Mateminco MT-911 Torch Review
Mateminco MT-911⌗
- 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 | Mateminco MT-911 |
|---|---|
| LED | 1*XLD-G90 |
| Maximum lumens | 6,200 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 210,000 cd |
| Maximum throw | 916 m |
| Battery | 1*26650, 1*26350 |
| Onboard charging | Yes (USB-C) |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Blinkies | Strobe |
| Reflector | OP |
| Waterproof | IPX6 |
| Review date | September 2023 |
Introduction⌗
The Mateminco MT-911 is a 26650 thrower with an XLD-G90 emitter, an Orange Peel reflector, and an electronic side switch.
While visiting Mateminco with Neal, I was given the opportunity to play with multiple torches.
I managed to get my hands on the MT-911 and check out the large XLD-G90 emitter. It looks similar to a Luminus SBT90.2 emitter.
Mateminco kindly provided this torch for review. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch.
Packaging⌗
The Mateminco MT-911 comes in an elegant white box with a silver outline of the torch on the front. I like how the the text and the logo are shiny. The box also came sealed in plastic.
The following was included in the box:
- Mateminco MT-911.
- 26350 tube.
- Two spare o-rings.
- Lanyard.
- Diffuser.
- User manual.
Torch in use⌗
The Mateminco MT-911 feel slightly short for my hands with the 26650 tube.
It is fine if I grip the head and keep my thumb on the button while the tailcap rests in my palm.
I went ahead and bought a 26800 tube. The longer tube is more comfortable and the larger battery provides a better capacity. Then again, the 26350 tube might make a fun short thrower?
The tailcap has a fairly strong magnet and there is a hole in the side for a lanyard. The torch can tailstand while a lanyard is attached.
The diffuser could be used to turn the torch into a lamp.
Build quality⌗
The Mateminco MT-911 is made of aluminium and it has a green anodised finish. There are no sharp edges.
There is plenty of grip due to the design of the tube and the head. I like how the bezel has grip.
The torch could roll away on a flat surface.
The button feels firm and gives a satisfying click. There are green and red indicator emitters behind the switch cover for the charging and the battery statuses.
There are pads that might be for updating the firmware.
Dual springs have been used in the tailcap to prevent the battery from rattling around.
The driver has a SONIX 8F5702 MCU, a 20N80 FET and a 7135 current regulator.
There is also a TP5000 Lithium battery charging module.
I like Mateminco’s attention to detail. The aluminum head has cut-outs in the threads for little notches of the driver to sit in. Those notches and the brass retaining ring help prevent the driver from moving while using the USB-C charger.
The tailcap turns smoothly and it is easy to get onto the tube.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam⌗
The Mateminco MT-911 comes with an XLD-G90 emitter and an OP reflector.
The glass lens appears to have an anti-reflective coating.
The bezel unscrews easily. No glue was used on the threads. There are two o-rings in the bezel to improve water resistance.
CCT, CRI, and duv⌗
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the torch positioned five metres away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CCT is around 6000K. The CRI is around 65.
The Delta u, v is positive (green).
The beam has a big hot spot and a wide spill. There is a bit of purple in the spill on higher output levels and a purple ring forms around the edge of the spill.
| Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | 5861 | 64.0 | 0.3240 | 0.3506 | 0.0086 |
| Top | 6178 | 66.2 | 0.3180 | 0.3382 | 0.0053 |
| Turbo | 6214 | 67.0 | 0.3174 | 0.3360 | 0.0044 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison⌗
Dimensions⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 133.08 |
| Head diameter | 54.03 |
| Tube outside diameter | 32.07 |
| Tube inside diameter | 27.08 |
| Tail diameter | 34.19 |
| Button diameter | 10.67 |
| USB port width | 9.91 |
| USB port height | 6.92 |
| USB port depth | 3.57 |
| Battery length | 70.45 |
| Battery diameter | 21.16 |
| Retaining ring inside diameter | 26.95 |
| Head threads inside diameter | 30.16 |
Weight⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Torch | 217.70 |
| Battery | 66.78 |
| Torch with battery | 284.48 |
Size comparison with its competition⌗
From left to right: Mateminco MT-911, Cyansky P25 V2.0, Sofirn C8L, NEXTORCH TA30C MAX, Nightwatch Legend NG01
From left to right: Mateminco MT-911, Cyansky P25 V2.0, Sofirn C8L, NEXTORCH TA30C MAX, Nightwatch Legend NG01
User interface⌗
The MT-911 has an electronic side switch to control the torch.
There is smooth ramping and shortcuts to Moonlight, Turbo and Strobe.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Hold | Moonlight |
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| Off | Two clicks | Turbo |
| On | Hold | Smooth ramp |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Two clicks | Turbo |
| Turbo | Hold | Smooth ramp |
| Turbo | Two clicks | Return to ramp (mode memory) |
| Any | Three clicks | Strobe |
| Strobe | Hold | Return to ramp (mode memory) |
| Strobe | Two clicks | Turbo |
| Strobe | Three clicks | Return to ramp (mode memory) |
Mode memory⌗
Mode memory does not include Turbo or Strobe.
Strobe⌗
The frequency starts off slow and then it increases and appears to maintain the same frequency.
Battery status indicator⌗
The battery status indicator went from green to red at 2.86V. It started blinking red around 2.77 to 2.72V and then the light turned off.
Low voltage protection⌗
There is low voltage protection. The emitter turned off at 2.72V and the current dropped to 4 mA.
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.
PWM⌗
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
What I like about the UI⌗
- The smooth ramping is fairly well balanced. It ramps up from Moonlight to Turbo at a relatively consistent rate. Sometimes torches slowly ramp up from Moonlight and then they skip to High and there isn’t much in between. I was able to consistently get to the middle of the ramp (about 500 lumens) by counting to three and releasing the button.
What could be improved⌗
- An electronic lock-out with four clicks from off would be nice. I can twist the tailcap to disconnect the battery.
Batteries and charging⌗
Battery⌗
A battery was not included. 26650 and 26350 cells may be included if the torch is purchased as a kit.
The torch has a 26650 tube and a 26350 tube. A high drain 26650 or 26350 3.7V Li-ion cell is recommended.
I took a 21700 adapter from another Mateminco torch and used that with a Samsung 40T 21700 4000mAh cell.
I tried the following cells in the Mateminco MT-911:
| Cell | Type | Voltage | Top | Compatible? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 40T 21700 4000mAh | Li-ion | 3.7V | Flat | Yes |
| Acebeam IMR21700 NP-500A 5000mAh | Li-ion | 3.7V | Flat | No |
| Weltool UB21-50 21700 5000mAh | Li-ion | 3.7V | Button | No |
Protected 21700 cells with or without built-in USB-C charging are too long and too wide for the adapter. A flat top 21700 cell will fit.
Charging⌗
The MT-911 has USB-C charging built-in.
Power supply: PinePower Desktop USB-C
USB Meter: AVHzY CT-3
Room temperature: 15 C
I charged a Samsung 40T 21700 cell inside the torch from 3.07V to 4.16V. It took about 2 hours 15 minutes to fully charge.
The charging rate gradually rose to 5V 1.9A and then dropped off.
The charging status indicator behind the button started off as red and then it became green when charging was complete.
Power supply compatibility⌗
I tried the following power supplies with the built-in USB-C charger:
| 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:
| Turbo | |
|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 6,200 |
| Runtime | |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 916 |
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 210,000 |
I used a Samsung 40T 21700 4000mAh cell for the following tests.
Lumen measurements⌗
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
I used a UNI-T UT210E clamp meter to measure the current at turn on.
| Mode | Amps at start | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | 0.38 A | 517 | 505 | 482 | |
| Top | 9.63 A | 2,918 | 1,217 | 627 | |
| Turbo | 20.48 A | 6,200 | 4,360 | 2,471 | 632 |
The bottom of the ramp was too low for my DIY lumen tube to measure.
Standby drain⌗
198 µA
Runtime graphs⌗
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
The room temperature was approximately 15 C.
Runtime⌗
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Mode | User manual | Runtime | Turn off | Final voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 2h 5min 42s | 2h 26min 6s | 2.91 | |
| Top | 2h 20min 57s | 2h 27min 54s | 2.90 | |
| Mid | 3h 14min 56s | 3h 14min 56s | 2.92 |
“Runtime” is the time until the output reduces to 10% of the output at 30 seconds (as per the ANSI/PLATO FL1 2019 Standard).
“Turn off” is the time until my DIY lumen tube no longer detects more than 1 lumen.
“+” indicates that the light remained on after recording had stopped.
I measured the middle of the ramp, top of the ramp and Turbo. The bottom of the ramp was too low for my DIY lumen tube to measure.
There are no runtime estimates in the user manual.
The user manual states that a direct drive driver has been used and that output will step down when a temperature of 55 C has bene reached.
Throw⌗
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. The middle of the ramp, top of the ramp and Turbo were measured at five metres.
| Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | 18,050 | 268 | ||
| Top | 77,625 | 557 | ||
| Turbo | 210,000 | 916 | 75,400 | 549 |
Beamshots⌗
I went to a local park and aimed the Mateminco MT-911 at a tree 70 metres away while using Turbo.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
Mateminco MT-911 (Turbo)⌗
Nightwatch Legend NG01 SFN60.2 (High)⌗
Cyansky P25 V2.0 (Turbo)⌗
NEXTORCH TA30C MAX (High)⌗
Sofirn C8L (Turbo)⌗
Conclusion⌗
The Mateminco MT-911 has a nice host but I feel as though it is let down slightly by the driver.
I would hope that a torch this size would be a capable of lasting a few hours at 1,000 lumens but the output gradually drops over time as the voltage drops.
It did not reach an output of 6,200 lumens or a beam distance of 916 metres as claimed in the user manual.
The user interface is relatively simple and fun to use. I like the smooth ramping and how it gradually increases and decreases in output at a consistent rate.
This torch is okay for using around the backyard as a thrower. The hot spot has a bit of width to make identifying things easier and there is a wide spill due to the large OP reflector.
If you are interested in the XLD-G90 emitter, then this torch might be of interest to you. The host is great but it may be worth swapping in another driver.
Pros:⌗
- Good build quality.
- Simple UI.
- Nice throwy beam.
- Easy to open up and modify.
- Built-in USB-C charging.
Cons:⌗
- Runtimes could be better.
- Did not reach the 6,200 lumens claim.
- Did not reach the 916 metres beam distance claim.
Price⌗
The Mateminco MT-911 is US$59.95 from Nealsgadgets.com at the time of writing.
Product page⌗
Promo code: TimMcAU
Promo code: TIMMC
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