NiteCore Tiny Monster Field Test

Posted on March 29, 2012 by gregh

Recently, we wrote a post about the NiteCore Tiny Monster TM11, a 2000-lumen LED flashlight that’s about the size of a Coke can. It was impressive in our lab, but we were anxious to get it out in the field for some real-world testing. We took the TM11, along with a few other lights, out to a local disc golf course under the cover of darkness to see what this thing could really dish out.

We set up the camera on a tripod on the tee box, and positioned each light directly below the lens, so the pictures would resemble the user’s perspective. The pin (the metal pole with chains and a yellow hoop at the top) is 300 feet from the tee, and is visible off in the distance in the upper center of each photo.

Here’s the Tiny Monster beam shot:

And here’s a beam shot of the Jet Beam RRT3 with the smooth reflector:

So which one did we like better? Well, as you can see, the outputs are very similar. Each one lit up the woods like broad daylight. Each one had a bright hot spot. Each one had plenty of side fill. But we’re still siding with the Tiny Monster, and here are a few reasons why…

1) The Tiny Monster has a more natural hot spot with more even light distribution across the center of the beam angle. The hot spot on the Jet Beam was more concentrated and almost blue. It’s still plenty bright, but it distorted the colors of objects off in the distance.

2) The Tiny Monster has an integrated blinking light in the power button. It may sound like a useless feature now, but if you hike out into the woods at night with a bag full of gear and try to dig out your flashlight, you’ll wish all your flashlights had this feature. Hats off to NiteCore for having the foresight to put this feature on their light.

3) It’s tiny…

You get the same output from a light that’s a fraction of the size of it’s competition. We’re sold.

If you’re still doubting the power of the Tiny Monster, check one out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. You can even request other lights you’d like to see the Tiny Monster compared to…just give us a shout.

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Dixie Gun and Knife Show: Road Trip to the Queen City

Posted on February 22, 2012 by gregh

This past weekend was a busy one for us here at Light Junction. The Dixie Gun and Knife show (http://dixiegunandknifeshow.com/) was in Charlotte, NC, so we packed up shop and took off for the Queen City.

The weather was beautiful Saturday morning, especially considering the rain we’d had lately, so we were expecting a good turnout, but we’d never been to this location before, so we were still unsure about how things would go. We weren’t left guessing very long, though. People were there bright and early waiting in line for a first look at all the gear for sale. The picture below was taken almost an hour before the doors even opened.

Sunday’s weather wasn’t as kind. With temperatures just above freezing and sleet/snow in the forecast, the crowds were a little more scarce, but there were still plenty of dedicated people braving the weather to check out what all the vendors had to offer.

We took most of our flashlights, gun lights, scopes and mounts, but we started running out of room at our tables before we had them all out. You don’t realize how many lights you sell until you try to line them all up at once. Here’s a shot of one of our tables.

As you can see by the t-shirts in the background, all the vendors are packed in there shoulder to shoulder, so you get to know the people working in your area pretty well. It almost felt like working in the food court at the mall…except the only food around is beef jerky, and everyone is carrying a weapon.

All in all, it was a good show. It’s nice to get out of the office on occasion and talk with you guys face to face, plus, we’re always looking for a chance to play with our lights. These shows present some great opportunities to take all the gear out of the boxes and do some field testing. If you didn’t get a chance to come out to this show, or if you’ve never been to a trade show before, you should definitely try to make the next one. We’ll do our best to keep you updated about upcoming events.

Posted in New Products | 4 Comments

NiteCore Tiny Monster TM11: Size isn’t everything

Posted on February 9, 2012 by gregh

As a light dealer, we play with a lot of different flashlights (it’s kind of our thing). Big lights, small lights, lights that mount to weapons, bicycles and dive equipment. We’ve even seen lights that will just about get rid of the shadows on the moon. So at this stage in the game, naturally, it takes quite a bit to impress us. Well, this one caught our attention to say the least.

The NiteCore Tiny Monster is unlike anything we’ve ever sold before. This powerful little light boasts a jaw-dropping 2000 lumen output from a 135 x 60mm body. It uses 3 CREE XM-L LEDs and 3 highly reflective cones to give you one of the brightest hot spots you’ve ever seen. It’s lightweight, easy to handle, and the small profile makes it convenient to carry around on your hip or stash in a bag for transport.

Included in the package is 1 NiteCore Tiny Monster light, a holster for your waist, an extra o-ring, an owners manual and warranty card.

One pretty awesome feature about this light is the integrated battery magazine. Many lights use separate battery holders that are flimsy and often break. The TM11 uses an integrated battery holder in the tail end of the light, adding durability and reducing the number of small parts you have to keep track of. This feature alone would get this light a special mention.

Another cool feature is that the power button has a blinking red ring around it when the batteries are installed. This light draws very little current, so it won’t drain your battery down, and it’s a really useful feature for trying to locate your light in the middle of the night.

To get an idea for how small this light actually is, we set it up next to one of our most popular models, the JetBeam RRT-3 SST-50. The TM11 is significantly smaller than the RRT-3, and puts out 800 more lumens. Yeah. You read that right. 800 more lumens.

As far as the brightness to portability ratio goes, you’re gonna have a hard time finding something better than the TM11. It’s got a super bright hot spot, an excellent 200 lumen low light setting for conserving power, and it’s easy to take it with you just about anywhere.

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