Cyansky M1R Keychain Flashlight Review
The Cyansky M1R is a small keychain flashlight with white, red, and UV emitters. It has a 200mAh built-in battery, and has a nice big switch!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Cyansky M1R keychain flashlight product page.
Versions
There is just one version, but it’s available in three body colors. Burgundy, Desert Yellow, and Cool Black (seen here.)
Price
Cyanskystore.com is selling the Cyansky M1R keychain flashlight at $29.95 right now.
Short Review
I like many things about the Cyansky M1R keychain flashlight. I like that it’s rectangular and so very anti-roll. The switch is nice and large, so is easy to actuate. The three emitter options are good, too. I’d rather have a low and high red than a high and blinky red, though.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Cyansky M1R Keychain Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Unstated (With Red and UV) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $29.95 |
| Cell: | Internal (200mAh) |
| High Runtime Graph | Medium Runtime Graph |
| LVP? | |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | all modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 200 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 116 (58% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 5.8 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 55 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 64lux @ 2.749m = 484cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 44.0 (80% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6000-6200 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Cyansky |
| All my Cyansky 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
- Cyansky M1R keychain flashlight
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Keychain and lanyard
- Manual etc
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
There’s not a whole lot to say about the build quality. This is a little rectangular light, with limited access to the internals.
Size and Comps
Officially: 50.4mm x 20mm x 11mm
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll show that here, too (usually the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
And here’s the light beside my custom-engraved TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats.
Retention and Carry
A lanyard hole is included on the tail of the Cyansky M1R keychain flashlight.
This bump-out is permanent and does prevent tailstanding. The included lanyard is an interesting little device, with a bit of a leather (leather-like?) section in the middle, and a split ring included.
You could also attach the split ring to the M1R if you wanted, but I went with the non-mar option.
Power and Runtime
The M1R has a built-in 200mAh lithium-ion battery. I didn’t disassemble this light because it seems that all the parts are slipped into the unibody aluminum from the front, and held in place with the optic.
Here are a couple of runtimes for the highest 2 white modes.
Charging
Charging is by way of a USB-C port in the side.
A USB to USB-C cable is included.
The M1R seems to support C to C charging, but the body prevents all the C to C cables I have from making proper contact. I have a C to C tester which works when connected C to C (to C).
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| White High | 200 | 1.2h | 116 |
| White Med | 25 | 5.5h | 22 |
| White Low | 1 | 40h | 0.6 |
| Red | 13 | 1.5h | – |
| UV | 100mW | 2.5h | – |
Pulse Width Modulation
The lowest two white modes have PWM but the other three output levels do not use PMW.
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor.
Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
A single e-switch controls all the operations of the M1R.
The switch is blue and it’s blue in such a way that I thought it probably has one of those blue protective stickers over it – it does not. The clear switch is just blue!
I like how big the switch cover is. It’s also hard plastic, which makes it great to use. The action is very low and somewhat clicky.
Below you can also see the switch indicating function. It can be green or red or off.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Battery check^ |
| Off | Hold (0.5s) | On (Mode memory, any output)^^ |
| Off | Hold (1.5s) | Switch to other output (White or Red/UV) |
| Off | Double Click | Lockout |
| Lockout | Click | Double blink (white) |
| Lockout | Double Click | Unlock to the previous mode |
| On | Click | Mode advance: White: Low, Medium, High Red Group: Red Steady, Red Flash, UV |
^ Battery check is as follows:
Green steady: >80%
Green blinking: 50%-80%
Red steady: 20%-50%
Red blinking: <20%
^^ The manual says holding for 0.5s will turn on to the white output – it’s actually output memory. So if you were in red/UV before, it’ll turn on to red/UV.
LED and Beam
As far as I can tell, Cyansky does not tell what emitters are in the M1R. There are three though. Red, White (center), and UV.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
These photos are in the order: White Low to High, Red, UV. The lowest white mode is under 6000K, but the higher two ease well into the 6000K range.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have 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. These photos are in the order: White Low to High, 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. These photos are in the order: White Low to High, Red, UV.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Rectangular. No roll at all!
- Great big e-switch
- E-switch cover is hard plastic, so pleasant to press (not squishy at all)
- Red and UV are put away out of the main group
What I don’t like
- Red is too bright
- A lower red mode is necessary
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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