Dim/Possible Defective EX10 XR-E R2

[branespload]

EDIT: sigh at typo in the title already...

Hi, I recently acquired an EX10 from 4sevens' garage sale not too long ago. Aside from the light being finicky about accepting AW RCR123s, the light seems unusually dim on both new primaries and fully charged RCRs.

I took some beamshots of the EX10 against a Q5 PD20 and an R5 Quark 123:

EX10, PD20, Quark 123, +0 exposure

EX10, PD20, Quark 123, -2 exposure

PD20, EX10, Quark 123, -2 exposure

Is there anything I can do to remedy this? This level on the EX10 is what I get after both ramping for 4+ seconds and by click --> hold, so I presume it is the max.

I thought it would at least rival the PD20 in brightness but this appears to be equivalent to maybe 40-60 lumens, around the PD20's medium mode. In these particular beamshots, the EX10 is on a fresh AW RCR123, the PD20 is on a used Duracell CR123a, and the Quark is on a fresh 4sevens CR123a.

I recall the EX10 being able to support li-ion, so I figured an RCR123 would make it a bit brighter. It appears to be the same if not dimmer on either primary from the other flashlights.

If there are any other threads of interest I might have missed, I apologize.. I tried searching to no avail. Any help? I fear I might have just been unlucky with the randomness of the garage sale.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Henk_Lu]

Your light is definetely too dim if that's really maximum! Though it doesn't equal the PD20, it should be closer and the hotspot should be the same or even brighter than the Quark!

Are you sure it is an R2? I had two Q5 (splash versions) and those were also much dimmer than the R2. You should hardly notice that, but to my eye it seemed like 30% less. Those light engines have been modded with neutral white Q3 new, all my EX10 accept RCR123 without a problem...

It seems I've been lucky to miss the garage sale, while I know I'd have bought lights I absolutely wouldn't need, I would have thought getting correctly working ones at least! :green:

 

[Zatx Woopyoax]

Well you did buy it from their garage sale, and they did stop selling Nitecores due to the number of returns they took that Nitecore would not take back.

I would guess defective but I'm a newb around here.

 

[branespload]

I'm pretty sure it's the R2... Here's the labeling:

and here's the emitter, looks like R2 to me. The ringy beam suggests the same.

I really wanted to like this light, too. D:

EDIT: the garage sale thread over at CPFM seems to have disappeared, so i cant ask if anyone else has this problem. :|

 

[Henk_Lu]

The Q5 and the R2 look exactly the same, it's just another bin, the R2 being slightly brighter. That said, in theory both emitter should make the EX10 noticeably brighter!

I had problems with an EX10 a few weeks ago, it flickered once and didn't want to light up again. I took the DMM to check the current, as soon as I touched the brass ring with the second cable, the first one on the main positive contact, it flickered once again and lit up. Don't ask me why, if it was a coincidence, if there was a problem trying "normally" to light it up with the switch, it worked again and it still works today!

You could try that, measuring the current could be a good idea. Also take the brass ring off and clean everything well, use Deoxyd if you have some...

If nothing works, just sell it on the BST (telling people about the dim brightness of course), you won't loose any money on it considering the price you bought it for! :thumbsup:

 

[Link Archer VI]

I too got an EX10 from the garage sale which I thought was kinda dim. In fact, it seemed roughly the same as my D10 (purchased previously), but then I read selfbuilt's original D10/EX10 review and using his lightbox values the D10 and EX10 have very similar max outputs, so I thought it was normal.

I also think my EX10's a Q5, from the original run, because it has the ramping bug where it doesn't reverse direction when you use the min/max shortcuts.

 

[Mr. Shawn]

I also think my EX10's a Q5, from the original run, because it has the ramping bug where it doesn't reverse direction when you use the min/max shortcuts.

I also think my EX10 from the GS is a Q5 since it has the same ramping bug, but I still love the light!

 

[Nake]

I have two EX10 R2s, an XP-E and an XR-E, and both of them have R2 etched on them.

 

[branespload]

oh i looked at the Tribute to D10 thread and the Q5 didn't look like the R2 XR-E, so i thought i had the XR-E R2.

even if it's a Q5, shouldn't it be closer to the output on the PD20, which is an XP-E Q5? :||||

edit: if anything, i might as well try to swap the emitter if it's not too difficult... thanks for the replies

 

[Nake]

Looking at your beamshots there is definitly something wrong. I was just saying it's probably an XR-E Q5.

 

[jupello]

That's too big brightness difference to be just from the small difference in led bin.
You said in the other thread that it works some of the time. If it does not work reliably or the light level varies, maybe there is some connection problems that cause this? There where quite many threads on the problems of the nitecore PD lights back when they where released, maybe some of them might offer solution? I only remember that turning the brass ring and widening it's cap helped on some problem.. :laughing:
It might also be interesting to measure the current draw to see if the battery consumption is in line with the brightness, or if it wastes energy somewhere. (that might be little tricky with PD light, watch out for short circuits if you decide to try it, those lithiums might go )

 

[branespload]

Good news, everybody!

It seems that the works "some of the time" and the extraordinary dimness problems were linked -- I think due to some sort of battery failure. I switched to a different AW RCR123 and charged it, and now it works reliably and at full brightness.

Never before have I been so excited to see those bright yellow cree rings.

Thanks for chiming in, everyone!! *heartCPFsmileygifthing*

 

[branespload]

Update: nevermind... I picked up the flashlight a few hours later in the off position and the body was hot. I pulled out the battery and both the contacts on the head and the piston were hot. I seriously can't figure out what to do with this light..

sorry for the double post

 

[zwerky]

I had a nitecore extreme that went hot on me and i heard a whizzing sound. i think it shorted out. i sent it back to nitecore headquarters in china. they fixed it and i've been using it here and there with no problems.

they are very responsive over email. it is pricey to send it to China, but in my case, i paid a decent amount for the extreme so i thought it was worth it to send it back.

 

[branespload]

lol sorry for the triple post but i have another update

it appears the culprit is some sort of parasitic drain

in the first post i initially thought the batteries were fresh off the charger, but leaving them in the light even when turned off must have depleted the battery. i still dont know why it was dim on the same primaries as the other lights that were working properly

i figured this out because i charged a fresh batt and turned it on and it worked fine.. i noticed it got hot.. so i left the battery in overnight and this morning, the same fresh battery was now depleted and the light was dim again.

this is even after i cleaned the contacts. ill do some more research on incidents of parasitic drain in ex10s

for now do you think twisting out the head will stop the drain?

any help is appreciated, thanks

 

[Link Archer VI]

for now do you think twisting out the head will stop the drain?

Yes, twisting the head out should stop the drain, as the battery will be completely disconnected from the circuit.