THRUNITE Ti4 Ti
LED: CREE XP-L V4 CW
Battery: 1x AAA
Modes: 4 (Moonlight-Low-High-Strobe)
Switch: Twisty
Date: January 2015
INTRODUCTION:
One of the novelties that past holidays have given us, not counting those two extra kilos on the scale display, is undoubtedly the new Thrunite Ti4 Ti. It is a small flashlight that comes to compete among the many alternatives in the segment of keychain flashlights for AAA batteries made in Titanium. The big attraction, besides being the first AAA titanium light of this brand is undoubtedly the more than reasonable price, around $30 at the time of purchase, and employ of powerful XP-L asLED emitter, never seen to date in this format.
The product presentation makes it clear from the outset that we have a special Christmas edition, finding a metal box inside a carton sleeve whose impression wish us happy holidays, accompanied by some Christmas decorations.
Inside, besides the flashlight perfectly protected by foam we found a removable pocket clip, an user manual and a small plastic bag containing a pair of o-rings and claw (not too compact nor attractive) for the keychain.
EXTERIOR FINISH:
Outwardly the flashlight features a classic finish, where the knurling takes center stage in the design of the flashlight. The material used is TC4 Titanium, and highly polished. My unit does not show any machining marks or any other irregularity, with a polished almost "mirror" grade.
On the head we found a couple of engravings on the smooth area, brand logo on one side and the initials "Ti" on the other.
The optics of this tiny light has one of the undeniable attractions of the flashlight. This is the LED emitter, instead of the classic XP-G or XP-E to which we are accustomed to deal in this format, Thrunite has opted for the new Cree XP-L, which combines efficiency and performance to match the XM -L2 in the size of an XP-G2 (although the light-emitting surface and the angle are identical to the XM-L2).
After a glass lens we have a rough reflector, with the XP-L perfectly centered.
The threads are standard triangular cut, with classic titanium gritty feel present, although thanks to the generous head area knurled this flashlight can operate one handed without any problems.
The design allows you to use the flashlight tailstanding, either with or without the keychain attachment.
USER INTERFACE:
The Thrunite Ti4 Ti has a unique user interface as it is equipped with a couple of details that draw attention to defer against popular alternatives in this segment. Three main modes in ascending order, with a hidden strobe mode.
- On and off: The Ti4 Ti is turned on by completely threading the the head, and off reversing the operation.
- Changing Modes: As in most twisty lights, modes will alternate by performing on-off-on within two seconds. The order of the modes is ascending, Moonlight-Low-High.
- Memory: As a peculiarity, this Thrunite is equipped with a memory function in a curious ways, remembering the last mode used to turn on in it if the next activation is equal to or less than 10 seconds.
- Hidden Strobe Mode: The fourth mode is a 13Hz strobe, hidden at the end of the modes sequence and to access it we must make six interruptions, or what is the same, switch between the entire three modes sequence twice.
(All measurements are taken following the procedure ANSI NEMA FL1, taking highest reading of between 30 and 120 seconds after activation.)
The modes are perhaps somewhat unevenly distributed, especially considering the peculiar memory mode. The Moonlight mode with 0.5LM according to manufacturer goes unnoticed in the read range of the integrating sphere, as their actual performance may be below 0.1LM. The low mode with theoretical 12LM is the most versatile mode, because the next step will lead to amazing 162LM, 150LM according to the sphere with a worldly Eneloop AAA.
PERFORMANCE:
As expected, Ti4 Ti more than 150LM high mode pass this bill at the runtime of the flashlight, especially seeing that Thrunite has not added a stepdown.
Regulation as a result of the tremendous "effort" to which the battery is subjected, is clearly "direct-drive" type with a clear and rapid drop in the curve after 30 minutes.
Compared to other format reference flashlights, Ti4 Ti is without doubt the most powerful of all, totally understandable by the LED emitter, which plays "in another league".
Finally, and recklessly (since manual specifies that the voltage range for this Thrunite is 0.9-3V), I made a mini-test with a 10440, obtaining some interesting data. Of course I have to indicate that the use of Li-Ion batteries is not covered by the manufacturer, so please do it under your own responsibility.
The high mode happens to have a peak of 550LM on startup and 365LM at 30 seconds after activation. The "low" mode obtains 230LM at startup, falling to 200 in half a minute, and so far Moonlight gets a value 0.2LM stable during the first 30 seconds. After the barely 30 seconds that this High mode test has led me with li-ion, the flashlight head was literally too hot to hold by hand.
BEAM PROFILE:
The XP-L, with its emitting surface equal to XM-L2 in size, and inside such a small reflector, offers an ultra-floody beam with a huge central hotspot and abundant light spill.
The tint has a tendency toward neutral, with some yellow hues especially in the area surrounding the hotspot.
Interestingly, if approached in excess to a white wall we will be able to distinguish as the hotspot has a square shape, a direct result of the huge light emitting area of the XP-L and the small reflector.
PERSONAL CONCLUSION:
Aesthetically, the design of this Ti4 Ti seems really nice for its classic lines and especially by the great role that knurling has on the exterior finish. While I expected a less polished piece, guided by the images he had seen on the net, "mirror" finishing adds a touch of luxury to this small flashlight, so its use on a keychain will surely leave its mark sooner than later.
AAA • DQG Ti II •DQG Ti • Ultrafire UF-T1 • Fenix E99Ti • Olight A3T • Thrunite Ti4 Ti • Klarus MiX6Ti
Negatives: The main drawback I find with this Thrunite is certainly its unique user interface: On one hand modes are not too well distributed, with a huge gap between the 12LM low and 162LM high. In addition, the first mode of the sequence is too low for everyday use, and the strange way in which memory is implemented makes memory feature almost impracticable. The XP-L, although gives high power (not seen in this format), has a major drawback as far as beam beauty is concerned, far from the balanced beam profile to which we are accustomed with the XP-G. Although not present in my unit, I read about problems with excessive play in the threads, so I guess there might be some differences between different batches manufactured.
Positives: As I mentioned, appearance and overall design of this small light seem the most successful aspect. I must admit that when I first read the specifications for this Ti4 did not give them much credibility, but after checking myself performance in the field, I must admit that it has a surprisingly high performance. The more than reasonable price with this model entered the market is, of course, another of the great attractions and successes. Although many very improvable aspects, my think is Thrunite has been successful with this model, and I'll look forward to future updates.
Thrunite Ti4 Ti ordered from HKequipment.net
