Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray Torch Review
Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray⌗
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications⌗
| Brand/model | Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray |
|---|---|
| LED | Cool White |
| Maximum lumens | 1,000 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 2,756 cd |
| Maximum throw | 105 m |
| Battery | 1*AA, 1*14500 Li-ion |
| Onboard charging | Yes (USB-C battery) |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 3 |
| Blinkies | - |
| Reflector | Smooth |
| Waterproof | IP68 |
| Review date | April 2023 |
Introduction⌗
Acebeam reached out to see if I would like to review the Pokelit AA Gray.
The Gray version has a Cool White emitter that throws much further than the original Pokelit AA with a Nichia 219F emitter.
I am excited to see more throwers in this form factor, so I immediately agreed.
Acebeam provided this torch for review for free. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch.
Packaging⌗
The Pokelit AA Gray came in a small white retail box.
The following was included in the box:
- Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray.
- Acebeam ARC14500 920mAh USB-C rechargeable battery.
- Lanyard.
- USB-A to USB-C cable.
- Two spare o-rings.
- User manual.
Optional orange and white diffuser caps (ASD-01) were included separately.
Torch in use⌗
The Pokelit AA Gray is lightweight and fits comfortably in my hand.
This particular version of the Pokelit offers more throw to see things in the distance.
I like the tactical style of the forward-clicky tail switch.
The torch does not tail stand because there is a button sticking out at the end.
There is a lanyard included but the mounting hole is on the pocket clip. That said, I am not worried about the pocket clip falling off. It is an extremely snug fit.
The reversible pocket clip could be attached to a hat.
I prefer to put the torch in my pocket or carry it.
Build quality⌗
This Pokelit AA is constructed of aluminium and came anodised in Gray. The inner tube is also anodised. There are no sharp edges.
Rings on the tube and the tailcap help provide additional grip.
The reversible pocket clip fits tightly onto the tube.
The forward-clicky button is firm and gives a satisfiying click.
Threads came lightly lubricated and the head turns smoothly.
The lens came with a protective film that needed to be removed.
There is physical reverse polarity protection on the driver for the battery. This may prevent flat top cells from working.
Optional diffuser caps fit snugly onto the head of the Pokelit AA. It could be used as a mini traffic wand.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam⌗
The Pokelit AA Gray comes with an undisclosed Cool White emitter. The emitter has two corners with diagonal cuts. I wonder what it is…
To access the emitter, the pill that houses the driver, MCPCB and LED can be unscrewed from the head.
There is a lens at the end of the head.
The emitter has a white centering gasket around it and a smooth reflector sitting on top.
CCT, CRI, and duv⌗
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the headlamp positioned one metre away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The Opple Light Master Pro III (G3) is a relatively affordable tool that torch enthusiasts have been using to get approximate measurements of CCT, CRI and duv. It is not extremely accurate. Such tools may cost several thousand dollars.
The CCT is around 5280K. The CRI is around 65.
The Delta u, v is slightly positive (green).
The beam has a relatively narrow white hotspot with a hint of green. It looks like a moon. The spill has a hint of purple on the High mode.
| Cell | Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14500 | Low | 5238 | 66.1 | 0.3399 | 0.3737 | 0.0128 |
| 14500 | Med | 5279 | 64.9 | 0.3385 | 0.3677 | 0.0105 |
| 14500 | High | 5328 | 65.4 | 0.3371 | 0.3652 | 0.0099 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison⌗
Dimensions⌗
I took the following measurements using a vernier caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 93.0 |
| Head diameter | 18.2 |
| Tube diameter | 17.0 |
| Tailcap diameter | 17.6 |
Weight⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Torch | 36.45 |
| Battery | 20.00 |
| Torch with battery | 56.45 |
Size comparison with its competition⌗
From left to right: Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray, Acebeam Pokelit AA Copper, Acebeam Rider RX Rainbow PVD, ReyLight LANapple Purple, Lumintop Tool AA 2.0
From left to right: Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray, Acebeam Pokelit AA Copper, Acebeam Rider RX Rainbow PVD, ReyLight LANapple Purple, Lumintop Tool AA 2.0
User interface⌗
A forward-clicky tail switch can be half pressed to momentarily turn the torch on and cycle between Low, Med and High modes. The torch has mode memory.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Half press | Momentary on (mode memory) |
| Off | Half press within 1 second | Cycle (Low, Med, High) |
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
Low voltage protection⌗
I tested low voltage protection by connecting the driver of the torch to a bench power supply and then by lowering the voltage from 4.2V to 0V for a 14500 Li-ion cell, and from 1.5V to 0V for a Ni-MH cell.
There does not appear to be low voltage protection for a Li-ion cell built into the torch. The emitter turned off at 2.37V and the current dropped to 6 mA. This could be a problem if you use an unprotected button top Li-ion cell because it would slowly drain below 2.5V and damage the cell.
There is low voltage protection for a Ni-MH cell. The emitter turned off at 0.59V and the current stopped.
PWM⌗
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
What I like about the UI⌗
- Simple to use.
What could be improved⌗
- It would be nice to disable mode memory.
Batteries and charging⌗
Battery⌗
The included Acebeam ARC14500 920mAh 3.7V Li-ion cell arrived with a voltage of 3.785V. It came with a bit of plastic at the end to prevent accidental activation while in transit.
There was no date marking on the wrap. The insulation ring around the positive end is transparent. And the button top is slightly less rounded compared to earlier versions.
The other ARC14500-920 cells that I have include a date marking on the wrap and the insulation ring is opaque.
I asked Acebeam and they said that they used a different supplier for this batch of cells.
It is easier to see the charging indicator LED with the transparent insulation ring (as seen below).
Charging⌗
Power supply: PinePower Desktop USB-C
USB Meter: AVHzY CT-3 (recommended by LiquidRetro)
Room temperature: 16 C
I charged the battery from 3.00V to 4.183V for slightly over 3 hours at 5V 0.3A. The indicator light went from red to green when charging finished.
Power supply compatibility⌗
I tried the following power supplies with the built-in USB-C charger in the battery:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple 61W Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| Google Pixel Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | QC | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | Yes |
USB-C to USB-C charging works.
Performance⌗
Specifications from the manual:
Li-ion Battery (Acebeam ARC14500 920mAh)
| FL1 STANDARD | High | Med | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 1,000 + 600 | 330 | 5 |
| Runtime | 35s + 49min | 1h 50min | 58h |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 105 | ||
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 2,756 |
Ni-MH and Alkaline cells were not mentioned in the user manual.
I used an eneloop pro AA Ni-MH 1.2V 2450mAh cell and the included Acebean ARC14500 Li-ion 3.7V 920mAh cell for the following tests.
Lumen measurements⌗
I used a bench power supply to measure the current at turn on.
| Cell | Mode | Amps at start | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ni-MH | Low | |||||
| Ni-MH | Med | 1.07 A | 100 | 98 | 98 | |
| Ni-MH | High | 3.78 A | 339 | 315 | 111 | |
| 14500 | Low | 0.02 A | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| 14500 | Med | 0.62 A | 330 | 290 | 277 | 250 |
| 14500 | High | 2.53 A | 1,000 | 890 | 794 | 460 |
I did not test Low with a Ni-MH cell because it produces less than 1 lumen.
Standby drain⌗
There is no standby drain. This torch has a mechanical tailswitch.
Runtime graphs⌗
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
The room temperature was approximately 16 C.
Runtime⌗
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Cell | Mode | User manual | Runtime result | Final voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ni-MH | High | 2h 25min 12s | ||
| Ni-MH | Med | 2h 47min 27s | ||
| Ni-MH | Low | |||
| 14500 | High | 35s + 49min | 59min 35s | 3.00 |
| 14500 | Med | 1h 50min | 1h 28min 33s | 2.92 |
| 14500 | Low | 58h | 10min+ |
The runtime result is the time until my lumen tube no longer detects more than 1 lumen.
I was unable to measure Low with a Ni-MH cell because the output was less than 1 lumen.
The 14500 High runtime performed better than expected but 14500 Med fell slightly short.
There runtime is much longer with a Ni-MH cell.
Throw⌗
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Low was measured at one metre. Med and High were measured at five metres.
| Cell | Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14500 | Low | 16 | 8 | ||
| 14500 | Med | 825 | 57 | ||
| 14500 | High | 2,756 | 105 | 2,725 | 104 |
Beamshots⌗
I went to a local park and aimed the Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray at a tree 70 metres away while using High.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray (High)⌗
Lumintop EDC15 (Turbo)⌗
ReyLight LANapple (100%)⌗
Conclusion⌗
The Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray is a nice EDC pocket thrower. The beam easily reaches 104 metres.
The original Pokelit AA reached about 86 metres.
I swapped an Osram NM1 emitter into a ReyLight Pineapple Mini and it improved the throw from 60 metres to 110 metres.
I like how manufacturers like Acebeam are taking note of enthusiasts modifying their torches and giving us more pocket thrower options.
The CCT is cool and the CRI is slightly lower. This is to be expected when considering throwers. If you want something high CRI with a warmer CCT then you should consider the original Pokelit AA or the copper version.
Low voltage protection did not work when I tested the torch using a bench power supply. It continued to drain at 6mA below 2.37V. This could be a problem if you want to use an unprotected button top Li-ion cell because it may drain below 2.50V and damage the cell. It does not appear to be a problem with the included protected cell.
Runtime results almost matched the official specifications. High performed better while Med fell slightly short.
I am grateful that Acebeam have created a thrower option for their Pokelit range. It may not be for everyone but if you like to use cool white to identify stuff outside at night (I do), and something that throws a little further, then this may be for you.
Pros:⌗
- Excellent build quality.
- Simple UI.
- Lightweight.
- Good runtime.
- Battery with built-in USB-C charging.
Cons:⌗
- LVP did not work for an unprotected 14500.
- Mode memory.
Price⌗
The Acebeam Pokelit AA Gray is US$34.90 at the time of writing.
The original Pokelit AA is AU$44.95 at the time of writing from liteshop.com.au
It is an ideal gift where you do not need to mess around with an external charger because the included battery has built-in USB-C charging.
Product page⌗
Promo code: SG9IP8YKT5PI
liteshop.com.au affiliate link
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