Fenix E01

[gurdygurds]

Bill (and anyone else for that matter) I would like to hear why you consider the Arc to have much better overall quality. You could very well be right, but when I had one I'm hand I didn't didnt get that impression. The walls seemed thinner, a donut cushion glued to the head and battery crusher design seemed like more things to possibly go wrong. Maybe that's not the case. Also the E01s regulation seemed like a step up from his he Arcs run. Regardless, I like hearing about Arcs as much as E01s!

Speaking as a flashaholic, and an owner of Arc AAA'S, there is no comparison, Arc has better quality overall. The Fenix is a go to AAA that serves a different purpose, something to beat up that will give service over time, at a better price.

Bill

 

[this_is_nascar]

It does not in my experience.
I had a dozen Fenix lights in AA and 123 and they all broke. Tried as I might they have not honored any warranty even they were new from authorized dealer.
The only Fenix light that still works is the E01 but the only because is a copy of Arc AAA.
Fenix has absolutely no merit on their own.

I've owned and still do, many E01 and E05 lights from Fenix, both from several iterations of each model.

For reliability and toughness, I'll put them up against any other light out there and the will come out on top.

Specific to the E01, you won't find something that gets the most from a battery.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Speaking as a flashaholic, and an owner of Arc AAA'S, there is no comparison, Arc has better quality overall. The Fenix is a go to AAA that serves a different purpose, something to beat up that will give service over time, at a better price.

Bill

Seriously? Search the archives and tell me how many E01 lights you've read about that crushed the battery. Also, how many instances the foam pad caused a misfire.

You won't find any, because they were issues inherent with the Arc design.

Take an empty Arc body and squeeze it really hard. Do the same to the E01 body.

Want to light up that room? Tailstand your Arc and let us know how you made out. Now try it with the E01.

Don't get me wrong. I love the Arc and Peter for being groundbreaking with the Arc AAA. It started what we all enjoy today. It was ahead of its time and innovative, but at the end of the day, the E01 is a better light, in my opinion.

 

[marinemaster]

Even if E01 is a better light the design is still a copy of the Arc AAA.
Just like people accuse Steve Jobs that he stole the mouse design from Xerox.

 

[bykfixer]

The ARC set the stage, much like the Ford model T.

As a collector and historian of flashlights, there's no comparison that would really be fair. Afterall by the time the E01 arrived there were advancements well beyond the thinking during the original ARC days.

Both were great in their time. It's just that the E01 included lessons learned from the ARC.

 

[gurdygurds]

Well put. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what Fenix does to move the E01 forward. I really hope they decide to respond to the market and try some upgrades while still keeping the basics of the E01 that have made it so popular (potted, single mode, great runtime, drain a battery down to nothing, super reliable, twisty).

The ARC set the stage, much like the Ford model T.

As a collector and historian of flashlights, there's no comparison that would really be fair. Afterall by the time the E01 arrived there were advancements well beyond the thinking during the original ARC days.

Both were great in their time. It's just that the E01 included lessons learned from the ARC.

 

[gurdygurds]

In the mean time........
https://imgur.com/a/BGFoJDr

Well put. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what Fenix does to move the E01 forward. I really hope they decide to respond to the market and try some upgrades while still keeping the basics of the E01 that have made it so popular (potted, single mode, great runtime, drain a battery down to nothing, super reliable, twisty).

 

[Bullzeyebill]

I'm really talking about the aesthetics of the Arc. It is just an adorable, exquisite looking light. BTW, I have two E01's, and just ordered two more.

Bill

 

[gurdygurds]

Well I can agree with ya there sir! I love the utilitarian/minimalist look of the Arc. Looks like an Army issued piece of gear. I like the full body knurling and subtle branding although I've come to enjoy the flats on the E01 as well. QUOTE=Bullzeyebill;5233742]I'm really talking about the aesthetics of the Arc. It is just an adorable, exquisite looking light. BTW, I have two E01's, and just ordered two more.

Bill[/QUOTE]

 

[Monocrom]

A handful of pages back, I mentioned giving a purple E01 to a Dutch artist. She's a young woman. But, as all great artists are, is far from normal (and if you ask her, she'll admit as much) and suffers from certain issues that I'm not going to get into.

Would I have given her an Arc AAA instead of the E01 if I had one available? No. Much respect to that light and its creator. But it had issues that the E01 simply doesn't. Yes, it is an Arc copy, but with important improvements. Plus, you can't get the Arc in her favorite color (Purple). She loves her "adorably girlie" tank of an E01. Admitted to me that she carries and uses it on a daily basis.

 

[iamlucky13]

I agree with Bykfixer. Meanwhile, the real Arc AAA clone is the McGizmo Sapphire, as Don himself attests:

This light is based on the Arc AAA flashlight.
....
To be more specific on how this light is based on the Arc AAA, the geometry and threads are the same so that in theory the head and batery tube are interchangeable. The converter that drives the LED is the same converter used in the current Arc AAA. The choice of LED is different.

I hope when they clone me, I look this good in comparison!

Image credit

 

[this_is_nascar]

Well put. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what Fenix does to move the E01 forward. I really hope they decide to respond to the market and try some upgrades while still keeping the basics of the E01 that have made it so popular (potted, single mode, great runtime, drain a battery down to nothing, super reliable, twisty).

That's the point. Doing anything to the E01 makes it no longer an E01. Something will be lost, whether it he runtime or its ability to fire on any drained cell.

Keep the E01 the way it is please.

 

[Monocrom]

That's the point. Doing anything to the E01 makes it no longer an E01. Something will be lost, whether it he runtime or its ability to fire on any drained cell.

Keep the E01 the way it is please.

+1 on that!
I'm sick & tired of seeing lights that are great the way they are, get "improved" into something no longer nearly as good. And it happens all the time.

 

[scout24]

+2. Leave it alone. Build an E02 for everyone who wants changes if you want to, but don't mess with the E01.

 

[bykfixer]

+3.....

 

[Warmcopper123]

make a AA E01. that's the only improvement needed. exactly like the AAA but with AA battery that's it.

also the E01 is not a copy of the Arc. they don't look alike. they have different runtimes . they utilize different components. if you can say the E01 is a copy then every aaa flashlight is a copy of the Arc and the Arc copied some other aaa light before it. and every 2xcr123 light is a copy of Surefire . and every light that is a tube is a copy of the Maglite

 

[gurdygurds]

So you folks are telling me that if fenix upgraded the 5mm led, improved the runtime, and the lights still kept all the features that make the E01 the best flashlight ever you wouldn't welcome it?? I love the E01 as much as anyone, but from my experience things tend to get phased out or changed in some way or another. I'm not begging for a refresh, but I imagine it will happen at some point no? I'd rather that than have the light disco'd.

 

[bykfixer]

Call it EO1a and I'm in GG. And make sure purple is still an option by-golly.

I like the feature where the more you scuff the front end over time the better the beam gets. Kinda like a patina for the lens and globe or something.

 

[gurdygurds]

I hear that brother. Last night I was marveling at how clean,white, and Floody my E-3PO E01 is. 👍🏼

Call it EO1a and I'm in GG. And make sure purple is still an option by-golly.

I like the feature where the more you scuff the front end over time the better the beam gets. Kinda like a patina for the lens and globe or something.

 

[this_is_nascar]

So you folks are telling me that if fenix upgraded the 5mm led, improved the runtime, and the lights still kept all the features that make the E01 the best flashlight ever you wouldn't welcome it?? I love the E01 as much as anyone, but from my experience things tend to get phased out or changed in some way or another. I'm not begging for a refresh, but I imagine it will happen at some point no? I'd rather that than have the light disco'd.

I don't believe it's possible to use a better tinted emitter and still have the ability to fire on a cell that has less than a half volt left. The Yugi mod is a good example. The 5600k has a better (matter of opinion only) tint, but requires more voltage to fire.

That, for me, makes it a different light than my E01's.