Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus Flashlight Review

The Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus flashlight has red, green, blue, UV, and High CRI emitters in one package! RGB can be mixed and the light runs one 18650! Read on!

---

Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus product page.

Versions

Of the Gen 2, there are a few versions! First here are body colors. Carbon black, olive green, vibrant orange, and dark blue. There are also two white emitter options: Cree XP-G4 (cool white) and Nichia 519a (4500K, High CRI). The package is available with and without a cell, too. And finally, this light is available as an 18650 light (seen here) or as an 18350 light (seen here).

There’s also a first-generation Mix-7, too!

Price

The price varies based on which options you pick. The high CRI version is the most expensive, at $87.90 (with battery) (and I don’t see a way to exclude the battery). This Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus (high CRI) option is $87.90.

---

What’s Included

• Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus
• Skilhunt 3500mAh 18650
• Charge cable (USB to proprietary magnetic)
• Lanyard
• Pocket clip
• Mesh pouch
• Magnet removal blank
• UV filter that fits atop a reflector for the UV
• Spare o-rings (2)
• Manual

Package and Manual

Build Quality and Disassembly

Skilhunts are usually well-built lights, and this one is no exception. The design language between this Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 flashlight and the other M-series lights (including generation 1, of course) is very consistent! That’s nice, even if this MiX-7 doesn’t have the naming convention (unless the M is the carryover and the model is sort of “iX-7” – possible, I guess.)

I love that this series has been updated with an 18650 option. Between the two (and owning both) it’s hard to say which I prefer. I really love the way this longer (18650) version handles!

Previous versions of this light (and other Skilhunt lights) used a blue bezel. I’m exceptionally pleased to note that the Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus stainless bezel is black. This really tickles me to have an orange and black light. Particularly the great Mix-7!

Notably, and maybe surprisingly, my Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus has blue surrounding the switch. I have a feeling that’s a one-off. Pictured on the site, the switch bezel always matches the head bezel.

The threads are square-cut and lubed an appropriate amount. There’s a magnet in the tailcap. You can remove it, and if you do, you should use the rubber spacer in place of the magnet. That’ll keep things snug!

The head end has a spring, too. On your copy, the head will likely not come off. That makes sense – you can see a little wavy washer there. Skilhunt doesn’t want to run the risk of that getting loose or lost, so they (typically) glue the head to the body.

You can see that little wavy washer below (and above). The cell tube isn’t reversible.

Size and Comps

Dimension: L109.6mm / 4.31″, Head diameter 32.5mm / 1.28 “.
Weight: 68g / 2.40 oz (Excluded 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 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. It’s a pretty nice friction-fit clip.

This is a two-way clip and lives only on the tail end of the Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus flashlight. This clip is long on the tiny MiX-7. It’s not a problem, but, well, it’s a long clip. This clip length works much better on the Plus version than on the 18350 size.

Also included is a lanyard, which attaches either through the pocket clip (less recommended) or the tailcap, where there is a hole for this express purpose.

Skilhunt included (separately) this little nylon pouch. I like this more than I figured I would, but since it was separate I’m not really sure if it’s included with all purchases or not.

As mentioned above, the tailcap has a magnet. The magnet is sufficiently strong to hold the MiX-7 Gen 2 Plus.

Power and Runtime

The Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus runs a single lithium-ion cell. My package included an 3500mAh 18650 button top cell.

The cell goes into the light in the normal way: positive end (button) toward the head.

Inside the cell tube is a sticker indicating that the cell should go with the positive end toward the head.

Below you can see four runtime tests. Performance is very good. There’s a big stepdown from T1 Turbo fairly quickly but after that, the output is very stable at the “T2” level.

Low voltage protection was observed in every test. The switch will blink red to let you know the voltage is low, too.

Charging

The Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus also has built-in charging. There’s a connector opposite the switch. One end is a USB plug, and the other is a proprietary magnetic connector.

The connection works well. Notably, this is the “MC-20” charger, which peaks at around 1A.

The Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 and Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus get different chargers, so the charge speed is different. MC-10 is around 1A and this MC-20 is around 2A.

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
T1	1400/380	2m+170m	1290 (0s) 1209 (30s)	5.31
T2	700/3800	5m+155m	628	1.85
H1	380	180m	324	0.85
M1	130	10h	111	0.26
M2	38	30h	32	0.08
L1	3	90h	2.7	0.02
L2	0.4	600h	0.18	[low]
Red 1	230/125	3m+265m	–	1.56
Red 2	40	17h	–	0.15
Red 3	15	35h	–	0.06
Red 4	1	90h	–	0.01
Green 1	375/235	3m+220m	–	1.72
Green 2	120	16h	–	0.18
Green 3	55	33h	–	0.07
Green 4	7	100h	–	0.02
Blue 1	55/35	3m+210m	–	1.77
Blue 2	12	14h	–	0.20
Blue 3	5	30h	–	0.07
Blue 4	0.5	100h	–	0.02
UV 1	1000mW	450m	–	0.44
UV 2	200mW	30h	–	0.09
UV 3	40mW	70h	–	0.03

Pulse Width Modulation

There’s no PWM at all on any mode.

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

There’s a single switch on the MiX-7. It’s a side e-switch, with an indicator in the center. It’s a big secure switch, with a very positive but quiet click. I very much like this switch. The switch seems unchanged from the previous iterations of the M-series.

I like the bezel a bit less – it’s proud over the switch. That’s fine if you need to protect the switch from accidental activation, but with lockout I really don’t need that.

The cutout for the switch in the head is the same size as the charge connector, and while it’s hard to distinguish between the two while holding the light, I found that it didn’t matter; I’ll just pinch the light with both spots between my fingers, and activate the light.

The user interface could be a bit daunting, but it’s very straightforward when you get used to it. It’s also very logical and provides access to low from off, which is as close to a requirement from a user interface as I have. This user interface is also updated from the previous versions. Of course it is though, that’s half the point of this version! This one adds a few color modes but also allows mixing of the color emitters!!

Skilhunt’s user interface chart is also updated to be more flow-charty, which I appreciate.

Here’s a UI table!

State	Action	Result
Off	Hold	Low (Memory between L1 and L2)
L1 or L2	Hold	Switch between L1 and L2
L1 or L2	Click Hold	Main Group (Memory between H, M1, M2)
L1 or L2	Double click	No change
Main group	Double click	Turbo Group (memory between T1, T2)
On	Click	Off
Off	Click	Main Group (Memory between H, M1, M2)
Off	Double click	Turbo Group (memory between T1, T2)
Off	Click 4x	Lockout (Three blinks of main emitters to confirm and the switch turns red briefly)
Lockout	Click 4x	Unlock to L2
Lockout	Click 2x	Iterate lockout indicator^
Lockout	Hold	Momentary Output (Appears to be approximately L1)
Off	Click 3x	Strobe group (memory)^^
Strobe Group	Click 2x	Strobe Advance
On	Click	Off
On	Click 2x + Hold	Color memory memory (but always level 1 (highest) of that color)
Any color on	Hold	Advance through modes of that color (ascending)
Any color on	Click Hold	Change between single RGB (Red > Green > Blue)
Any color on	Click 2x	Color Mix (memory) – There is just one output level of mixed RGB.
Color mix	Hold	Advance through color mix
Off	Click Hold	RGB (single) memory
Off	Hold 2s	UV (memory)
UV	Hold	Advance through 3 UV modes

^ Lockout indicator blinks a red switch every 2-3 seconds.

^^ Seems like the strobe group is the only group that isn’t advanced by a hold. Since there’s no hold anywhere else into or out of Strobe, I am not sure why that user interface continuity wasn’t maintained here.

LED and Beam

In the higher output version, Skilhunt has used three Cree XP-G4 emitters. They’re cool white, and unlike generation 1 of the Mix-7, this version uses a TIR for all emitters (except UV).

This version of the Plus, though, has three Nichia 519a emitters. The point of using these emitters (which are lower output) is that they are very high CRI.

There are a total of four emitter varieties here: white (Nichia 519a, 5000K), Red, Green, Blue, and UV. The UV is dead center. The light ships with a little UV filter and the reflector for UV has a little lip where this filter sits. That’s a nice touch by Skilhunt and well-considered. (Also shipping this way seems to prevent some notable patent issues…)

Skilhunt smartly put a little lip in the reflector only on the UV area, and this little filter fits perfectly! That also explains why (or one reason) the bezel isn’t glued. It unscrews easily and the filter slips right in! There are photos in the review of the 18350 body Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 of how to install that filter.

The secondary emitters are very bright, but thankfully on this Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus flashlight, there are multiple modes for each (4, up from 2)!

Here’s an idea of what the RGB mixing looks like. It always follows the same pathway. You can’t, for example, pick to mix green with red in a way that’s not predetermined. And you can’t skip around – you will have to go through the modes just their way. You also can’t go backward, so if you find the perfect mix and go just past it? Well, you’ll have to go all the way back through.

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

Both the CRI and the CCT of this emitter option MiX-7 Gen 2 Plus are very good. Skilhunt/ESKTE claims it’s 4500K, and that’s about what we see across all modes.

Beamshots

These beamshots are always with 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. These photos are taken around 18 inches from the door.

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

Summary and Conclusion

Alright, it should really be no surprise that I love the Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus flashlight. I loved Generation 1 and there are improvements across the board here. The user interface is better. The black bezel is better. The runtimes still look great. There’s a long body now! It’s all improvements. More things could improve though. For example, I’d love to be able to go backward to hit just the right RGB mix mode. I could also stand a version without UV, but UV is easy to avoid so no complaints about that.

I also love that there’s an 18650 version. Just like I love the TorchLAB BOSS, which has a “combo” version of 18650 and 18350 sizes, this Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 has that now too. Sure you’ll have to buy two lights, but it’s still right!

The Big Table

Skilhunt Mix-7 Gen 2 Plus
Emitter:	Nichia 519a (High CRI)
Price in USD at publication time:	$87.90
Cell:	1×18650
Runtime Graphs
LVP?	Yes
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (mA):	?
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Charge Port Type:	Proprietary Magnetic
Charge Graph
Power off Charge Port	with cell: all modes except T1 without cell and/or tailcap: all modes except T1 and T2
Claimed Lumens (lm)	1400
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	1209 (86.4% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen	2.44
Claimed Throw (m)	115
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	171lux @ 4.598m = 3615cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	120.3 (104.6% of claim)^
Claimed CCT	5000
Measured CCT Range (K)	4800-5100 Kelvin
Item provided for review by:	Skilhunt
All my Skilhunt 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
• Nice looking little light
• Updated black steel bezel
• High CRI output is very high CRI!
• Higher output version is actually higher output!
• User interface (despite foibles)
• Uses standard 18650
• Indicating e-switch
• All the non-white outputs also have added modes (4)
• The RGB Mix mode is very neat!

What I don’t like

• RGB Mix could stand a high/low option
• RGB Mix needs a “reverse” feature so I can hit exactly the color mix I want.
• Double click to advance strobe is annoying
• Proprietary charging. USB-C would be great!

---

Notes

• 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!
• Please use my amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
• Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!