# iTP A6 Polestar thread



## berry580 (Sep 6, 2009)

Anyone have much info about the A6 Polestar?

iTP has a good track record in making good value lights, this one I'd be looking forward to. 
I like iTP more than I actually want to admit. I think primarily because of their uninspiring designs, but their lights are good value in many cases.


*iTP A6 Polesta*r


Cree MC-E LED, life span up to 50000 hours
Function Three Brightness Levels(Low-Medium-High) and Strobe Mode
Output and Runtime 
High Mode 700 Lumens/1.5 Hours, 
Medium Mode 160 Lumens/8 Hours, 
Low Mode 12 Lumens/50 Hours 
Strobe 10HZ/10Hours
Finish: HA Type Ⅲ
Reflector: Aluminum alloy Orange Peel Reflector with Perfect Beam
Lens:Anti-shattering ultra clear lens, anti-scratching and anti-slip
Water and Dust Resistant: IP68
Switch: Side Switch
Mil-spec: MIL-STD-810F
 Operation: 
+ Battery installation: 
Remove the tail cap. 
Insert the batteries with the positive ends toward the head of the light.. 
Replace the tail cap 
+ Operation: 
Turn On/Off The Power 
Press the side switch to turn the unit on/off 
Switch Mode 
Press the side switch constantly when power-on cycles modes through low, medium, high, strobe. 
Release the side switch to select and memorize mode.











http://www.itplight.com/product_list.asp?bid=21&sid=21


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## Mostly (Sep 6, 2009)

Nope. 

I'd like to know price...

Funny, when I first loaded this the banner ad was showing a Fenix TK-40, somewhat similar to the Polestar in being multi-AA MC-E. Price for the Fenix is > $100, too rich for me. 

Even if the Polestar were < $100, I don't know if I'd bite after just now reading here what 4sevens said about multi-AA lights at that high output.


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## wesinator (Sep 6, 2009)

where are some other places that sell itp lights? I've been checking battery junction to see if this light shows up.


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Sep 6, 2009)

This should be a great flashlight, iTP always makes great stuff and Ive never had ANY problems with iTP, Id say they have did their research and 6 AA's is perfect, keeping it shorter was key, they may have a winner here, Im waiting for final pricing right now and should know more soon, YEP get your popcorn out lol


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## travelinman (Sep 6, 2009)

wesinator said:


> where are some other places that sell itp lights? I've been checking battery junction to see if this light shows up.



Check out Shiningbeam.com....tell Bryan I sent you....I've no financial interest in them other than that of being a very satisfied customer.


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## berry580 (Sep 6, 2009)

The sales thread is up from a dealer:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=199527







Cree MC-E LED, life span up to 50000 hours
Function Three Brightness Levels(Low-Medium-High) and Strobe Mode
Output and Runtime 
High Mode 700 Lumens/1.5 Hours, 
Medium Mode 160 Lumens/8 Hours, 
Low Mode 12 Lumens/50 Hours 
Strobe 10HZ/10Hours
Finish: HA Type Ⅲ
Reflector: Aluminum alloy Orange Peel Reflector with Perfect Beam
Lens:Anti-shattering ultra clear lens, anti-scratching and anti-slip
Water and Dust Resistant: IP68
Switch: Side Switch
Mil-spec: MIL-STD-810F
 Operation: 
+ Battery installation: 
Remove the tail cap. 
Insert the batteries with the positive ends toward the head of the light.. 
Replace the tail cap 
+ Operation: 
Turn On/Off The Power 
Press the side switch to turn the unit on/off 
Switch Mode 
Press the side switch constantly when power-on cycles modes through low, medium, high, strobe. 
Release the side switch to select and memorize mode.

(from: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2352248&postcount=2)


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## 1anrm (Sep 6, 2009)

Not anymore too bad though.


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## Haz (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm interested to see how well it stacks up against the TK40 and whether there is parasitic drain on these.

Given the price of the other iTP lights, I'm assuming this will be a sub $100 light


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## berry580 (Sep 6, 2009)

Haz said:


> I'm interested to see how well it stacks up against the TK40 and whether there is parasitic drain on these.
> 
> Given the price of the other iTP lights, I'm assuming this will be a sub $100 light


I'm kind of expect inferior performance compared to the TK-40 in terms of peak output.

Based on iTP's track record, besides the EOS, all iTP light's output has always been below average, although their runtimes and good reflector designs makes up for things a little.



1anrm said:


> Not anymore too bad though.


lol yeah, that was quick... haha

And that's not very nice of iTP, seems like they're starting to think they have power over the dealers. But its seems like they don't understand they belong to the *LOW-END* of the flashaholic segment, and their marketing strategy should be to saturate the market with their lowly priced goodies and not bully dealers.:thumbsdow


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## ergotelis (Sep 7, 2009)

Well what happened in flashlightandgear is really bad. I would like to know more details if the dealer has, he can give it to us via pm, just to know what is happening. They should be ashamed, even a small seller should have the opportunity to open up his sales in something some others don't have.


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## MattK (Sep 7, 2009)

wesinator said:


> where are some other places that sell itp lights? I've been checking battery junction to see if this light shows up.



We should have it on the website later this week. We do have a thread up in the marketplace as of today.


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## Haz (Sep 7, 2009)

I hate to quote myself, but indeed it is, only $79.95! from Goinggear.com, which is pretty decent for a 700 lumens MC-E light running on AA batteries. 



Haz said:


> Given the price of the other iTP lights, I'm assuming this will be a sub $100 light


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Sep 7, 2009)

Guys I did kind of get the shaft in ways, but I still have a large order of iTP A6 and A3 coming (when available), I just cant advertise on CPF, according to Olight/iTP other dealers have the rights before me, its not right but thats how it goes when your the newbie. Ill still be doing FREE PRIORITY MAIL shipping and a 10% discount, thanks for your support!!


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## qip (Sep 7, 2009)

just got a response to my question on battery drain 


"Thank you for asking. For our model A6, the current consumption is around 2uA when powered off, the new primary batteries could keep 85 years if the battery has eough long life span"


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## adirondackdestroyer (Sep 7, 2009)

This thing could turn out to be a real bargain. Considering goinggear.com has a 10% off coupon and free shipping over $50, this light is only $72 shipped CONUS!!! 
I hope the reviews are favorable, because as long as they are, I'll be picking one of these up!


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## Burgess (Sep 7, 2009)

_


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## berry580 (Sep 7, 2009)

its almost half the price of its MC-E competitors. This could very well be my first MC-E light!! =D


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## BMF (Sep 7, 2009)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> This thing could turn out to be a real bargain. Considering goinggear.com has a 10% off coupon and free shipping over $50, this light is only $72 shipped CONUS!!!
> I hope the reviews are favorable, because as long as they are, I'll be picking one of these up!




Where's the coupon for 10% off at goinggear.com?


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## qip (Sep 7, 2009)

5% http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=181841

environmentalled has 10% off ,they will have it when its offically out end of sept but not sure what the sale price will be at


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## BMF (Sep 7, 2009)

qip said:


> BMF said:
> 
> 
> > adirondackdestroyer said:
> ...





That's what I saw but they said about 10% coupon.


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## GoingGear.com (Sep 7, 2009)

BMF said:


> Where's the coupon for 10% off at goinggear.com?



It's ggcpf10. 

I'm not sure if we're allowed to be discussing sales and stuff over here on CPF proper, so you guys might want to move discussion of pricing, shipping, coupons, etc. over to the marketplace before we all get kicked in the butt by the mods.


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## 1anrm (Sep 8, 2009)

I hope the reflector on this is well designed since it seems that the 700 lumen claim is from the emitter while TK40 is OTF. I don't mind less lumens as long as it is not wasted too much on spot/spill. Still it's about half the price of a TK40. Can't wait for this to ship! Whoooooo:rock:


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## Toaster (Sep 8, 2009)

Looks like an interesting light and the price is certainly right. Anyone know the flux and tint of the MC-E being used here?


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## adirondackdestroyer (Sep 9, 2009)

Toaster said:


> Looks like an interesting light and the price is certainly right. Anyone know the flux and tint of the MC-E being used here?



Goinggear said that the manufacturer told him they are using M bin flux, but haven't told him yet about the bin.


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## waddup (Sep 9, 2009)

1anrm said:


> I hope the reflector on this is well designed since it seems that the 700 lumen claim is from the emitter while TK40 is OTF. I don't mind less lumens as long as it is _*not wasted too much on spot/spill*_



so where do you want it to go  ??


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## berry580 (Sep 9, 2009)

Interesting....


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## Illum (Sep 13, 2009)

26 posts and nothing is mentioned on the battery type...whats up with that?:candle:
For anyone who wants to know, it uses 6AAs, NIMH or alkaline


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## Woods Walker (Sep 13, 2009)




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## Morelite (Sep 13, 2009)

Is there any info on the MC-E's tint bin? It would be nice to have a warm white available.


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## berry580 (Sep 14, 2009)

Illum said:


> 26 posts and nothing is mentioned on the battery type...whats up with that?:candle:
> For anyone who wants to know, it uses 6AAs, NIMH or alkaline


Well obviously not 6x14500... lol


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## SkunkWerx (Sep 20, 2009)

I've been looking at the A6 since the info was made public. 

I'm on the AAA/AA standard. Have a charger, batteries, and my lights are all AAA or AA. This one fits into my AA scheme, but allowing me a big light that should outshine my 2xAA by a good amount.
I'm in, placed my order with GG. 

Will be going on a long weekend camping trip in Mid-October. Hope to get it by then, will be sure to do a "first use" seat-of-pants wilderness review.
:candle:


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## rumme (Oct 7, 2009)

$ 72 with free shipping at going gear .com

even if this thing is 100 lumens under its rating, still might be a great bargain for the money.

600-700 lumens in AA configuration for about 70 bux.


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Oct 9, 2009)

The A6 Polestar will soon be available as a gift set that includes a A3 EOS SS keychain light for just under $95, Iam stoked :twothumbs


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## berry580 (Oct 9, 2009)

any new pictures or beam shots?


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## 1anrm (Oct 9, 2009)

Anyone else notice that the new pictures with the combo AAA SS EOS the emitter on the Polestar looks different? or is it just my eyes? It looks like an SST emitter to me.


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## rumme (Oct 9, 2009)

Ive preordered mine...$71 shipped

this might be a big seller .


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## Hawk600 (Oct 12, 2009)

Interested, but still waiting more feedback, or some beam shots at least.


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## MattK (Oct 12, 2009)

1anrm said:


> Anyone else notice that the new pictures with the combo AAA SS EOS the emitter on the Polestar looks different? or is it just my eyes? It looks like an SST emitter to me.



I saw that too but it's definitely coming with an MC-E though.


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## rumme (Oct 12, 2009)

Going Gear says this will be in on the 20th...So anyone that ordered thru them should get it soon.


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## travelinman (Oct 12, 2009)

Has anyone read anything on the size of this light? I'm interested in a holster for it. Obviously it's not going to be a pocket light.


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## Zeruel (Oct 12, 2009)

MattK said:


> I saw that too but it's definitely coming with an MC-E though.



Anyone has any idea how's the donut?
Good, bad or what donut?


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## MattK (Oct 12, 2009)

travelinman said:


> Has anyone read anything on the size of this light? I'm interested in a holster for it. Obviously it's not going to be a pocket light.



All the available specs are here: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=199577

No idea on donuts/optics etc - no sample/prototype for us on these so I'll see them only once our stocking order arrives.


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## 1anrm (Oct 12, 2009)

MattK said:


> I saw that too but it's definitely coming with an MC-E though.



thanks Matt I knew I wasn't totally crazy :wave:


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## davidt1 (Oct 13, 2009)

I would buy this thing in a heartbeat if it has the Zebralight H501 UI where the user can have both low or high -- quick click for high or click and press for low.


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## Hitthespot (Oct 13, 2009)

I don't know if I have commented on this light yet or not, but I'm looking forward to it very much.

At under 2 inches in diameter and under 7 inches in length, this is not a large light. 

So here is the way I see it.

700 Lumens
160 Lumen medium mode!!!----YEA no wimpy 75 lumen middle setting.
Takes the worlds most popular batteries!
Has a low mode.
ONLY $79.00
I like the thought of a mid switch on a light like this.

Again, I'm looking forward to this light.

Bill


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## rumme (Oct 13, 2009)

As I mentioned earlier, even if this is overated in power by 100 lumens , Ill still be happy for a $70 light that uses AA batteries and is only 7 inchs long for $70 shipped. 

Does anyone know if Itp company drastically overates the lumen estimates on their flashlights ? 


In comparison, I purchased the Terralux 220 lightbeam for $30 , which is rated at 220 lumens , but someone said it is actually only 170 lumens , but I can still use it to lightup enough area and see my mailbox over 400 ft away at night. 


I have never pre-ordered something, but for this new Itp light, it seemed like a baragain , so they got my money last week. 

Ill still use my small Terralux for 90% of my needs, but its nice to know that out here in the sticks, if I need to see really far in the dead of night , the Itp should accomplish what I need.


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## MattK (Oct 13, 2009)

iTP uses emitter spec lumens like nearly every other company so the lumens are based upon the output AT the LED, not out the front. The usual rule of thumb is that OTF (out the front) lumens are around 80% of emluitter mens if there's a good reflector and AR coated lenses.


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## rumme (Oct 13, 2009)

Thanks for reply...

so realistically we might expect this light to produce 560 -600 lumens out in front. 

thats about 3x stronger then any flashlight I currently own and still under
$ 80 . I can live with that :} 

I made a promise to myself to not spend more then $100 on any one particular flashlight, when entering this hobby.


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## rumme (Oct 15, 2009)

this is suppose to be in stock today and shipped out to customers.


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## berfles (Oct 15, 2009)

Does anyone have an M30 to compare this with? Curious how they will compare.


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## Hitthespot (Oct 19, 2009)

rumme said:


> I made a promise to myself to not spend more then $100 on any one particular flashlight, when entering this hobby.


 
I bet a lot of us here wish we would of made that promise a long time ago! Good luck keeping it!


Any news on these yet. I'm waiting to here the first reports.

Bill


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## recDNA (Oct 19, 2009)

Hitthespot said:


> I don't know if I have commented on this light yet or not, but I'm looking forward to it very much.
> 
> At under 2 inches in diameter and under 7 inches in length, this is not a large light.
> 
> ...


 
Anybody know if L91's are OK in the Polestar?


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## Hitthespot (Oct 19, 2009)

recDNA said:


> Anybody know if L91's are OK in the Polestar?


 
Their web sight says Alkaline or Ni-MH. BUT, I would be very surprised if L91's could not be used.

Bill


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## Streak (Oct 20, 2009)

I have one in my hands right
now and will be testing tonight。


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## bison (Oct 20, 2009)

Streak said:


> I have one in my hands right
> now and will be testing tonight。


:twothumbs

I was going to order a A3 EOS SS for my keychain,
so it seemed rude not to order the Christmas set.


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## jirik_cz (Oct 20, 2009)

So the iTP A6 Polestar just arrived Here is the runtime with eneloops:







And one misty beamshot


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## ergotelis (Oct 20, 2009)

Nice graph!Did you get any lux readings? Or at least with which flashlight is throw comparable?Thanks!


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## bison (Oct 20, 2009)

Hitthespot said:


> Their web sight says Alkaline or Ni-MH. BUT, I would be very surprised if L91's could not be used.
> 
> Bill



I hope L91's can be used as thats what i was planning on using


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## jirik_cz (Oct 20, 2009)

ergotelis said:


> Nice graph!Did you get any lux readings? Or at least with which flashlight is throw comparable?Thanks!



I didn't take any lux measurements yet. But the beam (and reflector) seems very similar to Olight M30. So you can expect something around 8-10k lux.


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## rumme (Oct 20, 2009)

the battery runtime graph seems inline with the manufacturer ratings of 90 minutes runtime on hi setting. 

hopefully the lumens rating of 700 will also be as accurate .


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## rumme (Oct 20, 2009)

The picture of the beamshot above, seems to indicate this light has alot of spill. 

Do they make another lens/cover that would fit this light and turn it more into a precise spotlight with a tight round illumination that would project 100+ yards ?


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## rumme (Oct 20, 2009)

looks like this would be great as a weapons light, with so much spill it has. 

I hope Itp offers an alternative reflector that will allow this light to have a more focused beam for 100 + yards


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## jirik_cz (Oct 20, 2009)

I don't think that this is going to be a good weapon light. It is not intended to be (imho). Rather take Olight M30 or Fenix TK30 as a weaponlight.


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## Hawk600 (Oct 20, 2009)

jirik_cz
Nice graphic and beautiful picture. Thanks!
Can you give us your initial impressions about the light, like quality, beam type, focus, donut hole, how's the battery holder quality, hoe's the switch, etc
Would you have any other mega light to compare and describe to us the beam comparison?
Thank you


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## berry580 (Oct 20, 2009)

MattK said:


> iTP uses emitter spec lumens like nearly every other company so the lumens are based upon the output AT the LED, not out the front. The usual rule of thumb is that OTF (out the front) lumens are around 80% of emluitter mens if there's a good reflector and AR coated lenses.


80%? 80% of 700 lumens is about 560 lumens, I'd love to see how this iTP 560 OTF lumens will compare to Jetbeam M1X's 450 OTF lumens in Selfbuilt's lightbox. 

Maybe you meant about 60% or 2/3 of emitter lumens? :thinking:


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## Mr_Light (Oct 20, 2009)

I would love to see a picture of the A6 next to a Fenix TK40 for size comparison.


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## jirik_cz (Oct 20, 2009)

Hawk600 said:


> jirik_cz
> Nice graphic and beautiful picture. Thanks!
> Can you give us your initial impressions about the light, like quality, beam type, focus, donut hole, how's the battery holder quality, hoe's the switch, etc
> Would you have any other mega light to compare and describe to us the beam comparison?
> Thank you



The beam is very similar to Olight M30 - wide massive hotspot with no donut hole. My beamshots of M30 and other high output lights are here.

The light itself is smaller than you would expect from the pictures. Quality seems acceptable for the price. But it is definitely not as tough as TK40 - the walls are thinner and the battery carrier looks a little bit cheap (again compared to TK40). But it works without problems, contacts seem gold plated... I think that for the price you are getting a great light 



berry580 said:


> Jetbeam M1X's 450 OTF lumens in Selfbuilt's lightbox.



Jetbeam 450 lumens are quite conservative. It has more imho.


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## madmook (Oct 20, 2009)

Thank you for the impressions. Maybe test the medium mode runtimes next? Supposed to be 8 hours...


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## jirik_cz (Oct 20, 2009)

I'll have medium mode runtime finished tomorrow.


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## Hitthespot (Oct 20, 2009)

berry580 said:


> 80%? 80% of 700 lumens is about 560 lumens, I'd love to see how this iTP 560 OTF lumens will compare to Jetbeam M1X's 450 OTF lumens in Selfbuilt's lightbox.


 
Agreed. Hopefully Selfbuilt will received one from a vendor (hint hint) or purchase one. Either way I would love to see his review to compare to other lights in his port folio.

Bill


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## Hawk600 (Oct 20, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> The beam is very similar to Olight M30 - wide massive hotspot with no donut hole. My beamshots of M30 and other high output lights are here.
> The light itself is smaller than you would expect from the pictures. Quality seems acceptable for the price. But it is definitely not as tough as TK40 - the walls are thinner and the battery carrier looks a little bit cheap (again compared to TK40). But it works without problems, contacts seem gold plated... I think that for the price you are getting a great light



Thank you for the feedback! 
:thumbsup:


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Oct 20, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> I'll have medium mode runtime finished tomorrow.


 Jirik_CZ, you the man, thanks for the info


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## rumme (Oct 20, 2009)

for about $70 , this seems to be in a class of its own as far as lumens and AA battery compatibility. 


isnt the next closest flashlight simliar to this, above $100? 


I personally dont care if this light is bulletproof or waterproof, etc. As long as it does what its suppose to with normal care, I will be happy . 

The end of my driveway is about 420 ft away from my front porch, and sometimes If I hear a odd noise there, it is nice to be able to light up that area without leaving my house and see whats going on.
I am hoping there is a easy way to make the beam on this more of a spotlight to use at greater distances.


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## jennojr (Oct 20, 2009)

Have ordered mine yesterday, $92.70AU will post impressions asap after arrival, I expect delivery tomorrow!! Three day turn around from Melbourne to central Queensland coast, no wonder Dave keeps getting my business!


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## rumme (Oct 20, 2009)

anyone got more photos of beam shots or cna you tell us how many 100s of feet this lite will illuminate outwards to allow decent viewing ?


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## 276 (Oct 20, 2009)

Got mine today, its just like what jirik_cz said its very much like the M30. The battery carrier is a bit cheap and UI is not bad, low, medium ,high, strobe. annoyingly you have to cycle through strobe to get back to low but it does have memory.


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## DigMe (Oct 20, 2009)

276 said:


> The battery carrier is a bit cheap and UI is not bad, low, medium ,high, strobe. annoyingly you have to cycle through strobe to get back to low but it does have memory.



Cheap battery carrier..that doesn't sound good. I'm not a big fan of battery carriers to begin with. I guess they were pretty much a necessary evil in this light with the battery setup.

brad


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## berry580 (Oct 20, 2009)

I agree, you NEED the battery carrier to keep it working, having a fragile/cheap one would mean that is its weakest link in terms of durability.Regardless how well built anywhere else would just not help. :thumbsdow

Or they better sell spare battery carriers if this is an issue.


DigMe said:


> Cheap battery carrier..that doesn't sound good. I'm not a big fan of battery carriers to begin with. I guess they were pretty much a necessary evil in this light with the battery setup.
> 
> brad


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## tnforever (Oct 20, 2009)

berry580 said:


> I agree, you NEED the battery carrier to keep it working, having a fragile/cheap one would mean that is its weakest link in terms of durability.Regardless how well built anywhere else would just not help. :thumbsdow
> 
> Or they better sell spare battery carriers if this is an issue.



or cover it with warranty... as any decent manufacturer should. and if they do sell spares (not a bad idea for quick change for those who need it) it better not cost an arm.

that said i'm eagerly waiting for a review... this might become my new bikelight, particularly with the spill... the only thing holding me back would be the tint. If they made a slightly dimmer one with a ~4000-5500k tint i'd be sold.


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## apontes (Oct 21, 2009)

DigMe said:


> Cheap battery carrier..that doesn't sound good. I'm not a big fan of battery carriers to begin with. I guess they were pretty much a necessary evil in this light with the battery setup.
> brad



I don't think its really mandatory to have a battery carrier. The Dorcy Terminator works with 6AA, and they are inserted into the light's body without a carrier.

BTW, what is the battery configuration? 

--- 
--- 

or 

--
--
--


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## berry580 (Oct 21, 2009)

the light looks pretty darn thick. I'm guessing

--- 
--- 

i.e. 3 front 3 back.


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## Zefiryn (Oct 21, 2009)

Jirik, can You be so kind and post battery draw figures ?


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## rumme (Oct 21, 2009)

will this light easily illuminate a person 100 yards away ?


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## ergotelis (Oct 21, 2009)

I guess it will. Performance similar to M30 means 11000+ lux at 1m, so ,at least 1lux illumination at 100meter.


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## jirik_cz (Oct 21, 2009)

Zefiryn said:


> Jirik, can You be so kind and post battery draw figures ?



off - 1,8uA (micro amps - will drain a set of eneloops in 127 years )
low - 0,034A
medium - 0,2A
high - 1,25A


Runtime graph including medium level:






Size comparison with Olight Titanium AAA, Fenix TA30 and Solarforce L950M





Battery holder:





battery tube


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## Sunnyvalejohn (Oct 21, 2009)

Looks like this light has some great potential at a good price point. I got the M30 and the PD-30 so this might fit right in between. Sounds like you can't have enough flashlights.


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## rumme (Oct 21, 2009)

Jirik, how well does this illuminate a object the size of a human, at 100 yards ?


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## jirik_cz (Oct 21, 2009)

it throws up to 100 meters pretty well.


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## travelinman (Oct 21, 2009)

Are both ends of the battery carrier magnetic? That would make charging the whole thing as a unit much easier. Also not a problem equalizing AA cells if you use 0.1C for 16 hrs.


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## madmook (Oct 21, 2009)

Over 9.5 hours on medium mode, that works for me, and thanks a lot for testing. Can't wait to get mine in a couple days.


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## rumme (Oct 21, 2009)

Looks to me that the manufacturers ratings on battery life per each setting, is accurate. Hopefully their lumen ratings are just as accurate. 


Im thinking that this is the best deal going for $70 price range, and may be so for quite a while in AA battery formatt. 

Maybe Itp will offer some type of after market lens/ refelctor that will tighten the beam on this light, and make it more of a long distance spotlight ......it would be nice to have that option of having a enournmous spill or tight spotlight. 

So far Itp doesnt offer such a accesspry. Does anyone know if any other manufacturer makes a reflector/ lens that would fit this Itp light, and make it more of a spotlight ?


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## jirik_cz (Oct 21, 2009)

travelinman said:


> Are both ends of the battery carrier magnetic?



They are not magnetic.


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## travelinman (Oct 22, 2009)

Darn, oh well, maybe the new carrier they are designing to replace the original one will be.


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## madmook (Oct 22, 2009)

Crud, read about defective battery holders from shiningbeam's post. Hope I don't get a faulty one...


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## rumme (Oct 22, 2009)

a defective battery holder is the least of my concerns . A little bit of ingenuity and soldering skills should be able to fix any problems in that area.


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## 762x51 (Oct 22, 2009)

madmook said:


> Crud, read about defective battery holders from shiningbeam's post. Hope I don't get a faulty one...



Link?


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## madmook (Oct 22, 2009)

762x51 said:


> Link?


 http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2373763&postcount=11


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## 762x51 (Oct 22, 2009)

madmook said:


> http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2373763&postcount=11



Thanks! That's too bad....I wanted to order on this afternoon. Oh well....better than getting a bum one and having to exchange it.


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## madmook (Oct 22, 2009)

Well bollocks, looks like the battery holder thing is a real issue, batteryjunction is also dealing with it:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2374057&postcount=43

On the other hand, I got my Polestar from goinggear today, and it works! 

Shoving the batteries in the holder was somewhat janky, but not much of an issue. The light turned on just fine, so I guess not every one is affected. Still, I'd like to get one of the "fixed" battery holders whenever they do come out.

Only gripe thusfar (still daytime here) is that there's a constant high-pitched whine when I use max brightness mode. Not ear-splitting, but audible. Other modes do not exhibit this behavior. Oh well, I'll probably be using medium mode the majority of the time anyways.


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## rumme (Oct 22, 2009)

madmook said:


> Well bollocks, looks like the battery holder thing is a real issue, batteryjunction is also dealing with it:
> 
> http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2374057&postcount=43
> 
> ...


 
ive already spoke to going gear baout the issue. 

they told me that all the units they sent to customers, have been prechecked to ensure the battery holder isnt defective. 

any lights that were defective were held back. 

2-3 weeks is when the new battery holders are epxeted to be shipped out.


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## madmook (Oct 22, 2009)

rumme said:


> ive already spoke to going gear baout the issue.
> 
> they told me that all the units they sent to customers, have been prechecked to ensure the battery holder isnt defective.
> 
> ...


 Ah, that's good to know. I will have to remember to watch for the new ones, I actually want to have a 2nd battery holder just in case.


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## recDNA (Oct 22, 2009)

travelinman said:


> Are both ends of the battery carrier magnetic? That would make charging the whole thing as a unit much easier. Also not a problem equalizing AA cells if you use 0.1C for 16 hrs.


 
Fenix does not allow L91's. Does Polestar?


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## SkunkWerx (Oct 22, 2009)

I think mine has a goofy switch. It's gotten better now that I have pressed it On & Off 50 times, but I still will hit a CLick that either doesn't turn it Off, or doesn't turn it On.

I got mine from GoingGear, I think my carrier is fine? Exactly what symptom did the bad carriers exhibit?

Question for those who have them already:
How long does it take to switch between modes once you press and hold?
3 seconds? 5 seconds? more?

Mine is taking a long time to change modes, at least 10 seconds, and sometimes up to 20 seconds. Beyond 20 seconds I chalk it up to the possible goofy switch and try again.

Any description of the IU's behavior will be helpful to determine if mine is normal or a "Slow Learner" :duh2:


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## madmook (Oct 22, 2009)

SkunkWerx said:


> Question for those who have them already:
> How long does it take to switch between modes once you press and hold?
> 3 seconds? 5 seconds? more?


Barely two seconds when switching between modes.


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## SkunkWerx (Oct 22, 2009)

madmook said:


> Barely two seconds when switching between modes.



OH no way for me, mine has to "think" for like 5 or 10 seconds.
Could still be bad (high resistance) switch contact causing it to seem slow.

I will be monitoring mine.

Thanks for the reply Madmook, that really is a big help! :thumbsup:


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## jirik_cz (Oct 23, 2009)

my A6 also needs around 2 seconds. wondering what is the problem with holders, didn't find any problem with mine.


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## roadie (Oct 23, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> my A6 also needs around 2 seconds. wondering what is the problem with holders, didn't find any problem with mine.


 

maybe u are luckily?:huh:

i thinking of getting one tooo, shall wait for the issue to be resolve or shld i go get something else ???

hmmmm .....


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## lightbug (Oct 23, 2009)

These first batch A6 holders cause contact problems and they are quite fragile.


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## Photar (Oct 23, 2009)

berry580 said:


> Anyone have much info about the A6 Polestar?


 
I wrote lots but lost it all because I took too long and my session timed out, so I'll keep it brief because it's late.

The iTP A6 Polestar is not as bright as the Fenix TK40 (partly due to the reflector design). Level 3 brightness on the A6 Polestar appears as bright as the TK40 on level 3 brightness (the TK40s corona is brighter). The TK40 beats the A6 Polestar on level 4 (turbo mode). I only judged the brightness by shining the two beams on a wall.

The A6 Polestar's battery cage is made out of plastic and is crap, although it does fit snugly (no rattling) once the batteries are loaded. One of the positive and negative metal contacts actually fell out when I was trying to put the batteries in (you need to do this a certain way or you will break the battery cage if you use too much force, as the batteries are tight when pushed into the slots). Luckily, I just put the metal contact back into the groove and the batteries held it in place. I read on another thread here that iTP are redesigning the battery cage - I will contact the online merchant I bought it from and enquire whether I can get a free replacement or if it will cost something for the new battery cage (if in fact iTP are redesigning it).

The A6 Polestar remembers the last setting only after you click the button off. The memory is also not permanent like the TK40 i.e. - it is reliant on battery power and will forget its last setting if the batteries are removed for too long.

Besides what I have mentioned, I had no issues with the A6 Polestar. I would have preferred a less stiff and better designed switch though (I keep pressing the bottom because all my other LED lights have the switch there). Strobe mode is utterly usesless and they shouldn't have incorporated it into the light in the manner they did (my opinion of course) - they can leave this in their Olight branded flashlights which I will never buy due to this useless/rarely used mode.

Don't get me wrong, I own iTP's C8 tactical and C10 tactical and really like the design and simplicity of use of these flashlights. I am, however, disappointed with the A6 Polestar. I think iTP rushed to get the product out too quickly without more quality checking beforehand.

It's a good thing the A6 Polestar is half the price of the TK40 - I guess you get what you pay for, although I would have been more than happy to pay more for a better designed flashlight.

The other thing I would like to add is that the A6 Polestar has anodized tailcap threads and therefore can be locked out (unlike the TK40). I don't know whether it suffers from the battery drainage problem of the TK40.

If iTP continue to release products like this one, it looks like I'll have to wait until Fenix release their next TK monster (I hope they use the same switch and mode selection which I really like).


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

I just recioeved my Itp and the battery holder looks fine to me . 

I am going to test it out tonite using my Terralux 220 as a comparison which only uses 2 AA batteries and is suppose to be 220 lumens { but is more like 170 lumens } 

I will be testing it at a distance of about 400 feet which is how far away my brick mailbox is from my front porch. 

I did turn it on in a large closet which is 100% dark, and my intial impressions is this ; 

there is no way this thing puts out 700 lumens IMHO...and Id be shocked if it puts out 500 useable lumens. 

but maybe outside in total darkeness , I will be more impressed. A large enclosed closet makes it difficult to rate light output . 

I was hoping this Itp would easily illuminate twice as good as far as distance , compared to my small Terralux 220 considering the terralux only uses 2 AA batteires and is rated 220 lumens, while the Itp uses 6 AA batteires and is rated 700 lumens. Ill be suprised if the Itp accomplishes my desires. 

Ill report back later when its dark out. I hope the Itp proves me wrong, but im thinking I will be a bit dissapointed in its power.


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## maxilux (Oct 23, 2009)

What exactly is the Problem with the battery holder, i cant find any Problems.


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## HKJ (Oct 23, 2009)

The A6 has a very wide beam, even wider than the OLight M30.

Here are the beamprofile of it and some other lights:
ITP A6 Polestar, OLight M30 Triton, EagleTac M2C4












EagleTac M2XC4, Fenix TK40, Titanium L35


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

im hoping there is sometype of aftermarket lens/ reflector that would fit this Itp6 and tighten up the beam/ spill so it could be used more as a spotlight at greater distances. 

so far Itp doesnt offer anyhting though. I wonder if any of the other manufacturers would have something that would fit , even if it meant doing some light trimwork/ modifications to the aftermarket reflector.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

Heres my review : 


comapred the itp 6 with my terralux 220 _ 


my terralux is rated 220 lumens on hi setting, but that is more accrately 170 lumens. 

I compared it to the Itp on med setting which is suppose to be 160 lumens. 

Brightness and distance were very simliar with this compariosn, with the Itp having much more spill....


In fact the spill on the Itp is to much for my needs. My estimate is at 10 ft distnace, spill is about 20 ft . IMHO...this is to much wasted light that could be more concentrated to get a brighter tight beam for long distance spotlighting. 


I then set the Itp to hi setting which is rated at 700 lumens. IMHO this thing doesnt put out near that much...in fact I doubt its 500 lumens because its not twice as powerful as my terralux 220 when I set it on hi. 

the itp defintiely is more powerful on hi setting then my terralux, but I dont think its twice as powerful nor does it have twice the illuminating distance . 

I was expecting much more from this Itp and even though $71 shipped is much cheaper then most other lights with the lumen ratings this has, we once again find out that lumen ratings are often over rated or not the #1 meaningful thing if the light wastes alot of that lumens on a absurd amount of spill. 


my opinion : 

I think the terralux represents a better values at only $31 shipped, and its MUCH lighter , only takes 2 AA batteries and its half the size as far as thickness . 

I will keep this Itp and hope that there is some type of aftermarket refelctor that can be put in it, to decrease the light spill significatly while using that saved light for a more concentrated beam of light for greater distances. 

Lesson I learned, do not pre-order these lights based on manufacturers claims . Wait till other people buy them and give persoanl reviews. 

If anyone know of a aftermarket reflector or lens that will fit this itp6 and reduce the ridiculous spill and make it more of a spotlight, please let me know. 

My advice to others, save your $71 . 

The terralux , on the other hand, is a winner at only $31 . 

I will be interested if someone does a independant test to see the lumen rating of this itp6 out past the lens.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

If I had to describe the Itp6 with one short description, it would be : 

A short to midrange floodlight in the design of a medium sized flashlight. 


If the manufacturer had described it this way , which is a decent description IMHO, I would not have purchased it.


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## Woods Walker (Oct 23, 2009)

rumme said:


> If I had to describe the Itp6 with one short description, it would be :
> 
> A short to midrange floodlight in the design of a medium sized flashlight.
> 
> ...


 


I like floody lights so this would be a positive for me. Don't much care for the reports on lower than expected output.:thumbsdow A very high output is the only reason for justification of a larger pack size. Thanks for the early report.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

One other comment..

I noticed on some of the other Itp lights, you can actually turn the knurled ring right behind the head of the light, and adjust incrementally and precisely the lumens by turning that ring to the right and then back to the left . 

This Itp 6 doesnt seem to have that feature. There are only 4 choices all accessed by using the on button.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

Woods Walker said:


> I like floody lights so this would be a positive for me. Don't much care for the reports on lower than expected output.:thumbsdow A very high output is the only reason for justification of a larger pack size. Thanks for the early report.


 

Yeah...IMHO..this light is first and foremost a floodlight style...and that isnt what I was hoping for. 

Theres still some hope for it in my case , if a aftermarket lens/ reflector can be installed in it to stop the mega spill and focus the light into a tighter beam . 


if you want a decent floodlight for distances out to about 600 feet, then this Itp6 should satisfy .


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

I have tryed to make a promise to myself to spend more then $100 on any light. This is another reason why the Itp6 first appealed to me along with its 700 lumen ratings and using AA batterys, 

its looking like my best bet to get what I want, is hope the Tk40 eventually goes on holidaysale for $100 or less or find another reflector for the Itp.

.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

I have a fairly big Cowbarn in the distnace out about 500- 600 feet and the Itp did a decent job of illumnintaing that in total darkness out here in the boondocks where I live { no street lights or city lights } . Its just that you arent gonna get any real intense spotlight or clarity out of this light at 100+ yards, with its enourmous spillover.


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## Woods Walker (Oct 23, 2009)

rumme said:


> I have a fairly big Cowbarn in the distnace out about 500- 600 feet and the Itp did a decent job of illumnintaing that in total darkness out here in the boondocks where I live { no street lights or city lights } . Its just that you arent gonna get any real intense spotlight or clarity out of this light at 100+ yards, with its enourmous spillover.


 

That is ok as there must be 100 trees between me and 600 feet in my neck of the woods. A flood light is best for me. Going to wait for more reviews with all those fancy charts of lumens and runtimes etc. Also let others work out any bugs for me as it is a new product.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

Oh, one other thing, there is a very quiet pitched whine when this light is used on hi setting [ as another poster mentioned } . Any person standing more then a few ft away from you, would proabbaly not even hear it.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

Woods Walker said:


> That is ok as there must be 100 trees between me and 600 feet in my neck of the woods. A flood light is best for me. Going to wait for more reviews with all those fancy charts of lumens and runtimes etc. Also let others work out any bugs for me as it is a new product.


 

If you want a decent midranged floodlight in a medium sized flahslight that uses AA batteries, then this may be a good choice for $71 shipped.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

Oh , I did another test . 

I turned off all the lights in my house { acting as though there was a power outage] 

and tested how well the light worked to illuminate the house in case of emergencys. Since the on/off switch is side mounted, this light can be stood up on its endcap and balance well { unlike the terralux220} 

On low settting of 12 lumens, and pointng at the ceiling , it doesnt do adequate job of illuimintaing my first floor so I could easily get around in a power outage. 

on 2nd setting of 160 lumens, it is perfect for that application , but its only rated to get 8 hours of battery life at that setting. Of course if their is a power outage , you still wouldnt need to use the flashlight for 24 hours and probably only need it for 3-4 hours maximum in such a situation. This means it could be used for a couple days for such a situation.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

I only own about 4 or 5 lights, and IMHO, the best value for power in a light using AA batteries, is the terralux 220 for $31 shipped. It only has 2 setting { hi/lo } and no strobe, but I like its simplicity and I dont need a strobe setting.


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## madmook (Oct 23, 2009)

rumme said:


> on 2nd setting of 160 lumens, it is perfect for that application , but its only rated to get 8 hours of battery life at that setting.


An earlier poster tested the medium mode runtime and got 9 and a half hours with 2000mah eneloops! Pretty good imo.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3129956&postcount=85

And I agree that max brightness on the Polestar is not really WOW-inducing. Yeah its pretty bright, but not what I expected for something that advertises as 700 lumens. Though keep in mind I'm a flashlight newbie so I've never seen any _real_ power lights. I guess the big spill radius kinda puts a damper on the intensity of the hotspot.

Oh well, for my general needs the wide spill is fine as I don't need massive throw.


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## rumme (Oct 23, 2009)

I forgot to add, all my tests are using new and fully charged Eneloops batterys { 1.5 volts each }


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## Woods Walker (Oct 23, 2009)

rumme said:


> I only own about 4 or 5 lights, and IMHO, the best value for power in a light using AA batteries, is the terralux 220 for $31 shipped. It only has 2 setting { hi/lo } and no strobe, but I like its simplicity and I dont need a strobe setting.


 

Same reason why I like my TK20. No disco BS.


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## csshih (Oct 23, 2009)

rumme said:


> I forgot to add, all my tests are using new and fully charged Eneloops batterys { 1.5 volts each }



1.5V on an eneloop? I get ~1.4 fully charged.


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## berry580 (Oct 23, 2009)

csshih said:


> 1.5V on an eneloop? I get ~1.4 fully charged.


Not sure specifically about eneloops, but with NiMH rechargeables, it _can_ be charged to 1.5V, although it takes a very long time time in comparison to getting it to 1.4V. Once its there, it'll drop back to 1.4V pretty soon, like in a few minutes from experience.


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## csshih (Oct 23, 2009)

berry580 said:


> Not sure specifically about eneloops, but with NiMH rechargeables, it _can_ be charged to 1.5V, although it takes a very long time time in comparison to getting it to 1.4V. Once its there, it'll drop back to 1.4V pretty soon, like in a few minutes from experience.



wouldn't that be overcharging and potentially damaging the cell?


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

csshih said:


> 1.5V on an eneloop? I get ~1.4 fully charged.


 


I use chargers that are designed for charging several different types of battery packs for R/C applications. 

I charged up my eneloops while they were in the battery holder of the Itp and fully charged, the whole set of 6 batteries measured 9.5 volts on my diigital multimeter IMMEDIATELY after my charger sounded the alarm that the battaries were fully charged. 

this means each eneloop is reading slightly above 1.5volts ...but if I were to let them sit for about 2 hours and remeasure their voltage, it would probably float down to around 1.4- 1.45 volts per cell..

this is normal . 

Just like a 12 volt car battery, isnt actually 12 volts, Fully charged and waiting to be used it should be 12.7 volts....BUT if you measure it immediately after charging it on a charger, it will read as high as 14.2 volts but float downwards after a few hours of sitting around off the charger,.


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

Imwondering if I could purchase a Itp c6 smooth reflector like this one : 


iTP Light C6R & C6T Smooth Reflector for $9.99 

at battery junction , and make it fit this itp6 , and succesfully achieve a much tighter beam with longer throw ? Or would I also need to reposition the location of the LED inside the itp6 to see a noticeable improvement in tightening up the beam and cuting the flood by at least 1/2 of its current spillover ? 


Ive never taken the reflectors out of a Itp . Does the head of this Itp6 unscrew to gain acces to the reflector, or does the lens pop out to gsain acces to the reflector ? 

Id imagine chanigng the reflector to a smooth one AND finding a convex styled lens that focused all the light into one tight center area after the lens, would really make a difference. 


Im thinking that if most of the spill on this Itp6 could be refocused into a tight beam, this light would be a solid handheld spotlight for distances out poast 100 yards.


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## berry580 (Oct 24, 2009)

csshih said:


> wouldn't that be overcharging and potentially damaging the cell?


I don't know, im not chemstry geek. But I do realise that the battery would discharge quicker if i let the battery off the charge at 1.4V (goes to about 1.3V if not lower) while if i let it charge to 1.5V, it would hover around 1.35-1.4V much longer (a week or 2)


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## jirik_cz (Oct 24, 2009)

rumme said:


> I then set the Itp to hi setting which is rated at 700 lumens. IMHO this thing doesnt put out near that much...in fact I doubt its 500 lumens because its not twice as powerful as my terralux 220 when I set it on hi.



Strange, the iTP A6 is about 10% percent less bright than Olight M30 in my lightbox. So it is probably not 700 lumens but should be over 600 lumens.


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## berry580 (Oct 24, 2009)

no surprise here. *You get what you pay for*. 
Why would the mother company (Olight) let a subsidery (iTP) produce something brighter AND cheaper than its own product and undercut itself? lol


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## hazna (Oct 24, 2009)

I find sometimes looking at the brightness of a floody beam can be misleading, when your looking it a distance. Something that has less lumens but a concentrated hot spot, can look brighter. Try comparing the brightness with a 'ceiling bounce' test


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## recDNA (Oct 24, 2009)

You guys are killing me with your "Let's turn this great flood light into a thrower talk!" I LOVE flood lights but I already HAVE a TK40 so this light seems really redundant. The more you berate the Polestar for its huge "useless" spill the more I want one. STOP IT WILL YOU?

Did anybody ever say this light was a thrower? Why are you disappointed that it isn't?


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

recDNA said:


> You guys are killing me with your "Let's turn this great flood light into a thrower talk!" I LOVE flood lights but I already HAVE a TK40 so this light seems really redundant. The more you berate the Polestar for its huge "useless" spill the more I want one. STOP IT WILL YOU?
> 
> Did anybody ever say this light was a thrower? Why are you disappointed that it isn't?


 


I think I made it perfectly clear that for MY purposes, I wasnt looking to buy a extreme floodlight flashlight . If the manufacturer had described this as such, I would have known it wasnt what I was looking for, therefore thats why I plan on trying a smooth reflector in it. 

I have no idea why you claim my " needs" are " killing you " . 

I dont need another light that is a flood style light with the massive spillover this Itp6 has. Im hoping with a $10 aftermarket smooth reflector, the spill will be much less .


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

hazna said:


> I find sometimes looking at the brightness of a floody beam can be misleading, when your looking it a distance. Something that has less lumens but a concentrated hot spot, can look brighter. Try comparing the brightness with a 'ceiling bounce' test


 

I agree, it can be very difficult to judge these lights and their lumens just by using human eyes . But I did do a total of 3 visual tests : 

1. inside a large walk in closet

2. ceiling bounce test:welcome:

3. 400-600 ft outside distance test


Once again, I did not say this Itp is garbage...I said for my needs, it isnt excatly what I wanted or expected. 

Hey, if the people on this forum dont want me to review the lights I purchase, just tell me and I wont do it ever again . All im trying to do is help others with my opinions.


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

I mean surely by telling others that this Itp is basically a floodlight styled flahslight , it will save money for people who arent looking for that style of light.


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

berry580 said:


> no surprise here. *You get what you pay for*.
> .......... lol


 

I dont agree that this is always the case. 

The Terralux 220 at $31 shipped is a perfect example of a inexpensive LED light that performs simliar to other lights $50 or more.


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## Liteskr42 (Oct 24, 2009)

I thought the goal is to get the money out of your purse, not save you money . If you want to save money seek a financial advisor. If you want to spend huge amounts of money on gadgets, you came to the right place:twothumbs


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

Liteskr42 said:


> I thought the goal is to get the money out of your purse, not save you money . If you want to save money seek a financial advisor. If you want to spend huge amounts of money on gadgets, you came to the right place:twothumbs


 
Everyone has different goals :} 

my goal is to get the best light for my needs at the best price. 

I need money for my many other hobbies also so flashlights cannot take to much of that disposable cash. 

Money managemnet is key for me.


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## headophile (Oct 24, 2009)

any more beamshots in comparison to other mce models?

i'm fairly interested in this light


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> Strange, the iTP A6 is about 10% percent less bright than Olight M30 in my lightbox. So it is probably not 700 lumens but should be over 600 lumens.


 

Im hoping someone will be able to accurately test how many lumens the Itp6 is putting out past the lens .


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

headophile said:


> any more beamshots in comparison to other mce models?
> 
> i'm fairly interested in this light


 


I think if you are looking for a floodlight styled flahslight around $70, you would be happy with it. I would recomeend to wait a few weeks to order it, that way the new ones will be in stock with the upgraded battery holders. 

I just noticed with mine, that evidently the battyer holder isnt making 100% contatc with the contacts in the light itself, because it has turned off on its own periodically after a few seconds but if I manipulate the battery holder inside of the light to a certain position, then it works fine. 

The light should work perfectly no matter what position the battey4r holder is installed as long as it is insatlled with proper polarity.


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## jirik_cz (Oct 24, 2009)

recDNA said:


> I LOVE flood lights but I already HAVE a TK40 so this light seems really redundant. The more you berate the Polestar for its huge "useless" spill the more I want one. STOP IT WILL YOU?



TK40 throws much better than iTP A6. If you like floodier lights you should definitely get the Polestar!


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## hmpf (Oct 24, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> TK40 throws much better than iTP A6. If you like floodier lights you should definitely get the Polestar!



Can you compare the throw of the iTP A6 to any other light like the olight m20, fenix l2d...?

Are there any beamshots of the iTP A6?


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## hmpf (Oct 24, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> TK40 throws much better than iTP A6. If you like floodier lights you should definitely get the Polestar!



Can you compare the throw of the iTP A6 to any other light like the olight m20, fenix l2d...?

Are there any beamshots of the iTP A6?


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## roadie (Oct 24, 2009)

TK40 throws much better than iTP A6 =>> OUCH !  :mecry:


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> TK40 throws much better than iTP A6. If you like floodier lights you should definitely get the Polestar!


 
I think this light should have been named the " 

Itp 6 FLOODMEISTER
:thumbsup:


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

roadie said:


> TK40 throws much better than iTP A6 =>> OUCH !  :mecry:


 

Does the tk40 have a smooth reflector ? 

Im thinking this Itp6 could become a much better thrower by just putting in a smooth reflector. Im probably gonna experiemnt doing that .


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

I just took this out again tonite in my backyard. 

My estimate is at 20 ft away shined down on the ground , the flood is about 40 ft wide or wider. 


This lite may very well be one of the best but least expensive floodlights in AA format offered.


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## rumme (Oct 24, 2009)

berry580 said:


> no surprise here. *You get what you pay for*.
> Why would the mother company (Olight) let a subsidery (iTP) produce something brighter AND cheaper than its own product and undercut itself? lol


 


actually, if a floodlight is what one desires, I dont think theres much that will beat this light, for its price and size . 

as far as mother companies allowing its subsidary company to produce something of simliar or better quality for a better price, that isnt unheard of at all. 

many times people pay much more for a product, just based on its name brand, when their are simliar products of same quality sold for less under a lesser known name. 

example : 

Martin Guitars or Sigma Guitars. 

Ive played some acoustic Sigmas that were only $600 and I thought they sounded better and played better then some Martins that were $1200 . 


Heres another one : 

Gibson or Epiphone. 


granted, the resale values of the more well known mother comapny will often be better then its subsidary company, but that doesnt always mean a better product . 

This exmaple alos applys to many other things from gas scooters to even food..

another example would be 

offbrand breakfast cereals that are up to 50% less in cost then name brand cereals, but are made in the exact same factories the name brand cereals are made. 

so once again, I do not agree that you always get what you pay for. 

and for this Itp6 costing $71 shipped , I dare say it is one of the best values in a floodlight currently available. Unfortunately a massive floodlight wasnt what I desired.


----------



## apontes (Oct 24, 2009)

I really don't know how anyone could be misled into thinking the Polestar could be a thrower, having such a shallow reflector and narrow head. 700 lm would also be too much. One could only realistically expect a little more than 500 - 550, tops.

I took the calculated risk of pre-ordering because I had a good idea about what to expect and wanted exactly what it offers: 
- relatively compact;
- not too expensive;
- quite bright (though not record-setting);
- with well spaced modes (though a 4th setting would have been welcome);
- powered by AAs;
- floody.

The only rather unpredicted drawback was the faulty battery holder, though a flimsy one wouldn't be completely unexpected.

Can't wait for mine to arrive and put to use some laying around eneloops.


----------



## recDNA (Oct 24, 2009)

rumme said:


> Does the tk40 have a smooth reflector ?
> 
> Im thinking this Itp6 could become a much better thrower by just putting in a smooth reflector. Im probably gonna experiemnt doing that .


 
The TK40 has an OP reflector. For what it costs the TK40 SHOULD be better than the Polestar and I think it is...however if Polestar had been available when I bought the Fenix I probably would have gone with the Polestar.

I like the TK40 very much but I find I use other flashlights more often because they are smaller.


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## apontes (Oct 24, 2009)

You can't compare the TK40 and the Polestar. Completely different classes. The only thing they have in common is they both run on AAs.


----------



## Woods Walker (Oct 24, 2009)

I think a floodier light can look dimmer than a more focused beam. I recall threads in which people honestly believed that an LED mag produced more lumens than a Fenix 2XCR123 or 2xAA but this is clearly not the case. Heck my Mag seems to out throw my L2D-Q5 but it isn’t brighter. I like flood lights as these work better for my needs. I just will hold off until reports come in as to the actual tested lumens and durability of this light. Seems I already avoided one issue with the battery carrier by waiting for the reports. I never pre order any gear item.


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## apontes (Oct 25, 2009)

I have seen no attachment point for a lanyard on the Polestar. Could you guys who already received yours confirm?


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## HKJ (Oct 25, 2009)

apontes said:


> I have seen no attachment point for a lanyard on the Polestar. Could you guys who already received yours confirm?



I have already posted a picture with lanyard in the beamshot thread.


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## apontes (Oct 25, 2009)

HKJ said:


> I have already posted a picture with lanyard in the beamshot thread.



Seen that. Thank you.


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## rumme (Oct 25, 2009)

Can anyone tell me how do I get the lens off this Itp so I can get to the reflector ?

the manufacturer describes the Itp6 reflector as : 

Reflector: Aluminum alloy Orange Peel Reflector with Perfect Beam 

cna any advise me of what type of reflector I can purchase to put in this light and decrease its spill and increase its throw/ spotlight abilites ?


----------



## rumme (Oct 25, 2009)

I just tryed to get the lens head off this by unscrewing it, and it wouldnt budge. Is it possible that this has been permanently assembled so the owner cannot put in another reflector ? I know the olights allow other types of reflectors to be installed a


----------



## coolperl (Oct 26, 2009)

Sorry for off-topic post, but...

*rumme*, can you think a "little longer" and gather all your thoughts in one post instead of writing one after other every few minutes ? 

Or at least, use "edit" function in case you feel, you overlook something important in the 'three-minutes-ago' written post.


----------



## rumme (Oct 26, 2009)

coolperl said:


> Sorry for off-topic post, but...
> 
> *rumme*, can you think a "little longer" and gather all your thoughts in one post instead of writing one after other every few minutes ?
> 
> Or at least, use "edit" function in case you feel, you overlook something important in the 'three-minutes-ago' written post.


 
my last two posts were more then 3 minutes apart. 

Maybe I need to be able to tell time a little bit better ? 

:nana:


----------



## rumme (Oct 26, 2009)

I hope enough time has elapsed to allow me to post some more information . Id hate to annoy any of the other posters who have a total of 18 or less total posts on the whole forum :thinking:

Looks like one other possible negative to this Itp light is that you cannot change reflectors in it. I spoke to one vendor who told me as far as they are aware, the lens assembly does not screw off to allow easy acces to the reflector and after close examination of my unit, It looks like the whole head assembly is one unit and not accesible to the reflector. 

So anyone thinking of getting this and maybe doing reflector/ lens mods to it in order to change its throw/ flood features, be aware that for this light, what you get, is what you are stuck with, unless you wish to try and do some major hacking .


----------



## HKJ (Oct 26, 2009)

rumme said:


> Looks like one other possible negative to this Itp light is that you cannot change reflectors in it. I spoke to one vendor who told me as far as they are aware, the lens assembly does not screw off to allow easy acces to the reflector and after close examination of my unit, It looks like the whole head assembly is one unit and not accesible to the reflector.



This is common to many light, one example is Fenix all of their lights are glued together.

With a MC-E you will usual not want anything, but an OP reflector and that is what A6 already have.


----------



## tnforever (Oct 26, 2009)

rumme said:


> I just took this out again tonite in my backyard.
> 
> My estimate is at 20 ft away shined down on the ground , the flood is about 40 ft wide or wider.
> 
> ...




Wow, thats wide, how well would you say it works as a bike light? I'm seriously interested in getting one pending a full review by someone on here...

it seems taht it would give great peripheral vision, i'd say my ideal bike light would light up at least 25-40 meters in front of me.

At first the relative floodiness seemed welcome, but it seems this is REALLY floody...

FYI, I find the L2D's beam pattern to be quite good, and the RC-N3 to be too tight. I'd have to wait for the night to remind myself what particularly I'd want improved on the L2D...

edit: Just did a test with the L2D, holding it out 8 inches from a wall, the flood is ~10 inches, with the spot an inch, smoothing out into flood over 3 inches... this gives... *gets calculator out*... a flood of 64, smooth transition of 21, and spot of about 7 degrees...


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## rumme (Oct 26, 2009)

HKJ said:


> This is common to many light, one example is Fenix all of their lights are glued together.
> 
> With a MC-E you will usual not want anything, but an OP reflector and that is what A6 already have.


 

Well since the Itp is rumoured to be a sister comnpany of Olight, I thought it may allow the reflector to be easily replaced

also, the Olight has some flahslights where the head can be turned to get a precise amount of lumens , instead of 3 or 4 modes that have large leaps in lumen modes. 


I guess the Itp6 was permanently made to be a floodlight. Oh well, I leanred a lesson to not pre-order without getting precise details fro mthe manufacturer of what it is im ordereing beforehand.


----------



## rumme (Oct 26, 2009)

:twothumbs


tnforever said:


> Wow, thats wide, how well would you say it works as a bike light? I'm seriously interested in getting one pending a full review by someone on here...
> 
> it seems taht it would give great peripheral vision, i'd say my ideal bike light would light up at least 25-40 meters in front of me.
> 
> ...


 

I think it would make a incredible bicycle light, but it may temporarily blind opposing traffic. 

the spill on this light is so much, it could be used as a stage light for a musical band..:twothumbs or would be nice to put in some type of a vertical stand to shine light on a motor at night while trying to do work on it, etc. 

I guess the only possibility for me to easily try and mod this to be less flood and more throw, would try a aftermarket convex lens . I measured the stk lens and its about 37.5 m.m round.


----------



## rumme (Oct 26, 2009)

I just tested this in the house, and a ruff estimate is that from about 5-6 foot from the wall, the flood is 10ft wide. 

so my ruff estimate outside in the dark of this having a 40 ft wide flood when focused about 20 ft away, would seem failry accurate.


----------



## HKJ (Oct 26, 2009)

tnforever said:


> I'm seriously interested in getting one pending a full review by someone on here...



I have done a beamshot and a Danish review (It has lot of detailed pictures of the light).

I like the size of the light, but it does not feel as solid as Fenix TK40.


----------



## tnforever (Oct 26, 2009)

HKJ said:


> I have done a beamshot and a Danish review (It has lot of detailed pictures of the light).
> 
> I like the size of the light, but it does not feel as solid as Fenix TK40.



Thanks for the review, Danish translates to English relatively well. 

I wouldn't have expected the quality to be on par with Fenix, it does cost half as much! Would you say quality is at least on par with Romisen lights, or one of the countless medium grade Chinese brands in general?


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## HKJ (Oct 26, 2009)

tnforever said:


> Would you say quality is *at least* on par with Romisen lights, or one of the countless medium grade Chinese brands in general?



I think that would be fair to say. My main points against it is:
The battery container is not as solid as TK40, it might be solid enough, but why was the light stopped?
I do not associate the battery connection at the head with good quality. 
The treads are rather fine, but they are smooth.
The lanyard connection does not work well with the supplied lanyard (A bigger hole of a split ring would have improved it).
My light has already lost some of the ano, especially around the lanyard hole.

But I like the size and function of the light and hope it will stand up to regular use.


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 28, 2009)

rumme said:


> I just tryed to get the lens head off this by unscrewing it, and it wouldnt budge. Is it possible that this has been permanently assembled so the owner cannot put in another reflector ? I know the olights allow other types of reflectors to be installed a



We had a problem with the push button on our A6 demo unit and took ours apart. iTp uses some MAJOR industrial locktite, or glue material. We used leather straps (to protect finish) and some large pliers to open ours up. It took some serious brute force and grunting to break it loose. Here is a pic of where it comes apart:


----------



## apontes (Oct 28, 2009)

techtoolsupply.com said:


> We had a problem with the push button on our A6 demo unit and took ours apart. iTp uses some MAJOR industrial locktite, or glue material. We used leather straps (to protect finish) and some large pliers to open ours up. It took some serious brute force and grunting to break it loose. I intimately know the internal workings of the A6 now. If you need help getting it apart I can post some pics.




Please do. 

Not that I need to. Just curiosity. :naughty:


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 28, 2009)

apontes said:


> Please do.
> 
> Not that I need to. Just curiosity. :naughty:



Just updated previous post with a pic.


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## apontes (Oct 28, 2009)

BTW: My Polestar just arrived.

It turned out to be exactly as predicted. I'm satisfied.

Forget the battery carrier. Although not as tough as the TK40's, its by no means flimsy. The batteries fit quite snugly. Worse part, quality-wise, is the head contact. Screams "cheap"!!! :thumbsdow

Don't have my TK40 to compare right now, but visually (from ceiling bounce), the Polestar is somewhat brighter than my MG RX-1 MCE and somewhat dimmer than my Eagletac M2XC4. The gap to the M2XC4 is less than the gap to the RX-1, though.


----------



## travelinman (Oct 28, 2009)

If it's a glue material holding it together, perhaps a careful application of heat might soften it to allow for easier disassembly.


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 28, 2009)

travelinman said:


> If it's a glue material holding it together, perhaps a careful application of heat might soften it to allow for easier disassembly.



We tried that but didn't have any luck with it. We have an industrial heat gun and were afraid we'd damage the circuit board inside. Also, there are quite a few small plastic parts internally and I have no idea what temperature they melt at.

We actually spent quite a long time trying to figure out the best way to open it without damaging it. Nothing worked for us except brute force. Hopefully someone else comes up with an easier way with less potential for marring the flashlight body.


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 28, 2009)

apontes said:


> BTW: My Polestar just arrived.
> 
> Worse part, quality-wise, is the head contact. Screams "cheap"!!! :thumbsdow



I agree 100% - that was our first comment to iTp about the light.


----------



## apontes (Oct 28, 2009)

Just finishing my thoughts... 

The UI could do with some reworking. The way it works with memory and keeping the button pressed to change levels, you have to get through strobe to cycle back to low from med or high. :green:

On the bright side, the levels are very well spaced. 

But strobe, on this light, makes no sense at all. :thumbsdow


----------



## apontes (Oct 28, 2009)

Oh, and, side-by-side with the RX-1, the Polestar tint is rather greenish.


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## rumme (Oct 28, 2009)

techtoolsupply.com said:


> We had a problem with the push button on our A6 demo unit and took ours apart. iTp uses some MAJOR industrial locktite, or glue material. We used leather straps (to protect finish) and some large pliers to open ours up. It took some serious brute force and grunting to break it loose. Here is a pic of where it comes apart:


 


wow, I wish I had seen your post today, because I went ahead and used a lathe and a carbide cutting bit and completely cut the head off . I tryed to get off the head with force and it just seemed to hard, so I thought it was one unit...and I emailed Itp about it and they didint answer me. 


I made a clean cut 2m.m behind the lens . This light is way to much flood for me so im gonna try some aftermarket smooth reflectors and/or maybe a convex lens. 

the reflector is about 39.7 m.m O.D at the top and im having a hard time finding a smooth reflector in that exact size. I may have to use the Olight M20 smooth reflector.


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 28, 2009)

rumme said:


> wow, I wish I had seen your post today, because I went ahead and used a lathe and a carbide cutting bit and completely cut the head off . I tryed to get off the head with force and it just seemed to hard, so I thought it was one unit...and I emailed Itp about it and they didint answer me.
> 
> 
> I made a clean cut 2m.m behind the lens . This light is way to much flood for me so im gonna try some aftermarket smooth reflectors and/or maybe a convex lens.
> ...



Depending on the capabilities of your lathe, have you thought about modifying the reflector? I would think you could take a thin layer off the inside and convert the Orange Peel to Smooth. You would need to do some serious polishing afterward though.


----------



## rumme (Oct 28, 2009)

techtoolsupply.com said:


> Depending on the capabilities of your lathe, have you thought about modifying the reflector? I would think you could take a thin layer off the inside and convert the Orange Peel to Smooth. You would need to do some serious polishing afterward though.


 

Yes, thats possible, but for about $10 I went ahead and ordered a smooth reflector that fits the Olight M20 light. It may not be a perfect fit but it should be adequate enough to tell me if I can turn this Itp into more of a thrower and less of a flood. 

I also ordered a double convex lens for $5 just to try different things. 

My goal is to cut the flood by at least 50% and hopefully get some of that saved light to be more concentrated into a tighter beam for better throw and spotlight.


----------



## jirik_cz (Oct 29, 2009)

rumme said:


> Yes, thats possible, but for about $10 I went ahead and ordered a smooth reflector that fits the Olight M20 light. It may not be a perfect fit but it should be adequate enough to tell me if I can turn this Itp into more of a thrower and less of a flood.



Don't wanna disappoint you. But M20 smooth reflector is too small to produce throwy beam with MC-E. The result will be probably even worse for you


----------



## Liteskr42 (Oct 29, 2009)

how are you gonna get the head to stay on now that you cut it off? Epoxy or something? That was a pretty radical thing to do!!!!!!


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## rumme (Oct 29, 2009)

jirik_cz said:


> Don't wanna disappoint you. But M20 smooth reflector is too small to produce throwy beam with MC-E. The result will be probably even worse for you


 

Yeah, Ive asked which reflector may be best to get the results im looking for, but no one is really answering so I just have to do trial and error I guess. This is also why I ordered a convex lens , just in case the reflector I ordered isnt an improvement.


----------



## rumme (Oct 29, 2009)

Liteskr42 said:


> how are you gonna get the head to stay on now that you cut it off? Epoxy or something? That was a pretty radical thing to do!!!!!!


 

I can use the lathe to rethread the head and the body or use a clear epoxy or silicone, etc.

It was a radical thing to do but I was very unhappy with the amount of flood in this lite. 40 ft of flood at a distance of 20 foot, is a bit absurd IMHO and the further you point the light outwards, the more flood you get and alot of that flood isnt really useful because the flood gets dimmer as you go out farther,. 

Im suprised the manufacturer does not describe this light speicifically as a floodlight.


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## rumme (Oct 29, 2009)

Ill have about $85 in this light with purchading the Olight smooth reflector and a convex lens...

if that doesnt help make this more of a thrower, Ill spend another $15 on reflectors and try another smooth reflector. $100 is maximum I spend on any light so if none of my mods work, ill put it back together as it came, and use it for a work light/ shop light when trying to work on motors or mechanical things at night .


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 29, 2009)

rumme said:


> Ill have about $85 in this light with purchading the Olight smooth reflector and a convex lens...
> 
> if that doesnt help make this more of a thrower, Ill spend another $15 on reflectors and try another smooth reflector. $100 is maximum I spend on any light so if none of my mods work, ill put it back together as it came, and use it for a work light/ shop light when trying to work on motors or mechanical things at night .



Tonight when I have more time, I will play around with some of the reflectors we have around here. If I get any good results, I'll post some pics.


----------



## rumme (Oct 29, 2009)

techtoolsupply.com said:


> Tonight when I have more time, I will play around with some of the reflectors we have around here. If I get any good results, I'll post some pics.


 

T,y,.,,,

and Ill post my results when my reflector and convex lens arrive. 

Ill be happy with a fairly decent spotlight effect at 100-150 yards and less then 20ft of flood at those distances. 

My real goal is to be able to clearly see my brick mailbox in the dead of night, which is about 420 ft away from my porch . With the Itp6 in stock format, it did not achieve that because so much light is wasted on flood at those distances and even that flood, isnt intensely bright enough to clearly make out the images it partially illuminates from 100 yards or more , unless the object you are illuminating is large. 

Surely there has to be some type of aftermarket reflector or convex lens that will allow this Itp6 to be come less of a floodlight and more of a spotlight/ thrower ?


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 30, 2009)

rumme said:


> T,y,.,,,
> 
> and Ill post my results when my reflector and convex lens arrive.
> 
> ...



I played around with a couple of C6 reflectors last night. There is definitely an improvement. I took pictures with my iphone, but the auto iris makes it hard to see any difference. The problem with the C6 reflectors is they are too deep for the A6 and would require a special lense cover to be made. 

I wish I still had access to a lathe, I'd make a reflector.


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## GoingGear.com (Oct 30, 2009)

The new carriers are on their way to dealers to replace all of the ones in the first batch of A6 units. I haven't seen pictures, but from the descriptions, they sounds much more robust, similar to the one used in the TK40.


----------



## rumme (Oct 30, 2009)

techtoolsupply.com said:


> I played around with a couple of C6 reflectors last night. There is definitely an improvement. I took pictures with my iphone, but the auto iris makes it hard to see any difference. The problem with the C6 reflectors is they are too deep for the A6 and would require a special lense cover to be made.
> 
> I wish I still had access to a lathe, I'd make a reflector.


 

Im not famliar with the c6 relfectors. Are they simliar to the Olight M20 smooth reflector ? 

I have plenty of scrap aluminum and could make a reflector, but I figure the amount of time it would take to face down a chunck of aluminum into a reflector, and then poilsh it , its easier to just order a couple of premade reflectors with smooth finish. 

I also ordered a double convex lens , but im not sure if a single convex lens would have gotten me better throw with a spotlight styled illumination.


----------



## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 30, 2009)

rumme said:


> I figure the amount of time it would take to face down a chunck of aluminum into a reflector, and then poilsh it , its easier to just order a couple of premade reflectors with smooth finish.



What fun is that though - I'm constantly looking for a reason to break out the welder or some other tool to improve something 

Here is a pic of the C6 Reflector:


----------



## madmook (Oct 30, 2009)

GoingGear.com said:


> The new carriers are on their way to dealers to replace all of the ones in the first batch of A6 units. I haven't seen pictures, but from the descriptions, they sounds much more robust, similar to the one used in the TK40.


 I bought a first batch A6 from you guys, and though my unit works great, I'd love to have one or two of the new revised battery carriers for times when I wanna cut down on battery switching time.

Will you be getting some extras that you could perhaps sell?


----------



## GoingGear.com (Oct 31, 2009)

madmook said:


> I bought a first batch A6 from you guys, and though my unit works great, I'd love to have one or two of the new revised battery carriers for times when I wanna cut down on battery switching time.
> 
> Will you be getting some extras that you could perhaps sell?



Not on this shipment, but I'll try to get some on the next one.


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## apontes (Oct 31, 2009)

shiningbeam said:


> Hi Guys,
> I have tested all the A6 that I shipped out, so your unit should not have any problem. However, when I receive the new redesigned holder, I will mail one to each of you free of charge.



nuff said.


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## Shur (Oct 31, 2009)

rumme said:


> I just noticed with mine, that evidently the battyer holder isnt making 100% contatc with the contacts in the light itself, because it has turned off on its own periodically after a few seconds but if I manipulate the battery holder inside of the light to a certain position, then it works fine.



I'm having a similar problem but since I was working and had a multimeter at hand I tested the voltage of the holder and got mV readings. I wrote it off as having accidentally killed the batteries by leaving the light on.
After recharging them today I put the light back together and it still wouldnt turn on, tested the holder and still got mV instead of V.
I checked the continuity of all the parts and they were all good so I put the batteries back in and spun them a bit to settle them in place. Havent had a problem since.


----------



## jhc37013 (Oct 31, 2009)

coolperl said:


> Sorry for off-topic post, but...
> 
> *rumme*, can you think a "little longer" and gather all your thoughts in one post instead of writing one after other every few minutes ?
> 
> Or at least, use "edit" function in case you feel, you overlook something important in the 'three-minutes-ago' written post.



+1

I'm trying my best to follow this thread but when you post 3 or 4 times in a row within a few minutes it makes it difficult.

Not trying to sound like an a-hole but please consider the other members who are following this this thread to gain more info may receive a e-mail notification when a new post has been added, Thankyou.


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## rumme (Oct 31, 2009)

jhc37013 said:


> +1
> 
> I'm trying my best to follow this thread but when you post 3 or 4 times in a row within a few minutes it makes it difficult.


 
so my 3 or 4 posts in a row really threw you off track ? 

:} 

attention deficit disorder ?


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## travelinman (Nov 1, 2009)

jhc37013 said:


> +1
> 
> I'm trying my best to follow this thread but when you post 3 or 4 times in a row within a few minutes it makes it difficult.
> 
> Not trying to sound like an a-hole but please consider the other members who are following this this thread to gain more info may receive a e-mail notification when a new post has been added, Thankyou.



If you get a mouse with a roller in it you can scroll down smoothly and read them in order. That makes it easy :duh2:

To deal with the emails received, set up a new folder for just those emails and use the "filter"function on your mail program to simplify getting multiple emails.


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Nov 1, 2009)

Under MY Control panel their is List Subscriptions, change it to daily, Ive had to do this because of way too many emails from certain threads. I get emails on my phone and reply to PM's while with my cell phone when Iam not near a computer. I can hardly wait to get one of these A6 Polestars


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## csshih (Nov 1, 2009)

rumme said:


> attention deficit disorder ?


yes, some of us have it.
could you please use the edit button next time another thought pops up?


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## neninja (Nov 2, 2009)

Mine arrived from GG last week and I'm very happy with it so far.

When I ordered it pre-release I was hoping that it would have lots of spill and a broad hot spot. That's exactly what I've got. The beam is very clean with no doughnut.

It hasn't suffered any of the buzzing noises some people have mentioned when on high power. Also the UI works with almost no delay (again a problem raised by some users)

I also have to agree with another comment about the lanyard attachment. It isn't perfect and has marked the anodising but it does it's job. I'm not convinced that it really is HAIII but it's only a minor complaint about an otherwise excellent package.

A powerful 'wall of light' for only $80 delivered to the UK with a decent holster and lanyard seems to be unbeatable value for money.

*Pros* (for me personally)
Great value
Clean beam with wide hot spot and loads of spill
Decent accessories
Very comfortable to hold - it's larger width body sits perfectly in the hand
Side switch suits it perfectly - it's not tactical so side switch is more useful
Decent UI (apart from strobe)

*Cons*
Strobe is un-necessary and annoying to have to pass through when going from high to low. Why put strobe on a non-tactical flashlight?
Finish marked easily where lanyard attaches


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## rumme (Nov 2, 2009)

Oh no, im back..

WARNING TO ALL POSTERS THAT DONT LIKE IT WHEN I MAKE MORE THEN A COUPLE POSTS :::::::::::::::::

lol


My olight m20 smooth reflector came in today. I had to cut about a 1/4" off the bottom of it, so it would sit flush inside the top of the flashlight . This smooth reflector is about 2/3rds the size of the stock textured reflector as far as width but it is actually taller then the stk reflector . 

As soon as it gets dark out I will see if there is a vast improvemnt in achieving less spill and more throw/ spotlight . 

If that doesnt do it, I will try using a convex lens instead of the stk flat lens. 


WARNING TO EVERYONE THAT GETS CONFUSED WHEN I POST SEVERAL POSTS...

I PLAN ON POSTING AGAIN TONIGHT...PLEASE FIND A INATIMATE OBJECT AT HOME TO TAKE OUT YOUR FRUSTRATIONS ON. 


May I suggest a fluffy pillow ? 
:thumbsup:











FUFFY PILLOW


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## rumme (Nov 2, 2009)

My brother in law is coming over for dinner tonite..

we will be comparing his TK40 to my modded Itp6...

Oh crap, I just made two posts in about 3 hours time. 

bring out the firing squad


----------



## MattK (Nov 2, 2009)

Revised version & Xmas kits just arrived - we'll take pics of the new battery carrier tomorrow,


----------



## rumme (Nov 2, 2009)

Well heres my results , unfortunately I cannot do a adequate outside test because they are drilling for natural gas behind my home and they have the whole damn area lite up with generator lights which is bleeding over onto my yard . 

My unscientific inside test indicates that the flood has been cut down by about 30 % ...

in stk format the flood was about 10ft wide when the light was shined on my house walls when I stood 5 ft away. 

now the flood is about 7ft wide when im 5ft away from the wall. 

so a 30% reduction in total flood is significant, but not the minimum of a 50% reduction I wanted. 

There does seem to be a dark center spot now, which will probably get worse as the light is shined at longer distances..so thats a negative. But outside that small dark spot, it does seem that the spotlight area is noticeably brigter/ more intense. 

all these results are with just using the olight m20 smooth reflector..

when I add on the double convex lens , there doesnt seem to be a improvement. 

any advice on how to alleviate the dark center spot ? 

would moving the 4 led emitter up a little higher inside the bottom of the reflector help achieve even less flood and a tighter spotlight throw beam ?


----------



## qip (Nov 2, 2009)

the only way to fix the dark spot is to texture reflector but that means more flood


----------



## rumme (Nov 2, 2009)

qip said:


> the only way to fix the dark spot is to texture reflector but that means more flood


 

So this would mean I would need to go with another texture style reflector but coned out to a smaller inside diameter then the stock one ? 

this should help stop alot of the flood, while ensuring no dark spot center ?


----------



## neninja (Nov 6, 2009)

The more I use this flashlight the more I like it.

The UI works well - takes about 3 secs to roll through all the levels/strobe (still would prefer no strobe on this type of light)

As a do everything utility light it's perfect.

In my opinion, some people seem to get too hung on throw. In the real world, the A6 will throw out to well over 300ft comfortably. Far enough for 99% of uses with the bonus of the wide spill lighting up the whole area in between. How often do most users really need more?

I feel sorry for my Fenix PD30 R2. It might be smaller and lighter but I reach for the Polestar every time at the moment.

It's closest competitor, the TK40, is more powerful but it costs 150% more to deliver about 20% more performance.

The A6 is an absolute bargain


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## biggerdog (Nov 6, 2009)

Are there any pictures available of the two type of battery carriers?

I got my A6 yesterday from Batteryjunction (their shipping of this product had been on hold until recently), and I wasn't real impressed with the carrier that was included.

And if I shake it rather violently, it shuts off. It always turns right back on again, but I'd rather it didn't behave this way.


----------



## neninja (Nov 6, 2009)

biggerdog said:


> Are there any pictures available of the two type of battery carriers?
> 
> I got my A6 yesterday from Batteryjunction (their shipping of this product had been on hold until recently), and I wasn't real impressed with the carrier that was included.
> 
> And if I shake it rather violently, it shuts off. It always turns right back on again, but I'd rather it didn't behave this way.



Post #85 on page 3 has a picture of the old type carrier. If yours looks substantially different to that then I assume it's the new type.

I'm still using the old type carrier and although a little weak looking it's performed faultlessly. I understand a new design one is on the way from GG though.


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## biggerdog (Nov 6, 2009)

neninja said:


> Post #85 on page 3 has a picture of the old type carrier. If yours looks substantially different to that then I assume it's the new type.
> 
> I'm still using the old type carrier and although a little weak looking it's performed faultlessly. I understand a new design one is on the way from GG though.


 
Thanks, neninja, I skimmed the whole thread but somehow missed that picture.

I definitely do not have the old style carrier. Mine has clear plastic throughout, wherever plastic is used.

So now I'm thinking that when I shake it violently, the carrier's positive dimple is losing contact with the tab down near the flashlight's head. That tab looks kind of flattened down; I wonder if my shaking bent it downward. I could try to pull it up, but for now, I'll leave it alone since the light works well otherwise.

It's not a TK40, but for half the price, I like it.


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## 1anrm (Nov 8, 2009)

Anybody got a pic of the new battery carrier? 
thanks


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## Photar (Nov 10, 2009)

1anrm said:


> Anybody got a pic of the new battery carrier?
> thanks


 
I have just taken two photos, but I do not have full posting privileges and therefore cannot attach the files to this post. I will do it once the restrictions have been removed.

I have made another post but it's still pending approval (3rd post?). Anyway, the post should reveal itself soon and it'll have the two photos of the old and new battery carrier.


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## HKJ (Nov 10, 2009)

Photar said:


> I have just taken two photos, but I do not have full posting privileges and therefore cannot attached the files to this post. I will do it once the restrictions have been removed.



You will never be able to do that, you must host them somewhere else. 
See here how to do it: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/227442


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## Photar (Nov 10, 2009)

HKJ said:


> You will never be able to do that, you must host them somewhere else.
> See here how to do it: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/227442


 
I thought I had restrictions because of this rule about two approved posts need to be made first. Anyway, I realised that this was not the case afterwards but I couldn't edit my post until now. In the meantime, I created an account elsewhere to host the files.

Here are the two photos as promised:












The old battery carrier is on the left (black plastic) and the new battery carrier is on the right (clear plastic). The redesigned battery carrier is definitely an improvement and it's what iTP should have released with the A6 Polestar initially.

The second photo also shows the metal contact that had fallen out of the battery carrier I received with my A6 Polestar.

The new battery carrier does not fix the issue that some people have been complaining about the switch not working. Continually cycling through the 4 modes by not holding down the switch exhibits this behaviour i.e. - the flashlight not turning on. Doing it slowly or holding the switch down appears to be the only fix to avoiding this problem.


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## madmook (Nov 10, 2009)

I got my replacement battery carrier from goinggear yesterday, here are a few quick snapshots. The old one is black, the new one is translucent:










The old one has these protruding tabs that made it hard to put in and take out the batteries:





The new one has much less pronounced "nubs" that make it easier to deal with batteries:





Good on iTP for issuing a relatively quick fix for their original design, and thanks to goinggear for giving me the revised battery carrier. Sorry for pic quality, I am an amateur and have a simple Canon digital point-and-shoot.


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## jirik_cz (Nov 10, 2009)

Doesn't seem like a significant difference. Did they change anything else?


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## madmook (Nov 10, 2009)

Well I appreciate that it's now easier to insert/take out batteries... and I never had any connection issues with the old carrier so I can't really tell what difference there is exactly that takes care of those issues.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Nov 10, 2009)

Alright, now that the battery carrier has been fixed, would you guys (who own it) recommend this light to a friend? 
Quite a few people were having trouble at first, have these problems all been solved?


----------



## Photar (Nov 11, 2009)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> would you guys (who own it) recommend this light to a friend?


 
I was initially disappointed, particularly with the battery carrier, but iTP did do something about it (quite quickly) so they are in my good books again.

I can only compare this torch to the TK40 I own, so here are the pros and cons as I see it:

*Pros:*

Half price compared to the TK40​
Uses 6 × AA batteries (good or bad depending if you want smaller size or longer runtime)​
Smaller size​
Good battery carrier (revised version) which is easy to insert/remove AA batteries​
Good heatsinking​
Nice and very wide beam (but not a good thrower)​
Battery lockout function via tail cap​
Can tail stand​
Very bright torch (if not brighter than the TK40)​
*Cons:*


Extremely annoying and utterly useless strobe mode (somehow I hate it worse than the TK40s strobe mode) which you must cycle through to get to the other modes
Battery carrier not as versatile as TK40s (TK40 can use 4 or 8 batteries)
Does not last as long as TK40 for obvious reasons
Switch not as good as TK40
Memory mode is not permanent like the TK40 and you must click the switch off on the last setting in order for this to work (remove the batteries for too long and it will forget its last setting and revert to default level 1 brightness setting - others who own this torch, please confirm if your A6 Polestar has the same memory as mine)
In summary, I would still recommend this torch because it is decent for the price you're paying and iTP have shown they are willing to back their product if significant issues arise, such as that of the poorly designed battery carrier. If you want a thrower, then this torch is not for you. It's great for lighting the room if you have a power outage, but use common sense and don't keep it on 700 lumens mode for too long (even though it's not stated in the manual), as it does get hot just like the TK40 and the batteries won't last long on that setting anyway.

The TK40 stays at home and the A6 Polestar comes with me whenever I need it. The TK40 is a better design but I really like the A6 Polestar for the price I'm paying.


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## apontes (Nov 11, 2009)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> Alright, now that the battery carrier has been fixed, would you guys (who own it) recommend this light to a friend?


 
I wouldn't recommend it to a total flashlight newbie. 

This is not an idiot proof light. Battery carrier can be an issue, head contact can be an issue and the button can be an issue.

I had mine shut down on me after like 5-10 min on max. Had to wait it cool down to get it back on. Heat transfer seem good enough, though: when I picked it up, it was really hot!


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## Photar (Nov 11, 2009)

apontes said:


> I wouldn't recommend it to a total flashlight newbie.


 
That's a good point, but I would say that for all the high powered flashlights - they aren't toys that's for sure.

Regarding the heat output of the Cree MC-E flashlights, I wouldn't be using it excessively on maximum setting (the current flashlights just can't dissipate this amount of heat quick enough). Even Fenix don't recommend that the TK40 be turned on for longer than 15 minutes on Turbo mode (even less if you live somewhere hot), so I wouldn't even think of trying it with the A6 Polestar. In your case, I wonder if the A6 Polestar automatically turned off when it became too hot, thus preventing damage to the LEDs.

The important thing is to buy from a good dealer - if you have problems, they will do their best to solve it and keep you happy.

I would still recommend the A6 Polestar because it's so much cheaper than other flashlights utilising the Cree MC-E, but be aware customers have reported various issues ranging from bad contact with the battery carrier, intermittent switch problems etc. However, should there be no problems, this flashlight is for the most part quite good.


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## tnforever (Nov 11, 2009)

The heat shut off thing (and practical reasons) is why I would've preferred 1-2 extra levels on the A6... for me, a 10-40-120-300-700 would be perfect...


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## jimmyjames (Nov 12, 2009)

apontes said:


> I wouldn't recommend it to a total flashlight newbie.
> 
> This is not an idiot proof light. Battery carrier can be an issue, head contact can be an issue and the button can be an issue.
> 
> I had mine shut down on me after like 5-10 min on max. Had to wait it cool down to get it back on. Heat transfer seem good enough, though: when I picked it up, it was really hot!



Had the same thing happen with a Jetbeam M1X at twice the price. After 15 minutes the tube got up to 100 degrees F and the light shut down. Waited a couple minutes and was able to click it back on. Did another 15 minute run test a couple weeks later and it didn't shut down but the tube did heat up again.

The only reason I want an MCE, P7, SST50/90 is for MAX LUMEN OUTPUT. If I wanted 100 lumens to read a map, I got a drawer full of them.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Nov 14, 2009)

I couldn't hold back any longer. I caved last night and picked up the Christmas set from goinggear. I figure I'll give my mom the SS EOS for Christmas to replace her E01 on her keychain. 
I'll be posting a review with lux readings and overall output numbers as well. I'll put a link to the review in this thread when I'm done with it.


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## madmook (Nov 14, 2009)

Cool!

I also started off with a E01 as a keychain light, but iTP's A3 EOS trumps it in every aspect. Well, except for runtime, but I wouldn't want to be subjected to the harsh tint of the E01 for very long, anyways.


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## daimleramg (Nov 16, 2009)

Has anyone tried two IMR 26500 in this light? It should fit and voltage is almost the same.


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## mxrider32 (Nov 16, 2009)

I have had this light for a few days and I really like it. It's really bright compared to my other AA lights. It is smaller than I expected it to be which is nice. For the price I'm impressed.

One thing that bugs me though is the strobe mode. I could do without that. I have also noticed that every now and then it doesn't recognize a click. I'm not sure if that is me or the flashlight, but it's not a huge issue.


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## qtaco (Nov 20, 2009)

Hmm, I'm really struggling to decide between the tk40 and the iTP A6, could someone offer some advice?

My highest power torch at the moment is an old Fenix L2D CE. When I buy a torch I usually get at least a few years use out of it, so I'm willing to pay what it takes to get the best fit for my needs. What I'm looking for is something that will put out much more light, and at least match the L2D for throw (although of course with a much bigger hotspot). 

I like that the A6 is more compact, and will weigh less, but understand it isn't as well made and the beam isn't as nice as the tk40. I see myself using the tk40 with only 4 eneloops at a time to keep the weight down, and so that I don't have to recharge 8 batteries at a time. 

My main worries are that the sheer volume of the tk40 will lead me to mostly use my L2D instead, and that even though the iTP is smaller it isn't built as well and the beam isn't as nice.

I suppose the real question is: to those who own both, which one gets the most use and why?


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## headophile (Nov 20, 2009)

qtaco said:


> Hmm, I'm really struggling to decide between the tk40 and the iTP A6, could someone offer some advice?
> 
> My highest power torch at the moment is an old Fenix L2D CE. When I buy a torch I usually get at least a few years use out of it, so I'm willing to pay what it takes to get the best fit for my needs. What I'm looking for is something that will put out much more light, and at least match the L2D for throw (although of course with a much bigger hotspot).
> 
> ...



i don't own both but i can clear a few things up regarding the tk40 for you:

1. my ld20 has more throw than your l2d. the tk40 very easily out throws my ld20.

2. i use my tk40 much more than my ld20 now, even inside the house. it tailstands very securely and the beam and tint are much nicer.

anyway i hope you make the right decision, whatever that is


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## apontes (Nov 20, 2009)

qtaco said:


> I suppose the real question is: to those who own both, which one gets the most use and why?



Actually, neither. I resort to smaller lights most of the time. There are very few occasions when I really need the lumen monsters.

If I'd have only the two, I guess that I'd use the Polestar more indoors, and the TK40 would see more outdoor use. 

When my father needs a brighter light, I lend him the Polestar. Feels more familiar to him, with the button near the head.

When I go camping, I take the TK40 (among others, but it always goes). 

Also, the TK40 is not that bigger than the Polestar, but has better runtime and feels way more reliable.


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## qtaco (Nov 20, 2009)

Thanks for the replies guys.



apontes said:


> Actually, neither. I resort to smaller lights most of the time. There are very few occasions when I really need the lumen monsters.
> 
> If I'd have only the two, I guess that I'd use the Polestar more indoors, and the TK40 would see more outdoor use.
> 
> ...



Thanks mate, this is very useful to me. Like you I probably wouldn't grab either of these monsters when I just need a little light. What I feel I'm missing is a light to use outdoors that really shows you what is around out to ~100 meters or so.

I think I'm leaning towards the tk40 based on the fact it can use 4 batteries at a time, and should be much better built and reliable. The only problem is local dealers in the UK are charging over $200 USD for the tk40, whereas the polestar (plus stainless steel A3 EOS) is a more reasonable $100 USD. I'm just not sure the tk40 is worth twice the price of the polestar.


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## apontes (Nov 20, 2009)

qtaco said:


> What I feel I'm missing is a light to use outdoors that really shows you what is around out to ~100 meters or so.



If you need a dedicated thrower, there are a lot of smaller and/or less expensive lights out there. None will have the versatility of the TK40, though. 

Also keep in mind that the Polestar is not a thrower at all. And it has some issues. 

Narrow down your requirements and ask around. I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions. lovecpf




qtaco said:


> I think I'm leaning towards the tk40 based on the fact it can use 4 batteries at a time, and should be much better built and reliable.



I wouldn't recommend using only 4 batteries. For me, it kind of defeats the purpose. I you want lighter, there is the TK30 from Fenix, which should have a beam as good as the TK40's.




qtaco said:


> The only problem is local dealers in the UK are charging over $200 USD for the tk40, whereas the polestar (plus stainless steel A3 EOS) is a more reasonable $100 USD. I'm just not sure the tk40 is worth twice the price of the polestar.


 

Can't you get it from a US dealer? Or maybe a HK based ebayer? You could get a TK40 for less than US$ 140 shipped.


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## MattK (Nov 20, 2009)

apontes said:


> ... feels way more reliable.



Huh? Explain please,



apontes said:


> ... the Polestar is not a thrower at all. And it has some issues.



What issues?


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## adirondackdestroyer (Nov 21, 2009)

I just picked mine up from the post office, and I am very impressed! The only thing is it makes a weird noise when in the high setting. It's a high pitch frequency noise. Is this normal?


----------



## madmook (Nov 21, 2009)

Yes, mine also does that on high mode, but not on low or medium. Oh well, that's electronics for ya.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Nov 21, 2009)

madmook said:


> Yes, mine also does that on high mode, but not on low or medium. Oh well, that's electronics for ya.




Ok, thanks for the reply. I'm surprised that no one mentioned this anywhere in this thread. It's pretty loud, don't you think? It's not a deal breaker or anything, but it is a little annoying. Mostly because my dog HATES it!


----------



## apontes (Nov 21, 2009)

MattK said:


> What issues?



Forgetting the battery carrier, we're still left with the cheap head contact, sticky button some people complained about, and the annoying anavoidable strobe. Glued battery tube is a slight annoyance, also.





MattK said:


> "...feels more reliable." Huh? Explain please,



Apart from the issues above, the TK40 feels more solid, better built and better thought out.


----------



## MattK (Nov 21, 2009)

The only possible 'issue' in your list is the mention of sticky buttons but I searched and cannot find these posts about sticky switches.

Otherwise:
-I don't see the problem with the head contact. No complaints of them not working, failing or otherwise causing any problems.
-Your personal preference for not liking strobe is not an 'issue.'
-A glued battery tube is not an 'issue.'

The TK40 of course also has 'issues' that can be nitpicked so, 'better thought out,' is quite debatable. 
The TK40 also costs nearly twice as much as an A6 and the A6 has a side switch which, IMO, makes much more sense for this type of light.
The A6 is also substantially smaller.


----------



## Photar (Nov 21, 2009)

mxrider32 said:


> One thing that bugs me though is the strobe mode.


 
There's a way to get around that. Loosen the tail cap while the light is on and it'll reset to first level brightness. Don't turn it off and then loosen the tail cap or you'll have to wait a while for it to forget its last setting (mine doesn't have permanent memory).



mxrider32 said:


> I have also noticed that every now and then it doesn't recognize a click. I'm not sure if that is me or the flashlight, but it's not a huge issue.


 
It's definitely not you, it's the switch design. I could return it if I wanted to, but it's a hassle and it's only sometimes that it does it. I usually turn it on and keep it on until the batteries are flat so that's why it's not a big deal for me.



adirondackdestroyer said:


> The only thing is it makes a weird noise when in the high setting. It's a high pitch frequency noise. Is this normal? It's not a deal breaker or anything, but it is a little annoying. Mostly because my dog HATES it!


 
I just turned mine on with fresh eneloop's and cannot hear anything on the highest setting. I would return it if it made an annoying sound - I had an LCD monitor that emitted a very annoying whine and it's not nice at all. Your dog has superior hearing so it's probably 10 times worse!

If anyone is serious about getting this flashlight, be aware it does have its issues (see my previous post). Only get it if you're on a tight budget. I would otherwise recommend the TK40 - better build, better mode selection (avoid strobe settings if you don't need it), better battery options (4 or 8 - lasts for ages with four 2700mAh rated NiMH batteries on level 2 brightness).

iTP really shouldn't have incorporated the strobe mode into this flashlight. Instead, they should have had another brightness level like the TK40. It's not recommended (my opinion not iTP's) that you run any of these flashlights for a long time on their highest setting because they get too hot and can potentially cause damage. What's with strobe mode anyway? Most people don't use it - leave it out or design it in such a way that it can be bypassed like the TK40!


----------



## mxrider32 (Nov 21, 2009)

My polestar doesn't make any noise on high either. There is a faint whine on low mode but you have to put it to your ear to hear it. 

Photar, thanks for the info.


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## apontes (Nov 21, 2009)

My, this is gonna be one long post...





MattK said:


> The only possible 'issue' in your list is the mention of sticky buttons but I searched and cannot find these posts about sticky switches.



Seek no further:


SkunkWerx said:


> I think mine has a goofy switch. It's gotten better now that I have pressed it On & Off 50 times, but I still will hit a CLick that either doesn't turn it Off, or doesn't turn it On.
> ...
> Mine is taking a long time to change modes, at least 10 seconds, and sometimes up to 20 seconds. Beyond 20 seconds I chalk it up to the possible goofy switch and try again.







MattK said:


> -I don't see the problem with the head contact. No complaints of them not working, failing or otherwise causing any problems.



So all the contact issues can be attributed to the battery carrier alone? By the pictures, the top and bottom contact plates are the same.


biggerdog said:


> I definitely do not have the old style carrier. Mine has clear plastic throughout, wherever plastic is used.
> 
> So now I'm thinking that when I shake it violently, the carrier's positive dimple is losing contact with the tab down near the flashlight's head. That tab looks kind of flattened down; I wonder if my shaking bent it downward. I could try to pull it up, but for now, I'll leave it alone since the light works well otherwise.


 
... and


HKJ said:


> I do not associate the battery connection at the head with good quality.





techtoolsupply.com said:


> apontes said:
> 
> 
> > Forget the battery carrier. Although not as tough as the TK40's, its by no means flimsy. The batteries fit quite snugly. Worse part, quality-wise, is the head contact. Screams "cheap"!!! :thumbsdow
> ...



... and


shiningbeam said:


> Believe or not, I have tested 29 A6 lights in order to pick out 6 of them. And for the 6 that I shipped out, each one has been tested 3 times. Tests invloving shaking the light violently, tapping the light at the bottom and insert and remove the holder few times. In conclusion, A6's first batch battery holders' quality are quite bad.







MattK said:


> -Your personal preference for not liking strobe is not an 'issue.'



True, but with the way the UI is, you have to press the button for 2 seconds to get to the next level. So between getting to strobe, releasing the button and pressing it again, you easily get 5 seconds of annoying, anavoidable strobe, differently from other lights with a reverse clicky, for example. 
And it _is_ an issue to other people besides me:


neninja said:


> Strobe is un-necessary and annoying to have to pass through when going from high to low. Why put strobe on a non-tactical flashlight?



... and


Photar said:


> Extremely annoying and utterly useless strobe mode (somehow I hate it worse than the TK40s strobe mode) which you must cycle through to get to the other modes.







MattK said:


> -A glued battery tube is not an 'issue.'



My exact words were: "Glued battery tube is a slight annoyance, also."





MattK said:


> The TK40 also costs nearly twice as much as an A6 and the A6 has a side switch which, IMO, makes much more sense for this type of light.
> The A6 is also substantially smaller.



Couldn't agree more.


----------



## FlashlightsNgear.com (Nov 21, 2009)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> I just picked mine up from the post office, and I am very impressed! The only thing is it makes a weird noise when in the high setting. It's a high pitch frequency noise. Is this normal?


Its not normal, I just went though several A6's, no noise at all, all work perfectly. Some of you CPFers were starting to make me paranoid


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## adirondackdestroyer (Nov 21, 2009)

FlashlightsNgear.com said:


> Its not normal, I just went though several A6's, no noise at all, all work perfectly. Some of you CPFers were starting to make me paranoid




Alright, mines going back.

I was actually surprised that the first person who replied to my message said that his did the same thing. I figured that this wasn't normal, because I think most people would not be ok with a flashlight that made a noise this loud. 

Thanks for all the replies.


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## madmook (Nov 21, 2009)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> I was actually surprised that the first person who replied to my message said that his did the same thing. I figured that this wasn't normal, because I think most people would not be ok with a flashlight that made a noise this loud.


Well I _would_ be more satisfied with the light if it didn't emit that high-pitched whine on high mode, but its not a dealbreaker for me and not worth the hassle of returning/exchanging it. During normal use I wouldn't be holding the light right up near my ears anyways. I don't think its a defect of the light, just a result of the electronics inside it. 

But since your situation includes your dog, I would definitely look to get the light exchanged with a unit that doesn't emit that sound on high.


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## biggerdog (Nov 22, 2009)

It might be instructive to include one's age in any post that addresses the high-pitched noise. It's well known that one's ability to hear high frequencies declines with age.


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## HKJ (Nov 22, 2009)

apontes said:


> So all the contact issues can be attributed to the battery carrier alone? By the pictures, the top and bottom contact plates are the same.
> 
> ... and
> 
> ...



The fact that I believe this connection to be cheaply manufactured, does not make it an issue.

For me it looks like the A6 is designed as a low cost MC-E light, that runs on common batteries and it is probably the best MC-E light you can get for the money (for non flashaholic). The TK40 is designed a different way and for another price point.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Nov 22, 2009)

biggerdog said:


> It might be instructive to include one's age in any post that addresses the high-pitched noise. It's well known that one's ability to hear high frequencies declines with age.



I'm 26 as is my wife (who also heard it loud and clear), but I would imagine that damn near everyone would be able to hear this noise.


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## MattK (Nov 23, 2009)

apontes

The A6 is a mass manufactured product. As with ALL mass manufactured products a unit with a problem will be shipped now and then - that's one post about a bad switch. Even if you'd posted 3 posts that would still be out of thousands of units shipped - statistically irrelevant. My company sells nearly every major brand of premium lighting - EVERY FACTORY ships duds now and then. Occasional duds do not an issue make.

So if one shakes the A6 violently it can break contact for a microsecond. What applicability to real world usage exists here? A half a pound of AA batteries and carrier being slammed up and down has some mass to it.

So the head contact isn't artful - it's also not an issue since it doesn't seem to not work correctly for anyone.

Strobe: Personally I only want strobing on tactical lights but the market speaks and the market overwhelmingly wants a strobe mode available. Lots of folks like strobing as an attention egtter for emergencies, dog walking, street crossing and general 'hey here I am' type stuff.


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## apontes (Nov 23, 2009)

Matt,

I'm not trying to bash the Polestar. In fact, I have one, purchased in preorder. I like it, find it very useful and intend to keep it for a long time.

I also think it is in a class of its own, being powered by AAs and priced as it is. 

But some people had wild expectations - completely unjustified, imo: if you checked the pictures and the released specs, there would be no mistaking it for a thrower, for example.

I have nothing against "disco modes" either. A blinking/signaling mode has its uses. But in the case of the Polestar, the combination of strobe + relatively long time to switch through is really annoying. I got a lot of flak from my wife before I started to cover the reflector with my hand before strobe. 




The great thing about forums like this is you can get to know details about a product that you would otherwise only get after maybe weeks of use. And through different opinions, make an informed decision about your purchase.


----------



## MattK (Nov 23, 2009)

It's all good - I just have issues when people say a product has 'issues' because here on CPF that sort of statement has a tendency to snowball.


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## Shur (Nov 29, 2009)

apontes said:


> True, but with the way the UI is, you have to press the button for 2 seconds to get to the next level. So between getting to strobe, releasing the button and pressing it again, you easily get 5 seconds of annoying, anavoidable strobe, differently from other lights with a reverse clicky, for example.



You can cut that time down by not releasing the button when you want to change modes.
Press it and hold it in and the light will change modes every 2 seconds. Release when you are at the mode you want.


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## travelinman (Nov 29, 2009)

Photar said:


> What's with strobe mode anyway? Most people don't use it - leave it out or design it in such a way that it can be bypassed like the TK40!



Since you are fairly new you should do a search for "strobe mode". All the arguments both for and against strobes have been posted multiple times. This is not the place to bring the argument up again.


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## travelinman (Nov 29, 2009)

MattK said:


> It's all good - I just have issues when people say a product has 'issues' because here on CPF that sort of statement has a tendency to snowball.



Unfortunately Matt, most people can't think well enough to understand that all products have a certain percentage of them with "issues". As a matter of fact, some of the most expensive, high end automobiles in the world spend much of their lives in the "shop" trying to fix on-going issues.

It's just a fact of life that most people don't understand this.


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## MattK (Nov 29, 2009)

Exactly - that's why I try to counteract this sort of thing whenever I can.


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## neninja (Dec 4, 2009)

Well to balance things, my A6 is still performing faultlessly

No noise or whine on any level
No problems with the battery carrier or contact (not used the replacement carrier - thanks GG - as the original one works perfectly well)
No problems with the switch - works everytime and scrolls through all the levels and strobe in a couple of seconds
Still don't like the strobe but it's not an issue.

All in all a very happy A6 user. If I lost this one I would buy another without question.


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## quasar54 (Dec 14, 2009)

neninja said:


> Well to balance things, my A6 is still performing faultlessly
> 
> No noise or whine on any level
> No problems with the battery carrier or contact (not used the replacement carrier - thanks GG - as the original one works perfectly well)
> ...



+1. Perfect light for me... purchased directly from a reseller here in Singapore and got an equivalent price to the US Christmas set promo 

This is my first high powered light, and I bought the set including an EOS SS A3 + another standard A3 for my wife. Very satisfied with all 3 lights.

The output on the Polestar is amazing for a novice like me!!! Really goes FAR, and the tint seems nice too.

Rumme, your comments made me buy this light - and I love it! May even use it as my bicycle light if I can make an appropriate holder. 

BTW Rumme, did you have any luck with your mods?


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## Apollo Cree (Jan 16, 2010)

Even among people of the same age, there's a LOT of difference in the ability to hear some high pitched noises. When I was younger, there were some "ultrasonic" proximity sensors that would drive me out of the room that other people of the same age could not hear at all. 

I had to cover my eyes and let them turn the sound on and off several times to convince them I could hear what they couldn't.


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## LeifUK (Jan 17, 2010)

I have a couple of questions: 



Does this light switch off, or to a low level, after running on turbo for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature (20C) ? Comments in this thread suggest yes.
Is this light tough enough to survive use while running? This means the batteries may be shaken about a bit, and the carrier looks a bit sensitive.


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## awid (Jan 17, 2010)

LeifUK said:


> [*]Is this light tough enough to survive use while running? This means the batteries may be shaken about a bit, and the carrier looks a bit sensitive.



I would like to know this as well. I am debating whether I should grab the iTP Christmas kit(A3 SS and A6 for $85) or grab an A1 SS for now and get a TK40 later.


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## PerttiK (Jan 17, 2010)

LeifUK:
Just had the light on high for 0:30, stays on high all the time.

At the same time tried to hear any whine from it, none heard.
I can here the whine from quark minis and itp equals.


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## travelinman (Jan 17, 2010)

I think my polestar is great! No whine, even when I stuck it almost in my daughter's ear she couldn't hear anything. She does think I'm weird though 

Excellent value and I won't have any grief from overzealous security people at airports who hate lithium batteries. :tired:


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## LeifUK (Jan 17, 2010)

PerttiK said:


> LeifUK:
> Just had the light on high for 0:30, stays on high all the time.



Thanks. No excessive heat? I would need one to stay on high for 1 hour.


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## Chevy-SS (Feb 24, 2010)

Well, just ordered the *iTP A6* from GG. This will be my first 'real' torch. Up to now, MagLites have been my most powerful lights. 

-


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## travelinman (Feb 24, 2010)

My son bought me an A6 for xmas and himself one as well. Now his won't light up. He's in Vancouver and so I can't play with it but he's gone through all the "tests" I've recommended.

Batteries are fully charged, second set tried also. 
Cells in holder read 8 volts.
Battery holder is in properly.
shorted rear of battery holder against case to take tail cap out of circuit.
front flat plate spring looks OK.
switch makes satisfying click when pressed.

Anything I've missed?

Just a further thought, can the front contact be "sprung" out a bit somehow?


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## hotlight (Mar 14, 2010)

travelinman said:


> My son bought me an A6 for xmas and himself one as well. Now his won't light up. He's in Vancouver and so I can't play with it but he's gone through all the "tests" I've recommended.
> 
> Batteries are fully charged, second set tried also.
> Cells in holder read 8 volts.
> ...




this has to be resolved by now......
how was it resolved?


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## travelinman (Mar 14, 2010)

After running it through switching components with another A6, the retailer and myself agree it is a switch issue and he is taking it back for replacement or repair. Nice to have a good retailer to be able to fall back on when something goes wrong.


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## hotlight (Mar 15, 2010)

travelinman said:


> After running it through switching components with another A6, the retailer and myself agree it is a switch issue and he is taking it back for replacement or repair. Nice to have a good retailer to be able to fall back on when something goes wrong.




not sure where you got it from, but we do have some excellent retailers on this site/cpfmp. 
got mine from goinggear recently but nothing was stated about a warranty... Im guessing it's 18months(manufacturers) according to the A6 specs on shiningbeams website. (itp's website doesn't load the entire description on the A6 page, cant see warranty info.)

sweet light.... overall, I like it better than the TK40 I had(can't compare side to side as I sold the tk40). Little smaller than the tk40(feels like a lot smaller), side switch is great. Reason I sold the tk40 was the awkward tail switch-imo.


We'll see how long mine lasts.


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## recDNA (Mar 15, 2010)

travelinman said:


> Unfortunately Matt, most people can't think well enough to understand that all products have a certain percentage of them with "issues". As a matter of fact, some of the most expensive, high end automobiles in the world spend much of their lives in the "shop" trying to fix on-going issues.
> 
> It's just a fact of life that most people don't understand this.


 
But some manufacturers DO check their products first to minimize faults (ever hear of a Glock _not_ working right the first time...or ANY time for that matter?) although more and more I find customers do the testing for them .. and I'm not just talking flashlights.

BTW, can you use Lithium primaries (L91) in Polestar?


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## joe1512 (Mar 16, 2010)

Id like to know that as well. They are 1.5Volts, so I wouldnt think that would be a problem. I have no idea though.


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Mar 16, 2010)

joe1512 said:


> Id like to know that as well. They are 1.5Volts, so I wouldnt think that would be a problem. I have no idea though.


 
Well, not really. Lithium primaries are closer to 1.8V out of the box, and they will not sag as much as alkaline under load.


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## mitro (Mar 16, 2010)

I have run a set of lithiums though the A6 and it *seemed* fine. I'm not willing to say that I recommend doing it though, mostly because of the cost of 6 lithium AAs. You might as well buy/use LSD rechargables. (or if you are a little bit silly (like me) try making it work on 2 26500s in a sleeve. )


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## joe1512 (Mar 25, 2010)

mitro said:


> I have run a set of lithiums though the A6 and it *seemed* fine. I'm not willing to say that I recommend doing it though, mostly because of the cost of 6 lithium AAs. You might as well buy/use LSD rechargables. (or if you are a little bit silly (like me) try making it work on 2 26500s in a sleeve. )



Thanks for the info. The itp website lists alkaline and nimh only. Ive seen a few vendor sites that say Lithium is ok.

I thought they were 1.5Volts. According to the specs, this is the case, though is says it can peak at 1.72 volts.


They are about 2 bucks per battery though. My thought was that Id give my dad one loaded up with lithiums so it would last a lot longer than alkalines (with no leakage!).
In fact, that only works at very high current drain though, which with 6 AAs, will NOT be the case. Hence alkalines have 2000maH vs lithium's 2800maH; not very impressive difference for the high cost. Not leaking acid into my 80 dollar light on the other hand....


However, I decided to go with the Eneloops instead since they dont lose charge very fast and I could get a charger, 8aa, 2aaa for 30 bucks.


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## bored7one4 (Apr 2, 2010)

Did someone mode the reflector and lens for better throw? I like to see the pic of that.

also where the best place to get this light?

thanks


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## dandism (Apr 2, 2010)

I saw this light for sale ($89) at .... Fry's. :duh2:


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## swxb12 (Apr 3, 2010)

dandism said:


> I saw this light for sale ($89) at .... Fry's. :duh2:



Wow, it's on their website too http://www.frys.com/product/6181819?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG


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## CM2010 (Apr 4, 2010)

Anyone know if the christmas set comes with the new battery carrier in the A6?


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## adirondackdestroyer (Apr 4, 2010)

CM2010 said:


> Anyone know if the christmas set comes with the new battery carrier in the A6?



I bought mine from Goinggear.com and mine did.


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## 47532 (Apr 24, 2010)

I picked on up tonite at Fry's, price was $89.95. Seems like a real well built light. Not overly thrilled about the switch. You have to go between all settings to get to back to a lower setting. But it does turn back on to the last setting. Very nice wide hot spot and plenty of spill. Nice HA Type 3 coating.
CREE MC-E emitter. Oh and its 6 AA in a holder. Over all cant beat it with a stick for the price for a claimed 700 lumen's light for 1.5 hr. 160 for 8 hr and 12 lm for 50 hr. and strobe for 10 hour.


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## alightinthedark (Oct 7, 2010)

I like mine I have had it for 7 months, never used it for more than 5 minutes, then last night I wanted to show it off to a friend and it worked for about 30 seconds then it cut out, after I had a time to look at it i found the batteries and there holder all shorted out and leaking, I have a second holder and after a little batteries mess clean up it works fine, I ordered a second holder but I wonder if I should keep batteries in the light till it's time to use it, I have had several problems with leaking batteries and the mess they cause, Do you know why this happens, the guy that sold it to me to me that this is the first time that they have heard anything but I wounder. You know anything that i would like to know. 
Only other thing that peeks my interests is that I wonder about the claim of lumens brightness is it really 700?

Thanks


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## jsr (Oct 8, 2010)

alightinthedark -
Where did you buy the spare holder and how much was it?

As for leaking batteries, alkalines have a tendency to do that. I've had 3 occurrences of AA alks leaking, 2 of those taking the light with it. 1 instance of a D alk leaking in my Mag. Alkalines leak, which is why I don't like using them.

The 700 lumens is at the LED. OTF, it's around 450ish. Seems to be pretty accurate based on comparison with other lights. But on alkalines, it's only at max output for a few minutes and starts to drop. I run mine on Eneloops (and only use alkalines if my Eneloops die...and they take FOREVER to recharge 6 of them!).

BTW, has anyone looked into running the A6 on a pair of 26500 Li-Ions? Voltage would be about the same as 6x NiMHs and output would hold steadier for longer.


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## alightinthedark (Oct 8, 2010)

I got it at Tech Tool Supply cost with shipping under $10.00 with shipping.
They are an ITP dealer good people
9060 General Dr
Plymouth, MI 48170
877-208-6657
[email protected]

I'll close by talking a jab at ITP which is...............

I don't trust there flashlight to keep batteries in it till it's time to use it. Now it's only good as a backup.


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## techtoolsupply.com (Oct 8, 2010)

alightinthedark said:


> I got it at Tech Tool Supply cost with shipping under $10.00 with shipping.
> They are an ITP dealer good people
> 9060 General Dr
> Plymouth, MI 48170
> ...



I sincerely apologize you are having problems. Please give us a call 877-208-6657 - we can either replace it for another A6, or give you credit for another style of iTp Light.

I'm personally not a big fan of the A6, however, we haven't had any come back with any defects; this will be the first one. I am a big fan of iTp, they make great products, with a great price, and great customer support.


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## SureAddicted (Oct 8, 2010)

alightinthedark said:


> I'll close by talking a jab at ITP which is...............
> 
> I don't trust there flashlight to keep batteries in it till it's time to use it. Now it's only good as a backup.



Your jab is completely unwarranted and unfounded. 
The problem is not the light, it's the batteries your using. Alkaline cells can leak in any flashlight.


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## joe1512 (Oct 8, 2010)

Agreed. How exactly is it the light's fault that the batteries leaked?


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## Notsure Fire (Oct 8, 2010)

The iTP is a great light, you won't regret it.


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## alightinthedark (Oct 8, 2010)

SureAddicted said:


> Your jab is completely unwarranted and unfounded.
> The problem is not the light, it's the batteries your using. Alkaline cells can leak in any flashlight.



Okay Alkaline cells can leak in any flashlight, they were new and in the light for 6 months without use so I know not to do that again. I must say that under closer examination it was the battery holder that was faulty made and shorted out because the brass contacts came in contact with each other allowing them to ground out which I think is the more likely the cause of the problem. I was told that the battery holder was upgraded and I must of gotten one of the old ones. It could not be saved.

The battery corrosive was all near the bottom inside of the light and I was able to clean it up with some steel wool not all just most, the top end of the light was not damaged and the switch works fine. 

I like this light it's not my first choice but it's still the best quality flashlight I have... 

So now that I have learned all about battery leakage what can I do to stop it. How long can I store the batteries in the flashlight and still be sure it will not happen again. Please tell me they best way to keep batteries in a flashlight, without this happening again? 

Yes it would make me very happy if ITP would make a high power rechargeable A6 type with in the body of flashlight using 1-18650 battery iunder 6" and in colors for fun.


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## SureAddicted (Oct 8, 2010)

alightinthedark said:


> How long can I store the batteries in the flashlight and still be sure it will not happen again. Please tell me they best way to keep batteries in a flashlight, without this happening again?.



If you value your flashlights and want to hold on them for a while, try to avoid using alkalines. Lithium or NiMH (LSD) are best, and you don't have to worry about taking them out during storage.


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## xevious (Dec 14, 2018)

Any ITP A6 Polestar owners know if the tail cap is compatible with the Olight S65?


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