momentary On.
Click for constant On.Click for Off.
-Side switch- When the light is on,press to change the mode Low-Medium-High.
At any general mode,press for more than 0,5sec to activate the flashing modes-Fast Strobe(10Hz),Slow flash(~1Hz)and very nice Beacon.

When the flashing mode is activated switching between the three comes with short press the side switch.
Press for more than 0,5sec to return to the general modes.
The transition from High to Low mode is very smooth.This makes it easier for the eyes to adjust to the darkness.
TD16 has memory for the last used mode. It is instant(no need to wait 3 or more seconds)(see how I test it in my video).
The memory is for all general modes and for the flashing modes.So the light can be left on Strobe to be used for self defense or for signaling.
Strobe can be used also momentary,as I use it for signaling.Great.I like this option a lot.

Sometimes it's not easy if you have to change modes(one hand),but I like that TD16 memorizes the last used mode instantly and after that can be used as a single mode light on Low,Medium,High or Strobe constantly and momentary.

The Low mode(35Lm) sounds like a too high value,after using it I think it is rightly chosen value.
Medium mode(220Lm) is also the right value-Very useful when the full output is not needed.
Beam Intensity 24750 cd (measured at 3 meters from the flashlight)(my Luxmeter is not calibrated)


Current draw measurements-input current
Battery Keeppower 3100, 4.19V
I high=3000mA
I mid= 360mA
I low= 65,4mA


Runtime
Battery Sanyo 2600
U start=4,19V (no load)
U end=3,2V (no load)
1h 30 min to 10% of the initial output.

TD 16 does slow step down to 68% of the initial output,from 3,5 min to 4,5 min after activating.
After step down the brightness is constant for exactly one hour!

High,Medium and Low brightness level.
Calculated by the percentage taken from a Lux measurements.




White wall, 1/20sec,1 meter, WB locked

Lumintop TD16 High - Medium - Low


5 meters,wallpaper, 1/6sec ,WB locked

5 meters,1/50sec,WB locked
 


Outdoor Beam shots

distance~30 meters(not sure)
High-Medium-Low mode


Comparison with other flashlights


As usual my river test.You can watch it on the video.
Lumintop TD16 successfully passed the test.
Half of the pictures above and the video are taken after the water test.
So you can see that the flashlight is in excellent condition after the test.


 







Compared to other flashlights





In conclusion-This is my first Lumintop flashlight and I am already fan of this brand.
I found this flashlight very handy,excellent grip,excellent response from the current driver,excellent beam(in my opinion),very bright,good design.
The TD16 performs excellently so far and I can't point any disadvantage.
One downside for me is the holster,but this is just because of my personal preferences and the way I use it.


-Thanks for reading -

Thanks to Lumintop for providing TD16 for review.