# XTAR S1 - Test Version and Final Version Review



## candle lamp (Jan 11, 2012)

*Note**(12.04.22)** *: This thread includes the test(pre-production) version review and the comparison review-test & final version of the XTAR S1.

I reviewed the Xtar S1-test version on January 11 and made the comparison review on Xtar S1-test & final version on April 20 respectively.

But, the moderator said that the two reviews should be merged because they are the same light, and he did merge both reviews dated on April 21.

I'm just curious if there is a rule in CPF,i.e. the same lights(test version & final version) reviews by same reviewer can't exist in the reviews section. 

Anyway, this thread include two different reviews. 

The following review is on the Xtar S1-test version and you can find the comparison review-test version & final version in *the #22'nd reply* of this thread down there.







S1 is three XM-L U2, magnetic ring switch, high-output light from XTAR - similar in features to the earlier model XTAR D30(Howitzer). I received the light only of the first batch without a packing case, manual, accessories, and so on. 
Flat black anodizing(type III) is nearly matte finish, and letterings such as the maker, model name, and the serial number are marked on the battery tube. There are also mode indicators printed on the head, and are the deep & wide crossed grooves with knurling on the battery tube. Knurling is not so aggressive, but provides good grip.
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*Main specifications**
*- Emitter : 3xCree XM-L U2 (Cool white)
- Working voltage : 2.75~4.2V
- Material : Aircraft 6061 aluminum alloy
- HA III military grade hard anodized
- Mirror reflector(SMO)
- Max. brightness : 2,750 lumens
- Runtime : 90mins(High 2,750 lumens), 300hrs(Low 30 lumens)
- Switch : Head magnetic ring switch
- Mode memory
- Max. range : 360m
- Max. intensity : 32,500cd
- Water resistance : IPX-8
- Impact resistance : 1m
- Size : 83mm(Head) x 47mm(Body) x 240mm(Length)
- Net weight : 888g
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The head of the light has a slightly scalloped aluminum bezel ring and some shallow cooling fins. The silver magnetic selector ring has some rounded grooves which help in the rotation of the ring. The light has 3 holes on the tailcap ring for lanyard attachment. but there is no tailcap switch. 
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The light has knurling with deep grooves along the battery tube which are located where the hand would be placed. The XTAR logo & character are bright and clear.
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The light has 3 parts(i.e, head, battery tube, and tailcap). Tail threads are anodized at the battery tube & tailcap regions, so you can unscrew it a little for lock-out.
There is a large & round positive contact surface which has a reverse polarity protection function in the head. The 3 flat negative terminal contact discs at the tailcap look unique and solid.
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Changing the mode is very easy and can be quickly accomplished by rotating the magnetic ring right and left with one hand. The S1 has a large head and uses three cool white XM-L U2 emitters, each well-centered in their own deep and smooth reflector well. The wells overlap slightly, but each reflector is quite deep(~5.5cm) overall, so I would expect good throw of beam.
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The battery tube at head side is a circle, but the inside of the battery tube at tailcap side is bored in a triangular pattern which allows three 18650 batteries to slot into and to make them steady.
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Screw threads on the battery tube are fine triangular-cut and quite smooth with no cross-threading or squeaking. The thinnest part of the battery tube is 2mm thick.
[*Correction-*2012.01.13] Screw threads are fine rectangular-cut. Screw thread pitch is very fine and groove is somewhat deep. I've gotten farsighted several years ago. :sweat: Sorry! 
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[*Edit*] : The followings are added(2012.01.12).




The flat negative terminal contact discs on the inside of the tailcap which can rotate on center axis are high elasticity spring structure. Once they are inserted into the battery tube, the tailcap only can be rotated. 
The light can tailstand perfectly. There are 3 small holes machined into the tailcap ring for lanyard or split-ring attachment. The light doesn't roll well due to the tailcap ring. While the light is bigger than I expected overall, construction feels very solid and reliable. 
*Overall build quality *is excellent. 
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*User Interface
*On-off and mode switching is controlled entirely by the silver magnetic selector ring in the head(i.e, there is no clicky on-off switch). 
The six selector ring levels on the light are SOS - Strobe - High - Off ("O")- Preset - Select, arranged clockwise.
When the "▲" symbol on the selector ring is set to "O" position, the light is off or on standby. 
You can select SOS, Strobe, and High mode by rotating the selector ring to the left. Also you can select Preset mode by rotating it to the right. The preset mode is user-defined brightness at a certain level. When rotating the "▲" symbol on the selector ring to "Select" position, the light output will begin to ramp up and down, starting from the current preset output level. To select the output level you want, simply rotate the "▲" symbol on the selector ring quickly back to the "Preset" position. Once an output level is selected, that level is memorized.

All modes switching is controlled by the magnetic selector ring in the head without clicky on-off switch on the tailcap, a standby(parasitic) current is being drawn. It's less than 5mA manufacturer claims. If it's a problem, you can use tailcap lock-out function easily.
Although not very easy, you can switch back and forth one-handed.(You can do that with very ease when you put the gloves.)
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The left & right are the button-top protected 18650's & flat-top unprotected 18650's respectively. I can't turn the light on with my flat-top unprotected 18650 cells, but the button-top protected cells have no problem. If you attach a tiny neodymium magnet(NdFeB) on the flat-top cells, the problem is solved. 
Neither of this issue affect practical usage though, but I hope XTAR would consider and solve this issue.

The S1 has nice battery flexibility by running the three wells in parallel, so you can use 1 or 2x18650 cells in unavoidable emergency. But I'd say you can use 1 or 2xcells only in emergency. I'd recommend you use the batteries of same types, same brands, same charging levels, same capacity(more than 2600mAh at least), and don't mix batteries of old & new. Also note CR123A's or RCR123's are banned.
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The S1 is not an EDC but a big light. :naughty:
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From left to right, VicLite 18650, Solarforce L2T, Skihunt Defier X3, XTAR S1, XTAR TZ-50, Sky Ray STL-V2.
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The net weight is 882g and 1kg including 18650 batteries.
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*PWM
*S1 is a PWM controlled light. I can see flickering at low & med. level, but can't see it visually in practical use. There's no sign of PWM at high mode.
I notice that there is very little buzzing sound on the preset mode and select mode when holding the light close to my ear to hear it. 
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[*Edit*] : The followings are added(2012.01.13).




*Runtime
*The runtime for 50% output of high & med. level on 3xPanasonic unprotected 18650(3100mAh)'s is appr. 81 & 158 mins respectively in my test. The S1 provides good runtime, but it's a shame that it doesn't provide steady or flat regulation. It doesn't behave consistency on both levels as the batteries run down. I stop running the light to protect the batteries from overdischarge in 100mins & 179mins respectively.

The voltage of the battery at the start and end of the test is as follows. 
1) High Mode
Cell-1 : 4.18V --> 3.19V
Cell-2 : 4.18V --> 3.18V
Cell-3 : 4.18V --> 3.17V

2) Med. Mode
Cell-1 : 4.19V --> 3.13V
Cell-2 : 4.18V --> 3.11V
Cell-3 : 4.18V --> 3.09V
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*Surface temperature measurement

*Test conditions 
1) Measuring points :
- Bezel ring(upper point) 
- Lower fin(lower point)
2) Batteries : fully charged Panasonic 18650(3100mAh) cells
3) Temperature of the room : 22.7 ℃
4) Surface temperature of the light before test : 24.6 ℃
5) I just left the light untouched except in the case of turning the light on, off, and brightness level change.
6) Detailed time range & brightness level without cooling
- 00min. 00sec.~23min. 59sec. (High mode)
- 24min. 00sec.~30min. 00sec. (Turn off)

The max. surface temperatures of the upper point(bezel ring) & lower point(lower fin) are 46℃, and 48℃ respectively. Also 43℃ on battery tube.
In my view, the heat is not a problem on the S1 for 20mins continuous running on high level.
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*Beamshot
*1) White door beamshot (about 60cm from the white door)
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The beam profile produces a small sized hotspot with a soft corona tapering into the spill beam. At a close range(i.e.~5m), the spill beam looks like a triangular petal-like pattern. But it is hardly noticeable or is not issue in real life. The beam tint on my sample is very slightly hint of green on hot spot and cool white on side spill. 
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2) Indoor beamshot (about 7m from the target)
























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3) Outdoor beamshot (about 55m from the target)














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4) Outdoor beamshot (about 60~65m from the target)














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5) Outdoor beamshot (far more than 130m from the target)














oo:  oo: 
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[*Edit*] : The following added(2012.01.14).
*Peak Throw & Beam Distance*
I got 54,300 lux of peak throw at 1m and 466m of beam distance(to 0.25lux).
[*Edit*] : I measured 56,100 lux at 1m, with full charged NCR18650As, is based on 30 secs after activation which translates into an ANSI FL-1 beam distance of 473m. (2012.04.21)
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[*Edit*] : Ramp added(2012.01.18).




The ramp of S1 is 7 sec from min. to max. brightness, totally 14 sec cycle as shown in the above graph.
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Thanks for reading the review.

* S1 provided by TorchGear for review.

[ *Note* (12.04.22) : You can find the Xtar S1 comparison review-test version & final version *here* or in *the #22'nd reply* down there. ]


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## CyberCT (Jan 11, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

Nice! I'm liking this light. I know it says IPX-8 waterproof, but do you know if it's good down to 10 feet or something? I hear that some IPX-8 lights actually leak when placed underwater, and others hold up well (Fenix).

How hot does it get on the highest mode?


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## Loomy (Jan 11, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

That appears to be a good light!


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## xed888 (Jan 11, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

The S1 uses PWM for its lower modes so that has made me lose interest in it


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## 2100 (Jan 11, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

CyberCT, this light did about 39 deg C measured at the bezel after 12 mins run on the highest mode. Ambient was 29 deg C. This is like the absolute opposite of Nitecore TM11.  

I have also done a review on it but it's slightly different and is very measurement based. Also compared via photos to the Olight M3X and Fenix TK70. Just do a google on it, it will turn up. I can't link it here.

The light uses 475Hz PWM, not current controlled. I figured that it is best not to sugar-coat any reviews because folks will buy it and a hoo-haa later is worse. 475Hz is actually not too bad and usable in real life, it's about 3X faster than budget lights from Ultrafire/Trustfire/Sky Ray. But i guess if you are that type who is super sensitive to even 4kHz PWM which is still very slightly visible on a fan and in the shower (!!) then you might not want this light.

So it depends on your priorities. It gets pretty close to TK70's performance, very efficient driver (it runs parallel and takes about 6.5A at the tail for 2100L OTF!) and most importantly at least for me, a form factor that is much usable than the TK70. MY TK70 is in 3D mode with 2 x 32600, still a bit unwieldy when i hold both in my hand and shine it around. This is much more solid in feel than the TK70, which i believe most would think it's already very solid.


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## xed888 (Jan 11, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*



2100 said:


> CyberCT, this light did about 39 deg C measured at the bezel after 12 mins run on the highest mode. Ambient was 29 deg C. This is like the absolute opposite of Nitecore TM11.
> 
> I have also done a review on it but it's slightly different and is very measurement based. Also compared via photos to the Olight M3X and Fenix TK70. Just do a google on it, it will turn up. I can't link it here.
> 
> ...



well said, 2100. I love how the light looks though! If you manage to persuade Xtar to drop PWM, I'd happily get one!


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## LiteTheWay (Jan 11, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

Another of the 'short fat' rather than 'long-thin' type multi-cell, multi LED lights which seem to be more popular.


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## Mr. Tone (Jan 11, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

This looks like a great light. I really like the form factor. Are the LED's easily accesible so one could mod it to neutral white?


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## candle lamp (Jan 12, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

Thanks for your interest. 



CyberCT said:


> Nice! I'm liking this light. I know it says IPX-8 waterproof, but do you know if it's good down to 10 feet or something? I hear that some IPX-8 lights actually leak when placed underwater, and others hold up well (Fenix).
> 
> How hot does it get on the highest mode?



Sorry, I'm not sure if S1 is good down to the depth you mention yet. According to my heat measurement, S1 reached 48 degrees C surface temperature in 24 mins without cooling.
You can see the related result soon.



Mr. Tone said:


> This looks like a great light. I really like the form factor. Are the LED's easily accesible so one could mod it to neutral white?



I'll let you know soon.


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## Mr. Tone (Jan 12, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

Thanks. As far as I know Xtar as never offered neutral white lights from the factory, at least I haven't seen any. I really like the parallel battery configuration. The shorter, fatter design seems better than the super long skinny type which are so common. I have a Thrunite Catapult V3 and it honestly could have a handle diameter closer to that of a 2D maglite for my tastes and it is thicker than most other 2x18650 lights. You have to hold that light close to the head to find a good balance.


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## candle lamp (Jan 13, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*



Mr. Tone said:


> Thanks. As far as I know Xtar as never offered neutral white lights from the factory, at least I haven't seen any. I really like the parallel battery configuration. The shorter, fatter design seems better than the super long skinny type which are so common. I have a Thrunite Catapult V3 and it honestly could have a handle diameter closer to that of a 2D maglite for my tastes and it is thicker than most other 2x18650 lights. You have to hold that light close to the head to find a good balance.



I think S1 has a better balance of the weight between head and body(battery tube+tailcap) than common 2x18650 light.

I've checked the head and found the LED's easily accessible, so you can mod it to neutral white as you want. The bezel ring can be opend by unscrewing it without any tool.

P.S. : I've posted runtime, heat measurement, and beamshot.


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## ChibiM (Jan 13, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

excellent looking light.. 
but your neighbors probably think differently (shining this light on their window)


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## qazx (Jan 14, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

good review. interesting light, just a shame about the lack of regulation on high


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## 2100 (Jan 14, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*



qazx said:


> good review. interesting light, just a shame about the lack of regulation on high



It's actually regulated. Look at the first 20 mins and then 60 mins. The light reaches nearly 50 deg C by the 24th minute (which is very very good, in fact the best of my multi-XML lights even better than the TK70). The light tries to suck ~ 2.2A from each cell. Seriously your eyes cannot tell the diff between 100% and 80%. 100% and 70% is also barely noticeable unless you A-B it directly. For the first 60 mins i am sure everybody would be very happy.

The PWM too, it is very usable in reality. But i do know there are a couple who don't even want kHz range PWM and I do respect that. Perfection comes at a price though.


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## candle lamp (Jan 18, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*



ChibiM said:


> excellent looking light..
> but your neighbors probably think differently (shining this light on their window)



Thanks. ChibiM!
I'm afraid if my eyes meet neighbor's icy eyes when taking some pictures at midnight. oo:


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## candle lamp (Jan 20, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*



2100 said:


> It's actually regulated. The PWM too, it is very usable in reality. But i do know there are a couple who don't even want kHz range PWM and I do respect that. Perfection comes at a price though.



I agreed. Thanks. 2100!


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## candle lamp (Mar 26, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

Xtar made some changes according to feedbacks as follows :

1) Longer ramping time for output selecting, a pause at 3%, 25%, 75% and 98% output level.
2) Max light output change to 2350lm, and improved circuit board to have better regulated output.
3) LED color temperature 6500K.
4) Magnetic dimmer can be turn 180°，instead of 360°。
5）Ultra clear AR lens.
6) can use protected & unprotected cells

Nice to hear the upgrade!


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## 357mag1 (Mar 26, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*



candle lamp said:


> Xtar made some changes according to feedbacks as follows :
> 
> 1) Longer ramping time for output selecting, a pause at 3%, 25%, 75% and 98% output level.
> 2) Max light output change to 2350lm, and improved circuit board to have better regulated output.
> ...



So when are you planning to review the upgraded light???


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## Jerimoth (Mar 26, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

Great light- but when will it be available in the US?


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## candle lamp (Mar 26, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*



357mag1 said:


> So when are you planning to review the upgraded light???



Well, frankly I hope to review the production light. But hope someone will do it too as soon as possible. 



Jerimoth said:


> Great light- but when will it be available in the US?



How about contacting the local distributors to get information?


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## Jerimoth (Mar 27, 2012)

*Re: XTAR "Monster" S1 (3xXM-L U2, 3x18650) review - runtime, beamshots, etc.*

Good point- I checked on the site yesterday and I swear it wasn't there- but it's there now. Perhaps they read CPF. Thanks.


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## candle lamp (Apr 20, 2012)

*XTAR S1 Comparison Review - Test Version & Final Version*

*
Note* *:* *This is Xtar S1 Comparison Review - Test version & Final version.

*






XTAR has officially released S1-final version. They revised S1-test version according to the reviews comments and suggestions. (I did a review on *the test version*.)
The S1 final version comes in a sturdy cardboard box, with built-in packing foam and closing flap.
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Inside is the light, spare o-ings, instruction manual, lanyard, warranty card, and nice pouch.
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*Manufacturer's specifications & features* :





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The final version is sturdy and imposing even just at a glance.
Lst's see how much the final version has changed from the *test version* of S1 in detail.
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Test version is on the left in the picture and final version on the right. (will be continued in the same order as above.)
They look the same on the surface.
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The external features that have changed on the head are fluted ridges along the bezel ring, and the lower ring which supports a silver magnetic selector ring.
One other change is the rounded groove shape on the selector ring. Thanks to its change, I can switch back and forth one-handed with ease.
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The knurling on the battery tube is less aggressive, but the overall grip is certainly reasonable.
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I can't open the bezel ring on the final version, it seems to be bonded with strong adhesive. The final version has a toughened AR coating lens, while test version a toughtened lens.
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The tiny groove on the positive contact plate is removed and the positive contact block is increased in length. The final version is not different in its 6 labeled modes on the head of the light (i.e. SOS - Strobe - High - Off("O") - Preset - Select, Arranged clockwise). The test version's selector ring continues to turn past all the output modes in either direction. But XTAR prevent the ring from turning to the rigion where there is no output mode, and reduce the total traverse of the ring to 1/2 circumference of the final version.

[*Update - *2012.04.23] The silver positive contact plate rotates a bit smoothly as before. [*Update - *2012.04.23]
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The battery tube length is reduced a little. Screw threads are anodized for tailcap lockout as the test version was.
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The threads toward the head are square cut, but there is a decreasing in the number of the threads from 7 to 5.
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The threads toward the tailcap are anodized square cut. There is no change in the number of threads.
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The thinnest part of the battery tube is 2 mm thick. The light is definitely one of the most solid lights I've seen.
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The tailcaps are identical and the light can tailstand perfectly. There are 3 small holes machined into the tailcap ring for lanyard or split-ring attachment.
[*Update - *2012.04.23] The three negative contacts & the base plate on the tailcap rotate much more freely than the positive contact plate on the head as before. [*Update - *2012.04.23]
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[*Update - *2012.04.23]





The both tailcaps are fit in each battery tube well, but are not interchangeable between the test & final version.
i.e. The tailcap of the final version fit in the body of the test version and the light just works fine. But the light doesn't work when fitting the tailcap of the test version in the body of the final version. It' is because the height of the base plate on the test version is less than the final version as shown above. I don't mean this is an issue in the final version. This is related to the use of the flat-top cells. [*Update - *2012.04.23]

*Overall build quality* seems excellent.
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*User Interface






*As before, final version is not different in its UI.
On/off and mode switching is controlled entirely by the silver magnetic selector ring in the head. You can select any mode by rotating the selector ring. The preset mode is user-defined brightness at a certain level. When rotating the "▲" symbol on the selector ring to "Select" position, the light output will begin to ramp up and down in a repeating loop, starting from the current preset output level. To select the output level you want, simply rotate the "▲" symbol on the selector ring quickly back to the "Preset" position. Once an output level is selected, that level is memorized (i.e. will always return to that level unless you start a new Select ramp). The range of the Select mode manufacturer claims is 15~2350 lumens.
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*Ramp
*The ramp of the test version is 7 secs from min. to max. output level, totally 14 secs cycle. What this means is that the test version ramp is so quick that you can't select the output level precisely you want. The final version has much longer ramping time for selecting output level (i.e. from 15 lumens to 2350 lumens takes about 22 secs), and there is a 1.5 sec pause at 3%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 98% output level to help the precisely selecting of output level as shown below. The current revision of the ramp is very welcome and nice change according to the user's feedbacks.






But I think the adding a 1~2 secs pause only at those output levels is not a great help me to know what the current output level is. Personally, I don't see the need for 25% and 75% pauses in the ramp. I would like to suggest that XTAR make the light flicker once at 0%, and twice at 50% output, and three times at max.(100%) output to remind users the current output level by keeping 1~2 secs pause at those output levels. This will probably reduce the ramping time to 8 secs (i.e. with 14 secs between min. and max. outputs).
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The flat-top 18650 cells do not work in the test version, but the button-top cells work fine. (If you attach a neodymium magnet(NdFeB) on the flat-top cells in the test version, no problem at all.) Now you can use the flat-top 18650 cells without using a magnet in the final version.
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The final version is not appreciably different in its weight.
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The light comes with a nice pouch instead of a holster.
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I don't think a holster is a good idea for such a big size light, but with a pouch, I can either put the light in my bag without got scratched, or can carry it on my shoulder.
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*PWM
*I can see flickering at lower output level when intentionally waving the light. But I can't see it visually in practical use. There is no sign of PWM at high mode as before. I notice that there is very little buzzing sound on the preset mode amd select mode as before.
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*Runtime






*The runtime for 50% output of high level on 3xPanasonic unprotected 18650(3100mAh)'s for test & final version are appr. 82 & 75 mins respectively in my test. The test version provides good runtime, while it doesn't provide steady or flat regulation. However the final version does appear to be flatly regulated at high level, while provides less runtime than test version. 
The revised final version seems to have a little more output. I stop running the lights to protect the batteries from overdischarge in 89 mins & 104 mins respectively.

The voltage of the battery at the start and end of the test is as follows :
1) Test Version
Cell-1 : 4.18V --> 2.99V
Cell-2 : 4.18V --> 2.96V
Cell-3 : 4.18V --> 3.03V

2) Final Version
Cell-1 : 4.18V --> 3.03V
Cell-2 : 4.18V --> 3.04V
Cell-3 : 4.18V --> 3.10V
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*Beamshot

*1) Light ivory wall beamshot (about 60cm from the wall)















The beam profile of test & final version produces a small sized hotspot with a soft corona tapering into the spill beam. At a close range(i.e.~5m), the spill beam looks like a triangular petal-like pattern. But it is hardly noticeable or is not issue in real life. The beam tint on test version towards quite cool side of the color spectrum noticeably blue, but the beam tint on final version is close to neutral white perhaps leaning just slightly towards the cool side, but not by much.
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[*Update - *2012.04.22] Indoor beamshot is uploaded.
2) Indoor beamshot (about 7m from the target)
2-1) Test version















2-2) Final version















2-3) Test version(left) & Final version(right)





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3) Outdoor beamshot (about 60~65m from the target)




















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4) Outdoor beamshot (about 60~65m from the target)














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5) Outdoor beamshot (about 55m from the target)



















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6) Outdoor beamshot (far more than 130m from the target)




















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[*Update - *2012.04.21] *Peak Throw & Beam Distance

*1) Test version 
I measured 56,100 lux at 1m, with full charged NCR18650As, is based on 30 secs after activation which translates into an ANSI FL-1 beam distance of 473m. 
2) Final version
I measured 60,600 lux at 1m, with full charged NCR18650As, is based on 30 secs after activation which translates into an ANSI FL-1 beam distance of 492m. 

The final version seems to have a little more output, resulting in slightly greater throw as well. I think this is due to an improved circuit board to have better regulated output and a toughened AR coating lens.


[ Note (12.04.22) : You can find the S1-test version review *here*. ]


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## madecov (Apr 20, 2012)

*Re: XTAR S1 Comparison Review - Test Version & Final Version*

Nice review


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## LiteTheWay (Apr 21, 2012)

*Re: XTAR S1 Comparison Review - Test Version & Final Version*

Nice review and excellent comparison between test and final version.


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## Geode (Apr 21, 2012)

*Re: XTAR S1 Comparison Review - Test Version & Final Version*

Great review. That torch casts a pretty intense beam.


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## candle lamp (Apr 22, 2012)

*Re: XTAR S1 Comparison Review - Test Version & Final Version*



madecov said:


> Nice review





7histology said:


> Nice review and excellent comparison between test and final version.





Geode said:


> Great review. That torch casts a pretty intense beam.



Thanks for your good words. Gentlemen! 

Yes, it does cast a pretty intense beam. :duck:


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## BWX (Apr 22, 2012)

*Re: XTAR S1 Comparison Review - Test Version & Final Version*

A lot of the pics in post #22 are red X's... but I ordered an XTAR S1 anyway!

EDIT- I got pics to load..
One observation:

''The tailcaps are identical''
I noticed new tailcap has a deeper step-down into first machined circle, and the middle machined circle is larger in diameter. I also think the little triangular shaped ''feet'' that would be touching ground if tail-standing are a tiny bit larger. 

I Love all those macro shots- you can really see all the little machining differences.


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## candle lamp (Apr 23, 2012)

*Re: XTAR S1 Comparison Review - Test Version & Final Version*

Thanks. BWX!

You're right and very good at finding the difference between the tailcaps. 

I've also updated some notes dated on 12.04.23.



BWX said:


> A lot of the pics in post #22 are red X's... but I ordered an XTAR S1 anyway!
> 
> EDIT- I got pics to load..
> One observation:
> ...


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## BWX (Apr 23, 2012)

At least I have this thread to check out pics while I wait for mine to come in the mail, LOL. 

Hey, does the silver magnetic adjustment ring look to be narrower on the final version? I don't mean up and down, but the entire width of the light where the ring is. Might just be photo angles.
The production version is definitely a completely new light. Very similar, but it looks like the body has completely new machining.


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## candle lamp (Apr 24, 2012)

BWX said:


> At least I have this thread to check out pics while I wait for mine to come in the mail, LOL.
> 
> Hey, does the silver magnetic adjustment ring look to be narrower on the final version? I don't mean up and down, but the entire width of the light where the ring is. Might just be photo angles.
> The production version is definitely a completely new light. Very similar, but it looks like the body has completely new machining.



That's a good idea. 

I've measured the circumference of the silver magnetic ring on the two lights and both is 22.2cm round. So the diameter is around 7.07cm.
I'm suprised they changed an engine, window, headlamp color, body frame, and accessaries.  What else?


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## 357mag1 (Apr 24, 2012)

Thanks for the review.
Great information. Between your and selfbuilt's reviews convinced me to buy the production version of this light.


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## candle lamp (Apr 25, 2012)

357mag1 said:


> Thanks for the review.
> Great information. Between your and selfbuilt's reviews convinced me to buy the production version of this light.



Thank you too. 357mag1

May I ask you a question? What's your reason for making a purchase of it?
In my case, I love the upgraded circuit, the use of the unprotected (flat-top) 18650 cells, and nice improvement according to the feedbacks.


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## BWX (Apr 25, 2012)

Well here's why I ordered the Xtar S1- because my brightest lights are my TK45, Spark SL6 800CW, and O-Light i6 Paladin... all in the same 'class' of performance. Great for their size, etc., but now that I am using 18650 batteries, it's time for more.

I've been wanting to upgrade to a multiple XML, multiple 18650 'throw-ish' light, not necessarily a dedicated thrower like an SR90, but more of a thrower than my TK45 or SL6. Size isn't an issue, I just want something that kicks ***. 

As soon as I saw the production version S1 reviews, and saw how it had better regulation, better tint, more output, tweaked machining, and everything else, I was sold. 

The top quality machining and overall quality was important. The beam ''throwy-ness'' was a perfect compromise I thought. The overall output is great. Now came price- I wasn't sure how much I wanted to spend on my new beast of a light, but I couldn't spend too much. After I read all the reviews and decided I was interested, I shopped around a little for the best price. Once I saw how much I could get it for, I didn't hesitate. I though it was a hell of a deal. 

The test pre-production version was an even better deal.. about $30 cheaper, but with all the improvements, the final production unit was well worth the asking price. $200 for a light like this? Amazing deal.. I thought I'd be spending quite a bit more for a quality flashlight with this level of performance actually. I just can't believe they aren't all sold out already..


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## 357mag1 (Apr 25, 2012)

candle lamp said:


> Thank you too. 357mag1
> 
> May I ask you a question? What's your reason for making a purchase of it?
> In my case, I love the upgraded circuit, the use of the unprotected (flat-top) 18650 cells, and nice improvement according to the feedbacks.



Well my main reason is addiction!!! I really don't need another light.
I was interested in the light after seeing your review of the pre-production version but wouldn't buy it because of poor regulation and incompatibility with flat-top cells. I was enamoured with the smaller format powerful light with robust build.
Once you and selfbuilt reported the regulation was fixed and flat-tops work I put one on order.
You particularly brought out the flat-top compatibility which was very important to me.

Thanks again for a comprehensive review.


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## BLUE LED (Apr 25, 2012)

Thank you for the detailed review. You certainly convinced me to buy a production S1.


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## candle lamp (Apr 26, 2012)

BWX said:


> Well here's why I ordered the Xtar S1- because my brightest lights are my TK45, Spark SL6 800CW, and O-Light i6 Paladin... all in the same 'class' of performance.



They are really good flashlights as well.



BWX said:


> The test pre-production version was an even better deal.. about $30 cheaper, but with all the improvements, the final production unit was well worth the asking price. $200 for a light like this? Amazing deal..



I agree with you.



357mag1 said:


> Well my main reason is addiction!!! I really don't need another light.



It's more applicable to me. Now I have two. :laughing:



357mag1 said:


> You particularly brought out the flat-top compatibility which was very important to me.
> Thanks again for a comprehensive review.



It's my pleasure.



BLUE LED said:


> Thank you for the detailed review. You certainly convinced me to buy a production S1.



You're welcome.

I hope all of you will be pleased with it and use it very usefully.


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## peteybaby (Apr 26, 2012)

About the flat-top cells issue: if the positive contact is still a flat metal plate, I don't understand why the production version works while the pre-production version doesn't work.

I don't have many flat-top cells, so please excuse my speculation: what happens if you use three flat-top cells whose positive contact is flush with the outside of the plastic wrapper, so that when the cells are placed into the S1, the positive contacts on the cells may just barely touch the positive contact plate in the light, but because of manufacturing imperfections, e.g. a bump on the plastic wrapper, one of the three cells actually doesn't make electrical contact? Then you'd have the light being driven only by two cells, possibly intermittently as the light is jostled.

Also, let's say the above does happen, and one day you're out for a walk and the light is on High for 20 mins on two cells, but you jostle the light and now all three cells make contact. The "fresh" cell would dump a lot of current into the two "used" cells until they equalized. Is that unhealthy for the batteries?


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## BWX (Apr 26, 2012)

^^ That doesn't sound like a good thing. Seems reasonable that it could happen too!


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## TEEJ (Apr 26, 2012)

peteybaby said:


> About the flat-top cells issue: if the positive contact is still a flat metal plate, I don't understand why the production version works while the pre-production version doesn't work.
> 
> I don't have many flat-top cells, so please excuse my speculation: what happens if you use three flat-top cells whose positive contact is flush with the outside of the plastic wrapper, so that when the cells are placed into the S1, the positive contacts on the cells may just barely touch the positive contact plate in the light, but because of manufacturing imperfections, e.g. a bump on the plastic wrapper, one of the three cells actually doesn't make electrical contact? Then you'd have the light being driven only by two cells, possibly intermittently as the light is jostled.
> 
> Also, let's say the above does happen, and one day you're out for a walk and the light is on High for 20 mins on two cells, but you jostle the light and now all three cells make contact. The "fresh" cell would dump a lot of current into the two "used" cells until they equalized. Is that unhealthy for the batteries?



For you too, that current = heat, and, can lead to an explosion or fire...if the protection circuits don't trip when they need to, etc....and the cell can be toast either way.

When using lights that take more than one cell, you want the cells to be matched as closely as possible, the same state of charge, and, the same internal resistance. Differences are what cause all the problems in this scenario.


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## candle lamp (Apr 27, 2012)

peteybaby said:


> About the flat-top cells issue: if the positive contact is still a flat metal plate, I don't understand why the production version works while the pre-production version doesn't work.



Hi peteybaby,
It's bacause the production version has a shorter distance between the positve contact plate and the negative contact disc than the pre-production version. ( i.e. The positive contact plate block of the final version is a bit increased in length while the battery tube length of the final version is a bit reduced.) 



peteybaby said:


> I don't have many flat-top cells, so please excuse my speculation: what happens if you use three flat-top cells whose positive contact is flush with the outside of the plastic wrapper, so that when the cells are placed into the S1, the positive contacts on the cells may just barely touch the positive contact plate in the light, but because of manufacturing imperfections, e.g. a bump on the plastic wrapper, one of the three cells actually doesn't make electrical contact? Then you'd have the light being driven only by two cells, possibly intermittently as the light is jostled.
> Also, let's say the above does happen, and one day you're out for a walk and the light is on High for 20 mins on two cells, but you jostle the light and now all three cells make contact. The "fresh" cell would dump a lot of current into the two "used" cells until they equalized. Is that unhealthy for the batteries?



In such cases(i.e. the positive contact is flush with the plastic wrapper or a bump on the wrapper), all cells may not make electrical contact as you mention. So one or two cells should be overloaded. 
I have some flat-top unprotected 18650 cells as shown in the picture and LG 3000mAh among them has almost a pure flat-top positive contact. But it's not flush with the platic wrapper or slightly higher than the plastic wrapper. I've tested with these cells for around 20 mins and gotton the almost same voltages of three cells. If someone is concerned about this matter, I would suggest using a spacer or small magnet on the positive contact. 






Also I'd recommend they use the batteries of same type, same brand, same charging level, same capacity, and don't mix batteries of old & new.
XTAR recommends the use of the protected batteries for safety in the manual.


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## 357mag1 (Apr 27, 2012)

I received my S1 and did some preliminary testing.

I will list what I like, dislike and a concern with the light.

Like:
1. Very close to the TK70 in performance on Max setting.
2. Much smaller form factor than the TK70
3. Being able to set my own output level
4. Is built like a tank like the discontinued TK20.
5. Nimh D cells will fit in the tube. I ran it with 3D cells and it worked great. On the bench of course, no way will the length of 3D nimhs fit with the tailcap. Now if we could convince XTAR to produce an extension so we have the option of Nimh D cells.

Dislike:
1. 658u Amps draw when in the OFF position. That will drain a 2600mah 18650s dry in about 5.5 months. Make sure you loosen that tailcap.
2. I have accidentally turned from "Preselect" to "Select" about half a dozen times so far. Which messes up my carefully chosen "Preselect" setting. Wish it had a lock out feature where you had to turn quickly between "Preselect" and "Select" twice to initiate changing the "Preselect" level. This would keep idiots like me from repeatedly going through the ramp sequence to reset my "Preselect" level.

Concern:
Tailcap current with 3 fully charged IMR 18650 cells measured 7.86amps at the tailcap. It is the same with my LG 2800mah cells, some of the best Lithium cells I've tested. Lesser quality cells or slightly depleted cells all read lower tailcap current. This is backwards for a regulated light. Slightly depleted cells should draw more current at the tailcap to maintain the same current through the LED.

So all I can conclude is my light is not regulated like the production versions Selfbuilt and Candle Lamp received for testing. If other purchasers confirm their light does the same we have to wonder why XTAR sent regulated versions to testers and gave the public unregulated versions.

I'm going out on a limb here without all of the facts (perhaps others have regulated lights and mine is a fluke). I can think of at least one reason why XTAR might be inclined to do this (If they did it would still be *wrong*). The S1 starts out drawing almost 8amps using freshly charged batteries so by mid run on a regulated light it should be pulling over 9amps. This works out to over 3amps per battery and will climb higher further into the run. Perhaps XTAR is worried such a high draw could cause issues with some of the lower/questionable quality Lithium Ion cells on the market.

For those of you who might be a little fuzzy on how a regulated light should function. Lets use my fully regulated TK70 as an example. With fresh cells I measure about 7amps at the tailcap and after the cells have been in the light for about 15 minutes tailcap current has already climbed to 8.25amps and will climb even higher as the batteries near the end of their capacity. That is how a regulated light works. 

Without a doubt my XTAR is not a regulated light or at least it is very poorly regulated like the pre-production version.

So does anyone else have a good meter and the ability to verify tailcap measurements on their *"PRODUCTION"* version XTAR S1?


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## BWX (Apr 28, 2012)

357mag1 said:


> So all I can conclude is my light is not regulated like the production versions Selfbuilt and Candle Lamp received for testing.



Damn! I paid extra to get that regulation, and I only use high quality 18650 cells. 
If that's true about the lack of regulation, I'm going to be pissed off.

I do have a digital multimeter, but have never measured current draw on anything with it. I don't even have clips on the leads, just probes.

I haven't received my S1 in the mail yet. I ordered it on the 22nd from hkequipment, who knows when I'll get it. When I do finally get it, if I can, I'll try to confirm what you found with the current draw.

I wonder if you got a pre-production test version? Can you confirm it's the final production version by comparing the machining to photos? Just making sure, I guess it's possible you got a test version in a box and everything by accident? Of course you probably already checked, but ya never know.


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## BLUE LED (Apr 28, 2012)

I have ordered the S1 production version because of the regulation on high quality 18650 Cells. I will not be happy if it turns out to he semi regulated. Please do check the head for the differences and confirm that you have a production S1.


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## 357mag1 (Apr 28, 2012)

I did verify my flashlight has the machining of the production version. I even contacted the vendor to make sure I was getting a production version prior to purchase.

I sent the vendor an email about my concern with the lack of regulation. His reply was the "The S1 is wired in parrallel, it should drop in current draw".

For those of you who do not have an electronic back ground (I have over 30 years) you may still recall Ohm's Law from school. P=IE Power is found by multiplying current by voltage. Without trying to factor in voltage sag under a load lets use 4.2 volts X 7.86 amps for a total of roughly 33 watts of power. When the battery voltage drops to 4V current must increase to 8.25 amps to maintain 33 watts. At 3.5 volts current has to be at almost 9.43 amps to maintain power out.

Again the above doesn't take into consideration voltage sag under load but should allow those of you without an electronics background to understand why the current draw at the tailcap will *ALWAYS* climb on a properly regulated light.

Something I forgot to mention last night. When I position the S1 ring to "High" it takes the light about two seconds to come up to full brightness. Not sure why they have that feature, it would be more appropriate on an Ican but perhaps slowly bringing an LED up to full power can help extend it's life as well.


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## TEEJ (Apr 28, 2012)

You can get the latest versions form MD-lightsource, they just got them in.



We get 12% off for CPF members to boot. I think that's only ~ $220 (The list was $299, but MD only charges $249, and the discount is off the $249)

:devil:


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## 357mag1 (Apr 28, 2012)

BWX said:


> I do have a digital multimeter, but have never measured current draw on anything with it. I don't even have clips on the leads, just probes.



You don't need clips. The following procedure applies to most Fluke DVMs.

First some safety information. Safety for your batteries and meter and in rare circumstances the individual as well. We read voltage by connecting the leads across the battery terminals. This puts the meter in parallel with the battery. The meter has a very high internal resistance on the voltage setting so only a trickle of current passes through the meter for it to read voltage. If that wasn't the case the meter itself would add a load to the battery and cause voltage sag giving you inaccurate readings.

When reading current you have to be in series with the circuit. When I move my leads to the current jacks on the multimeter now the internal resistance of the meter is almost zero. The meter in fact uses a piece of precision wire and reads the very small voltage drop across that wire. The more amps going through the wire the higher the voltage drop. So the meter is really still reading voltage but in a way that can supply you with an accurate current reading.

Why have I bored you with this information. I wanted you to understand when setup to read current your meter is acting as a wire. If you forget and connect it across the terminals of a battery it will short out the battery just as if you placed a piece of wire across the terminals. Several things can happen. If your meter isn't fuse protected and the battery is strong enough it will damage your meter. The leads will get hot. If you do this on something as powerful as a car battery your leads can get burnt (arc welded) or melt. Your battery could explode!!! Explosion is unlikely but possible. Please be extra careful when using the current function of your DVM.

So here is the procedure. 
Leave the black lead in the "COM" jack and move the red lead to the "A" jack. 
Rotate the DVM selector dial to the ma/A position. 
Now your Fluke meter is ready to read current, others may require slightly different procedures. Hopefully you have a manual if it isn't obvious after reading the above.

To read current on the S1.
Take the tailcap off the S1 and lay a flat fender washer or disc magnet on top of the batteries. The washer or magnet is just a way to tie the negative ends of the batteries together much like the tailcap itself does. 
Now rotate the light switch to "High". 
Make firm contact with your red probe (I lay it flat and press down fairly hard) to the top bare aluminum part of the battery tube.
Use the black prove to push down on the washer/magnet you placed on top of the batteries.
Hold it until the light ramps up to full brightness.
Read your DVM digital display.

That is it. You may want to make yourself some short thick leads just for taking current readings like I have. The small and fairly long leads of most meters have enough resistance to affect current reading when getting much above 2amps. You can still check regulation of flashlights by using your meter to complete the current path the tailcap usually does.

Hope this was helpful. I will try to get someone to assist me with some photos though I suspect there are some on this forum if one were to search diligently.


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## BLUE LED (Apr 28, 2012)

Perhaps a regulation test is in order to see if yours matches the S1 reviewed. I will make the time to test mine when it arrives. I have AW, Redilast and Eagletac 18650 3100 mAh cells.


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## BWX (Apr 28, 2012)

Two full seconds to get to max output? I don't remember hearing anything about that either.. but I remember someone saying it ramps up quickly.. I have a light that's like that- the Fenix LD20 premium r4 does that, but very quickly, nothing like two seconds. It sounds like the Xtar S1 that we are getting as a "production version", is different than the "production version" sent to people for reviews. At least the circuit is different anyway. If that's the case, that's deliberately misleading. Not cool at all.

edit
I'll make sure I have the correct type of multi meter and perform the test when I get my S1.


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## selfbuilt (Apr 28, 2012)

357mag1 said:


> Tailcap current with 3 fully charged IMR 18650 cells measured 7.86amps at the tailcap. It is the same with my LG 2800mah cells, some of the best Lithium cells I've tested. Lesser quality cells or slightly depleted cells all read lower tailcap current. This is backwards for a regulated light. Slightly depleted cells should draw more current at the tailcap to maintain the same current through the LED.
> 
> So all I can conclude is my light is not regulated like the production versions Selfbuilt and Candle Lamp received for testing. If other purchasers confirm their light does the same we have to wonder why XTAR sent regulated versions to testers and gave the public unregulated versions.


Actually, I suspect the issue is likely with the DMM in the current path.

My production sample (which shows flat output regulation) behaves the same way as yours if I do measures with my DMM hooked up. That is, on partially charged 18650 IMR, I get a lower current draw on my DMM compared to fully charged.

The reason for this (which I can confirm in my case) is that the light is NOT actually running at full brightness when I hook it up to a cell through my DMM. This is why the lower current draw is observed. 

Based on some discussion with HKJ in my earlier pre-production review, I suspect this has to do with resistance in the DMM and/or leads (at least in my case).

Note the same goes if you run it for a few minutes - with my DMM hooked up, the current draw drops fairly rapidly (as does the output to match). But if you run without the DMM, the output stays constant. 



357mag1 said:


> Something I forgot to mention last night. When I position the S1 ring to "High" it takes the light about two seconds to come up to full brightness. Not sure why they have that feature, it would be more appropriate on an Ican but perhaps slowly bringing an LED up to full power can help extend it's life as well.





BWX said:


> Two full seconds to get to max output? I don't remember hearing anything about that either..


Again, this is normal - my sample does the same thing. 

I suspect it is to be more "gentle" on the batteries, but it may also give the circuit the opportunity to NOT ramp up to full brightness if it detects an issue with the power source (which may be the case when the DMM is in the circuit path). :shrug:


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## BWX (Apr 28, 2012)

That's good.. I hope that's all the issue is.


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## 357mag1 (Apr 29, 2012)

selfbuilt said:


> Actually, I suspect the issue is likely with the DMM in the current path.



selfbuilt,

First I would like to thank you for taking the time to let us know how your review light acted when testing tailcap current.

I agree the meter can start to influence current readings particularly at these higher current levels. I have taken steps to minimize that by using heavy gauge short leads.

Even if the leads and meter's internal resistance is having an influence on current readings with the S1, I believe it would be minimal and we should still see a rise in current as voltage drops. I have measured powerful regulated lights that draw even more current than the S1 and they all show a rise in current as battery voltage declines during the run cycle.

As I explained above and you probably already know when the meter leads are in position to read current they are connected by a precision piece of wire. With my particular setup the resistance would be extremely small. If the S1 circuitry is truly that sensitive it must be very fragile in design or barely able to do the job. In fact looking at the tailcap I would almost bet my meter and leads have less resistance.

Once again I appreciate you letting us know how your review light behaved. Hopefully my light is truly regulated but the current readings make no sense to me.


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## BWX (Apr 29, 2012)

Oh crap. I ordered it on April 22nd. I look today at tracking..
April 28, 2012, 10:32 pm ------- Processed Through Sort Facility ---------- ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) -------- Registered Mail™

I've never seen ''ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)'' ever, so I looked it up. Looks like it's stuck at customes.. or could be. 

Might be a while before I can test it.


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## 357mag1 (Apr 29, 2012)

I don't have a light meter so must rely on my eyes to verify a regulated output. To do this reliably I needed a light close to the output of the S1.

I discharged some Panasonic 3100mah batteries down to 3.85volts and topped off some LG 2800mah 18650s at 4.22 volts. 

Then I carried the S1 and a TK70 outside to do some comparison testing. The two lights are very comparable with the TK70 being just slightly brighter and producing a little more throw on the highest settings. Doing side by side testing I couldn't see where the S1 was any brighter with the freshly charged batteries than with the Panasonics at 3.85volts.

I have to thank selfbuilt for the information he provided. It was his tailcap readings that prompted me to think of a meaningful way to test the lumen output at different battery voltages. As stated above I can't see where the light is any dimmer with the lower voltage of the Panasonics or any brighter with the freshly charged LGs.

I'm feeling better about my S1 even though I had no intention of returning the light even if it wasn't properly regulated. By the way, the vendor (sbflashlights) offered to take the light back and provide a full refund if I wasn't satisfied. You can't ask for better service than that.

Just too nice of a light for the size and I really like the rugged build.

I would still love an extension to allow the use of 3D Nimh cells or even 3 Alkaline D cells in a pinch.


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## candle lamp (Apr 30, 2012)

selfbuilt said:


> Actually, I suspect the issue is likely with the DMM in the current path.
> My production sample (which shows flat output regulation) behaves the same way as yours if I do measures with my DMM hooked up. That is, on partially charged 18650 IMR, I get a lower current draw on my DMM compared to fully charged.
> The reason for this (which I can confirm in my case) is that the light is NOT actually running at full brightness when I hook it up to a cell through my DMM. This is why the lower current draw is observed.
> Based on some discussion with HKJ in my earlier pre-production review, I suspect this has to do with resistance in the DMM and/or leads (at least in my case).
> ...



Many thanks for your time & detaild explanation. Selfbuilt! 



357mag1 said:


> I don't have a light meter so must rely on my eyes to verify a regulated output. To do this reliably I needed a light close to the output of the S1.
> I discharged some Panasonic 3100mah batteries down to 3.85volts and topped off some LG 2800mah 18650s at 4.22 volts.
> Then I carried the S1 and a TK70 outside to do some comparison testing. The two lights are very comparable with the TK70 being just slightly brighter and producing a little more throw on the highest settings. Doing side by side testing I couldn't see where the S1 was any brighter with the freshly charged batteries than with the Panasonics at 3.85volts.
> 
> ...



I'm sorry that this was brought to my attention so late. I just saw your #41 reply today, but really didn't know how to explain the reason due to my ignorance. 

I can tell you to check the brightness (or output) by using the digital camera as shown in the picture.







Some digital camera has a function to press the shutter every minute or at any interval as you wish by itself. So you can check the brightness difference according to the regulation time.
Otherwise you can take a picture every 10 minutes yourself. (But don't forget to put on your sunglass!) In my view, I think this way is better than seeing with your own eyes.

I don't know this is helpful to you.

KyeongHo,


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## selfbuilt (Apr 30, 2012)

357mag1 said:


> I have to thank selfbuilt for the information he provided. It was his tailcap readings that prompted me to think of a meaningful way to test the lumen output at different battery voltages. As stated above I can't see where the light is any dimmer with the lower voltage of the Panasonics or any brighter with the freshly charged LGs.


Good, glad to hear your light does indeed seem to be regulated for output when run normally.

As for the issue with getting accurate current draws with a DMM (even a good one like yours), I believe the problem comes from the low margin the S1 has for maintaining regulation (voltage-wise). There aren't too many lights out there that can produce this sort of output on a single 3.7V Li-ion source (which is the case here, since the three cells are in parallel). Most other lights I've tested involve a higher voltage battery source (i.e., multiple cells in series). And note by the way that the pre-production version couldn't regulate at all, even when run normally on its battery source. Xtar has managed to adjust to circuit to allow for flat-stabilized regulation on typical cells in the production version, but I'm guessing even the small amount of resistance on the 10A port is enough to drop the voltage down to where regulation won't kick-in (i.e., it is a narrow margin). 

Ultimately, the only way to know for sure is to interrogate the circuit directly, with a bench-top power supply. Unfortunately, I don't have one. I wonder if HKJ was sent a production version for testing? :thinking: That would be helpful, since his original voltage sweeps of the pre-production version explained the failure to stabilize on that light.


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## HKJ (Apr 30, 2012)

selfbuilt said:


> I wonder if HKJ was sent a production version for testing? :thinking: That would be helpful, since his original voltage sweeps of the pre-production version explained the failure to stabilize on that light.



No, I did not get a production version.


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## 357mag1 (Apr 30, 2012)

selfbuilt said:


> As for the issue with getting accurate current draws with a DMM (even a good one like yours), I believe the problem comes from the low margin the S1 has for maintaining regulation (voltage-wise). There aren't too many lights out there that can produce this sort of output on a single 3.7V Li-ion source (which is the case here, since the three cells are in parallel). Most other lights I've tested involve a higher voltage battery source (i.e., multiple cells in series). And note by the way that the pre-production version couldn't regulate at all, even when run normally on its battery source. Xtar has managed to adjust to circuit to allow for flat-stabilized regulation on typical cells in the production version, but I'm guessing even the small amount of resistance on the 10A port is enough to drop the voltage down to where regulation won't kick-in (i.e., it is a narrow margin).



I think that is the only explanation that makes sense. My meter even with the short leads must be adding more resistance and causing less voltage to reach the regulation circuitry which in turn causes it to assume the batteries are depleted and decreases current draw to the LED. I figured the S1 rotating tailcap would have trouble being lower in resistance than my setup. Apparently that is not the case which means it is well designed (a good thing).


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## Bruno28 (May 1, 2012)

BWX said:


> The test pre-production version was an even better deal.. about $30 cheaper, but with all the improvements, the final production unit was well worth the asking price. $200 for a light like this? Amazing deal.. I thought I'd be spending quite a bit more for a quality flashlight with this level of performance actually. I just can't believe they aren't all sold out already..



Where do you get it for $200?


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## TEEJ (May 1, 2012)

Bruno28 said:


> Where do you get it for $200?



The pre-production (uncorrected issues) S1's are on sale for ~ $160, and the newest (Corrected/regulated, etc...) versions are on sale for ~ $224, MD-Lightsource has the new ones shipping from the USA for that price with CPF discount.

The Pre-production ones ship from China.


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## BWX (May 1, 2012)

Production ver. from hkequipment. Ordered on the 22nd and still haven't gotten it yet and don't know when I will... it'll probably be here by end of this week, could be tomorrow though, who knows. It was $250 with $50 off for CPF/ etc forum. I knew shipping would be longer when I ordered it. I figured it was worth it.


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## TEEJ (May 3, 2012)

BWX said:


> Production ver. from hkequipment. Ordered on the 22nd and still haven't gotten it yet and don't know when I will... it'll probably be here by end of this week, could be tomorrow though, who knows. It was $250 with $50 off for CPF/ etc forum. I knew shipping would be longer when I ordered it. I figured it was worth it.



That's why I like MD-Lightsource, they ship from CONUS. I ordered from them on a Friday and it was in my mailbox on Monday....and shipping was included in the price.

:devil:


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## BLUE LED (May 3, 2012)

BWX said:


> Production ver. from hkequipment. Ordered on the 22nd and still haven't gotten it yet and don't know when I will... it'll probably be here by end of this week, could be tomorrow though, who knows. It was $250 with $50 off for CPF/ etc forum. I knew shipping would be longer when I ordered it. I figured it was worth it.



Great minds think a like. I ordered the production version of the Xtar S1 on the 22nd and also waiting for delivery. I consider $200 to be a good price.


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## BWX (May 3, 2012)

TEEJ said:


> That's why I like MD-Lightsource, they ship from CONUS. I ordered from them on a Friday and it was in my mailbox on Monday....and shipping was included in the price.
> 
> :devil:



At the time when I ordered MD-Lightsource didn't have them or I would have maybe done the same. The next best price I found was $50 more than hkequipment at the time so for me it was an easy decision. I did buy my Crelant 7G5 v2 from them though and got it very quickly.



BLUE LED said:


> Great minds think a like. I ordered the production version of the Xtar S1 on the 22nd and also waiting for delivery. I consider $200 to be a good price.


Yeah I thought that was a great deal and I wasn't sure how long it would last, and even though I knew it might be a long wait for shipping, I couldn't pass up that amazing deal. $200 for the S1 is amazing, that is a whole lot of flashlight for that relatively small amount of $$. No tax- Free shipping too. 

I just checked and mine is still either in customs, or on it's way. 
---------------- Processed Through Sort Facility ------- April 28, 2012, 10:32 pm -------- ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)*--------


If I knew there would have been a place that had way faster shipping for $224, I would have done that, but on April 22nd, I had no idea if that was going to happen or not.

**EDIT** whoohoo!

----- Processed through USPS Sort Facility -------- May 03, 2012, 9:55 pm ------- ROCHESTER,*NY*14606 ----------


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## 357mag1 (May 11, 2012)

Anybody looking for a great price on the S1 from a state side vendor with impeccable reputation send me a PM.


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## Ualnosaj (May 11, 2012)

It can be had for about $200 Canadian.


___________
Posted from my phone.


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