My Quick NiteCore D10-EX10 Review

[this_is_nascar]

Edit #4 has been added to Post #1 and shows the AW 14500 cell in the D10.

 

[jbviau]

Nice, thanks. Does the D10 on 14500s just completely drop off around 78 minutes then? There's a little uptick there and then nothing.

Also, are you planning to do the EX10 on a RCR123A? That would be great.

 

[tricker]

this is AWESOME!!!....but i think graph one EX10 legend should be blue instead of purple, or maybe it is and i am color blind....which is also likely

 

[this_is_nascar]

Nice, thanks. Does the D10 on 14500s just completely drop off around 78 minutes then? There's a little uptick there and then nothing.

Also, are you planning to do the EX10 on a RCR123A? That would be great.

I wasn't watching it when it occurred. I'm assuming the protection circuit of the battery kicked in. Yes, currently I have the EX10 with an AW RCR123 on the meter.

 

[bltkmt]

I received my EX-10 yesterday and played with it briefly last night (thanks to all at Fenix-Store!)...wonderful craftsmanship and quality to this light. It truly feels great in my hand.

My only hesitation so far has been the mechanics of jumping to "high"...not working for me. My understanding is that when the light is screwed down to "off" position, I should be able to first, click it "on", then three clicks and a hold to "high"? I tried it repeatedly last night...no dice. The two clicks to low works fine.

Anyone else having issues? I'm sure it will turn out to be the "nut behind the wheel"...

 

[this_is_nascar]

I received my EX-10 yesterday and played with it briefly last night (thanks to all at Fenix-Store!)...wonderful craftsmanship and quality to this light. It truly feels great in my hand.

My only hesitation so far has been the mechanics of jumping to "high"...not working for me. My understanding is that when the light is screwed down to "off" position, I should be able to first, click it "on", then three clicks and a hold to "high"? I tried it repeatedly last night...no dice. The two clicks to low works fine.

Anyone else having issues? I'm sure it will turn out to be the "nut behind the wheel"...

Try 4-clicks, then a hold and report back as to what happens.

 

[Oddjob]

In short, the following:

-- much easier activation.
-- much more reliable activation, meaning, once active it stays active without thumb slipage, numbness, slipping off, etc.
-- no kilroy to d*ck-around with, bend, adjust, break, etc. The entire end of the Smart-PD makes contact with the activation ring, whereas the PK must touch the kilroy that sticks out slightly. It makes for an off-center contact-patch.

They are the physical aspects of the Smart-PD that I prefer. The software aspects bring it to even a higher level.

Hey thanks for your input.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Edit #5 has been added to Post #1 to show the runtime of the AWRCR123 cell in the EX10.

 

[VF1Jskull1]

nice reviews...

this is gonna make me want both now per CPF motto....

 

[DavidD]

My only hesitation so far has been the mechanics of jumping to "high"...not working for me. My understanding is that when the light is screwed down to "off" position, I should be able to first, click it "on", then three clicks and a hold to "high"? I tried it repeatedly last night...no dice. The two clicks to low works fine.

The instructions read, "When the light is ON, quick double-click the tail cap and hold, the light enters Max brightness directly... Tips: To enter Min or Max brightness when the light is OFF, users need only click the tail cap one more time... When the light is OFF, quick triple-click the tail cap continuously and hold, the light enters Max brightness directly."

The way it is worded might be a little confusing, but what it says works on mine. From ON, it isn't a quick double-click and then press & hold, but a quick click & press & hold (you are holding your second click). So, from OFF, it is a quick triple-click, holding your third click.

That is the way I understand it, and works that way on mine.

 

[gottawearshades]

Great info. So, not good on an alkaline. For that matter, the curve doesn't look great on a lithium AA either.

Edit #2 has been added to Post #1, to show runtime on a Duracell battery.

 

[LowTEC]

all i care is if the EX10 any brighter than the mighty P2D Q5 :naughty:

 

[regulator]

Looks like the D10 performs a bit better than the EX10 when both using rechargable Lithium Ions cell - 14500 and RCR123 respectively. I bet the runtime would be very impressive on the D10 if the output was backed off just a wee bit. Something arounet 75% - 80% output would produce almost similar output by eye with much better runtime.

Amazingly the D10 on 14500 cell could probably run almost as long as the EX10 on primary if outputs were matched. This is very interesting for a rechargable cell.

 

[LA OZ]

Great review TIN. I hope you could improve the legend with a bigger representation of the colour. The thin line at the legend make it almost impossible to read.

 

[geepondy]

I'm kind of color blind but if I'm looking at your graphs correctly, it looks like the D10 on an L91 is just a tad brighter then with an Eneloop but mine is noticeably brighter to the eye with a L91 versus an Eneloop.

 

[CM]

... I'm not real pleased with the regulation of the D10. I was hoping for a flatter curve...

You'd be hard pressed to find the regulation that you want from a single AA light driven to that kind of output. The regulator/AA are working balls to the walls. Consider the voltage of a AA is 1/2 to 1/3 the Vf of the LED (depending on LED Vf and cell type) and the low efficiencies inherent in such a high step up and you'll appreciate that it's not a trivial task to get "flat" regulation.

Oh, not to forget, thanks for the nice runtime graphs and review

 

[4sevens]

Looks like the D10 performs a bit better than the EX10 when both using rechargable Lithium Ions cell - 14500 and RCR123 respectively. I bet the runtime would be very impressive on the D10 if the output was backed off just a wee bit. Something arounet 75% - 80% output would produce almost similar output by eye with much better runtime.

Amazingly the D10 on 14500 cell could probably run almost as long as the EX10 on primary if outputs were matched. This is very interesting for a rechargable cell.

Also, keep in mind the variations in Vf will affect both efficiency and runtime.
The output is also affected by the Q5's flux range. It's not a single specificied
output but a range - like 50-60 miles per hour instead of just 55 mph.

 

[SaturnNyne]

I hope you could improve the legend with a bigger representation of the colour. The thin line at the legend make it almost impossible to read.

Same here, I'm mildly color blind and really have to study and compare some of the curves to match them. When the colors are really close, I sometimes have to rely on my expectations of what the curve should look like, based on past experience, in order to figure them out. Slightly thicker lines and/or larger color samples in the key would be helpful to us.

 

[regulator]

Most definately 4-7's. BTW - Thanks for the bringing such a nice light to market. These are all around good performers and should make a lot happy. I think there will be many more orders to follow. Now I just need to get a EX10!

 

[LG&M]

Thank you for the run time's and your time.