# Lupine Betty TL S Review (7 x XM-L U2!)



## subwoofer (Jun 9, 2012)

In the second of this duo of Lupine reviews we take a look at the Betty TL S, a 7 XM-L, yes 7 XM-L U2 emitter light! Not only that, the Betty TL S is a super compact light with over 2300lm output.

Of course as mentioned before, Lupine are well known for making high-end bicycle lights for extreme night time off-road riding, and the bicycle light ‘Betty’ light head is the basis for the Betty TL S flashlight.

The Betty TL comes in two versions, the Betty TL and Betty TL S. The S version on test has the shorter 2.5Ah ‘Batterytank’ which is half the size and makes the Betty TL S super compact for a light with this much output.









Initial Impressions:

As you open the box and find the Lupine transport case you see that this is a cut above the rest. Nothing is overlooked and as a customer experience you feel pampered by the quality of finish and attention to detail.

At first the Lupine interface can seem too complicated with a long list of programs printed onto the body of the light, but as you get to know the Betty TL S you find it is intuitive.

Just as with the Piko TL there is only the one control, the soft click switch, which has two colours of LEDs, and the Betty TL S uses these to give you lots of useful feedback which initially seems confusing, but you quickly get used to it and appreciate it. I am starting to wonder how I lived without this.



What is in the box:

The first box was actually the original delivery of both the Betty TL S and Piko TL Mini (reviewed previously) sent directly by Lupine.






The Betty TL S’s outer box is really just a wrapping for the Lupine transport case











The Lupine transport case is included as part of the Betty TL S kit






Moving the twin zip fasteners fully open, the case lid lifts to show the neatly arranged kit consisting of the Betty TL head with Short Battertank, the Microcharger and both mains and car adaptors along with the Betty TL and Lupine charger manuals






The Betty TL S is supplied in a cloth bag and this is shown with the mains and car adaptors, and the Microcharger.









Taking a closer look and looking inside:

Looking straight at the side of the Betty TL S showing the domed control soft click button (rated at 500,000 operations plus), cooling fins and the printed list of programs.






Views of both ends of the Betty TL S









And a closer look at the 7 XM-L head






There are two surface finishes with the main body and head having a matt finish and the lens ring being smooth anodised.






The underneath surface has a flat recess with threaded hole for attaching the optional bicycle mount (not on review).






The batterytank unscrews from the head of the light. Here the contacts of the light’s head are shown.






And here the contacts of the batterytank. At 9 o’clock, you can also see the charger port which is only accessible with the batterytank removed from the head.






The batterytank has a coarse heavy duty thread. This is very strong, and reduces the number of rotations required to remove the head.






One of Lupine’s excellent features is the upgradability of their lights. As you are buying into a quality system which should serve you for many many years, it is likely that new components will be able to deliver better performance. The Betty system is user upgradable and the lens/cap can be changed for a different colour. In this photo, you can see the lens removed which exposes the optic.






The precision high-purity polycarbonate optic is held in place with six torx bolts. These can be removed to expose the LEDs and heatsink board which can be replaced with an upgraded board with different LEDs and the optic can be swapped for a different beam angle.






Replacing the lens with a different coloured cap gives the user a choice of two-tone effect. The cap and lens are a single piece, so should the mineral glass lens ever be damaged, replacing it is very easy.






With the Betty TL S standing next to an AW unprotected IMR 18650 (so slightly smaller than most 18650s) and an AA Eneloop, you get an idea of how compact this light is. And remember, there are 7 XM-L U2 LEDs up font!






With a low level selected some of the optic’s detail.









Modes and User Interface:

For anyone who has already seen my earlier review of the Lupine Piko TL Mini this section will seem very familiar, mainly because the two lights operate in the same way.

The Betty TL S does have one main difference, and that is due to the fact that the battery is removable, and has to be removed to be charged. This is where the extra feature shows.

When the batterytank is first fitted to the Betty TL light head, the switch flashes to tell you the current battery voltage. As the contacts touch, the Betty TL runs a self test/initialisation the switch lights up purple (both red and blue LEDs on together) red, blue and the lamp flashes once.

Then the blue LED flashes once for each whole Volt, and following this the red LED flashes for each 0.1V. So if the battery voltage is fully charged at 8.4V, then there will be eight blue flashes and 4 red. You can use this function at any time you want to check the battery voltage.


The long list of programs printed onto the Betty TL and corresponding pages in the manual (you can view a copy of the manual on Lupine’s website) are a little imposing at first, but the whole system turns out to be simple to use.

Altogether the following output levels/modes are available in various combinations according to the programming:
2600lm – 26W – 100% - 45min
1590lm – 15W – 58% - 1h 15min
1080lm – 10W – 38% - 1h 45min
480lm – 3W – 12% - 6h 30min
250lm – 1W – 4% - 17h
Disorientation flash
RVLR flash (Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations)

The manual lists which of these levels are included in which of the programs listed on the body of the light.

The user interface is all based around the single soft click button with red and blue lighting which:
Switches on and off
Changes output mode within the active program
Selects the programming
Provides status information

To program the Betty TL, starting with the light off, you hold down the button. While holding it down, it will flash red, the number of flashes corresponding to the output programs listed on the body of the light. One you have reached the number of flashes matching the program you want to use, let go of the button.

For example, is you want the 4 step program which has 26W, 15W, 10W and 1W output levels, simply hold down the button until it has shown 5 red flashes. Now when you switch it on it will have the four output levels available.

The blue programs are for selecting the way the Betty TL functions and allows you to switch stealth, low start, and double click on and off.

Double click means that you need to double click the button to switch on the light. This protects against accidental switching on of the light. If you want only a single click to switch on, simply select the double click off program by holding down the button until 6 blue flashes have been shown.

Low start makes the Betty TL turn on in the lowest of the available output levels within the selected program.

Stealth allows the information flashes to be mostly suppressed and prevents the button being illuminated when the light is on.

Lupine light-heartedly explain stealth in the manual that “stealth on“ does not mean that the Betty TL will become invisible.

Switching off requires the button to be held down until the light goes out. Once on, cycling through the output levels of the active program is by single click.

Battery status information is provided by the button’s red and blue LEDs when you switch off the light. Red flashes represent 0.1Ah of battery capacity have been used since the last full charge, and a blue flash means 1Ah has been used. So if when you turn off the Betty TL it shows four red flashes, then 0.4mAh has been used, and if one blue and one red flashes are show, 1.1Ah has been used.

By default, the Betty TL operates in the 2-step low mode with stealth off, low start off, and double click off.

So as supplied, to turn on the Betty TL you click the button once and it will come on in the 100% output and display status information.

The Betty TL shows the following battery low signals:

Stage 1 - Dips beam briefly and button goes RED
Stage 2 - Dips beam red light flashing
Stage 4 - Pulsing with purple (red + blue) button, then shortly afterwards switches off

There is then a reserve power stage available.

When switched on again the button flashes red and blue alternately and only the lowest output level is available. The reserve power will only provide light for a couple of minutes at most, then it switches off.


Though this explanation seems long, once you get the hang of this you change the programming to suit without a second thought. I’ve more or less settled on 2-step low, low start on, stealth off and double click off.



Batteries and output:

The Betty TL is a rechargeable light so there are no real battery choices or considerations as Lupine have done that for you. With the Betty TL system there are two sizes of batterytank and of course you can buy spares and choose the standard or S size (on test here)

Inside the Betty TL S batterytank are 2 x 18650 Sanyo cells in 2S1P configuration which Lupine have found to be the most reliable ones.

The charger (show previously) can be used with the car or mains adapter and the batterytank itself deals with the cell balancing.

_To measure actual output, I built an integrating sphere. The sensor is a photo-diode restricted to visible light only (so Infra-Red and Ultra-Violet will not register). This was chosen as our eyes can only use the visible wavelengths of light so this is generally the only useful output. The integrating sphere was calibrated using 12 different reference sources and taking an average of the factor used to convert the measured voltage output to Lumens. Output figures are quoted as ANSI lumens where the measurement is made 30s after turning on the specified output level. Initial figures when first switching on are always higher, but all quoted measurements are ANSI._






*Please note, all quoted lumen figures are from a DIY integrating sphere, and although every effort is made to give as accurate a result as possible, they should be taken as an estimate only. The results can be used to compare outputs in this review and others I have published.*


Lupine – Betty TL SI.S. measured ANSI output LumensPWM frequency (Hz)26W234331200015W155031200010W9873120001W144312000
 
The levels listed above are ANSI, but the Betty TL S manages 2372lm at switch on.

The flash output is at 15.1Hz and the RVLR is 3.8Hz. All output levels exhibit very high frequency PWM only detectable with an oscilloscope.

Output is regulated and as the batteries become depleted, the Betty TL will not drop to lower levels instead maintaining the output level until it no longer can while showing the battery warning signals.

Being a soft click button, there is parasitic drain to be considered as the internal circuit is kept powered, but I have not yet been able to measure this.



In The Lab

_In an attempt to quantify the actual beam profile I developed the following test. There are probably many flaws in my method, but it is simple and easy to carry out and seems to provide a good enough comparison.

The method used was to support the light 1m off the floor and 1m from a wall, with a tape measure on the wall. The zero of the scale is placed in the centre of the hotspot and a lux meter is then positioned at points along the scale, with the measurements recorded. Beam shots are often taken with the light shining on a flat white wall, so this method is simply measuring the actual intensity across the beam on a flat surface, not the spherical light emission.

The results are then plotted on a graph.

For the best throw you want to see a sharp peak with less of the distracting spill. For the best flood light the trace should be pretty flat._

The Betty TL S beam profile is shown here compared to the Fenix TK41 and to the Lupine Piko TL Mini.

The Betty TL has a nice smooth bump of a profile smoothly transitioning from hotspot to spill.






_Taking this a little further, I calculated an approximate factor to apply to the lux measurements, as each measurement gets further from the centre of the beam, it corresponds to a larger area onto which the light is falling. It seems to me that this should also be taken into consideration, so I applied these area corrections and came up with this odd looking graph.

The key quantity here is the area under the graph line. This should correspond to the total light output._

This is the widest version of the Bettl TL’s beam being the 26° version, so although it does not have the sharp peak of the TK41, it swamps it as far as overall output.








The beam

As shown by the previous beam profile graphs, the Betty TL has a refined, smooth beam profile.

I normally expose the beamshot to give an impression of the beam’s brightness to the naked eye. Now remember, that the eye automatically stops down when exposed to bright light. Here, as the Betty TL is outputting so much light at 100%, indoors it is too much to use pointed directly at what you are looking at. Instead you are better off ceiling bouncing the beam. But here the beam character is the main focus not the apparent brightness.

The beam is very smooth and even, the very outer edge of the spill shows any sign that this is a beam from 7 emitters.

Beam colour is something Lupine take seriously, and they actually check all the emitters to ensure they match and are a neutral tint for better rendition of nature’s colours. (the walls are not white, but the woodwork is)






Now for some comparative photos using the well-known and impressive Fenix TK41.

Starting in the garden with the TK41 and using the same exposure for both shots.






And then the Betty TL S, and yes the exposure is the same.






Then out to a tree line track again starting with the TK41






And you can see that although the TK41 does throw better, the Betty TL S lights up everything else!








What it is really like to use…






As mentioned in a previous section I’ve settled on a preferred programing for the Betty TL S, however I do find myself changing from time to time and doing so is so straight forward and clearly indicated.

One of the best features of the Lupine flashlights, both the Betty TL and Piko TL, is the confidence they give you from knowing how much battery power has been used. The Betty TL S is fitted with a 2.5Ah battery, the battery status information tells you how much of this you have used. This is reported every time you switch off the Betty TL as long as at least 0.1Ah has been used. Of course you can also remove the batterytank, re-fit it and see the reported battery voltage as well.

The method of switching off by holding down the button does mean that the output level changes first, before the light goes off. If, like me, you have it set to low start on, this means that it flashes up to high, which is 2343lm, before going off.

With the constant reminder of the battery usage since the last full charge, there is little excuse for running the Betty TL S right down to the point you are using the reserve power (apart from having too much fun using its massive output).

As with the Piko TL, an interesting result of the design of the optic means the spill light is not dazzling, so when using the Betty TL tail-standing you can be close to it without light stabbing your eyes.

Maximum output is like turning the sun on. Standing on a golf course and using the Betty TL to light up the club-house about 100m away.







The Betty TL is awesomely bright for a light this size and can maintain maximum output for extended periods. If left free standing indoors on the maximum output it will get very hot, but the casing distributes and radiates the heat effectively. If hand held or used outdoors, overheating is not a problem.






As a hand held flashlight the Betty TL provides a rich user experience and a beautifully smooth neutral beam with astounding maximum output.







Test sample provided for review by Lupine.


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## subwoofer (Jun 9, 2012)

Lupine Holster for the Betty TL S

Lupine make a fantastic quality leather holster for the Betty TL S.

Out of the packaging, the fastener has extra wrapping to protect it.






Side view showing the shape of the holster






The back showing the pop stud fastening for quick fitting and removal, and the extra web which allows the belt loop to be made smaller for narrower belts.






The holster itself has an interesting magnetic catch (you can also see the quality of the stitching and general finish). Here the catch post is shown.






The flap has the matching clip which will click onto the post, but only releases by being slid upwards.






The Betty TL S with original black lens cap and the flap open and closed.











The quality of the holster is in keeping with the Betty TL being made of quality materials to a very high standard.


Sample provided for review by Lupine.


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## subwoofer (Jun 9, 2012)

reserved...


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## tobrien (Jun 9, 2012)

you did an excellent job with this review! thanks! looks like an amazing light and I'm sure it is!


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## garbman (Jun 9, 2012)

Excellent review here...
Thank you subwoofer.
Got a Wilma for some years now on my bike and really love it.


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## light36 (Jun 10, 2012)

Excellent review , enjoyed it very much .


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## Britelumens (Jun 10, 2012)

With the all XML U2 emitter. I believe this is a 26 degree config.

Nice review. Its a nice light if you want flood beams which is very useful.


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## subwoofer (Jun 11, 2012)

Britelumens said:


> With the all XML U2 emitter. I believe this is a 26 degree config.
> 
> Nice review. Its a nice light if you want flood beams which is very useful.



Yes, you are right, it is the 26° version (as stated in the middle of the 'In the Lab' section of the review).

Lupine told me that this is the best selling of the Betty TL beam angles as it is better for general use and has the highest OTF lumens. With such high output, it still has a really good range as you can see in the beam shots.

As much as I like good throwers, and have a few, having a wide beam means you don't suffer from hotspot blindness and is much much better for indoor and most other uses.


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## carl (Jun 16, 2012)

"The method of switching off by holding down the button does mean that the output level changes first, before the light goes off. If, like me, you have it set to low start on, this means that it flashes up to high, which is 2343lm, before going off."

1) If the Betty is programmed to start on low, is the flash up to high avoidable or unavoidable when turning the light off?

2) Does Lupine plan on making a Betty with a lower low to make it more usable for hand-held indoor use? Did low mode seem too bright while indoors?

3) "Inside the Betty TL S batterytank are 2 x 18650 Sanyo cells in 2S1P configuration"

When you mention 2S1P (2 series, 1 parallel), isn't this 3 batteries rather than 2?


Thanks for the great review and pics!


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## subwoofer (Jun 17, 2012)

carl said:


> "The method of switching off by holding down the button does mean that the output level changes first, before the light goes off. If, like me, you have it set to low start on, this means that it flashes up to high, which is 2343lm, before going off."
> 
> 1) If the Betty is programmed to start on low, is the flash up to high avoidable or unavoidable when turning the light off?
> 
> ...



1) unfortunately yes with this version.

2) I think so, they are doing this with the Piko TL so would imagine the Betty will follow

3) No just two cells, multiply the numbers to get the number of cells (2 x 1 = 2). It would be unbalanced if you put 1 cell in parallel with two in series. It is a way of confirming there is no parallel configuration.


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## carl (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks Subwoffer. Just a few more questions:

1) The black coating - is it baked paint? 
2) Is the battery tank openable to replace the 18650 cells? Do you unscrew the endcap?
3) About the LED assembly - since the LEDs are not permanently glued to the heatsink, I assume the back of each LED simply contacts the heatsink with pressure from screwing on the lens cap at the front of the light. Do they recommend using thermal grease at the backside of each LED to make the contact better?
4) Back to the 2S1P nomenclature - shouldn't it be called just 2S? What does the 1P stand for?

thanks


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## subwoofer (Jun 18, 2012)

carl said:


> Thanks Subwoffer. Just a few more questions:
> 
> 1) The black coating - is it baked paint?
> 2) Is the battery tank openable to replace the 18650 cells? Do you unscrew the endcap?
> ...



1) I believe it is anodised, having been shot peened first.

2) No, it is not 'user serviceable'. Lupine will replace the batteries for you at a nominal cost once they are no longer providing good usable life, or you can buy an extra tank.

3) The LEDs are permanently attached, being soldered to the heat-sink backing board. For the upgrade kit, you replace the entire heat-sink board with LEDs.

4) There is some debate over this, but I believe the convention of including the '1' (be it 1S or 1P depending on the battery pack) prevents any confusion that half of the description may have been left off. Theoretically 2S is correct, but 2S1P is absolutely clear that there is only one set of 2 cells in series. I use this convention to avoid any confusion (although it seems to have failed this time).


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## carl (Jun 18, 2012)

OK, thanks again for your answers. Yes, I have seen the disk with the LEDs mounted on it - it seemed rather thin for a heat sink and assumed the backside of the LEDs pressed up against a thicker metal mass for a heat sink. In any case, a great little light - the price though is tough to swallow in this economy. Thanks again fo the review!


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## Patriot (Jun 19, 2012)

Thanks for an excellent review Sub! 

Those familiar with Lupine will automatically know that their looking at a top quality product just as anyone reading a review from subwoofer will know that they're getting a first rate report. :thumbsup:

I am a bit negatively biased against this particular design right up front since triple XM-L lights from China are routinely producing 1800-2000L OTF. It seems to me that they could have utilized 4 'properly' (subjective) driven XM-Ls, attained the same output, reduced materials and manufacturing cost, (if only a little) and reduced the head size thus making the light more compact. I'm not sure what advantage, if any, Lupine had in mind when they decided to use 7 XM-Ls to reach 2350L. Thermal concerns aside, Olight has attained 5000L with 6 x XM-Ls in the X6 design. If using a greater number of under driven LEDs is the way to go, why not use 14 XP-G's? Certainly, the beam quality and construction are of the highest order, I just question the formula.

It would be neat to see comparison beamshots to the EYE-30, TM11 or RRT-3.


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## subwoofer (Jun 20, 2012)

Patriot said:


> I am a bit negatively biased against this particular design right up front since triple XM-L lights from China are routinely producing 1800-2000L OTF. It seems to me that they could have utilized 4 'properly' (subjective) driven XM-Ls, attained the same output, reduced materials and manufacturing cost, (if only a little) and reduced the head size thus making the light more compact. I'm not sure what advantage, if any, Lupine had in mind when they decided to use 7 XM-Ls to reach 2350L. Thermal concerns aside, Olight has attained 5000L with 6 x XM-Ls in the X6 design. If using a greater number of under driven LEDs is the way to go, why not use 14 XP-G's? Certainly, the beam quality and construction are of the highest order, I just question the formula.
> 
> It would be neat to see comparison beamshots to the EYE-30, TM11 or RRT-3.



I don't know for certain, but I suspect there are two main reasons Lupine use 7 emitters:

Historical upgrade path - The Betty was designed from the start to take upgrade boards. Some of the original versions were about 1000lm output with 7 emitters; the emitters have improved and the layout has remained the same.

Efficiency - LEDs in general become less efficient when driven harder and hotter. XM-Ls are no different, so by keeping the output relatively low the LEDs are not generating too much heat and maintain their efficiency. A knock on effect of this is to maintain more consistent output over the life of the light as the LEDs will degrade at a slower rate. 

Although not a perfect comparison, if you open my EYE30 review in a tab next to this one, you will be able to compare the EYE30 and Betty TL S beamshots of the tree lined track:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?336782-Niteye-EYE30-Desert-Edition-Review


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## Patriot (Jun 21, 2012)

subwoofer said:


> Although not a perfect comparison, if you open my EYE30 review in a tab next to this one, you will be able to compare the EYE30 and Betty TL S beamshots of the tree lined track:
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?336782-Niteye-EYE30-Desert-Edition-Review




If I understand what you're pointing me to...that's the EYE-30 vs. TK41 though, not the Betty?


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## subwoofer (Jun 21, 2012)

Patriot said:


> If I understand what you're pointing me to...that's the EYE-30 vs. TK41 though, not the Betty?



No, the intention is that you have both reviews side by side (in browser tabs) and you will find that they have the same beamshot photos. Yes both the Betty and EYE30 are being compared to the TK41 as a point of reference, but if you put the reviews side by side you get the Betty and EYE30 comparison.


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## The_Driver (Jun 21, 2012)

Patriot said:


> Thanks for an excellent review Sub!
> 
> Those familiar with Lupine will automatically know that their looking at a top quality product just as anyone reading a review from subwoofer will know that they're getting a first rate report. :thumbsup:
> 
> ...



This is a German light. German technology is known for quality and efficiency. They had to use an efficient design like this because the light is too small for this much power. Even all the less bright triple xm-l lights are bigger than this light.
Another thing to note is that in general Lupine lights are almost always rather floody. Making a floody light (which still has enough throw) is much easier with multiple emitters. There was only one light until now that had only one led and the that was the predecessor of this light: the 1200 lumen Betty TLS with an sst-90 led. And even this light was not very throwy.


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## Patriot (Jun 21, 2012)

subwoofer said:


> No, the intention is that you have both reviews side by side (in browser tabs) and you will find that they have the same beamshot photos. Yes both the Betty and EYE30 are being compared to the TK41 as a point of reference, but if you put the reviews side by side you get the Betty and EYE30 comparison.



Ok, got it, assuming the exposure and ambient lighting is the same or similar. Yeah, the Lupine is a flood monster but is certainly producing more light. 

What you and The Driver have stated about thermal concerns makes perfect sense. By driving more LED's with less current we're more efficient thus less heat is produced but with more light output. It was the only way to at XM-L technology, staying within thermal limits to make a LED light this size with this output.


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## The_Driver (Jun 21, 2012)

Patriot said:


> Ok, got it, assuming the exposure and ambient lighting is the same or similar. Yeah, the Lupine is a flood monster but is certainly producing more light.
> 
> What you and The Driver have stated about thermal concerns makes perfect sense. By driving more LED's with less current we're more efficient thus less heat is produced but with more light output. It was the only way to at XM-L technology, staying within thermal limits to make a LED light this size with this output.



I think they forgot one thing though: a moonlight mode. With this light you could probably make the most efficient moonlight mode ever and with the (compared to cr123 lights which have a moonlight mode) very large integrated battery it would run maybe 1000s of hours.


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## cue003 (Jun 21, 2012)

Can we get a representative shot of the low mode?

It would be great if they can do a click click hold to get to a 5 lumen moon light mode or something.

Also, how do you know the bin of the XML? I have not been able to find reference anywhere on lupines site. Was the U2 bin version a special just for the review?

Thanks


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## subwoofer (Jun 22, 2012)

cue003 said:


> Can we get a representative shot of the low mode?
> 
> It would be great if they can do a click click hold to get to a 5 lumen moon light mode or something.
> 
> ...



A low vs high beamshot is going to be like black and white. Take the existing beamshot done on high and just imagine it on the same exposure as black - done.

According to Lupine all XM-Ls they use are U2.


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## tonkem (Jun 26, 2012)

Nice review. Thanks. I have a Betty TL-S and Wilma TL and they are great lights, and turn darkness into daytime  They are the cream of the crop. I do agree that it would be almost perfect, if they had some lower brightnesses in their lights, but they are primarily a bike light manufacturer, and for that, they are fantastic. Both the Betty and Wilma are small lights for their output. I got the Wilma TL first, then when they came out with the Betty, I snapped up a Betty 26 deg head, to add to my extra battery tank, to effectively make a Betty TL-S. They both are a bit big for EDC, but I would carry the Wilma in my cargo pant pocket very comfortably, so that 1100 lumens are never far away.


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## MikeF (Jan 8, 2013)

Subwoofer, great review!! Can you tell me if you know the size of the threaded hole in this image? Hopefully it's 1/4"-20. Thanks again!!!

The underneath surface has a flat recess with threaded hole for attaching the optional bicycle mount (not on review).


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## subwoofer (Jan 9, 2013)

MikeF said:


> Subwoofer, great review!! Can you tell me if you know the size of the threaded hole in this image? Hopefully it's 1/4"-20. Thanks again!!!
> 
> The underneath surface has a flat recess with threaded hole for attaching the optional bicycle mount (not on review).



The hole is M4, which seems to be the same on all bike mountable lights I have (I have removed various mounts and swapped them around).


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## MikeF (Jan 11, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> The hole is M4, which seems to be the same on all bike mountable lights I have (I have removed various mounts and swapped them around).


Thanks Subwoofer, I just ordered one this am. I just need to adapt it to 1/4"-20tpi and I'll be good to go.


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## subwoofer (Jan 11, 2013)

MikeF said:


> Thanks Subwoofer, I just ordered one this am. I just need to adapt it to 1/4"-20tpi and I'll be good to go.



A braver man than me, as you'll need to drill the hole larger and tap it, however, you won' be disappointed, it is awesome!!

A lot of very bright lights go through my hands, but this one still stands out, for quality and quantity of light.


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## MikeF (Jan 13, 2013)

Thanks again for your help and quick response!!!
I found a Stainless Steel threaded adapter from female 1/4"-20 to male M4 here so no drilling and tapping needed:
http://www.thorlabs.com/NewGroupPage9.cfm?ObjectGroup_ID=1745&partnumber=AS25E4M


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## subwoofer (Jan 14, 2013)

MikeF said:


> Thanks again for your help and quick response!!!
> I found a Stainless Steel threaded adapter from female 1/4"-20 to male M4 here so no drilling and tapping needed:
> http://www.thorlabs.com/NewGroupPage9.cfm?ObjectGroup_ID=1745&partnumber=AS25E4M



Really good find there, I'm going to order one as well


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## hahoo (Jan 15, 2013)

do they really put all that crappy looking writing on the handle ?
id rather look in a manual myself......
like putting bumperstickers on a brand new mercedes.....


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## subwoofer (Jan 16, 2013)

hahoo said:


> do they really put all that crappy looking writing on the handle ?
> id rather look in a manual myself......
> like putting bumperstickers on a brand new mercedes.....



As there are so many options, and it does make a difference how it is set up for a particular task, I've found having the modes printed on the battery tank to be really useful. Otherwise I'd have to keep digging out the manual which would be a pain. Considering your hand covers them up when you use it, does it really make much difference?

This is am awesome light built to be used, not looked at and admired.


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## MikeF (Jan 20, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> As there are so many options, and it does make a difference how it is set up for a particular task, I've found having the modes printed on the battery tank to be really useful. Otherwise I'd have to keep digging out the manual which would be a pain. Considering your hand covers them up when you use it, does it really make much difference?
> 
> This is am awesome light built to be used, not looked at and admired.



Subwoofer,
Thanks again for all the time and insight in your reviews. 

I for one am grateful that Lupine put the programming mnemonics on Betty. I've had occasion to use them several times since she started working for me. I got my Betty on Thursday and used it at work on Friday. It is now mounted to my work Camcorder on a Noga arm using the Thorlabs 1/4" to M4 Stainless Steel threaded adapter.

According to my camera when I white balanced to Betty the Color Temperature is 5600K, perfect for my uses. Very early Friday morning , around 4:30 am while covering a story with Betty's help I was able to throw enough light from about 275 feet to get very usable video of the top of the Boulder Courthouse from a street corner 1/2 block away and 60-70 feet in the air. I can't post the video since it was work video what with copyrights and stuff.

The Noga arm is made in Israel and allows precise aiming of Betty with a fully adjustable friction control and rock solid locking. It is adopted for camera work by many shooters in my market. The threaded adapter came from www.thorlabs.com and is beautifully made. It is the AS25E4M and is 1/4"-20 female to M4 male threads. Thorlabs also included a free little box of "Lab Snacks" as a thank you for my order.


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## Badbeams3 (Jan 20, 2013)

Wow! The picture of it lighting up that lodge is awesome. That is one nice light. I`m scared to ask though...how much?


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## tonkem (Jan 22, 2013)

Badbeams3 said:


> Wow! The picture of it lighting up that lodge is awesome. That is one nice light. I`m scared to ask though...how much?



Betty TL with 5ah battery is $869 and Betty TL-S $749. Expensive, but nice. You might look at the zebralight s6330 as well very bright, small package.


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## tonkem (Jan 6, 2014)

Subwoofer, will you be getting the Betty TL2 for review? Thanks.


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## subwoofer (Jan 10, 2014)

tonkem said:


> Subwoofer, will you be getting the Betty TL2 for review? Thanks.



I'd certainly be happy to review it, but have been in contact with Lupine recently and it was not offered. I'll ask next time we are in touch.


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## MDJAK (Aug 9, 2015)

Amazing review. German quality. You pay the price for it. I just went from an Acura to a BMW to a Porsche. There is a difference.


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