AardvarkSagus
Flashlight Enthusiast
Lupine Betty TL-2
Simplistic design is the staple of Lupine flashlights. The Betty TL is no exception to the rule. Their lights continue to impress electronically though.
Lupine Betty TL-2
Meat and Potatoes
The Lupine Betty TL-2 (BTL-2) is the flagship model for an already high-end brand. This is not your old black aluminum bodied 2D flashlight, despite the similarity in size. First off, the battery is a proprietary rechargeable 7.2V 6.6Ah monstrosity that occupies the entire handle. A smaller 3.3Ah version is also available as the BTL-2S. The only difference between these lights is the size, and electrical capacity. The output remains the same.
Lupine Betty TL-2
Output is what the Betty is all about. Sitting atop the torch is an electronic masterpiece contained within the head of the lamp. The BTL-2 uses 6 premium Cree XM-L2 LEDs to output an enormous 4,500 lumens at full power. This is a light level that is completely unprecedented in my collection thus far. It is far and away the most powerful light I've yet tested. This level of illumination comes at a cost however. The power consumption is so great that even this enormous battery pack is only capable of supplying energy for an hour of runtime. Also, the BTL-2 is thermally regulated, so unless you are operating outside in the winter, I wouldn't expect it to maintain full output long before it is stepped down to prevent excess heat from damaging the sensitive innards. Thankfully low power settings are available. The BTL-2, like most Lupine creations, benefits greatly from the use of lensing to focus the light downrange, rather than reflectors. This results in a beautifully floody beam with no tunnel vision inducing spillbeam cutoff. The multitude of separate emitters as well goes a long way to eliminating any beam artifacts, giving you smooth and even illumination across the board.
Lupine Betty TL-2
The BTL-2 actually has probably the most user friendly UI of any Lupine I've tested. This company started out designing bike headlamps so the more complex operating mechanics that are fairly ideal for those conditions simply filtered down to their handheld models. I have never been much of a fan, but I can attest that small iterative improvements have been made over the years. This time around however it seems they mostly upended the previous UI's in favor of something a little more truly programmable. Instead of picking between their choices of what modes, or mode orders you have at your disposal, you are able to set your choice of 1-4 modes in any order of the 13 available outputs and specialty options. There are 10 constant white output levels from 0.3W through full 45W power. Beyond that there are the usual strobe and SOS modes as well as a single Red output extracted from a solo Cree XP-E situated in the center of the head. You still are resigned to holding the power button for a second to turn the light off, during which time it does temporarily cycle to the next mode, but over all the UI is much improved.
Mode options
Fit and finish continue to live up to Lupine's excellent reputation. While the aesthetics are the most utilitarian form of simple, the finish itself is nothing short of exquisite. The anodizing that covers every millimeter of their lights is simply the thickest, and most uniform finish I have seen on any brand. The laser etched branding and mode legend are crisp and clean, and line up perfectly between the head and the body. I've now reviewed 4 different Lupine lights, and it is clearly evident they obviously care about giving the customer the complete package. No shortcuts are taken to provide anything but perfect lights. Even the package inclusions, available accessories, and simple presentation items are top notch.
All the accessories
Constructive Criticism
The Lupine Charger One is, hands down, the highest quality battery charger I have ever used. My only complaint is that it's completely proprietary. When I see a charger this adept and well thought out, I start wishing I could use it on all of my other rechargeable cells. Unfortunately there is no adapter that is available to handle 18650 or similar cells in conjunction with the Charger One. Yes, I realize this complaint amounts to "It only does what it was designed to do, and nothing more" but I see this as a huge potential market that is available to them here. I know some people would be willing to plunk down the money necessary for a more universal charger of this caliber. I just keep hoping Lupine will capitalize on this.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the BTL-2 is the red secondary beam. Unfortunately this beam isn't exactly provided in the most useful format available. Being itself a power LED rather than simply a collection of 5mm or smaller diodes, the XP-E is capable of significant output in its own right, despite being truly monochromatic. What is missing however is the ability to throttle that power to better meet your needs. The only output provided is the 0.8W mode which is not a small amount of light. Compared to what the BTL-2 is capable of however, it does seem dim. Further complicating matters however is the inherently more narrow beam produced by the much smaller die. I would have preferred to see a built in beam diffuser on this center lens to truly spread things out more. Thankfully, the red light isn't the primary function for this torch, I just think it still could be better utilized.
Red or White?
Conclusions
It may seem like I am showing nothing but praise for this beast of a torch, but that's just because I genuinely like it that much. Obviously don't look to it as a daily carry light, even in it's smaller -S form, but as a large powerhouse flashlight, I have not seen it's equal in either power or especially quality.
Provided for review by the kind folks at Lupine.
Simplistic design is the staple of Lupine flashlights. The Betty TL is no exception to the rule. Their lights continue to impress electronically though.
Lupine Betty TL-2
Meat and Potatoes
The Lupine Betty TL-2 (BTL-2) is the flagship model for an already high-end brand. This is not your old black aluminum bodied 2D flashlight, despite the similarity in size. First off, the battery is a proprietary rechargeable 7.2V 6.6Ah monstrosity that occupies the entire handle. A smaller 3.3Ah version is also available as the BTL-2S. The only difference between these lights is the size, and electrical capacity. The output remains the same.
Lupine Betty TL-2
Output is what the Betty is all about. Sitting atop the torch is an electronic masterpiece contained within the head of the lamp. The BTL-2 uses 6 premium Cree XM-L2 LEDs to output an enormous 4,500 lumens at full power. This is a light level that is completely unprecedented in my collection thus far. It is far and away the most powerful light I've yet tested. This level of illumination comes at a cost however. The power consumption is so great that even this enormous battery pack is only capable of supplying energy for an hour of runtime. Also, the BTL-2 is thermally regulated, so unless you are operating outside in the winter, I wouldn't expect it to maintain full output long before it is stepped down to prevent excess heat from damaging the sensitive innards. Thankfully low power settings are available. The BTL-2, like most Lupine creations, benefits greatly from the use of lensing to focus the light downrange, rather than reflectors. This results in a beautifully floody beam with no tunnel vision inducing spillbeam cutoff. The multitude of separate emitters as well goes a long way to eliminating any beam artifacts, giving you smooth and even illumination across the board.
Lupine Betty TL-2
The BTL-2 actually has probably the most user friendly UI of any Lupine I've tested. This company started out designing bike headlamps so the more complex operating mechanics that are fairly ideal for those conditions simply filtered down to their handheld models. I have never been much of a fan, but I can attest that small iterative improvements have been made over the years. This time around however it seems they mostly upended the previous UI's in favor of something a little more truly programmable. Instead of picking between their choices of what modes, or mode orders you have at your disposal, you are able to set your choice of 1-4 modes in any order of the 13 available outputs and specialty options. There are 10 constant white output levels from 0.3W through full 45W power. Beyond that there are the usual strobe and SOS modes as well as a single Red output extracted from a solo Cree XP-E situated in the center of the head. You still are resigned to holding the power button for a second to turn the light off, during which time it does temporarily cycle to the next mode, but over all the UI is much improved.
Mode options
Fit and finish continue to live up to Lupine's excellent reputation. While the aesthetics are the most utilitarian form of simple, the finish itself is nothing short of exquisite. The anodizing that covers every millimeter of their lights is simply the thickest, and most uniform finish I have seen on any brand. The laser etched branding and mode legend are crisp and clean, and line up perfectly between the head and the body. I've now reviewed 4 different Lupine lights, and it is clearly evident they obviously care about giving the customer the complete package. No shortcuts are taken to provide anything but perfect lights. Even the package inclusions, available accessories, and simple presentation items are top notch.
All the accessories
Constructive Criticism
The Lupine Charger One is, hands down, the highest quality battery charger I have ever used. My only complaint is that it's completely proprietary. When I see a charger this adept and well thought out, I start wishing I could use it on all of my other rechargeable cells. Unfortunately there is no adapter that is available to handle 18650 or similar cells in conjunction with the Charger One. Yes, I realize this complaint amounts to "It only does what it was designed to do, and nothing more" but I see this as a huge potential market that is available to them here. I know some people would be willing to plunk down the money necessary for a more universal charger of this caliber. I just keep hoping Lupine will capitalize on this.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the BTL-2 is the red secondary beam. Unfortunately this beam isn't exactly provided in the most useful format available. Being itself a power LED rather than simply a collection of 5mm or smaller diodes, the XP-E is capable of significant output in its own right, despite being truly monochromatic. What is missing however is the ability to throttle that power to better meet your needs. The only output provided is the 0.8W mode which is not a small amount of light. Compared to what the BTL-2 is capable of however, it does seem dim. Further complicating matters however is the inherently more narrow beam produced by the much smaller die. I would have preferred to see a built in beam diffuser on this center lens to truly spread things out more. Thankfully, the red light isn't the primary function for this torch, I just think it still could be better utilized.
Red or White?
Conclusions
It may seem like I am showing nothing but praise for this beast of a torch, but that's just because I genuinely like it that much. Obviously don't look to it as a daily carry light, even in it's smaller -S form, but as a large powerhouse flashlight, I have not seen it's equal in either power or especially quality.
Provided for review by the kind folks at Lupine.
