I used to be a child working in a tenting retailer in 1997. Princeton Tec launched its first LED module to interchange its customary halogen headlamp bulb. I assumed I used to be residing sooner or later. Immediately, LEDs rule the lighting world, from flashlights and headlamps to dwelling mild bulbs.
However have you ever ever heard of LEP? It’s not a giant deal should you haven’t. I hadn’t heard of it, both.
LED and LEP are each environment friendly. However the place LED shines at low- and medium-output ranges as a floodlight, LEP, quick for “Laser Excited Phosphor,” excels at high-output ranges and as a highlight. Not solely can LEP throw mild at a better distance than LED, nevertheless it can be targeted into a skinny beam.
It’s, in essence (and sometimes known as), a white laser, which is then subtle to provide it a bit extra beam width. This makes it an awesome selection for locator beacons and makeshift lightsabers.
That’s to not say there aren’t high-output LEDs that may throw a light-weight beam down a soccer subject. We just lately examined out the “World’s Brightest Flashlight,” and that beast can forged mild over 2,000 m. However LEP shoots a a lot tighter, extra environment friendly beam of sunshine. For out of doors people like me, that interprets to decrease lumens and a a lot smaller software.
Again in January, Acebeam reached out to me to see if I needed to check out its Terminator M1 Twin Head LEP/LED Flashlight. Having greater than 20 years of expertise with headlamps and flashlights, I used to be desperate to see what LEP was all about. Via 3 months of testing, I discovered the worth in having each LED and LEP choices. I simply want I may have them on the identical time.
In brief: Acebeam’s Terminator M1 combines the advantages of LED and LEP expertise to create a whole illumination resolution in an efficient and sturdy package deal. It’s sturdy, dependable, and has unbelievable brightness for such a small software.
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Dimensions
4.09” x 1.39” x 2.5” -
Weight
10.7 oz. -
Battery
5,100 mAh / 21,700 Li-ion -
Charging
USB-C -
IP safety
IP68 -
Distance
1,600m (LED), 231m (LEP) -
Battery life
1 hr., 52 min. on turbo (LEP); 2 hrs., 42 min. on turbo (LED)
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Highly effective and environment friendly LED and LEP modules -
Focusable/zoomable LEP mild -
IP68 score -
Battery life
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Cannot use each the LED and LEP settings without delay -
Lanyard might be longer to suit round your neck -
It may use a ¼” threaded gap for mounting on tripods and strolling sticks
Acebeam Terminator M1 Flashlight Evaluate
Design & Options
The Acebeam Terminator M1 combines LED and LEP expertise in a compact, sturdy, and submersible case. The LED module consists of three CW 6,500K bulbs able to as much as 3,500 lumens that may be projected as much as 231 m (758 ft). The LEP module can attain 700 lumens and throw a beam of sunshine as much as 1,600 m (5,249 ft), or roughly an unobstructed mile.
The LEP function is zoomable, permitting you to regulate the beam from 3 to 16 levels. Because it creates a stable mild bar, this function is helpful as a security beacon. It could possibly additionally come in useful if you should concentrate on one thing at an awesome distance at midnight.
This flashlight makes use of a chargeable, 5,100 mAh / 21,700 Li-ion battery for energy. The battery itself has a USB-C port that permits for straightforward recharging. Moreover, the Terminator M1 has an IP68 score, which suggests the unit may be submerged for as much as half-hour in water as much as 1.5 m deep.
Moreover, the unit has a voltage warning, which is able to activate when your battery is at 20% or decrease and flash when it’s at 10% or much less.
LED & LEP Specs
LED
- Settings: Output (Runtime)
- Moonlight: 1 lumen (2.8 days)
- Low: 50 lumens (22 hours)
- Med1: 150 lumens (14 hours)
- Med2: 500 lumens (5 hours, 30 min.)
- Excessive: 1,000 lumens (2 hours, 50 min.)
- Turbo: 3,500 lumens (2 hours, 42 min.)
- Strobe: 3,500 lumens (5 hours, 2 min.)
- Distance: 231 m (758 ft.)
- Battery life: 2 hours, 42 minutes (turbo) – 2.8 days (moonlight)
LEP
- Settings: Output (Runtime)
- Low: 50-100 lumens (5 hours, 30 min.)
- Excessive: 150-250 lumens (2 hours, 30 min.)
- Turbo: 400-700 lumens (1 hour, 52 min.)
- Strobe: 400-700 lumens (4 hours, 7 min.)
- Focus vary: 3-16 deg
- Distance: 1,600 m (5,249 ft.)
- Battery life: 1 hour, 52 min. (turbo) – 5 hours, 30 min. (low)
First Impressions
Other than late-night journeys to the campground rest room with the youngsters, or looking across the basement for the breaker panel when the facility goes out on the home, I’m a headlamp particular person. I wish to be hands-free, particularly when wandering round within the woods at midnight.
Nonetheless, I like cool issues. The Wuben X3 flashlight I examined out final 12 months was cool. However, because it might be clipped to my pack, I wouldn’t name {that a} conventional flashlight. I feel the final hands-only flashlight I had was a loopy SureFire flashlight again in school that would burn holes in paper. So, I used to be due for one thing cool in handheld illumination gadgets.
The Terminator M1 answered that decision.
Sizewise, it’s like two fashionable Li-ion pocket flashlights stacked aspect by aspect. This can be a handful. Nonetheless, contemplating that you simply’re getting each flashlights, one with a bigger, adjustable head, it’s a surprise it’s not any greater. It nonetheless suits simply in your pocket, and if it had an extended lanyard, it might be worn round your neck for straightforward entry.
Like many fashionable flashlights and headlamps, the sunshine settings may be accessed by holding down a button. Such a expertise has been baked into quite a few merchandise to reduce the buttons wanted to function them.
Nonetheless, sometimes, you’ll find yourself shutting any of these merchandise off when making an attempt to entry a distinct brightness setting. The Terminator M1 isn’t any exception.
One in every of my favourite options, which took me about 10 minutes to determine, is that you simply recharge the battery, not the unit. This lets you have a backup battery charging through USB-C on the go and simply accessible.
Within the Area
How usually do you assume I can seek advice from the truth that this factor makes an awesome lightsaber? I recognize the sturdiness and reliability of this dual-head flashlight. I feel it could be incredible in a tactical scenario, however for me, it’s the closest factor I must a Star Wars lightsaber — and I want to cherish that second somewhat longer.
In all seriousness, I’m past impressed with the capabilities of this flashlight. Like lots of you, I’m accustomed to all LED lights and lighting points. However I had zero expertise with LEP and the power to slim the beam down so it may concentrate on one thing as much as a mile away.
One evening, my youngsters and I had been exterior, and some turkeys handed via the neighbor’s yard a soccer subject away. I may slim the beam right down to concentrate on a singular chook after which make it even smaller in order that it adopted the beam like a cat would a laser pointer.
What does this translate into within the out of doors and tactical worlds?
Properly, the very first thing that involves thoughts is security. That LEP beam can throw mild into the sky or down a path and act as a private locator beacon. The strobe setting might be utilized in an emergency and assist anybody who’s on the lookout for you to search out you. It could possibly additionally assist pinpoint a distant goal, which may be useful for capturing or pathfinding. It may be utilized each at evening and throughout the day.
Nonetheless, I relied totally on the LED settings once I was utilizing it to navigate and roam round. In these conditions, a flood mild is best suited than a highlight. Many individuals in all probability can’t fathom how brilliant 1,000 lumens are, not to mention 3,500.
The Terminator M1 can throw a beam of sunshine at 3,500 lumens, as much as somewhat greater than 750 ft. You flip that on throughout the black of evening, and it’s like somebody dragged the solar again over the aspect of the mountain. I usually solely used the Low and Med1 settings when utilizing the LED operate. However should you had been organising a campsite at evening or getting out to a distant cabin, you possibly can mild up your complete space with the Terminator M1.
The one factor I want to change can be the power to make use of the LED and LEP concurrently. At present, the M1 solely lets you function one or the opposite. This might mean you can illuminate your rapid environment and arrange a beacon or point of interest within the distance. Even when having each the LEP and LED modules working concurrently cuts the battery life in half, it may nonetheless be well worth the sacrifice.
One other factor that might be cool can be a ¼-inch threaded gap to mount the Terminator M1 on a tripod or monopod strolling stick. This might enable it to stay in a single place as a beacon or indicator.
All mentioned, these two issues might be baked right into a future iteration of this mild as “good to haves”. Because it stands, the options discovered within the Terminator M1 are greater than enough.
In Conclusion
In the long run, I loved the Terminator M1. I discovered that LEP is an expertise all its personal. Zoomable and focusable, you’re feeling that the sunshine can forged a beam via partitions — day or evening.
It’s practically unfathomable to see that far at midnight, particularly while you alter the beam in order that it is just an inch in diameter. However don’t get in its means. It’ll mess up your eyesight for a minute.
Once I wasn’t screwing round and making lightsaber noises, I’m pleased to report that I solely needed to recharge the battery twice. That’s fairly spectacular, as I’ve introduced it all over the place for the final 3 months. Understand that I wasn’t making an attempt to light up the entire woods, simply the world round me. So, I usually used the Med1 setting when utilizing the LED aspect of issues.
General, at $280, the Acebeam Terminator M1 won’t be for everybody. It’s an expensive software with fairly area of interest makes use of. However should you want dependable, fixed out of doors illumination, I imagine it might be well worth the funding.
All of the Star Wars references apart, instruments like this show their value over time. All it takes is one scenario the place issues go sideways, and you end up stranded for one thing just like the Terminator M1 to show its value in spades.
