Acebeam UC15 Keychain Flashlight Review
What an interesting keychain flashlight the Acebeam UC15 is! It has multi-chemistry support, multiple emitters, and an interesting design.
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Acebeam UC15 keychain flashlight product page at killzoneflashlights.com.
Versions
There’s only one version of this light, but available in 4 colors: Black, Silver, Red, and Blue.
Price
MSRP is $59.90. I’ve seen them down in the $50 range. They’re available on Amazon(referral link).
Short Review
This is a solid little light, and versatile. I quite like it!!
Long Review
The Big Table
Acebeam UC15 | |
---|---|
Emitter: | Cree XP-L HD (Also: 1*CREE XPE2 630nm, 1*Nichia 276A 365nm) |
Price in USD at publication time: | Around $50 on at killzoneflashlights.com. |
Cell: | 2xAAA |
Turbo Runtime | |
Switch Type: | E-Switch |
Quiescent Current (A): | 0.00002 |
On-Board Charging? | No |
Claimed Lumens (lm) | 250 |
Claimed Throw (m) | 107 |
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 89lux @ 2.951m = 775cd |
Throw (Calculated) (m) | 55.7 (52.1% of claim)^ |
All my Acebeam reviews! |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What’s Included
- Acebeam UC15
- Pocket clip
- Hex key
- Manual and papers
Package and Manual
The box for the UC15 is a nice little display-ready slip-fit box, with a bunch of printing on the outside. Runtimes, features, etc. The box also has a checkbox for “Cree XP-L” or “Nichia” but I have a feeling that doesn’t mean that the main emitter would ever be a Nichia and that the Nichia on the box just concerns the UV emitter, which is Nichia. Strange labeling, in any case. (The product page does actually seem to give credence to the possibility that there could be a main-emitter Nichia model, however.)
The manual is pretty good, with a good graphic of the UI, and a nice description of the light.
Build Quality and Disassembly
As I’ve already said, this is a solid little light. It’s got a nice heft without being large, and all the connections are very snug and well-fit. Also, it’s a metal body.
Aside from being well-built, it just looks cool. It has a nice three-emitter symmetry. The reflector for the main emitter is surprisingly large.
There are three hex screws on the body. Two are for the pocket clip. The other is likely for further disassembling the head (or at least taking the guts out of the light). I believe the bezel is press-fit in and has quite an edge.
I didn’t disassemble the light further than the above. The tail unscrews by the key loop. This tightens down fairly snugly but I can’t say for certain that it won’t unscrew when being used on a keyring.
Size
Officially 66.10mm (Length) x 29mm (Width) x16.3mm (Thickness). It’s probably a little bigger than many keychain lights, but it’s quite versatile.
It’s larger than the Nitecore TIP, another metal body light. (Notable differences include multiple emitters on the UC15, and that the UC15 runs on AAA/10440 cells, not internal pouch battery).
Retention
As this is a keychain light, the primary means for carry will likely be the key loop on the end. As stated above, I’m not sure if this would unscrew through regular carry of the light on a keyring, but it’s something I would evaluate if you intend to carry the light this way. I don’t, so it’s a non-issue. This is what’s also unscrewed to replace cells in the light.
The light also ships with a pocket clip, unattached. Acebeam kindly includes a hex key for installing the clip. This is easy, and it’s how my light lives now. The clip attaches very securely and is also very sturdy. It’s thick steel. It rides a little farther off the body than I’d like, but the mouth is nice and big and it really carries well. That said, the clip is nice and roomy because it’s intended to fit on the bill of a cap. And for that, it’s perfect!!
Power
Interestingly this light is powered by two AAA cells. I’ve used Eneloops of course, but the light isn’t picky. It’ll even work with Li-Ion 10440 cells. Even more interesting is that the cells are in parallel. So yes, the light will work with a single cell!
The cells go positive-end-in. The removable part on the tail has two brass springs.
A runtime test of turbo with Eneloop cells goes as follows. The output stays above 90% for around 20 minutes. Not bad. The temperature stays reasonable too.
I apologize for not having 10440 cells for testing. I’d love to see this little light churn out 1000 lumens, though.
To be honest, the manual doesn’t really cover what the indicating switch does. It certainly lights green when the light is on if nothing else. I believe it also provides some low voltage indication.
User Interface and Operation
There’s a single switch on the UC15. It’s an indicating e-switch on the side. It’s very clicky, and a little mashy. This mashiness is most noticeable when double-clicking, which is required frequently in the UI.
Here’s a user interface table!
State | Action | Result |
---|---|---|
Off | Click | On (Memory, all modes) |
Off | Long Press | White, Low |
Off | Double Click | Turbo |
Any | Triple Click | Strobe |
On | Hold | Emitter Cycle |
On | Click | Off |
On | Double Click | Mode Advance (White) |
This UI is simple enough.
Modes
Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) (AAA/10400) | Claimed Runtime (AAA/10400) | Mode Measured Lux | Tailcap Amps |
---|---|---|---|---|
High | 250/(1000+200) | 1.1h/(1m +46m) | 4250 | 1.20 |
Medium | 82/200 | 3.7h/1.3h | 1740 | 0.46 |
Low | 10/10 | 14h/19h | 255 | 0.08 |
Red | – | 1.6h/1.5h | – | 0.71 |
UV (365nm) | – | 1.3h/1.2h | – | 0.81 |
LED and Beam
There’s a bit of contradictory information on the main emitter. The manual I have says it’s a Cree XP-L HD. The product page says both XP-L HD and XM-L2. I’m not sure which it actually is. I can’t see the dot on the background for polarity, so I’m thinking it’s likely the XP-L HD.
The main emitter has a nice spot, which is quite broad. There’s a good bit of spill, too. It’s a fine beam profile for a keychain light.
The other two emitters are CREE XPE2 630nm, and Nichia 276A 365nm. The side emitters, of course, are completely flood.
Beamshots
These beamshots are always with the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Red:
UV:
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left, and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.
Random Comparisons and Competitive Options
Here’s a relevantly filtered page on parametrek.com. This light compares more easily with keychain lights (of course) but is in reality more of a flashlight enthusiast’s keychain light. So nothing in the keychain light realm compares at all.
Conclusion
What I like
- Metal body
- Uses AAA and 10440 as well
- Ridiculous output with 10440
- Pocket clip is very secure
What I don’t like
- Pocket clip is a little bulky (but also perfect for a ballcap)
- Button is mashy
Notes
- This light was provided by Acebeam for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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There ARE two versions, the Cree emitter and the Nichia emitter. I have both and must admit the Nichia makes a more true to color light,
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