The Cree LED Flashlight Craze - Fenix TK11

If you are a typical gadget tech geek, you've probably drooled over any one of the hundreds of new LED flashlilghts powered by the new light-power CREE LED modules.  These suckers are bad to the bone!  You thought your D-cell Mag Light was bright and built tough...

Enter the Fenix TK11.  Fenix is one of the top manufacturers of high-quality tactical flashlights. This new model in the TK line is a killer!

The Fenix TK11 gives you an amazing amount of light in a flashlight that measures a mere 5.3" long. Fenix TK11 has two output modes - Turbo at 225 lumens and General at 60 lumens, and has a smooth reflector for a long distance beam. (Note: the TK11 differs from the TK10 in that the TK11 has a smooth reflector and is compatible with a 18650 rechargeable battery.)

The entire head of the TK11 is machine from aluminum with a 3-point crenelated bezel which allows you to see if the light has been left on when placed head down. Beneath the bezel sits a toughened, AR coated glass lens similar to other Fenix products. A smooth reflector is used in the TK11 which provides a sharply focused beam with some artifacts. The emitter and reflector are perfectly aligned in my sample. The exterior of the head has 6 shallow scallops machined on it which serves well as an anti-roll feature. The hard anodizing on the head is pretty well done with consistent coloring. This is probably due to the thickness of the coating. Its purely cosmetic though, the surface still feels smooth. Looking inside the rear end of the head you'll see the PCB for the "+" battery contact though do take note that the TK11 does not have the reverse polarity protection implemented so that it will work with flat-topped 18650 cells. The threads on the head are smooth, clean and thicker than previous Fenix models.

The TK11 produces a very tightly focused hotspot due to the use of a smooth reflector. It throws significantly further than the TK10 which uses a textured reflector. Due to this, the beam area has some artifacts such as a dark ring right around the hotspot and a feint yellow ring too. Beam tint is a neutral white on General mode and shifts to a slightly cooler tint on Turbo mode.

The notable feature of the TK11 is that it now officially supports the use of a 18650 cell. The circuit used in the TK11 is different that that used in the TK10 as it allows a 3.7V li-ion cell such as a 18650 to power the light up to full brightness instead of about 75% as the TK10 did. Regulation isn't as consistent as the TK10 when using 2x 16340 or CR123 cells, output seems to increase slightly as the cells run down. The TK11 struggles to maintain regulation with 18650 cells on Turbo mode. Run time is good considering the variety of input voltages the TK11 accepts.

Operation of Fenix TK11 LED Flashlight:
Select either Turbo mode or General mode by turning the bezel:
• Turbo Mode: 225 lumens, 1.5 hours of runtime
• General Mode: 60 lumens, 10 hours of runtime

Features of Fenix TK11 LED Flashlight:
• Cree Premium Q5 7090 XR-E LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours (approximate)
• 2 brightness modes, maximum of 225 lumens
• high efficiency head with smooth reflector throws a long range beam
• digitally regulated to maintain brightness over the life of the batteries
• light will flicker rapidly to indicate low battery power
• powered by 2 ea CR123A lithium batteries or one 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery, (batteries NOT included)
• runs for 1.5 hrs high, 10 hrs low using 2 ea CR123A batteries
• runs for 2.7 hrs high, 12 hrs low using 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery
• durable aircraft grade aluminum body with Type III hard-anodized, anti-abrasive finish
• waterproof to IPX-8* standard (not dive rated)
• toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating
• removable grip ring
• pushbutton tail switch for momentary on and constant on/off
• anti-roll body design
• includes 2 spare O-rings, spare switch boot, nylon belt holster and wrist lanyard