Preface
The First-Light Torq Med is one of the models from their Torq series.
All Torq models have the following features:
- Light is constructed of polymers
- Runs on 2 x AA batteries
- Max output of 155 lumens
- Head can rotate 320 degrees (160 degrees both ways)
- Modular side panels for customisation of clip installation or MOLLE’s dovetail (available with the Kit option).
Let’s check out the merits and demerits of this First-Light Torq Med model.
Note: The First-Light Torq Med reviewed here is the Kit option (with the TRS [Tactical Retention System] MOLLE Mount included).
Fun Fact: We were informed that this flashlight with the Kit option is a Standard Issue item for the US Army Combat Lifesavers.
Packaging & First Impressions
This is what the light will come with as shown below.
- The flashlight box is essentially its shipping box so it is a great way of minimizing wastage/weight on shipping materials.
- There are no threads or o-rings. The battery compartment is held closed by a rather unique D-ring latch.
- Accessing the battery compartment through the D-ring latch might take quite a bit of effort to open and close for the first few times.
- The 3 electronic switches are near silent during activation and there is some resistance to prevent accidental activation.
- Clip is reversible which enables the light for bezel up/down carries & allows for attachment of the light to a cap, MOLLE or other gears for hands-free usage.
- The pocket clip has sufficient tension to ensure that the light will stay clipped to any material to prevent the light from falling out.
- No holster and/or lanyard are provided. However, there is a lanyard attachment point, if required.
- Battery compartment holds the provided non-proprietary Duracell AA Alkaline batteries with sufficient room for a slightly thicker battery width. That said, Ni-MH batteries (e.g. Sanyo/Panasonic AA Eneloops) tend to have a slightly thicker width than alkaline batteries and might fit a little more snugly. Batteries such as Energiser Ultimate Lithium (L91) and (Energiser and Duracell) AA alkaline batteries does not have any fitment issues.
Front:
Sides:
Box Contents:
Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)
- Body Material: Polymer in Coyote Brown
- LED: Cree XP-G2 (?); No information for the 2*GREEN and 2*RED LEDs
- Battery Format: 1 x AA (1.2V NiMH rechargeable/1.5V lithium primary batteries/1.5V alkaline [not recommended]) ONLY
- Output & Runtime [with 1 x AA battery]:
- Low – (2 lumens / 6days 8h)
- Mid – (18 lumens / 1day 9h)
- High – (114 lumens / 10h 45min)
- Turbo – (155 lumens / 10h) – Momentary Turbo setting only
- Strobe – (3h 30min)
- Max Beam Distance: 116m
- Beam intensity: 3,400cd
- Waterproofness: Rating not given but is up to 1m
- Impact Resistance: 3m
- Dimension: 99mm (height) x 66mm (length) x 35.6mm (width)
- Weight: 124.7g (excluding batteries)
- Accessories Included:
- 2*Duracell AA Alkaline batteries
- 1*Pocket Clip
- 5*First-Light Stickers
- Kit Option Accessories Includes:
- All of the above standard accessories
- 1*TRS MOLLE Mount
- Dovetail Side Panel Attachment
- MSRP: ~$115 / ~$145 (Kit option)
UI (User Interface)
UI for this light is perfect for Every Day Carry (EDC)/tactical EDC or Bug-Out Bag (BOB) light as it is relatively simple to use, after the initial learning curve.
Switching ON and OFF is done by the 3 electronic switches on the head of the light.
There are 3 clearly labelled electronic switches – “1 Circle LOGO” button, “2 Circles LOGO” button and “Dash LOGO” button that operate the light. The “1 Circle LOGO” button and “Dash LOGO” button operate the Main LED, and the “2 Circles LOGO” button operates the Secondary LEDs.
Momentary activation is possible for the “Dash LOGO” button only.
Normal Operation
From OFF:
- HOLD [Dash LOGO] – Direct access to MOMENTARY TURBO.
- 1 Press [1 Circle LOGO] – Light will switch ON the main LED (XP-G2) to last brightness level, last mode memory.
- HOLD [1 Circle LOGO] – Direct access to SAFETY BEACON mode (Main LED and both Secondary LEDs colors).
- 1 Press [2 Circles LOGO] – Light will switch ON the Secondary LEDs to last brightness level, last mode memory.
- HOLD [2 Circles LOGO] – Light will switch ON the Secondary LEDs to last brightness level, before switching to other Secondary LEDs mode options (RED, GREEN, RED+GREEN → RED, GREEN, RED+GREEN).
- HOLD [Dash LOGO] followed by HOLD [2 Circles LOGO] – Direct access to MOMENTARY STROBE, once mode is activated, [Dash LOGO] button can be released.
From ON (Main LED):
- 1 Press [1 Circle LOGO] – Light will switch OFF the main LED (XP-G2).
- HOLD [1 Circle LOGO] – Light will switch brightness levels (LOW, MID, HIGH → HIGH, MID, LOW), TURBO is not part of the mode sequence.
- HOLD [Dash LOGO] – Direct access to MOMENTARY TURBO.
From ON (Secondary LEDs):
- 1 Press [2 Circles LOGO] – Light will switch OFF the Secondary LEDs.
- HOLD [2 Circles LOGO] – Light will switch brightness levels (LOW, MID, HIGH → HIGH, MID, LOW) for the respective Secondary LEDs.
- HOLD [Dash LOGO] – Direct access to MOMENTARY TURBO, Secondary LEDs will switch OFF momentarily when the MOMENTARY TURBO is activated.
Note: The mode switching is slightly unconventional as most often the UI will be such that it will progress from LOW to HIGH and restart at LOW again (i.e. LOW, MID, HIGH → LOW, MID, HIGH).
Power Indicator
There is only 1 type of Power Indicator for this flashlight; when the battery gets low, the RED Lock/Unlock Indicator will start to flash.
Electronic Lockout
From OFF:
- HOLD [1 Circle LOGO] & [2 Circles LOGO] (till RED Lock/Unlock Indicator lights up) – LOCKOUT mode is enabled.
- HOLD [1 Circle LOGO] & [2 Circles LOGO] (~1 sec) – LOCKOUT is disabled (GREEN Lock/Unlock Indicator lights up).
When Electronic LOCKOUT mode is activated, any button presses will cause the RED Lock/Unlock Indicator light to activate momentarily. In addition, 2 Presses [2 Circles LOGO] will activate the last used Secondary LEDs in the LOW mode and HOLD [2 Circles LOGO] to adjust the brightness level (LOW, MID, HIGH → HIGH, MID, LOW).
Form Factor
For flashlights that are intended to use on a daily basis (EDC)/tactical EDC or BOB and for possibly a long period of time, form factor is extremely important.
This light feels well balanced (not head/tail-heavy) and the body portion with finger loop fits perfectly in a clenched medium sized hand, leaving the thumb to fall exactly onto the [Dash LOGO] switch button for fast & easy activation. The removable clip can be easily rotated, to allow for easier orientation of the flashlight when attached to a cap, pocket, MOLLE or other gears. Even with the lack of knurling, the rectangular body shape and its aforementioned features enables it to be rather “grippy”, even with wet hands/gloves.
The special features of the light include adjustable head rotation of 320 degrees (160 degrees to the left and right respectively), adjustable finger loop and swappable side panels to fit the pocket clip in the preferred left/right carry configuration or to add the optional dovetail for the TRS MOLLE Mount. All of these features enable a more personalized way of suiting the flashlight to one’s preferred carry style/usage pattern such as the Roger/Surefire hold or Harries hold methods.
The light will tail-stand without any issue.
Note: the photos below depict the flashlight with the optional dovetail added to the right side panel.
Side Panels, TRS MOLLE MOUNT, Finger Loop & Head Rotation
Side Panels
The following photos depict the customization options for the left and right side panels.
The side panels can be customized to fit the pocket clip on the left or right side of the flashlight, as well as the preferred pocket clip orientation (bezel up or bezel down carry option).
TRS MOLLE MOUNT
If the optional TRS MOLLE MOUNT accessory is purchased, attaching the dovetail to the side panel enables the Torq Med to easily attach to the TRS MOLLE MOUNT. There will be a click sound once the dovetail is properly seated in the TRS MOLLE MOUNT; push down the TOP part of the TRS MOLLE MOUNT to release the Torq Med’s dovetail.
Finger Loop
The adjustable finger loop can be rotated about 90 degrees (45 degrees to the left and right of the flashlight respectively). In most cases, we did not have to adjust the finger loop for our usage. Nonetheless, this feature allows for more flexibility to suit one’s carry preference.
Head Rotation
The Torq Med has an adjustable head rotation of 320 degrees (160 degrees to the left and right respectively). This ensures that whichever position that the flashlight is in, the head can be easily adjusted to its required direction.
Beam Style/Beamshots
For this light, the spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the relatively deep Smooth Reflector. With the Main LED used, the beam is relatively “throwy” for recognizing items in the near to mid-range distance.
This secondary RED and GREEN LEDs are placed behind optics which cause quite a bit of artifacts in the beam profiles; for up-close to near range distance usage.
The above beam profiles are a rough interpretation of what is seen when white wall hunting.
The main beam has a rather distinct hotspot with some slight corona and a fairly wide usable (almost circular) spill. It also helps that the LED is perfectly centered in this sample. There are some rings in the main beam when white wall hunting but not visible in real world usage.
The secondary RED, GREEN and RED & GREEN lights have the “floody” beam profile type. There are rings or beam artifacts when whitewall hunting, but not as noticeable in real world usage.
All of the beamshots taken below are done so with the following camera settings:
- Main LED – LOW: 2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 1sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, HIGH: 1/3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and MOMENTARY TURBO: 1/4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
- RED LEDs – LOW: 8sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 2.5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
- GREEN LEDs – LOW: 8sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 3.2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
- RED & GREEN LEDs – LOW: 8sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 2.5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 2sec, 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.
Control shot:
LOW (2 lumens):
MID (18 lumens):
HIGH (114 lumens):
MOMENTARY TURBO (155 lumens):
RED – LOW:
RED – MID:
RED – HIGH:
GREEN – LOW:
GREEN – MID:
GREEN – HIGH:
RED & GREEN – LOW:
RED & GREEN – MID:
RED & GREEN – HIGH:
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).
Since this light isn’t marketed for indoor usage only, there is no “MOONLIGHT” mode. This makes the “LOW” mode (2 lumens) to be the lowest mode, which is fairly bright in terms of output for night-adjusted eyes.
As an alternative, the RED modes are excellent for night-adjusted eyes and midnight snack runs.
Tint & CRI
Main LED
First-Light did not disclose the tint (color temperature) and/or the CRI (Color Rendering Index) for the LED used in their light. For this light, a guesstimate would be in the 6500K and 70CRI ballpark.
There are tint shifts throughout the beam profile. The hotspot is cool white whilst the corona possess a slight yellow-green tint; and the spill having a slight purple tint.
This is however, not as noticeable in real life.
RED LEDs
RED LEDs are generally poor in CRI as almost everything appears in different shades of red. They are generally used when retaining night vision is required and are excellent in that respect. A guesstimate wavelength would be 640nm.
There is some slight tint shifts in the beam profile and it has a slight varying red tint throughout.
GREEN LEDs
GREEN LEDs are generally poor in CRI as almost everything appears in different shades of green. They are generally used for hunting purposes (green light is said to be invisible to most animals). No guesstimate wavelength here.
There is some slight tint shifts in the beam profile and it has a slight varying green tint throughout.
RED & GREEN LEDs
RED and GREEN LEDs is what First-Light terms as their proprietary color mix, that allows users to have better “blood highlighting at the point of injury, allowing medics to more readily identify trauma and provide the appropriate care under the most intense conditions”.
We found the above statement to be true as red color is noticeably emphasized whilst still retaining detail/color perception of other surrounding colors.
There are tint shifts in the beam profile due to the 2 LEDs color types used.
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 HIGH.
No signs of water intrusion in the head, switches or tailcap was seen.
Lockout Capability
No mechanical lockout but electronic lockout is possible when needed, like during transportation in a bag.
See above “Electronic Lockout“, on how to activate and deactivate 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 usage or to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this light, it is a YES, especially if you are a medic or require a light that can quickly identify blood at the point of injury.
The configurable side panels, adjustable finger and head rotation (320 degrees), MOMENTARY TURBO mode option, excellent RED & GREEN combo LEDs, near silent electronic switches, optional accessory TRS MOLLE MOUNT for MOLLE-compatibility and high impact resistance (3m) are all plus points for this flashlight.
That said, it would be nice if a newer LED (e.g. Cree XP-L HI) is used to provide more output and increased “throw”, by making full use of the smooth reflector.
Here are some of the other flashlights that uses AA batteries as well.
From Left to Right: Provided Duracell Alkaline Battery, First-Light Torq Med, Streamlight ProTac 90, Fenix LD12 2017, ReyLight Ti Lan V3 and ASP Guardian AA DF and Malkoff MDC HA 1AA .
As with all gears, two is one and one is none.
Stay safe,
The Lite Review
Disclaimer: Light was provided for by First-Light (manufacturer) for this review. No other compensation was provided.
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First-Light Torq Med
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