Review: Thrunite TN30 Mini 2016 NW (pics, output, runtime plot, beamshots)

Budda

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 30, 2009
Messages
590
Location
Italy
I received the Thrunite TN30 Mini NW 2016 edition from Thrunite for the review.

5% Discount Coupon Code:THRUNITE, For Official Website Only
http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-mini-tn30-2016-xp-l-flashlight/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/thrunite
Amazon DE: http://amazon.de/shops/A2DUUB2J3TY3X1

The TN30 Mini is the smaller version of the old, big, flood light TN30.
The Thrunite Mini maintains the flood beam, and the 2016 edition features 3 CREE XP-L emitters, powered by 4 18650 cells.

The TN30 Mini comes in this box
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Inside: the light in the sheath, protected with foam, some accessories (lanyard, spare o-rings, spare switch cover), manual in several languages and warranty card.
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The sheath is made of well padded cordura, with a plastic D-ring, belt loop and MOLLE compatible.
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The TN30 Mini 2016 NW
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Some size comparisons
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The light features a cylindrical design, with some knurling on the body
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While the head is more smooth, with cooling fins and an electronic switch at the head
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The tailcap is flat, with a lanyard hole
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The head hosts 3 perfectly centred XP-L emitters, NW in my sample. The reflectors have an orange peel finish, and are partially fused.
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The glass has AR treatment, and is protected by a metal bezel with sand finish.
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The switch has a metallic cover, and has a LED underneath it. It is possible to replace the metal switch cover with the spare one, which is made of clear rubber and will offer a different grip but less resistance. The switch offers medium resistance.
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The TN30 Mini is composed by 2 parts, body and head.
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Inside the body, there's the battery carrier
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The battery carrier has both poles at both sides, so it can be inserted in both direction
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The positive pole is recessed, so it will not short the batteries if it lays on a flat conductive surface
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The contact points in the battery carrier are golden; the positive contact points are raised, so it is possible to use flat or button top 18650 cells because.
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User interface
Press the electronic switch to turn the light on and off.
When the light is on, keep pressed to cycle between low, medium and high mode. Wherever mode you were into, the light will always start from low when changing modes.
A double click, with the light either on or off, will activate turbo.
When the light is off, a long press will turn the light on at firefly mode.
The light has memory for low, medium and high mode.
A triple click will activate strobe.

When the light is running, the blue led under the switch will turn on. When the batteries are running low, it will turn red.



Beamshots
For these shots I have to move back the camera to fully get the spill in the pics
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The tree is at 100 meters.
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Open field.
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The difference between the 2 shots at turbo consists in the aiming point of the light. Horizontal, the first, and slightly pointed to the ground in the second.
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The useful throw is around 100 meters, the spot is somewhat present even at medium distances, as you can see in the last pics.
The spill is extremely wide, homogeneous (in real use there's nothing like the "triangle" that it is visible in the wall shots) and bright. A very good beam for a flood light.
On my sample the tint is a nice neutral.



Output and runtime
Both tested with Sanyo NCR18650GA.
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Considering that the declared output is relative to the CW version, Thrunite underestimates the output according to my measurements.

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A magnification of the initial part of the turbo curve. The decrease in the brightness is very gradual, and at 38' it has still 75% of the initial brightness.
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Before anyone starts wondering, the small steps you see in the plot are not an interpolation of the values.
In this plot, every value has a different colour.
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Thrunite claims that the TN30 Mini has a built in system that decreased the brightness in function of the temperature. I have tested this feature at turbo mode, cooling the light with a big fan close to it.
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With the cooling in action, the light practically maintains the same output for about 70'.

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My thoughts
The light is well built and finished.
The sheath is well made as well, with cordura more padded than other Thrunite sheats. The sheath allows to protect the light with when carrying it and when using it.
The interface is easy to comprehend and it is consistent with other lights from Thrunite. I the direct access to low, turbo and memory. The fact that every time you want to change mode the light will re-start at low mode means will prevent getting blinded by unnecessary high outputs in some situations, but it will make the level change a bit slower.
The levels are well spaced and with good regulation. The thermal regulation system works fine.
The light is bigger compared to some other multiled lights, but the higher size&weight/output ratio allows the light to avoid stepdowns for longer periods of time and run for more time (since every LED is powered by 1.3 18650 in proportion).

I would like to see this light with a tripod screw on the body, an XP-L Hi version (for who is willing to have more a narrower and dimmer spill but with more throw).

Thanks to: AntoLed for the camera advices and the luxmeter.
 

maukka

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
641
Location
Finland
Thanks for the review!

Ditto on the HI version. The light would be a good candidate for swapping the XP-Ls to 219C Nichias, but that would probably eat too much into the total output. Under 3000 lumens out of a light this size would be disappointing, but with XP-L HIs the beam would be prettier while still getting plenty of output.
 

Swedpat

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 5, 2008
Messages
3,448
Location
Boden, Sweden
Thanks Budda for the review and the pictures!
Really high performance! This light may be my entry to use of 4x18650 set up.
 

Chrisdm

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
917
Great review, thank you. It is a shame that they didnt use XPL Hi, or at least the new XP-L2 if they wanted a domed LED. Perhaps that's why they named it "2016", because it is last year's technology.. :)

Chris
 

Impossible lumens

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 25, 2015
Messages
939
Thanks for the review. Love my Thrunite lights. I had this one but ended up trading it. Not because it was bad, I simply had a few 4x18650 popcans and this fit the bill for that trade. Also have original TN30 which had fairly deep welled reflectors and throw quite well for 3x xm-l2. I think it was rather cost effective for Thrunite to simply stick driver into the same primary as the TN36(ut) give it the XM-L2/XP-L treatment and brand it Mini TN30.

Mini TN30 2016 was introduced when XP-L HI were still fairly new for flashlight application, but yeah, they could have done it. The XP-L in Min TN30 seemed bland to look at. Still a great light, and a fantastic mix of output, runtimes and thermal properties.
 
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