OLIGHT TK25 Tactical or Regular?

[Ivo]

Hi Guys, thanks for your help in the other thread I started. I have decided on the Olight but can not decide between the Tactical or Regular. According to light-review.com the Tactical is slightly brighter with better run time, but the Regular may be easier to use.

I will run the light on full brightness 90% of the time. Is there much difference between the brightness/throw of the two lights?

Thoughts?

 

[youreacrab]

i run in full brightness most of the time too. if you don't want to be bothered with strobe and sos accidentally clicking on get the tactical version. these modes are still there but they're at the head not the tail.

 

[Ivo]

I ordered the Regular. Should be here tomorrow if the postman is kind! I also ordered some eneloops and charger to complete the package. Will give it a good test on my Wednesday night bike ride when I get to the camp fire. Thanks everyone for their input to all my questions in this and my other thread.

I would also like to thank forum member lukestephens777 from extremetorches.com.au for being very helpful and paitient with me.

 

[phantom23]

To run mostly on max get Tactical version. It's slightly brighter and has 25% longer runtime (=more efficient driver). You'll use max setting so SOS and strobe won't be annoying.

 

[DM51]

Welcome to CPF, Ivo.

I have closed your other thread and left a pointer there to this one. I have also edited your opening post here to give a link to the old thread.

It is usually better to continue with an existing thread rather than start a new one. You could have changed the thread title to reflect the new direction you wanted the thread to take.

 

[lukestephens777]

No worries at all Ivan!

You should have it tomorrow. Express Post is fast!

 

[Illumination]

To run mostly on max get Tactical version. It's slightly brighter and has 25% longer runtime (=more efficient driver). You'll use max setting so SOS and strobe won't be annoying.

Where does this information come from? From the Olight website:

T25 Tactical
Five output levels: 6lm(80h)-45lm(12h)-190lm(1.5h)-Strobe-Sos

T25 Regular
Five brightness levels: 6lm(80h)-15lm(33h)-45lm(12h)-90lm(5h)-190lm(1.5h)
Strobe: 190lm(2h)
SOS: 17lm(40h)-190lm(3h)

​

Efficiency looks the same to me. There is a lot of variation in individual led efficiency, so maybe you looked at a comparison of just 2 lights (and therefore just two emitters). That could explain the variance.

Note: The T25 Tactical has a forward clicky, which turns the light on and off. Levels, strobe and SOS are changed by rotating the head back and forth.

The T25 Regular has a reverse clicky, which switches from on to illumination, to strobe to sos to off. I believe a "Full" click shuts it on and off from any function (i.e., don't need to cycle through all functions to turn off). [SOMEONE PLEASE CONFIRM] Levels for the illumination and SOS functions are changed by rotating the head back and forth.

 

[phantom23]

It won't explain such big difference. 25% less runtime and brightness!!!
And the same situation with T20. Why my T20-T runs unregulated with single Li-Ion while T20-M keeps quite constant output?
They have different drivers programmed for similar modes. In theory modes are the same. Just a theory...

 

[Illumination]

It won't explain such big difference. 25% less runtime and brightness!!!
And the same situation with T20. Why my T20-T runs unregulated with single Li-Ion while T20-M keeps quite constant output?
They have different drivers programmed for similar modes. In theory modes are the same. Just a theory...

What is the source of the 25%? Was it your own personal test or was this from some other test?

 

[Ivo]

WOW, very happy with how my light performs. Could easily be used for a helmet/bar mount light if my HID light broke on a night ride.

Only improvements I would make would be to the accessories. The pouch is a great design but I would like to see a velcro flap that completely locks the torch in so it can not bounce out under extreme conditions. Secondly, the idea of a removable lanyard attachment point is great but the design could be improved to something a little more substantial.

The light is great and MY negatives on the accessories may not be a concern to most users.

I'm glad I went with the regular as the extra levels of light were usable as I did not need to run it on max like I thought I would.

 

[phantom23]

From other tests by light-reviews, 'Chao' (confirmed short runtime in Regular - 1:30h using 2500mAh Ni-MH is less than L2D Q5 on Eneloops - 2000mAh). Personaly I can confirm that T20-T and T20-M use different drivers. The same parameters by manufacturer but different performance and drivers for sure. Thy T25 must be different?

 

[half-watt]

What is the source of the 25%?

not sure of other Poster's source. however, check out the reviews for the Reg. & T versions on this website ==>

http://www.light-reviews.com/olight_t25_tactical/


AND


http://www.light-reviews.com/olight_t25_regular/



IMO (YMMV), the T model would have been perfect if the Strobe and SOS modes were *NOT* moved to the head and were left at the tailcap just like in the Reg. T25. moving these two modes to the "head", now forces me to cycle through these two modes in order to move back to another constant o.p. light level that i may have already passed by when adjusting and/or using the light.

sure, i could turn the light OFF and back ON, but this means that i must either use two hands or reposition the light in my hand fr/the thumb fwd. grip which allows for easy thumb and forefinger adjustment/twisting of the head, to a thumb rearward grip so that my thumb can click the light OFF and then back ON. neither solution makes for simple ergonomics. even turning the light OFF and back ON might involve the "memory" aspect gettin' involved which doesn't help in certain cases.

furthermore, NOT having the tactical strobe, far more easily accessed via the tailcap (only three possible modes there & strobe being just one 1/2 press away), but now combined w/four other modes, of which at most three must be slightly more slowly cycled through to get to strobe makes strobe access slower than a single 1/2 press (even a single head twist is slightly slower than a single 1/2 press, IMO). bottom line, from my perspective the Tactical model is LESS TACTICAL than the non-Tactical model (not that tactical use comes into play for me at any anticipated time).

despite this idiosyncrasy, the T25 (either model - do own them both) is one of my favorite AA powered flashlights - possibly my favorite. IMO, of the 2xAA powered lights that i own or am familiar with, only the Fenix L2D-Q5 and the LumaPower D-Mini equipped w/the optional 2xAA battery tube can compete w/either T25 model.

 

[Illumination]

That is very interesting... I'd love for Olight to explain why they may have used more efficient regulation in one vs. the other.

I'd like to see a comparison of a few of each to each other... this is very curious.

I think the idea of moving everything to the head in the T model is so users would know with certainty that the mode/level would not change with a click.

 

[Illumination]

I asked the question over in the Marketplace:

Brightness and efficiency should basically be the same outside of emitter variations.

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?p=2181410#post2181410

That makes sense; I wonder why the variation.

 

[phantom23]

"should basically be the same" because specs are the same. But they're not in both T25 and T20-T/M.

 

[half-watt]

That is very interesting... I'd love for Olight to explain why they may have used more efficient regulation in one vs. the other.

I'd like to see a comparison of a few of each to each other... this is very curious.

I think the idea of moving everything to the head in the T model is so users would know with certainty that the mode/level would not change with a click.

in reverse order of your Post making mention:

agreed on the "with a click" point that you make. this could be Olight's intention. only Olight knows for sure.

right you are. the only way, given, at the very least - not to mention other variables in testing, variations in individual LEDs fr/the same BIN, would be to test several-to-many of each model of T25.

as far as your first point, obviously don't know the particulars in these two cases, but often simpler circuits (e.g. one level to be regulated versus multiple levels) are more efficient than more complex circuits. could this be the case here of three leves of regulation vs. five levels of regulation? don't know. but, possibly???

 

[Illumination]

very interesting...I have wondered how much of what we have seen tested and reported is based on insufficient sample sizes.

 

[etc]

Is the User Interface more confusing than the one in Fenix L2D?

REading the review, it sounds overly complicated:

Constant Illumination:
Click on the push button, cycles through the 5 brightness levels from dimmest to brightest by loosening then tightening the head within 1 second each time. Brightness level is memorized even when powered off

Let me get this straight, you have to loosen *and* tighten the head to go from one level to another? Within 1 second? Sounds like a PITA.

 

[HKJ]

Is the User Interface more confusing than the one in Fenix L2D?

REading the review, it sounds overly complicated:

Let me get this straight, you have to loosen *and* tighten the head to go from one level to another? Within 1 second? Sounds like a PITA.

It is not that bad, just see it this way: The switch is on/off and your uses the loosen/tighten sequence to switch output. It is easy enough to use, but some other lights has better interface (Like Fenix and JetBeam).

 

[selfbuilt]

very interesting...I have wondered how much of what we have seen tested and reported is based on insufficient sample sizes.

I would guess a lot.

I don't have T-25s to test, but I've seen differences this great before on two samples of lights with same the circuit/emitter, confirmed by the manufacturer (e.g. Jet-II PRO IBS vs Jet-II IBS on primaries). Same goes for my multiple Nitecore's D10s and NDIs.

Just a guess on my part, but I suspect a lot of this has to do with the fact that most manufacturers are not selecting emitters on the basis of a defined Vf bin. :shrug: