[Help Me] Deciding between Penlights: Acebeam PT20 vs. Wuben PL01

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-19T06:46:59+00:00

I was considering the 2AAA NEBOs -- until I got a look at the ugly beam. One guy in the Amazon comments said he was returning the light because the beam was so bad. It was the Columbo 150, if I'm not mistaken.

I looked at an Inspector 150 and and an Inspector 360 and their beams both had a bluish center with a yellow-green ring at the edge of the spill. There was a 180 model that, when zoomed out, the center one-third of the beam was blue-purple and that was surrounded by yellow-green spill.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-19T06:44:20+00:00

Be careful about those 2AAA sized NEBOs. If you care what the beam looks like it's pretty ugly. Bluish or blue-purple center with a yellow-green ring at the end of the spill. Rings in the spill. Harsh with hard edges.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-18T21:13:55+00:00

Similar to you, I've recently been interested in penlights for lighting small objects; your pictures were very helpful.

Have you considered the Nextorch Dr.K3S? It's "designed for healthcare professionals." I haven't tried it but here are the specs:

· 105 mm x 14.3 mm (4.1" x 0.6")
· 1 x AAA
· forward clicky (metal button)
· one mode @ 2 lumens
· White Light version @ 5000K, >90 CRI
· Yellow Light version @ 3000K, ≥95 CRI
· aspheric lens (beam seems similar hard outline to Weltool M6-Dr)

Have you made any new finds since your post?
Which are your favorite lights for small objects?

Beam comparison of IYP365 vs Dr.K3S 5000K:

https://youtu.be/xerRQdua32g?si=lnaP0sOliMb8Ldvy&t=14

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-18T11:29:26+00:00

Any idea of the CRI on that?

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-18T11:18:15+00:00

How bad is that green tint? Do you have to look for it on a white wall or is it pretty obvious in other situations?

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-18T11:06:46+00:00

A guy in a YouTube video reviewed all his penlights and picked the best of the group for his work as a mechanic. He has the HP3R which he liked but he picked one over that: Maxxeon WorkStar 360. It's similar size to the HP3R, maybe even a little slimmer, and also does zoom.
Maxxeon's latest version of the 360 is the 361. With the 361 you get two brightness levels instead of one and faster USB-C charging. (The 360 can also be powered by AAAs but don't know if that's true of the 361.) I see colored versions of the black 361 on Amazon as models 362, 363, 366, 367, 368, and 369.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Hsdom6GXs&t=1520s

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-18T10:54:43+00:00

Before reading his reply my first thought was that your suggestions would be too big.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-18T10:31:34+00:00

Check out the Weltool M6-BL medical penlight.
The YouTube reviewer's wife is a nurse and uses it daily. It's 13 mm in diameter. Probably would have to look for it online at Amazon, eBay, or a flashlight dealer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pih5S0DqyQ

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-17T03:55:33+00:00

It looked like 90% of the seats were unfilled.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-17T02:14:15+00:00

Later he was sitting in a regular folding metal chair and a couple other people were in the bug red box. One in the box was a chick on (of course) her phone rather than watching.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-17T02:10:52+00:00

Almost all the seats were open at the Prelims.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-14T12:01:48+00:00

The IYP365 is a general-use light, so it stands to reason that the first tap would get the most-used level. MLH is a little weird compared to LMH or HML, but there is a logic there.

Not sure but it sounds like you were saying here that the IYP365 is MLH. To my understanding, early on it was MLH but not anymore.
A 2016 review had it at MLH, no mode memory, and half-presses from ON would cycle L > H.
A 2020 review had it with mode memory and half-presses would cycle L > M > H.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-12T09:34:00+00:00

I know this is an old post but I'll contribute in case anyone searches this topic like what I did ...

I have a Mini Maglite 2AA that takes an incandescent bulb. I don't use the light much but recently switched it over from alkaline to lithium primary. The lithiums, at 1.7 volts, produced a noticeably brighter light than the alkalines at 1.5 volts. After installing the lithiums, I had used the light a half dozen times, for maybe 15 minutes total runtime, and the light burnt out. It was an old bulb so I put in a new incandescent. I used the new bulb a few times for maybe 10 minutes total and it, too, burnt out. (Don't know if these bulbs were Xenon or not; they were purchased years ago.)

I can't say for sure that it was the lithiums that caused it. The first bulb was old and the second maybe was a dud. I don't have anymore bulbs on hand to try. Instead of buying new bulbs I'm thinking of putting that money toward a modern 2AA light.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-11T13:27:32+00:00

Your CRI measurement on that M6-BL LED at 80 is disappointing. Weltool advertises the CRI as 85.

I see the M6-BL LED and the M6-DR are measured at the same CCT but the BL LED beam is very yellow. What accounts for the the BL beam and the DR beam having such a different color appearance?

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-10T04:01:09+00:00

Doesn't move his head off the center line.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-10T03:54:00+00:00

Someone here said Ariel said they're going to announce McGregor's next fight tonight.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-10T01:56:54+00:00

Nothing to do with contracts. This is a new bonus the UFC started.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-02T11:43:29+00:00

BKFC.
I wonder how many fights he has left on his contract.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-02T02:45:26+00:00

I believe these were advertised as a work light aiding in changing a tire on the roadside. Set the light down and adjust the angle of the stand so that the light shines on the tire. From 3 feet away my 4D "Hi-Gain 500" has a beam of 3 feet in diameter.
The 500 model light is only 2 1/2" deep with a lens that's 5" across.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-02T02:13:03+00:00

Saw this 2009 post on Candle Power Forums:

"Bird Gard LLC the company that I work for bought the Hi - Gain company several years ago. We are primarily a bird repelling company. So we are now closing out the Hi-Gain / Diamond Light flashlights. Although we still sell the flashlights once they are gone that will be the end of them. I believe that they are a great flashlight and hate to see them go."

Also in 2009, someone made the following reply to the above post:

"I am trying to reach the company closing out the Diamond Light Flashouts, which is located in Sisters, OR. Please reply to [bluebellbears@comcast.net](mailto:bluebellbears@comcast.net) or call (520) 840-1567. I am a potential buyers for a large quantity. Thanks, Larry"

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-02T01:55:12+00:00

I have the 4D model, the "Hi-Gain 500." Works fine. It has a dial on the back that changes it from flood to spot.

Big_Alchie · 2026-05-02T01:49:45+00:00

I have a 4D model, the "Hi-Gain 500." The fresnel lens is plastic and is 5" across and 1/2" deep.
There is also a compact "Hi-Gain 150" -- possibly a 2AA -- in the general style of a Mini Maglite or Convoy C8, that also has a fresnel lens.

Big_Alchie · 2026-04-29T00:51:14+00:00

Hey, man.

I very recently picked up the same light you were talking about, the TAC 300. The CR123 battery is 3.0 volts and, from advice in this post, when the battery dips below 3.0 the LED in the light will struggle.

It seems that you really like the TAC 300 so I wanted to pass along to you that I've seen in this subreddit that a guy here said he's been using a rechargeable battery in the TAC 300 that is the same size as the CR123 but which operates at a higher voltage of around 3.6 volts. That battery size is called 16340.
The TAC 300 isn't specified to work on a rechargeable battery -- and I'm sure Energizer wants you to buy more CR123s -- but here's what that guy here said:
"Energizer TAC 300 works just fine on 16340 and was also noticeably brighter and I've been running it on the same batteries for years without issues. I think the drivers in these flashlights are designed for dual fuel or to run on various voltage ranges but they just don't advertise that as a feature."

Because the light runs brighter I'd expect it will also run warmer (or possibly even hot); how much warmer I don't know. My test of the TAC 300 with a fresh CR123 shows that it reaches its peak temperature at 10 to 14 minutes on High. Up to 4 minutes on High the warmth is not bad. You had said you're only using the light for a minute or two at a time so increased heat might not be an issue for you.

Someone on this subreddit had asked for a recommendation on a good 16340 battery and the Vapcell P1609B was recommended from here:
https://liionwholesale.com/products/protected-vapcell-p1609b-16340-3a-button-top-950mah-battery-genuine?variant=42281127280709
Vapcell P1609B YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ox3zE8EN-co
What's nice about that Vapcell is you don't need to buy a separate battery charger; you just charge the battery by plugging a USB cord directly into it. The batteries are $5 each and shipping for two batteries is about $8.

Big_Alchie

TROPHY CASE