Preface
The AceBeam TK16 was first introduced as a Copper version (AceBeam TK16 CU) only. Subsequently, the AceBeam TK16 Aluminium version (AceBeam TK16 AL) was released.
For both materials variants, there are a total of 3 different triple LEDs options available.
- Luminus SST-20 95CRI (1250 lumens)
- Osram KW CSLNM1.TG (1300 lumens)
- Cree XP-G3 (1800 lumens)
Note:
- This review is based on the AceBeam TK16 AL (Luminus SST-20) model. However, the User Interface (UI) is the same for both material and/or LEDs options.
- There is a possibility that a titanium version of this AceBeam TK16, could be in production soon.
Packaging & First Impressions
This is what the light will come with as shown below.
- The threads and o-rings were well lubricated. Threads were smooth and clean (no gritty feeling).
- The tail electronic switch requires a firm and deliberate press to activate and helps in preventing any unwanted activation of the light.
- Clip is not reversible (despite appearing to be so) and allows for bezel up carry only, allowing for attachment of the light to a cap for hands-free usage but introduces the possibility of accidental activation when in a pocket (assuming no lockout is enabled).
- Anodizing of the light is uniform without any missing specs.
- No holster and/or lanyard is provided.
- Battery compartment holds a AW 16340 battery with sufficient room for a slightly thicker battery width.
- The provided non-proprietary IMR 16340 battery will work in other flashlights as well. In addition, other CR123A or 16340 batteries will work in this battery tube too.
- Scanning the QR code with your phone/tablet on the box’s back would bring up AceBeam’s main website page and Facebook page respectively.
- AceBeam’s warranty card is made of plastic and can probably be easily mistaken for an actual credit card.
Note: Before using the flashlight for the first time, remove the Dustproof Film from the lens and Insulation Film from the battery tube.
Front:
Back:
Sides:
Top:
Box Contents:
Removing Dustproof Film:
Removing Insulating Film:
Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)
- Body Material Options:
- HAIII Aluminium – Black
- Copper
- Titanium (might be coming out soon)
- LED Options:
- Luminus SST-20 (95CRI)
- Osram KW CSLNM1.TG
- Cree XP-G3
- Battery Format: 1 x 16340/RCR123A or 1 x CR123A ONLY
- Luminus SST-20 — Output & Runtime:
- POWER Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 6days)
- Low (13 lumens / 12h)
- Mid (80 lumens / 3h)
- High (450 lumens / 1h)
- Turbo (1250 lumens / 45min) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (370 lumens / 1h)
- ECO Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 6days)
- Low (13 lumens / 12h)
- Mid (80 lumens / 3h)
- High (450 lumens / 1h 15min)
- Turbo (750 lumens / 45min) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (370 lumens / 1h)
- ECO Mode (with a CR123A 1500mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 12days)
- Low (13 lumens / 17h)
- Mid (80 lumens / 4h 30min)
- High (180 lumens / 1h 45min)
- Turbo (400 lumens / 1h) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (250 lumens / 50min)
- POWER Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Osram KW CSLNM1.TG — Output & Runtime:
- POWER Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 6days)
- Low (20 lumens / 12h)
- Mid (100 lumens / 3h)
- High (478 lumens / 1h)
- Turbo (1300 lumens / 45min) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (478 lumens / 1h)
- ECO Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 6days)
- Low (20 lumens / 12h)
- Mid (100 lumens / 3h)
- High (478 lumens / 1h 15min)
- Turbo (780 lumens / 45min) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (478 lumens / 1h)
- ECO Mode (with a CR123A 1500mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 12days)
- Low (20 lumens / 17h)
- Mid (100 lumens / 4h 30min)
- High (200 lumens / 2h)
- Turbo (520 lumens / 1h) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (380 lumens / 50min)
- POWER Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Cree XP-G3 — Output & Runtime:
- POWER Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 6days)
- Low (18 lumens / 12h)
- Mid (100 lumens / 3h)
- High (600 lumens / 1h)
- Turbo (1800 lumens / 45min) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (600 lumens / 1h)
- ECO Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 6days)
- Low (18 lumens / 12h)
- Mid (100 lumens / 3h)
- High (600 lumens / 1h)
- Turbo (1050 lumens / 45min) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (600 lumens / 1h)
- ECO Mode (with a CR123A 1500mAh battery)
- Moonlight (0.5 lumens / 12days)
- Low (12 lumens / 17h)
- Mid (100 lumens / 4h 30min)
- High (255 lumens / 2h)
- Turbo (600 lumens / 1h) – there is a temperature-based output step down.
- Strobe (600 lumens / 50min)
- POWER Mode (with included AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery)
- Max Beam Distance:
- 118m (Luminus SST-20)
- 338m (Osram KW CSLNM1.TG)
- 158m (Cree XP-G3)
- Max Beam intensity:
- 3,570cd (Luminus SST-20)
- 28,500cd (Osram KW CSLNM1.TG)
- 6,250cd (Cree XP-G3)
- Waterproofness: IPX-8 Standard (2m)
- Impact Resistance: 1m
- Dimension: 66.5mm (length) x 23mm (head diameter) x 21mm (body diameter) [excluding clip]
- Weight:
- Aluminium Version
- 37.3g (excluding batteries)
- 49.8g (including batteries)
- Copper Version
- 75.8g (excluding batteries)
- 93.8g (including batteries)
- Aluminium Version
- Battery reverse polarity protection
- Accessories Included:
- 1*AceBeam IMR 16340 3.7V/550mAh battery
- 1*Pocket Clip
- 2*Spare O-Rings
- 1*Spare Rubber Switch Cover
- MSRP: ~$63 (Aluminium) & ~$87 (Copper)
UI (User Interface)
UI for this light is good for Every Day Carry (EDC) as it is relatively straightforward to use, after the initial learning curve.
Switching ON and OFF is done by the tail electronic switch on the light, so no momentary activation is possible.
There are a total of 2 main types of modes options (POWER and ECO). When using a CR123A battery, only ECO mode options can be accessed.
Normal Operation (POWER/ECO Modes Options)
From OFF:
- 1 Click – Last brightness level (all modes except MOONLIGHT & TURBO are memorized only) is activated.
- 2 Clicks – Direct access to TURBO; 1 Click to switch OFF or HOLD down to switch modes.
- 3 (or more) Clicks – Direct access to STROBE (light will switch ON to last brightness level first, followed by TURBO and finally STROBE); 1 Click to switch OFF or HOLD down to switch modes.
- HOLD (~0.5 sec) – Direct access to MOONLIGHT.
From ON:
- 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
- 2 Clicks – Direct access to TURBO; 1 Click to switch OFF or hold down to switch modes.
- 3 (or more) Clicks – Direct access to STROBE (light will switch to TURBO first before switching to STROBE); 1 Click to switch OFF or hold down to switch modes.
- HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through LOW, MID & HIGH ⇒ LOW, MID & HIGH only; MOONLIGHT & TURBO are not part of the sequence).
There is 1 blinky mode for this light (STROBE only) and no SOS modes.
Electronic Lockout
From OFF:
- HOLD (till MOONLIGHT is activated & deactivated) – LOCKOUT mode is enabled (light will flash 3 times in MOONLIGHT mode);
- HOLD (till MOONLIGHT is activated) – LOCKOUT is disabled (light will flash 3 times in MOONLIGHT mode first).
Note: If Electronic Lockout is enabled, activating and deactivating Mechanic Lockout (or when swapping out batteries) will disable Electronic Lockout.
Switching Modes Options (POWER ⇔ ECO)
Switching Modes Options can only be accessed when the Electronic Lockout is enabled first.
After Electronic Lockout is Enabled:
- 10 (or more) Clicks: Light is switched ON from DIM to BRIGHT before switching OFF, light is in POWER Modes Option now.
- 10 (or more) Clicks: Light is switched ON from BIGHT to DIM before switching OFF, light is in ECO Modes Option now.
- Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to select preferred POWER or ECO Modes Options.
- Disable Electronic Lockout [HOLD (till MOONLIGHT is activated)], to start using in the selected POWER or ECO Modes Options.
In short, the POWER Modes Option has higher outputs on TURBO mode whereas the ECO Modes Option has a more realistic TURBO mode that is more sustainable for its size. That said, when using a CR123A battery, the light will automatically default to ECO Modes Option only.
Form Factor
For flashlights that are intended to use on a daily basis (EDC) and for possibly a long period of time, form factor is extremely important.
This light fits in a clenched small sized hand easily. Switching between overhand and underhand holding method is easy with its small form factor and (lack thereof) weight. The raised “knurling” makes the light extremely “grippy”, even with wet hands/gloves but not overly aggressive (i.e. still fabric and pockets-friendly).
It would have been nice if AceBeam had used a dual-direction clip instead, to enable for a true deep pocket carry clip style.
The light can tail-stand perfectly without the slightest wobble.
Beam Style/Beamshots
For this light, the spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the TIR (Total Internal Reflection) optics used. The LEDs are fully covered under the Clear TIR optic. Hence, the beam has both “throw” and soft flood for recognizing items in the up-close to near range distance.
The above beam profile is a rough interpretation of what is seen when white wall hunting. The beam has a fairly wide (almost circular) hotspot with some slight corona and very little triangular-style spill (almost all of the beam produced is focused into the hotspot). There are some beam artifacts in the beam when whitewall hunting but not visible in real world usage.
All of the beamshots taken below are done so with the following camera settings:
- POWER Mode (with IMR 16340 Battery) – MOONLIGHT: 3.2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 1.3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 0.5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, HIGH: 1/4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and TURBO: 1/6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
- ECO Mode (with IMR 16340 Battery) – MOONLIGHT: 3.2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 1.3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 0.5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, HIGH: 1/4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and TURBO: 1/5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
- ECO Mode (with CR123A Battery) – MOONLIGHT: 3.2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 1.3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 0.5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, HIGH: 0.4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and TURBO: 1/3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
Some pictures have been adjusted slightly to depict as close as to what is seen in real life. The distance of the light from the door is 4.6m.
POWER Mode (with IMR 16340 Battery)
Control shot:
MOONLIGHT (0.5 lumens):
LOW (13 lumens):
MID (80 lumens):
HIGH (450 lumens):
TURBO (1250 lumens):
ECO Mode (with IMR 16340 Battery)
Control shot:
MOONLIGHT (0.5 lumens):
LOW (13 lumens):
MID (80 lumens):
HIGH (450 lumens):
TURBO (750 lumens):
ECO Mode (with CR123A Battery)
Control shot:
MOONLIGHT (0.5 lumens):
LOW (13 lumens):
MID (80 lumens):
HIGH (180 lumens):
TURBO (400 lumens):
Mode (Output) Spacing
Mode spacing appears to be progressively brighter to the eye and the modes are well spaced enough to be able to know which mode one is currently in. With that in mind, TLR tend to view mode spacing as battery life indicators (amount of runtime left) rather than the specific output (lumens).
We are very happy to report that the MOONLIGHT mode is perfect for those bedtime night snack runs or with night-adjusted eyes, especially since there is a Direct Access option from OFF.
Tint & CRI
The CRI is said to be >95CRI but AceBeam did not disclose the tint (color temperature). A guesstimate would be in the 4000K ballpark.
There is a slight tint shift throughout the beam profile. The hotspot has a slightly yellowish tint with a hint of pink with the corona and the spill possessing a slight yellowish tint.
However, the tint shift is not noticeable in real life.
Waterproofness
The light was subjected to warm water submersion, followed by cold water submersion and left under room temperature running water tap whilst running on TURBO.
No signs of water intrusion in the head, switch or body was seen.
Lockout Capability
Electronic lockout and mechanical lockout are possible when needed, like during transportation in a bag.
A quarter turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the light will enable mechanical lockout.
For Electronic lockout, see above “Electronic Lockout”, on how to activate and deactivate Electronic LOCKOUT.
Note: If Electronic Lockout is enabled, activating and deactivating Mechanic Lockout (or when swapping out batteries) will disable Electronic Lockout.
Scale Comparison (Ruler)
Summary
To sum up, we believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same light for our own EDC or to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this light, it is a definite YES, if having bezel up carry only is not an issue for your usage.
The straightforward UI with Direct Access to MOONLIGHT, TURBO & STROBE from OFF, 2 available material types (Aluminium or Copper), 3 types of LEDs options (Osram for “throw”, Cree XP-G3 for max output or Luminus SST-20 for high CRI option), high CRI and nice neutral tint of the Luminus SST-20 LEDs are all plus points for this flashlight.
Here is a bonus size comparison with some of the other EDC-friendly flashlights we reviewed previously.
From Left to Right: Provided AceBeam IMR 16340 Battery, Foursevens Mini MkIII, Olight S1R II Baton, AceBeam TK16 AL, Oveready BOSS 35, Okluma Ti DC1 and Olight M1T Raider.
As with all gears, two is one and one is none.
Stay safe,
The Lite Review
Disclaimer: Light was provided for by AceBeam (manufacturer) for this review. No other compensation was provided.
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AceBeam TK16
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