[Review] Astrolux FT02 2250 Lumen Thrower

WalkIntoTheLight

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This is a review of the Astrolux FT02 flashlight. It is a high-powered light that takes a single 18650 or 21700 battery. An XHP35 HI emitter and large diameter reflector gives this light amazing throw that clearly illuminates objects a long distance away.


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This light has been in development for over a year, and the refined design and powerful output makes it well worth the wait.


For those of you that have a thrower like a C8, but sit at home and sulk because it just won't throw far enough, the Astrolux FT02 will solve all your problems! Well, it will solve the problems that a long-distance flashlight can solve; your other issues might require different help.


This light is over twice as bright as a Convoy C8, and has three times the lux. At 2200 lumens and 180,000 candella, it leaves smaller lights in the dust. The throw is 850 meters to 0.25 lux. As usual, you can probably half that distance in real-world use, since 0.25 lux is pretty dim illumination. When I was doing tests with the FT02, I could clearly see things at a distance of 300 meters, which a Convoy C8 wasn't showing very well. It is very impressive for a small-ish flashlight, and almost as easy to carry as a C8.


Will this light make you the envy of your friends, or the enemy of your neighbors? At the very least, the FT02 might be your new best friend, and unlike your other friends it won't complain about being shoved in a drawer all day.


The light was provided by Banggood for review purposes. I receive no other form of compensation, and all my reviews are independent. You can find the Astrolux FT02 on Banggood's site.


A Youtube video review I did is available here:





The video contains additional things like beam-shots and comparisons to other lights.






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Overview:


Banggood sent me this pre-production version for testing. Note that it is not the final release, although it must be pretty close. I am told that there will be some tweaks to the driver, and they are still working on increasing the output. I tested my version at the 2200 lumens claimed in the specs, so if they increase that further, that would be a bonus.


One thing I can confirm is that the final version has an improved user interface, which has a nice ramping mode for selection of output.


I was playing with the Astrolux FT02 in a large, open field when I received it. I have to say, it was fun! There's something about a long-distance thrower that brings out the kid in flashaholics. Clearly seeing stuff hundreds of meters away seems almost like some kind of superpower. And, compared to what we had available in lights just a few years ago, perhaps it is!


Large, open, dark spaces is where this light thrives. This is not a light to use around the house, or for walks in areas lit by streetlights. This is for the dark, or more precisely, this is a light to destroy the dark.


The FT02 is comfortable to hold, with plenty of knurling for good grip, and balances nicely in the hand with your thumb on the electronic side switch. It is well made with anodized aluminum, and has plenty of fins for heat dissipation. It is also a very nice-looking light, looking high-tech without being garish.


The light is made to take a single 21700 lithium-ion battery, but comes supplied with an adapter so it can also take an 18650 battery. You should use a high-drain cell for this light.


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It also features built-in micro USB charging at a 1.4 amp rate, for those of you too lazy to take the battery out to charge it separately. It's okay, we all have busy lives. I found the built-in charger to be very accurate, and terminated at exactly 4.20v.


One very important thing to point out is that the Astrolux FT02 uses a boost-driver to raise the voltage level required for the XHP35 HI emitter. This has the benefit of allowing regulated output, so that high output is maintained even as the battery voltage drops during discharge. I find that the FT02 puts out 2200 lumens with a battery at only 3.7v (resting), just as it does with one fully-charged at 4.2v. This is a really important advantage over lights which use FET drivers that depend on the battery voltage to perform at maximum output.


The FT02 can get pretty warm on turbo. However, it does have thermal controls to decrease output. This takes about a minute or two, and then output will drop by about half. In my opinion, I think it drops the output too quickly, as the light is large enough to take quite a bit more run-time before it gets hot. My version is a pre-production release, so perhaps this will be adjusted in the final version.






Specifications:


Output: Output goes from a low mode of about 1 lumen, up to turbo at 2250 lumens (for final release; my sample maxed out at 2200).


Throw: 850 meters and 180,000 candella.


Beam profile: Intense hot-spot with dim spill. Surprisingly, the hot spot is slightly larger than a C8, but measures much higher intensity.


LED: Cree XHP35 high intensity emitter.


Tint: Available in cool-white or neutral-white. The cool white version I am testing is about 5800K, so quite nice for a cool white.


Size: 154mm long, 58mm head diameter.


Weight: 256g + battery.


Construction: Aluminum body with anodized coating. Water proof to IPx7. Drop-proof to 2 meters. It is very solid and well built.


Battery type: High discharge 21700 or 18650. Includes adapter for 18650 use.


Springs: Tail uses a double-spring for high current conductivity.




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Tail-stands: Yes.


USB charging: Yes, via micro-USB. Fully charges an installed battery to 4.20v. The switch uses a flashing indicator when charging, and turns solid when done. Charging current is 1.4A.


Protection: Over-discharge and over-charge.


Contents:


Astrolux FT02 Flashlight
18650 battery adapter
Spare o-rings
Lanyard
Manual






Operation:


The Astrolux FT02 I was sent is a pre-production version, so the interface I tested is likely not the one to be used in the final version. I understand the final version features a ramping interface, whereas mine has 4 discreet modes.


The ramping is a standard press & hold to ramp, with double-click for turbo.


The FT02 features as lit side-switch, which slowly pulses green when the light is not in use. This is very handy for finding the button in the dark, because the light is entirely black.


The indicator in the switch also gives some additional feedback, such as telling you if the battery is getting low. It also flashes quickly during charging, and turns solid when done.


Clicking the switch once will turn on the light. Clicking it will turn it off.


Double-click at any time to turn the light on to maximum output. It is nice that there is a way to instantly turn the light on full, since that is really the only mode I want in a thrower. Full power!


Triple-click for strobes. Yes, you can annoy people even more than simply shining the light in their eyes. You have a fast strobe, an SOS (for those times when you're stranded on Gilligan's Island and need to signal the International Space Station), and a beacon mode.


Quad-click for momentary mode. This is a nice for when you want instant access to turbo, but only for brief periods of time. While you hold the switch, the light will turn on to max.


5-clicks for battery check. 1 to 5 blinks to indicate remaining battery life.


6-clicks for electronic lock-out.


7-clicks to turn on or off the side switch LED indicator.


Wow, I'm running out of fingers, so I'm glad there aren't any more clicks.






My impressions:


Pros:


- Wow! It has an amazing throw. Bright, very long reach, but still a hot-spot that is large enough to be useful.


- Well designed, solid construction, and the ergonomics are very good.


- Regulated output that maintains the full 2200 lumens at all battery discharge levels.


- Efficient driver. At about 100 lumens per watt, you get a long run-time.


- Built-in USB charging.


- Illuminated switch makes the light easy to find in darkness.


- Supports both the new 21700 cells, as well as the traditional 18650 size.



Cons:


- Thermal controls kick in a little sooner than needed. This may be improved in the production version of the FT02.


- Honestly, there really isn't much to complain about in this light.






Pictures:


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Comparison to Convoy C8:


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Yeah, that last picture gives an idea of how much brighter this is than a Convoy C8.



That's all for now. Thank you for reading.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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Very nice review, thanks for posting it. Looks like a nifty little thower : )

Thanks. Yeah, it's an impressive thrower, and I like that it's regulated with a boost driver. It's a bit larger than a C8, so really only pocket-friendly with a winter coat. But, that's the trade-off for throw.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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BTW, BG just gave me a discount code for the light. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post it here, so I added it to the description of the youtube video.
 

Agpp

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Thanks for the review. I'd like to ask: did you measure throw or are you quoting the manufacturer? Also, how did you measure efficacy?
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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Thanks for the review. I'd like to ask: did you measure throw or are you quoting the manufacturer? Also, how did you measure efficacy?

I only estimated throw based on lux, compared to the C8's I've tested. The 850m is the manufacturer's spec, though I think it's pretty close. Their lumen output specs match my own. I don't claim 100% accuracy (no calibrated sphere), but I think I'm usually within 10% or so.

Efficiency is based on measurements done by people on the other forum that are involved in the production. They're not working for BG/Astrolux, but were organizing a group buy. This is a project that I think has been going on for a year. BG sent me a pre-production model for review, but the final specs are slightly better than what I was working with. The final user interface is definitely a big improvement from pre-production.
 

Agpp

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May 12, 2017
Messages
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I only estimated throw based on lux, compared to the C8's I've tested. The 850m is the manufacturer's spec, though I think it's pretty close. Their lumen output specs match my own. I don't claim 100% accuracy (no calibrated sphere), but I think I'm usually within 10% or so.

Efficiency is based on measurements done by people on the other forum that are involved in the production. They're not working for BG/Astrolux, but were organizing a group buy. This is a project that I think has been going on for a year. BG sent me a pre-production model for review, but the final specs are slightly better than what I was working with. The final user interface is definitely a big improvement from pre-production.

Thanks for the answer. I know that CPF is sometimes touchy when it comes to linking, but I don't remember the rules...would it be OK if you posted the link to to the efficacy measurements?
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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Messages
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Thanks for the answer. I know that CPF is sometimes touchy when it comes to linking, but I don't remember the rules...would it be OK if you posted the link to to the efficacy measurements?

I had to go through the thread again, but I'll send you a PM with the exact link.

Here's the quote from one of the testers, I can't recall if this is the one I noted when I was reviewing, but it probably is one of them:

"Happy to report that the mid mode of ~500 lumens is also perfectly regulated with an average efficacy of ~115 lm/W. Runs for 2.5 hours with a 3000mAh 30T."
 

Raccoon

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I have to say, the Astrolux FT02 has one of the best mode menus of advanced multi-mode lights I've encountered -- It's easy to navigate, flat, and functional. By contrast, the FT03 is pretty much a garbage flashlight by comparison, with poor drive, heat, and hideous modes... but they gave it the USB-C charge port while the superior FT02 is stuck with MicroUSB. :'(

FT02 mode cheat sheet:

Click: On (Mem) -> Off
Click-Hold: On (Low) -> Ramp
2-Click: On (High) -> Strobe
3-Click: [Battery Check]
4-Click: [Lock Out Mode]
5-Click: [Momentary/Signaling Mode] (twist tail to exit)
6-Click: [Breathing Eye Button]

I'm very happy with Natural White (4000K-4500K) color temp, making it one of my most favorite lights.

My only dislikes about this light is the button blinks 3 - 6 times to indicate which mode you just entered; It's unnecessary and confusing when trying to count the blinks for the battery check. They could have included a better charge controller (ie, 2 Amp) and USB-C. The included wrist lanyard is very poor, so I put on a Fenix lanyard I had lying around. The manual requires a magnifying glass to read.

I picked up a pair of Samsung INR21700-50E (5000mAh 9.8A) batteries for $6.50 ea which do the job well. A low end cell will not power this light at high, it'll just flash and shut off, making you think the light is broken. Also works with my INR18650-25R (2500mAh 20A) cells. MicroUSB charge time was 6 to 8 hours at under 0.8A on a quality Samsung 3A charger for the 21700.
 
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