# Thrunite Ti3 (XP-G2, 1xAAA) keychain light review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO+



## selfbuilt (Sep 1, 2014)

The Ti from Thrunite was a popular (and inexpensive) 2-stage model. It was recently replaced by the TiS, which is single-stage only light. 

Enter the Ti3, which is a new 3-stage model, using the more common loosen-tighten mode-switching interface. Emitter has also been upgraded to the XP-G2 R5 

Let's see how it compares to the competition. 

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:* 
(note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results).


LED: Cree XP-G2 R5 
Battery: 1 AAA battery
Output and run time: 
Firefly: 0.04 Lm(115h), Low: 12 Lm(6.3h), High: 120Lm(0.5h), Strobe:120Lm(1 hour)
Beam intensity: 625cd
Beam distance: 50m
Reflector: OP Reflector
Aircraft quality aluminum body structure.
Premium Type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish.
Waterproof to IPX-8 standard.
Convenient twist switch.
One handed operation.
Waterproof: IPX-8 (2M)
Impact resistant: 1.2m
Dimension: 70mm(length)*14mm(head diameter)
Weight: 12 gram without battery.
MSRP: ~$20










Packaging is stylish, with a light-weight metal case with clear display window. Inside, in packing foam is the light with pocket clip attached, extra o-ring, split ring, keychain clip, and manual. There is also a little triangular piece of medal that I presume can be used as a linking piece for the keycahin clip - but it seems pretty flimsy, so I recommend you stick with the split-ring. 













From left to right: Duracell NiMH AAA; Thrunite Ti3, TiS; Maratac AAA; Olight i3s; Thrunite TiS; Foursevens Preon P1; Titanium Innovations Illumnati; L3 Illumination L08.

All dimensions directly measured, and given with no batteries installed. 

*Thrunite Ti3*: Weight: 11.5g, Length: 69.9mm, Width (bezel): 13.6mm
*Foursevens Preon P0*: Weight 13.0g (with keychain clip), Length 55.0mm, Width 12.6mm (bezel)
*Foursevens Preon P1*: Weight 15.3g (with keychain clip), Length 75.6mm, Width 14.0mm (bezel)
*Klarus Mi X6*: Weight 16.2g, Length 72.9mm (battery installed), Width 12.8mm
*L3 Illumination L08 (1xAAA)*: Weight: 22.4g, Length: 77.8mm, Width (bezel): 17.0mm
*Lumintop Tool AAA*: Weight: 15.3g, Length 82.6mm, Width 14.4mm (bezel)
*Lumintop Worm Aluminum*: Weight: 14.3g, Length 72.0mm (battery installed, off), Width 14.1mm (bezel)
*Olight i3*: Weight 13.2g, Length: 71.9mm, Width (bezel): 14.0mm
*Titanium Innovations Illuminati Aluminum*: Weight 13.9g (with keychain clip), Length 68.8mm, Width 14.0mm (bezel)

As you can see, the Ti3 is in keeping with other 1xAAA lights that use a similar mechanism. 






























The Ti3 feels very similar to other lights in this class. My sample came in black anodizing (which, as usual, I don't expect to hold up well for actual keychain use), with bright white lettering. The Ti3 has fairly aggressive knurling on both the body and head to help with grip – much better than most light in this class. It reminds a lot of the old Maratac models. Mode switching single-handed worked fine.

Screw threads are standard triangular cut, fairly fine (like most lights in this class). You can expect some play, but I found the fit to be good - and better than most lights I've tested in this class.  

There is a circuit board in the head and a spring at the base of the battery tube – as is standard on these sorts of models.

There is a small attachment point in the tailcap with a cut-out for the keychain split-ring (while still allowing tailstanding).

The provide pocket clip is fairly basic, but holds onto the light well.










Centering was good on my sample above – note the XP-G2 at the base of the textured reflector. Please see my detailed beamshots later in this review.

*User Interface*

The Ti3 uses the same general interface as many in this class - but with a few additional features.

Fully tighten the head and it comes on in its lowest mode (Firefly). Do a rapid twist off-on and the light advances to next level (Lo). Repeat for Hi. Mode sequence is thus Firefly > Lo > Hi, in repeating sequence. Personally, I like this sequence (i.e., I was never a fan of the common Med > Lo > Hi on many other lights).

There is temporary mode memory, but it is limited to ~10 secs after you turn the light off. And of course, you need to wait ~2 secs before re-activating, or it will advance to the next mode. After the ~10 sec pause, light returns to Firefly. This may sound unusual, but it works in practice. You should expect the light to start in Firefly, unless you have just turned it off.

Unusually, there is a "hidden" strobe mode, accessed by doing 6 consecutive mode changes (i.e., Firefly > Lo > Hi > Firefly > Lo > Hi > Strobe). 

*Video*: 

For information on the light, including the build and user interface, please see my video overview:



As with all my videos, I recommend you have annotations turned on. I commonly update the commentary with additional information or clarifications before publicly releasing the video.

*PWM*

There is no sign of PWM at any output level. The Ti3 is current-controlled. 






There was a fast 11.5 Hz strobe on the Ti3. 

Personally, I don't really see what anyone would want than on a keychain light, but at least it is somewhat hidden. 

*Beamshots:*

For white-wall beamshots below, all lights are on Max output on a Sanyo Eneloop NiMH AAA (800mAh). Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences.














































Pretty typical beam for a XP-G2-equipped light of this size.

*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, as described on my flashlightreviews.ca website. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).






The Ti3 is remarkably highly driven for a keychain light (on 1x NiMH AAA). oo: Similarly, it's "Firefly" mode is quite low as well.

To give you a better idea, here is a lumen estimate of all the modes, on both NiMH and alkaline:






The Ti3 is still impressive on alkaline (although note that max output drops rapidly on this battery source – see runtimes below).

The range of output levels differs from most keychain lights – but makes a certain amount of sense for this keychain class (i.e., Firefly > Lo > Hi). That said, I expect some here would have preferred a more traditional Lo > Med > Hi. :shrug:

As always, I don't insist on the _absolute_ value of the lumen estimates in my lightbox. For more info, please see my lumen estimate methodology – including the number of sources used for generating the calibrations. But the _relative_ comparisons are entirely consistent across all my reviews, which is the best that any reviewer can claim (unless they have proper ANSI FL-1 certified, calibrated integrating sphere). 

*Runtimes*




















Runtime patterns are similar to the L3 Illumination L08 that I recently reviewed – although with slightly higher output and runtime on my Ti3 sample. This makes the Ti3 an outstanding performer for this class (assuming you like the range output levels, of course).

*Potential Issues*

Output levels are higher (at the max end) and lower (at the low end) than typical for this 1xAAA class. I suspect some would have preferred a more traditional Med mode (i..e., sequence is really Firefly > Lo > Hi).

Ti3 has a "hidden" strobe mode – although in practice, this means it will take time to activate it when you want it, and you may still accidentally activate on occasion.

10440 Li-ion is not supported.

*Preliminary Observations*

The Ti3 is similar in overall functionality to a number of other twisty-style keychain lights on the market (although differs substantially from the earlier Ti series). There are also a few unique features to the interface here – and output level spacing is distinctive as well. On that last point, the Ti3 has the highest max output of any keychain light I've tested to date, on standard batteries. 

For those who like the original intuitive Ti interface (i.e., tighten for low/tighten harder for Hi), I am afraid you are out of luck here. But I suspect the reason for the change is the original design led to issues longer-term (i.e., I've seen reports of those lights "failing" into single-stage-only over time). The Ti3 uses a variant of the more common loosen/tighten twist cycle to change modes, which seems to be somewhat "standard" for multi-level lights in this class.

As a side note - even in this particular class, there are certainly a lot of different interface preferences (and Thrunite seems to trying to address several of them at once).  Mode sequence is from lowest to high (which many seem to prefer – myself included). But they have also provided a limited 10 sec memory mode before the light resets itself to the lowest level. Not quite sure how useful this is – I typically prefer consistency in activation (i.e., whichever method you choose – memory or no memory – stick with it always). In this case, I'd be fine with Firefly first all the time.

Output levels are different for many lights as well – although I think they work in a keychain light (i.e., Firefly > Lo > Hi). Again, Hi is remarkably bright for this class (and Firefly is very dim). 

I also really don't see why you would need a tactical strobe mode in a keychain light. :thinking: And since it is not particularly easy to access (i.e., six twists required), it is not like you are going to "surprise" anyone with it. But it does mean you may still accidentally activate it when you don't want to (although relative risk of this is low). :shrug: A slow signalling strobe or beacon would have made more sense to me.

Performance of the light was excellent for the set output levels. My Ti3 was very efficient at all levels tested, with the expected regulation patterns (i.e., can't maintain flat stabilization at the highest level – more dependent on battery chemistry).

Beam pattern is as you would expect for this class. While not a thrower, it does provide a good sized hotspot at the close-to-medium range.

Physical build of the light is very good, and better than many that I have tested in this class. The threads are particularly good compared to a number of competing lights (i.e., relatively little play). I personally like the more aggressive style knurling used here, as it makes it easier to use the light single-handed. That said, some may prefer a smoother finish.

The Ti3 is a distinctive offering in the 1xAAA class. It's basic form and function is similar to other lights – although with a few additional features here, in a good quality build. While those who liked the original Ti interface may be disappointed, fans of the twisty-style interface may very well find what they are looking for here. :wave:

----

Ti3 supplied by Thrunite for review.


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## recDNA (Sep 1, 2014)

Great review but I would have liked to see the Tis on that chart as well. Probably just me but I prefer single mode for keychain lights.


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## shrick (Sep 1, 2014)

Thanks for another great review selfbuilt. I own this light and I'm very impressed with it's performance. I definitely prefer the original Ti interface over that of the Ti3. I agree that the strobe mode is more of a hassle than being helpful. The pocket clip is a must for me, makes the light very versatile. I'd like to see what Vinh's magic can do to such a small key chain light :thumbsup:


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## selfbuilt (Sep 1, 2014)

recDNA said:


> Great review but I would have liked to see the Tis on that chart as well.


Yeah, although I do have a TiS on hand, I have not gotten around to putting it though its paces. When I do, I'll update this review - hopefully in a few days.


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## recDNA (Sep 1, 2014)

Thanks!


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## blackFFM (Sep 1, 2014)

What makes this light interesting is that there is a nw version available. Thanks for the great review btw.


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## GordoJones88 (Sep 2, 2014)

Wow that really is bright for a AAA.
That runtime graph looking good.
Thanks for taking the time to do a keychain light.
I'm just waiting for them to restock.


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## cagenuts (Sep 2, 2014)

Is this for the new version due for release on the 20th September 2014 or for the old version (same name)?


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## cagenuts (Sep 2, 2014)

Was just thinking about the strobe mode. From a tactical point of view it's obviously useless but if they made this a beacon mode instead then it would be infinitely more useful in a survival situation.


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## shrick (Sep 2, 2014)

I believe the version released on the 20th is the same as the 'Previous' one. If not, can somebody specify the differences?

Related to the strobe mode... Im not fond thats its 'Forced' onto the user, thus should you continue to move through the modes you WILL get a strobe mode. I would haved like an adhoc strobe mode, thus, to access it explicitly when I need it. For me, its annoying to every now and then cycle through strobe mode.


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## ZzmadzZ (Sep 2, 2014)

The new version is the NW version! Its on route to me! Although there are no more CW models in stock. Hopefully the NW will be as cool as the CW version!


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## shrick (Sep 2, 2014)

Ok, thanks for clearing that up


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## selfbuilt (Sep 2, 2014)

Yeah, I don't have any specific info about release versions, but I don't believe there's any difference in the circuits - just the emitter tint.

I agree, it's nice to have a neutral option. Also agree about the strobe mode.


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## cagenuts (Sep 2, 2014)

Eric, your reviews are always excellent, thank you for taking the time and effort to produce them. Highly appreciated.


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## Somnophore (Sep 2, 2014)

ive just ordered one of these to replace (ill prob still keep it on my car keys instead) my Ti. Ive also ordered a T20 to replace a rather worn out T10 on my keyring (i always run 2 keyring lights in case one runs out of battery whilst walking dog etc) I do really rate the thrunite lights, and love the outputs theyre getting out of such a small size


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## greenlight (Sep 2, 2014)

All that twisting is too much. Will wait for a single mode light.


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## selfbuilt (Sep 2, 2014)

greenlight said:


> All that twisting is too much. Will wait for a single mode light.


Well, they did sell the TiS (rated at 60 lumens, single-stage). But I don't see it on the main Thrunite website any more.


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## Kaboby (Sep 3, 2014)

thank you for another awesome review : )


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## GordoJones88 (Sep 3, 2014)

greenlight said:


> All that twisting is too much. Will wait for a single mode light.



Just twist it once.


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## ZzmadzZ (Sep 3, 2014)

Ok so I finally got my NW TI3. The light is really nice and it's finishing is very good. 
The NW version is definitely much warmer then the tint from the nichia 219 but it still looks very very neutral to me.

The only negative thing that i can say is that, my light come with it's led very badly aligned. And the beam shows part of the reflector blocking. Just emailed Thrunite, hopefully they can replace my head for me.

Other then that this light is a must get. Very bright and small!! I would say the NW beam is still very nice and its not pinkish in tinge. Definitely get the NW version if you guys wanna to have a beam thats much warmer as compared to the CW version


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## selfbuilt (Sep 3, 2014)

ZzmadzZ said:


> The only negative thing that i can say is that, my light come with it's led very badly aligned. And the beam shows part of the reflector blocking. Just emailed Thrunite, hopefully they can replace my head for me


Thanks for the update on the NW emitter.

It's unfortunate that you a visibly mis-aligned emitter, but does it actually affect the beam? I find small shallow reflectors are typically very forgiving in this regard. Personally, I've never found an alignment issue to cause a significant visual beam distortion on a keychain light (although it certainly can on larger lights with smooth and deep reflectors)


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## ZzmadzZ (Sep 3, 2014)

Yeap it affects the beam to a huge extend. The beam is no more circular, and you can see visible artifacts that doesn't smooth out from the hot spot, I'm thinking it's because of the uneven reflection of light from the reflector.
Thrunite customer's response team has replied me fairly quickly and had agreed to send me a replacement head so all should be good.

Nonetheless I really love the tint of the NW version!


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## selfbuilt (Sep 3, 2014)

ZzmadzZ said:


> The beam is no more circular, and you can see visible artifacts that doesn't smooth out from the hot spot, I'm thinking it's because of the uneven reflection of light from the reflector.


Ah, sounds like there is probably an angle issue as well then (i.e., something is not sitting perfectly flat). Glad to hear Thrunite is sending you a prompt replacement.


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## selfbuilt (Sep 3, 2014)

recDNA said:


> Great review but I would have liked to see the Tis on that chart as well. Probably just me but I prefer single mode for keychain lights.


Ok, I've just updated the review with a new ANSI FL-1 Summary chart, to include the TiS:







Note that I have also updated the Ti entry. I originally reported this model as being ~80 estimated lumens, based on the first sample I bought. However, I have a couple of additional samples on hand (picked up as gifts on a previous batch order) - testing these, I find output actually ranges on Hi from ~60-80 estimated lumens. So I have put the more "typical" 70 estimate in the table for that model. 

If I get the chance to add runtimes for the one TiS sample I have on hand I will, but I don't know if there is much point now that I don't see that model listed on the Thrunite website any longer. :shrug:

As an aside, there is also quite a bit of variability in peak throw between the Ti/TiS samples.


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## GordoJones88 (Sep 17, 2014)

I just noticed the second chart doesn't show the estimated Medium Mode lumens.

"To give you a better idea, here is a lumen estimate of all the modes, on both NiMH and alkaline:"


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## selfbuilt (Sep 18, 2014)

GordoJones88 said:


> I just noticed the second chart doesn't show the estimated Medium Mode lumens.


Sorry, it was there, but accidentally got replaced when I went to update the summary table above. I've restored the table.


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## Mr. Tone (Sep 19, 2014)

Thanks for another great review. I have a neutral white version on the way.


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## ZzmadzZ (Sep 20, 2014)

The neutral white version is awesome! It's tint is just a wee bit warmer as compared to the nichia 219!


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## Mr. Tone (Sep 21, 2014)

ZzmadzZ said:


> The neutral white version is awesome! It's tint is just a wee bit warmer as compared to the nichia 219!



Sounds good. I am going to have to wait until October sometime to receive mine. Apparently, I must have ordered it right after they ran out. My keychain will be patiently awaiting a neutral white Ti3 to replace the cool white Ti2


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## BanditoPete (Sep 22, 2014)

Mr. Tone said:


> Thanks for another great review. I have a neutral white version on the way.



Trying to patiently wait on mine too.


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## GordoJones88 (Sep 22, 2014)

BanditoPete said:


> Trying to patiently wait on mine too.



*Ti3 NW are sold out and will be ready on Oct 10th.
**
http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-ti3/**
*


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## BlueSwede (Sep 25, 2014)

Love the firefly mode... perfect for navigating out of the bedroom without waking up my wife


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## cagenuts (Sep 25, 2014)

BlueSwede said:


> Love the firefly mode... perfect for navigating out of the bedroom without waking up my wife



or into the bedroom...


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## BlueSwede (Sep 25, 2014)

cagenuts said:


> or into the bedroom...


Hehe... maybe even more important


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## LevyKuga (Sep 28, 2014)

Nice keychain flashlight actually, but I see there's a huge gap from hi(173 lumens) to low (13lumens), i think it should be med mode, 30-40 lumens in the middle would be great... IMHO


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## Tapis (Sep 28, 2014)

LevyKuga said:


> Nice keychain flashlight actually, but I see there's a huge gap from hi(173 lumens) to low (13lumens), i think it should be med mode, 30-40 lumens in the middle would be great... IMHO


I agree. I consider 173 lumens being a turbo mode for these small flashlights, and 13 lumens is definitely too low to walk confortably on a dark street.

Thanks for the review!


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## Berneck1 (Oct 4, 2014)

I purchased a couple of Thrunite lights this week. I was so impressed with the performance of the 2A V2 and Thrunite's pricing, I wanted to try some of their other common battery offerings. I bought the T10 and Ti3. 

The first thing I noticed about the Ti3 is that it is nearly identical to the Olight i3s in both form and function. The differences are pretty much cosmetic. However, the Ti3 does feel strangely more solid. Perhaps it's the knurling vs the ribbing. 

The Ti3's output is impressive for such a small light. It's noticeably brighter on high than the i3s. However, I prefer these lights to default to medium, like the i3s. The Ti3 defaults to low. In my opinion, medium is a much more usable level for many more situations. There are fewer situations that I find myself needing low. A medium, low, high cycle would be better, in my opinion. If you're concerned about too much light in a particular situation, you can easily put your thumb over it and cycle to low. This is all of course a matter of preference, but I find myself using medium and high a lot more than low. Another reason I prefer a default to medium is that I give these lights as gifts. You'd be surprised how many people don't understand the idea of cycling through the different levels by twising the head quicky, or it's combersome for them at best. I can't give the Ti3 as a gift, because low is too low for most people's needs.

The strobe level is a gimmick if you ask me. I'm of the belief that if you're in a situation to use strobe, you want to get to it quicky. Cycling through the sequence a couple of times makes it less usable. 

All that said, Thrunite did a nice job with the Ti3. They're really showing what can be achieved with common battery types. I have been moving away from the Li-on batteries, as the technology has been becoming more efficient on simple Eneloop/alkalines. I'll probably stick to giving the i3s as gifts, as I usually find them on sale for about the same price, and people really like the colors. i'm going to keep the Ti3 on my keychain for a while and see if I'm not too bothered by always cycling to a higher level. I really do like the amount of light it puts out on high.


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## PLATO (Oct 7, 2014)

Berneck1 said:


> I purchased a couple of Thrunite lights this week. I was so impressed with the performance of the 2A V2 and Thrunite's pricing, I wanted to try some of their other common battery offerings. I bought the T10 and Ti3.
> 
> The first thing I noticed about the Ti3 is that it is nearly identical to the Olight i3s in both form and function. The differences are pretty much cosmetic. However, the Ti3 does feel strangely more solid. Perhaps it's the knurling vs the ribbing.
> 
> ...


coudn t agree more.... to all u said. what i really didn t like in mine was the tint...creamy,borderline yellow...not nice.Also can t see the lmns stayted by selfbuilt ,and held all my 3 aaa in hand for campare...(ti2/olight i3s) find ti3 to be maybe a bit stronger, but nothing like 175lmns


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## RI Chevy (Oct 7, 2014)

Welcome to the Forum! :welcome:


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## selfbuilt (Oct 9, 2014)

PLATO said:


> Also can t see the lmns stayted by selfbuilt ,and held all my 3 aaa in hand for campare...(ti2/olight i3s) find ti3 to be maybe a bit stronger, but nothing like 175lmns


FYI, my i3 is an older model - I may be testing a newer sample shortly, and it will be interesting to see how it compares to the Ti3 reviewed here. As always, my lumen estimate scale is just an estimate - it is the relative comparisons that count.

And indeed, welcome to CPF ...


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## 5S8Zh5 (Dec 16, 2014)

The Thrunite site is out of stock (CW & NW). Where's a good place online to get a Ti3?


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## torchflux (Dec 17, 2014)

5S8Zh5 said:


> The Thrunite site is out of stock (CW & NW). Where's a good place online to get a Ti3?


if you're in USA I would just wait until Amazon (Thrunite store) gets them back. Got mine from there a couple months ago.

(am waiting on a T20T NW to come back in stock, at the moment status is on order)


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## 5S8Zh5 (Dec 17, 2014)

torchflux said:


> if you're in USA I would just wait until Amazon (Thrunite store) gets them back. Got mine from there a couple months ago.
> 
> (am waiting on a T20T NW to come back in stock, at the moment status is on order)


Ordered from hkequipment 12.17.14, received yesterday 12.31.14, all the way from Hong Kong. Nice, clean package with small, clean, secure tin padded case - everything in order. Applied a couple drops of oil and slid the clip on, after needle nose attaching on the chain. I like the length of the chain + lobster clip on this and the i3S - just long enough to grasp with my pinky while manipulating the head on and off. As stated, knurling is near perfect in terms of grip and placement. This may bump my i3S from edc duty, who knows?



_


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## mbzeitz (Feb 13, 2015)

I received mine three days ago, I lpve how much light it produces for being the same size as my E01. Only strange thing is it is much warmer than my other cool white lights, id guees around 5000K. The cardboard packaging was marked cool white, but I wonder if I received a neutral. Are these just a touch on the warm side? Did I get a warm white?


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## selfbuilt (Feb 13, 2015)

mbzeitz said:


> Are these just a touch on the warm side? Did I get a warm white?


It's been awhile, but mine did seem toward the warmer end of cool white. It can be hard to differentiate around the CW/NW border.

:welcome:


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## tallboybass (May 4, 2015)

SB, you say 10440 is not supported, any chance you tried one to see if it works? I know the Olight i3S works fine on lithium, even though it's not supported.


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## selfbuilt (May 4, 2015)

tallboybass said:


> SB, you say 10440 is not supported, any chance you tried one to see if it works? I know the Olight i3S works fine on lithium, even though it's not supported.


No, I haven't tried it. If it is truly not supported, the circuit can go  But it is always possible - has anyone else tried it?


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## tallboybass (May 7, 2015)

OK, I got mine today....the NW version. A few things...the clip broke after only 2 removals. High is Very Noticeably Brighter than the i3S but Firefly and Low seem very close to the Olight, on mine anyway. The threads are Much Tighter....lots more effort to operate this baby. Still, a great light for the money, especially if you like Moon>Low>High (and NW).

BTW, I'm a little nervous about trying 10440 on this one (no prob on i3S) because of how hard it is driven on High. Anyone feel like volunteering?


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## MathewHayde (May 17, 2015)

Have decided to get one of these with a Archer 2A as my first decent flashlights. Just hoping I will be happy with the LED NW as I haven't seen them a lot as most are CW.


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## Ratmick (Jul 15, 2015)

Many thanks for the review, just ordered one of these little beauties.

We've just moved into full-on winter here in Australia (albeit nothing like you guys get in North American) and I live on an acre block 10km from the nearest town.

I leave the house to go to work at 6:40am and it's pitch-black (and currently very wet and just above freezing). 

My car is across the other side of the acre block in my shed and I have been blundering across the yard every morning (and 12 hours later when coming home). 

Security lights come on (some of the time) at each end but in the middle is my clothes line and I keep finding it the hard way.

Anyway this torch will be connected to my car keys and I should be right from now on.


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## RI Chevy (Jul 15, 2015)

Cool!
Welcome to the Forum! :welcome:


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## Ratmick (Jul 16, 2015)

RI Chevy said:


> Cool!
> Welcome to the Forum! :welcome:


Many thanks, this is my second 'real' torch I've purchased after researching through this forum.

The other is also a Thrunite, a 2014-spec TN12 I bought to replace a Led Lenser. It's superior in every way apart from the fact you can't focus the beam into a spot.

So two posts, two torches...well if this one gets published 2 torches from three posts.

FWIW torches are a lot dearer here, even taking into consideration the exchange rate. Postage from the US is horrendously expensive, if you can get it, so no savings to be had there. 

You can get them cheaper from eBay directly from China and HK but I'm a bit wary of copies coming in from that direction after being stung a few times. I'd rather pay a few dollars more and have local warranty.

Anyway thanks again, Mick


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## cyclesport (Jul 16, 2015)

Ratmick said:


> You can get them cheaper from eBay directly from China and HK but I'm a bit wary of copies coming in from that direction after being stung a few times.



Being in the US, I try to support local suppliers but FWIW... hkequipment (and intl-outdoor, for components mostly) are two of China's better, by a wide margin, torch retailers. IMO and from personal experience, I really doubt you would have to worry about copies from either of these resellers.


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## Ratmick (Jul 17, 2015)

cyclesport said:


> Being in the US, I try to support local suppliers but FWIW... hkequipment (and intl-outdoor, for components mostly) are two of China's better, by a wide margin, torch retailers. IMO and from personal experience, I really doubt you would have to worry about copies from either of these resellers.


Many thanks for those two, just checked the first one and I spent about $AU1.60 more from a local retailer 

May be a larger difference if I don't buy a small keyring-type torch though...


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## cyclesport (Jul 17, 2015)

Ratmick said:


> Many thanks...I spent about $AU1.60 more from a local retailer..



Yeah, I think the real savings in buying from these China dealers would be in the free shipping, as opposed to any meaningful discounts on the actual lights vs. local sources.


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## Ratmick (Jul 17, 2015)

Yeah and not a $AU35 torch too 

We generally get a fairly raw deal down here, everything is more expensive, even thing that have no intrinsic worth like apps and music off iTunes.

It's cheaper to fly to Hawaii and have a short holiday and buy a copy of Adobe CS that buy it here...shoes, clothes all expensive.

Electric guitar parts (well Fender and Gibson/Epiphone anyway) all parts cheaper from the US. The full guitars aren't much cheaper from the US though, the freight for large items in horrendous.

If I can find them I order books from the UK. 

I buy headlight globes for my cars from a retailer in the UK, less than half price and free freight.

Camera gear from HK and Singapore. I actually have two cameras from the US though, my sister lived in San Diego for a long while and bought them on my behalf.

Anyway I'll bookmark those two sites, thanks again.


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## Ratmick (Jul 23, 2015)

Ok received the light (the stainless TiS variant) earlier this week.

Great light, the little clip thing that comes with it that you have to bend into place to hold your key-chain is rubbish. It lasted two days and the torch and the key-chain went different ways.

Replaced it with a small key-ring, much better.


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## davidt1 (Jul 29, 2015)

When this light was released a while back, I ordered and canceled because I thought I wouldn't like the mode spacings and that weird memory thing. I bought a NW variety two weeks ago. While I still think that memory thing is odd and the mode spacings could be better, I like this light a lot. I think it is a nice improvement over the Olight i3S I have in two areas: 

1. Much better knurling on the head.

2. Comes in NW.

The low mode of 12lm turns out to be very useful -- bright enough for 80% if my uses and lasts a long time. I just changed the battery after 7 days of use. 

Wish the firefly mode could be a little brighter though. Anyway, until the perfect AAA light comes along (at this point I don't have much hope unless I make one myself), the NW Ti3 is my new AAA EDC light.


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## ThirstyTurtle (Oct 21, 2015)

Selfbuilt,
Is the "strobe" mode as bright as the "turbo" mode or is it a dimmer mode being strobed?


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## selfbuilt (Oct 21, 2015)

ThirstyTurtle said:


> Selfbuilt,
> Is the "strobe" mode as bright as the "turbo" mode or is it a dimmer mode being strobed?


Sorry, it's been awhile since I tested this one - I presume it is full power. I will have to dig it out and try it again to confirm - but I am away at the moment, it will have to wait a few days.


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## selfbuilt (Oct 25, 2015)

Just checked, and it seems to be full power strobe. Can't confirm that though, since my lightbox can't sample fast enough to measure only the on pulse. But it looks to be about that by eye.


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## ThirstyTurtle (Oct 25, 2015)

selfbuilt said:


> Just checked, and it seems to be full power strobe. Can't confirm that though, since my lightbox can't sample fast enough to measure only the on pulse. But it looks to be about that by eye.


Your thoroughness and responsiveness are unmatched! I just received one yesterday and I'm LOVING it so far. Seems nearly as bright on an Eneloop as my iTP A3 XP-G on Li-Ion, IMPRESSIVE!


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## gurdygurds (Nov 29, 2015)

The Ti3 head will fit and function on the Lumintop Tool body. Kinda cool if you want to turn your Ti3 into a clicky.


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## jtjemt (Nov 17, 2016)

I must agree with the comments here as I've been using these for gifts. The non-flashlight people I know are constantly amazed when you show them the possible output it's capable of producing. I've had Fenix and Klarus for awhile but these seem to be ending up my favorite keychain lights. That they are end-standers is a BIG plus!


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## this_is_nascar (Mar 21, 2017)

Great review. Thanks.


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## Offgridled (Mar 21, 2017)

Thanks selfbuilt always a great review.


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## GarageBoy (Apr 8, 2017)

How will the xpl version differ?


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## sbslider (Apr 23, 2017)

GarageBoy said:


> How will the xpl version differ?


Looks like they got rid of the 2 - 10 sec mode memory and levels are slightly different. 

I recently received the xp-G2 R5 version, and was surprised at how green the tint fo the light is. But if you don't compare it directly to Nichia, it is not so bad. Needed to lube the oring, and that is still snugger than I would like. I am tempted to swap in the backup one to see if it is any different. Also needed to put a bit of teflon tape on the threads to minimize mode skipping. I like starting in firefly for how I plan to use this light, and the low mode (12 lumen) seems sufficient for most of my needs. if you need a high mode the 120 lumens is screaming bright. This won't be my EDC light, or even my bedstand light as I thought it might. The color and ease of use of my Manker E01 wins. This will be my backpacking headlight / flashlight though, it is the lightest AAA I have, and when I use it with my Lithium primaries it will be less than an ounce.


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## sbslider (Apr 24, 2017)

Just finished my first runtime test on this light on high with a white 750mA-hr eneloop. Since I don't have a light meter I compared the intensity to my Maratac AAA. Maratac is rated at 80 lumen with Nichia, TI3 is rated at 120 lumens. At 33 minutes I am seeing dimming, the lights are now roughly the same intensity. At 35 minutes I decided to try cycling through the modes to see how high compared to medium. High was now somewhat lower than the Maratac, but still what I thought was much higher than medium. Light did not come back on, which suggest eneloop is below the low voltage cutoff. A minute or so later it has recovered and comes on at high, but is dimming. Not too bad . . .


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## sbslider (Apr 26, 2017)

Completed a second run time test on low (~12 lumens) with a freshly charged eneloop, same one as above. At 9 hrs, 30 min, I took the battery out to measure the voltage, 1.15V. At 10 hours I stopped the test, light had not dimmed yet. Battery was at 0.97V and rising, would not have gotten much more out of that cell. My light must be a bit lower output than most, as my run time seems much longer than this:



Bigmac_79 said:


> Low



Looking forward to using this light on my JMT trip this summer with a lithium primary, 19 hours on the 12 lumen mode!!



this_is_nascar said:


>


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## this_is_nascar (Apr 26, 2017)

Keep us posted.


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## sbslider (Apr 26, 2017)

I find another thing very interesting about the graph taken by TIN vs the measurements I have made on my lights, specifically the two models that we share, Manker E01 and Thrunite Ti3. The graph shows the light output of the Manker a bit lower with a longer run time. I have measured the current being demanded from a power source at various voltages and I find the two lights are nearly identical at the low level (not firefly), at least to the point I have characterize. I have a couple more data points to gather on the Ti3. 

I will start a run with the Manker tonight and see if I can get 10 hours out of the same freshly charged eneloop that I used for the Ti3 run on low above. 

Meanwhile, I also find it interesting the Manker and Thrunite share the same firefly current demand characteristics. While the Thrunite draws about 2x the current on firefly, they both demand less current as the voltage drops. This is in contrast to what one would think of normally as constant current regulation. IF the current to the emitter is constant, then the power drawn from the battery should be constant. I find that to hold very closely when measuring lights in modes up to 0.1A or so. But in high modes, where currents approach and exceed 1A, I generally find that the power into the light increases as the battery voltage decreases. I think my test setup contributes to this measurement phenomenon, as I am simply holding short wires from a regulated power supply to the drive board, and I suspect I don't make good enough contact at the higher current levels to get good measurements. I definitely observe the measurement fluctuate and often pick a current value as the display of my power source fluctuates.

Anyway, I will report back tomorrow the results of the Manker E01 runtime at constant output. My comparison sources is the Ti3, while the tint of the light color is very different, the intensity is very close.
Update: measured battery in Manker at 9:30, 1.16V. at 10 hours the battery measured 1.03V with the voltage rising. Slightly less current in the Manker, slightly more voltage at 10 hours. Physics is a beautiful thing.


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