REVIEW: ACEBEAM TK16

ACEBEAM TK16
------------------NEW THINKING ON LIGHT------------------



ACEBEAM TK16 is the new single button EDC lamp. There are several versions of ACEBEAM TK16; Copper, Alluminius and Titanium (as I write not yet submitted). Regarding the emitters we have an edition of Osram, a Luminus SST20 High CRI edition and finally one with Cree XP-G3 LEDs.

The ACEBEAM TK16 was won by me in a Giveaway made by Acebeam. The received version is the Copper version with OSRAM LEDs.
For the technical characteristics: http://www.acebeam.com/tk16

Main features:

- Innovative body construction is made of solid billet ultra conductive pure red copper
- High CRI (CRI≥95) LED resembles the nature of sunlight and reveals subtle detail of an object
- Long range beam distance up to 338 meters by OSRAM LED
- Customized 10C discharge current IMR16340 550mAh battery (RCR123 battery)
- TIR (Total Internal Reflection) optic facilitates efficient light transmission with a broad beam and a generous throw
- Highly integrated tail switch switch for all easy operation
- Knurling and polishing finish provide a secure grip
- Multiple LED, multiple brightness and light range
- Compatible Battery: 1 x IMR16340 550mAh (RCR123) battery (recommended) / 1 x CR123A battery
- Strobe setting that can disorient an attacker or serve as a distress signal
- Detachable Gold plated clip and compact size for easy carry
- Streamlined body with slim head design
- Underwater 2 meters submersible
- 1 meter impact resistance
- Low battery voltage warning with flickering
- Intelligent highly efficient circuit board design for max. performance and long run time
- Intelligent temperature controlled light output for user safety
- This flashlight is available in 3 different LED options:
3*LUMINUS SST-20 CRI95 1250 lumens
3*OSRAM KW CSLNM1.TG 1300 lumens Throw 338M
3*CREE XPG 3 1800 lumens

- Size: 23mm Head Diameter x 66.5mm Length x 22mm Tube
- Weight: 75.8g w/o battery; 93.8g w/ battery





The ACEBEAM TK16 has two modes: Power mode and ECO mode.

When TK16 is powered by RCR123 battery (16340 550mAh 10C battery ):
LED option: OSRAM
Power Mode
Moonlight: 0.5 lumens; 6 days
Low: 20 lumens; 355cd; 37 meters; 12 hours
Med: 100 lumens; 1950cd; 88 meters; 3 hours
High: 478 lumens; 11000cd; 210 meters; 50 minutes
Turbo: 1300 lumens; 28500cd; 338 meters; 45 minutes
Strobe: 478 lumens; 1 hour

ECO Mode
Moonlight: 0.5 lumens; 6 days
Low: 20 lumens; 355cd; 37 meters; 12 hours
Med: 100 lumens; 1950cd; 88 meters; 3 hours
High: 478 lumens; 11000cd; 210 meters; 1 hour 15 minutes
Turbo: 780 lumens; 18200cd; 270 meters; 1 hour
Strobe: 478 lumens; 1 hour




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The packaging:

The ACEBEAM TK16 came to me in a beautiful white rigid cardboard box.
On the box we find the material and the LEDs chosen beyond the torch name. In my case the material is copper and the LEDs are OSRAM.






Inside, once the box is open, we have the beautiful TK16 in plain sight. To avoid oxidation, the Copper version will be shipped via vacuum package.




In the package we find:
- ACEBEAM TK16
- ACEBEAM IMR 16340 550 mAh battery
- Removable Clip
- 2 x O-Rings
- 1x Rubber button cap
- User manual
- Guarantee





---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------How the ACEBEAM TK16 is made:

The ACEBEAM TK16 is made of pure copper. This material retains its charm over time, slowly changing color due to oxidation during exposure to air. The color will show a lot of difference depending on the environment in which it is used.
The ACEBEAM TK16 is composed of two parts. Very nice line and design on the head and on the body.











The battery supplied with the TK16 is a 550 mAh IMR Li-Ion 16340 (IMR16340NP-550A).
Thanks to its high discharge current, it is able to operate the TK16 in turbo mode.

Technical data:
Design: 16340
Type: IMR16340NP-550A
Chemistry: lithium ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Terminal Type:: Button Top
Voltage: 3.7V
Final charge voltage: 4.2V
Final discharge voltage: 2.75V
Max. Discharge current: 5.0 A (10 C)
Capacity: 550 mAh
Temperature range (loading): 0 ° C to 45 ° C
Temperature range (flow): -10 ° C to 60 ° C
Diameter: 16.8 mm
Height: 33.7 mm
Weight: 17.5 g








Once removed from the sealed plastic casing, we find a small plastic circle in the tail of the TK16, to protect the switch, which must be removed.
It's the first time I've seen such a thing.





The ACEBEAM TK16 is really small and holds well. In hand it gives a sense of solidity and as mentioned above, the design and the ergonomic knurling on the torch gives the TK16 aggressiveness and elegance.









On the head we find an unscrewable bezel and the 3 TIR (Total Internal Reflection) optics that offer an efficient light transmission with the 3 "OSRAM" LEDs that in this version bring the TK16 to cover an ultra-long distance up to 338 meters, perfect for long distance sightings, search and save. At maximum power in Turbo mode, up to 1300 lumens are developed.







To the positive under the head we find a plated spring, by contact with the battery, a protective and insulating film from the electronic circuit and the two screws that hold the projector and the LED unit.








Body and tail are one piece. The contact of the negative with the battery takes place, even here, through a plated spring.
We also see the "room", inside the battery compartment, needed with the electronic switch.





On the body is inserted a gold-plated clip that facilitates the insertion of the TK16 in the pocket.
The clip, with which the TK16 arrives, is already inserted on the torch body. The name of the house is printed above the clip. Unfortunately for an optimal hold, the only possible way of insertion is the one with
which it arrives. No difficulty in unscrewing the body from the head with the clip inserted.
The square design threads arrive well lubricated. We also see the water seal (2 m).









In the queue we have the only switch of which the ACEBEAM TK16 is supplied. The soft rubber button can be easily replaced by unscrewing the small ring in the tail.
Good click of the button.










The ACEBEAM TK16 has tail stand capacity.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------User Interface:

Single Click:
Single click for ON/OFF
Long Press:
1. When the light is OFF, long press for 0.5 seconds to activate Moonlight,
2. When the light is ON, long press to cycle from: Low, Med and High, loosen then at the select level (3 modes can be memorized).
Double Click:
Double click to activate TURBO, and double click again goes to the memorizated mode; every double click to cycle between Turbo and memorized mode.
Triple Click: STROBE
Lock & Unlock:
1. When the light is OFF, long press for 5 seconds to Lock the light after 3 times' Moonlight flickering. 2.When the light is Locked, long press for 5 seconds, the light will be Unlocked with 3 times' flickering and goes to Moonlight.
TK16 has two modes: POWER mode and ECO mode.
Exchange between POWER and ECO: when the light is Locked, if the light beam changes from dark to bright and goes out after continuous 10 times' click, it means the light will go to POWER mode after being Unlocked; otherwise, the light will go to ECO mode.
Note: There is only POWER mode when use CR123A battery.
Low Battery Warning: With the flashlight ON, it will step-down to Low mode and blink 3 times per 5 seconds when the RCR123 battery voltage is down to 3.1V (CR123A battery voltage is down to 2.1V).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BEAM and RUNTIME:

The radius of ACEBEAM TK16 has some artifacts that are not particularly noticeable when we use the torch in the open field. Even the slight greenish shade turns into a beautiful white when we use the highest light levels.
The beam (spill) begins adjacent to the feet almost completely covering the walk. This version with OSRAM LED is excellent for shooting.
























The first Runtime test was performed in TURBO mode (1300 lumens) in a closed environment and without forced ventilation. The battery used is the one supplied, a Li-Ion 16340 IMR 550 mAh, fully charged (4.20V).

Note: I would like to point out that the values expressed by the graphs should be taken, above all, as a reference because they are made with different environmental means and conditions from those used in the laboratory.

The ACEBEAM TK16, when the RCR123 battery voltage is low, emits lightning to warn that the battery is low and it's time to replace it.
The battery voltage at the end of the test in Turbo was 2.95 V.





Let's see the first few minutes ..






Another test was done by putting the ACEBEAM TK16, in the same environmental conditions, in HIGH mode (478 lumens) with forced ventilation and without.








CONCLUSIONS:

The ACEBEAM TK16 is a very compact and high performance EDC torch as the distance reached by the beam, in particular in the version with OSRAM LED I tested. Excellent raw copper and construction. Aggressive but also elegant design.
Too bad the power supply with a 16340 battery that partially limits the runtime.
Definitely recommended for lovers of raw copper and those who need a performing and compact EDC.

I saw this somewhere and had Patina. It friken looks awesome

Thanks for the photos and information.

Looks like a great package, triple, copper, tail clicky

ro.ma. said:

Low Battery Warning: With the flashlight ON, it will step-down to Low mode and blink 3 times per 5 seconds when the RCR123 battery voltage is down to 3.1V

Click to expand...

I like that the light will warn a user when a battery gets low.

questions:

1. If the user falls asleep with the light on, and they dont see the low voltage warning, will the light shut off at 2.7v, or will it continue to overdischarge a LiIon below 2.5v?

2. Does a protected 16340, including the Olight and Fenix 16340 that have mini USB charging built in work, or are they too long?


3. And can you confirm from independent light meter testing that the lumen specs for the first 3 lowest modes are accurate?

4. does the light always come on at the last used LMH level, or always come on at Low?

5. is it possible to memorize moonlight?

Thanks for the great review.

I received a copper TK16 with OSRAMS yesterday and I really like the small size, the secure tailstand, the neat clicky switch and the powerful "throwy" beam for a tri-optic.

I don't like the clip much especially the appearance but also the fact that it makes the light bulkier and harder to find a neat pouch that fits it.

It says in the instructions that the clip is detachable but I only managed to detach it after an enormous amount of effort almost pulling my nails off!! It took a long time before I could get the clip to slide and then still a long time to pull it off. I was wondering whether the reviewer or anyone else had any tips for removing the clip more easily in case I bought another one?

Beautiful light. I'm excited to try mine and share my thoughts when it arrives.

Bump. This killer little light doesn't seem to have gotten much attention, so I thought I would add a plug. I bought it on a whim, really, because I still like 1x123 size lights, and because I am a fan of the Luminous SST-20 high CRI emitters. Now that I have used it, I am impressed: with the UI, the build quality, the driver efficiency--and, of course, the LED. I do not know what tint bin the 4000K SST-20 is, but I detect little or no green at any output (subjectively). No rosiness, either, which is fine by me: very close to BBL. This light really raises the bar for Zebralight, Olight, 4Sevens, et al. It won't replace my Nichia 219B HDS, but it sure will replace my Zebralight SC32's and my Olight S1's (especially the ghastly high CRI Olight S-Mini). Kudos to Acebeam for emitter options on this nifty light.

Definitely an awesome little light. Got mine yesterday. I'll probably carry it for a week or so before any sort of full fledged review but my initial impressions are good. The UI is a bit different than I expected in a small EDC light but simple enough to easily understand.

Amazing power in such a tiny light, for sure.

easilyled said:

Thanks for the great review.

I received a copper TK16 with OSRAMS yesterday and I really like the small size, the secure tailstand, the neat clicky switch and the powerful "throwy" beam for a tri-optic.

I don't like the clip much especially the appearance but also the fact that it makes the light bulkier and harder to find a neat pouch that fits it.

It says in the instructions that the clip is detachable but I only managed to detach it after an enormous amount of effort almost pulling my nails off!! It took a long time before I could get the clip to slide and then still a long time to pull it off. I was wondering whether the reviewer or anyone else had any tips for removing the clip more easily in case I bought another one?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the Clip is raised with difficulty, but I leave it inserted.

Just got my new aluminum one and soon to have a copper one, thanks for the review. :thumbsup:

Here are measurements I took of the different Acebeam TK series flashlights using the Texas Ace lumen tube calibrated with Maukka lights measured at 2 seconds. I love this series but not so much the emitter options. The Osram is actually my favorite tint in this series even though I'm not a CW fan because the negative DUV in the Osram makes it look pure white. I just wish they offer some below the BBL (negative DUV) NW tint in the future.

@SKV89

Thanks for the interesting data.

You don't seem to have a CRI value for the OSRAM in the TK16 but judging by the TK18 with that emitter, the CRI would be expected to be under 70.

The LH351D seems to provide great output in the TK18. Do you know if it can be sustained for any length of time or is it likely to dip down very quickly from the 2793 lumens at startup on the Power Mode Turbo?

Sam Osram emitter so same phtometric performance. TK18 dips down bit not as quickly as the FW3A. Acebeam uses a more efficient boost driver so it maintains output better than your typical budget lights

I recently picked up one of these amazing little lights, a TK16 AL. It is an excellent EDC light and I've been switching it out between the Olight S1R Baton 2.

I like the brightness, interface, and controls o the Acebeam TK16 AL better then the Olight. But I like the easily accessed battery level indicator (visible on the Power Button) on the Olight, and that is lacking on the TK16.

The Acebeam's tail clicky is one big reason I prefer it to my Baton II. They're both nice lights, but for me, the Baton's small button is more difficult to access and press. The Baton has other features to its advantage. We can't have it all in one affordable light, I guess.