ReviewTheLight: Thrunite Ti3 (1xAAA, 150+ lumens!)

Bigmac_79

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Thrunite is a well established name in the flashlight business, with significant models in most flashlight classes, from keychain lights to EDC's to high-end throwers and flooders. The Ti3 is the most recent edition to Thrunite's Ti series of 1xAAA keychain-style lights, sporting four modes with an output range of 0.03 to 154 lumens (my measurements).


Thanks to Thrunite for providing the Ti3 for review.


I'll be reviewing the Ti3 in two sections: first, I'll discuss the light objectively (the facts about the light itself), then I'll discuss the light subjectively (my impressions about the light's performance when used for specific applications). If you have any other specific applications you'd like the light tested for, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Video Review

Below is a video review of the Ti3. Due to my old image hosting site closing down, I've got new restrictions on image uploads and have replaced the "Construction" section of my reviews with a more detailed video review.


This video is available in 1080p HD, but defaults to a lower quality. To select the playback quality click the settings button (looks like a gear) after you've started the video.


Objective

Manufacturer's Specifications

Price: 20 USD




Product Manual




Dimensions




Plus, here's a few shots with some good detail.




User Interface

The Ti3 is controlled by loosening/tightening of the head. When the head is slightly loose, the light is off, and when it's fully tightened, the light is on.

The Ti3 had four modes, three of which are brightness modes and one is a strobe mode. The Ti3 always comes on first in Firefly mode. If you loosen and re-tighten the head within two seconds, it advances to the next mode in the sequence Firefly -> Low -> High. If you loosen and re-tighten in between two and ten seconds, the light will come back on in the mode you used last (mode memory). If you loosen and wait more than ten seconds to re-tighten, the light will revert back to Firefly. (If this is confusing, watch the video above.)

The Strobe mode is hidden, and is accessed by rapidly loosening and tightening six times.


Action Shots

You can click on any of these shots to see them full size.

Light in Hand


MugShot


BeamSlice


White Wall
ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/20"


Indoor Shots
ISO 100, f/3.5, 1"


Outdoor Shots

ISO 100, f/3.5, 2.5"



Performance

Submersion: I submersed the Ti3 under a foot of water for about an hour, head fully tightened. I found no evidence of water entering or damaging the light.

Heat: The Ti3 gets very warm, but not hot, at about the 15 minute mark when on High, then cools off.

PWM: I could detect no pulse width modulation in the Ti3.

Drop: I dropped the Ti3 from about a meter onto various surfaces (including grass, carpet, dirt, and hard wood), and found no cosmetic or functional damage.

Reverse Polarity Protection: I could find no claims that the Ti3 includes reverse polarity protection, so be sure to insert the battery correctly (it follows convention, positive terminal towards the head and a spring for the negative terminal).

Over-Discharge Protection: This is not necessary because the Ti3 does not accept li-ion cells--it has a max voltage input of 3V.


Spectral Analysis


All light that we see as white is actually made up of several different colors put together. The relative intensities of the different colors in the mix are what determine the tint of the white we see. For example, cool white LED's have a lot of blue, and warm white LED's have more red or yellow. This measurement was done on a home made spectrometer. The plot below the picture is corrected for the spectral sensitivity of the human eye. Note: the peak in the 900nm region doesn't really exist, it's a piece of the second-order spectrum that's showing up here because of the high intensity of the light source.

Output and Runtime


ANSI FL-1 runtime ratings are the time it takes for a light to fall to 10% of it's original output (counting from 30 seconds after turning the light on).

The vertical axis of the graphs below represents a relative brightness measurement using a home made light box. The horizontal axis is time in hours:minutes:seconds. Runtimes are stated in hours:minutes:seconds. These graphs may be truncated to show detail.

Mode Comparison


High


Low



Throwing Distance

ANSI FL-1 standard for stating a light's throwing distance is the distance at which the peak beam intensity (usually at the center of the beam) is 0.25 lux. I calculate throwing distance and candela (lux at 1 meter) by measuring peak beam intensity at five different distances and using the formula lux*distance^2=constant.




Subjective Review

Quick break down:

+ 154 lumen max brightness (better than the 120 claimed!)
+ Very low Firefly!
+ Great regulation, even on High
+ Head is firm, yet turns smoothly
+ Good grippy knurling
+ Head has many turns from off to detachment
+ Keychainable
+ Reversible clip-on clip
+ Smooth beam profile
+ Fancy box
+ Good mode order (increasing brightness)
+ Strobe is hidden

- I preferred the original Ti's interface
- Triangle keychain attachment point fell off after about a week
- Head not hexagonal
- Not as many fun anodizing colors as the original Ti

I've found the Ti to be a very worthy upgrade in the Ti series, and a good potential keychain light for those willing to put a AAA light on the keychain.

First, I was very impressed by the output range on the Ti3. As you can see in the charts and graphs above, it exceeded the specified 120 lumens on High, weighing in at 154 lumens at 30 seconds, and maintaining nearly 150 lumens until a few minutes before the end of the run. On the other end, the Firefly mode was truly a pleasure to use. My measurements are a bit iffy at that low of a level, but I did measure .03 lumens, which is pretty close to Thrunite's claim of .04 lumens. This is a light that will be appreciated by everyone who loves a truly low low mode, and will teach many others to love it as well. The Firefly mode is great for reading in low light or making your way through a dark area without attracting attention or ruining your night adapted vision. I'm tempted to catch-and-release an actual firefly, so I can get a comparison picture (a quick google search tells me a firefly's output is about .0256 lumens). In addition, on both High and Low modes the regulation is just what I like to see: very consistent output for nearly the entire run, with a few minutes of decreased output at the end so you don't have to find a new battery in total darkness.

The mechanical design of the Ti3 is also great for a AAA light. Many I've used have a cheap feel to them, often with wobbly heads or poor threading. The Ti3 has nice smooth threads, and they hold the head firmly, even when it's loosened slightly for Off mode. When I mention that the head has to be loosened to turn the light off, many of you will cringe, and very rightly so! There's been a long history of keychain lights that loose their heads when loosened for off. I myself have two headless iTP A3's. The A3 was great for it's wide output range (at that time) in a small package, but just wasn't fit for keychain duty. Thrunite's Ti3 solves this problem in two main ways: first, the threads are high quality and are lubricated with a fairly thick lubricant, so the thread action is smooth but takes some force; second, there are quite a few full turns from the point where the light turns off to the point where the head is detached (I don't remember the number now, I believe I counted in the video, check there if you're interested). These two factors combine to ensure that it's going to be very unlikely the Ti3 will loose it's head when on keychain duty.

Unfortunately, the Ti3 shares one weakpoint in common with many other keychain lights: the keychain attachment piece. The Ti3 comes with a lobster-claw connected to a chain, a small open triangle piece, and a split ring. Originally I had the triangle clamped through the hole in the tail of the Ti3, the split ring on the triangle, and the chain on the split ring (lobster claw on the end of the chain and clipped to my keychain). Unfortunately, after about a week the keychain attachment failed - the triangle piece got pulled apart and the light fell of my keychain. Fortunately, I was skeptical of the piece from the start and was keeping an eye on it at all times, so I noticed when the light fell off and it was not lost. Now that I've tested the included accessory, I intend to swap it out for a solid quick-release mechanism that's my preference for a keychain light. So, if you intend the Ti3 to be on your keychain, be sure to not use that triangle piece.

Next, I want to mention the UI. I applaud Thrunite's choice of mode order, starting with the lowest output and increasing in brightness with each step. I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to "start with the most used mode, then go to low, then go to high", but that always just frustrates me. I want my lights to follow a logical progression so that I don't have to move through modes I don't want in order to get to those I do. So, I really appreciate that the Ti3 won't ever blind me with a high output when I first turn it on in a dark environment. However, I was a bit disappointed to see the change from the Ti's interface. The Ti has two modes, and you twisted a little bit to turn on to Low, then a little more to switch to High. On the Ti3, there's a lot of twisting back and forth between On and Off involved, which I don't like as much. I suppose from an engineering point of view it would have been difficult to add a third mode to the Ti's type of interface, but I can be picky, can't I?

Speaking of being picky, the Ti3 does have knurling that gives really good grip on the head, but I have one AAA light (the SWM R01A) that has a hexagonal shaped section on the head, which is just plain excellent, and now I'm spoiled. The Ti3 grip is good enough, but could be better ;).

The Ti3 also has several little things that have been put together to put this light above some of the competition: the beam profile is smooth, the tint is a good plain cool white, the clip is reversible and easy to remove without being flimsy, and the light even comes in a fancy metal show box :thumbsup:.

Overall, the Ti3 is a great entry in the AAA keychain light class, and a worthy upgrade in Thrunite's Ti series. If you're looking for a AAA keychain light with a wide range of output, the Ti3 is going to be one of your top choices.


Long Term Impressions
I'll fill this part in after carrying the light for a while. If nothing get's added here, either I find nothing else worth noting about the light, or I end up not using it often.
 
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Bigmac_79

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A quick note: I noticed that at some point, YouTube has added the option to adjust playback speed of embedded videos (click on the gear near the bottom right of the video). After rigorous experimentation, I find that entertainment value of the video is directly proportional to the playback speed. For example, the 2x playback speed will approximately double your enjoyment of the video :D.
 

snakyjake

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Disappointing mode switching. I really like the Ti when it just had loose (off), tighten for low, tighten more for high. It's like a poor man's magnetic control ring. I really don't think there's a better UI for EDC.
 

Bigmac_79

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Disappointing mode switching. I really like the Ti when it just had loose (off), tighten for low, tighten more for high. It's like a poor man's magnetic control ring. I really don't think there's a better UI for EDC.

I completely agree, that was my ideal AAA light UI. If they had been able to make the Ti3 with three brightness modes in that same manner, tightening to increase brightness in three steps, I would probably have bought ten or so to keep on hand and give out as gifts.
 

Mr. Tone

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Very nice review, and this new Thrunite edition looks like an excellent value for $20 with impressive performance. It is too bad they probably won't make any neutral white versions of this light. Thrunite, how about a Nichia 219 Hi CRI in some of these? :popcorn:
 

Bigmac_79

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Very nice review, and this new Thrunite edition looks like an excellent value for $20 with impressive performance. It is too bad they probably won't make any neutral white versions of this light. Thrunite, how about a Nichia 219 Hi CRI in some of these? :popcorn:

Thanks Mr. Tone! I doubt we'll see any warm, neutral, or HiCRI versions, but it certainly doesn't hurt to ask ;).
 

Mr. Tone

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To be fair, Thrunite has been one of the best companies as far as offering neutral white versions. The only company I can think of that does it better is Eagletac, which happens to be my favorite manufacturer. Thrunite has offered neutral white versions of many of their larger lights but not any of the smaller 1xAAA or 1xAA lights, like the T10 or Ti. However, that still won't keep me from getting some of these but I will keep hoping for a neutral white version. Another thing I like about Thrunite is they know what a true moonlight mode should be. A neutral white Thrunite 1A Neutron with original XM-L has been my nightstand light for several years thanks to .09 lumen Firefly mode :)
 

Illum

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Disappointing mode switching. I really like the Ti when it just had loose (off), tighten for low, tighten more for high. It's like a poor man's magnetic control ring. I really don't think there's a better UI for EDC.

The problem with that [using the kilroy] is that the light is limited to two modes at most. Since they decided to introduce firefly mode on top of [silly] strobe, they had to deviate from that. But yes I also agree.
 

Bigmac_79

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To be fair, Thrunite has been one of the best companies as far as offering neutral white versions. The only company I can think of that does it better is Eagletac, which happens to be my favorite manufacturer. Thrunite has offered neutral white versions of many of their larger lights but not any of the smaller 1xAAA or 1xAA lights, like the T10 or Ti. However, that still won't keep me from getting some of these but I will keep hoping for a neutral white version. Another thing I like about Thrunite is they know what a true moonlight mode should be. A neutral white Thrunite 1A Neutron with original XM-L has been my nightstand light for several years thanks to .09 lumen Firefly mode :)

Actually, they just offered to send me the new T20T (a titanium CR123 light) for review when it's available, and their website lists it as available in neutral, so I requested the neutral version. We'll see what happens ;)
 

Bigmac_79

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The problem with that [using the kilroy] is that the light is limited to two modes at most. Since they decided to introduce firefly mode on top of [silly] strobe, they had to deviate from that. But yes I also agree.

Thanks for that link Illum, I suspected they were limited to two modes with the previous UI.
 

Haesslich

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Say, did you have any issues gripping the head with that small size? One thing I've found with my little AAA lights (like the Preon/Atom P0/A0) is that it's impossible to do one-handed, especially if the knurling or shape doesn't hive you a good grip.

That does look pretty good for $20, especially with a low moonlight mode that's easy to access.
 

Bigmac_79

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Say, did you have any issues gripping the head with that small size? One thing I've found with my little AAA lights (like the Preon/Atom P0/A0) is that it's impossible to do one-handed, especially if the knurling or shape doesn't hive you a good grip.

That does look pretty good for $20, especially with a low moonlight mode that's easy to access.

No, no trouble with turning the head, it's actually a bit larger than average for a AAA light and well knurled. If you ever used an old iTP A3, it's similar in shape to that but with some good knurling instead of smooth grooves. As I mention in the review, I prefer the hex-shaped head of my SWM R01A for ease of turning, but this one's pretty good. And yeah, for $20, it's a very good value.
 

demoteamone

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As always I appreciate the review Bigmac. I think that for the price you can't go wrong with this small light.
I'm a bit sceptical about the lumens, My doubt start when a compare this Thrunite Ti3 with my Fenix ld 10.
The fenix ld 10 have a better spill and more powerful hot spot.:thinking:
 

Bigmac_79

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As always I appreciate the review Bigmac. I think that for the price you can't go wrong with this small light.
I'm a bit sceptical about the lumens, My doubt start when a compare this Thrunite Ti3 with my Fenix ld 10.
The fenix ld 10 have a better spill and more powerful hot spot.:thinking:

Glad you like the review ;). As far as the lumens go, I don't have an LD10 to compare, but I can re-run the trial of the Ti3 to confirm it's output if you like.
 

yoyoman

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Thank you for the review and pictures/charts. I fully agree with you about mode sequence. I prefer switching modes to get more output. That's one of the very few things I don't like about the Olight i3s - it starts on medium. It is a small thing and the i3s has many other strong points - square cut threads, good anodizing, etc. I'm looking forward to comparing these lights.
 

Bigmac_79

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Thank you for the review and pictures/charts. I fully agree with you about mode sequence. I prefer switching modes to get more output. That's one of the very few things I don't like about the Olight i3s - it starts on medium. It is a small thing and the i3s has many other strong points - square cut threads, good anodizing, etc. I'm looking forward to comparing these lights.

Yes, I find this very comparable to the i3s, but with better mode sequence.

Sent from my HTC One using Candlepowerforums mobile app
 

reppans

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Thanks for the great review Bigmac.

Sadly my search for another long runtime AAA to rival my 47s Revo shall continue. ThruNite's near 200x mode spacing between it's two lowest modes is too much (for me) and represents a firefly so low that it's really only good for highly specialized task (eg, middle of the night bathroom trip), or a medium with too short a runtime. Happy see their specs are more realistic though (than the T10's 39 hr med, for example).

I know everyone has different preferences for sub-lumen modes, but I'm surprised you think this level was great for reading - but I assume you mean just a few sentences up close? Reason I ask is that I often use an floody XML 0.3 moonlight mode for comfortable novel reading in bed, which admittedly is a "bright" moonlight mode, but as such I find it's good enough to be my general purpose low and most often used mode (and it runs virtually "free" @ ~250hrs/AA).

The Olight i3s seems like its moonlight would suit me well, but I agree the mode sequence is not good.
 
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Bigmac_79

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Thanks for the great review Bigmac.

Sadly my search for another long runtime AAA to rival my 47s Revo shall continue. ThruNite's near 200x mode spacing between it's two lowest modes is too much (for me) and represents a firefly so low that it's really only good for highly specialized task (eg, middle of the night bathroom trip), or a medium with too short a runtime. Happy see their specs are more realistic though (than the T10's 39 hr med, for example).

I know everyone has different preferences for sub-lumen modes, but I'm surprised you think this level was great for reading - but I assume you mean just a few sentences up close? Reason I ask is that I often use an floody XML 0.3 moonlight mode for comfortable novel reading in bed, which admittedly is a "bright" moonlight mode, but as such I find it's good enough to be my general purpose low and most often used mode (and it runs virtually "free" @ ~250hrs/AA).

The Olight i3s seems like its moonlight would suit me well, but I agree the mode sequence is not good.

Thanks for your input reppans :)

Yes, the Firefly mode isn't really the right amount of light for "comfortable" reading over a long period of time. Mostly, it's good for reading a short message, sign, map, etc. in situations where you don't want to ruin your night vision or attract attention. I have used it to read in bed, and find it's good for not waking up my wife, but I do have to scan the page with it (can't just leave it in one spot the whole time and light up the whole book).
 
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