Nitecore TIKI LE Keychain Flashlight Review
What can I say about the Nitecore TIKI LE Keychain Flashlight that I haven’t already said about the RovyVon Aurora series? Here’s some testing!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Nitecore TIKI LE Keychain Flashlight product page.
Versions
Of the TIKI LE, there’s just one version. It has red and blue secondaries. There’s also the TIKI, which I’ll cover later. It offers different secondaries (UV and High CRI NW).
Price
The TIKI doesn’t seem to be available, but the TIKI LE is available on Amazonfor $19.95! (referral link)
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 LE | |
|---|---|
| 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) | 255 (85% of claim)^ |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 71 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 56lux @ 4.179m = 978cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 62.5 (88% of claim)^ |
| All my Nitecore reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: I am an amateur flashlight reviewer. I don’t have $10,000 or even $1,000 worth of testing equipment. I test output and such in PVC tubes!! Please consider claims within 10% of what I measure to be perfectly reasonable (accurate, even).
What’s Included
- Nitecore TIKI LE 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. Between the clear and smoke, I like the smoke body better – if the red/blue secondaries work for you and body color makes a difference….
The bezel on the TIKI LE is plastic.
Size and Comps
Officially:
Length: 55mm
Head Diameter: 14.7mm
Weight: TIKI: 12g
TIKI LE: 10.5g
And the comparison you should be most interested in. The TIKI LE between two RovyVon Auroras.
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 on 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 LE 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 LE 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. The stepdown is claimed in the manual to deal with the heat produced.
A runtime on the second highest mode. Output is fairly stable but also fairly low.
The secondary Red is fairly stable for just over an hour.
The Blue emitter is less bright, and also doesn’t last as long – surprising that the blue emitter would be less efficient?
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 | 255 | – |
| Mid | 60 | 1h | 75 | – |
| Low | 15 | 4h | 7 | – |
| Ultralow | 1 | 40h | ~ | – |
| Red | 3 | 1h | – | – |
| Blue | 0.8 | 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 on 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, with 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 | Red |
| Red | Click | Mode Advance (Red, Red/Blue Flash (Police), Blue) |
LED and Beam
The listed emitter is an Osram P8.
There’s a TIR in front of that emitter.
These beamshots are always with the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.
Red:
Blue:
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
- Police mode 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
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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