# Olight S80 (XM-L, 26650 with integrated charger) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO+



## selfbuilt (Mar 16, 2012)

*Warning: pic heavy, as usual. *

_*UPDATE March 17, 2012:* I was just informed that my review sample was apparently a prototype released at the SHOT show, not a production shipping version. So it is possible that the circuit was not final. I will update when I hear more._











The Baton series of lights from Olight now have a new member – the 1x26650 Li-ion S80. How does it compare to the earlier multiple-AA versions, the S35 and S65? Let us see … 

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:*

CREE XM-L LED
Three adjustable brightness levels with a strobe
Luminus flux: 750 lumens
Low: 10 lumens, 80 hours
Medium: 180 lumens, 8 hours
Hi: 750 lumens, 1.5 hours
Strobe: 10 Hz, 5 hours, 750 lumens
Max beam distance: 260 meters
Peak Beam intensity: 16650 cd
Warning voltage: 3.15V +/1 0.05V
Idle current: <10 uA
Memory mode
Active thermal management
Rugged aluminum body with anti-scratching type-III=Hard Anodizing
Orange peel aluminum reflector
Hardened glass lens with AR coating
Side button switch
Water resistant to IPX-8 standards 1.5m
Impact Resistance: 3.9 ft (1.2 m)
Weight (with battery): 277 g
Size (L x D): 154 x 39.6 mm
Includes: battery, AC charger, holster, key ring, and diffuser
MSRP: ~$125














Packaging is the typical high-end Olight display/carry case, with cut-out foam for all the components. Included are the light (custom 26650 battery installed), AC charging power cord, diffuser, split-ring, holster, extra o-rings, and manual.













From left to right: Duracell AA; Olight S80, S65, S35; 4Sevens X10; Jetbeam PA40.

All dimensions are given with no batteries installed:

*Olight S80*: Weight 162.5g, Length: 151mm, Width (bezel): 38.7mm, (tail) 32.5mm
*Olight S35 3xAA*: Weight 177.3g, Length: 127.7mm, Width (bezel): 38.7mm, (tail) 36.0mm
*Olight S65 6xAA*: Weight 215.4g, Length: 180mm, Width (bezel): 38.7mm, (tail) 36.0mm 
*Foursevens X10*: Weight: 156.9g, Length: 135.5mm, Width (bezel): 46.0mm
*JetBeam PA40 4xAA*: Weight: 184.0g, Length: 183mm, Width: 40.8mm (bezel), 42.1mm (max width)

As you can see, the Baton lights are quite petite for their battery configurations. The S80's battery handle/body is a bit narrower than the earlier S35/65 lights (although the head diameter is the same).














Build remains distinctive, with the very cylindrical shape. Anodizing remains a glossy black, and there were no chips or flaws in the anodizing on my S80 sample. Labels are bright white against the black background. There is no real knurling as such, but Olight uses a series of fine ridges along the bodies of all the Baton lights (similar to the Fenix TK45). Light may be slippery when wet.

Light can tailstand, but there is a metal lanyard attachment hole on the tail. There is an attached rubber plug that covers the charging port

As before, the light has a flat stainless steel bezel ring (the heads look identical across the models).

Lights use an electronic switch, located near the head. The switch appears white, but actually has a red LED underneath that illuminates as a low battery warning indicator. 

Although the battery is user-replaceable, the tailcap is securely tightened. Most users should never need to open the light up. If you want to, you may need to use snap-ring pliers to loosen it the first time.


















Light uses square-cut screw threads as before, but no longer anodized (i.e. no lock-out possible). There is a very clear o-ring visible on the tailcap. There is a spring on the positive contact plate in the head of the light.

The included 26650 battery lacks any kind of label, except for the positive terminal indicator. 

In actual fact, the "negative" terminal of the battery actually has both positive and negative contacts – this is how the integrated charger in the tailcap functions.






Above is a comparison of the S80 custom 26650 next to a standard 26650 (from my 4Sevens X10). The S80 battery has the traditional negative terminal in the center – but the outer ring is continuous with the positive terminal (confirmed with my DMM).

If you look at the tailcap pictures, this makes perfect sense. There are two spring-mounted contacts on the underside of the tailcap. When charging using the integrated charger, charging occurs between these two regions of the tail plate of the battery.

 This means a couple of things: 

While standard 26650 should work fine in the light (thanks to the center contact), do NOT attempt to charge a standard 26650 with the integrated charger. This would cause an immediate short in the tailcap. 
The custom 26650 bundled with the S80 will not work in most other lights, unless the negative terminal spring is small enough to ONLY make contact with the inner negative plate on the battery. Attempting to use this cell in most lights (where the spring makes contact with both terminal plates) would lead to an immediate short of the battery. This is most absolutely to be avoided – you never want to short the contacts of a battery!
Similarly, the custom 26650 from the S80 should not be charged outside of the light, as most spring-loaded charging trays could also short out the two terminals across the base of the battery.
Moral of the story – do not try to use this custom 26550 battery in other lights, and be careful in trying to use a standard 26550 in this light. :sweat:

*User Interface*

UI is unchanged from the S35/S65. The lights use an electronic switch for on/off and mode control. Press and release for constant on. 

Mode switching is controlled by holding down the electronic switch. The light will cycle between Lo – Med - Hi, in repeating sequence. Simply release the switch to select your desired mode. The light has mode memory – if you turn it off/on, the lights return to your previous level.

There is a "hidden" strobe mode, accessed by double-clicking the switch when on. Double-click again to return to constant on.

Light use the typical Olight "soft lock-out" - if you hold the switch down from On, after three cycles through the output modes, the light turns itself off. It cannot be turned back on until you rapidly press the switch three times. This is a soft lock to prevent accidental activation. Since the light doesn't have anodized tailcap threads, there is no other option to physically lock-out the light.

For a more detailed examination of the build and user interface, please see my video overview: :wave:



Video was recorded in 720p, but YouTube typically defaults to 360p. Once the video is running, you can click on the configuration settings icon and select the higher 480p to 720p options. You can also run full-screen. 

*PWM/Strobe*

As before, there is no sign of PWM that I can see, at any output level. The Baton lights appear to be current-controlled as claimed.  






Strobe was measured at 10 Hz on the S80, consistent with the earlier S35/S65. 

*Standby drain*

Since the switch is an electronic switch, there needs to be a standby current when the tailcap is connected. I measured this current at 6.0 uA, which is very consistent with what I measured on 3xAA on the S35 (6.3 uA) and 6xAA on the S65 (5.8 uA). 

With the 4000mAh rated 26650 Li-ion on the S80, that would translate into 76 years before a fully charged cell would be depleted. Since that is a lot longer the lifespan of a Li-ion (and about the typical lifespan for a human ), I don't think we have much to worry about. 

Note however that unlike the S35/S65, you cannot break this current by locking out the tailcap on the S80 (i.e. threads are not anodized here).

*Low Battery warning*

The low-battery warning flash is integrated under the on/off button, as shown below from my S35 review:










I actually found the indicator a lot more useful on the 26650-based S80 than I did on the S35/S65. 

As you will see in the runtimes below, the fully-regulated S80 steps down in output as the battery starts to run low. Approximately 5-10 mins before each step-down occurs, the warning LED indicator starts flashing slowly (and immediately shuts off after step-down).

This is a very useful contextual indicator, as it warns you of the imminent step-down to the next regulated level. Note the light steps down from Hi, to Med, to Lo, to Off – with consistent advanced warning at each level. :twothumbs

This is more useful than the AA-based S35/S65, where the warning light typically only comes on after the lights fall out of regulation. As the S80 is fully regulated at al levels, the consistent pre-step-down warning is very useful. 

*Integrated Charger*

The intergrated charger worked well in my testing, taking approximately 5.5 hours to completely charge a battery that was fully drained (i.e. ran until the protection featured kicked in). 

I don't know if the charger shuts off or simply drops to a trickle charge once fully charged (and the charger light goes green). I tested the resting voltage of the included 26650 cell after the green status indicator came on, and got 4.22V on my Uni-T DMM. As this is the maximum you would want to charge a cell, I recommend you don't leave the charger plugged in once the light goes green, to be on the safe side. You may also want to discharge a bit of capacity by running the light for a minute or two once fully charged.

*Beamshots:*










S80 head is unchanged from the S35/S65. Below the stainless steel bezel ring is a red o-ring, holding the lens in place. The reflectors have a medium orange peel (textured) finish. Light uses a Cool White XM-L emitter, well centered on my sample as always. 

And now, what you have all been waiting for.  All lights are on Sanyo Eneloop NiMH, at the maximum supported number for the given models (3x or 4x). Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 






























































The S80 has an identical beam profile to the S35/S65, very even and smooth. I haven't done the S65 beamshots, since the patterns are comparable – only overall output changes. 

Initial overall output is reasonable for this size light, but is clearly not as bright as my other 26650-based light, the 4Sevens X10. The X10 also has more throw, but at the expense of a less uniform beam (i.e., defined rings and pronounced tint shift in the corona on my sample).

For outdoor beamshots, these were done in the style of my 100-yard round-up compendium 2011 review. Please see that thread for a discussion of the topography (i.e. the road dips in the distance, to better show you the corona in the mid-ground).






As you can see, the S80 is pretty comparable to the S65 initially. The 4Sevens X10 has a definite advantage in throw and overall output (although is rather ringy in comparison).

*Testing Method:* 

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

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

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Effective March 2012, I have updated the Max Output ANSI FL-1 lumen estimates to represent peak output measured at 30 secs (my earlier gray tables were based on a later time point for Max output). Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables.






Overall performance of the S80 is very similar to the S65, at least initially. Note all the measures above are taken at the ANSI/NEMA FL-1 standard of 30 secs after activation.

Max overall output is lower on the S80 than the reported specs indicate. This is due to a rapid drop-off in output over the first few mins of runtime on the S80 – a feature that differs from the controlled step-down of the S65. This is illustrated in the summary table below, as well as the detailed runtimes further below.






*Output/Runtime Comparison:*






First off, the regulation pattern: the S80 has a very well-regulated step-down pattern, with ~60 mins of runtime at each lower step-down level before final shut-off.

Runtime on the Med level is quite good, very consistent with the 26650-based 4Sevens X10, and the reported ANSI FL-1 output/runtime specs for the S80.

However, overall efficiency on Hi seems lower than the X10, with lower initial output and greater runtime after the Lo/Med step-downs occur. :thinking:

Compared to the earlier Baton lights, the "regulated" Hi output level of the S80 seems much closer the 3xAA S35 than the 6xAA S65. To better compare the initial output of these various lights, I have re-plotted the first 10 mins of runtime in estimated lumens:






The S65 and X10 both have a regulated step-down in output after 2.5 mins and 3 mins, respectively. In contrast, the S80 shows a fairly rapid continuously drop-off in output over the first 3 mins, stabilizing at a level slightly higher than the S35.

To confirm that there was no issue with the particular cell in question, I compared runtimes to my 4Sevens X10 26650 cell in the S80 light:






As you can see, runtime pattern is very comparable – but the X10's 26650 seems less well optimized for the S80 (i.e., it spends even longer on the Lo and Med output modes, and less time on Hi). 

Unless there is an issue with the circuit on my sample, I find it rather misleading to be labeling this light as "750 lumens" - it literally spends less than 3 secs at that level before starting to rapidly drop down. :shrug:


_*UPDATE March 24, 2012:* Olight has sent me additional test data from a reference sample S80. Below is how my review sample (which was an early prototype, apparently), compares to the reference specification data. Note that I have had to replot the intensity as percent initial output, as that is how Olight supplied the data to me. _






_As you can see, it is supposed to take a lot longer before the drop-down to the regulated Hi level occurs - and that Hi level is supposed to last a lot longer before stepping down to the next regulated level. But the overall pattern is not all that different - just the timings. Here is a blow up of the first 28 mins or so:_






_I've also added the results of my sample with ice-pack cooling instead of a fan (which made no difference). According to Olight, the light should should slowly drop in output normally, due to heat build-up and the standard properties of Li-ions driven to these levels (i.e. the first 12 mins on their reference sample). Once 85 degrees centrigrade is reached, and circuit's active thermal management system kicks in, and output will drop down to the regulated Hi level (which is ~58% of initial outut) over 10+ minutes.

There clearly seems to be an issue with my prototype sample not following that circuit-controlled initial drop-off, but I note the regulated levels of their reference sample are the same as my review sample.

The above reference graphs will at least let you know what what pattern to expect with the shipping S80s (according to Olight), but I won't be able to confirm unless I get send a shipping review sample to directly compare._

*Potential Issues*

baton lights all use an electronic switch, and therefore require a stand-by current when fully connected. Tailcap lockout is not possible on the S80 (i.e. threads are not anodized), but you can still temporarily soft-lock the light out at the switch. In any case, the standby drain is so low (6 uA) as to be negligible on the lifespan of the battery (i.e. many decades).

Overall build of the Baton lights is fairly smooth, and grip is relatively low. Lights also roll easily.

On the S80, output dropped rapidly on Hi over the first several minutes of runtime on my sample (i.e., from ~750 estimated lumens initally, to ~450 estimated lumens once regulated).

Runtime on Hi (before step-down) is lower than I would have expected for a 26650mAh battery.

*Preliminary Observations*

_*UPDATE March 17, 2012:* I was just informed that my review sample was apparently a prototype released at the SHOT show, not a production shipping version. So it is possible that the circuit was not final. I will update when I hear more._

It's nice to see the 26650 Li-ion addition to Olight Baton series of lights. This adds another option for those looking for a dedicated rechargeable version of this compact carry light.

The integrated charger worked well in my testing, but please don't try to charge standard 26550 cells in this light (or charge this custom 26550 outside of the S80). See my discussion of the charger performance and the custom battery features earlier in this review.

Use of a dedicated Li-ion cell works very well with the Baton's overall build and circuit/user interface. The fully-regulated step-down pattern - with appropriate contextual battery warning at each level - is very well implemented. This is even better than the S35/S65, as the fully regulated Li-ion allows much finer (and stabilized) control of output - with much greater predictability for warning indicators. This is exactly the sort of thing I would like to see on more lights with integrated battery/charging solutions. :thumbsup:

Battery capacity is certainly acceptable, but I was surprised to see the lower regulated output on my sample (i.e. only ~750 estimated lumens initially, quickly drops to closer to ~450 estimated lumens within a few minutes). :thinking: I would also have expected a little more runtime on Hi, given how long the XM-L-based 4Sevens X10 lasts on its 26650 battery (which seems to have equivalent overall capacity). It's too bad the S80 isn't closer to the X10 in output on max, because I prefer the interface and level options of the Baton lights over the X10.
_
*UPDATE March 24, 2012:* Scroll up to see the comparison results of reference test data that Olight send me._

That said, I find the output perfectly acceptable for any needs I would have - and I quite like having the bundled diffuser for full flood. Build remains good, with useful ergonomics (e.g. switch near the head, as in traditional flashlight design). Although as before, I would prefer a few more grip elements on the Baton series. 

A worthy addition to the Baton line - I recommend you check it out if you are looking for an integrated charging light with minimalist build and sensible user interface. If you are interested in AA-based options, check out my earlier S35/S65 review. :wave:

----

Olight S80 supplied by goinggear.com for review.


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## christian gpr (Mar 16, 2012)

Thanks for another great review!


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## MDJAK (Mar 16, 2012)

Your reviews are amazing. I only wish I was a bit more scientifically knowledgeable so I could understand the graphs. That said, are you saying that thought the light on max is 750 lumens, it drops to 450 within a few minutes and no longer is 750?

Thanks again for all your contributions.

mark


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## TEEJ (Mar 17, 2012)

MDJAK said:


> Your reviews are amazing. I only wish I was a bit more scientifically knowledgeable so I could understand the graphs. That said, are you saying that thought the light on max is 750 lumens, it drops to 450 within a few minutes and no longer is 750?
> 
> Thanks again for all your contributions.
> 
> mark



That's EXACTLY what he is demonstrating..._WITHIN_ 30 seconds after firing it up, its dropped to 640 from 750 lumens.

After 60 seconds, its dropped further down to 560 L

And by the time its been on for 10 minutes, its all the way down to 440 L, so the S65 holds steadier a lot longer, staying closer to 600 -650 L or so.


So most protected lights step down the juice to protect against over heating...but 30 seconds is a bit conservative in that regard...most lights go 3-5 min or so as a turbo to high sort of step, with some using the actual temperature, or a longer time if they have the heat sinking, etc. The S80 looks like it hits the advertised # on start up, and that's about it. So either there was something wrong with the light's electronics, etc...(Another cell was not a fix), or, they were a bit deceptive in using an initial spike as an advertising #.

Given the way the similar S65 ran...I'm leaning towards the S80 tested being wonky, or, perhaps, this is simply catching a glitch that made it through the factory QA/QC on the production run, etc.

I DO think the testing indicates that they "have some 'splainin to do"


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## selfbuilt (Mar 17, 2012)

MDJAK said:


> Your reviews are amazing. I only wish I was a bit more scientifically knowledgeable so I could understand the graphs. That said, are you saying that thought the light on max is 750 lumens, it drops to 450 within a few minutes and no longer is 750?


Yes, that's it exactly. A good graph to look at to illustrate this is the estimate lumen output over the first 10 mins:






The way to read all the runtime graphs is that the output is presented graphically along the vertical scale (known in the biz as the y-axis). These are 2-dimensional graphs, with the horizontal scale (x-axis) being time. 

So as you follow each individual line from left to right, you get a visual impression of what is happening to the output over the time scale indicated. I graph multiple lights on each graph (each light a different colour) to allow you to easily compare output and runtime at glance, across models.



TEEJ said:


> So either there was something wrong with the light's electronics, etc...(Another cell was not a fix), or, they were a bit deceptive in using an initial spike as an advertising #.
> Given the way the similar S65 ran...I'm leaning towards the S80 tested being wonky, or, perhaps, this is simply catching a glitch that made it through the factory QA/QC on the production run, etc.


Yes, I would lean toward that explanation as well (especially as I would have expected a little more runtime on Hi for this sort of apparent battery capacity). I tested the other 26650 cell to rule out whether it was a faulty cell (which it clearly isn't). So either this is a circuit issue on my one sample, or the rated specs are misleading. 

A key point here is that there is no way to know without testing another sample in a lightbox, run over time. While the drop off in output may look significant in the runtime graphs or when presented in a table, _in real life, you can't actually see it._ Believe it or not, it is still gradual enough during continuous operation that you won't notice the dimming visually. 

So unless I get sent a second sample to test, we'll have to wait until someone else with a lightbox does a runtime on another S80 to confirm. :shrug:


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## selfbuilt (Mar 17, 2012)

Just to clarify my comments above, if you look at the difference in output between the S80 and S65 at any time over the first 5mins or so, you'll see there is typically no more than a 20% difference at any given time. 

When you couple this magnitude difference with a several minute timeframe of continuous reduction in my S80 sample, you'll see why this is not detectable by eye. We need to wait and see another sample tested in a lightbox over time.

Regardless of this potential issue, I am very impressed with the circuit performance otherwise. The consistent one hour additional runtime after each step down is impressive. The battery warning 5-10mins before each step worked consistently in my testing, and is incredibly useful given the fully stabilized pattern at each step (ie, you would have no warning otherwise). They really matched the circuit to the battery extremely well. :thumbsup:

_EDIT: I was just informed that my review sample was apparently a prototype provided at the SHOT show, not a production shipping version. So it is possible that the circuit was not final. They are looking into it - I will let you know when I hear more._


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## surprise! (Mar 21, 2012)

I wonder why part of the charger is in the tailcap, which makes the light longer and heavier in normal use - compared with the 4Sevens X10, which is shorter despite having a deeper reflector.
I would have preferred to have a smaller light and a bigger external charger. Also in my suggested combination the charger / special cell could be optional.

If you can get another sample, I'm curious about efficiency on high - compared to medium it seems very low...


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## selfbuilt (Mar 21, 2012)

surprise! said:


> I wonder why part of the charger is in the tailcap, which makes the light longer and heavier in normal use - compared with the 4Sevens X10, which is shorter despite having a deeper reflector.


There are a number of lights that require an integrated charger due to their size and battery requirements (e.g., the Olight SR90-series lights, most HIDs, etc). But there are also a few basc-model consumer lights that try to be a one-stop solution for users (e.g., the ITP R01, the Nextorch 18650, etc.). I gather Olight is trying to do the same here, as the Baton series lights were designed with the non-flashaholic user in mind. 

The integrated charger is thus a convenient way of exposing them to the benefits of Li-ion technology, without the need for additional equipment. Much as how its done for modern phones, tablets, etc - the general consumer is used to integrated chargers for each device (i.e. outside of flashlights, there aren't too many standard battery types or sizes). :shrug:


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## surprise! (Mar 22, 2012)

selfbuilt said:


> There are a number of lights that require an integrated charger due to their size and battery requirements (e.g., the Olight SR90-series lights, most HIDs, etc). But there are also a few basc-model consumer lights that try to be a one-stop solution for users (e.g., the ITP R01, the Nextorch 18650, etc.).


The internal charger seems to have two contacts to the cell, and the external power supply also has two contacts to the internal charger. So I thought the external power supply could completely take over the functionality of both parts - and the light would be shorter. 
The situation would be different if the internal charger would be able to accept other power sources - say a USB cable, or 12V from a car. Then the "smart" part could then be reused between different power sources. Please correct me if I'm missing something...


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## selfbuilt (Mar 22, 2012)

surprise! said:


> The internal charger seems to have two contacts to the cell, and the external power supply also has two contacts to the internal charger. So I thought the external power supply could completely take over the functionality of both parts - and the light would be shorter.
> The situation would be different if the internal charger would be able to accept other power sources - say a USB cable, or 12V from a car. Then the "smart" part could then be reused between different power sources. Please correct me if I'm missing something...


Well, the entire tailcap is less than 28mm tall. Of that, 5mm is used to provide space for the lanyard ring and rubber cover (while maintaining stailstanding). The fairly typical looking power connector is just over 12mm long (which needs to fully enter into the tailcap).

So, that basically leaves 10mm between the base of the cell and end of AC charging dock's power connector ... doesn't seem unreasonale to me, given there needs to be a couple of springs mounted in there for the two charging points, plus some sort of circuit board.

If you are comparing to the X10, keep in mind that light doesn't have a clicky switch - it's only a presure switch, so it can be much shorter. When you take into account the depth of the reflector, this light is about typical height for a standard clicky-switch style 18650 light.


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## selfbuilt (Mar 24, 2012)

Olight has sent me additional test data from a reference sample S80. 

Below is how my review sample (which was an early prototype, apparently), compares to the reference specification data. Note that I have had to replot the intensity as percent initial output, as that is how Olight supplied the data to me. 






As you can see, it is supposed to take a lot longer before the drop-down to the regulated Hi level occurs - and that Hi level is supposed to last a lot longer before stepping down to the next regulated level. But the overall pattern is not all that different - just the timings.

Here is a blow up of the first 28 mins or so:






I've also added the results of my sample with ice-pack cooling instead of a fan (which made no difference). 

According to Olight, the light should should slowly drop in output normally, due to heat build-up and the standard properties of Li-ions driven to these levels (i.e. the first 12 mins on their reference sample). Once 85 degrees centrigrade is reached, and circuit's active thermal management system kicks in, and output will drop down to the regulated Hi level (which is ~58% of initial outut) over 10+ minutes.

There clearly seems to be an issue with my prototype sample not following that circuit-controlled initial drop-off, but I note the regulated levels of their reference sample are the same as my review sample.

The above reference graphs will at least let you know what what pattern to expect with the shipping S80s (according to Olight), but I won't be able to confirm unless I get send a shipping review sample to directly compare.


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## RemcoM (Mar 8, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Olight has sent me additional test data from a reference sample S80.
> 
> Below is how my review sample (which was an early prototype, apparently), compares to the reference specification data. Note that I have had to replot the intensity as percent initial output, as that is how Olight supplied the data to me.
> 
> ...



Hi,

Does the Olight S80 , a very wide beam?

Can it beat a scooterheadlight at high mode? 

Is it useable as a bicyclelight? To less light or to much blinding light for oncomming traffic?

Remco


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## selfbuilt (Mar 8, 2013)

RemcoM said:


> Does the Olight S80 , a very wide beam?
> Can it beat a scooterheadlight at high mode?
> Is it useable as a bicyclelight? To less light or to much blinding light for oncomming traffic?


I would think the S80 would do well as a bicycle light. The beam is reasonably wide, which I actually like for the near spill around the bike. The throw is decent so you can see ahead a reasonable amount. And you can always lower the beam to Med if you are finding it too bright. That said, I have not tried it on a bike, so don't have any first hand experience.


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## RemcoM (Mar 8, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> I would think the S80 would do well as a bicycle light. The beam is reasonably wide, which I actually like for the near spill around the bike. The throw is decent so you can see ahead a reasonable amount. And you can always lower the beam to Med if you are finding it too bright. That said, I have not tried it on a bike, so don't have any first hand experience.



But when the S80 shining to the horizon, its blinding for others i guess?

From when is a bike/flashlight going to be annoying for oncomming traffic? From how much beam distance/beam intensity number, lumens?

Remco


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## selfbuilt (Mar 8, 2013)

RemcoM said:


> But when the S80 shining to the horizon, its blinding for others i guess?
> From when is a bike/flashlight going to be annoying for oncomming traffic? From how much beam distance/beam intensity number, lumens?


For that, you will have to ask people who have a lot of experience riding with different kind of lights. Again, it depends on the environment you ride in. I personally would angle the light down a signficant amount, the lower the risk of blinding drivers.


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## RemcoM (Mar 15, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> For that, you will have to ask people who have a lot of experience riding with different kind of lights. Again, it depends on the environment you ride in. I personally would angle the light down a signficant amount, the lower the risk of blinding drivers.



I want a S80.

Is there a big difference between the low, med and high mode?

Does it have a small or wide illuminating beam?

Remco


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## RemcoM (Mar 17, 2013)

RemcoM said:


> I want a S80.
> 
> Is there a big difference between the low, med and high mode?
> 
> ...


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