# Thrunite TN4A (XP-L V6, 4xAA) review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO and more!



## selfbuilt

The TN4A is Thrunite's first entry into the popular world of compact 4xAA flashlights. As you'll see in the specs below, it also tops the output charts for this class - thanks to use of the new XP-L emitter. oo:

How does the TN4A compare to the all other members I've tested in this class? I will do my usual detailed testing on this model below. But please also check out my 4xAA Round-up Review, to see additional comparisons to other members of this class.

Let's get started … 

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


LED: CREE XP-L V6 
Runs on: 4x AA(NIMH 2450MAH)
Working Voltage: 2.75-8V
Output mode/Runtime*: Strobe(1150 lumens/150 minutes), Turbo(1150 lumens /56 minutes), High(550 lumens / 150 minutes), Medium(139 lumens / 14 hrs), Low(15 lumens / 93 hrs), Moonlight(0.5lumens/80 days).
Peak Beam Intensity: 26640cd
Max beam distance: 326m
Compact thrower with high quality beam from orange peel reflector.
Latest LED technology gives great light efficiency.
Advanced electronic switch with low voltage indication for silent operation.
ThruNite ITC (intelligent temperature control) technology to prevent possible light damage from overheating.
Six modes: firefly, low, medium, high, turbo and strobe.
Reversed polarity protection system prevents damage to the light.
Ultra clear tempered glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
Aircraft grade aluminum body structure with knurling for firm grip.
Premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish.
Memory function to set any mode(except for firefly, turbo and strobe) for immediate use.
Impact resistant: 2 meters.
Waterproof to IPX-8 Standard (1.5meters)
Weight: 218.6g without battery.
Dimensions: 111.5mm in length, 45.5mm in diameter.
Accessories: Holster x1 Spare O ring x2 Battery Carrier x1(inside the flashlight)
MSRP: ~$55






Packaging is the standard hard cardboard box with packing foam. Inside, included with the light are spare O-rings, holster with Velcro closing flap, spare switch cover, and manual. Note that there is no wrist-strap provided (nor an obvious place to attach one). I will discuss the purpose of the spare switch cover later in this review.













From left to right: Panasonic Eneloop Pro (2550mAh) NiMH; Thrunite TN4A; Nitecore EA41; Fenix E41; Sunwayman D40A, F40A; Eagletac GX25A3.

All dimensions directly measured, and given with no batteries installed (unless indicated):

*Thrunite TN4A 4xAA*: Weight: 217.6g, Length: 112.6mm, Width (bezel): 45.5mm, (tail): 42.0mm

*Eagletac GX25A3 3xAA*: Weight: 151.4g, Length: 109.2mm, Width (bezel): 38.6mm
*Fenix E41 4xAA*: Weight: 204.1g , Length: 115.9mm, Width (bezel): 44.1mm
*JetBeam PA40 4xAA*: Weight: 184.0g, Length: 183mm, Width: 40.8mm (bezel), 42.1mm (max width)
*JetBeam SRA40 4xAA*: Weight 236.0g, Length: 126.1mm, Width (bezel): 48.5mm
*Lumintop SD10*: Weight: 117.6g, Length: 120.3mm, Width (bezel): 40.1mm
*Nitecore EA41 2015 4xAA*: Weight: 147.9g , Length: 118.4mm, Width (bezel): 40.1mm
*Nitecore EA4 4xAA*: Weight: 161.6g , Length: 117.9mm, Width (bezel): 40.2mm
*Sunwayman D40A 4xAA*: Weight: 167.9g, Length: 120.4mm, Width (bezel): 40.0mm
*Sunwayman F40A 4xAA*: Weight: 182.0g, Length: 109.3mm, Width (bezel): 42.0mm

The TN4A is a little heavier than most lights of this size in the 4xAA class, but otherwise overall dimensions are comparable. Note that it is a bit wider at the head than the tail (i.e., flares out a little before the bezel).


































The TN4A is cylindrical, like most other members of this class. Anodizing is a flat black, and is in excellent shape on my sample. Body labels are minimal, and clear. Knurling on the body handle is slightly more aggressive than typical for this class, and helps with grip. Note the light can roll fairly easily, and there is no obvious attachment point for a wrist lanyard (none provided). The light can tailstand stably.

Screw threads are square-cut, and anodized for lock-out. A quick twist of the head is all that is required to lock out the light. :thumbsup:. 

The TN4A uses a battery carrier to hold the 4xAA cells. The carrier is reversible inside the light. Although it seems well made, there is a lot of tension on the springs for each battery. I found it hard to insert and remove cells – especially my Panasonic Eneloop Pros, which were a real challenge to get out. I would recommend they use shorter springs in this carrier.










The TN4A uses a single electronic switch to control on/off and mode switching. Switch design is distinctive, as there is a hard plastic outer switch cover, with a clear centre (used to show blue LED indicator underneath). There is a stainless steel ring surrounding the switch, which holds the switch cover in place. Actual switch feel is about typical, and there is a definite "click" when making full contact. Scroll down for a discussion of the user interface.

But first, you may be wondering what the extra clear switch boot cover is for. Let me demonstrate by opening everything up. You start by unscrewing the stainless steel surround, using snap-ring pliers (or very firm tweezers).


























Basically, the extra clear switch cover is just a replacement for the built-in cover underneath the external button. The light is always meant to be run with the outer button cover in place.

The TN4A is distinctive for this class for its choice of the new XP-L emitter. Basically, the XP-L is an XM-L2-sized die that has been squeezed into a XP-G2 footprint. It is meant to be a drop-in replacement for XP-G2 (for more output but reduced throw), and should be comparable to the XM-L2 for output.














XP-L was perfectly centered on my sample, thanks to use of a centering disc. As you can see, the TN4A uses a textured reflector, which is not as deep as some in this class. Unfortunately, the reflections from the reflector texturing are distorting the emitter image above. Scroll down for beamshots and direct throw measures.

*User Interface*

The TN4A uses a single electronic switch for on/off and mode control. Turn the light on by a single click (rapid press-release).

From on, change output modes by holding the switch down. The light will cycle between constant output modes in the following order: Lo > Med > Hi, in repeating sequence. The light has mode memory, and will retain the last constant output used when turning off and back on.

To access Firefly, there is a shortcut accessible only from off: press-and-hold the switch.

To access Turbo, there is a shortcut from either on or off: double-click the switch. To access Strobe, double-click the switch again (i.e., need to be in Turbo mode). Double-click again exits to Turbo (single click turns off, as always).

There is no mode memory for the shortcut-required modes.

*Video*: 

For more information on the overall build and user interface, please see my new 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.

As an aside, if you want to get an instant notification for every new review that I post here on CPF, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel (the vids go public at the same time). Just mouse over my logo watermark on the top right-hand corner of the video for the subscribe feature to open up. You may need to tap or click, depending on the platform you are using to watch. :wave: 

*PWM/Strobe*

There is no sign of PWM that I can see, at any output level – the TN4A is fully current-controlled. 






Strobe was a fairly fast tactical strobe of 13 Hz.

*Standby Drain*

A standby current drain is inevitable on the TN4A, due to the electronic switch in the head. I have measured this current as 6.5uA on my sample. Given the batteries are in series in the carrier, that would mean that a 2000mAh Eneloop NiMH would be fully drained in about 35 years (theoretically).  Since this is far below the self-discharge rate of NiMH, it is not at all a concern.

Note that you can easily break this current by unscrewing the head slightly, thanks to the anodized threads and use of a battery carrier. I recommend you do for this for lowering the risk of accidental activation – it certainly is not necessary from a current drain perspective.

*Beamshots:*

And now the white-wall beamshots.  All lights are on Sanyo Eneloop NiMH (4x). 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.





























































Thanks to shallower than typical reflector, the TN4A has a much "floodier" beam profile – very similar to the Fenix E41 (i.e., a very wide spillbeam). Throw is still significant on the TN4A – scroll down for some direct measures.

There is some tint variation in the beam profile of my sample, with a somewhat yellow-green tint-shift in the corona specifically. I don't know whether that is due to the reflector design or the XP-L emitter (or some combination thereof). Not an issue for me personally, but fans of consistent beam tint may object.

*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. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

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).






Overall output of the TN4A on Turbo exceeds any of my other 4xAA lights at present. oo: Throw is similarly very high, thanks in part to the incredibly high output level.

Let's see how output compares across the various levels:






I typically get very good concordance of my output measures with Thrunite's published specs, and the TN4A is no exception.

*Output/Runtime Graphs:*

Note that I have been moving my NiMH AA testing to the newer Panasonic Eneloop Pro NiMH (2550mAh typical capacity). Panasonic acquired Sanyo a little while back, and the new Panasonic-branded Eneloop Pro cells are an updated version of the former Eneloop XX cells (i.e., Panasonic Pros are basically 3rd generation XX cells, with improved charge holding ability). These were a very tight fit in the TN4A, but I was able to perform my full range of battery testing here.

Also, keep in mind that all my runtime tests are done under a cooling fan.

































On Med/Hi levels, the TN4A is certainly a very efficient performer - consistent with the Fenix E41 or Nitecore EA41 2015. :thumbsup: It also shows a very flat-stabilized regulation pattern.

But where the TN4A really "shines" (pardon the pun) is on its Turbo level. This is frankly an unbelievable amount of light – even higher than the momentary Turbo mode of the Fenix E41. I am also impressed that the step-down only occurred near the end of the regulated initial run, as the batteries were nearing exhaustion (i.e., ~30 mins on Eneloop, ~40mins on Eneloop Pro, and ~60 mins on L91 lithium). Of course, alkalines are not a good source cell for sustained Turbo output – I recommend you stick with the Hi mode on those AA cells.

Basically, you get top-of-the-line output/runtime efficiency at all levels, and by far the highest maximum regulated constant output of any 4xAA light that I've tested. :wave:

*Potential Issues*

The light does get very hot with sustained runtime on Turbo. Without externally supplied cooling, I expect you would have drop down to a lower level fairly quickly (for personal comfort).

The battery carrier holds the AA cells very tightly, making it hard to get them in or out. It is particularly difficult with the longer Eneloop Pro cells – these are a very tight squeeze.

There is some variation in tint across the beam profile, with a detectable shift to yellow-green in the corona around the hotspot. This is likely due to some interaction between the XP-L emitter and this specific reflector design.

There is no obvious attachment point for a wrist strap/lanyard.

Due to the electronic switch in the head, the light has a stand-by current when batteries are installed. But this is completely negligible, and not a concern. To prevent accidental activation though, I recommend you lock the light out by a simple twist of the head.

*Preliminary Observations*

The TN4A is the highest output 4xAA light I've tested to date. oo: It even surpasses the momentary-only Turbo mode of the Fenix E41. And it doesn't even use a timed step-down feature. 

I don't know how Thrunite managed to drive this light so much harder than the competition, but they certainly didn't do it as the expense of efficiency – the TN4A is one of the best-regulated and most efficiency 4xAA lights I've tested. :thumbsup: It is also quite compact, consistent with the class (although a touch heavier, suggesting use of additional necessary heatsinking).

Right there, I expect a lot of readers are sold on the light. So are there any drawbacks? Well, the interface is certainly reasonable for a single-switch design – but I'm a fan of dual-switch lights for their greater versatility and intuitiveness. The battery carrier seems of quality design, but is awfully tight for modern high-capacity NiMH cells (i.e., my Eneloop Pros are very hard to get in or out of the carrier). I would recommend they relax the tolerances somewhat there.

In terms of beam profile, the TN4A has one of the widest spillbeams I've seen in this class while maintaining excellent throw (thanks to the super-high output). Fans of the Fenix E41 will also like the TN4A, I expect. For tint purists, please note that there was some noticeable yellow-green tint shifting in the corona surrounding the hotspot on my sample. I expect this is the result of an interaction of the new XP-L emitter with the heavily textured reflector design on this light.

I don't usually comment on price, but this is another area where the TN4A is very competitive for this class. 

At the end of the day, the TN4A marks an excellent entry into the 4xAA realm by Thrunite. I expect max-lumen hounds will flock to this light, given the high Turbo drive level – but it is really a very good performer at all output levels. I plan to add these testing results to my 4xAA round-up soon, so you can compare it directly to all the members in this class. Certainly a strong contender. 

----

TN4A was supplied by Thrunite for review.


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## Ryp

I am back in the game, thanks for the review!


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## selfbuilt

Welcome back Ryp ... Capolini will be disappointed. :laughing:


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## Ryp

Thanks! Oh I'm counting on it


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## Capolini

What is going on?? The Canadians are ganging up on me!!

Great review *SB ,,,,,* and good job RYP for posting first again................it is ABOUT time!! lol!!!!!

SB do you know why they don't make these kind of lights to accept L.Ion 14500 batteries? I use to have an EA4 and sold it. Maybe it was just the parasitic drain on that particular light. If I did not use it for a week or Two it seemed to lose way to much capacity.

I have stayed away from enloops NIMH since then.Another thing was that is was hard to tell when they were charged using the multi-battery type chargers,,ie I4/ARE-C2

I like L.Ion batteries and would certainly consider this light if it was capable of taking them.


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## kj2

Thanks for the review  Will you be doing a review on the TN36 also?


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## selfbuilt

Capolini said:


> SB do you know why they don't make these kind of lights to accept L.Ion 14500 batteries?


That's too much voltage for a circuit to handle - recall that the 4xAA lights are all in series. Standard AA chemistries are ~1.2-1.7V. So in series, that only requires the circuit to deal with ~5-7V. But 14500 Li-ions are ~4.2V max, so that's ~17V in series. oo: You aren't going to see that. Nor will you see 4xAA with standard batteries in parallel. You will simply not get ~1000 lumens from a single ~1.5V voltage source



> I use to have an EA4 and sold it. Maybe it was just the parasitic drain on that particular light. If I did not use it for a week or Two it seemed to lose way to much capacity.


No worries with the TN4A - the standby drain was as low as I've ever seen for a 4xAA light (i.e., decades to drain the cells).



kj2 said:


> Thanks for the review  Will you be doing a review on the TN36 also?


Yes.


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## Ryp

kj2 said:


> Will you be doing a review on the TN36 also?





selfbuilt said:


> Yes.



It's happening! :huh:


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## KiwiBlue

SB do you know where we can get hold of this light from?


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## Misery

Thanks for the TN4A review! I really hoped for it!

One question... if the flashlight is in turbo or moonlight mode. What happens if you long-press the button? Will it switch back to normal mode?


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## selfbuilt

KiwiBlue said:


> SB do you know where we can get hold of this light from?


Haven't gone looking, so I would recommend checking with Thrunite directly.


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## Quality

This light is impressive. Could be the first light to challenge the value/quality/performance ratio of the D40A once they sort out the potential bugs, battery tolerances etc.


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## WalkIntoTheLight

Capolini said:


> SB do you know why they don't make these kind of lights to accept L.Ion 14500 batteries?



Even if they did, why would you want to? It's already driving the XP-L at max output, so higher voltage won't get you anything (and it wouldn't anyway, since 4.8v from 4 NiMH cells is more voltage than the LED needs). Plus, 14500 cells don't contain any more energy than AA NiMH cells, so you won't get longer run time. You're safer using AA cells.

14500 cells make sense in 1xAA lights, since the higher voltage allows for more output. 4xAA lights already have enough voltage and current to drive a single LED at full power (about 10 watts).


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## WalkIntoTheLight

Quality said:


> This light is impressive. Could be the first light to challenge the value/quality/performance ratio of the D40A once they sort out the potential bugs, battery tolerances etc.



Meh, neutral white or go home. :scowl:


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## Mr. Tone

Thanks for another great review. Thrunite seems to do very well with their efficiency and they give us very bright highs and also nice moonlight modes, too.


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## Quality

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Meh, neutral white or go home. :scowl:



Another reason to wait until they iron out the issues.

My D40A is neutral, and I coudn't go back to cool white. I'm sure Thrunite will have a neutral option soon enough.


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## CelticCross74

What would I do without Selfbuilt! I have had this light for a couple of weeks and was greatly disappointed as I didnt bother to read the manual and didnt realize you had to double click to get to turbo until I read the review. Like the light much better now except for the snot green tint


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## CelticCross74

...gotta add that I do not believe the TN4A has a anti glare coated lens. At least my copy does not appear to and I am an optician and am very well versed on glare coatings. I believe this may also have to do with the tint shifting


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## selfbuilt

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Plus, 14500 cells don't contain any more energy than AA NiMH cells, so you won't get longer run time. You're safer using AA cells.


Yes, this is a good point that is not immediately apparent from battery specs. The main advantage of 14500 is in single-cell situations, where the higher voltage and different chemistry allows for a sustained higher output over 1x NiMH. In multi-cell setups, there is no difference in max output or runtime (at any level). 

The reason for this is that the actual ability to do work is dependent on both rated capacity and voltage (i.e., W=VQ). So a typical 3.7V 750mAh 14500 would give you ~2800mAhV, the same as a 1.4V 2000mAh Eneloop would give you.



Mr. Tone said:


> Thanks for another great review. Thrunite seems to do very well with their efficiency and they give us very bright highs and also nice moonlight modes, too.


Yes, it does have a good mix of modes, including the extremes.



CelticCross74 said:


> ... was greatly disappointed as I didnt bother to read the manual and didnt realize you had to double click to get to turbo until I read the review.


Yikes, that certainly makes a difference.  Hopefully you enjoy it more now.



> Like the light much better now except for the snot green tint


Yeah, I suppose that is one word for it. :laughing: Personally, I don't mind this tint, as I find it more useful outdoors than a purple- or blue-tinted cool white. I don't normally comment on overall tint (since it is variable), but I do like to point out when there are significant shifts in tint across a beam. I suspect it those transitions are the most obtrusive to most.


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## Capolini

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Even if they did, why would you want to? It's already driving the XP-L at max output, so higher voltage won't get you anything (and it wouldn't anyway, since 4.8v from 4 NiMH cells is more voltage than the LED needs). Plus, 14500 cells don't contain any more energy than AA NiMH cells, so you won't get longer run time. You're safer using AA cells.
> 
> 14500 cells make sense in 1xAA lights, since the higher voltage allows for more output. 4xAA lights already have enough voltage and current to drive a single LED at full power (about 10 watts).



Putting aside all the technical data,,, I am NOT a fan of NiMH Batteries for many reasons and only use L.ion!! So these types of lights are not in my collection. Nothing wrong w/ the light,just personal preference. If somehow they could work for L. Ion I would consider them.


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## WalkIntoTheLight

Capolini said:


> Putting aside all the technical data,,, I am NOT a fan of NiMH Batteries for many reasons and only use L.ion!!



Even where NiMH make more sense? 



> So these types of lights are not in my collection. Nothing wrong w/ the light,just personal preference. If somehow they could work for L. Ion I would consider them.



Sure, you could stick in one 14500 cell, and 3 spacers. It would probably work. :shrug:


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## Capolini

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Even where NiMH make more sense?
> 
> 
> 
> Sure, you could stick in one 14500 cell, and 3 spacers. It would probably work. :shrug:


 
I think you are misunderstanding me! I understand that they[L.Ion] can not be used. For me it is not about trying to get L.Ion to work because they are NOT intended for these types of lights. 

I just do NOT like the Chemistry of NiMH and how difficult it is to get a full charge using multi-chargers. In addition they[both AA and AAA] have lost capacity while not in use much faster than my 18650's.

I only HAD One[1] 4 X AA light. I was not going to buy a charger specific to NiMH just for my EA4! Later on I got a AAA light for my car. Same results,,difficult to get a full charge and batteries lost capacity too quickly while being idle.

I have only Two lights[Modded] that take 16340. I do not like them much either but I LOVE the power of my D25Cvn and PD12vn!

That leaves[yes I am a flashaholic!] 37 lights that take my favorite battery,,,,,,18650! 

I am just not a fan of AA or AAA batteries. A single cell or Two cell 18650 can be just as compact if not more and deliver a lot more power! Example: My SC62. Much more compact and puts out ~1000 lumens! ** Going in the other direction[Throw] I have a SWM C20Cvn that is ~600 lumens and 20Kcd. Single cell 18650 just like the SC62!

So, without taking anymore from this thread,,,,,,,,,,,that is it!


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## WalkIntoTheLight

Capolini said:


> I just do NOT like the Chemistry of NiMH and how difficult it is to get a full charge using multi-chargers. In addition they[both AA and AAA] have lost capacity while not in use much faster than my 18650's.



Ah, okay, now I get it. You've never tried low-self-discharge NiMH cells, such as Eneloops.


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## Capolini

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Ah, okay, now I get it. You've never tried low-self-discharge NiMH cells, such as Eneloops.


 
no..they were the only ones I used! Below is in my post # 5!!! lol!


I have stayed away from enloops NIMH since then.Another thing was that is was hard to tell when they were charged using the multi-battery type chargers,,ie I4/ARE-C2


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## selfbuilt

Misery said:


> One question... if the flashlight is in turbo or moonlight mode. What happens if you long-press the button? Will it switch back to normal mode?


Yes, a long press will move you through the 3 regular modes, in repeating sequence (Lo > Med > Hi > Lo > Med > Hi etc.). You need to use the shortcuts to return to the moonlight or Turbo modes.

And :welcome:


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## mikekoz

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Meh, neutral white or go home. :scowl:




You should give the light a shot! I have one, and while the box is labeled cool white, it does not look like it to me, at least, comparing it to some of my other lights.


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## Misery

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, a long press will move you through the 3 regular modes, in repeating sequence (Lo > Med > Hi > Lo > Med > Hi etc.). You need to use the shortcuts to return to the moonlight or Turbo modes.
> 
> And :welcome:



Thanks for your answer!
By the way.... I mailed to Thrunite and got interesting answer. 



Code:


Thanks for your message.
It will take a long time for the TN4A neutral white version to be released.
We are planning to release a new version with a hold for lanyard.
Any new info, we will update on our Official site.


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## Dubois

Think I'd prefer a neutral version than a *hole *for a lanyard (typo from Thrunite)


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## T-Freak

Very nice review! I got my TN4A yesterday from Amazon. The torch wanted not working first. I think the problems are in context with the very small battery-cage. I don't understand why the manufacturer designed the cage too little for high capacity batterys.  But the TN6A runs now and I think it is a very good torch with a interesting pricepoint. :thumbsup:


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## 18650

This one looks pretty decent. Now give me one in 3C or 3B please!


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## Misery

The new version will be available soon:



> *TN4A CW is available in China now. Release date in DE and US is on Feb 12,2015.*
> *For orders placed after Jan 22,2015, TN4A comes with a lanyard and a batch number below the logo "TN4A".*



http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-tn4a-cw/


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## selfbuilt

Misery said:


> The new version will be available soon


Thanks for sharing, and :welcome:


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## search_and_rescue

Thank you for your tremendous reviews Selfbuilt. This flashlight is now available at Amazon.


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## CelticCross74

in experimenting with high capacity Nimhs in my TN4A I have now gotten the battery carrier completely STUCK in the light! Decided to try a fresh set of Powerex 2700mah cells which I had to fight to get them in the carrier and now the carrier is stuck in the light and wont budge no matter how I tap it bang on it whatever. I should have known. The Eneloop Pros I had in it before were tight enough as it was. Hoping I dont have to take a thin knife to it to pry it out....

I love how Thrunite truly does seem to be reading these threads! The new version with the lanyard attachment point is right out of this boards suggestions! Now about that battery carrier....oh and Im still convinced there is NO glare coating on my lens...


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## search_and_rescue

Hi Selfbuilt, you were right on about this light needing a lanyard. I received mine today from Amazon. I had ordered it the same day it came back in stock and chose one-day shipping. I just returned from testing it in the mountains. The lanyard gives one a real sense of security that the light will not go flying into the crevasse should one lose grip of it. This light is absolutely perfect in every way. Thank you again in being our voice. I am a flashaholic because of you and ThruNite(r). Love it!:twothumbs


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## selfbuilt

search_and_rescue said:


> Hi Selfbuilt, you were right on about this light needing a lanyard. I received mine today from Amazon. I had ordered it the same day it came back in stock and chose one-day shipping. I just returned from testing it in the mountains. The lanyard gives one a real sense of security that the light will not go flying into the crevasse should one lose grip of it.


Excellent, glad to hear these are shipping already.


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## joshjp

Thanks for the review, I want this light, but I don't know what rechargeable Batts will fit in here? I want to get the Enel oops Pro, but it seems they don't fit.


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## selfbuilt

joshjp said:


> Thanks for the review, I want this light, but I don't know what rechargeable Batts will fit in here? I want to get the Enel oops Pro, but it seems they don't fit.


Yeah, they are definitely _very_ tight in the TN4A carrier. I'd recommend sticking with regular eneloops, unless Thrunite adjusts the carrier design.


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## pepekraft

I'm pretty sure this is the UI I've been hoping for in one of these 4xAAs. I was just waiting for NW, and this morning they went up for sale at amazon listing an in-stock date of Feb-7. The NW does use XM-L2 -- I don't know what impact that has on the beam vs XP-L.

Looks like it comes with lanyard. I wonder if they adjusted the carrier; that would be nice. Guess I'll find out in a couple weeks


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## Misery

Yeah, they released a neutral white version. A comparison with the cool white version would be nice. ;-)

http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-tn4a-nw/


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## 18650

Misery said:


> Yeah, they released a neutral white version. A comparison with the cool white version would be nice. ;-) http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-tn4a-nw/


 XM-L2 U3 3C! Could it be?


----------



## kooter

Just bought one direct from Thrunite, £38.00 shipped to the UK. Been looking at these 4AAs for a while and this is looking good and much cheaper than the rest.


----------



## mikekoz

NOW it has a place for lanyard! :sigh: I just bought one of these a month or so ago. I like the light, but would have loved to been able to attach a lanyard. I wonder if they fixed the problem with not being able to fit high capacity AA's in the light without them getting stuck? I wonder if I can get a replacement bottom and battery carrier for it (assuming it is different)? :thinking:


----------



## mikekoz

This is what I did to get a lanyard on this light!!


----------



## CM2010

I can get 4 eneloop pro's no problem in mine.


----------



## search_and_rescue

CelticCross74 said:


> ....oh and Im still convinced there is NO glare coating on my lens...


I sympathize with you CelticCross74. I just received my ThruNite(R) TN36 NW and it does not seem to have that same pink hue on the lens reflection as my Mini TN30 and TN4A.

ThruNite© customer service was very responsive and helpful and answered my email. Top notch!

I never bought a Catapault but am very thankful i got in on this new TN series. The beam on these is nothing short of amazing! The beam on my TN36 is magical.

Thanks


----------



## joshjp

Just ordered this light, im going to return my ThruNite Archer 2a V2, as they switched the light up, i wanted the one with the OP reflector, so this should be an awsome 4AA light, also i ordered 4 PowerEx Imedion AA batts.


----------



## CelticCross74

Usually glare coatings on LED flashlight lenses have a purple tint to them. This is a standard LED light glare coat although it is hard to keep clean it does help light transmit through the lens. LED light glare coats can also be different colors. The green tinted glare coating Armytek uses is the highest grade LED light glare coating Ive yet to see on a light. The difference is how easy it is to keep the lens clean and how hydrophobic and scratch resistant the coating is. The green tint Armytek glare coat is true optical rx grade glare coating and must cost Armytek a fortune to put on their lights. As an optician I am very surprised LED light manufacturers dont offer different levels of glare coating quality like is offered in the rx eyeglass world. Id pay the premium for highest quality most scratch resistant glare coatings with teflon in it.

Powerex Imedions will fit the TN4A mine do as do Eneloop Pros. It took a LOT of banging and tapping but I finally got the stuck battery carrier out of my TN4A and pulled the fat 2700mah Powerex cells and put the Eneloop Pros back in. Despite the diffuse hot spot that I dont like the TN4A is still the baddest 4xAA out there. The runtime on turbo is unreal I have yet to have the thermal sensor trip to step it down. This light is SO good that Im ordering the new NW XM-L2 version which shouldnt have the tint shifting problem of the X-PL...hopefully the battery carrier has been tweaked and this one comes with the advertised glare coating....


----------



## joshjp

CelticCross74 said:


> Powerex Imedions will fit the TN4A mine do as do Eneloop Pros. It took a LOT of banging and tapping but I finally got the stuck battery carrier out of my TN4A and pulled the fat 2700mah Powerex cells and put the Eneloop Pros back in. Despite the diffuse hot spot that I dont like the TN4A is still the baddest 4xAA out there. The runtime on turbo is unreal I have yet to have the thermal sensor trip to step it down. This light is SO good that Im ordering the new NW XM-L2 version which shouldnt have the tint shifting problem of the X-PL...hopefully the battery carrier has been tweaked and this one comes with the advertised glare coating....


Thanks for the answer, im glad you got them out, and im glad my batts will work.


----------



## joshjp

Just got it today, i will test it out later at work, my Imedions fit perfect...YAY, but as of now the light feel great, i have small hands so it fits perfectly.


----------



## CelticCross74

Did you get the CW or the NW?


----------



## joshjp

QUOTE=CelticCross74;4603714]Did you get the CW or the NW?[/QUOTE]

I got the CW.


----------



## fcbrian

I have the NW version coming tomorrow . The pic shows it with the lanyard but who knows. 

The bad news is I ordered a 4 pack of Powerex 2700s with it that probably won't fit, from what I just read in this thread.:sigh: FRANK!!!!!!

We'll find out tomorrow.


----------



## tobrien

CelticCross74 said:


> Usually glare coatings on LED flashlight lenses have a purple tint to them. This is a standard LED light glare coat although it is hard to keep clean it does help light transmit through the lens. LED light glare coats can also be different colors. The green tinted glare coating Armytek uses is the highest grade LED light glare coating Ive yet to see on a light. The difference is how easy it is to keep the lens clean and how hydrophobic and scratch resistant the coating is. The green tint Armytek glare coat is true optical rx grade glare coating and must cost Armytek a fortune to put on their lights. As an optician I am very surprised LED light manufacturers dont offer different levels of glare coating quality like is offered in the rx eyeglass world. Id pay the premium for highest quality most scratch resistant glare coatings with teflon in it.



thanks for posting this! I didn't realize different _flashlight_ makers used much too different coatings. That is awesome Armytek uses good stuff!


----------



## fcbrian

Good news!!! . My TN4A NW showed up today as promised, along with a 4 pack of Powerex 2700s (in retail blisterpack) . This light does have the lanyard hole AND.............drumroll..........the carrier full of 2700s dropped in with plenty of clearance.(will rattle a little without the cap on ). I may even try an over stretched flat rubber band or thin o-ring around the batts to snug em up. Although there is no rattle once closed. THESE batteries are tough to get out of carrier because of length, once the first one is out, you can pop the rest out from the inside.

I had planned on removing the shrink tube on the "carrier cage rods"( i don't know the proper term)or boring the tube to make room for fat batts, but no need to. 
Thanks Thrunite !

For you guys that had tight fits with the early version, I did measure the bore at 36.5mm and the rods at 4.5mm. I don't know which dimension they changed from the earlier version to make room for bigger batts. 

Also, on my light the base/bottom of the tail cap is 4.5mm thick, for those that may want to somehow modify their lights for a lanyard connection.

It runs great, great spill and 100 yd steel targets were lit up real nice for a little 4xAA light. The NW tint looks good to me.

It's a keeper .


Brian


----------



## Bulb-boi

fcbrian said:


> Good news!!! . My TN4A NW showed up today as promised, along with a 4 pack of Powerex 2700s (in retail blisterpack) . This light does have the lanyard hole AND.............drumroll..........the carrier full of 2700s dropped in with plenty of clearance.(will rattle a little without the cap on ). I may even try an over stretched flat rubber band or thin o-ring around the batts to snug em up. Although there is no rattle once closed. THESE batteries are tough to get out of carrier because of length, once the first one is out, you can pop the rest out from the inside.
> 
> I had planned on removing the shrink tube on the "carrier cage rods"( i don't know the proper term)or boring the tube to make room for fat batts, but no need to.
> Thanks Thrunite !
> 
> For you guys that had tight fits with the early version, I did measure the bore at 36.5mm and the rods at 4.5mm. I don't know which dimension they changed from the earlier version to make room for bigger batts.
> 
> Also, on my light the base/bottom of the tail cap is 4.5mm thick, for those that may want to somehow modify their lights for a lanyard connection.
> 
> It runs great, great spill and 100 yd steel targets were lit up real nice for a little 4xAA light. The NW tint looks good to me.
> 
> It's a keeper .
> 
> 
> Brian




That's great to hear, Brian. I have a TN4A NW on order from Amazon that hasn't shipped yet and was also concerned about the bigger batts. I was somewhat resolved to use the regular eneloop 2000's and ordered a 4-pack of those along with it in hopes that Thrunite would eventually resolve the issue, but it seems as though they may have already addressed it. Do you think yours is actually a different sized carrier than previous owners here? (BTW, I am a newbie here and this is my FIRST quality flashlight purchase. Please be gentle... )


----------



## fcbrian

Bulb-boi said:


> Do you think yours is actually a different sized carrier than previous owners here? (BTW, I am a newbie here and this is my FIRST quality flashlight purchase. Please be gentle... )



Bul-boi, First and most importantly congrats on your first purchase. Seek help NOW 

I don't know what they changed. I'm hoping someone with the old version checks vs. the measurements I made of mine. 
I see that you ordered the NW as well. Funny thing I noticed that on Amazon , the NW is Thrunite direct , while the CW was through Amazon and $6 more?? 

BTW, as you can see I'm new to CPF as well, but I do have a small stable of what I consider good quality lights from single AAAs to quad 650s.
Flashlights are like beer. I like em all but I like some better than others!

Anyway I think its a great light and value. I hope it shows up early so you have time to charge those loops........or have 4 alks ready just for kicks . And remember, pretty FIRM clicks, and quick for turbo.

Brian.


----------



## Bulb-boi

Uh oh... Maybe that's why it's taking so long... Chinese New Year? I did notice it was cheaper but I didn't notice the seller was TN. TN says closed for business until "next month" but Amazon site says delivery will be between 2/17 and 2/21? Oh well, sounds like it's worth the wait. I was more worried about getting the lanyard and I figured that, since the NW was a later release it was more likely to have that. (Plus the $6) Keep us posted on your experience with it. And, yes, I just needed to replace an old Maglite so I went online to do some research. I had no idea what I was getting into!


----------



## AFearlessBirdOfParadise

Best bang for the buck in the class of 4xAA soda cans right? I think this is going to be my next light. Love me some moonlight.


----------



## joshjp

AFearlessBirdOfParadise said:


> Best bang for the buck in the class of 4xAA soda cans right? I think this is going to be my next light. Love me some moonlight.


Its a great light, awsome knurling, bright, throws decent, and best of all it takes 4 AA


----------



## kooter

Got mine today. :kiss:

Liking it a lot.

Smaller than I anticipated too and feels just right in your hand.


----------



## selfbuilt

AFearlessBirdOfParadise said:


> Best bang for the buck in the class of 4xAA soda cans right?


That's probably a good assessment. Although of course interface probably matters more to most people here than raw max output. Definitely a strong contender any way you slice it. My 4xAA round up review will help you to directly compare to other models out there.


----------



## Mr Floppy

18650 said:


> XM-L2 U3 3C! Could it be?



Only just noticed this. 

Although, I have to wonder why they didn't use a neutral XP-L? Better still, one with 80 CRI


----------



## EnlightenedOne

Got mine from Amazon and my 2500 Powerexes seem to fight snug but not too tight at all. Got the cool white and don't notice any real tint. I have purchased a few Thrunites very recently and it seems to be a great brand. My cool white TN12 2014 is very warm but I like a mixture of tints and have no aversion to any of them. Great throw on the TN4A.


----------



## bladesmith3

did anyone else notice that amazon says it will ship in 1 or 2 MONTHS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Price:
$xx.xx & *FREE Shipping*. Details


"""""Usually ships within 1 to 2 months""""" ThruNite® TN4A 1150Lumen Single CREE XP-L V6 LED Flashlight/Powered by 4 AA batteries 
by ThruNite 

14 customer reviews  




 
 




Usually ships within 1 to 2 months.


----------



## EnlightenedOne

I ordered mine from Amazon a few days ago and it showed a 3-4 day in-stock expectation. However, I then received a shipping notice and got it yesterday. I imagine whatever stock they had went quickly.


----------



## EnlightenedOne

Just noticed the neutral white is in stock.


----------



## desmobob

I received my new TN4A today and I really like it a lot so far. I'm sitting at my computer desk, tapping my fingers, waiting for it to get dark outside. 

I want to extend a huge "Thank you!" to selfbuilt for providing us with his excellent reviews. As a newbie, I feel that choosing a light without them would be kind of scary....  Well, not _scary,_ really, but I think you know what I mean. Thanks again!

Take it easy,
Bob


----------



## CelticCross74

anyone got the neutral white yet? Be very interesting to see how it compares to my cool white


----------



## desmobob

CelticCross74 said:


> anyone got the neutral white yet? Be very interesting to see how it compares to my cool white



I picked the neutral white version. I love it (but shouldn't even try to describe it as I'm hopelessly color-challenged). It definitely lacks the a lot of the "harshness" I dislike about cooler lights. 

At the price of the TN4A, you can get one of each!

Take it easy,
Bob


----------



## evivbulgroz

I just received the NW tn4a (I had the CW version before, but I sent it back because I didn't like the greenish tint).All I can say is that the tint is more pleasing to my eyes.I really disliked the CW tint.


----------



## selfbuilt

desmobob said:


> I want to extend a huge "Thank you!" to selfbuilt for providing us with his excellent reviews. As a newbie, I feel that choosing a light without them would be kind of scary....  Well, not _scary,_ really, but I think you know what I mean. Thanks again!


My pleasure. 



evivbulgroz said:


> I just received the NW tn4a (I had the CW version before, but I sent it back because I didn't like the greenish tint).All I can say is that the tint is more pleasing to my eyes.I really disliked the CW tint.


Yes, I suspect part of the issue with the cool white XP-L in the TN4A is that there is more regional variation in tint with this particular reflector combo. Even with XP-G2/XM-L2 emitters, it's not uncommon for a relative "green-yellow" effect to get pulled out in the corona (with a "bluish-purple" effect in the distant spill). It was just more noticeable than usual on my TN4A sample (and seems to be commonly reported). Neutral white may indeed be the way to go for those who are bothered by this.


----------



## evivbulgroz

there seems to be a very slight "pwm" on firefly mode, but only when the flaslight hasn't been powered on for some time and you turn it on directly on firefly mode.After changing mode, it disappears.I don't know if it's specific to NW version.


----------



## selfbuilt

evivbulgroz said:


> there seems to be a very slight "pwm" on firefly mode, but only when the flaslight hasn't been powered on for some time and you turn it on directly on firefly mode.After changing mode, it disappears.I don't know if it's specific to NW version.


Rather than PWM, the flicker you are detecting is likely due to current instability. It's a fairly common issue on current-controlled with lights with firefly/moonlight modes - some circuit/emitter combinations will show it, others won't. The issue is that is apparently hard to get a reliably stable current in every case - on some samples, a flicker is consistently produced. If it is distracting, I would suggest you consider returning it for replacement/repair.


----------



## evivbulgroz

selfbuilt said:


> Rather than PWM, the flicker you are detecting is likely due to current instability. It's a fairly common issue on current-controlled with lights with firefly/moonlight modes - some circuit/emitter combinations will show it, others won't. The issue is that is apparently hard to get a reliably stable current in every case - on some samples, a flicker is consistently produced. If it is distracting, I would suggest you consider returning it for replacement/repair.



That's not at all distracting, it's very faint and barely noticeable.It would be a hassle to send it back as I'm sure nearly all models exhibit it to some degree.I had a fenix e41 that was showing a very noticeable flickering on low mode, and it wasn't even a moonlight mode(20 lumens).So even with that, the tn4a seems to be very well regulated.


----------



## selfbuilt

evivbulgroz said:


> That's not at all distracting, it's very faint and barely noticeable.It would be a hassle to send it back as I'm sure nearly all models exhibit it to some degree.


I agree, it's not always worth the hassle - it would need to be a significant flicker for me as well. But it may just be a sample (and/or batch) effect - I doubt all models would show it to some degree, given that their was no sign of it on my CW version.


----------



## evivbulgroz

selfbuilt said:


> I agree, it's not always worth the hassle - it would need to be a significant flicker for me as well. But it may just be a sample (and/or batch) effect - I doubt all models would show it to some degree, given that their was no sign of it on my CW version.



I meant, maybe it's because of the led which is a xm-l v2.Maybe, if you have the opportunity, It could be interesting to do some measurements to see how it compares with xp-l version.


----------



## toobig

Just ordered a TN4A from ThruNite Direct and it came inFulfilled by Amazon shipping out of Kentucky. I had it two days after placing my order. Mine came in with a lanyard hole and it doeshave an anti-reflective coating on the lens. I only have alkaline and lithium L91 batteries on hand but the carriertook them both pretty easily. Can't see any flicker in firefly mode. I got theNeutral White version and like it much better than my old Cool White Olight M30. 
I think Olight hit the ball out of the park with this one. Amazing amount of light out of AA bats andthe short and stubby form factor feels great in the hand. UI with side switch is perfect and a quarterturn locks it out. 
I can’t get over the flashlight tech now available!


----------



## toobig

Are there any reasons NOT to use L91 Energizer Ultimate Lithium bats in the TN4A? Please disregard cost.
Might they even perform better than Panasonic 2450's?


----------



## CelticCross74

No there is no reason why you cannot use L91's. They will crank at 1.5v per cell until they are flat out. Light may burn a little brighter but I suspect you wont get quite the run times out of L91's vs NiMHs. Interesting, I may try a set of L91's. I have yet to experience any step down whatsoever on my TN4A. I have left it on turbo for nearly 45 minutes before but the thermal sensor just did not trip. I wonder if running L91's will drive the light hard enough to generate more heat thus tripping the sensor for step down...


----------



## thedoc007

toobig said:


> Are there any reasons NOT to use L91 Energizer Ultimate Lithium bats in the TN4A?



I don't know about this light in particular...but L91s don't always work well. They do have a significantly higher voltage under load than either alkalines or Eneloops, and if the driver is sensitive to voltage, it can cause issues, particularly right at the beginning when they are delivering maximum voltage. As far as I know it doesn't cause any damage, but there are lights that definitely do better with NiMH.


----------



## selfbuilt

Didn't notice any issues with L91 on the TN4A, on max. You do sometimes stumble across issues on max levels (due to the higher voltage), but all was fine here:


----------



## toobig

Yes SB I saw your graph for L91 and that's what got me thinking. You report 77 minutes for L91 and 50 minutes for Panasonic 2550 Nimh with TN4A on Turbo. That's a significant improvement in runtime! However, the above Turbo graph is the only graph for L91 you included in your review and I assumed High and Med would still show an advantage of L91 over Nimh. Is this assumption correct?

BTW Olight reports TN4A has a working voltage range of 2.75-8 V. L91 cells have a nominal voltage of 1.5 and let's say when fresh we're at 1.7 V. That adds up to 6.8 V which is still within working range of TN4A.


----------



## selfbuilt

Given the cost, I don't do lower output run times on L91. I would expect there to remain a runtime advantage at relatively high outputs, but for this to become less so at lower outputs. L91 are optimized for high drain devices.


----------



## bladesmith3

I got my tn4a CW I am impressed. for a light with an op reflector it throws great. I am a fan of CW I guess because my eyes are getting old. this appears as CW as anything. if I really look hard at a white wall I might see a little tint on the extreme outer edge but nice to me. it is my favorite 4AA light. I walked with it for the past 2 nights and the UI became natural. I think this is a deal for the price.


----------



## teotwawki

I may have missed it in the review somewhere. Did you review the neutral or cool white version?


----------



## Snooker

For now : XP-L = CW and XM-L2 = NW.
XP-L version reviewed


----------



## teotwawki

Snooker said:


> For now : XP-L = CW and XM-L2 = NW.
> XP-L version reviewed



Perfect thank you! Forgive my lack of knowledge, just getting started!


----------



## Snooker

No problémo  there is a beginning of all things...


----------



## selfbuilt

Yes, all my reviews are cool white, unless specified that they are neutral white. In the case of the TN4A, the cool white version I tested was relatively warm - but still at the border of the cool white range.


----------



## Grijon

Stellar review, selfbuilt - thank you!


----------



## efoo

Thanks for this comprehensive reviews (as well as the 4-AA LED torches comparison). I spend all night last night reading up reviews and watching YouTube videos on this torch, as well as on Nitecore EA41. Ended up ordering this one (neutral white model) from eBay. Can't wait to see a 1000 lumen light in action. My current brightest torch is the Fenix LD20 (with 180 lumens in turbo mode).


----------



## selfbuilt

Glad it was useful.

:welcome:


----------



## CelticCross74

Ive had the CW TN4A a few months now and it still just dominates all my other much more expensive "stubbies". I am still just so dumbfounded by how good this light is I just ordered the NW version and cannot wait to get it! The CW vs NW reviews Ive seen on YT are more than convincing enough to order a second bargain priced 4xAA superlight lol


----------



## efoo

CelticCross74 said:


> Ive had the CW TN4A a few months now and it still just dominates all my other much more expensive "stubbies".



Still eagerly waiting for mine too. Which other more expensive "stubbies" did you compare to by the way?


----------



## CelticCross74

EA41,D40A,SRA40,GX25A3


----------



## efoo

Thanks, just saw your beam shots in the other thread.


----------



## Badbeams3

Great review Selfbuilt! I have not posted on the forum for about a year. Just thought I would check out one of your reviews and see if you were getting things 100% right yet. Looks like you mis-fired a bit at 4:45... "I find *Nitecore* to be pretty good with lumen *estimates"...which is nice of course. But wrong company...lol. Anyways...thinking about buying this light in the CW format. Normally prefer the NW ones...but the CW from what I could tell had a fair amount of yellow in it already. Would you agree?*


----------



## CelticCross74

ugh those shot were horrid the difference in person is much much more apparent. Am looking for a photo editing program I can buy and load onto my cheap Dell PC so I can just connect my nice little Canon to it and upload them to my PC then to Photobucket. As soon as I can find that Ill be taking beamshots all over the place especially along the Potomac where I live. Just got a Xtar VC4 charger which devours the d4 Ive been using for a long time. The VC4 charges my NiMHs to true full capacity and a smoking 1.5 volts per AA cell so that changes my Stubbie game quite a bit. Just recharged the 2700mah Powerex AA Ive been running in my 2015 EA41 to 1.5 volts per cell which is the first time thats happened and the VC4 added over 2000mah per cell to cells that checked in at a bit over 1.3v so doing some likely incorrect math and these Powerex actually seem to be coming out around the rated 2700mah off the VC4. The difference before and after in the EA41 is striking as hell. Must be the 1.5v but well see how long that lasts. Now onto give the VC4 treatment to the other nearly two dozen lights in my collection. VC4 also charges my 18650s to their cut off limit. Charged a new set of 3400mah Orbtronics to 4.34v per cell!


----------



## WarRaven

Isn't 4.34 a little excessive???
I'm under the belief the Orbs are Panasonic underneath?
Which would be a NCR normally topped out at 4.20?
Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think you're smoking your new Orbs??


----------



## CelticCross74

after much research the VC4 somehow senses the tripping point of whatever protected cell is in it and charges to what Xtar says is a "safe" limit before the protection circuit kicks. Yes the Orbs are NCR18650B underneath and have top notch Japanese made Seiko protection circuits. Long time user of Orbs and am a big believer in them. If 4.34v was harmful to the cell I am totally confident the Seiko circuits would have tripped well before hand. Its the 18650s with cheap Chinese protection circuits that worry me (Olight comes to mind). Ive seen an Olight 3400mah 18650 charge to 4.51v before the circuit tripped. Now THAT is smokin a cell. I am more surprised the VC4 will charge AA NiMHs as high as 1.55v! My d4 and i4 before it would only take my AA NiMHs to 1.38-1.41v where now the VC4 is taking any AA NiMH I put into to 1.5v. I am in the process of recharging my AA powered stubbies on the VC4 and so far the 1.5v it charges my AAs to has made quite a difference. The charger also reads out how much Mah is put into each cell and its with this charger that for the first time Im taking my AA's to their true limits and capacities. The new 4xAA Eneloop Pros I just charged to 1.5v per cell I believe also charged to a good bit over 2600mah per cell. Not unheard of but the first time Ive ever had this good a charger really. Got me curious enough to look into charger/analyzers


----------



## WarRaven

I might be wrong but that is the cut off for the Seiko.
4.34 or 4.35 then it'd settle some. 
?

I run the Fenix 3400 which are Panasonic NCR-B an take off my cheap charger happily at 4.15.
A bit undercharged and I'm OK with that until I get a better charger but I will not go over 4.20 with the said cell.


----------



## CelticCross74

guess the VC4 just takes its charging right to the edge then stops. I put those new Orbs in the new 2015 TK35 and am loving it! Im sure the voltage will drop its just that Orbs are so well put together it will be awhile which is great. Ive got a couple Fenix 3400mah cells and they have been fantastic going to be interesting to see what the VC4 does with them. From what I understand Nitecore just limits their chargers to 4.2v on 18650's no matter what the cell is its just built in as a safety measure even though many cells can take more. Im gonna email Sal at Orbtronic about it after all I got the VC4 from him and have bought many of his cells.


----------



## WarRaven

If you look at your Orbs, Black wrapper? They should be identical to your Fenix 3400 of same size. 
Same injection molded bottom and all, Seiko on top.
Button may be different.
Just the Fenix are overpriced retail, I got mine for half off, was instant gratification, that speaks volumes to my patience so I got a few.

Edit to add, are you charging at 1Amp or 2Amp, assuming charger has right battery chemistry chosen?


----------



## WarRaven

BTW, posting about using said Orbs at 4.34V in a killer light an not actually posting a picture is like, it didn't happen.
👍
Yes my bad for o/t posts, just read post and thought boom.
Do me a favor until proven wrong CC, don't drop a fresh charged cell ☺.


----------



## CelticCross74

Yeah the Fenix and Nitecore branded cells are through the roof! Buttons are different Orbs have copper bottoms both are wrapped quite well in China. Now from what I understand there is designed by Seiko then there is actually made by Seiko. Ill ask Sal about this as well but as far as I knew all the cheap Chinese circuits are copies of the Seiko design licensed or not. From what I understand Orbs circuits are Seiko designed and Seiko manufactured then of course sent to China to be wrapped with the Panasonic cells. Noticed that Nitecore 18650's look like they were wrapped by kids sitting in after school detention. Big gaps very sloppy wraps then Nitecore wants 25 bucks for it lol. Anyways...this thread is about the mighty TN4A so back to it! My XP-L TN4A still has blazing output and the tint is pleasantly whiter than CW XM-L2 U2 that Ive seen yet the hotspot still has this yellowish-green corona that I believe is from the OP reflector. Just noticed Im running 2700mah Powerex in my CW TN4A so they are about to get the VC4 treatment Im sure itll make at least a good run time difference and an initial output difference as well.


----------



## CelticCross74

The VC4 is charging my NiMH AA's to L91 like performance and I am loving it! Most of my AA's are LSD so the high voltage should hold hopefully as well if not better than the L91. Powerex on the other hand are from what I understand NOT LSD so the voltage drop off should be quick. Looks like its time to go full Eneloop Pro on my 4xAA lights. Means I need 8 more 4 for the CW TN4A and 4 for my D40A.


----------



## BowHunter1

Intrested in this 4A light, maybe I missed this somewhere along the way but can someone comment on throw vs spill? I looking for a floody for my back yard and just wondering if this would fit the bill?


----------



## CelticCross74

TN4A has lots of throw and a very very wide beam. If youve ever used a D cell Maglight before its THAT wide bright and very usable. These 4xAA lights have nearly perfect throw to spill ratios in other words they have as much spill ( a LOT) as they do throw which is also a LOT considering the size of the lights. TN4A also has a larger than average hot spot for this class of lights. EA41 and SRA40 have smaller yet more well defined hot spots. I have almost half an acre. Half that half acre is my back yard. TN4A has no problems lighting it up.


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## BowHunter1

CelticCross74 said:


> TN4A has lots of throw and a very very wide beam. If youve ever used a D cell Maglight before its THAT wide bright and very usable. These 4xAA lights have nearly perfect throw to spill ratios in other words they have as much spill ( a LOT) as they do throw which is also a LOT considering the size of the lights. TN4A also has a larger than average hot spot for this class of lights. EA41 and SRA40 have smaller yet more well defined hot spots. I have almost half an acre. Half that half acre is my back yard. TN4A has no problems lighting it up.




Thanks Neighbor! I have a few decent throwers nothing crazy I think my TK41vn is about the best at the moment, been looking between the TN35,30 and now this one for flooding my back yard which is fairly big about 3/4 of an acre in itself and wide. I tend to stick with mostly AA/AAA formats thats why this one came to mind.


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## CelticCross74

TK41vn?!! My goodness!! That has to be a HELL of a light! I do not know what the beam of a Vinh modified TK41 looks like Im assuming it has twice the throw it did before and a couple hundred more lumens. Unless he tweaked the reflector the beam width is likely the same. I just checked out a couple YT videos on the TK41 its quite a light! A thrower for sure. Im going to go out on a limb here and say the beam width of the TN4A is still twice the diameter of the TK41. The TN4A at 30000 candela dftly can throw but nothing like your TK41. Im also going to say the TN4A hot spot is also twice as large as your TK41. Your TK41 likely has a hotspot like a laser its so defined and bright whereas the TN4A hot spot is large with a diffuse edge that transitions over into the mega wide spill. TN35 is overkill and the 32 is a dedicated monster thrower at 250,000 candela. I suggest you give either the CW or NW a shot hell they are only 50 bucks each! Do go by Thrunites direction that in order to get the specified performance out of the TN4A the NiMHs need to be of no less capacity than 2450mah which means Eneloop Pros. Powerex 2700 will work but are not LSD and will drain pretty quickly.


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## BowHunter1

Yeah my TK41vn is literally a lazer beam that reaches out pretty good lol I've been YT videos and the Tn35 seems to be the best of both worlds from I can see.....and theres no such thing as overkill lol I will most likely pick up the TN4A in the NW for the price its hard not too!


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## efoo

Just received my TN4A NW earlier today :twothumbs. I only have Sanyo Eneloop 1900mAh AA batteries with me. Briefly compared to my trusty 2-AA Fenix LD20 in the backyard this evening, I thought the LD20 with its turbo 180-lumen is bright until I see this TN4A's turbo 1050-lumen in action. My goodness, TN4A has a good combo of throw and spill .


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## LeafSamurai

I bought my NW TN4A based on Selfbuilt's review and I have not regretted it. Wide beam, great throw, and the best 4xAA light I have at the moment. Thrunite excel themselves with this light.


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## selfbuilt

Badbeams3 said:


> Anyways...thinking about buying this light in the CW format. Normally prefer the NW ones...but the CW from what I could tell had a fair amount of yellow in it already. Would you agree?


Yes, my sample was certainly quite "yellow" for a CW. Not quite into classic NW territory, but getting close to it. But of course, I don't know if that is typically still the case (or what the current NWs look like). As always, it is something of a lottery.



CelticCross74 said:


> ugh those shot were horrid the difference in person is much much more apparent. Am looking for a photo editing program I can buy and load onto my cheap Dell PC so I can just connect my nice little Canon to it and upload them to my PC then to Photobucket. A


Yes, taking outdoor beamshots is not easy - it's part of why I do it so rarely! White balance is particularly tricky, and things will never look they do in real life. The best you can hope for is consistency, and a reasonable match to relative perception.



BowHunter1 said:


> Intrested in this 4A light, maybe I missed this somewhere along the way but can someone comment on throw vs spill? I looking for a floody for my back yard and just wondering if this would fit the bill?





efoo said:


> My goodness, TN4A has a good combo of throw and spill .





LeafSamurai said:


> Wide beam, great throw, and the best 4xAA light I have at the moment. Thrunite excel themselves with this light.


Yes, I would agree with all these assessments. The TN4A is a good combo of flood and spill. It is certainly a nice compliment to anyone who specialized on throw-focused lights. It should light most wide areas with relative ease.


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## CelticCross74

The ONLY thing the TN4A lacks is another 3-5000 candela but then again doing that without ending up with a smaller tighter well defined hot spot ala EA41/SRA40 is likely impossible and would totally screw with the TN4A's current beautiful big diffuse hot spot vs spill ratio. Having both the NW and CW versions I love comparing the two. The NW seems just as bright, has the same big diffuse hot spot but does NOT have the screwy tint shifting corona around the hot spot the XP-L CW has. Outside the tint shifting hot spot the XP-L CW version puts out a refreshingly white tint with barely any purple to it. All I feel Thrunite needs to do is change up the stippling on the CW reflector a bit, adjust the emitter a bit further up or down and that would take care of the tint shifting corona problem. Essentially give the CW TN4A the Vinh treatment!


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## Badbeams3

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, my sample was certainly quite "yellow" for a CW. Not quite into classic NW territory, but getting close to it. But of course, I don't know if that is typically still the case (or what the current NWs look like). As always, it is something of a lottery.



Well I ordered one! I'm on a self inflicted diet of one light per year. Yea, painful. I was fighting the NT36, as I'm more of an 18650 kind of kid. And 6500+ lumen...for $200 is pretty dam hard to turn away from. But...think I will wait and see if Thunite incorporates a charging circuit next go around, as the batts sound like they are a bit hard to insert and remove. So, this will have to keep me in lumen heaven for now. Thanks again for the great review work you always do. Love them


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## CelticCross74

a very wise choice Badbeams3! Just remember that in order to get manufacturer specified numbers AA's of no less than 2450mah are required which means Eneloop Pros or L91 Energizer Ultimate Lithiums. Thrunite seems to have finally tweaked the battery carrier enough that inserting and removing cells is a bit easier now.


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## Badbeams3

CelticCross74 said:


> a very wise choice Badbeams3! Just remember that in order to get manufacturer specified numbers AA's of no less than 2450mah are required which means Eneloop Pros or L91 Energizer Ultimate Lithiums. Thrunite seems to have finally tweaked the battery carrier enough that inserting and removing cells is a bit easier now.



Thanks! Glad to report I also ordered the Eneloop Pro's. And good to hear they fit a bit easier now. Will be here by Monday 8:00 pm according to Amazon. Can't wait to try it out. I hope it comes with a lanyard. And hope I get one with the somewhat yellow-ish tint as I ordered the CW.


----------



## efoo

Tested the TN4A NW again (along with Fenix LD20) earlier this evening, took some shots. I only have Sanyo Eneloop 1900mAh batteries, not the Eneloop Pro.


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## CelticCross74

great shots! Love the NW TN4A! Like comparing it to my CW TN4A. Like how the NW model does not have that weird tint shifting corona around the hot spot


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## Badbeams3

CelticCross74 said:


> great shots! Love the NW TN4A! Like comparing it to my CW TN4A. Like how the NW model does not have that weird tint shifting corona around the hot spot



I normally prefer NW, hope I did not make a mistake.


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## Badbeams3

Quick question. I looked at my old dependable AA charger. Have not used it in a year or more as I use 14500 in my Olight AA. It say's 1 hour charge. Charges 4x 1.2 AA's at 1500ma. Sounds pretty high to me. Unless what they mean is 1500ma divided by 4....375 each, not to high. Don't need a fast charge (maybe when charging in my car). Will it shorten the life of these Eneloop pro's if I use it? I see 4 hour chargers at Walmart...maybe a much lower charge rate....


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## selfbuilt

Badbeams3 said:


> Quick question. I looked at my old dependable AA charger. Have not used it in a year or more as I use 14500 in my Olight AA. It say's 1 hour charge. Charges 4x 1.2 AA's at 1500ma. Sounds pretty high to me. Unless what they mean is 1500ma divided by 4....375 each, not to high. Don't need a fast charge (maybe when charging in my car). Will it shorten the life of these Eneloop pro's if I use it? I see 4 hour chargers at Walmart...maybe a much lower charge rate....


You are probably fine. I had an old "one-hour" charger that divided the current in four for 4xAA, taking four times longer. I'd give it a try to see how it goes.


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## CelticCross74

Badbeams3 you did not make a mistake. Weather permitting Ill post some beam shots comparing the NW and CW over the next couple days. Hopefully Ill be able to capture the yellow/snot green corona around the hot spot on the CW version that some ppl talk about. I feel the beam out the NW version is far cleaner and the hot spot has slightly better definition. Those were some good shots you took! If Selfbuilt says youre okay with your charger than you should be good


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## Badbeams3

Ok, thanks guy's! Will give the old charger a try. 

LOL..."Badbeams3 you did not make a mistake."...but then you say you will try to capture the yellow/snot green corona. LoL...I ordered the CW...not the NW


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## longsi0008

- Deleted -


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## thedoc007

longsi0008 said:


> One thing I like to clarify is I ordered normal Eneloop 2000mAh along with it, rather than the Pro 2500 mAh version. Thus, would I be able to get 1050 lumens too (and a shorter Turbo life), or would the brightness be affected?



It should make no difference, except to runtimes. Capacity does not tell you ANYTHING about how hard a certain type of battery/cell will drive your light. I think CelticCross74 was referring to the published runtime figures...obviously those will be reduced (by about 20-25%, in theory). Not anything to worry about.

Edit: in fact, if you look at selfbuilt's numbers, he used 2000 mAh Eneloops. So it is already tested and confirmed that they will work fine.


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## Badbeams3

thedoc007 said:


> It should make no difference, except to runtimes. Capacity does not tell you ANYTHING about how hard a certain type of battery/cell will drive your light. I think CelticCross74 was referring to the published runtime figures...obviously those will be reduced (by about 20-25%, in theory). Not anything to worry about.
> 
> Edit:* in fact, if you look at selfbuilt's numbers, he used 2000 mAh Eneloops. So it is already tested and confirmed that they will work fine.*


*

*He used to use 2000 mah, but it appears he is now using the Pro's for run time testing....

*"Output/Runtime Graphs:

Note that I have been moving my NiMH AA testing to the newer Panasonic Eneloop Pro NiMH (2550mAh typical capacity). Panasonic acquired Sanyo a little while back, and the new Panasonic-branded Eneloop Pro cells are an updated version of the former Eneloop XX cells (i.e., Panasonic Pros are basically 3rd generation XX cells, with improved charge holding ability). These were a very tight fit in the TN4A, but I was able to perform my full range of battery testing here.

Also, keep in mind that all my runtime tests are done under a cooling fan."*


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## thedoc007

Badbeams3 said:


> [/B]He used to use 2000 mah, but it appears he is now using the Pro's for run time testing....



Yes, but longsi0008's question was about brightness. You'll note that for the brightness/throw tests, selfbuilt used 2000 mAh Eneloops. It has already been acknowledged that runtime will be shorter with lower capacity cells...that was not the question at hand.


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## Badbeams3

thedoc007 said:


> Yes, but longsi0008's question was about brightness. You'll note that for the brightness/throw tests, selfbuilt used 2000 mAh Eneloops. It has already been acknowledged that runtime will be shorter with lower capacity cells...that was not the question at hand.




Aaah...I see. I stand corrected. Good to know these will hit the high lumens with lower mha batteries


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## CelticCross74

oops!!! thought you went for the NW version. Will try to show what I am talking about with the Corona. Just charged up my camera. Will try to have comparison shots up tonight. Yes I am referring to Thrunites posted specs. For specified runtimes no less than 2450mah AAs are required. Run Pros in both my TN4A's and they out last specs by no less than 20 min on turbo.


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## CelticCross74

efoo's NW pics do an excellent job of showing the color and beam profile of the NW TN4A!!


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## Badbeams3

Well I got mine! Topped off the Eneloop Pro's and they got pretty warm...not so sure about the charger. Love the look and feel of the light. Tint is fine...but I did compare it to my Nitecore "Cobra" EC25 with the Neutral white emitter. No contest, the NW is way sweeter. And it *seems* almost as bright despite being...perhaps only 800 lumens. I like how wide the spill is. I do wish there was more energy put into the spill, less into the spot. Guess I prefer somewhat floodier lights. Love the little blue button light. The Nitecore has a similar button light as well and was one of the things a always liked about it.

One thing I think I noticed...the Cobra's low setting is about 50 lumen and seems perfect for walking and most tasks...and gives a 26 hour run time on that level (more/less).

But I find the 15 lumen level to low on the TN4A. Makes me go up to the middle level (140ish, more than I need). And that only runs for 10~12'ish hours according to Selfbuilts testing.

Comparing the light to my Olight S20 Baton...similar surround width...but the S20 hot spot is way wider. Seems to give a better balance between spill/surround on S10, for general use.. But that's and opinion type thing. The Cobra has a tighter hotspot...not sure which will throw further. The TN4A might on account of it's higher output. 

But I really like the light. Just the idea of having a top performing AA light, with those easy to find anywhere batteries is great, and living in Florida...might get a hurricane and down goes the power. And for some reason, I just think the light looks cool.

But, I'm sticking with neutral whites from now on...when possible.


Edit: Little update. Went out back to shine them around. The TN4A is the king without a doubt in throw...and spill...brightness...just out powers the others. Really lit up the area back there. Seems to really come into it own on high and turbo. On lower levels I preferred either the NW tint of the Cobra of the wider hot spot of the Olight. I see a NW TN36 in my future.


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## CelticCross74

Glad you like it Badbeams3! Sounds like you got one of the latest ones that has a lanyard attachment point and serial # beneath the TN4A engraving. The tint shift issue may have been corrected in yours. Ive got one of the first CW TN4A's without all that and the super tight battery carrier. Despite the corona on my copy the CW out of the CW TN4A is dftly on the warmer side. The user pics posted of the NW TN4A are pretty dead on in terms of tint etc. Sounds like you got a CW with the kinks hammered out Id really love to be able to attach a lanyard to my CW. Getting better with my new neat little Canon and am going to try to capture the yellow/green corona of my CW/early issue TN4A as it appears to be a result of the pushed to the limit XP-L and orange peel reflctor some how. First time I have seen tint shift like this out of any of my lights its just interesting. Just got done with MH20 and M3X shots and its after 2am would love to take pics all night dont wanna PO the neighbors lol Enjoy that light!


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## CelticCross74

oh and when it comes to throw in this class of lights the Jetbeam SRA40 has 35,000-38,000 candela but a couple hundred less lumens. It out throws everything else in the class but thats about the only advantage it has over the others. TN4A to me has the best hot spot to spill ratio...


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## Badbeams3

CelticCross74 said:


> Glad you like it Badbeams3! Sounds like you got one of the latest ones that has a lanyard attachment point and serial # beneath the TN4A engraving. The tint shift issue may have been corrected in yours. Ive got one of the first CW TN4A's without all that and the super tight battery carrier. Despite the corona on my copy the CW out of the CW TN4A is dftly on the warmer side. The user pics posted of the NW TN4A are pretty dead on in terms of tint etc. Sounds like you got a CW with the kinks hammered out Id really love to be able to attach a lanyard to my CW. Getting better with my new neat little Canon and am going to try to capture the yellow/green corona of my CW/early issue TN4A as it appears to be a result of the pushed to the limit XP-L and orange peel reflctor some how. First time I have seen tint shift like this out of any of my lights its just interesting. Just got done with MH20 and M3X shots and its after 2am would love to take pics all night dont wanna PO the neighbors lol Enjoy that light!



Thanks! Yes, it does have the lanyard...put it on right away as I like that, especially on a light with as much heft as this one. Also has the serial numbers, reads SN:BT0101143.

I don't see anything strange about the corona on this one....while not pure white, has maybe just a hint of yellow green around the spot...but nothing bad or out of the ordinary like you describe your sample as having. So...nice as far as that goes on this sample. Over all the tint what one would expect. Just is not tilted as far into neutral white territory as I had hoped. But just fine for a CW. 

One thing I like about the light that I had not picked up on...when you press the button from low, it goes to medium, press again and it goes back to low (not to high). You have to press and hold for it to scroll up to high. Are they all this way? 

You can double tap for turbo from any level. 

Think I am going to order a new charger as I don't like the way the batteries got so warm/hot...think that will degrade them sooner. But I don't want to spend a lot. Thinking about this one that includes 4 standard Eneloops http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JHKSMJU/?tag=cpf0b6-20

What do folks think? Good slower/gentle charger?

Edit: I wish the moon mode was higher. My S20 is at least 3X brighter and used as a night light, left on pointed up at the ceiling when in a hotel for example, it's great for lighting a room well enough to see all around, enough to avoid stepping on shoes ect.


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## Phlogiston

Badbeams3 said:


> Think I am going to order a new charger as I don't like the way the batteries got so warm/hot...think that will degrade them sooner. But I don't want to spend a lot. Thinking about this one that includes 4 standard Eneloops http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JHKSMJU/?tag=cpf0b6-20
> 
> What do folks think? Good slower/gentle charger?



That looks like a Panasonic BQ-CC17 (HKJ review here). I have the BQ-CC16 (HKJ review here), which is a faster version, and it works nicely for me.


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## CelticCross74

hey Ive got that charger lol! Had it a long time. Dont use it though I just trust charges that have digital readouts on them far more makes me more relaxed seeing readouts of whats going on. Got an Xtar VC4 charger like a week ago. Best charger I have yet used. It is much better than the NC d4 but then again its 30 bucks and the proper 2.1amp Xtar USB wall wart for it is another 10...Im sure the Panasonic charges fine. Now off to do some shots


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## CelticCross74

sloppy CW and NW TN4A shots







and now NW








the first two shots are from the CW TN4A the last two from the NW version


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## CelticCross74

tried to take some shots where the color difference is much more apparent but the neighbors were getting PO'd lol. They look pretty similar in these shots I know


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## Badbeams3

Thanks guy's! I ordered it, along with some AAA Eneloop Pro's for my most used light, on my keychain. An old Rofis ER10 SS. Don't think they make them anymore.


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## CelticCross74

85 lumens is great for a key chain light


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## Badbeams3

CelticCross74 said:


> tried to take some shots where the color difference is much more apparent but the neighbors were getting PO'd lol. They look pretty similar in these shots I know



Not sloppy at all, nice shots! Especially the one of the tree. Really shows off the power of the spill on the houses in the background. And NW shows the tree colors very well. These are powerful AA lights, for sure...


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## Badbeams3

CelticCross74 said:


> 85 lumens is great for a key chain light



Yes, I really have enjoyed the little light. Almost never use the 85 setting...30 seems to do me very well. Every once in a while I use the 3 lumen setting, but not often.


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## Badbeams3

I see the ring around the corona you were speaking about in the CW. Mine does not have that...seems a bit more diffused. But your CW looks nice otherwise and really bright. But yea, I also prefer the tint of the NW...


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## CelticCross74

man Thrunite really seems to have smoothed all the kinks out of the XP-L TN4A! If I didnt have two more lights showing up tomorrow and another at the end of the week Id take a chance and request a CW TN4A copy hot off the assembly line. Got to many lights already though...


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## Mr Floppy

CelticCross74 said:


> man Thrunite really seems to have smoothed all the kinks out of the XP-L TN4A! If I didnt have two more lights showing up tomorrow and another at the end of the week Id take a chance and request a CW TN4A copy hot off the assembly line. Got to many lights already though...



I would wait and see if this uses the the new high intensity xp-l at some point in the future. You can always get another and swap the emitter I guess.


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## Badbeams3

CelticCross74 said:


> man Thrunite really seems to have smoothed all the kinks out of the XP-L TN4A! If I didnt have two more lights showing up tomorrow and another at the end of the week Id take a chance and request a CW TN4A copy hot off the assembly line. Got to many lights already though...



My guess is your CW sample is actually better focused. They probably just moved the emitter in or out a hair to get rid of the corona rings. But I would also venture a guess that yours throws slightly farther than the less focused, newer samples. I asked Vinny if he could do some modding to these lights...wondered if a different emitter could be used, different driver, and 14500 batteries to come up with 2000~3000 lumen output (for short bursts). I asked in his "Tell me what light you would like to see me mod" thead. So far no answer. Think it would be a cool project for him and bet folks would buy a few...know I would...if it could be sold at a reasonable price.


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## moldyoldy

Although CPF is filled with enthusiastic posts in favor of the Thrunite TN4A, either CW or NW forms, in my experience, although Thrunite may have corrected some early problems, it still has a couple adjustments to make. 

Based on initial release reports, I purchased an early CW version and immediately regretted not waiting for a review. I rejected in the TN4A CW in first 5 min when I had to forcibly jam the standard white Eneloop cells (1900mah) into the carrier, then go find a butter knife to pry them out. The severe yellow/green color shift on lower levels was also a rejection reason.

I waited, then wrote to Thrunite to ask them if those two problems were corrected - tight battery carrier and color shift. Eventually I received an answer indicating that all was well and I could re-order. So I did, except this time I ordered the TN4A NW version just to hedge against the CW color shift problems. I rejected this version after 30 min. The battery carrier still clearly was too tight with the white Eneloops having to be pushed past the standoffs. and I still had to find a butter knife to pry the cells out. I am not interested in sanding down the carrier standoffs for a better fit, or cutting off the battery springs. I expect a light to be functional upon receipt. Worse still, I found the base color of the NW to be objectionably warm, more like 'warm', not 'neutral'. Also, for me, the TN4A NW color shift at lower levels was instantly rejectable. 

Regarding colors: My preference is flat white. However I have thoroughly appreciated the impressively nice MT-G2 color in every brand of MT-G2 light I purchased (Fenix, Thrunite, Eagletac). I like the Nichia 219 color as in the Illumn Preon P2 High CRI neutral white custom build. I understand the reasons for Neutral White, but.... However warm white colors remind me of dim incandescent bulb flashlights driven by half-dead D-cell batteries from my childhood.

I have had good luck with other Thrunite lights, but simply not the TN4A. I have no more patience or time to try a 3rd time. Regarding the excessive coronal color shift at lower output levels: Is this an XP-L problem or a drive problem or a focusing problem, or some combination of all three? 

On the plus side, the Amazon return process has been flawless for me. 

MoldyOldy


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## longsi0008

Dear everyone

I am about to order this flash light from Amazon for use in Malaysian jungles and I am a noob when it comes to light tech. This model has been selected so I can't change so I like to ask if I should order the CW or NW version?

My main use is to collect samples, during 8PM-5AM, of palm sized herbs from the jungle floor and I am worried either CW or NW color tint may affect the visibility (e.g. I may missed some samples as they are the same color as the green grass floor). Note Malaysia is a topical rainforest, if it helps. Please advise which model is better (not other flashlight, please), thanks!


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## Badbeams3

longsi0008 said:


> Dear everyone
> 
> I am about to order this flash light from Amazon for use in Malaysian jungles and I am a noob when it comes to light tech. This model has been selected so I can't change so I like to ask if I should order the CW or NW version?
> 
> My main use is to collect samples, during 8PM-5AM, of palm sized herbs from the jungle floor and I am worried either CW or NW color tint may affect the visibility (e.g. I may missed some samples as they are the same color as the green grass floor). Note Malaysia is a topical rainforest, if it helps. Please advise which model is better (not other flashlight, please), thanks!



Whenever accurate color rendition is involved NW is the way to go. As you probably know, you will loose about 100 lumen. But 1000 lumen is still very bright and the loss is likely not very noticeable, if at all.


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## selfbuilt

longsi0008 said:


> Note Malaysia is a topical rainforest, if it helps. Please advise which model is better (not other flashlight, please), thanks!


I agree with Badbeams3 - my preference would certainly be for NW in that environment. That said, this is one light the CW tends to have a relative green-yellow tint, so it likely wouldn't be as bad as some CW. But I still think NW is the way to go when it comes to brown/greens in the rainforest.


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## Steph31

Hello! I received mine in France from Amazon germany and there is a lanyard and an attachment point on the back. A wonderfull flashlight !


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## Badbeams3

Steph31 said:


> Hello! I received mine in France from Amazon germany and there is a lanyard and an attachment point on the back. A wonderfull flashlight !



Hey, welcome! Yea, these are great lights for sure


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## b-radical81

I bought two of these guys for my father and father in law recently, and I agree.. fantastic torches!

I was wondering though, is there anything available which would allow me to mount onto a cap or helmet? They are often up in the roof, and this is the perfect torch to use (without hands). 

Would anyone be able to point me to some sort of head mount which would fit the TN4A? 

Thanks in advance


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## selfbuilt

b-radical81 said:


> Would anyone be able to point me to some sort of head mount which would fit the TN4A?


Interesting question - 'fraid I don't have idea though. 

And :welcome:


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## b-radical81

selfbuilt said:


> Interesting question - 'fraid I don't have idea though.
> 
> And :welcome:



Thanks.... yes it is a shame one doesn't exist, but I do understand that torches come in all shapes and sizes, so it would be very hard to come up with a semi-universal head mount for one. 

Looks like I'll have to stick with one of those cheap ebay jobs. 

Also FWIW, I'm not sure whether the question of the legitimacy of the TN4As sold by Hong Kong ebay sellers has come up, but that's where I bought mine from (AUD$62 each) and from what I can tell, they seem genuine. Very happy with the purchase.


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## NeonPenguin

b-radical81 said:


> Would anyone be able to point me to some sort of head mount which would fit the TN4A?



The TN4A is a pretty hefty light to attach to your head! That said, I looked around and the majority of the mounts are a pretty standard 1". The specs show this light has a diameter of 45.5mm or about 1.8" so you'd have to find a fairly large clamp to hold it in place. Something like http://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-pc...e-Hose-Clamps-For-39mm-1-5-1/32402284939.html I guess. Good luck.

NP


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## CelticCross74

hey its the TN4A thread again! Many months later on and I still love both CW and NW versions. I wish my CW had the lanyard attachment point my NW has but thats about it. Ive actually come to appreciate the strange tint shifting corona on my CW. The too tight battery carrier issue seems to have been resolved in my newer NW version. All in all I have way to many lights rotating through my EDC loadout but this "stubby" 3/4xAA class remains a favorite. Still only $50 to boot! Too sweet!


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## 18650

Thrunite claims the NW TN4A is a 3C. Having had one for a few months, I have to report the corona around the hotspot is a fair bit more yellow than my other 3C lights.


----------



## CelticCross74

does anybody out there have the tint/bin chart they could post here? In other TN4A news TN is about to release an XP-L HI TN4A!! 53k CD!! So soon I will have 3 TN4A's. At the price they go for they are a no brainer...


----------



## Phlogiston

Courtesy of CPF member *DFiorentino*: 

https://sites.google.com/site/kineticparadox/LED-Bin-Coding-Charts

Original CPF thread here: 

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...nd-Vf-Charts-and-Links-for-Popular-White-LEDs


----------



## Mr Floppy

CelticCross74 said:


> In other TN4A news TN is about to release an XP-L HI TN4A!! 53k CD!! So soon I will have 3 TN4A's. At the price they go for they are a no brainer...



Yeah, hopefully gets released by Christmas, or sooner as exchange rates for me are getting worse


----------



## CelticCross74

wow Phlogiston that was some awesome info!


----------



## planet

Thanks for your review. I have picked up one online. Hopefully can get it soon.


----------



## funkychateau

What does it mean when you say the minimum output is 18 (0.2)? Are those the lowest two levels? Why is only one low level measured on most lights?


----------



## selfbuilt

funkychateau said:


> What does it mean when you say the minimum output is 18 (0.2)? Are those the lowest two levels? Why is only one low level measured on most lights?


The number is brackets is the moonlight mode, if available.


----------



## BostonDan

Hi All,
Relative noob here with a question about the TN4A. I've decided on buying the NW version after doing my internet research but need to confirm what I am seeing on the Thrunite website. There are a total of four versions listed:



CW XP-L HI
CW XP-L
NW XP-L
NW XM-L2

Numbers 1 and 3 are $5 more expensive and I take these to be newer versions based on reading somewhere above about the "HI" LED version coming, also that the NW versions of lights seem to lag a generation behind their CW counterparts. What's throwing me is that Numbers 2 and 4 are the ones labeled "New", which I am guessing is just bad website management from when these were introduced. 

So my questions are 1) is this right, and 2) is there a clear benefit of the XP-L version of the NW over the XM-L2? Thanks for your help.


----------



## Mr Floppy

BostonDan said:


> So my questions are 1) is this right, and 2) is there a clear benefit of the XP-L version of the NW over the XM-L2? Thanks for your help.



1, yes 
2, no, not a clear benefit. Perhaps an orange peel reflector in the newer model but not confirmed


----------



## BostonDan

Thank you! I went for the newer NW version so I will let you know about the reflector when it arrives.


----------



## selfbuilt

BostonDan said:


> Thank you! I went for the newer NW version so I will let you know about the reflector when it arrives.


:welcome:


----------



## BostonDan

Thanks for the welcome!

So the newer version of the natural white TN4A with the XP-L LED arrived last night and it does have an orange peel reflector. Being a relative noob I don't really have much to compare it to but I am very impressed with it's performance. Throw and spillover where both as reviewed here and will be great for my needs. The NW color was a little yellower than I was expecting, seemingly moreso than older incandescent flashlights, but I may biased from years of CW lights. I definitely need to play around with it more.


----------



## CelticCross74

what? Now there is a NW XP-L TN4A on top of the incoming HI version? Looks like Im going to go from two TN4A's to 4 here very shortly. TN4A is one of the greatest high output LED lights I have ever bought and at the price they go for getting a couple more in these new emitter offerings is a no brainer. I wonder how different the NW XP-L tint is from my XML2 NW TN4A. The NW tint out of my XML2 TN4A nears halogen in tint which I love and its still so stonkingly bright on turbo I visually cannot tell the 100 lumen output difference between it and my early batch CW TN4A. Looking very forward to the HI model. I wish TN would hurry up and start taking orders for it as has been proven here on the forum TN's published specs are almost always dead on. 53k CD out of a stubby 4xAA is no joke....

Yes if you are used to cool whites then it takes a bit of use to adjust to NW especially if its as neutral as my XML2 version. Color rendition should be startlingly good though....


----------



## Mr Floppy

BostonDan said:


> Thanks for the welcome!
> 
> So the newer version of the natural white TN4A with the XP-L LED arrived last night and it does have an orange peel reflector.



Excellent. I wish I could afford both that and the HI but sticking with the HI. It looks like they have updated the specs for the HI and mentions smooth reflector now


----------



## CelticCross74

HI now on sale through the official TN store. Mine is on its way cannot wait. Yes smooth reflector, silver switch. TN needs to revamp the product page for the HI though as it lists the light having a "smooth peel" reflector then further down the same page says it has an orange peel reflector. Pics clearly show a mirror smooth reflector. I have very high hopes for this light. It and the incoming TC12 should keep me content for a good while unless NC drops an MH20GT bomb or Fenix drops their own XP-L PD35 variant etc. 

The incoming TN4A HI should have a beam as huge as its regular counterparts, have a defined hot spot, brighter than average spill. 2500mah NiMHs required to get published run times. Have fresh Eneloop Pros on the way.

Ive had the CW and NW TN4A's since either came out. Have yet to have either get hot enough to visually notice any step down....TN4A value factor is off the chart.


----------



## Gryffin

One more data point... 

The Flashlight Fairy left a TN4 HI CW on my doorstep this morning. They may have tweaked the carrier, my Eneloop Pros pop in and out easily. Mine has a smooth reflector, a new stainless steel switch cover instead of the black, and a lanyard attachment at the rear. The corona does look a little yellowish, but the hotspot seems significantly tighter than selfbuilt's beamshots. 

It looks like a (half)pint-size throw monster so far; I'll do some across-the-pond testing tonight vs. my SRT-7 and P12GT, the best throwers I have. Hurry sundown!


----------



## Gryffin

Gryffin said:


> I'll do some across-the-pond testing tonight vs. my SRT-7 and P12GT, the best throwers I have. Hurry sundown!



Just fer grins, I did a quick indoor test. The SRT-7 and P12GT are *completely* outclassed in throw. I won't even bother taking them to the pond, I wouldn't want to embarrass them.


----------



## CelticCross74

oh man! I ordered my TN4A HI through Thrunite directly and wont have it for another couple of weeks! I saw an evilbay ad for the light and the pictures showed a smooth reflector and what looked like a steel switch. Cannot wait go Thrunite! Im sure it outclasses the SRT7 etc...


----------



## Mr Floppy

Oh man, I haven't even ordered one. Money is tight but I'm putting some away for sure to get one.


----------



## jdhermit

So, kind of lost...considering one, but what would the XPL vs XPL HI difference be? And how would they compare to an XML 2?
I'm not big on narrow beams, they give me tunnel vision bad. 
So which would be good for me?

Thank you!


----------



## Mr Floppy

jdhermit said:


> I'm not big on narrow beams, they give me tunnel vision bad.
> So which would be good for me?
> 
> Thank you!



The non HI.


----------



## CelticCross74

the HI TN4A at 53k CD is definitely a throw oriented light. My TN4A HI is still on its way to me though so cannot really give a true user verdict yet but have several XP-L HI throwers of many sizes. You really cannot go wrong with any TN4A variant. XML2(domed)and XP-L HD have nearly identical performance the HD is just capable of running a slight bit more efficiently at highest output. Ive got the XP-L HD CW TN4A and the NW XML2 TN4A. Both are so bright I cannot tell an output difference at all there is a good tint difference though. Thrunite chooses their emitters well the NW XML2 TN4A is near halogen like in tint I love it the color rendition is outstanding. As for beam profile difference between the two I have they are pretty much identical meaning the profile is very wide with a fat hot spot that features good and even diffusion into the corona then nice bright spill. The HI TN4A has a smooth reflector and is absolutely hot spot oriented as are almost all XP-L HI lights. Will post beamshots here when my TN4A shows up. I highly doubt the HI variants beam will be "narrow" though will post comparisons here...TN4A is one of the best high output LED lights I have ever bought you really cannot go wrong with any of them...


----------



## CelticCross74

My TN4A HI showed up in the mail quite unexpectedly early yesterday! I immedietly took the HI apart and cleaned all contact points with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip as I do all my lights when I first get them. Charged up a fresh set of Eneloop Pros on my excellent VC4. Thrunite has definitely taken care of the tight carrier issues the early batches of the TN4A had as the 4 new Eneloop Pros fit just fine. 

The beam out of the TN4A HI is completely different from the other TN4A variants. The hot spot out the HI is literally half the size of the other TN4A's. It is raining here tonight so no beam shots. The only similarity in the beam from the HI to the other variants is that the overall diameter of beam profile is the same which means its huge just like the other TN4As. On turbo the HI is near humbling in its clarity and definition of profile. The TN4A HI just blew my expensive Armytek Limited Edition Predator Pro V3 into the weeds in terms of throw for less than half the price. Output from the HI seems dead on what Thrunite says it is at all output levels.

Way to go Thrunite! The TN4A HI is a 53k CD home run. Will post pics once the weather clears up.


----------



## gyzmo2002

CelticCross74 said:


> My TN4A HI showed up in the mail quite unexpectedly early yesterday!



Does the switch black or silver? On thrunite site, they show the silver and on amazon, the black one.


----------



## BGater

CelticCross74 said:


> My TN4A HI showed up in the mail quite unexpectedly early yesterday! I immedietly took the HI apart and cleaned all contact points with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip as I do all my lights when I first get them. Charged up a fresh set of Eneloop Pros on my excellent VC4. Thrunite has definitely taken care of the tight carrier issues the early batches of the TN4A had as the 4 new Eneloop Pros fit just fine. The beam out of the TN4A HI is completely different from the other TN4A variants. The hot spot out the HI is literally half the size of the other TN4A's. It is raining here tonight so no beam shots. The only similarity in the beam from the HI to the other variants is that the overall diameter of beam profile is the same which means its huge just like the other TN4As. On turbo the HI is near humbling in its clarity and definition of profile. The TN4A HI just blew my expensive Armytek Limited Edition Predator Pro V3 into the weeds in terms of throw for less than half the price. Output from the HI seems dead on what Thrunite says it is at all output levels.Way to go Thrunite! The TN4A HI is a 53k CD home run. Will post pics once the weather clears up.


I got mine on Friday. Impressed is an understatement ! My TN4A HI lights up trees at 250 yards with ease. It almost equals my Solarforce M9 in throw. I am using standard eneloops for now. Got some pros on the way for it. After reading about the tight battery fit on earlier TN4As, I was pleased to see batteries fit the new carrier with no problems. Fit and finish is flawless. Have yet to test it in my home made lightbox but, I bet Thrunites numbers are very close. Worth every penny.


----------



## BGater

gyzmo2002 said:


> Does the switch black or silver? On thrunite site, they show the silver and on amazon, the black one.


The switch on my HI is silver.


----------



## gyzmo2002

BGater said:


> The switch on my HI is silver.



Thank you. The black one was probably from the first batch.


----------



## jdhermit

Thank you CelticCross! That was very informative. I'm leaning towards the XML now, but think I'd be ok with XPL hd also... Thanks!


----------



## CelticCross74

the HI reflector is nice and smooth. The switch is silver. I cannot tell if the switch is steel or a hard plastic. Either way the switch feel in my new HI is quicker with slightly less traverse vs my other two TN4A's. Noted that Thrunite keeps listing the HI reflector as orange peel even in the HI's manual it says the light features an orange peel reflector this is just not the case. I am chalking that misleading information to things getting lost in translation. I am currently charging up the cells for my other two TN4A's so I can do a side by side comparison once the weather clears up. For now in my opinion the HI TH4A is in a class of its own and yet another home run from Thrunite. I know TN monitors this forum and hope they read this thread and correct the information about the reflector in their manual.


----------



## gyzmo2002

BGater said:


> The switch on my HI is silver.



I asked Thrunite on amazon and they will update the picture for the silver one.

Just ordered my first Thrunite. Thank you.


----------



## DPRoberts

gyzmo2002 said:


> I asked Thrunite on amazon and they will update the picture for the silver one.
> 
> Just ordered my first Thrunite. Thank you.



Looking at the 4 different models of the TN4A on Amazon, the "XPL CW" and the "XM-L2 NW" show a black switch, the "HI Cool White" and the "NW XP-L" show a stainless steel-colored switch. The HI model also shows a smooth reflector and "TN4A HI" written on the body. 

One thing I can't tell from the Amazon photos is whether they've made any changes to the base to make it tail stand more stably. In some Youtube videos I've seen, the raised inner circle on the base protrudes slightly farther than the ring around the edge, meaning that it wobbled a little when tail standing. In the newer photos, it looks like the outer "ring" around the outside is thicker. Both rings are decorative & serve no useful purpose, so one would think that it would be an easy fix to make.

I'm really looking forward to seeing photos of the TN4A HI - I'm still 90% sure I want the XP-L NW, but I've been holding off ordering it just in case...


----------



## gyzmo2002

DPRoberts said:


> Looking at the 4 different models of the TN4A on Amazon, the "XPL CW" and the "XM-L2 NW" show a black switch, the "HI Cool White" and the "NW XP-L" show a stainless steel-colored switch. The HI model also shows a smooth reflector and "TN4A HI" written on the body.
> 
> One thing I can't tell from the Amazon photos is whether they've made any changes to the base to make it tail stand more stably. In some Youtube videos I've seen, the raised inner circle on the base protrudes slightly farther than the ring around the edge, meaning that it wobbled a little when tail standing. In the newer photos, it looks like the outer "ring" around the outside is thicker. Both rings are decorative & serve no useful purpose, so one would think that it would be an easy fix to make.
> 
> I'm really looking forward to seeing photos of the TN4A HI - I'm still 90% sure I want the XP-L NW, but I've been holding off ordering it just in case...



I sent an email to Thrunite last night and received the response this morning. I didn't want to buy one of the first release.

Hi gyzmo2002, 

Thanks so much for your email...

Here just want to tell you that the TN4A HI CW flashlight on Amazon has the silver switch...and we will arrange to update the pictures shown on the Amazon detail pages. 

And if you have other questions, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you again 
Best regards
ThruNite


----------



## CelticCross74

wow! Thrunite coming through with the excellent and fast response gyzmo2002! All 3 of my TN4A's are now fully charged. Should it rain again tonight I wll do inside shots in my basement. TN4A HI is amazing it just left several of my mid sized throwers in the dust.


----------



## gyzmo2002

CelticCross74 said:


> wow! Thrunite coming through with the excellent and fast response gyzmo2002! All 3 of my TN4A's are now fully charged. Should it rain again tonight I wll do inside shots in my basement. TN4A HI is amazing it just left several of my mid sized throwers in the dust.



Fast....3 hours later I received their mail and return to check Amazon and the photo had already been updated. Will receive mine on jan19. I need to compare this one with my Armitek PPHI...


----------



## Gryffin

BGater said:


> Have yet to test it in my home made lightbox but, I bet Thrunites numbers are very close.



I dunno about lumens, but I can confirm the throw. Dug out my light meter, and got 55k lux @ 1m.


----------



## Gryffin

DPRoberts said:


> One thing I can't tell from the Amazon photos is whether they've made any changes to the base to make it tail stand more stably.



Mine sits stable as a can of soup. If there was an issue in the past, it's been fixed now.


----------



## gyzmo2002

Gryffin said:


> I dunno about lumens, but I can confirm the throw. Dug out my light meter, and got 55k lux @ 1m.



Could you explain how to do the test? Does the rule to do it is to take measures at 1m, 2m or 3m..? And calculating CD after? Putting the luxmeter in a sphere? Many questions but I need to go further with my new luxmeter. I bought it to compare my lights, output drops, regulation etc. but could be interesting how the manufacturer do their test.

I could start another thread if the method is to long to explain.


----------



## CelticCross74

55k wow! My TN4A HI eats my expensive PP LE HI in terms of throw. Will post some shots tonight.


----------



## POB10

I've had mine since Dec. 23rd. I've used it everyday for various purposes. I put in some Energizer Ultimate lithiums in it to see how long they will last before using Eneloop Pros. Still going strong. I absolutely Love this light. Perfect size for a coat pocket. I was just out walking the dog at night and was lighting up a group of deer on a golf course nearby. They were at least 250-300m away. I'm not sure why anyone would buy the non XP-L HI version in favor of the other versions. You'd be sacrificing at least a 150m throw. The tint is beautiful. Somewhere between Cool and NW. 
Only issue I've had is the silver button can become a little sticky(gooey?). Maybe it needs some gun oil? Otherwise this thing is flawless. 
Cheers!


----------



## POB10

Double posted. Deleted


----------



## CelticCross74

waiting for it to get dark. Will be forced to do basement beam shots of the 3 TN4A's but at least I have a white wall to shine them against. Charging camera now will have shots up after 8.


----------



## DPRoberts

Is it still fairly floody outdoors? I'm not sure I want to gain throw at the expense of less flood and a cooler color.


----------



## CelticCross74

here are my basement beam shots. It is unfortunate my neighbors have had enough of my lighting up their property for long range out door shots as the TN4A beam really expands well at distance. Basement shots are done against a white wall distance is about six feet. In order the nw is first the CW is second and the XP-L HI is third.







NW





CW





XP-L HI


----------



## gyzmo2002

Definitly the XP-L HI all the way but seems to have a huge spill. The CW and the NW seem to be the same picture. You sure it isn't?


----------



## POB10

Sorry these aren't the best. It was pretty nasty out lastnight. The Sky was very bright and the beam is much brighter than these appear. It cut through the blowing snow really well. 

It lights up that house which is atleast 250m away. 
http://s19.postimg.org/vj9flljyb/image.jpg
http://s19.postimg.org/l1ebsqcsj/image.jpg
http://s19.postimg.org/iisms1r2b/image.jpg
http://s19.postimg.org/mb7ju1h6r/image.jpg
http://s19.postimg.org/w4or6ujb7/image.jpg

http://s19.postimg.org/d0vfqi6gz/image.jpg

http://s19.postimg.org/ybszurolf/image.jpg

http://youtu.be/m7X5lXf7p6k

http://youtu.be/BFhjAhtJQv8


----------



## gyzmo2002

POB10 said:


> Sorry these aren't the best. It was pretty nasty out lastnight. The Sky was very bright and the beam is much brighter than these appear. It cut through the blowing snow very well in person.
> 
> 
> https://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157662870700580



We need to have an account to see yours on Flickr.


----------



## POB10

Sorry. What do you guys like to use?


----------



## gyzmo2002

Dropbox is very common. You can use postimage also. Many choices.

http://postimage.org/


----------



## CelticCross74

the first two pics are NW then CW yes they are very close in tint


----------



## gyzmo2002

CelticCross74 said:


> the first two pics are NW then CW yes they are very close in tint



So close that I had gambled there are the same pictures. I don't see any difference on my iphone 6+.


----------



## Gryffin

Love your TN4A but wish it had a diffuser? I did a little frankensteining this afternoon...

Turns out the lens diameter of a Butler Creek Blizzard #7 (45.5mm) flip-up see-through lens cover ($9 on fleaBay) is the same as the lens on a Nitecore NFD40 diffuser (bought a while ago for $9 off Amazon). You have to thin the edge of the Nitecore lens with a file or sandpaper so it'll fit right, reinstall it under the Butler Creek spring clip retainer, and wah-lah, you can switch from mini-throw-monster to big-fat backyard-filling wall of lumens. Not a bad upgrade for $20!

(I've done similar mods by adding Scotch tape or Glad Press-n-Seal on the Butler Creek lens, but neither diffuse nearly as well as a proper frosted lens.)


----------



## POB10

I used a 200 count plastic vitamin/aspirin container. Just dremel off the thread part. Perfect.


----------



## CelticCross74

will take more pics in an effort to show the tint difference tonight


----------



## Mr Floppy

Excellent shots fellas. I really want to get the HI. Should have bought it before I had the car fixed.


----------



## CelticCross74

its snowing a bit here tonight and am loving lighting up the falling flakes with the TN4A HI


----------



## gyzmo2002

What I like more with the XP-L HI is the UI, the color of the tint, the higher throw capacity, the 4 AA and the size. I would have prefered a thinner spill. This HI has a huge one.

http://s19.postimg.org/bejs6h9s3/image.jpg


----------



## CelticCross74

am loving the TN4A HI even more. The sheer width of the beam is incredible as is the concentrated throw beam in the center. Here is attempt number 2 to show some differences this time I left them all on high instead of turbo and YES the XP-L CW has a hot spot and corona that almost matches the XML2 nw.

NW XML2





CW XP-L





and finally XP-L HI


----------



## totobel

POB10 said:


> I'm not sure why anyone would buy the non XP-L HI version in favor of the other versions. You'd be sacrificing at least a 150m throw.


That's religious i guess 



DPRoberts said:


> Is it still fairly floody outdoors? I'm not sure I want to gain throw at the expense of less flood and a cooler color.


Same here ... short range is also super important.
That's what makes it a good all rounder


----------



## CelticCross74

both HI and non HI versions have their merits. The HI throws like crazy but does not have the fat hot spot of the non HI etc. cant go wrong with any of them hell I have 3 may get the XP-L NW just to see the difference..


----------



## DPRoberts

I just recieved my TN4A in the mail today - XP-L NW version. I only have one other 4xAA light to compare it to - a Starry Light SA-22 that was a group buy over at BLF. It has a Neutral White XM-L2 T6 emitter, labeled as a 3C tint, and a smooth reflector. I wanted to post some photos, but the differences just don't show up on camera.

In terms of tint, the Thrunite is definitely on the warm side. I got a Thrunite T10t with the neutral XP-L a few days ago, and they're both on the warm side of neutral, as compared to the SL's XM-L2, which to my eyes looks perfectly neutral. If you don't like yellowish tints you probably won't like the XP-L NW version. I'm assuming that the XP-L HI is cooler, and closer to neutral based on the photos I've seen here and elsewhere. Personally, I'm quite happy with it.

The Starry Light claims 900 lumens and a 260m beam distance vs. the Thrunite's 1150 lumens and 326m beam distance, so I expected the Thrunite to be a little bit brighter and throw a farther. I'd say the Thrunite is a touch brighter, but the real difference is the spill is a LOT wider. In terms of throw, it's kind of hard to say because it was kind of misty / foggy outside tonight, which I'm sure was cutting down the distance. The Maglite I normally use as my comparison thrower can normally reach a line of trees behind my house that's about 200m away & light up a tree quite well. Tonight, it was struggling to reach the tree line at all. I tried pointing it at another group of trees 150m away, & it lit one up. However, at that same distance, the Thrunite was lighting up three trees instead of the Maglite's one - just not as brightly.

The really interesting thing for me - and the main reason I wanted to post - was to mention the hot spot itself. On both of my XP-L NW lights, the hot spot isn't really defined at all - even close up, it's just kind of a blur. I only have a handful of other lights, but all them have a well defined hot spot with a clear line between the hot spot and the spill - just like in the photos CelticCross74, Selfbuilt, and others have posted. However, with both of my XP-L NW lights, there's definitely a brighter spot in the middle, but you'd be hard pressed to tell where the hot spot ends and the spill begins. I tried to take a picture of this, but my phone just doesn't capture it - the photo shows a definite hot spot, which doesn't exist in real life. I think I'll try to borrow my wife's DSLR tomorrow to see if I can get a picture of what I'm talking about.

Two other general observations about the TN4A:
1. It is small but remarkably heavy. I remember when the first EA4 4xAA first became popular, someone pointed out that it could fit inside a toilet paper tube. I thought these lights had gotten bigger since then, but the TN4A still fits almost entirely in a TP tube (the bezel sticks out about 1cm as that part is too wide). However, at 218g it's about 50g heavier than the popular Sunwayman D40A, which is about the weight of 2 eneloops. That's fairly significant in a 4xAA light. If I wanted to throw this light in a pocket it would certainly fit, but I was concerned about weight I think I'd go with the Sunwayman instead. In fact, if Sunwayman ever comes out with a D40A with an XP-L HI, I'd probably consider that instead based on the weight alone if I wanted a throwy light in this size. On the other hand, the Thrunite seems very well built and sturdy - if you want a light with "heft" it certainly has it! 
2. I love the UI! After reading Selfbuilt's review, the UI (and the lack of a timed stepdown) had me convinced that the TN4A was the light I wanted, and the UI doesn't disappoint. While the electronic switch isn't as definite as a true clicky mechanical switch, it's perfectly silent. I use firefly mode in light a lot when I want to walk around the house in the dark without waking anyone up, and a quiet switch is good for that.

Anyway, in conclusion, if you're happy with a warm tint, a loosely defined hot spot, and tons of spill, get the XP-L NW version. If that's not your cup of tea, you should probably consider the XP-L HI. I'm hoping that someone who has both will eventually post an outdoor video comparison of the two!


----------



## CelticCross74

great description! It is very hard for me to get tint differences down on film and also how the hot spot to spill definition/diffusion actually looks in person. TN4A is tough. I am convinced I could throw it 30 feet and it would be fine. The tint on my NW XML2 is very very warm it doesnt show in my pics though. Only the HI shows up on camera correctly so far.


----------



## totobel

> In terms of tint, the Thrunite is definitely on the warm side. I got a Thrunite T10t with the neutral XP-L a few days ago, and they're both on the warm side of neutral, as compared to the SL's XM-L2, which to my eyes looks perfectly neutral. If you don't like yellowish tints you probably won't like the XP-L NW version. I'm assuming that the XP-L HI is cooler, and closer to neutral based on the photos I've seen here and elsewhere. Personally, I'm quite happy with it.



You have to be extremely carefull with this.
The goal is not to have a warm or a cold colour.
The goal is to have an accurate representation of the reality.
CW will change the colour of the nature, the grass will not be green, the trees will change colour, the fur of an animal will look strange.
If you care about that, NW is pretty much the only option possible.


----------



## Mr Floppy

totobel said:


> You have to be extremely carefull with this.
> The goal is not to have a warm or a cold colour.
> The goal is to have an accurate representation of the reality.
> CW will change the colour of the nature, the grass will not be green, the trees will change colour, the fur of an animal will look strange.
> If you care about that, NW is pretty much the only option possible.



You're over playing the tint of most cool whites. It is not as bad as you are making it out to be. 

Except for the fur part, shone it on my cat and it was actually a dog ....


----------



## DPRoberts

totobel said:


> You have to be extremely carefull with this.
> The goal is not to have a warm or a cold colour.
> The goal is to have an accurate representation of the reality.
> CW will change the colour of the nature, the grass will not be green, the trees will change colour, the fur of an animal will look strange.
> If you care about that, NW is pretty much the only option possible.





Mr Floppy said:


> You're over playing the tint of most cool whites. It is not as bad as you are making it out to be.
> 
> Except for the fur part, shone it on my cat and it was actually a dog ....



Also, different people have different goals. And just to try to keep from going on a tangent - when buying the TN4A, I was looking for a good general "everyday" flashlight, to be used in emergencies, or one I can take camping, etc. I'm not necessarily looking for the best color rendition. In this case, I'm looking to temporarily replace whatever light I had been using - in emergencies when the power goes out, or when I'm not near a campfire, etc. In those situations, the lights I'm replacing are all warm - household lamps and campfires are a lot warmer than neutral. To me, it seems odd and jarring to move from one tint to another. For example, if you're sitting around a campfire and someone turns on a flashlight, to me it always looks way too cool - even if it's a neutral tint - just because I've gotten used to the warm-tinted fire. It makes the light look a lot more artificial and unnatural, even if the flashlight is a lot closer to neutral than the fire was. So, it's often just a matter of preference, & that's why I wanted a warm/neutral tint for this TN4A.


----------



## totobel

Well, NW isn't worse than CW.
But in some situations it's much better.
So ... something that isn't worse and can be better, for me it's a win. Especially for an all-rounder.

You can chose for yourself, but information is the key.
Some youtube video focus on the nature's coulour with the 2 differents versions, it's a recommended watch.

*DPRoberts* : agreed, some people prefer warm white, but this isn't an option for those so ...


----------



## efoo

Before I purchased my TN4A, I viewed a number of reviews and this YouTube review really convinced me to choose the Neutral White version. I prefer the more natural colour rendition. My primary go-to torch - Fenix LD20 is a cool white torch.


----------



## jjp888

What about the spill brightness at lower modes in Hi version???.Is it as bright as the xpl versions??
The spill width is bigger according to the posted pic's. But does it have lesser overall flood brightness???
What differences does it have from the old jetbeam sra40 in terms of throw and spill??Anyone can post a comparison beamshot.


----------



## CelticCross74

will post a SRA40 vs TN4A HI pic tomorrow. TN4A HI has much more spill. But SRA40 spill brightness is brighter at lower levels.

TN4A XP-L HI & SRA40






SRA40 on the right





Again





SRA40 alone





TN4A XP-L HI alone(again)





Both lights were on a lower level.


----------



## jjp888

Thank-you CelticCross74.You are truely awesome. Thankyou so much for these wonderful beamshots.


----------



## Mr Floppy

CelticCross74 said:


> will post a SRA40 vs TN4A HI pic tomorrow. TN4A HI has much more spill. But SRA40 spill brightness is brighter at lower levels.



The SRA40 looks a bit blue in the comparison shots. I think just from the side by side, I much prefer the TN4A hi


----------



## dmattaponi

I made the mistake of reading this thread, and because of the bad influence of some of you here (especially CelticCross74), I now have a third Thrunite TN4A on order...this time a "HI" version to go with my regular cool white and neutral white versions. I'm just hoping it takes the wife a little while to notice a third TN4A around the house and start asking questions.

I have to say on a more serious note, that I agree with all of the positive comments in this thread. Although I don't have anything to really compare them to, I am very happy with my TN4A'. I think I could have been perfectly content with them as a matter of fact, if it weren't for the fact that I had to read this thread, and notice the HI version. Not sure that I need the extra throw, but it sounds interesting and I'm anxious to see how it compares to the other two.


----------



## gyzmo2002

dmattaponi said:


> I made the mistake of reading this thread, and because of the bad influence of some of you here (especially CelticCross74),



CelticCross74 would make a good flashlight seller. I bought some of them as a result of his advice. The TN4A HI is one of them.


----------



## jjp888

+1 .just now placed order for a tn4a xplhi.Thankyou celticCross for those beautiful beamshots.


----------



## CelticCross74

thanks guys and you are welcome. After messing with my old Canon G10 some more I finally got more or less dead on what I am seeing in terms of tint and beam profiles doing this has taken months of trial and error. As for the TN4A saga its legacy will continue for years I predict TN4A upgrades every couple of years which is of course just fine. I mean for a paltry $50 you get a stonkingly high output light that while may not be the slimmest thing is more than good enough to carry in a coat pocket or belt carry. I have noticed how much more room the battery carriers now have vs the first batches of the light. TN monitors this and other light sites so its pretty cool they picked up on this.


----------



## Tachead

Can anyone compare the XP-L HI CW with the XP-L V6 NW? How do the colour temps differ? What about beam profiles? Thanks


----------



## CelticCross74

the XP-L NW is the only TN4A I dont have but one thing is for sure the beam diameter is the same as the other TN4A which means its massive. Would love for somebody with the XP-L NW TN4A to add some pics to this thread...anybody?


----------



## dmattaponi

Sorry I don't have any beam pictures, but I can say that if you shine the cool white TN4A and neutral white TN4A beam side by side, the neutral appears distinctly yellow in comparison. When shining the NW by itself the color is very nice, but next to the cool white it appears yellow in color. Hope that helps a little.

Actually if you watch the very beginning of the video in post #227 above, the stickers (denoting tint) on the boxes clearly show the colors as they appear to my eyes in the individual beams.


----------



## dmattaponi

> Looking at the 4 different models of the TN4A on Amazon, the "XPL CW" and the "XM-L2 NW" show a black switch, the "HI Cool White" and the "NW XP-L" show a stainless steel-colored switch...One thing I can't tell from the Amazon photos is whether they've made any changes to the base to make it tail stand more stably.



This may have been answered earlier, but in case not, I just recently ordered and received my two Thrunite TN4A' (a NW XM-L V6 & a CW XM-L V6) from Amazon (the last week of January). Both came with the silver colored switch, and both stand perfectly flat and stable.


----------



## dmattaponi

Just an update for those who might be thinking about ordering the TN4A HI version. I received my HI version today, and although it's still daylight and I've only been able to compare the HI version and the regular TN4A indoors here is what I can say about the beam...

They HI version hotspot is about half the size and appears brighter than that of the regular version hotspot. The spill/flood light on the HI version is the identical size to the regular version and no less bright to the eye. 

I'm anxious to compare them outdoors. While waiting for the HI to arrive I became a little afraid that the HI would give up some of the nice and useful wide spill of the regular TN4A, but now that I've compared the two I'm happy to report that the HI version does not seem to sacrifice any of the flood/spill for the added throw.


----------



## POB10

Love the light but unfortunately the switch is starting to malfunction. It's sticking and also it has become hard to cycle through the modes. It gets stuck in low then high. Love the light. Bummed about the switch. Wondering if anyone else has issues?


----------



## CelticCross74

try changing out the clear rubber boot that is underneath the plastic switch. All TN4A come with that extra clear sub switch boot. Easy to change as well. As for my 3 TN4A's never had an issue


----------



## POB10

Remove the silver switch on the TN4A HI?


----------



## dmattaponi

The TN4A HI comes with the same clear rubber boot as the other TN4A. Sounds like it's worth a try.


----------



## CelticCross74

take a slim pair of needle nosed pliers or even a good pair of tweezers and turn the ring around the button to the left it should come loose an off easily. After that the black plastic button should easily fall right out. The clear boot under the plastic switch may take a pinch to grab and pull off but its no big deal. The clear boot is what covers the blue LED you see at the center of the black button. While apart inspect the bare area for anykind of refuse that may be causing any stickiness. Spilled soda etc. is a major culprit. To be sure take some rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip and go over the bare area and let dry. Check the blue LED itself for how well it clicks. It should be fine. Replace the old clear rubber boot with the replacement boot that came with the light. Clean the black plastic button with rubbing alcohol then dry it off. Put the black plastic switch back in place. Holding the switch down take the silver retaining ring(which I would also clean with alcohol)and screw it back into place fingers first then tight with pliers/tweezers. This should take care of your sticky switch. If it does not contact thrunite as any step after that would involve taking the light apart.


----------



## CanadaLight2

Hello,

Could someone please tell me how the color temperature of the HI (only comes in CW it looks like) compares to the NW? Is the HI CW warmer than the XPL V6 CW? I prefer NW but if the HI is just on the cooler side of neutral, that's probably OK if it's the better light. I'm just not a fan of the really blue light. I was going to buy the NW but I am trying to find out more info on the color temperature of the HI and even after 3 emails to ThruNite they have been zero help.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## dmattaponi

The HI cool white is significantly cooler than either the cool white or neutral white tn4a. Keep in mind that the regular cw tn4a is somewhat neutral in color


----------



## CanadaLight2

dmattaponi said:


> The HI cool white is significantly cooler than either the cool white or neutral white tn4a. Keep in mind that the regular cw tn4a is somewhat neutral in color



Thank you very much for the reply, however I am even more confused now because earlier in the thread, someone mentioned the HI was on the warm side haha! Unfortunately I have to buy sight unseen.

ThruNite told me the CW is over 5000k (very cool) and the NW is under 3000K (warm side of neutral for sure), but ignored my question regarding the V6 and HI color temperature differences. I can't decide! The beam shots help somewhat, but it is dependent on the camera's white balance being flawless, which seems unlikely. Sometimes the CW shots look totally neutral, sometimes the CW shots look extremely blue - it's so hard to tell. I know I prefer color rendition over all out lumens, which is what draws me to the NW (XPL V6), but if the HI is such a better LED, I can't decide.

I have literally sent ThruNite 5 emails now, and they reply, but flat out ignore me when I ask them the color difference between the XPL V6 CW and XPL HI CW.


----------



## gyzmo2002

Why not buy both on Amazon and keep the one that suits you?


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> Why not buy both on Amazon and keep the one that suits you?



Don't want to have to do that, but I may end up going that route if I can't gather enough information otherwise. I wish they published precise color temperatures, I could have my answer in 2 seconds. Or I might just get the NW and I'm sure I'll be happy with it not knowing any different haha.


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> Don't want to have to do that, but I may end up going that route if I can't gather enough information otherwise. I wish they published precise color temperatures, I could have my answer in 2 seconds. Or I might just get the NW and I'm sure I'll be happy with it not knowing any different haha.



With this option, you are certain to make the best choice because everyone has a different perception. I have the HI if you are near me.


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> With this option, you are certain to make the best choice because everyone has a different perception. I have the HI if you are near me.




I'm in Calgary, but thank you for the generous offer. I agree, buying both or all 3 would be the easiest, but paying for return shipping on 1-2 lights that only cost $60 to begin with doesn't make as much sense. This will be my first "high end" flashlight, so no matter what I get it's probably going to blow my mind haha. 

Is your HI pretty cool, temperature wise?


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> I'm in Calgary, but thank you for the generous offer. I agree, buying both or all 3 would be the easiest, but paying for return shipping on 1-2 lights that only cost $60 to begin with doesn't make as much sense. This will be my first "high end" flashlight, so no matter what I get it's probably going to blow my mind haha.
> 
> Is your HI pretty cool, temperature wise?



Not as cool as my Armytek. The HI is cool with a yellowish corona.


----------



## CanadaLight2

Well I ordered the XPL-V6 NW and some Eneloop Pro's. I'm sure I'll be happy with it, if for some reason I hate it, I'll just exchange. Thanks for putting up with my questions, I have a tendency to overthink things and go into "paralysis by analysis" haha.


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> Well I ordered the XPL-V6 NW and some Eneloop Pro's. I'm sure I'll be happy with it, if for some reason I hate it, I'll just exchange. Thanks for putting up with my questions, I have a tendency to overthink things and go into "paralysis by analysis" haha.



I took my Eneloop Pro at NCIX in Canada. They often have good specials on them. At that time, the set of 4 was cheaper than Amazon Canada. If I remember correctly, the set of 4 with a charger was 2 dollars higher than the set of 4 on Amazon but I don't use it....just in case...

The shipping was free with my order. I think it is free higher than 50.00 order.

On sale now at NCIX: Eneloop Pro AA (4) 21.99 vs 24.78 Amazon Canada.


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> I took my Eneloop Pro at NCIX in Canada. They often have good specials on them. At that time, the set of 4 was cheaper than Amazon Canada. If I remember correctly, the set of 4 with a charger was 2 dollars higher than the set of 4 on Amazon but I don't use it....just in case...
> 
> The shipping was free with my order. I think it is free higher than 50.00 order.
> 
> On sale now at NCIX: Eneloop Pro AA (4) 21.99 vs 24.78 Amazon Canada.



I saw that actually, but they want $8.00 for shipping since I didn't need anything else. I'm an Amazon Prime member so I just got them from Amazon along with the flashlight itself ($63.00 for the light). What I did notice though is that nobody in Canada seems to have the 2015 version of the Eneloop Pro's - just the 2014 version. We'll see when they show up, maybe I will be surprised by the latest version.


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> I saw that actually, but they want $8.00 for shipping since I didn't need anything else. I'm an Amazon Prime member so I just got them from Amazon along with the flashlight itself ($63.00 for the light). What I did notice though is that nobody in Canada seems to have the 2015 version of the Eneloop Pro's - just the 2014 version. We'll see when they show up, maybe I will be surprised by the latest version.



The stamp on mine is 15 01 MR...(01 mars 2015) made in Japan. Bought on september from Ncix. Keep posted with the one from Amazon.


----------



## recDNA

CelticCross74 said:


> try changing out the clear rubber boot that is underneath the plastic switch. All TN4A come with that extra clear sub switch boot. Easy to change as well. As for my 3 TN4A's never had an issue


Which model has the greatest throw? Did you measure the throw? I see the reading for the normal model but not the hi everyone is talking about. Thanks!


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> The stamp on mine is 15 01 MR...(01 mars 2015) made in Japan. Bought on september from Ncix. Keep posted with the one from Amazon.



Will do - I was just going off of the product number and package design, everything was 2014 but sometimes they just don't update the ads, and the end up shipping the new ones. The 2015 Pro's are model number: *BK-3HCDE *And everything I saw was *BK-3HCC* (2014). Also the 2015 packaging appears significantly different. We will see what they send though, I will report back.


----------



## CanadaLight2

recDNA said:


> Which model has the greatest throw? Did you measure the throw? I see the reading for the normal model but not the hi everyone is talking about. Thanks!



The HI model has by far the most throw, about 150m more according to the specs.

Here's a link to the HI: http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-tn4a-xp-l-hi-cool-white-new-product/


----------



## recDNA

Ah peak beam intensity 52340cd. Sounds good especially since it has some spill.


----------



## CanadaLight2

recDNA said:


> Ah peak beam intensity 52340cd. Sounds good especially since it has some spill.




Indeed. Only available in Cool White though


----------



## recDNA

I don't mind that in a thrower.


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> The stamp on mine is 15 01 MR...(01 mars 2015) made in Japan. Bought on september from Ncix. Keep posted with the one from Amazon.



The Eneloop Pro's came in. They have the 2014 specifications, 2014 model number, and 2014 packaging, they have"15-02 RX" engraved on the side which means they were made in February 2015. They have the 2014 specification (min 2,450 mAh) listed right on the actual battery, not just the packaging. Maximum mAh is the same (2,550). The newest 2015 ones have min 2,500 mAh, which is where the main difference seems to be (50 mAh more). You can see more in this PDF:

http://www.panasonic-eneloop.eu/pdf/99152100_ENG_eneloopCat_2015_LR.pdf

So, I got 2014 spec eneloop pro's it looks like, not that I will probably ever know the difference.


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> The Eneloop Pro's came in. They have the 2014 specifications, 2014 model number, and 2014 packaging, they have"15-02 RX" engraved on the side which means they were made in February 2015. They have the 2014 specification (min 2,450 mAh) listed right on the actual battery, not just the packaging. Maximum mAh is the same (2,550). The newest 2015 ones have min 2,500 mAh, which is where the main difference seems to be (50 mAh more). You can see more in this PDF:
> 
> http://www.panasonic-eneloop.eu/pdf/99152100_ENG_eneloopCat_2015_LR.pdf
> 
> So, I got 2014 spec eneloop pro's it looks like, not that I will probably ever know the difference.



NCIX seems to have newer stock than Amazon. Mine bought in september 2015 have the capacity "Up to 2550mah". 15 01 MR engrave on the cells. I will continue to buy cells from them. Thank you for your feedback.


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> NCIX seems to have newer stock than Amazon. Mine bought in september 2015 have the capacity "Up to 2550mah". 15 01 MR engrave on the cells. I will continue to buy cells from them. Thank you for your feedback.



Both versions are "up to 2,550" though, it's just the minimum mAh that is different. What do your cells say for minimum charge? Should say right on the side like this "min.2450 mAh" or "min.2500 mAh" The 2500's are 2015, the 2450's are 2014.


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> Both versions are "up to 2,550" though, it's just the minimum mAh that is different. What do your cells say for minimum charge? Should say right on the side like this "min.2450 mAh" or "min.2500 mAh" The 2500's are 2015, the 2450's are 2014.



I don't have the package anymore. I bought 2 sets of 4 and a set of 4 plus charger. I have the package of the charger with the cells. 

http://s19.postimg.org/lljaue7k3/image.jpg

http://s19.postimg.org/qzmofomo3/image.jpg

Edit: on the cell: min 2450mah

http://s19.postimg.org/ubkz8zef7/image.jpg

The stamps of the other sets: 15 02 RX
15 02 RX


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> I don't have the package anymore. I bought 2 sets of 4 and a set of 4 plus charger. I have the package of the charger with the cells.
> 
> http://s19.postimg.org/lljaue7k3/image.jpg
> 
> http://s19.postimg.org/qzmofomo3/image.jpg
> 
> Edit: on the cell: min 2450mah
> 
> http://s19.postimg.org/ubkz8zef7/image.jpg
> 
> The stamps of the other sets: 15 02 RX
> 15 02 RX



Looks like you got the exact same batteries as me, even the same manufacture date. They are the 2014 version (based on specification). The only difference between them and the 2015 version as far as I can tell is packaging, and 50 mAh minimum capacity. Pretty much a non issue I would think.


----------



## gyzmo2002

According to this thread, they are in the 4th generation started in 2013, mine 2014.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/364607

Now I know what you meant.🙂


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> Looks like you got the exact same batteries as me, even the same manufacture date. They are the 2014 version (based on specification). The only difference between them and the 2015 version as far as I can tell is packaging, and 50 mAh minimum capacity. Pretty much a non issue I would think.



Yes, we have the same. Mine were bought in september though. I don't know if NCIX has the 5th gen now.


----------



## CanadaLight2

gyzmo2002 said:


> Yes, we have the same. Mine were bought in september though. I don't know if NCIX has the 5th gen now.



I checked a lot of places (NCIX, NewEgg, Amazon, Memory Express, Dell, etc.) and the true 2015's are pretty much impossible to find, looking at both the packaging and model numbers at various online retailers, everyone has the 2014 version. Even huge stores like B&H in New York don't have the true 2015 versions. Oh well!


----------



## gyzmo2002

CanadaLight2 said:


> I checked a lot of places (NCIX, NewEgg, Amazon, Memory Express, Dell, etc.) and the true 2015's are pretty much impossible to find, looking at both the packaging and model numbers at various online retailers, everyone has the 2014 version. Even huge stores like B&H in New York don't have the true 2015 versions. Oh well!



I have 12 for my tn4a.... I'm ok for a longtime.... Probably until the future 6th gen...[emoji6]


----------



## POB10

Ok so I replaced the rubber boot that came with the TN4A HI. There was a bunch of black paint chips(what it looks like) under the boot. Possibly from the factory. I cleaned the inside a bit with Qtips and replaced the switch with new boot etc. 
it works better now but still have a hard time getting Moonlight and Turbo. I contacted them today. I will update when I hear from them. Hopefully nobody else has this issue but maybe this will help if you develop an issue down the road. 
I absolutely Love this light but it has to function properly at all times.


----------



## CanadaLight2

I hope you have a better experience with their customer service than I did. I emailed them with a few extremely simple questions, and their replies were so vague and off base I'm pretty sure they didn't even bother to read my email at all. I tried a total of 5 times, and their responses didn't even attempt to address my questions. They couldn't answer simple questions about LED differences. I just gave up after that.


----------



## CanadaLight2

Got my TN4A XPL V6 NW yesterday, which is my first "real" flashlight.

First impressions from a noob who has nothing to compare it too:
- Bright, but not as bright as I was expecting based on all the comments and YouTube videos I watched before purchasing.
- Color temperature is extremely warm on everything but High and Turbo (Low & medium are straight up yellow, probably closer to 2000K)
- Color reproduction on High & Turbo is excellent (I shined it on my Xrite Colorchecker Passport, various photo prints, etc.)
- The visible difference between 550 lumens (High) and 1150 lumens (Turbo) is shockingly small and nowhere near double (to my eye anyway), though I was just fooling around indoors
- Ideally I would have liked a color temperature around 4000-4400K but that was not an option with ThruNite. It's not bad at all though if you avoid the lowest settings. And that being said, if I was doing extended reading in the dark on low or firefly, I'd likely appreciate the warmer color.
- The spill outside the hot spot is enormous, fills up an entire room
- I will probably use it on High 90% of the time, which tells me I like around ~550 lumens minimum for most things
- Some manufacturing oil had to be wiped off after I took it apart to insert batteries, was not a fan of that

Overall for $60 (CDN) it seems like very high value, I love that it uses AA batteries (using brand new Eneloop Pro's), and I'm happy with the light itself but *extremely* disappointed by ThruNite customer service, they were completely useless even after multiple attempts to get very basic answers about their products - I can only imagine how difficult they will be if I have a warranty issue.

Also, their "limited lifetime" warranty is hilarious. The light comes with a little sheet of paper written in very poor English (why do so few companies consult with native English speakers prior to print? It would be as simple as sending an email...) explaining the warranty. It says you have lifetime warranty, but you have to pay for the repairs, and shipping LOL. So...you don't have any kind of lifetime warranty at all, because the "limitations" are that the customer pays for literally everything in the event of a warranty claim beyond the initial period.


----------



## Mr Floppy

CanadaLight2 said:


> - Bright, but not as bright as I was expecting based on all the comments and YouTube videos I watched before purchasing.



The neutral or warmer light can often give the impression that it is not bright. 



> - The visible difference between 550 lumens (High) and 1150 lumens (Turbo) is shockingly small and nowhere near double (to my eye anyway), though I was just fooling around indoors



That's the human eye for you. Perception of bright is non linear

That said, I think the neutral is supposed to be around 4000K. Maybe they mistakenly put a warm in it. Would be a rare one if they did


----------



## dmattaponi

In contrast to CanadaLight2, my perception of the light was very different. Keep in mind that this is my first light with a brightness level over 220 lumens, but to my eye I could tell no difference in brightness between the NW and the CW, and I was very impressed with just how bright they both are. I also find the difference between 550 and 1150 to be very noticeable to my eye. That's not to discount CanadaLight2's opinion. Just sharing how my own perception of this light is different.


----------



## Mezz

Can't believe what they can do with AA these days. As always, great review. Thanks


----------



## POB10

Update on my warranty attempt. It took a few emails back and forth but I am getting a new TN4A HI shipped. Just waiting for a tracking #. 
Make sure you keep your proof of purchase. Print out your receipt from Amazon or EBay etc. and keep it with the box or somewhere in case you need it. First thing they'll ask for. Hopefully nobody need it. 
Cheers!


----------



## CanadaLight2

Took it outside and I must say I am more impressed, it's really bright and lit up things hundreds of meters away. 

ThruNite told me (the only question they decided to answer of mine) that their Neutral White is *LESS* than 3000K (very warm), and their Cool white is *MORE* than 5000K, that's as specific as they could be. To me, Neutral white should be mid 4000K, but I knew it was on the warm side going in so I can't complain. The lower brightness modes are visibly warmer than High and Turbo.

POB10 - I'm amazed you got any reply from them at all. Glad you got it sorted out though. Also with Amazon, it keeps your purchase history for at least a few years, so you should always have access to proof of purchase.

Overall I'm very happy with it for the price. I love that it takes AA's.


----------



## novasquid

POB10 said:


> Update on my warranty attempt. It took a few emails back and forth but I am getting a new TN4A HI shipped. Just waiting for a tracking #.
> Make sure you keep your proof of purchase. Print out your receipt from Amazon or EBay etc. and keep it with the box or somewhere in case you need it. First thing they'll ask for. Hopefully nobody need it.
> Cheers!



what's the warranty period?


----------



## CanadaLight2

novasquid said:


> what's the warranty period?



30 days return/replace (any reason)
2 years replace (if defective)

They also list a "limited lifetime" warranty which is a scam, if you read the fine print says you pay for everything including parts & shipping both ways, so there is no warranty beyond 2 years like they imply.


----------



## novasquid

thanks for the warranty info. once i bothered to read the manual, i noticed it's written just as you described including their ridiculous "lifetime" warranty.

also, wanted to say that i received my neutral white tn4a today and my impression is exactly the same as yours. the low and medium settings are much yellower than i expected. maybe my eyes are just used to the cooler white indoor led and cfl bulbs. after spending some time in my completely dark basement testing out the light, i feel like i should've gotten the cool white version. i have the HI version coming in tomorrow, and hope to take both out to the woods to test them out, i suppose that's the only way to know which i'll prefer since it'll be used mostly in the woods while camping.


----------



## POB10

Received a replacement from Amazon today. Which was very fast and appreciated. I did have to send them a copy of my return receipt(which I paid for) but not a huge deal. Very cool light. I use it all the time. The spill is much brighter and useful than I can capture on my iPhone camera.


----------



## POB10

I consider this an outdoor light and use it for far beam shot work. If you want an indoor compact light. Grab the Olight S1. Hilariously bright in something so small. 
Cheers!


----------



## dmattaponi

I received in the mail today my 4th Thrunite TN4A. I think 4 is enough


----------



## wolfstyle

dmattaponi said:


> I received in the mail today my 4th Thrunite TN4A. I think 4 is enough




Which one do you prefer?


----------



## dmattaponi

wolfstyle said:


> Which one do you prefer?



That's actually not as easy to answer as I might have thought. They are all nice, but...

I think I prefer the neutral white over the cool white (although the cool white is a tad on the warmer side, so I'd be satisfied with it if that's all I had).

I also think I prefer the regular TN4A to the HI version, because it has adequate throw, with a much wider hot spot than the HI version (but again, there are times when I might prefer the HI. The difference as my wife described it is, the regular provides something like "a wall of light", while the HI version is more like laser, with a very bright, and significantly tighter/smaller hot spot, but still maintains good flood).

I don't mean to sound so non-committal. Again if I were to choose one, I guess it would be the regular version in neutral white (but not by a large margin). It has a vehicle headlight quality about it.

They all are literally blinding on HI, Turbo, and Strobe. I think the strobe would be a viable self-defense option on this light. You definitely can't look directly at it, and even when not looking directly at it, all you can see is something like little stars of light shooting all around you, to the point that everything else is blackened out (including where the light and person holding the light is coming from). You just can't see anything else.

I have on the bedroom nightstand, another in the main living area of the house, a third in my SUV, and I've not decided for sure what I'm doing with the 4th yet, but for now it is in my "go bag".


----------



## CelticCross74

Its good to see the TN4A thread still going! Still rocking my 3 TN4A's(CW,NW and HI). Dont have a favorite as all 3 have their own advantages etc. although I must say BOY the HI can throw! Best thing about these lights is that they cost 50 bucks each and the build quality and design is first rate top shelf all the way. I am totally confident I could not only drop one of my TN4A's from 6 feet and it would be fine I am confident I could throw one 30 feet into a shallow creek and it would just keep cranking. None of my 3 TN4A's actually get "hot" it is strange. Warm? Okay sure but it is just kind of warm. For the heck of it I am running my HI off of fresh Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA's because 3000mah is no joke and they crank 1.5v or very close to it until they die. I would like to say the light cranks harder with the Energizers but do not have any kind of measuring equipment to really make a verdict. Sure cranks though. I have yet to actually see any of my 3 TN4A's get hot enough to step down off turbo. I have left a couple on turbo until the batteries just started giving out. Maybe its my eyesight Idk. I just know TN4A is one of the best high output LED lights there is.


----------



## dmattaponi

CelticCross said, 

". although I must say BOY the HI can throw! Best thing about these lights is that they cost 50 bucks each and the build quality and design is first rate top shelf all the way. I am totally confident I could not only drop one of my TN4A's from 6 feet and it would be fine I am confident I could throw one 30 feet into a shallow creek and it would just keep cranking. None of my 3 TN4A's actually get "hot" it is strange. Warm? Okay sure but it is just kind of warm..."

Agreed on all counts, and just to add a bit more to the conversation from what I said in my last post, last night I had opportunity to compare the regular TN4A with the TN4A HI both around my home and out on my brother in law's farm. At home I prefer the regular. It does a great job here where my max distance is probably about 100 yards. As I mentioned previously, I was kinda thinking the HI was not really needed that is until last night while getting some time out on the farm where distances are much bigger. In this environment the HI version really shines (sorry no pun intended). If I lived on the farm I would definitely prefer the significant increase in throw at distance, and penetration between trees (where much of the regular TN4A flood is reflected back, the HI goes right through and illuminates what is beyond). At home I still prefer the regular version, but on the farm I would definitely opt for the HI where the difference in throw and beam profile really makes a difference in the expanses of fields, intermixed with woodlots.

I also noticed the deer didn't seem bothered by the regular TN4A but the HI version would quickly get them moving away from the light.


----------



## CelticCross74

the beam profiles between the non HI and HI TN4A's is indeed pretty extreme. To my eyes my standard CW and NW TN4A's are flooders with throw if that makes any sense. The HI is a totally different beast altogether. Very bright, very well defined and bright hot spot profile that throws well enough to really give the user a good impression of the "depth" of the range of the light its very well done by TN. Gotta add I also recently got the ET S200C2 HI CW and it is scary good. Not as good as the TN4A HI but still amazing.


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## dmattaponi

[QUOTETo my eyes my standard CW and NW TN4A's are flooders with throw if that makes any sense. The HI is a totally different beast altogether. Very bright, very well defined and bright hot spot profile that throws well enough to really give the user a good impression of the "depth" of the range of the light its very well done by TN. ][/QUOTE]

Yes...having both lights I know what you mean, and that is a good description. The regular TN4A, and TN4A HI, although the same on the outside, are definitely very different from each other in application due to the differences in beam qualities..


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## novasquid

does anyone know where i can purchase spare battery carriers for the TN4A?


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## CelticCross74

ohhh man...I am unaware of being able to purchase a spare carrier. If that was an option it would be likely listed on the TN site. Still glad to see this thread going. Have now switched all 3 off my TN4A's over to L91 AA's. Bought a bulk box of them for a good price. Notice the observations of the tint of the XP-L NW TN4A above. That is an odd thing having the neutral tint color be more neutral at the lower settings vs the top two outputs. I have the older XML2 NW TN4A. This XML2 NW TN4A does not have this problem at all. The tint is exactly the same at all output levels.

Unfortunately Ive gotta now deal with returning my NW TN12 2016. The tint out of the light is pretty far from neutral it is literally violet. Fist problem I have had with any TN light.


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## novasquid

i emailed thrunite's customer service via their website, and was asked to send them my order number and address. hope to get a new carrier in the mail soon.


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## TorchesSansFourches

novasquid said:


> does anyone know where i can purchase spare battery carriers for the TN4A?




It's been awhile since you posted this, but I'm curious: was your need for another carrier because the original failed?

I just received my TN4A NW, and much to my dismay, I haven't been able to get any use out of it beyond burning my fingers removing the batteries from a shorting carrier (I guess that's what happened?).

Here's a summary:

1. Flashlight is unboxed;
2. Battery carrier is removed, and fully-charged Eneloop Pros are <b>correctly</b> inserted;
3. Carrier is set aside for approximately 20-30 seconds while I inspect the body threads, interior battery compartment for grease, debris, etc.;
4. Heavy burning smell is noticed. I grab the carrier and can barely hold it, burning my fingers on the glowing springs trying to remove the extremely hot batteries;
5. Batteries having been removed, inspection of the carrier reveals that the negative terminal springs on two adjacent battery-slots are burned / discolored, and the two springs are really no longer springs ... the metal has hardened and shrunk (basically the springs are permanently, completely compressed and <b>cannot</b> be returned to the original shape / length). It also looks like the solder melted and re-hardened, not sure (what temps would be required for the spring-reconfigure and / or solder melting to have occurred?).

Anyone have any thoughts on all this? 

The batteries are fine (or <b>were</b> fine). I used the (almost-new) Eneloop Pros during the first fiasco, but I tested with some brand-new, never-used, fully-charged Imedions (wearing safety glasses and gloves this time), all to the same effect.

I've actually avoided the 'exotic' batteries in preference to AAs, but maybe I was wrong to be so prejudiced.

Just a final note to clarify: I never actually inserted the carrier into the flashlight body ... luckily so. The TN4A will be going back, and I guess I'll get a replacement NW as I was not even able to use this incident to determine if I like the neutral XP-L.

Thanks.
------

Photos

1 Full image of battery carrier; note the two normal spring contacts, and the two 'burned' springs.







2 Close-up of 'burned' spring #1 (it is not as discolored as the one in the next photo, but otherwise shares the hardened, permanently compressed characteristics).






3 Close-up of 'burned' spring #2 (note the bluing and missing brass plating).






4 The next two photos are included to show that the 'top' and 'bottom' contact surfaces appear undamaged despite the extreme sizzle that the two negative contact-springs took.






5






6 And finally, the two sets of batteries I tried.


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## novasquid

TorchesSansFourches said:


> It's been awhile since you posted this, but I'm curious: was your need for another carrier because the original failed?



I just wanted a spare carrier in case I lost the original. 

that's crazy how your carrier turned out, I assume the wiring at the factory must've been done incorrectly. you should also email thrunite with pics, maybe they can track down where it failed in the manufacturing process.


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## TorchesSansFourches

novasquid said:


> I just wanted a spare carrier in case I lost the original.
> 
> that's crazy how your carrier turned out, I assume the wiring at the factory must've been done incorrectly.



Thanks for the reply.

As for potential reasons, I'm leaning towards misapplied solder contacting a trace on one of the PCBs. 

I'll definitely be testing the carrier before doing anything else when the replacement flashlight arrives. But, even if everything checks out OK, which is likely the case, I'm probably going to be so paranoid from this incident that I'll end up removing the batteries after each use ... and that's going to get old.


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## Lateck

Thank you Selfbuilt for this review (yes, even a year plus later).
I have been moving away from AA cell lights, towards 18650's. But I read a story about the availability of batteries (again) in a disaster. Newer 18650's and even CR123's may not be handy to order or find wherever I am at...... So, the always available AA are. 
I just ordered a TN4A and some Eneloop Pro's. (Hope I do not have the QC issue as have been reported recently).

Lateck,


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## CelticCross74

and the mighty TN4A review thread marches on!! TorchesSansFourches that is one screwed up carrier!! I have 3 TN4A's and have had zero problems with any of them at all. I power them all with L91 AA Energizer Lithiums for max capacity(3000mah)and the fact they are ultra heat and cold resistant and crank 1.5v right up until they die. I was using Eneloop Pro's but got a good deal on a bulk box of L91's. Man your carrier seems to have been wired backwards at the factory. I truly hope TN took care of you. I still cannot pick a favorite out of my 3 TN4A's. My CW version is from the first run of CW TN4A's it does not have a lanyard hole or serial number. The CW version has the "boiling" hot spot and corona thats the only way I can describe the constant tint shifting of the hot spot and corona it literally looks like its boiling. Got used to it though and gotta say that its the warmest CW Ive yet seen. My NW TN4A is one of the original XML2 NW versions it is incredible. The tint is easily 4000k or below no tint shifting. I use that one the most. The HI version is what I take with me on night trips. The HI beam is utterly massive in diameter with one of the most concentrated and defined hot spots Ive seen. So...did TN take care of you?


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## TorchesSansFourches

CelticCross74 said:


> <snip> TorchesSansFourches that is one screwed up carrier!! <snip> So...did TN take care of you?



Yeah. The carrier is pretty bad. 

*And no, ThruNite has completely ignored 3 emails asking for support.*

I purchased the TN4A from an online retailer, but upon contacting them, only a refund was available (no exchange). So I decided to contact ThruNite before I went the refund route, thinking that it would probably be best to let them know about the issue I presented here and ask for an exchange of the malfunctioning light. I emailed them (3 times as stated) , even providing a link to this discussion (mostly for the pictures), but the service department evidently is as screwed up as the battery carrier. I'm pretty sure that if I emailed them a bulk order request, I'd get a quick response.

I've given up on ThruNite's service department and will take care of any further business via the online retailer. I'll ask for the refund, and I may or may not re-order a TN4A. I have some pretty strong feelings about not supporting companies as poor as this one (two strikes here ... poor QC and no service after the purchase, at least in my case), but I had my heart set on trying this light out based on the positive reviews here and elsewhere, and I really wanted a 4xAA NW light, so *choices are limited**. And of course your experience and praise of the light did not help dissuade me . If I re-order, and the new light malfunctions after my options for remedy from the online retailer expire, I'll just throw the light in the trash, re-assess what I really want in a flashlight, and definitely move on to another company.

Despite stupidly being on the fence about whether to re-order anything made by ThruNite, I definitely will not be mentioning them to anyone without describing just what a poor experience they might expect.

Thanks.

** Note* - When I say 'choices are limited', I understand that there are other 4xAA lights manufactured (Nitecore EA41 NW was my second choice), but if the lights are not available through a source I can trust to take care of any issues, I will not purchase any of them. I simply don't trust the smaller online retailers, and I trust the manufacturers of the flashlights even less.  I at least want to get some no-hassle satisfaction if the light is messed up right out of the box.


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## LeanBurn

Who was the online retailer?


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## TorchesSansFourches

LeanBurn said:


> Who was the online retailer?



Probably who you were thinking ... Amazon. No exchanges (only refunds) when purchasing from a third-party, even if fulfilled by Amazon. I usually will only buy directly from Amazon (when using them), but again in this case, choices were limited, and the TN4A was only available from ThruniteDirect / Fulfilled by Amazon and maybe some other third parties I'm not familiar with. Availability from each seller varies from time to time.


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## LeanBurn

That is good to know info...thanks.


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## DPRoberts

I have several Thrunite flashlights, and I've held onto this address as a "last resort" in case I can't get help from Thrunite (which hasn't happened to me yet).

Note that this is just a residence and not a business address, so who knows if it's still of any use.

_T__hrunite Service America_
_Contact: Liguo Niu_
_333 Erwin Rd. Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514,_
_United States


_


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## TorchesSansFourches

DPRoberts said:


> <snip>
> 
> Note that this is just a residence and not a business address, so who knows if it's still of any use.
> 
> _T__hrunite Service America_
> _Contact: Liguo Niu_
> _333 Erwin Rd. Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514,_
> _United States
> 
> _



Thanks for that, even if it's not verified. It may come in handy at some point for other members.

For now, I went ahead and processed the refund via AMZN and had another TN4A NW over-nighted. We'll see.

Thanks.


----
P.S. 

It really instills confidence when you may have to resort to contacting a business via employees' home addresses / personal contact info.


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## CelticCross74

damn man! Strange! I got what was supposed to be a NW TN12 2016 but when I got it the tint was straight up purple. I got it through amazon. So I dealt with them I exchanged the purple tint light for the CW TN12 2016. The whole process literally only took a week. The CW light works perfectly. All 3 of my TN4A's I got through the Thrunite store. Last variant I got was the HI model. I was unaware that TN had begun working with Amazon. Before the TN4A's came straight from a TN warehouse here in the states. The HI model showed up in an Amazon box it had come from a Amazon warehouse Idk what is up with that at all. Regardless all 3 work perfectly. The first TN4A I got had the battery carrier where the tolerances were just to tight to fit some cells. Putting the 2700mah Powerex NiMHs into the carrier I had at the time was a real work out. Getting the loaded carrier into the body required a long hard press. It also got stuck in the body. It took forever to get the carrier back out of the body I had to carefully tap around the lip of the body to get just enough room to pry it out with a small flat head screw driver. So out with the Powerex and in with the Eneloop Pros. They were a ***** to get into the carrier but not as bad as the powerex cells. The carrier only took a light press to get it into the body. Getting the carrier out required forceful upside down up and down motion and the carrier slowly came out on its own. Said TN4A is now loaded with L91 AA Energizer Ultimate lithiums. They fit perfectly and the loaded carrier slid right in no issues which is weird considering the L91's are 3000mah yet thinner by a touch than the pros.

The NW XML2 TN4A was next. Wow! What a glorious light and amazing warm tint! TN had obviously addressed the carrier issues I can load anything I want into it easily and it slides in the body no problem. I also use L91 AA's in this one as well. The tint is gorgeous and the same K rating at all modes. I honestly cannot tell a brightness difference between the supposedly higher output CW and the XML2 NW.

Lastly the HI. I knew it was going to be a hell of a thrower but had no idea it would be That good of a thrower! Most throwers do not have that much spill. The HI has a profile diameter of a D cell Maglite it is utterly massive. The hot spot is half the size of the non HI's but is very concentrated bright as hell and defined. Taking the HI out to where there is some room for the HI to stretch its legs the throw portion of the beam is the most laser like out of any of my throwers. To my eyes its a solid 60k CD light with tons of useful spill.

Let us know how your NW works out. I doubt that you will have any issues TN in my experience has been pretty solid when it comes to QC. Interested to hear your impressions on the XP-L NW TN4A. Ive read a few complaints about the higher modes being a different K range than the lower modes which is just very odd. My XML2 NW is solid K rated evenly across all modes.


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## TorchesSansFourches

CelticCross74 said:


> <snip>
> 
> Let us know how your NW works out. I doubt that you will have any issues TN in my experience has been pretty solid when it comes to QC. Interested to hear your impressions on the XP-L NW TN4A. Ive read a few complaints about the higher modes being a different K range than the lower modes which is just very odd. My XML2 NW is solid K rated evenly across all modes.



The replacement TN4A NW arrived today, and so far so good. As you can see in the attached photo, the newly-arrived flashlight's carrier (on the right) is loaded with batteries, and it is not on fire. That would not be the case if batteries were loaded in the one on the left. 

Everything else seems to check out okay. The modes work as designed. Having to always start the Lo-Med-Hi cycle from Low is a bit annoying, but I think I can learn to view it positively as a shortcut to Low rather than the poor interface design-choice that it actually is.

As for light color, on my samples*, Firefly and Low have a yellow center-spot, a greenish-yellow corona, and fairly neutral spill (it's hard to differentiate spill, corona and center-spot in Firefly mode). Modes from Medium through Turbo pretty much lose the greenish corona (still slightly present in Medium), and the spill is fairly neutral. Definitely, High and Turbo look the best during testing.

What I described above is what I see when shining the light on white cards or walls during testing. In most real-life usage, all I notice is the accurately reflected colors of whatever I'm shining the light towards (whites do, however, look like that could use a little Clorox, but nothing totally dingy). This is a drastic and refreshing change from the CW LEDs I've used before. I really do not like the bleached colors produced by most of the CW lights I've seen. The first LED flashlight I owned produced two initial and equally-astonishing observations: 1) Wow! That is bright; and 2) Wow! I can't tell the difference between dirt and grass.

I always thought observation #2 was at the very least unpleasant and could likely be dangerous. The NW LED (mostly) solves the unpleasanty dangerousness of it all.

Anyway, I wish this experience with ThruNite had started out last week as well as it began today, because I do like the TN4A NW (hopefully nothing goes wrong, knock on wood). But as it stands, with the initial molten battery-carrier problem, and the complete lack of response to my emails, I'm still not a devoted fan of the company.

Thanks.
--------
* Note - the samples (plural) I refer to are: 1) the complete, functioning TN4A NW I received as a replacement, and 2) the head from the original TN4A NW screwed onto the body of the replacement. This essentially was done to see if the heads varied. The original one is now boxed-up ready to be sent back. 

I also should note here that the replacement TN4A NW seems to be older than the original (broken) one I received last week. The replacement's 5-digit serial number begins with 09, while the original's serial number begins with 10. It's also possible that the serial numbers contain codes that don't necessarily reflect purely manufacturing sequence.


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## CelticCross74

Glad to see you got your situation straightened out! I am still surprised that they basically wired the original carrier backwards and it still passed QC


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## LeanBurn

*********
After corresponding with ThruNite I received this:


"_Thanks for contacting us. __TN4A HI *NW* will be available in the end of Sept._"


This is great news for those that were holding off on the TN4A HI because it was previously only available in cool white.
**********


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## CelticCross74

holy crap! nope...sorry just cannot have 5 of these things. More than set with the 4 Ive got. I am sure it will be very impressive though


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## Grijon

Thank you for the review, selfbuilt!


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## boyka

Thanks for the great review as always


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## LeanBurn

...still waiting for the TN4A in NW...supposed to come end of Sept...


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## wolfstyle

LeanBurn said:


> ...still waiting for the TN4A in NW...supposed to come end of Sept...




Amazon has the TN4A HI in NW.


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## LeanBurn

.com...yes.

.ca...not yet :thinking:


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## CelticCross74

Hey its the TN4A thread again! Long live the TN4A thread. Happy to report my now 4 TN4A's are all still cranking away as well as the day I got them all including my first batch no lanyard hole or serial # CW. Blasting away on L91's quite happily. Have found the new XP-L NW to be the same tint to my eyes as the XML2 NW just a touch brighter. Have not noticed a tint change on lower modes with the XP-L NW.


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## LeanBurn

So do you have both HI versions, NW and CW? If so do you have any beam shots? What is you opinion between the two?


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## CelticCross74

got the CW HI. I already have 4 TN4A's. Not going to spring for the NW TN4A. I can give you a pretty accurate description of the tint though. Like other NW XP-L HI emitters its neutral to the point of having a touch, just a touch, of orange to it. Ive got a few NW XP-L HI lights and they all have the same tint. I believe its the XP-L HI V2 that is the NW version Ill have to double check it. The NW HI TN4A does not throw as far as the CW version its not a massive difference but out where there is NO light pollution at night youd notice. The XML2 NW and XP-L NW TN4A's to my eyes have the same tint which is actually a very good tint very 5000k and natural sunlight at dawn/sunset looking. I like my XP-L HI NW lights but to my eyes do notice a slight orange tint. One of these lights i have the Eagtac T25C2 XP-L HI NW actually has a slight rose tint to it its actually very nice. 

My opinion between the two is if you are looking for a potent thrower in the TN4A package CW is the way to go. Its brighter, throws farther and in my opinion has better beam definition. The CW HI tint is pretty white no bad hints of harsh purples or blues. Ive got a beam shot or two of the CW HI against a white wall. I will try to dig them up and post them back here in an edit.

Here is the CW HI against a white wall from about 7 feet-




The non HI TN4A's have hot spots almost twice as large but not as concentrated and bright as is shown here. Note the usual TN4A very very wide beam profile is still present. The hot spot and thin corona on the HI is quite different from the non HI lights.


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## LeanBurn

I have asked TN for the specs on the NW so i can compare.

Has anyone found a diffuser that will work on the TN4A?


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## CelticCross74

lets see the TN4A is 45mm at the bezel so a 46mm diffuser or 45mm warmed up and forced on to shape would be what you are looking for...I think NC may have one


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## dmattaponi

Just an update...received a neutral white TN4A HI today, and just with a quick once over, it lives up to the standard I've come to expect from Thrunite. Fit and finish are very nice. I didn't notice any cosmetic issues, and it seems to work just fine. Love the nw tint. All specifications are supposed to be the same between the nw and cw HI TN4A. If initial impressions count for anything, I wouldn't have any problem recommending this light to others. Also, I've got 4 other TN4A (3 regular and 1 HI) that my family has been using since March of this year. We've had no problems, and my wife who generally thinks I'm nuts when it comes to flashlights has become a TN4A addict. She won't go outside after dark without it, and even sometimes throws it in her purse if she knows she is going to be out after dark (even though she already has a perfectly fine small single cell edc light). Now if I could just get her to realize how useful the lower settings are, and how ample the lower light settings are, I'd be happy. She pretty much insists on the 500 lumen setting when outside after dark. I've designated one TN4A as hers, since I knew she would do her best to absent-mindedly abuse it. She has held true to the standard I set for her, and her bumped, dropped, wet, etc., TN4A has held up without issue. As far as "wow" factor, most of the people I associate with are not "flashlight people", but the TN4A never ceases to impress. I think anytime we've used one in front of others, we've received comments on how nice and bright the lights are (and that was just in casual usage, not with an intent to display and impress). When I started out to buy my first TN4A I wasn't sure if I wanted a cool white or neutral white version. Now that I have both a regular and HI neutral white versions of the TN4A, and regular and high versions of the cool white TN4A as well, I can say that if I had to pick between the two, I'd choose neutral white, simply because I find the tint more pleasing to my eyes. The cool whites are fine also. In fact it's been noted more than once that the cool white version is somewhat neutral in color, but the neutral white is definitely my favorite. Those are the two that I select for my own personal use when I want something brighter than my pocket edc light.


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## Grijon

Thanks for the info, dmattaponi!


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## dmattaponi

Grijon said:


> Thanks for the info, dmattaponi!



My pleasure


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## dmattaponi

Forgot to mention...there is one cosmetic difference. The Thrunite logo on the newest TN4A has Thrunite TN4A HI on one panel, and RoHs FC CE with the serial number on another panel. All of my other TN4A' have the model on one panel, and the Thrunite logo on the second panel. Here is a pic of the new TN4A







The keyring is something I added.


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## LeanBurn

So...I succumbed to the lure of the TN4A. I ran out of reasons to not get it. I reasoned...ok...I want the super throw, then they came out with HI..but its only in cool white. Then they came out with neutral white. Then it went on sale 20% off. I got some birthday money and my fate was sealed.

I went for a walk in the country with this unit and I was simply blown away. The unit is so small in my hands yet...so...much light...on high...then I hit turbo...no way..that is more than I will ever use. I don't want to say it, but I may be a ThruNite fan.


----------



## jtjemt

I just tried my first TN4A (not the HI) and, after receiving it, remembered CPF. Thanks for the reviews and specs! My personal feelings are WOW, impressive! Have about a dozen Ti3 AAA's that have gone out as gifts for friends and had a couple clunkers that went back, but the service from Thrunite (at least for me) has been pretty much spot-on. It's nice to know that Amazon is right there with the return policy, but I like to stay with the manufacturer if possible.


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## CelticCross74

I finally broke and got the NW HI. These things are just to good to pass up as I got mine for less than 50 bucks. Just got it today and put fresh Eneloop Pros in it and freaking love it! To my eyes it is just as bright and throws just as far as my CW HI.


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## mar01006765

Mine should be here in the next couple of days 
I hope this question isn't too stupid, but could I use a single 7.4 lipo pack in it? Say 5000mah for example.
If I modified the carrier to accept the new battery it seems I'd get longer run times etc... well, the benefits of lipo.
I can't see why it wouldn't work as the voltage of the pack would be in the correct range for the flashlight.

Thanks for the review! 
Ben


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## TShoot

I have one coming in for Christmas because of the mostly positive reviews found here and the great write-up by Selfbuilt.. :twothumbs


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## CelticCross74

Thrunite in my experience does NW very well. It would be cool if they offered like 4 different emitters per model like ET but hey I know that TN is mostly a more budget friendly light. Its funny. My old friends still are slack jawed at these TN4A's they cannot believe how much light they put out. I am greatly pleased by all now 5 of my TN4A's. You literally just cannot go wrong with these things....


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## butmrpdf

I have registered on this forum just now to ask this question. I was reading that in a parallel arrangement of aa cells the voltage remains the same as of one individual cell (1.2v in case of ni-mh batteries) and only the current gets multiplied 4 times (as in tn4a's case).

However, The listed Working Voltage for tn4a is 2.75-8V. How is this possible? 

I have two.more flashlights, an olight s2a baton which stopped working a week into the purchase (with olight shaking their hands off any responsibility since the purchase was made through aliexpress which is not an authorized reseller as per them)

the other flashlight a neutral tint archer 2a v3 has stopped working all of a sudden today, and ive written an email to thrunite and am waiting for their response.

All my flashlights are being run by ni-mh aa batteries and even if they are used in a series configuration can go up to 2.4 volts at the maximum so there is no.possiblilty of the led getting fried due to excessive voltage.

I am now a little worried about my tn4a which is the only one which is working now. I am quite dissapointed with the serice these well acclaimed lights have given me.


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## CelticCross74

I have every version of the TN4A. Run them all off Eneloop Pro's and they all work fantastic. That is interesting that TN says it has such a wide voltage range. Only reason that that is the case I can think of is just that the electronics are just that stout. Sorry to hear about your Archer. TN should take care of you. In series the 4xAA TN4A would be pushing 6 volts with freshly charged NiMH's. I believe the TN4A has some kind of buck booster to amplify the voltage as you are correct about parallel output...


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## sbslider

I purchased this light for 20% off direct from Thrunite. See Thrunite homepage for coupon code. Really fast shipping, ordered yesterday afternoon with free shipping, being delivered today. $39.96 for a TN4A NW, really looking forward to checking out this light.


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## Hugh Johnson

I have the Hi NW and love it. Its such a robust tail standing light and it throws far with great spill. If I was looking for a new "at home" or general purpose light I'd get the V6 for the larger hot spot. For throw I absolutely love the Hi.


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## sbslider

I bought the TN4A with the hopes of using it as a bike light. I considered the HI but figured I did not need the uber long distance, and a bigger hot spot would be better on the bike. I figure I will find other uses for it as well. So far I am definitely impressed. Need to figure out how to mount it to the bike still though.


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## carnage

Did anyone notice a greenish tint to there TN4A?


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## Hugh Johnson

My unit has a very slight green corona. Almost not noticeable. 
I do notice that it's yellower at lower power and whiter at higher power, as seems typical of constant current lights.


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## carnage

Hugh Johnson said:


> My unit has a very slight green corona. Almost not noticeable.
> I do notice that it's yellower at lower power and whiter at higher power, as seems typical of constant current lights.



I have 2 Thrunite light and both has the green and yellow tint to the beam on lower modes, the higher the mode it's less noticeable the greenish tint is. You can only see it when bouncing the beam off of something white.

Does all Thrunite lights have this greenish tint to the beam?


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## sbslider

I have 3 NW Thrunites. My Ti3 is the most green of the bunch, and the TN4A is the least. The TN4A actually has some purple slightly noticeable on the highest settings when illuminating a white surface. 

I would say all the NW Thrunites I have seen have some green to them. Not sure about the CW version.


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## carnage

sbslider said:


> I have 3 NW Thrunites. My Ti3 is the most green of the bunch, and the TN4A is the least. The TN4A actually has some purple slightly noticeable on the highest settings when illuminating a white surface.
> 
> I would say all the NW Thrunites I have seen have some green to them. Not sure about the CW version.



I have the CW version. There great lights but the tint could be better.
Does the Thrunite code works at there Amazon store?


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## sbslider

carnage said:


> I have the CW version. There great lights but the tint could be better.
> Does the Thrunite code works at there Amazon store?


I tried it on Monday in the amazon store and it did not work. I have not tried again. I did get free shipping from the thrunite store on my Tn4A. Looks like it still give free shipping even with the 20% discount on the TN4A.


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## carnage

sbslider said:


> I tried it on Monday in the amazon store and it did not work. I have not tried again. I did get free shipping from the thrunite store on my Tn4A. Looks like it still give free shipping even with the 20% discount on the TN4A.




Thanks for the replies!


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## UncleFester

I just lost my first TN4A. It actually was my favorite light and bulieve me I have a BUNCH. I intend to replace it with a new one. IF I had a "complaint" about the light is that it had an orange peel reflector. The Thrunite site shows the new ones with a smooth reflector. Can anyone tell me for sure the new ones have a smooth reflector??????


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## sbslider

UncleFester said:


> I just lost my first TN4A. It actually was my favorite light and bulieve me I have a BUNCH. I intend to replace it with a new one. IF I had a "complaint" about the light is that it had an orange peel reflector. The Thrunite site shows the new ones with a smooth reflector. Can anyone tell me for sure the new ones have a smooth reflector??????


I believe that there are two versions of the TN4A. this one is the one I have, and has an orange peel reflector.

The TN4A-HI has the smooth reflector. The pictures on the website show both with smooth reflectors. The description for the HI version says "smooth peel" reflector, whatever that is. 

Anyway, if you go for the HI you will get a smooth reflector. I researched this light a fair amount to get that detail answered, as I wanted the orange peel version for my use.

Too bad you did not loose it a month ago, as Thurnite just had a 20% off sale, including the TN4A.


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## UncleFester

Hmm I'm still a little confused the TN4 (XPL) shows 1150 lumens even in NW.
The TN4 XPL hi  shows 1050 lumens. Both appear to have smooth reflector
Edit: I believe "smooth peel" is translation issue. If the textured one is "orange" peel the smooth one must be "smooth' peel. with "peel' being the finish.


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## sbslider

not sure what else to say. read this review and search for smooth. The reviewer definitely says the HI version has a smooth reflector. My non-HI version (like your old one) definitely has orange peel. The Thrunite site is not the best in terms of pictures and descriptions, but the lights they make are nice. Hope you try it, I am sure you will like it.


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## UncleFester

I'm gonna pull the trigger on the HI. Even if it actually is 100 lums lower, no one (even me) would see the difference. I've always wondered what my light would have been like with a smooth reflector. Guess I'm gonna find out. Too bad about the discount.That's a helluva light for 30 something bucks.


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## sbslider

This is a pretty good review that compares the two versions.


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## UncleFester

Thanks. Well I did place the order. Why isn't it here yet? LOL
Here is another review with them side by side outside in actual use. It's sure looking like I'm gonna like the new light but will miss the old one......


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## sbslider

Yes, that one is much better than the one I linked to. Right at 3 minutes is when you see the smooth vs orange peel. 

Could always pick up the TN4A next time they offer 20% off . . . :thumbsup:


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## UncleFester

There's a thought.. Still a lotta flashlight for 50 bucks. AND it runs on AAs.


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## sbslider

I spent some time checking out my light again last night, it is fantastic. Too bad I am generally sleeping in the dark, so my opportunities to use it are limited. That will change as we move toward fall . . 

The only thing I would like to see improved is the electrical connection from the cell holder to the driver. If this is not very good, then on high and turbo mode the added resistance of a less than perfect connection can drain the batteries much quicker than they should. Has anyone found a simple way to improve this connection?

Well I found one source of poor connection today. One of the four cell holder springs collapsed. I saw pictures of something similar around page 10 of this thread. Contacted Thrunite, I expect they will send me a replacement before long.


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## sbslider

I finally got a chance to characterize my light today. I like to see how much current and power my lights draw from a "perfect" power source. That is, a regulated laboratory power supply with a current read out that tells me the current draw. I was able to learn a bit more about how the low battery indicator works, where it cuts in, etc. The most interesting thing I found is that the light gets more efficient (less current draw) as the input voltage drops. So as batteries are depleted, the light gets more efficient. The battery current still goes up, but the total power drawn from the batteries decreases as compared to higher input voltages. The other interesting thing I learned is that in turbo mode, for voltages less than 1.1V/cell (4.4V stack), the light starts to step down in output. I could not notice it with my eyes, but I could see the current going into the light drop significantly, like 0.5A. And once this occurs, even if your battery recovers (not likely) the output stays reduced until you disconnect power from the driver. This happens even before the low battery indicator is illuminated. That happens all the way down at 3.7V, at which point you likely don't want to be using rechargeables anymore, so get out of turbo mode, and likely high mode also. Of course if you chose alkalines, then who cares about killing the batteries . . . 

On all levels the low battery indicator turns red at 3.7V or lower, so the batteries are definitely low at that point. As someone mentioned to me in another thread, if you really want to use this light on turbo for longer duration, the lithium primaries are really the best bet. Too bad they are so $$$ for recurring use.


----------



## CelticCross74

yes! The TN4A thread will never die!! Just read though this page of posts. The XPL NW emitter in the non HI variant is the XP-L HD version actually has the traditional protective dome over the emitter and is indeed driven to 1150 lumens. The XP-L HI emitter has different characteristics electronically as the emitters purpose is throw. Visually some may say the NW HI version is brighter than the XP-L HD NW because of the deep smooth reflector making the most out of the emitters non dome covered emitter(it has a flat square protective wafer on top of it instead)which concentrates the lights output into the hot spot. This makes it seem brighter but break out the testing equipment and the HI is indeed 100 lumens down at max vs the XP-L HD NW. Yes all non HI TN4A's come with an orange peel reflector. "Smooth peel" is just bad English by TN's web designers. These lights are still one of the greatest values ever. Oh? What is that? TN is selling them even cheaper now? Freaking incredible! Yes you get the best performance out of any of the TN4A's with Energizer L91 Ultimate Lithium AA's. The L91 AA cell is a 3000mah cell possibly a bit more. Manage to score some super fresh L91's and they come out of the package up to 1.8 volts. L91's are amazing cells. They handle the cold better than any other AA cell type as well. But...indeed they are expensive. Whenever I buy L91's I buy them in bulk and email whichever retailer I am dealing with to make sure they are the freshest batch possible which I believe is currently the L91's with an expiration date of 2037 on them...second best is the Eneloop Pro. Anything less than those two AA cell types will not drive the TN4A to advertised run times or power output. This is noted on their website.


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## sbslider

Glad you chimed in here, your enthusiasm over the years is a big part of why I own the TN4A. I agree, AA lithium in it would be the best for sure, would be interested in trying some.


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## selfbuilt

CelticCross74 said:


> yes! The TN4A thread will never die!!


Glad to see the thread has some life in it still - thanks your ongoing enthusiasm for the model. It's a good light.


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## aginthelaw

I had some batteries to kill and have been using this for the past week. Batteries are still going strong. IKEA alkalines from my son's Xbox remote, but I still can use them


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## sbslider

aginthelaw said:


> I had some batteries to kill and have been using this for the past week. Batteries are still going strong. IKEA alkalines from my son's Xbox remote, but I still can use them


The light will operate with the low battery indicator blue down below 1V/cell. On low or medium mode alkaline batteries can provide the current for awhile. I would guess if the batteries are near used up in second or two on high mode the light would go red. At 1V/cell, the current from the battery is about 0.2A on medium, and about 1.1A on high. It will run forever in low mode, needing only 0.03A there.


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## Hugh Johnson

CelticCross was also the inspiration for my TN4A. 
I'm new to this and bought 4 lights. The TN4A Hi is probably my least needed light, as my other lights already do everything I need. However, it's still my favourite. Glad I got it. Use it every chance I get.


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## UrbanExplorer

Hey selfbuilt! Been making wonderful use of all your reviews for a good time. So much so that it convinced me to make a CPF acct. Wonderful place. Anyways, to my question. Judging from this review as well as other reviews you have done is it accurate to conclude Thrunite's proclaimed lumen outputs etc are to spec with ANSI/NEMA FL1 standards? Obviously not exactly but at least close enough to be considered as such? Reason being I am considering if I should purchase the updated 2017 TN36 which claims a 10,000 lumen output. However, various youtubers and independent testers claim it's real output is around 8000 lumens ish. Some even claim 6500 lumens. This sounds extremely hard to believe for a company which I initially believed were using ANSI/NEMA Standards. Let me know what you think! Thanks!


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## CelticCross74

just read through these posts again. I am flattered that apparently that my still very much enthusiastic opinion of the TN4A was a helpful influence for those interested in the light. I noticed several mentions of some of the TN4A variants having a "green" tint to the beam. The only one of my 5 TN4A's that does have a green tint is my very first TN4A I bought when they first came out. It is an early batch CW TN4A. It does not have the lanyard hole attachment point or the serial number on the side. These early batch CW TN4A's according to my own experience with it as well as many other end user reports put out a beam profile that has a very thick corona that tint shifts non stop. The tint shifting in the corona is very visible. The corona actually looks like it is "boiling" the tint shifting happens that fast. This boiling corona tint shifts in the green spectrum. At first I was like WTF is this? But I got used to it. NONE of the other 4 TN4A's I have have this problem at all. As for AA batteries yes the L91 lithiums still give you the most possible output and longest run times the light is capable of but like I said before just using L91's only can get pretty expensive. Eneloop Pro's are expensive yes but being such a high quality rechargeable NiMH low drain cell you save a LOT of money over the lets say 3 years of near constant use before the chemistry starts to break down. The Pro's are now 2650mah up from 2550mah. Just got a fresh 8 pack of the new Pro's and was thrown off that the cells have "2550mah" still printed on them. After a little digging around I found out that Eneloop just has yet to update the cell wrap with the new 2650mah rating and that the cells I bought are indeed 2650mah which is kind of odd at first but Eneloop stands by their claim of the latest Pro's being 2650mah...


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## Bright Bird

I'm pretty new to flashlights, and I had previously bought the ThorFire TK4A as a birthday present for my mother. I decided that I wanted my own pocket rocket, so I got the TN4A XPL-HI NW after reading this thread.

What I noticed is that the engravings are different than on your photos, CC. At first I was worried that I might have picked up a fake, but the light just seems to be too good quality for that to be the case. I assume that there are different variations?


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## CelticCross74

Ill have to look at my 5 TN4A's again but when the TN4A originally came out they did NOT have the engravings as pictured above. TN did change their engravings to be more specific of the model and having the serial number engraved as well. Your TN4A HI pictured above has the same engravings on my own HI variants. It looks legit to me...


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## Bright Bird

CelticCross74 said:


> Ill have to look at my 5 TN4A's again but when the TN4A originally came out they did NOT have the engravings as pictured above. TN did change their engravings to be more specific of the model and having the serial number engraved as well. Your TN4A HI pictured above has the same engravings on my own HI variants. It looks legit to me...



Thanks!


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## CelticCross74

not a problem at all! I am always willing to help another CPFer out. Forgot to add that the first TN4A's also did NOT have a lanyard attachment point on top of not having the serial number engraved on the side. TN did indeed(according to TN)make "adjustments" to the early batches that took care of the crazy boiling tint shifting corona.


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## Bright Bird

CelticCross74 said:


> not a problem at all! I am always willing to help another CPFer out. Forgot to add that the first TN4A's also did NOT have a lanyard attachment point on top of not having the serial number engraved on the side. TN did indeed(according to TN)make "adjustments" to the early batches that took care of the crazy boiling tint shifting corona.



I'm not an expert, but I've not noticed any irregularities with the tint. It is a fantastic light with a nice beam pattern, and I'm really glad that I decided to try a neutral white light. I have since then ordered a light with Nichia 219b emitter, and will definitely be choosing warmer tints when given the option (currently waiting for a high-lumens light with multiple 219c's). The only thing I had to get used to was the fast double-click speed for turbo. At the beginning it was driving me insane, but now it is easy - at least with my right hand. And the sudden cut-off takes getting used to, as well - but I guess that's the price you have to pay for a flat regulation. My SR52UT is unregulated so the light gradually dims, and I know that it is time for a recharge when I can barely notice a difference between mid and high mode.


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## sbslider

Bright Bird;5125238And the sudden cut-off takes getting used to said:


> Not sure what batteries you use, but my TN4A powered by eneloops or standard nimh batteries does not cut out, even on turbo. It does step down from max output for the mode to the next mode down, but I am pretty certain the low battery indicator comes on before a noticeable step down happens. I wrote a few posts about how my light behaves with the low battery indicator, I think it was earlier in this thread.
> 
> Does your light just shut off at some point? If so, that does not sound good to me. I have the TN4A, not the "HI" variant, but I would expect the electronics to be the same.


----------



## Bright Bird

sbslider said:


> Not sure what batteries you use, but my TN4A powered by eneloops or standard nimh batteries does not cut out, even on turbo. It does step down from max output for the mode to the next mode down, but I am pretty certain the low battery indicator comes on before a noticeable step down happens. I wrote a few posts about how my light behaves with the low battery indicator, I think it was earlier in this thread.
> 
> Does your light just shut off at some point? If so, that does not sound good to me. I have the TN4A, not the "HI" variant, but I would expect the electronics to be the same.



I used the white Eneloops at the time. I seem to remember that it didn't actually shut off, but it switched to a very low mode (possibly not even as bright as the standard low mode), shortly after the red light started flashing in turbo. I'll do another test when I walk my dog tonight, to be sure. The batteries (I'm now using the black Eneloops) are already half depleted, so it shouldn't take long in turbo mode to see how it behaves when the voltage drops.


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## sbslider

What I recall is in turbo the light drops from turbo to high level, which is not very easy to notice. The next step down maybe all the way to moon light. This likely happens when the low battery indicator changes from red to flashing. I believe there is slow and fast flashing. When I finish traveling for the day I will review my notes and let you know. I do recall if running in high mode when the low battery indicator is tripped the light steps down to medium mode. Similar behavior if the low battery indicator is tripped in medium mode, the light steps down to low . Once tripped, the low battery indicator stays on independent of mode used until the battery is disconnected for a few seconds.


----------



## Bright Bird

sbslider said:


> What I recall is in turbo the light drops from turbo to high level, which is not very easy to notice. The next step down maybe all the way to moon light. This likely happens when the low battery indicator changes from red to flashing. I believe there is slow and fast flashing. When I finish traveling for the day I will review my notes and let you know. I do recall if running in high mode when the low battery indicator is tripped the light steps down to medium mode. Similar behavior if the low battery indicator is tripped in medium mode, the light steps down to low . Once tripped, the low battery indicator stays on independent of mode used until the battery is disconnected for a few seconds.



There should definitely not be a step down from turbo to high - that's one thing that I remember from this review, and I tested the turbo mode myself for several minutes. Most of the time I just use it for short bursts - medium level is usually enough for my purposes. But it does seem that the light steps down to a very low level after about 40 minutes on turbo with white Eneloops, and after 50 minutes with Eneloop Pro according to the review. There is supposed to be plenty of runtime left after the step down, although I'm sure that I wasn't able to start the light in a higher mode after that. But I'll test and post the results if I think that something's not right.


----------



## sbslider

Bright Bird said:


> There should definitely not be a step down from turbo to high - that's one thing that I remember from this review, and I tested the turbo mode myself for several minutes.


The step down I was referring to is due to low battery only. As I mentioned, it since the difference between turbo and high is subtle, the step down is easy to miss. But it does happen, trust me (at least on my light). This is after 30 - 50 minutes in turbo mode, depending on the batteries used.

Is the "very low level" you refer to moonlight, low medium, or something else?


----------



## Bright Bird

sbslider said:


> The step down I was referring to is due to low battery only. As I mentioned, it since the difference between turbo and high is subtle, the step down is easy to miss. But it does happen, trust me (at least on my light). This is after 30 - 50 minutes in turbo mode, depending on the batteries used.
> 
> Is the "very low level" you refer to moonlight, low medium, or something else?



According to the chart on page 1 of this review, the step down should occur to a very low level, which is what I experienced.

Just got back from walking my dog, but those batteries do last long! I thought they must have already been half depleted, but I had the light continually on turbo mode during a 20 minute stretch of my walk and it is still going strong. Don't really feel like sitting at home with the torch in my hand until it starts dimming, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow's walk for further testing. One thing that I'm really happy with is that the torch never got too warm to hold. I seem to remember reading that the temperature never exceeds 45°C, but that must have been in a different review as I couldn't find any temperature measurements in selfbuilt's review. As a comparison, I need to switch my Convoy S2+ to a lower level after about three minutes!


----------



## sbslider

Bright Bird said:


> According to the chart on page 1 of this review, the step down should occur to a very low level, which is what I experienced.


Thanks for pointing me to those runtime plots, different from what I recall, but then my memory is not the greatest. May run the light after work tonight to see if I can judge the step down level, it looks like down to low based on the plots. I recall something smaller . . .


----------



## Bright Bird

sbslider said:


> The step down I was referring to is due to low battery only. As I mentioned, it since the difference between turbo and high is subtle, the step down is easy to miss. But it does happen, trust me (at least on my light).



I see now what you mean - the graph does indeed show a small step down to a slightly lower outpit before it drops to low mode. But that is still to a considerably higher level than 'high', and I doubt very much that it's something I would notice. 

Hopefully my batteries will be low enough tonight for me to tell how the light will behave.


----------



## sbslider

I agree, I don't think you would notice the step down either. Then the next step down is much bigger than I remember. We can both check it out and compare notes.


----------



## sbslider

So, I did find what you found in regard to the light cutting out, it drops down to low mode (or so). I also watched the low battery indicator as the light ran. I did not time the whole run, but I got 30+ minutes on my white eneloops when the low battery indicator turned from blue to red. I stopped timing at that point, but would estimate another 10 or so minutes before the light output noticeably changed. These batteries had been used for a couple weeks, mostly on low and medium mode with some sort bursts on turbo. As the batteries discharge, the low battery indicator goes from solid red, to slow blinking red (still no noticeable output drop) then to fast blinking red, and the output drops significantly. based on testing I did with a power supply, the voltage to the light is down around 3.2V when this voltage drop happens, or about 0.8 V / cell BEST CASE. If there is any cell mismatch, then one or two cells are even lower than that. Really should not be running cells that you want to reuse many times down to those voltages. Recharging at or near when the low battery indicator turns red is much better for cell health. This happens at total voltage of 3.6V into the light, or 0.9V / cell best case.


----------



## CelticCross74

...what is this "cutting off" issue I am reading about above? First I have read of anything like this happening with the TN4A. Just a reminder here, TN specifically states that AA cells of no less than 2500mah capacity are required in order to get their advertised output and run times. The white Eneloops as far as I know are 2100mah now(IDK if that has changed or not). Over the years I have had my 5 TN4A's none of them have ever suddenly "cut off". I use Pro's and L91 lithiums in my TN4A's only. The L91's are a hoot! 3000mah capacity and up to 1.8v! Expensive though...


----------



## sbslider

The reality of life is not everyone will use the specified batteries. Eneloops have better long term performance the most (every?) other battery. By long term, I mean 100s of cycles. Regardless of the battery type, the will run otu eventually. When they do this in turbo mode, the step down is from between 500 and 1000 lumens to about 15 lumens. pretty abrupt light change, but no big deal, as you can anticipate it just by paying attention to the low battery indicator. I would not call it an "issue", really it is a "behavior" and a desirable on, in my opinion. 

The light behaves differently in high mode, stepping down to medium mode, at least that is what I recall observing. This memory contradicts what selfbuilt posted in his review though. I tend to trust his data before my memory, but will likely test it in some cheap alkaline batteries to see who was right when I return home from


----------



## Bright Bird

CelticCross74 said:


> ...what is this "cutting off" issue I am reading about above? First I have read of anything like this happening with the TN4A. Just a reminder here, TN specifically states that AA cells of no less than 2500mah capacity are required in order to get their advertised output and run times. The white Eneloops as far as I know are 2100mah now(IDK if that has changed or not). Over the years I have had my 5 TN4A's none of them have ever suddenly "cut off". I use Pro's and L91 lithiums in my TN4A's only. The L91's are a hoot! 3000mah capacity and up to 1.8v! Expensive though...



Mea culpa for conflating 'cutting off' with 'stepping down to a very low level'.



sbslider said:


> So, I did find what you found in regard to the light cutting out, it drops down to low mode (or so). I also watched the low battery indicator as the light ran. I did not time the whole run, but I got 30+ minutes on my white eneloops when the low battery indicator turned from blue to red. I stopped timing at that point, but would estimate another 10 or so minutes before the light output noticeably changed. These batteries had been used for a couple weeks, mostly on low and medium mode with some sort bursts on turbo. As the batteries discharge, the low battery indicator goes from solid red, to slow blinking red (still no noticeable output drop) then to fast blinking red, and the output drops significantly. based on testing I did with a power supply, the voltage to the light is down around 3.2V when this voltage drop happens, or about 0.8 V / cell BEST CASE. If there is any cell mismatch, then one or two cells are even lower than that. Really should not be running cells that you want to reuse many times down to those voltages. Recharging at or near when the low battery indicator turns red is much better for cell health. This happens at total voltage of 3.6V into the light, or 0.9V / cell best case.



I didn't manage to let the batteries run down last night as I was also testing the ThorFire C8s that arrived in the post yesterday. But I just conducted an indoor test, which confirms my memories of what I had previously observed. At some point, the red LED lit up for about two minutes before it started flashing slowly (~1.5Hz?). It took about a minute before it started flashing quickly and the output was dimmed significantly. I left it like that for about three minutes before I turned it off. After turning it on again, I was not able to access any higher output modes. The same if I completely cut off the power by unscrewing the body before screwing it back again.

That is what had kind of shocked me when I first used the light - the fact that I've only got about three minutes warning before the torch turns into an emergency light (and possibly a bit more if I lower the output mode at that point). It's not really a problem for me though, as I've always recharged the batteries a lot earlier since then - about once a week using the light on medium mode every night, with occasionally bursts of turbo. To me that is perfectly adequate, and if I ever took the torch to a longer outing, I'd make sure that I'd have a spare set of batteries with me.

I should probably add that I've been using the black Eneloops (Pro) - when I observed the behaviour that I described before, I was using white Eneloops, so the advance warning might have been even shorter.


----------



## CelticCross74

aahhhh..okay got it. The light is not "cutting off" it is stepping down. Hmmm....I have done the following experiment with 3 of my 5 TN4A's-using freshly charged and recently purchased Pro's I take a TN4A out on my back deck at night, stand the light on its tail, click it up to turbo then stand a few feet away while watching the timer on my watch waiting for the light to clearly visually step down. None of the 3 TN4A's I tried this with ever visibly stepped down. I stopped the tests at the 45 minute mark for all 3 I tested. The cells still had enough voltage left to keep the LED indicator blue. NONE of them got "hot" either. Pretty warm yes but "hot" no.


----------



## Hugh Johnson

I just ran the batteries on my TN4A Hi until the low voltage step down happened. On my model that is "low" at a rated 14 lumens. I was curious about how much runtime remained, so I left it on overnight. It was still on when I woke up 8 hours later and I just put them on the charger. So remaining runtime on low is *at least* that long.


----------



## sbslider

I looked back at my notes and the light steps down when the batteries are down below 3V. If you are running eneloop type batteries down that low, you risk damaging them from what I have read. Bright bird commented that the he got only 3 minutes between when the light changed from blue to red and when the light stepped down in intensity. Makes me wonder what the condition of those batteries were. I have had my light on red and flashing on high for quite sometime, more like ten or more minutes on high mode. On the lower modes (medium, low) I would guess it is MUCH longer. 

Ok, here is some data from use on medium mode: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...tor-question&p=5114233&viewfull=1#post5114233

There are a few posts in that thread regarding the light step down using rechargeable NIMH batteries. Looks like the light behaves a bit different with batteries, or the batteries really drop off quickly and then recover when the mode steps down.


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## dmattaponi

Just wanted to confirm that the newer produced TN4A' are coming with the engravings as you have pictured above. The first ones that I bought had Thrunite on one side and TN4A on the opposite panel. The ones I purchased a little later all look just like yours above, so it seems Thrunite is just doing them a little different now.


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## Grubbster

If anyone needs one of these they are on a lightning deal today over on the "jungle" site.


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## iamlucky13

Grubbster said:


> If anyone needs one of these they are on a lightning deal today over on the "jungle" site.



The lightning deals are fixed quantity, right? They must have gone fast. I happened to see your post maybe an hour after it was posted, and they were regular price.

It looks like Thrunite is doing a holiday sale on their website, though.


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## sbslider

the lightning deal was for a fixed time, not quantity. I saw it with about 15 minutes left, but I have one already. They were on sale for $32. Like iamlucky13 says, they are available for $40 on the Thrunite site thru 5 Jan.


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## Grubbster

Yep, it was for a fixed time. I picked one up for $32. It will be in my mailbox today. Gotta love Amazon.


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## LeanBurn

That was a sweet deal ! 

What flavor did you get?


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## Swedpat

A very late thanks to Selfbuilt for this review!

Even if I really like Nitecore EA41w I don't like that as well moon mode and turbomode are included in the memory, despite these have a direct access. TN4A features the same UI as TN30mini(which I have) with moon mode and turbomode not included in the memory function, that's great. I think I will get a TN4A in neutral white version!


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## Grubbster

LeanBurn said:


> That was a sweet deal !
> 
> What flavor did you get?



TN4A NW XP-L


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## Hugh Johnson

Grubbster said:


> TN4A NW XP-L



Nice. Let us know what you think of it.


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## Swedpat

Swedpat said:


> A very late thanks to Selfbuilt for this review!
> 
> Even if I really like Nitecore EA41w I don't like that as well moon mode and turbomode are included in the memory, despite these have a direct access. TN4A features the same UI as TN30mini(which I have) with moon mode and turbomode not included in the memory function, that's great. I think I will get a TN4A in neutral white version!



I just placed an order for two TN4A in neutral white from Thrunite with 20% christmas coupon. It will be like a little brother to TN30(2016). 

My intention was to get one of each XP-L and XP-L Hi but the latter is out of stock and discontinued.


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## sbslider

Swedpat said:


> I just placed an order for two TN4A in neutral white from Thrunite with 20% christmas coupon. It will be like a little brother to TN30(2016).
> 
> My intention was to get one of each XP-L and XP-L Hi but the latter is out of stock and discontinued.



Discontinued! too bad. Actually, I was just able to add the cool white to my cart on the Thrunite site. I guess just the NW Hi is out of stock. Did Thrunite tell you they were discontinuing this particular light?


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## Swedpat

sbslider said:


> Discontinued! too bad. Actually, I was just able to add the cool white to my cart on the Thrunite site. I guess just the NW Hi is out of stock. Did Thrunite tell you they were discontinuing this particular light?



Yes, I mailed them and asked when Hi will be in stock again and got the answer that it's discontinued. I am not sure if Thrunite discontinued only the Hi option or both TN4A models, though. I saw that Hi is still available for some other parts of the world.
The question is if Thrunite will release a successor or if they will exclude 4AA from the product line, I have not read any information about it.


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## LeanBurn

Have you checked the online jungle store? They have them on the .ca store.


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## dmattaponi

LeanBurn said:


> Have you checked the online jungle store? They have them on the .ca store.


Yes, as LeanBurn said, the cool version is still available there for $50, but it does appear the NW version is no longer available.


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## LeanBurn

Glad I got this light when I did. ThruNite's line-up has dwindled a bit over the past few months...hopefully they have something in the works for the new year.

junglestore dot ca still have TN4A HI.


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## Swedpat

I received the TN4As earlier this week. It's kinda like a smaller version of TN30 mini. More comfortable in the hand and I very much like the switch and UI which is the same as with TN30mini. As with TN30 the tint is a bit greenish. The spill is very wide which can be a drawback or not depending on the situation or personal opinion. The beam profile is very similar to Fenix TK30 with a beefy hotspot, actually TN4A has very slightly wider spill and larger hotspot than TK30. Both of them have practically no corrona around the hotspot which I personally think is a small drawback. But the beam is smooth and without artifacts.

TN4E compared to Nitecore EA41: personally I prefer the beam character of EA41 for most uses and it's more comfortable in the hand.
The advantage of TN4A is the UI with firefly and turbomode not memorized like with EA41. I also like that when cycling through the levels it does not step up from mid to high but instead it first starts at low mode and then mid-high(like Zebralights). Both are great 4AA lights anyway.


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## LightSickness

Has the carrier/spring spacing been adjusted in later versions?


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## CelticCross74

the EA41 100% is also one of the best 4xAA lights yet made. Despite actually only putting just over 700 lumens out the front the EA41 is indeed slimmer and lighter than the TN4A. EA41 of course has all NC's bells and whistles. BUT...they are not thermally regulated, they DO fall over 100 lumens SHORT of advertised claims and the small double switch UI is hard to find in the dark.

EA41 beam profile is actually very good!

EA41 fits into a coat pocket more easily.

Unfortunately EA41 does not have a good track record of reliability. 

The TN4A UI is FAR easier to find in the dark and just use overall. The TN4A voltage indicator right in the center of the switch is perfect. 

I will say a very positive thing about BOTH the EA41 and TN4A-the L91 Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA cells 100% power both lights to their max potential. This is more noticed in the EA41 though. The L91's in the TN4A? Crank flat out until the very last electrical particle in those cells is depleted-3000mah


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## kpatz

Just got my TN4A NW XP-L today. First impressions, it's HEAVY, especially with batteries (bear in mind I'm used to smaller 1AA/2AA/3AAA lights). It feels like a solid chunk of metal. The build quality is incredible. I hope I never drop it and ding the case, or scratch it, since it looks so perfect. If it was about twice the length, it would make a great lightsaber handle prop.

It's crazy bright too. It'll be a great addition to my collection. With 4 brightness levels (plus firefly), it'll be usable in just about any scenario that requires a thrower flashlight.

I have Powerex 2700mAh AAs in it (these measure in the 2500 mAh range), they should work well in it. When I first put the cells in the carrier, it wouldn't fit into the light... uh oh... fortunately I read reviews that said if you push the batteries in hard enough they'll pop in further into the carrier, and after I did that it fit perfectly.


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## domho8

My TN4A beam


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