candle lamp
Flashlight Enthusiast
The DT-20 features dual heads and dual XM-L U2's which combine to generate 1,100 lumens. Packaging is a cardboard box with built-in packaging foam.
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Inside is the light, holster, paracord lanyard, two spare switch cap rubber boot, four spare o-rings, silicone grease, and user manual.
Manufacturer's specification :
• LED : 2 x Cree Xlamp XM-L U2 LED
• Max. Output : 1,100 Lumens (Double High Mode)
• Max. Runtime : 120 hours (Single Low Mode)
• Power : 4xCR123A, 2x18650, 4xRCR123A, 4x16340
• Operating Range : 3~9V
• Reflector : Durable aluminum vacuum plating orange peel reflector
• Body : 6061# aluminum
• Waterproof : IPX-8
• Anti Fall Height : 1.5 meter
• Dimension : Head(max.) 73x37mm, Length 151.5mm
• Weight : 280g (excluding battery)
Manufacturer's Features :
• Innovation patented design
• Special double LEDs with dual-circuit design providing a reliable safeguard
• Parallel circuit design offers single led use. Can be powered by single 18650 battery in extreme-circumstances.
• Double holes and wide multi level design offer excellent heat dispersion
• Double side switch offer user-friendly interface to turn on/off and adjust output.
• 304 stainless steel bezel rings effectively protect the light from drops and impacts.
• Toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating and diamond coating.
• Ergonomic design, Comfortable hold, and solid aluminum construction.
• Wide input range provides more choices of batteries.
• Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation.
• Over-discharge protection circuit, protects the batteries effectively.
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The DT-20 has a very distinctive design, with quite different appearance compared to most lights. The light has very smooth and shiny chrome plated body, in a silver finish. While there is no knurling to speak of, the ridges on the sides of the battery tube help with grip. The DT-20 uses dual electronic-switches, located on the both sides of the head. Midium size letterings such as the maker and model name are marked on the battery tube. A big "X" is engraved on either side of it as well. Two cooling fins are just after of the head. Light could be somewhat slippery when wet, as the body lacks traditional knurling.
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The light has 3 parts(i.e, head, battery tube, and tail). But you can neither remove the head nor the tail from the battery tube without tools because these parts are screwed tightly. The shape of the light serves as a perfect anti-roll feature.
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Up the front the DT-20 has a flat and shallow stainless steel bezel ring. The aluminum reflector has a textured finish or light orange peel pattern. The reflector is perfectly polished with no noticeable finishing flaws and well-centered LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cut.
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The picture on the left shows main on/off switch and there is a mode-changing switch on the other side. The both switches are electronic ones. The on/off switch serves to turn the light on and off or be used for accessing to light up LED one by one.
The mode changing switch controls the output levels of the light when on.
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What I do have to mention is some flaws between fins. It's the only spot in the sun.
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User Interface
If you click the on/off switch, 2 LEDs light up, then press same switch can access to light up LED one by one. To turn off the light, press and hold the same switch for more than 2 seconds. Press and release(i.e. click) the mode changing switch to advance modes when on, in the following repeating sequence : High -> Med. -> Low -> Beacon. But strobe is not part of the main sequence. Strobe is accessed by quick double-clicking the mode changing switch in any mode(i.e. hidden mode). Click it again to return to the constant output modes. There is no memory(i.e. the light always comes on in Hi mode).
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There are double holes for heat dissipation which are connected to each other on the head. It looks a good idea to get weight reduction in the head as well.
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Two tailcaps sit recessed within the tail end lip, so the DT-20 is able to tailstand.
Towards the tail end you can find a couple of two tiny lanyard holes. But it's almost impossible to use the lanyard comes with the light(i.e. the split ring should be modified to be inserted into the two tiny holes of the light). There are large notch cuts along the rear end lip so that you can able to twist the tailcap with ease for battery changes.
The flexibility to run on 2x18650 or 4xCR123A or 4xRCR123A battery sources is appreciated. The DT-20 has a nice parallel circuit design(i.e. 2P or 2S2P), you can use 1x18650 or 2x(R)CR123A cells in unavoidable emergency.
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There are a flat negative contact disc(looks like gold plated) and a waterproof o-ring at the tailcap. The flat contact disc is elasticity spring structure and it prevents batteries from scratching. The male screw of the tailcap is chrome plated.
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The female screw of the battery tube seems no longer surface treatment or anodized for tailcap lock-out. Triangular threads seem of good quality, though.
The positive battery contact has a black circular raised lip (or bump) which works as a mechanical (or physical) reverse polarity protection. The golden contact point is elasticity spring structure, so it can soften the impact on both the battery and the head.
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The flat-top unprotected cells where the plastic wrapping is higher than the (+) contact button definitely do not work in the light. Even button-top protected 18650 cells (where the positive contact plate isn't high or wide) don't activate in the light. The button-top protected 18650 cells (where the positive contact plate is not only high but small) work in the light. The protected AW18650(2600mAh, black label) cell works fine.
Regardless of types of 18650s, my ICR 18600 cells where the positive contact plate isn't high or wide would activate in the light, with a magnet spacer or neodymium magnet[5mm(diameter)x1mm(thickness)] to raise the height of the positive contact plate.
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It's obvious this issue is due to the black raised mechanical reverse polarity protection lip on the head. I hope Skilhunt uses an electronic reverse polarity protection in the future.
All 16340 cells such as CR123A and RCR123A just work fine.
Overall build quality is very good.
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From left to right, CR123A, 18650, DT-20, L2T, Scorpion, Defier X3, STL-V2.
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It's smaller than I expected overall and construction feels solid. Hand feel and ease of use is good due to dual switches on the head. The dual switch interface design works well, and I found both switches worked reliably. You can single-handedly turn on/off and control all output modes easily.
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The net weight is 271g and 367g including protected 18650 batteries.
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PWM
The low & med. output levels are controlled by PWM. You can see flickering at low & med. level when intentionally waving the light and look at it. But you can't see it visually in practical use. There's no sign of PWM at high mode. I notice that there is little buzzing sound on med. mode and beacon when holding the light close to my ear to hear it.
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Runtime
The light is well regulated with reasonable efficiency at this output level(i.e. with double LEDs, 2x18650 cells) and shows good runtime. The voltage of the battery at the start and end of the test is as follows.
Cell-1 : 4.19V --> 3.02V
Cell-2 : 4.19V --> 3.01V
Skilhunt informed me that the DT-20 has a 3.0V cut-off voltage for over-discharge protection.
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Beamshot
1) White door beamshot (double LED, about 60cm from the white door)
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2) White door beamshot (single LED, about 50cm from the white door)
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The beam has a bit narrow sized hot spot with a soft corona tapering of gradually towards the wide spill beam. The beam profile is clean with no artifacts thanks to the well-made LOP reflector. The beam tint is close to cool white perhaps leaning just slightly towards the neutral side, but certainly not by much.
It starts off as two distinct beams that eventually meld into one circular beam after 60~70cm or so.
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3) Indoor beamshot (double LED, about 7m from the target)
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4) Indoor beamshot (single LED, about 7m from the target)
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5) Outdoor beamshot (about 60~65m from the target)
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6) Outdoor beamshot (about 55m from the target)
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The DT-20 has a excellentl beam profile, without a large amount of throw.
It throws a fairly tight hotspot, but is reasonably well balanced between spot and spill.
Thanks for reading the review.
* DT-20(night Owl) provided by Skilhunt. Thanks a lot. Nina!
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