Tiablo A9 Q5

[ernsanada]

I just received the Tiablo A9 Q5

Tiablo A9 CPF Market Place

From ordering to receiving the Tiablo A9 took a total of 11 days.

I was surprised at the size of the Tiablo A9. It was smaller than I expected.

Fit and finish is excellent. No flaws in the T7075.

The Type III Hard Anodize Black is excellent.

2 stage reverse clickie. It goes from low, high then off.

O-Rings came lubed.

Uses a Cree 7090 XR-E LED Q5 WC.

The beam has the typical Cree rings. My light has an off center ring around the corona. I think the emitter maybe off center.

I purchased only the SMO Reflector at this time.

The Tiablo A9 uses one 18650 Li-ion battery, two pcs CR123A or RCR123A battery. You get a brighter beam with the 2 RCR123's.

Tails stands with no problems.

Comes with the anti-roll ring. Made of rubber and comes in 2 pieces. I took mine off.

Comes with a lanyard, GITD Rear Rubber Switch Cover, and O-Rings.

The Anti-Roll Ring.

Anti-Roll Ring removed.

SMO Reflector with Cree 7090 XR-E LED Q5 WC installed.

Inside view of the rear clickie.

AW's Protected 18650 fits with ample room.

Uses 2 O-Rings on rear of battery tube.

Left to right, Tiablo A9, Dereelight DBS, Lumapower MRV 1st Generation

Left to right, Tiablo A9, Dereelight DBS, Lumapower MRV 1st Generation

Reflector size comparison. Left to right, Tiablo A9, Dereelight DBS, Lumapower MRV 1st Generation.

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In these beam shots I am using all SMO (Smooth) Reflectors.

These are the lux readings I got. I am using a Meterman LM631 Light Meter measured at 1 meter. I waited 2 minutes before taking the readings. I am using AW's Protected 18650 and AW's Protected RCR123's which were fully charged.

Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 18650, - 18,780 lux @ 1 meter

Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 2 RCR123, - 19,260 lux @ 1 meter

Dereelight DBS XRE-E Q5 with 3 Way Module SMO, 18650 - 20,767 lux @ 1 meter

Dereelight DBS XRE-E Q4 with 3 Way Module SMO, 18650 - 18,500 lux @ 1 mete

Lumapower MRV 1st gen. SMO, 18650 - 8,110 lux @ 1 meter

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Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 2 RCR123 @ 96" Note the off center ring around the corona.

Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 18650 @ 96" Stepped down exposure.

Left, Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 2 RCR123. Right, Dereelight DBS XRE-E Q5 with 3 Way Module SMO, 18650 @ 96"

Left, Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 2 RCR123. Right, Lumapower MRV 1st gen. SMO, 18650

Left, Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 2 RCR123. Right, Dereelight DBS XRE-E Q5 with 3 Way Module SMO, 18650 @ 96" Stepped down exposure.

Left, Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, 2 RCR123. Right, Lumapower MRV 1st gen. SMO, 18650 Stepped down exposure.

 

[WadeF]

Thanks for the review and readings. :) I thought your meter didn't go over 20,000LUX, or was that someone elses?

 

[ernsanada]

Thanks for the review and readings. :) I thought your meter didn't go over 20,000LUX, or was that someone elses?

I used the FC setting and converted FC to Lux.

 

[WadeF]

Did you use the FC setting for the other lights too? Or just the DBS?

I need a Tiablo A9 Q5 so I can see where my meter falls with everyone else who has a Tiablo A9 Q5 metered. :)

 

[woodrow]

ernsanada,
Thanks for another detailed review and more great pictures. This has been an incredible 12 months for led flashlights. 20,000 lux +/- achieved by lights that will run over an hour and a half on 2x123A's. Just incredible.

 

[Zenster]

I have an A9s as well so I'll add just two thoughts to the excellent first post:

1. I really like the anti-roll ring, not only because it works well for the purpose, but because it makes a great stop while holding the flashlight between two fingers (like a syringe) and thumbing the clicky.
I found that to be a nice way to hold it recently with the A9s in my left hand and a Colt 1911 in my right while clearing a building of suspected burglers at 1:am. If I spotted a sudden hostile move from an armed "visitor", that hold would have allowed me to instantly blind him and then immediately click it off to change my position and then relight.
(No, I'm not a police officer but I'm forced to "play one" when a burglar alarm goes off and I'm the one who has to run the call.)

2. As good as a thrower as the A9s is, the SM reflector shoots a beam that's a little too much of a needle for me, so I'm ordering the OP reflector. Throw should still be really good, but spreading the beam will also make the A9s a better close-quarters light.
If I could go back and order all over again, I would have specified that it come with the OP reflector only.

 

[ernsanada]

Did you use the FC setting for the other lights too? Or just the DBS?

I need a Tiablo A9 Q5 so I can see where my meter falls with everyone else who has a Tiablo A9 Q5 metered. :)

I used the FC setting on the DBS SMO because my light meter tops out at 20,000 lux.

Just in case the Tiablo A9 went over 20,000 Lux I set the light meter to FC. It is very easy to figure FC to Lux, just multiply the FC x 10.76 to get the Lux number.

All the other lights were measured on Lux.

 

[ernsanada]

Holster for the Tiablo, Bright Guy, CO-188

 

[stargzn]

I have the Tiablo A8 cree 5 and the hot spot is perfectly centered within the yellow ring. I would send that one back for a replacement. That to me would be unacceptable. My A8 cree 5 on one 18650 puts out 21,000 lux at one meter measured with a lx1330B. I think they are fantastic lights and i am surprised yours is off center that much.

 

[JKL]

Thanks for the review Erns.:goodjob:

This is my Tiablo A9 Q5 - natural ;)

 

[ernsanada]

I tried some ouside beam shots. I set to manual, closet to what the beam actually looks like.

Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO 2RCR123's @ 28'

Dereelight DBS Q5 SMO 3 Way Module, 18650 @ 28'

 

[daveman]

Great review, Ersanada.

 

[selfbuilt]

Nice review, great pics as always! :thumbsup:

All of my throwers have perfectly centered hotspots, except for my Regal WT-1 Q5.

How do you find your A9 outdoors? In the case of my Regal, it isn't really noticeable except on a white wall at close range.

I'm not sure why it's there, but it looks to me like there is a slight tilt of the emitter (that is, it's not lying perfectly flat against the heatsink). The hotspot actually seems to be well centered - it's just the rings that are off.

 

[ernsanada]

I sent back my Tiablo A9 Q5 for the off-centered beam.

My replacement Tiablo A9 Q5.

The beam is still off-center but not as bad as my first light.

 

[nutz_about_lights]

Thanks for the last beamshot. I have never seen a picture of an "off-centre" light till you showed me. :p

 

[Swedpat]

Some days ago I ordered a Tiablo A9 from Battery Junction. Your images of the off-centered beam makes me worry. That is not what one could expect of a quality instrument as the Tiablo. A flashlight with such an off-center beam should not pass through the cuality control. Don't they have any control at all? It also surprises me, because I have never before heard about that fault of this flashlight.

Regards, Patric

 

[JKL]

Thanks to MattK and Battery Junction now I have one Forward Click Switch for my A9 Q5...a great improvement.:twothumbs

 

[ernsanada]

Left to Right, Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO, Raidfire Spear TM Q5 SMO, Dereelight DBS XRE-E Q5 with 3 Way Module SMO, Regal Light WT1 Q5 SMO, Lumapower MRV 1st gen. SMO, Fenix T1 Q5 OP

Tiablo A9 Q5 SMO @ 32'

Raidfire Spear TM Q5 SMO @ 32'

Dereelight DBS XRE-E Q5 with 3 Way Module SMO @ 32'

Lumapower MRV 1st gen. SMO @ 32'

Regal Light WT1 Q5 SMO @ 32'

Fenix T1 Q5 OP @ 32'

 

[ernsanada]

I sent back my Tiablo A9 Q5 for the off-centered beam.

My replacement Tiablo A9 Q5.

The beam is still off-center but not as bad as my first light.

I figured out why the beam is off center.

The Cree Q5 sits higher on one side, lower on the other side. It's not even with the bottom of the reflector opening.

 

[Monocrom]

Great review.

But I'm a bit confused by the pics in your post #18. From the pics, it looks as though the best thrower is, the Fenix T1? :confused:

That can't be right. :thinking: