Acebeam TAC AA Flashlight Review
The Acebeam TAC AA flashlight runs one 14500 (included) or AA (1.5V) cell and offers two emitter options. Here’s the CRI90, 5000K Nichia 519a option. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Acebeam TAC AA flashlight product page at killzoneflashlights.com.
Versions
Two emitter options are available, including this Nichia 519a at 5000K and a cool white (6500K) that offers higher output. The body is available in a number of colors, too. Seen here is “Coyote” (brown) and there’s a green, gray, and black option, too.
Price
The Acebeam TAC AA flashlight sells for a very reasonable $39.90 at killzoneflashlights.com. They’re on Amazon.com right now for even less, at $29.99 (referral link)!
Short Review
Historically, I’ve liked these AA-sized lights by Acebeam. There’s the Ryder RX, then a number of Pokelits, including one with higher output and one in titanium. All of those are great lights, and I appreciate this iteration too. It differs largely in that it has a higher candela per lumen. It throws more!
Long Review
The Big Table
| Acebeam TAC AA flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Nichia 519a (5000K, CRI90) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $39.90 at killzoneflashlights.com |
| Cell: | 1×14500 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C (On cell) |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | – |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 750 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 662 (88.3% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 12.22 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 200 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 326lux @ 5.101m = 8483cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 184.2 (92.1% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 5000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 4900-5300 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Acebeam |
| All my Acebeam reviews! | |
| Acebeam TAC AA flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Nichia 519a (5000K, CRI90) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $39.90 at killzoneflashlights.com |
| Cell: | 1xAA |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | – |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 224 |
| Candela per Lumen | 12.22 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | – |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 114lux @ 5.017m = 2869cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 107.1 |
| Claimed CCT | 5000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 4900-5100 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Acebeam |
| 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 TAC AA flashlight
- Acebeam 920mAh 14500
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Lanyard
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
I’ve tested a number of the Pokelit flashlights now, and just a quick summary: I love them! Maybe I’m not sure if we can call this light the throw version of Pokelit – it’s not totally accurate. Anyway, as much as I’ve liked the Pokelit, I also like the TAC AA. (I don’t love the name, though…) (Pokelit didn’t have to have “AA” in the name, for example.)
Anyway, the build quality is great. (There’s a brown spot in a number of these photos. That’s not on the light, that’s on my camera’s sensor (eek).)
The head of the light has a good bit of text, including some emitter information, as seen below. Also on the head are some cooling fins.
Inside the head are all these contacts. I would guess some of those are programming pins, but the center one is definitely the positive contact. Threads on the head end are anodized and very smooth.
There’s a spring on the tail end. Note that the head doesn’t have a spring, so this having “TAC” in the name might be questionable.
Size and Comps
Size: 104.6mm x 24.5mm x 22mm / 4.11”x 0.96”x0.86”
Weight: 75.4g/2.65(oz) with battery
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
Also above is the light beside a new standard 18350 light! It’s not one I’ve reviewed yet but this is the CWF Arcadian Peanut in aluminum. This one is stonewashed and has the new Quantum Dragon driver – a whole new product! Stay tuned for a full review of this tiny powerhouse!
Below is the Acebeam TAC AA flashlight alongside some other 14500 flashlights.
Retention and Carry
The Acebeam TAC AA flashlight gets a nice collar-style clip. This is a very secure connection for pocket clips!
In the clip is the only place to attach the included lanyard, too.
The clip is removable. That tailcap is reverse-threaded. I find that very peculiar. The pocket clip is also keyed, so it’ll only fit properly in one orientation (you can see the flat side on the light body just there in the photo below.)
Included in the package is a pocket clip, too.
Power and Runtime
Included with the Acebeam TAC AA flashlight is a lithium-ion 14500 cell. However, the TAC AA will also run on a single AA cell, too (that is, a 1.5V cell – primary or NiMH.)
The included 14500 cell is a standard button top, with a capacity of 920mAh.
The cell goes into the light in the usual orientation: button (positive end) toward the head.
Below is a set of runtime graphs. Output with a NiMH (or any 1.5V cell) is lower than with the included 14500 cell. I note that in these charts I’ve written them as “Turbo/High/Med” when it should really be “High/Med/Low” – I’ll fix that.
Overall I’d say performance is good, and I really appreciate that the TAC AA runs on lithium-ion and 1.5V cells.
Charging
While the Acebeam TAC AA flashlight itself doesn’t have built-in charging, the included cell does. That’s USB-C charging, and the port can be seen below.
Acebeam includes a short USB to USB-C cable.
Here are a few charge cycles. Charging looks fine but is a bit slow at around 0.5C.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High (14500) | 750-400 | 35s-49m | 709 (0s) 662 (30s) |
3.08 |
| Med (14500) | 200 | 2h | 175 | 0.67 |
| Low (14500) | 40 | 14h | 41 | 0.14 |
| Ultra-Low (14500) | 5 | 58h | 3 | 0.01 |
| High (AA NiMH) | – | – | 224 | 4.25 (on bench power supply, probably not from an AA) |
| Med (AA NiMH) | – | – | 68 | 1.43 |
| Low (AA NiMH) | – | – | 0.12 | [low] |
| Ultra-Low (AA NiMH) | – | – | 1.5 | 0.02 |
Pulse Width Modulation
Every mode from both cell types uses PWM. It’s not at all bad PWM though, and I don’t find it the least bit noticeable. Below (and below through the remainder of this post, in grouped photos) the top row is L>H 14500 and the bottom row is L>H AA (NiMH).
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 switch controls the Acebeam TAC AA flashlight.
When the light is off, tailstanding sort of works. But when the light is on, tailstanding works just fine. The difference in switch on or off makes the difference in tailstanding.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Mode memory) |
| Off | Tap | Momentary On (Mode Memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
| Off | Repeated taps | Mode advance 14500: Ultra-Low > Low > Med > High AA: Low > Ultra-Low > Med > High |
LED and Beam
In the Acebeam TAC AA flashlight is a single Nichia 519a emitter. Nichia 519a is absolutely the latest and greatest, and the usage in this little TAC AA is very good. Acebeam opted for the 5000K High CRI (90) version. The light has a smooth reflector, too.
I like “shaped” bezels, and this one is very good.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
As stated above, Acebeam calls this a 5000K, CRI90 emitter. I’m happy to report that mine seems to be well above 90 CRI for every mode.
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.
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. Most notable in the photos below of the AA output. They are in progressive order, just the lowest output level is not in the “first” position. Basically, on a 1.5V cell, the order is Low > Ultra-Low > Med > High. It’s annoying, but it is what it is. You get used to it.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Nichia 519a seems like a great emitter (high CRI, good CCT)
- Complete package (includes 920mAh 14500)
- Runs on both lithium-ion and AA (alkaline and NiMH) cell types
- Very simple user interface
- Four modes (not just three like the Pokelits)
What I don’t like
- Weird mode order with AA
Notes
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