Review: ThruNite TN32 Tactical/Search Flashlight

JohnnyMac

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ThruNite TN32 Tactical/Search Flashlight


When ThruNite offered me the opportunity to review their newest update of the venerable TN31, the new TN32, I jumped at the chance. The TN31 has always been one of the best throwing and well respected flashlights designed for long range throw. With the release of the new TN32, ThruNite has upped the ante by adding a solid copper alloy (CuZn) pill and improving driver output to drive it's Cree XM-L2 to a claimed 1702 lumens. Does it live up to it's promise? Read on and see what my test results show. Let's start off with sharing the features and specifications from ThruNite-store.com





Description from ThruNite's website:
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Designed for flashaholics only, ThruNite TN32 is much brighter than TN31. TN32 has a max output of 1702 lumen, even more powerful than TN31 XM-L2 version whose output is 1376 lumen. Copper plating chromium circuit provides better heat dissipation performance.Otherwise it has a streamline design and very beautiful body. It weights only 650 grams and very light to carry on. It is good for tactical and search purposes.

Key Features:
☆ Copper circuit provides better heat dissipation performance
☆ Improved UI for more lumens
☆ Ultra-clear tempered glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
☆ Momentary forward click tactical switch.
☆ Strobe mode for tactical and emergency use.
☆ Smooth reflector for max light output.
☆ Highly focused beam for maximum distance
☆ Tactical knurling for firm grip.
☆ Streamlined body design.
☆ Mechanical reversed polarity protection design for battery carrier.
☆ Intelligent highly efficient circuit board design for max performance and long run time.
☆ Specially designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Self-defense, Hunting, Search & Rescue and Outdoor activities.
☆ Intelligent temperature controlled light output for user safety.

Specifications:
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Accessories: Hoster,Lanyard,User manual,Warranty card,O-ring
Retail price: $179.00 USD


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First impressions are everything and the ThruNite TN32 doesn't fail to impress. Unboxing the shipment revealed a beautiful and sturdy case in which the TN32 is snuggly encased inside it's holster along with some spare O-rings, a nice lanyard, user manual and a warranty card.





The case the TN32 comes in is extremely attractive and well built. I was impressed immediately with it's quality before ever opening it. Perhaps it's because of the anticipation I had for this light but it feels nicer, somehow, than the one that came with my TN30.






Opening the latches and raising the lid reveals a holstered TN32 and user manual. The interior of the lid is covered in egg crate foam. The main section is an extremely dense closed cell foam cut to fit the holstered TN32 perfectly.




I'm including a look at the owner's Manual. Nothing too detailed or mysterious in it since the light couldn't be easier to figure out or operate. The English is very good and, unless I overlooked it, contains no "Chinglish" that one normally sees with lights made in China.







Here are the contents of the case. The spares packet, lanyard, and warranty card are stowed below the holster in the bottom of the case.





A better look at the interior of the case.





Inside the holster, the light comes wrapped in a thick plastic bag that covers the front 2/3 of the light.





The TN32 looks like a flashlight should. It's 79mm head only begins to suggest how well it throws.





The chromed one-piece pill tells you that the TN32 is different from the older TN31 model from which it has evolved.





An XM-L2 U2 sits at the base of the reflector. Even domed, when combined with the beautiful reflector if puts out an impressive 226,591 lux and throws over 951 meters/1000 yards! Been longing for a Vinh modded TN31 that puts out roughly 5000k? Thrunite has done the mods for you except for dedoming the XM-L2 emitter. They even beefed up the pill with a one piece solid copper exposed pill (Chrome plated on the exterior). You can't do any better than this and for only a little more than the cost of a standard TN31. Still not enoough to impress you? Lets take a look at the rest of the light in closer detail.





A look from the front shows the TN32 means business. The crenelated stainless steel bezel has zero sharp edges even though it looks like it should. This is just an example of the machining and finish of the TN32.





No burrs on the bezel crenelations plus a 3mm thick ultraclear glass lens that is AR coated. The interior of the reflector is perfectly proportioned for thow at 65mm wide * 65mm deep.





The body of the light has 3 machined flats. One of which contains the Model number of the light along with the individual lights Serial Number.





A second flat has the Thrunite logo and motto. All etching on the body is consistent, white, and cleanly lasered. It was quite nice to see the improved quality of the etching after seeing the rather poor etching done on the TN11S I reviewed a while ago.





The knurling is some of the best I've seen. Extremely aggressive and grippy but with no sharp edges or burrs anywhere. Just a consistent, wonderful grip wet or dry. The triple parallel cell format may prove to be a touch wide in diameter for those with smaller hands but it is very well balanced and not at all front heavy like I expected it to be. It is very comfortable.





The head of the TN32 is smoothly machined and anodized. It even looks better in person than it does in photos.


The fins at the base of the reflector cup aid in transferring heat from the over-driven emitter away from the light and into the surrounding air.


Directly behind the finning is the magnetic rotating control ring that allows selection from the 6 main output levels plus standby and strobe.


The chromed ring at the base of the head is actually the exposed area of the pill. It is machined from solid copper alloy (CuZn)and chromed on the outside for durability and finish appearance. This new copper alloy pill is basically brass but it definitely does handle the heat the increased output of the driver causes the TN32 to create.





Just another look at the excellent machining and anodizing on the head.





At the opposite end of the light we have the crenelated tail cap and main power switch. You can see how every edge is beautifully chamfered, even the lanyard hole edges are wonderfully machined and chamfered. There is none of the exposed aluminum on the edges like I've seen on many other lights nor should there be on a light that currently lists at $179 USD. To many people it's a lot of money to spend on a flashlight but it is truly money well spent.





Here you can see the impressive machining and little details that make this such a wonderful light.





The output marking are laser etched into the outer collar of the pill. You can see the arrow head etched onto the control ring. As you rotate the ring the arrow points to the output mode selected.





Here you can see the markings for Standby and Strobe.





With the body unscrewed from the head we now take a look at the back of the head. here we can see the exposed copper/brass in the nicely machined threads. An aluminum contact plate for the battery negative contact and the very thick gold-plated spring for the battery positive connection in the center.





3 stainless phillips head screws hold the contact plate to the head. With them removed we can see the backside of the plate. Note tha it is recessed to clear a few surface mounted components on the outer face of the driver PCB.





With the contact plate removed we can see the rear of the driver PCB. The dab of thermal grease must be there to help wick heat off of a component and into the contact plate.





Not the greatest view of the driver but I didn't feel like unsoldering it to get a better picture. The full size pic will show greater detail for those interested. Since I don't have an original TN31 I am only assuming that it is the same driver but with a few component changes (sense resistors) to increase the output to the LED.





A closer look at the inside of the emitter/driver pill. You can see the copper/brass well from here. The copper MCPCB with direct thermal path for the emitter is mounted directly to the other side of the copper pill. Heavy gauge wiring is used for minimal electrical resistance.





At the front of the head we have another look at the gorgeous and effective reflector.





With the bezel and lens removed we can see the 2mm thick O-ring that sits between the bezel and glass. There is a groove machined in the bezel into which the O-ring sits.





The AR coated lens is 72.4mm wide and 3mm thick.


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You can see how nicely finished and chamfered even the edges of the bezel are. Attention to detail abounds in the TN32.





Beneath the bezel and lens is an L-ring which sits on top of the reflector and presses snugly against the inner walls of the head. The lens sits inside of this and when everything is tightened down it completes a tight seal protecting the TN32 from moisture ingress.





Here we have the reflector outside the head.






The L-ring seal measures 75mm across.





The outer diameter of the reflector measures 69.56mm.





Reflector depth is 65mm.





Inside diameter of the reflector measures 65mm as well.





Inside at the base of the head is the copper MCPCB onto which the XM-L2 emitter is mounted. The copper MCPCB provides direct thermal connection from the emitter base to the MCPCB while two screws mount the copper MCPCB to the solid copper pill.





Switching attention back to the body of the light, let's take a closer look at the reverse protected battery holder. Here we see the end of the holder where it connects to the driver contact board. The carrier itself is designed to work if either end is connecting to the driver. This takes out the worry of inserting it incorrectly and shorting out the driver board.


In previous TN31 and TN30 models some owners complained that a thin coating on some of the battery carriers caused poor connection and flickering. I noticed no such issues but did lightly sand the carrier connection surfaces with 600 grit emery cloth just to make sure there was no coating interfering with anything. This picture was taken before I sanded the faces lightly.





Threads are deeply cut O-ring is nice and thick and seals very tightly to keep the light waterproof to 2 meter rating.





The carrier is very solid with gold plated springs and solid connection buttons for the cells. It will accommodate cells up to 69mm in length.





Here are my unprotected test cells. The carrier will also fit most protected cells but not all. Anything more than 69mm may require some shimming of the posts that connect the contact plates.





A look down the body tube shows the contact plate and contact springs at the tube's base.





The end cap threads off with a tough grip but most of that is due to the thick O-ring that seals the cap from water ingress.





The tail switch boot is held in place from behind by a wide, threaded retaining ring. To swap the boot just insert needle nose pliers into the two indents and unthread.





The tail switch itself is a forward clicky switch and is mounted directly to the tail PCB. Also included are some surface mounted components. I'm not enough of an electronics hobbyist to tel you what exactly these do. I am going to guess that they buffer the flow of juice to the driver when the light is switched on. When in the lowest mode and you use the forward clicky switch to signal you will see a slight delay in the light going out when you turn the main power off. In higher modes this effect isn't noticeable.





Here we see the switch PCB removed from the body so we can look at the dual spring setup that provides the reverse protection for the battery carrier. The inner spring is the positive contact and the outer spring is the negative.





A look into the battery tube with the tailcap off and carrier removed. You can see the ledge that the switch PCB sits on.





RECORDED MEASUREMENTS:


Head Diameter:78.85mm
Body Diameter:49mm
Total Length:202mm
Driver Diameter:44mm
Lens Diameter * Thickness:72.41mm * 3mm
Lens O-ring Diameter * Thickness:72mm * 2mm
Reflector O.D.*I.D.*Depth69.65mm*65mm* 65mm
Tailcap Diameter:16mm
Maximun Cell Length:69mm
Switch Type:Forward-clicky
PWM in any of the modes?No
Waterproof to 2mYes
Beam angle/Spill angle7 degrees / 54 degrees

All together I have to give the ThruNite TN32 a very high build quality rating. This thing is a very well put together and finished piece of hardware. You might be thinking, "Build quality is nice but what about the performance? Does this light live up to the hype?". Well, since you asked...yes. Yes it does!


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PERFORMANCE:


Performance? Yeah the TN32 has it and in spades! When I heard about the claimed 1702 lumens output on this light I figured it was the usual "at the emitter" lumens. It's not. Much to my amazement, when I tested the TN32 in my Integrated Sphere I saw 1688 OTF lumens. OUT THE FRONT! One word..."NICE!"


Beam output and profle is VERY nice. The hotspot is extremely defined with a very tight and even corona. The spill is a pretty consistent and even from the corona all the way to the defined outer spill edge. Many lights have several defined levels in their spill. The TN32 has just one smooth and artifact free spill. Pretty impressive IMO.


The magnetic control ring operates very smoothly with just the right amount of resistance that you won't accidentally rotate the ring and change modes. Each mode snicks nicely into place with a soft, precise click. From one end of the rotation to the other is about 170 degrees


In Moonlight mode (0.46 lumen) I can actually see the hotspot from over 10 yards out. In it's highest mode the output is simply stunning. There aren't many production LED flashlights that output over 270k lux. The lux and throw ratings from the manufacturer appear to be from the TN31 and are nowhere near what this light actually puts out. Based on the output I would estimate the TN32 to be driven at about 6 amps. If the emitter was dedomed I'm sure it would put out between 450k and 500k lux which is what modified TN31 models are getting when driven at this level and dedomed. Even with the copper/brass pill in the TN32 and everything else being equal it would be very safe to say it would do over 500k if dedomed. If you can wield a soldering iron and have a cup of gasoline handy you can do this yourself and have a light with output that destroys nearly all other throwers and all for the price of $179 USD.


Output Measurements


The output levels, controlled current and zero PWM coupled with three 18650 cells equals a ton of run time for emergency lighting as well as insane output for roughly 1.5 hours. Cells used in measurements are Panasonic NCR18650A unprotected fully charged. Integrated Sphere used is calibrated and very accurate. Lux output measured at 10 yards and converted to 1yd.


MODEOTF LUMENS
Mode 10.46 lumen
Mode 217.27 lumens
Mode 3307.4 lumens
Mode 4743 lumens
Mode 51,199 lumens
Mode 6 @ turn on1751 lumens
Mode 6 @ 30 seconds1688 lumens
Step-down from Mode 6 (65 seconds)1558 lumens
LUX and THROW
Lux @ 1yd (converted from 10yds)270,920
Lux @ 1 meter226,529
Throw distance in yards1,041 yards
Throw distance in meters951.9 meters

Pretty hard for me to get any decent outdoor beamshots right now between the holidays and the weather but here are some animated gifs showing differences in output levels. As with all the pictures in this review, clicking one will open a larger version in a new browser window or tab.








CONCLUSION:

Budget light? Nope. Worth the $179 USD entrance fee? Absolutely and every penny of it. It's really the only larger light you would need due to the versatility in output and range. Should provide years of excellent service as well due to the extremely good build quality. I can recommend the TN32 with absolutely no reservations. Looking for a quality thrower that can destroy anything in it's price bracket as well as nearly any other price bracket? Look no further than the ThruNite TN32.

*The light provided in this review was provided by ThruNite-store.com

Edit: I will say that there has been confusion over the material used in the pill. It is definitely not pure copper and frankly I find it totally understandable. It is a copper alloy which, in reality, is merely brass. Pure copper is a bear to machine on a good day and far to soft for threads to hold up reliably, especially in the piece that will be threaded and unthreaded every time the batteries are changed/charged. Is it really any better than having used the same aluminum pill that is found in the TN31? Many might argue that it would be better with an aluminum pill instead of brass (copper alloy to the marketing folks) but their testing gives them the confidence to drive the light at 6+ amps and still cover the light with the standard warranty. My testing showed no issues and lumen output on Turbo only dropped by 80 or so in the first 30 seconds and I don't consider that to be too bad.

I have asked the owner of ThruNite what exact composition of the brass is used in the TN32. He is checking with his engineering team and promises an answer ASAP. Considering that there are dozens of different types of brass it is not worth assuming that the worse type for thermal efficiency was used. Should it matter that much to you then just get a TN31 and perform the resistor mod on it to achieve the same output levels. I find the new design far more appealing cosmetically and am not worried about performance issues.
 
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ariep

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Thanks for the great review. I had all but decided on the Fenix TK75 as the best combination of throw/flood powerful flashlight. Now I'll have to reconsider. Any initial comments/opinions about the TN32 vs the TK75?
 

ggroyal1117

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I have been using my TN32 for almost one month and I agree with everything in the review. It is brighter than my TN31 and the throw is farther. I use it every night when I walk my two small dogs in the back yard, they can't hide from me now.
Thanks for the review and the photos showing the components. I am very pleased with the TN32.
 

KarstGhost

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Nice to see a production light pushing the XML around 6A. That might be a first?
 

JohnnyMac

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Thanks for the great review. I had all but decided on the Fenix TK75 as the best combination of throw/flood powerful flashlight. Now I'll have to reconsider. Any initial comments/opinions about the TN32 vs the TK75?
Having smooth spill on the TN32 still doesn't make it a floody light. This thing is like a laser beam. The TK75 is no slouch in the throw department and is still one of the best lights for a compromise between flood and throw. You might also consider the TN30 as a fantastic flooder with decent throw. More flood than a TK75 but not as much throw. I had it with me on a night hike at the FCW10 and it was amazing for lighting up the clearing we went to as well as the trees on the other end of it. Ask the guys that were there. The TN30 is a triple XM-L2 light with an honest 3200 OTF lumens. It's an amazing light that is the flooding brother of the TN31/32.
 

Capolini

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Nice review Johnny!

It looks like a very impressive torch!!! ;)

I can not figure out how Thrunite and some other Manufacturers make mistakes in their specifications to make their torch look weaker than it really is!!! For these types[S&R]the competition for the most output and throw is what seems to win customers!

I just got the OSTS TN31mb. My updated version was tested/certified at 470Kcd! Last night I lit up Three 80' Norway Spruce from 600 yards away. It was on a Golf course and my girlfriend was on the Green to verify it, I was on the Tee!!

I had my doubt/opinions about modded lights, but I am glad I have this one!

In closing[!], I would like to say that I enjoy and appreciate ALL my torches for what they can do. From my SENS, S10/S20 to my TK75 and Modded TN31 and everything in between!

I think what I just said is what Non Flashaholics DO NOT understand about US Flashaholics!!! The variety of uses and the diversification that our 22 to 500 torches that we may have!!! :twothumbs

I will see you in Bethlehem on January 31st!!!
 

markeday

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I just got this light about a month ago,I bought this, the tn30xm-l2 and the lynx.On the carrier of the tn30,there's a screw,so when your tightening the head down,the spring drags,on the carrier in the 32 ,its more like a rivot,no drag.My fit and finish are perfect on mine as well,I really like it,the beam has a lot of spill.Question,when you guys measure beam distance,is it done with a formula or with an actual tape measure?
 

Capolini

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I just got this light about a month ago,I bought this, the tn30xm-l2 and the lynx.On the carrier of the tn30,there's a screw,so when your tightening the head down,the spring drags,on the carrier in the 32 ,its more like a rivot,no drag.My fit and finish are perfect on mine as well,I really like it,the beam has a lot of spill.Question,when you guys measure beam distance,is it done with a formula or with an actual tape measure?

A formula. I believe this to be correct, it is the way I was taught.
To measure "Throw" or Beam Distance.

Square root of Cd[candelas] X 2[TIMES 2] = meters at .25 lux. These are the specs. manufacturers give.

OR

Square root of Cd[candelas] = meters at 1.0 lux This is a more useful amount of light.

I am still not totally clear on these measurements in regards to the visual comparison. I have heard equivalent to a "Half Moons" illumination/Full Moons Illumination!

In any event,I believe that is the correct formula.
 

JohnnyMac

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I just got this light about a month ago,I bought this, the tn30xm-l2 and the lynx.On the carrier of the tn30,there's a screw,so when your tightening the head down,the spring drags,on the carrier in the 32 ,its more like a rivot,no drag.My fit and finish are perfect on mine as well,I really like it,the beam has a lot of spill.Question,when you guys measure beam distance,is it done with a formula or with an actual tape measure?
A little of both, actually. Measure out the distance between the light and the lux meter. In this instance I measured from 30ft or 10 yds.


  • The formula for throw is "Distance * √(lux/.25)"
  • At 10 yds. I saw 2710 lux.
  • Our formula would be 10*√(2710/.25)
  • Take your measured lux and divide by .25 to get 10840 (2710/.25=10840)
    • 10*√(10840)
  • Find the square root of 10840 to get 104.1
  • To convert this number to distance multiply it by the number of units you measured at. In my case I measured at 10 yds. 10*104.1=1041 yds of throw This is how you get the throw distance to .25 lumens which is considered ANSI lumens.
  • To convert that back to lux @ 1 yd take your throw distance of 1041 and square it to get 1083681 then multiply it by .25 to get your lux @ 1yd = 270,920 lux at 1yd
  • To to convert it to lux at 1 meter convert your distance in yards to meters to get 951.9 meters of throw. Next just do the same as you did in the previous step: 951.9 squared to get 906113.61 then multiply that by .25 to get 226,528.4 lux @ 1m
 
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TEEJ

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A little of both, actually. Measure out the distance between the light and the lux meter. In this instance I measured from 30ft or 10 yds.


  • The formula for throw is "Distance * √(lux/.25)"
  • At 10 yds. I saw 2710 lux.
  • Our formula would be 10*√(2710/.25)
  • Take your measured lux and divide by .25 to get 10840 (2710/.25=10840)
    • 10*√(10840)
  • Find the square root of 10840 to get 104.1
  • To convert this number to distance multiply it by the number of units you measured at. In my case I measured at 10 yds. 10*104.1=1041 yds of throw This is how you get the throw distance to .25 lumens which is considered ANSI lumens.
  • To convert that back to lux @ 1 yd take your throw distance of 1041 and square it to get 1083681 then multiply it by .25 to get your lux @ 1yd = 270,920 lux at 1yd
  • To to convert it to lux at 1 meter convert your distance in yards to meters to get 951.9 meters of throw. Next just do the same as you did in the previous step: 951.9 squared to get 906113.61 then multiply that by .25 to get 226,528.4 lux @ 1m



I think it would be less confusing if you skipped the yard measurements, and just used the actual meters so that the cd could be easier to see.

When you use lux at one yard instead of lux at one meter (Headings in first page, etc) its hard to tell if you were mixing them up or not.


In this post, I see that you did measure at yards, instead of at meters, which is odd, but, obviously works. (Was there a reason you measured out 10 yards instead of 10 meters?)

So it has ~ 226 k cd, which is excellent! (Its also a LOT higher than the 130 k cd they specify?)


If the only increase TN is mentioning is the added lumens, the throw would go up proportionally, to ~ what they claim for ANSI throw...but no where near what you measured. IIRC, the TN31 was rated at ~ 75k cd?

Now, if they under rated it (A possibility), then the proportional increase is going to reflect that, etc...so, overall, what do you think TN is doing as far as going from their TN31's claimed 75 kcd, up to their claimed 132 kcd, vs your 226 kcd?

Selfbuilt for example got closer to 113 kcd on his TN31 review. It was rated for 75 kcd. MOST makers, you'd think, would want the cd rating to be as high as possible, so, consistant under rating, by SUCH a large factor, seems odd.

As both you and Selfbuilt for example showed evidence of TN under rating their lights in this series, by a huge margin, what do you think is at play?

Other than upping the lumens, is the reflector different than the TN31's?



Thanks, its an EXCELLENT review!

:thumbsup:
 
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Mr. Tone

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Great job on the review. That is cool that they are using a copper mcpcb and mounted that to a copper slug. There aren't any other manufacturer's driving the XM-L2 from the factory at this current that I am aware of. I know the Eagletac MX25L3 XM-L2 has to be over-driven to get the OTF numbers they have but it is probably 4-4.5 amps before step down, is my guess. This does look to be around 6 amps from the numbers you are getting. It is too bad Thrunite didn't get accurate numbers to advertise for this light since the underrating is enough to probably diminish possible sales. I think being conservative is good but not by this much.
 

TEEJ

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Great job on the review. That is cool that they are using a copper mcpcb and mounted that to a copper slug. There aren't any other manufacturer's driving the XM-L2 from the factory at this current that I am aware of. I know the Eagletac MX25L3 XM-L2 has to be over-driven to get the OTF numbers they have but it is probably 4-4.5 amps before step down, is my guess. This does look to be around 6 amps from the numbers you are getting. It is too bad Thrunite didn't get accurate numbers to advertise for this light since the underrating is enough to probably diminish possible sales. I think being conservative is good but not by this much.

Yeah, this is way past conservative. 132 kcd vs 226 kcd is not even close.

As the lumen ratings appear to agree (Between TN and CPF), all that's left, to explain the cd discrepancy, is if TN used the incorrect TN31 rating, added the proportional increase in lumens to the increase in new cd, to get the new TN32 cd rating....but, all of THAT means that either there's no way that they are actually measuring the cd, or, that they are measuring it, properly, and all of us at CPF who check it, for whatever reason, grossly over estimate what that cd is.

So, which is it?

:D
 

JohnnyMac

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I think it would be less confusing if you skipped the yard measurements, and just used the actual meters so that the cd could be easier to see.

When you use lux at one yard instead of lux at one meter (Headings in first page, etc) its hard to tell if you were mixing them up or not.


In this post, I see that you did measure at yards, instead of at meters, which is odd, but, obviously works. (Was there a reason you measured out 10 yards instead of 10 meters?)

So it has ~ 226 k cd, which is excellent! (Its also a LOT higher than the 130 k cd they specify?)


If the only increase TN is mentioning is the added lumens, the throw would go up proportionally, to ~ what they claim for ANSI throw...but no where near what you measured. IIRC, the TN31 was rated at ~ 75k cd?

Now, if they under rated it (A possibility), then the proportional increase is going to reflect that, etc...so, overall, what do you think TN is doing as far as going from their TN31's claimed 75 kcd, up to their claimed 132 kcd, vs your 226 kcd?

Selfbuilt for example got closer to 113 kcd on his TN31 review. It was rated for 75 kcd. MOST makers, you'd think, would want the cd rating to be as high as possible, so, consistant under rating, by SUCH a large factor, seems odd.

As both you and Selfbuilt for example showed evidence of TN under rating their lights in this series, by a huge margin, what do you think is at play?

Other than upping the lumens, is the reflector different than the TN31's?



Thanks, its an EXCELLENT review!

:thumbsup:
LOL...actually there was a reason I used yards instead of meters. It's exactly 30 feet from my kitchen counter to the far wall in the next room so I went with that. :p It really makes little difference as long as you can convert from one to another easily enough and you can. Originally I only had yards posted in the review but I did go back and update with distance and lux in meters.

Now as for why ThruNite seems to underestimate their figures (at least their lux/throw) I really don't know. The TN31 has had many owners seeing closer to 130kcd so for ThruNite to list the TN32 at 130kcd is a real puzzler to me. Being puzzled by this I decided to get an answer form the horses mouth. I was skyping with David, the owner of ThruNite, earlier tonight and I asked him why they list the lux so low. His answer? "I think we will buy another lux meter." ROFL! The guy is great and builds a hell of a product. His answer really cracked me up though. Anyway, hopefully they will get a new meter and update their figures. Heheheh

I also asked him to confirm the driver output and he told me that it is 6 amps which is just as I suspected.

Thanks for the kind words on the review. :thumbsup:
 
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TEEJ

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LOL...actually there was a reason I used yards instead of meters. It's exactly 30 feet from my kitchen counter to the far wall in the next room so I went with that. :p It really makes little difference as long as you can convert from one to another easily enough and you can. Originally I only had yards posted in the review but I did go back and update with distance and lux in meters.

Now as for why ThruNite seems to underestimate their figures (at least their lux/throw) I really don't know. The TN31 has had many owners seeing closer to 130kcd so for ThruNite to list the TN32 at 130kcd is a real puzzler to me. Being puzzled by this I decided to get an answer form the horses mouth. I was skyping with David, the owner of ThruNite, earlier tonight and I asked him why they list the lux so low. His answer? "I think we will buy another lux meter." ROFL! The guy is great and builds a hell of a product. His answer really cracked me up though. Anyway, hopefully they will get a new meter and update their figures. Heheheh

I also asked him to confirm the driver output and he told me that it is 6 amps which is just as I suspected.

Thanks for the kind words on the review. :thumbsup:



LOL

That's great.

:D

I was wondering if he was actually doing ONE METER measurements to get the lux at one meter. I have seen this done, and, for real throwers, as you already know, you have to be further away.

I think Saabluster measured the TN31 at closer to 130 kcd when he was looking at modding it to the TN31mb for example. (So the proportions between 130 kcd and 1147 lumens, is at least ball park for the proportions that result if it's jumped to 1702 lumens)


So, If Dave gets a good NIST calibrated lux meter, and measures the lux at the BEST range to get the real cd, that would (I'm guessing) solve the discrepancy, AND boost his sales, more than paying for a really really good meter.

:D
 
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JohnnyMac

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
181
LOL

That's great.

:D

I was wondering if he was actually doing ONE METER measurements to get the lux at one meter. I have seen this done, and, for real throwers, as you already know, you have to be further away.

I think Saabluster measured the TN31 at closer to 130 kcd when he was looking at modding it to the TN31mb for example. (So the proportions between 130 kcd and 1147 lumens, is at least ball park for the proportions that result if it's jumped to 1702 lumens)


So, If Dave gets a good NIST calibrated lux meter, and measures the lux at the BEST range to get the real cd, that would (I'm guessing) solve the discrepancy, AND boost his sales, more than paying for a really really good meter.

:D
Well, TEEJ, I asked David at what distance he was measuring the lux on the TN32 and the answer was 2 meters. Explains everything. I told him that was way too close and to test from at least 10 meters distance and convert back. He just got back to me with his answer. Are you ready? 240kcd! w00t! Now that's more like it!
 

Mr. Tone

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
2,350
Location
Illinois
Hopefully David will now properly measure his lights lux at a distance and convert back. Goodness, the reason we buy these thrower lights is mostly for that lux figure alone! It is funny that he was doing it that way. Look at it this way, your review will hopefully help Thrunite sell more lights by accurately listing their light's throw figures! Like TEEJ said, the listed lux measurement vs real is too far off from reality.

It is great to see Thrunite driving this well heat-sinked beast at 6 amps, way to go Thrunite! Now Thrunite just needs to measure 3 or so of these the same way and take the average throw figure and edit that on their web page and advertisements. It is obviously too late to change the packaging/printing on the box/manuals but they could do like Eagletac and just put a sticker on there with the correct/current updated info.
 
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ven

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 17, 2013
Messages
22,533
Location
Manchester UK
WOW what a fantastic thorough review:thumbsup: very interesting with the cd info and the response from thrunite made me:laughing:

I dont own any"proper throwers" and out of this and the tk61 i am swinging to thrunite.Looks a very well made light of excellent quality:cool:
 

rdrfronty

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
290
Johnny, I understand your use of the nice consistent 30ft distance you measured out. Exact & consistent measurements are critical when you are dealing with serious throwers. A foot here or there can skew numbers pretty badly.
But what you might want to do is just convert your yards to meters before you do the Kcd calculations. Even though I'm from Texas, these forums are very international. I think most people are just use to seeing Kcd numbers based on 1 meter, as is the standard from manufactures. I was a dummy and misread the 270 vs 226 on your other thread. You did nothing wrong and provided all the proper numbers and data. I think that I like many might, are looking for a quick number from a chart, we might not see you posted both measurements.
So instead of using the 30ft, you could just use 9.144m (meters calculated from 30ft). It calculates super easy from that number.
Basically you do 9.144 X 9.144 x (tested number) = Kcd.
And keep up the great work - awesome review on a great light!
 

TEEJ

Flashaholic
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
7,490
Location
NJ
I'd like to also ask, while we are splitting hairs, etc...

As you said its exactly 30' from the wall to the counter, did you, for example, account for the thickness of the lux meter sensor itself, which was against the wall?


:D
 

Roger Ranger

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
208
For those who missed this posting on Thrunite's Thrunite forum, the Administrator answers the TN31 throw paradox: why the Tn31 xm-l2 has a 840 meter throw. It appears to be a measurement issue.

Can you give an explanation of why it is a lot brighter, but has only 727 meters throw, when the TN31 has 840 meters throw?]


Sorry for the issue.
That is the problem left over by history.
I also calculated the beam distance of TN31 XM-L2 according the data list I've got.
It should be 600 meters.
Hope you guys turn over this page.
ThruNite is trying to improve.
 
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