Nitecore TIKI Keychain Flashlight Review

What can I say about the Nitecore TIKI Keychain Flashlight that I haven’t already said about the RovyVon Aurora series? Here’s some testing!

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Nitecore TIKI Keychain Flashlight product page.

Versions

Of the TIKI, there’s just one version.  There’s also the TIKI LE, which I’ll cover later.  It offers different secondaries.

Price

The TIKI doesn’t seem to be available, but the TIKI LE is available on Amazon for $19.95 (referral link).

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Short Review

The build is fine.  The output is fine.  I absolutely hate that the design has been lifted from RovyVon in this way, and not improved in a meaningful way.  Also noteworthy is that the updated RovyVon fixes many of the issues I’ll mention later…

Long Review

The Big Table

Nitecore TIKI
Emitter:	Osram P8
Price in USD at publication time:	$19.95 on amazon
Cell:	Internal
High Runtime	Medium Runtime
LVP?	?
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (A):	?
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Chargetime
Power off Charge Port with no Cell?
Claimed Lumens (lm)	300
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	282 (94% of claim)^
Claimed Throw (m)	71
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	57lux @ 4.218m = 1014cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	63.7 (89.7% of claim)^
All my Nitecore 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

• Nitecore TIKI Keychain Flashlight
• Keychain connector

Package and Manual

I think this is one of those “frustration-free” packages, but I was extremely frustrated with it.  That line you see on the bottom right – the scissor mark – doesn’t actually denote where you’ll need to cut.  And when you do cut high enough, you’ll be cutting the serial number off the package.

Here’s the manual.

Build Quality and Disassembly

Build quality is good.

The bezel on the TIKI is metal – stainless I’d guess.

The body is clear on the TIKI – and there’s a bit of molded branding on the back.

Size and Comps

Officially:

Length: 55mm
Head Diameter: 14.7mm
Weight: TIKI: 12g
TIKI LE: 10.5g

It’s a tiny little thing.

And the comparison you should be most interested in.  The TIKI between two RovyVon Auroras.  One is even mostly clear, so you can see the guts of both….

Retention and Carry

Interestingly the only way to carry this little light is the included keychain clip.  There is no pocket clip, as there is on the RovyVon lights.  The clip attaches to the tailcap, making this a very dedicated keychain light.  Since there’s no clip, it’s not possible to use the light on a hat.

Power and Runtime

The TIKI is powered by an internal battery – it’s a lipo pouch!  Since it’s built-in and the light isn’t really able to be disassembled, the TIKI will essentially be disposable.  But it’s rechargeable, and the battery will likely last a good while!

Here’s a runtime on High.  The output is stable for over a minute, which is good, and almost hits the output specs.

A runtime on the second-highest mode.  Output is fairly stable but also fairly low.

And here’s a runtime on the High CRI NW sidelight.  This output is sable for even longer.  Not bad.

Charging

Since the cell is built-in, of course, there’s built-in charging.  This happens by micro-USB.  The cover is press-in and feels pretty secure.

Charging is exceptional and well regulated.  Also fairly fast, at just over an hour.

When charging is happening, there’s a blue indicating LED.  When charging finishes, the light goes off.  I like this setup….  No always-on blue light when charging is complete.

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
High	300	30m	282	–
Mid	60	1h	84	–
Low	15	4h	19	–
Ultralow	1	40h	~	–
Aux White	22	1h30m	28	–
UV	500mW	45m	–	–

Pulse Width Modulation

The PWM on the lower modes is very bad.  Maybe you’ll recall that one of my biggest issues with the original RovyVon was the terrible PWM (which they fixed in later versions!).  The PWM seen below is extremely noticeable, and essentially a deal-breaker for me in this light.

For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor.  Also, here’s the light with the worst PWM I could find.  I’m adding multiple timescales, so it’ll be easier to compare to the test light.  Unfortunately, the PWM on this light is so bad that it doesn’t even work with my normal scale, which is 50 microseconds (50us). 10ms.  5ms.  2ms.  1ms.  0.5ms.  0.2ms.  In a display faster than 0.2ms or so, the on/off cycle is more than one screen, so it’d just (very incorrectly) look like a flat line.  I wrote more about this Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight and explained a little about PWM too.

User Interface and Operation

There’s a single e-switch on this light.  It’s on the side, near the head.  The switch is clicky, and ok… it can be a little difficult to consistently double or triple-click it, though.

Here’s a UI table!

State	Action	Result
Off	Double Click	Ultralow
On	Hold	Off
On	Click	Mode advance (Ultralow, L, M, H)
Off	Hold	High
Off	Triple Click	UV
UV	Click	Mode Advance (Aux White, Aux White Flashing, UV)

LED and Beam

The listed emitter is an Osram P8.

There’s a TIR in front of that emitter.

Also, secondarily, there’s a high CRI NW emitter, and a UV emitter.  These are projected through the plastic body.

Despite UV not penetrating polycarbonate, the UV most certainly exits the body.

These beamshots are always with the following settings:  f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.

UV:

NW:

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.

I compare everything to the Killzone 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!

Conclusion

What I like

• Build quality is good
• UV is a fun party trick
• Charging seems very good

What I don’t like

• It’s like the original RovyVon Aurora, and the new Auroras are better.
• Non-replaceable battery

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Notes

• This light was provided by Nitecore for review. I was not paid to write this review.
• This content originally appeared at zeroair.org.  Please visit there for the best experience!
• For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
• Use my amazon.com referral link if you’re willing to help support making more reviews like this one!
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