Nextorch TA31 Tactical Searchlight Review
The Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight offers built-in 21700 cells and a two-stage switch. A rotary mode dial allows tactical-specific uses, too! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight product page.
Versions
Only one version of the Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight is available.
Price
I also have a referral coupon for Nextorch.com that’ll give you 10% off! The code is “ZEROAIR.”
The Nextorch TA31 is also available on Amazon – here’s a TA31 referral link!
What’s Included
- Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
Nextorch has continued its build quality here with the TA31. It’s very good; the light feels extremely solid. The Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight has an interesting shape – the cell tube/grip area is thinner in one direction. That reflects the 2×21700 cell orientation.
The downside here is that the light does not come apart. More on it later but the head does unscrew to reveal the charging port, but the head is captured – it doesn’t unscrew completely.
Size and Comps
Dimensions: 156 mm x 53 mm x 49 mm
Weight: 425 g 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 you see below is a custom Convoy S2+ host that’s been laser engraved by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or just go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
Also above is the light beside a TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!
Retention and Carry
A pocket clip is included on the Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight. It’s a screwed-in clip and can be removed by removing two Torx screws. The clip is simple but very refined and high quality. Another way to say that is that the clip is not an afterthought. The edges are finished and there’s a channel for the lanyard, etc.
The lanyard can also be installed through two holes on either side of the tailcap area surrounding the switch.
Power and Runtime
Nextorch states the battery as 2x 4800mAh – almost certainly 21700 cells, (but I’m not sure they state that explicitly). It doesn’t matter though, because the cells are not accessible.
Turbo output has to be tested in the way shown below because it is momentary-only. Turbo can not be turned on and left on.
Most of the modes have a stepdown. That’s somewhat surprising – Based on how steady the light is on Medium (last runtime, above), it could probably hold the initial output of ~1500 lumens for longer.
The light shuts off when the battery voltage gets low. Since it’s built-in and inaccessible, I was not able to test the voltage.
Charging
Of course, along with the built-in battery, we have built-in charging. That charging happens via this USB-C port. The port is covered in an unusual (but not “rare”) way. It is only revealed when the head is unscrewed. Again, the head is captured, so the head doesn’t unscrew completely off, and thus there is no further access to the internals through here.
Nextorch provides an A to C charging cable. Note the little green accents in the cable – I love that!
Charging works fine with A to C or C to C. Charging will take advantage of higher voltage if you have it, charging at up to 9V.
Charging status indication is done by a little blue LED near the charge port. When charging, it blinks once. When charging is complete, it blinks in 4x cycles.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 10,000 | – (momentary only) | 10224 (0s) 1788(30s) |
| High | 6,000 | 3h30m | 5904 (0s) 5678(30s) |
| Medium | 1,500 | 5h | 1485 |
| Low | 320 | 15h | 300 |
| Eco | 20 | 170h | 15.5 |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the modes seem to use PWM, but there’s a bit of noise here and there. It’s very doubtful that this will be visible to the naked eye.
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
The Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight uses a switch we’ve seen before – it’s a sort of two-stage switch.
Before you even get to the switch though, you can select the mode you want via the rotary dial. Lock, Duty, or TAC. This dial is very firm and it’s unlikely you’ll rotate it accidentally.
The switch has an indicating ring, too, which is a very nice touch. It’s protected on two sides by the loops used for lanyard attachment. Those still allow access when wearing gloves.
This switch is an improvement on a light like the TA30C Max, on which the rotary dial could select multiple modes.
The switch also has an indicator, which activates when the rotary dial is turned to the Lock position. Indication is as follows:
Blue: 75-100%
Blue flashing: 50-75%
Red: 25-50%
Red flashing: 0-25%
Here’s a UI table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dial on lock | Any switch action | No change in light output – switch indicator ring indicates battery charge level |
| Dial on Duty – Off | Half press | Momentary “Memory preview” |
| Dial on Duty – Off | Full press | On to mode memory |
| Dial on Duty – On | Half press | Mode advance (Eco > Low > Med > High) (No turbo) |
| Dial on Duty – On | Full press | Off |
| Dial on Tac – Off | Half press | Momentary Turbo |
| Tial on Tac – Off | Full press | Momentary Strobe |
LED and Beam
Nextorch doesn’t state what emitters are used in the TA31 tactical searchlight. There are four of them and they have domes and use reflectors. Past that, we’ll see below!
The bezel also has a strike feature. It’s not meant for defense but is good for breaking glass.
One bit of information that can’t really go anywhere else – the Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight prominently features a proximity sensor. This sensor can not be disabled. That’s a change from some other lights by Nextorch, where the proximity sensor could be disabled, even if the means to do so what a bit convoluted. I strongly prefer that over not having the option to disable the sensor at all!
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Below you can see that the emitter is cool white (from around 5800K to around 6400K) and low CRI (at around 70). The Duv is positive. For a very high-output light, this is about what you could expect.
Beamshots
These beamshots are always with the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.
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. Turbo is not shown below because the proximity sensor is triggered (and can’t be disabled.)
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
The Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight is a neat light, offering high output within the claims that Nextorch makes (yay!). I continue to love this switch Nextorch uses – but I’ve loved dual-stage switches for a long time! The addition of the indicator ring (which Nextorch has done before), is great, too. I don’t love that the highest level is tucked away in a separate group but that’s nothing more than preference.
The Big Table
| Nextorch TA31 tactical searchlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Unstated white (x4) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $244.99 |
| Cell: | Internal (2×21700) |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 10000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1788 (17.9% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 4.1 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 380 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 941lux @ 5.561m = 29100cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 341.2 (89.8% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5800-6400 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Nextorch |
| All my Nextorch 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 I like
- Great build quality
- Dual-stage tail switch
- Simplified rotary selector
- Very steady modes after an initial stepdown – still very high output
What I don’t like
- High cost
- 2×21700 cells are built-in and inaccessible
- Cool white/low CRI
- Momentary-only turbo (I get it though – it’s a very high output level)
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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