Acebeam W30 LEP flashlight review
Introduction:
Acebeam was one of the first flashlight manufacturers who dare to enter the LEP flashlight market. This means they have quite some experience and the Acebeam W30 is one that can reach 2.4km!
Since I only like to review flashlights I’m personally interested in, each and every review I can start by saying: I’m excited to test this bad boy. Lol. And sure I am very excited because this is supposed to be one of the best LEP flashlights of 2019-2020
What you’ll get:
Package quality is fine. Not special.
- TheAcebeam W30 flashlight
- 21700 USB-C battery
- Lanyard
- USB cable
- O-rings
- Lanyard
- 18650 battery adapter
- Warranty card
- Manual
- Warning card
- Red filter
Acebeam W30 specifications
| Brand / Model | Acebeam W30 |
|---|---|
| LEP | Class 2M (4000K) Class 3B (6500K) |
| Lumens | 500 |
| Beam intensity | 1,450,000 |
| Battery config. | 1*21700 |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Modes | 1 |
| Blinkies | N/A |
| Reflector | N/A |
| Waterproof | 100 meters |
| Review date | May 2020 |
Handling of the light
Playing with the W30 is fun, although it’s not a toy. Far from that. The W30 is designed for professionals and the design and quality clearly resembles that. There is only switch, at the rear, for power.
It uses a forward clicky that let’s you use it for signaling and momentary-on.
The body feels quite slippery but with all the machining marks and pistol grip ring, it hold very nicely in your hands. You don’t need to be afraid for it to slip.
Pocket clip feel sturdy and if you don’t like it, you can simple take it off without too much hassle. Acebeam also included a lanyard in case you prefer carrying it that way. The red filter is great for hunting at night, but I don’t have any use for that. It seems to be made of high quality materials though.
Build Quality, knurling, threads, and anodization
The anodization is matte and looks very good. Much better than the shiny black used by other manufactures. 2 O-rings seal off the battery tube. According to its specs it is supposed to be usable underwater as well, up to 100 meters. That is pretty amazing.
Machining is well done and I got my copy as a second hand. So mine had a few little spots but nothing extreme.
LEP, Lens, Bezel, and Reflector
No LED but an LEP. Available with CRI90, 4000K (class 2M) and 6500K (Class 3B laser) that is able to reach 2400 meters and a peak beam intensity of 1450000cd, 1.45Mcd. This review is about the 6500K cool white version with Class 3B laser.
The name White Laser is a little deceiving since there are no white lasers. It has a blue laser that is reflected onto phosphor and with a convext lens focused at onto a very narrow beam. It’s divergence angle is supposed to be 1.8 degrees. See for more explanation on LEP flashlight, the image below. I’m not an expert on lasers, so I have to trust their specifications.
The stainless steel bezel looks much better than a standard black, aluminum, bezel. It doesn’t only look better, it’s also much stronger than aluminum. Dropping or accidentally hitting the bezel should be okay without too much damage.
Inside the package is also a red filter. In case you want to use this bad boy for hunting. The beam is very narrow but reaches really far. Check out the beamshots towards the end of the review.
Dimensions:
- Length: 198 mm ( 7.795”)
- Head diameter: 60 mm ( 2.363 ”)
- Lens width: 53.9 mm (2.12″)
- Body diameter: 24.52mm ( 0.965 ”)
Weight:
- Empty: 259.3 grams ( 9.15oz)
- With battery: 332.3 grams ( 11.72 oz)
- Battery: 72.7gr (2.56oz)
LEP Flashlights
Size compared to other LEP flashlights
From left to right: Acebeam W30, Weltool W4, Jetbeam RRT M1X raptor, Jetbeam M1X WP-RX, No-brand 26650 LEP, Nextorch T10L, Jetbeam RRT M2S, Jetbeam M2S WP-RX, Weltool W3 PRO, Fenix TK30, Nextorch T7L, Acebeam W10 gen2.
Driver & User Interface:
A simpler UI is impossible. Click on, Click off. No modes.
From OFF:
- Half-press: Momentary-on
- Single-click: Full Power
From ON:
- Half-press: nothing
- Single click: Off
Low battery warning:
- There is a battery level indicator at the side of the light.
- Green= 3Volts+
- Red=below 3Volts
Lock-out mode:
- No, just unscrew the tailcap
PWM:
- Not visible
Batteries and charging:
Acebeam provides a 5100mAh 21700 battery. Its product code is IMR21700NP-510A. On the top of the battery is also a tiny battery indicator. It’s always on, albei extremely dim. I suppose that is normal. It has a Micro USB port to charge. When charging: red=charging, green=full.
Unprotected, flat tops, like the Samsung 21700 40T also work fine, but they do rattle a bit when you shake the flashlight. I tested the flashlight with both batteries and both produce the same output numbers in throw.
You can still use 18650 batteries with the included metal battery adapter (not plastic). However, short flat tops have trouble with keeping contact on both ends. When you shake the light, the beam will flicker. Protected 18650 batteries like the Acebeam ARC18650H-310A work perfectly, without losing contact when shaking the flashlight.
Performance:
My readings were taken from the included Acebeam 21700 battery and a Fluke 77III DMM .
Amp measurement:
- On: 3.10 A
Lumen measurements:
All output numbers are relative for my home-made Integrating Sphere. It is now set up with an Extech SDL400 Lux Meter for measurements. For extremely bright flashlights (above approx. 5000 lumens) I am adding an ND filter, either a Kenko PRO1D ND-16 filter. The base measurement is done with a Convoy S2+ that is tested at 137 lumens.
- Turbo: 490 lm
That’s pretty close to the claimed 500 lumens. It must be a finetuning thing that my sample slightly underperformed.
Runtime:
The runtime test was done with the integrating sphere, including the Kenko Pro1D ND-16 filter and Extech SDL400 data logging Lux Meter.
From the runtime graph we can see that it reduces output slowly over the first 1 hour and 45 minutes and then drops to roughly 38 lumens. When I checked the output I actually saw the light was flickering, not blinking. So I would suggest to stop using the light when it initially drops in output! When I took the battery out it measured 2.6V. The battery protection should activate at 2.5V. So no much reason to wait till the last drop unless your life depends on it. Then you can still have a few minute to replace your battery.
Throw measurement:
Measurements were taken outdoors with a professional Hagner E4-X Lux Meter. After several readings and 2 different batteries the maximum I could get was:
- 20meters: 1,312,000cd = 2291m / 1.42 miles / 7515.92 feet
Acebeam claims 1,450,000 and 2405 meters. I couldn’t replicate. But keep in mind this is still one of the most extreme throw flashlights!
Beamshots
For the following beamshots I use the following settings and gear:
Canon 5d mk2, 100mm, F4, .5sec, ISO1600, 5000K.
The first tower is approximately 650 meters away (710 yards).
The second tower is about 450 meters away ( 492 yards).
Jetbeam M1X WP-RX Fenix TK30 Acebeam W30 Noctigon K1 Speras T1 Nextorch T7L Jetbeam M1X WP-RX Fenix TK30 Acebeam W30 Nextorch T7L Speras T1 Noctigon K1
Disclaimer: This flashlight was bought with my own money. I have not been paid to review, nor have I been holding back on problems or defects.
Overall conclusion
Pros:
- Nice amount of accessories included
- Extreme long range flashlight
- Waterproof, you can even dive with it
Cons
- Only 1 mode? (doesn’t have to be a con)
- Not reaching the claimed beam distance
- Flickering at the end of its battery life
Rating: 4 stars ★★★★
You are looking for a thrower? Maybe for hunting? Or just to show off to your friends? The Acebeam might be your choice. It has only 1 mode, which could be a deal-breaker, but it is 1 crazy flashlight. Although not reaching the claimed distance, it’s still beating 99.9% of all LED flashlights in the world! There aren’t many flashlights, especially this size that can beat em! Recommended for professionals only, aged 18+. Definitely worth 4 stars.
Acebeam W30 for sale
The Acebeam W30 is very difficult to get. Instead, I’d recommend looking at the Weltool W4 for a single cell LEP flashlight, or the best LEP below $500, the Maxtoch Xsword L2K.
