Sunlite Eagle 16w Far Projection-Review-580 lumen/Quad emitter -w/ Outdoor Beamshots!

[Ryanrpm]

(Reviewers note: Sunlite 16wFP was provided by Sunlite for outside testing and review)


Hello everyone,

Most, if not all, of you have seen the lengthy thread on the Eagle 8w Far Projection. It was fully unknown to any degree to the people on this forum until a few brave souls decided to buy one and post pictures, beamshots, and even comparison shots of it against some top competitors in the reflector type thrower category. This small powerful light made it to the top in its category! With it's small light source, and delivering over 300 lumens, it is no wonder that it had the top throw for lights in the 30-35mm reflector class.

This thread is devoted to the review of the 8w's bigger brother: The Sunlite 16w Far Projection. This brand new light has been released for outside testing to a few select individuals and to review for Sunlite and everyone else. Among the testers (that I am aware of) is myself and Glenn7 whom you are familiar with.

I have gotten confirmation that the light has shipped today. I should receive it near the end of this week. I will post some initial pictures, and then do beamshots over the weekend, posting them as soon as I have the time. (Don't worry, I'll make time!)

These specs are on the Sunlite forum, but I'll post them here for your viewing:

This light utilizes a quad emitter configuration, composed of 4x60mil chips. A 60mil chip is 1.5mmx1.5mm. Sunlite has fine tuned this light in such a way, as to have NO gap between the chips. Cree's MC-E emitters have to have a certain distance between the chips to electrically isolate them. So, for all intents and purposes, this setup will seem to have a 3mmx3mm emitter, really composed of 4x60mil chips.


It utilizes a 5200mAh li-ion battery with a maximum current of 2800mA. This is made of 2-2600mAh batteries packaged in parallel.

The measured lumens are 648 without reflector and lens, (when powered by a 5200mAh battery). There is a 15% deduct for the output loss through the reflector and lens. So the light output of the 16WFP is 648 X 85%=550 lumens.

The head diameter is 53mm and the total length is 228mm. Currently, the 5200mAh rechargeable battery is only available on the longer Eagle Turbo body.

A single 80mil chip emitter will still be an option in the future.

I will be receiving both a smooth and a textured reflector to test. I will post beamshots comparing it with the Eagle 8w.

Here is a photo of the smooth reflector and textured reflector. These are 3.2meters from the wall.

Smooth


Textured


Notice how the hotspot is smaller and the spill is less bright with the Smooth reflector. The coronas are the same size.

I am happy to do a review of this light as I know Glenn7 is as well. We will post the pros and cons as we see them. Our expectations are very high for this light, and we hope you'll stay tuned.

The Sunlite 16w Far Projection is just around the corner..........!!

Edit: Post #13 has more pictures of the 16wFP.

Edit: Page 3 has the Outdoor Beamshots you've been waiting for....

Edit: I will be bringing all of my review pictures to this 1st post so that if this is your first time veiwing this review, you will see everything together.



Review of the Sunlite Eagle 16w Far Projection:

Here are some initial pictures:
Here, I slid on 2 rubber grips. These help when the light gets too hot to hold....


And here it is with the standard knurling for your grip...







Here is a shot showing the differences of output. 8w-300 lumens. 16w-550 lumens. These are out the front values.


Here is what it looks like when you swap the heads. Nice function, BTW, of Sunlite products!



Here is that completely unique and hard to find Sunlite Quad emitter. Glenn7, you'll have to help me get better shots of this baby...



Some physical dimensions of the 16w are:

Bezel diameter: 53mm
Reflector diameter: 44mm
Total length w/ 5200mAh battery: 228mm

Like the 8w, the 16w is also water resistant...with the charge port being physically and electrically isolated. Just be sure there is no water in there when you plug it in to charge it!


This test light came with both the SMO and OP reflector.


The SMO produces a tighter beam, but the hotspot still shows some artifacts in the center of the beam. Even though Sunlite was able to remove the gap between the emitters, that faint line between them that you saw above still causes this effect in the final beam.

Here is a shot of the 16w on left and the 8w on right. This was about 12ft from the wall. The exposure is stepped down so we can see the artifacts.


Here is the 16w with the OP reflector...



Here is a detailed breakdown of every part of the 16w:

Complete breakdown:


The Bezel. Dimensions are: 9mm high x 53mm diameter x 3mm thick. There are 12 crenelations. There is one 'O' ring where the lens rests against. The logos look to be lasered into the bezel.



The Lens. 3mm thick x 49.5mm diameter. It is AR & UCL. Here are a few photos showing its AR properties:




The Tailcap. 25mm diameter x 20mm long. Pushbutton is 16mm diameter. The knurling is very grippy and not smooth. The function of this tailcap is pushbutton for momentary Turbo and twist tight for full time turbo. Sunlite sells separately a Forward clicky.




The 16w head. It's about 62mm in total height-from thread to thread. With Bezel it is 65mm. There are 14 heat dissipating fins. There are 3 flats sections honed on the fins to provide slight anti-roll protection. The craftsmanship of this head is very good and the anodizing is excellent.






The Reflectors...SMO & OP. They are made from machined aluminum. 44mm reflective surface diameter....46.5mm total outer diameter. 45mm deep. They are fairly thin and have practically no weight to them at all. The 'cone' style of machining offers great rigidity.








The Battery. 3.7v - 5200mAh. Comprised of 2x18650 packaged in parallel with Sunlites own protection circuits built in. The battery is inserted (-) first as shown by the arrow.


Here are some other common batteries for size comparisons. Notice the shorter Sunlite battery is longer than the AW 18650.


The Battery Tube/Main Body. 161mm long. Contains a side switch/recharge port on the switch unit. There are two areas of knurling for hand grip...they are 30mm long each. Some of the pictures show the rubber grips I put on extra. The body is barely longer than my Sunlite Slim.









Hotspot of each reflector. These are about 7-8ft from the ceiling. I used a flash so that only the hottest part of the beam would stand out.

SMO reflector:


OP Reflector:


Here's a final shot of the OP reflector installed in the head.


My current preference of reflector choice is still the smooth. I like the throw it offers.

Here are some comparison shots with different lights:

I'm sure all of you recognize these lights. From left to right: Streamlight Ultrastinger, Eagle 16w, RQ(Spear Clone), Sunlite Slim, RC-N3, Eagle 8w, Fenix T1, Solarforce L2M.



Here's your Sunlite versatility at work: Slim using the 16w head, and vice versa.




Here's my Sunlite family:




And here's some more pics of that Sunlite Quad emitter. (4x60mil) What a beaut!



And here's one under a welding lens:


And, some more emitter shots:
This is about as close as I can get to it. Had to use a small magnifying glass between the light and the camera, while my other hand held a small KD buckle light and pressed the button at the same time.






Here are the outdoor beamshots...comparing the 8w to the 16w at distances of 160ft and 450ft.

I will gather longer distances and shorter distances as well......
Control shot at my house. 160ft away. The beams will be aimed at my roof.


8w @ 160ft:


16w OP @160ft:


16w SMO @ 160ft: Can you see the slightly dark center? Hardly at all!! In real world use, it is barely noticeable. White wall hunting will reveal it a lot clearer though...and even then it is not bad.


8w @ 450ft:


16w OP @ 450ft:


16w SMO @ 450ft: Notice the more intense beam center.


Here is both the 16w OP and 8w at about 50ft away to see the beam profiles.


And here is the 16w SMO and 8w at 50ft: Again, notice the more intense center of the SMO vs. the OP.


Here is the 16w SMO and 8w pointed closer and stepped down....just to see if we can spot the dark center.......

Ah-ha! Just barely! Good work Sunlite at fine tuning your optics and light source with that SMO reflector. Let it be known to everyone, that to the best of my knowledge, Sunlite Science & Technology is the only company to combine a quad emitter with a SMO reflector and create the best possible beam. That is, one that is focused for throw and has the least amount of artifacts in the center.


And just for fun, here is a couple "Beam intensity" shots:





The optional Forward Clicky has arrived! Here are some pictures of it:

The forward clicky is the taller switch.












My impressions are: I like it over the standard twisty. It does increase the overall length by 15mm. Total length of the switch is 35mm. The twisty has a length of 20mm.

One thing about it that LEO's will like, is that the 'click' is very quiet. It is not a loud click like my Fenix T1 has...but it makes a very 'tiny' click when activated. And obviously, it has momentary function as well, like all Forward clickies have.

The rubber pad that your thumb presses is nice, large, and flat...identical to the one on the twisty. The knurling, like the longer body, and like the twisty switch, is very grippy. A smooth knurling would be like what is found on the Solarforce L2M....where it's just better than smooth metal.

The threads are anodized as well.


Regarding the Sunlite Quad emitter...here is some more information directly from the manufacturer:

Please reference the photo:


Regarding the statement that there are No Gaps between the chips...some of you may have wondered what the faint lines were. Is there a gap and they filled it with thermal epoxy or even phosphor? I inquired of Fong Suo of Sunlite, and here is their explanation.

We put the LED chips side by side. There is no physical gap between them. Since each chip has a 50 micron wide passivation peripheral to protect the active area, there is about 0.1mm wide no-light area in between.

So, they truly have accomplished what has not by others...To put the chips completely side by side, not having a dome, so that the light source remains as small as possible, while removing as much dark area between the chips as possible - enabling this light to be used successfully with a SMO reflector with very few artifacts in the beam...and ZERO artifacts when used with the OP reflector.

Anyways, just thought that quote would be helpful for you all to know....

[276]

You two guys are very lucky to review it & look forward to your reviews.

[k9hutch]

I also have one of the 8W lights. I initially liked the light, but have a desire for more spill. Hopefully, the new version will address this.

Ryan, is the head interchangeable or is there a provision to upgrade from the 8W?

[saabluster]

Your such a tease. I just bought an 8W. I am really impressed with what they have accomplished. Hope everyone isn't too surprised to see this doesn't throw as far as the 8W. I can't wait to see your review.

[YourTime]

Man

really tempting but the aus dollar is dripping down like rain water atm.

I hope they sell their LED for modder

[TITAN1833]

Thanks Ryan looking forward to your review BTW I will add my bit when it lands on my door step

@saabluster I'm guessing it will have a little more throw than the 8W for one the reflector is deeper and has a lager dia,also the foot print of the led is still quite small that with the higher out put well!we will see shortly I guess

[Ryanrpm]

Originally Posted by k9hutch

I also have one of the 8W lights. I initially liked the light, but have a desire for more spill. Hopefully, the new version will address this.

Ryan, is the head interchangeable or is there a provision to upgrade from the 8W?

The heads are definitely interchangeable. When I asked them about using the 16w head on the 8w body with 2600mAh battery, they said that the max output dropped to about 450-460 OTF lumens. To get the max lumens, the longer body using the 5200mAh battery will be needed.

[saabluster]

Originally Posted by TITAN1833

Thanks Ryan looking forward to your review BTW I will add my bit when it lands on my door step

@saabluster I'm guessing it will have a little more throw than the 8W for one the reflector is deeper and has a lager dia,also the foot print of the led is still quite small that with the higher out put well!we will see shortly I guess

I just assumed it was the same head with a different LED. Still unless they made the head much bigger it will not be able to overcome the drastic reduction in surface brightness. I do wonder how on earth they managed to get the dies without any gap. If they could do it why didn't SSC? Do you know if they have a patent on the process? I am amazed at the lack of information on their site. Do they make packaged LEDs?

[TITAN1833]

Hi saabluster There has been a lot of information within the sunlite 8W thread already about sunlite led's although they're a newish company since 2005 selling flashlights,I believe they built up their reputation supplying LEO and mechanics with their lights,and now through flashaholics like ourselves.

And yes! they do package their own led's and have the facility to do so.So it doesn't surprise they're able to make a four die led with no gaps,why SSC don't I have know idea as for patents or other legalities I'm sure if they need them they would've acquired them promto! well we would hope so anyway.

IMO I think they should be commended for allowing their product to slowly filter through to sites like CPF,and not simply join and bombard us as so many manufactures have done,it shows restraint and kinda lets their products speak for themselves IMHO,good or bad.

Ryan BTW has much more info than I do maybe he will chime in at some point.

Oh I have one question for you,have you attempted to try the 8W in anyway with aspherical lens? I think Glenn7 did with good results

[Ryanrpm]

To the best of my knowledge, they do not sell their flashlight LED's seperate like Cree and others do. They use their LED's in custom applications which denotes the specialized methods they can implore to create marvels such as this 16w.

Fong Suo has said that there is a really faint line between the 4 LED's, but barely noticable. I will try to capture some good close-ups showing this.

Here is some info regarding their LED's, but understanding the data is beyind my comprehension.

[Ryanrpm]

Originally Posted by saabluster

Your such a tease. I just bought an 8W. I am really impressed with what they have accomplished. Hope everyone isn't too surprised to see this doesn't throw as far as the 8W. I can't wait to see your review.

It's a tease, even for me.

It'll be a challenge for sure...to achieve more throw than the 8w. You have a larger light source (3mm vs 1.5mm).....but you also have more lumens (550 vs 300), a wider and deeper reflector too (45ish vs 35mm).

So we'll see. One thing I know for certain.....that 16w is having the electrical control portion outfitted to give over 4a to the emitters........

Right now it is at 2.8a So..............................good things around the corner.

[Glenn7]

I'm in camo's waiting in silence in a tree out the front of my house for the postie - muttering something about were's my 16W come to daddy

[Ryanrpm]

The 16w has arrived. Extremely fast shipping from the Sunlite headquarters in Kansas! Kansas to Nevada, shipped out Tuesday the 31st, arrived Thursday the 2nd. to Sunlite!

Let's roll right into some pictures...
Here, I slid on 2 rubber grips. These help when the light gets too hot to hold....


And here it is with the standard knurling for your grip...







Here is a shot showing the differences of output. 8w-300 lumens. 16w-550 lumens. These are out the front values.


Here is what it looks like when you swap the heads. Nice function, BTW, of Sunlite products!



Here is that completely unique and hard to find Sunlite Quad emitter. Glenn7, you'll have to help me get better shots of this baby...



Some physical dimensions of the 16w are:

Bezel diameter: 53mm
Reflector diameter: 44mm
Total length w/ 5200mAh battery: 228mm

Like the 8w, the 16w is also water resistant...with the charge port being physically and electrically isolated. Just be sure there is no water in there when you plug it in to charge it!


This test light came with both the SMO and OP reflector.


The SMO produces a tighter beam, but the hotspot still shows some artifacts in the center of the beam. Even though Sunlite was able to remove the gap between the emitters, that faint line between them that you saw above still causes this effect in the final beam.

Here is a shot of the 16w on left and the 8w on right. This was about 12ft from the wall. The exposure is stepped down so we can see the artifacts.


Here is the 16w with the OP reflector...


I did step outside and compare the 8w and 16w for long distance throw. They appear to have similar throw, but the 16w lights up a larger area. I believe that LEO's will be quite fond of that benefit.

I will post outdoor beamshots at my next picture taking....along with some lux readings for comparison. Ceiling bounce...etc....

Please let me know if you have any other picture requests. Thanks for viewing!

[ANDREAS FERRARI]

Looks great! How about beam shots in the 100-300 yard range. Also-how about the runtime.

[Ryanrpm]

My Sunlite Reviews: 8wFP, 16wFP, FP80, 8w Utility Head, Slim Jr, Slim2.

[Glenn7]

good one Ryan - now I just have to wait for mine to be sent to little old Tasmania - I belieave we will be one of the lucky few to get these first (Titan)
Well I will be giving it a good throwing over

[TITAN1833]

Originally Posted by Ryanrpm

I did step outside and compare the 8w and 16w for long distance throw. They appear to have similar throw, but the 16w lights up a larger area. I believe that LEO's will be quite fond of that benefit.

I will post outdoor beamshots at my next picture taking....along with some lux readings for comparison. Ceiling bounce...etc....

Please let me know if you have any other picture requests. Thanks for viewing!

Ryan looking good so far,were you able to test the 8W head on the 5200mAh battery is it any brighter?

Also I have to apologise to saabluster for my guess that it would throw a little further than the 8W ah well it's not the first time I've been wrong.


Looking forward to your outdoor beam shots


[edit] Am I correct in saying the OP reflector cleans up the artefacts,can you post beam shots at distance with the OP installed?

[Ryanrpm]

You bet guys...beamshots coming up! I have not tried the 8w on that 5200 battery yet. I emailed Sunlite asking them if it is safe or will it go

I don't want to take any chances.

[Ryanrpm]

Turns out that the 5200mAh battery works with the 8w head. Here are some basic lux measurments to give you an idea of the brightness changes. These were at 1m using an Extech 403125.

8w w/5200mAh - 16800
8w w/2600mAh - 15660
16w w/SMO - 14900
16w w/OP - 12230

Ceiling bounce:
8w w/5200mAh - TBA
8w w/2600mAh - TBA
16w w/SMO - TBA

Take the lux readings with a grain of salt......that is just to compare differences and is not accurate to any realy degree. I'll have to send them to MrGman to find the truth.

[qip]

you should have Erns review this , he has good pics and lots of lights to get good comparison beamshots that can show a lot

[TITAN1833]

Originally Posted by qip

you should have Erns review this , he has good pics and lots of lights to get good comparison beamshots that can show a lot

No need!

I think Ryan is doing a good job and this is his review,why pass a review onto another reviewer?

[Mattole]

Ryan, can the 16w head actually be run on the 8W body with the 2600 battery? Any idea what the lumens output and runtime would be?

[qip]

hes not doing bad , im not knocking ryan , im just wondering how the output is in realworld outdoor vs some other familiar lights , and Erns has so many lights his beamshots can really show a lot

ryan do shots like this , your post here

[TITAN1833]

Originally Posted by Ryanrpm

Take the lux readings with a grain of salt

Exactly right,I hate lux readings best of times,what really counts IMHO is true life beam shots/usage FWIW the DBS lux@1M varies from 20,000 lux to 28,000 depending on what meter you use,now the strange thing my 8W in real life throws as far as the DBS as I have said before.So someone looking at the 8W lux figures from your meter they would automatically assume the DBS throws much further than the 8W,reality is it doesn't

[Ryanrpm]

I'm all for Erns doing a review. However, unless he was picked by Sunlite, he would have to wait until the official release of the 16w. The 8w has been out for awhile and is the leader in its class, so maybe he would consider picking one up...

I've learned a lot from Erns reviews, and I plan to incorporate some of his styles of shots into my reviews. I particularly love his outdoor shots. There's just something about sunlight lighting up a Sunlite.

Guys, in all seriousness...there is so many more pictures for me to post about the 16w. (Many more closeups, breakdown shots, outdoor beamshots....) Because it is a Sunlite product, the review just about doubles because of the 8w and its interchangeable parts. You all are going to want photos of the 8w head on the 5200 battery, and the 16w head on the 2600 battery.

I'm so glad that Sunlite is so willing and glad to take in user requests for changes and options, because since their flashlights are able to be swapped the way they can, things like holsters and batteries are needing to be designed to fit the various configurations. Nothing but congrats and pats on the back from me to them.

[TITAN1833]

for comparison lets first take some pics of the 8W
8W at 30 to 40 ft.
up some stairs ,forgive me for the shake


this one taken as is! 20 feet to my front door.please note the purple colour!




[edit]See the white spots on the window hmm'they belonged to a drug dealer before me. move on you piece of love?

[Ryanrpm]

Originally Posted by Mattole

Ryan, can the 16w head actually be run on the 8W body with the 2600 battery? Any idea what the lumens output and runtime would be?

Yes, they are interchangeable. The 16w head even fits and turns on with my Slim. It's kind of funny looking though....

The lumen output with the 16w + 2600mAh battery is 470 lumens running for about 50 minutes until 50% brightness.

[Ryanrpm]

Originally Posted by qip

hes not doing bad , im not knocking ryan , im just wondering how the output is in realworld outdoor vs some other familiar lights , and Erns has so many lights his beamshots can really show a lot

ryan do shots like this , your post here

I've got a lot of other pictures to get for you guys.......but I ran out of time yesterday when it first came in. Stayed up late geting a small review out for you. I sold the Husky 4w to my step-father, but I still have the RQ and Fenix T1. I will post beamshots and comparison photos.....just give me time.

I know it's hard to wait when you guys are so anxious! I've been there.

Maybe Erns can invest in an 8w or 16w and give us one of his superb reviews. I know he won't be disapointed.

[TITAN1833]

Ryan,ok I'll do my own review "without ERNS!" from here

[qip]

Originally Posted by TITAN1833

Ryan,ok I'll do my own review "without ERNS!" from here

oh cmon dont be so touchy those shots of yours...do you still have that dbs and do same hallway shot to compare