Nitecore SRT range - Any user experience - Pros & Cons ?

[YetiFlash]

Hi All, after a little research I've just hit upon the range of Nitecore SRT flashlights and I'm curious if any of you have any comments after using them - pros and cons etc. For my next light I was leaning towards either a Klarus ST11 or possibly a Fenix PD35, but the SRT's have caught my attention as they have a very similar UI to my Jetbeam RRT-0 S2

I know they are pretty new to market, but I was hoping a few on the forum have them already. Very tempted by the SRT-5 or the SRT-6. Not sure as to which one I prefer !

 

[koolranch]

I own the srt3 and the srt6 I really like the srt6. It has a great fit and finish with great spill and throw. It's a big wall of light. I took a walk tonight for about 45 min. It did not get hot and I ran it on high for most of the time. I'm sad to say I'm not a fan of the Srt3. If the UI was 0-max and the the flashing modes it would be much better. You have to cycle through 5 modes before you get to the normAl ramping mode. Now you obviously can leave the rotary ring in the position you like however you never know if it was moved.

 

[jonwkng]

Very tempted by the SRT-5 or the SRT-6. Not sure as to which one I prefer !

I suggest you should get a feel of both the SRT5 and SRT6, and figure out which set of features suits your needs and wants.

Ah, I find myself cycling through the indents of the control ring of my SRT7 subconsciously at times. Well made and, in my opinion, a great UI. :twothumbs

 

[Bucur]

I have the SRT5 and I am so happy with it that I am considering ordering an SRT6 as well. The only con of the SRT5 for me is its red and blue emitters. They seem to be useful for some hunters and campers, though. But I wonder if the red/blue strobe is necessary at all. However, all these functions can be disregarded by simply not turning the ring past the "off" position of the main beam so this is no big deal. This is a new flashlight so it is not time tested but the overall feeling of quality is excellent, so far. Its output and runtime are impressive with a 3400mAh 18650.

The SRT6 does not have red and blue emitters but I would still get the SRT5 over the SRT6, due to its compactness. Having said this, I will not pocket carry the SRT6, in case if I cannot resist my urge to buy it. For me, the entire SRT series stand out by their infinitely adjustable control ring + ON/OFF clicky. And I love their grey color. Good luck with your choice. I don't think that you will regret for having either one.

 

[Bicycleflyer]

I just started using the SRT 3 this month. I fly a 747 and the uses here are the exterior pre-flight, checking cargo and cargo door security on the main deck, and at night when I need to go back on the upper deck to find something. In the cockpit there is plenty of lighting options, but it does get dim enough for cockpit use if ever needed. It is plenty bright using a single AA NIMH rechargeable battery. I may switch to using a single CR123 for the longer run time and brighter beam. The tail of a 747 is 69 feet high and ours are painted black, which seems to absorb light. But the SRT3 does an admirable job of illuminating it.

I leave mine set to the min level so that I don't blind myself or anyone else when I turn it on. While I primarily carry this in my flight bag (in a PVC tube) it does find it's way into my pocket at times. The ring has never moved as a result. But it is easy enough to turn the ring with the light off so that you can turn it on wherever you want.

I chose the SRT 3 over other models because...

1. battery flexibility
2. compact size
3. The infinite adjustability
4. Ability to tail-stand
5. The red LED is nice to have, but I rarely use it.

Downsides?? well if I had to pick one...I would pick the min level on the adjustable ring. To me it does not get dim enough. As one poster stated, if it would go all the way down to "0" it would be better. As it is, it supposedly goes down to .01 lms, which is useable, but I would like dimmer.

I have no need for the flashing modes and would prefer a light without them. However I was flying with someone recently and was showing him the alternating-flashing red and blue mode. We were debating taxiing in with that mode in the windshield to see if anyone would say something like "when did the police get a 747?"

Overall...I am happy with my choice and plan to keep it in my flight bag.

 

[Rufhausen]

You have to cycle through 5 modes before you get to the normAl ramping mode. Now you obviously can leave the rotary ring in the position you like however you never know if it was moved.

The 5 modes is going from right to left, correct? I usually have mine set on Turbo/High, and make any pre-ON adjustments from left to right, so if I want to make sure Turbo is set, I go all the way to the left, then one "click" to the right. Coming from this direction, then it's only 2 modes/clicks to the variable setting. (What's considered "left" and "right" might be subjective here based on the images on the SRT3 product page, but you know what I mean).

I've not had any issues with the modes changing inadvertently either in or out of my pocket. However, having it in a mod that requires a "click" in either direction to change it (unlike the variable mode) might help it stay put.

I will hardly ever use the modes on the far right (SOS, beacon, red, blue, red/blue strobe), so I like the way it's set up with all of those on that one side, while having the strobe prominently on the other side makes since this is considered a defensive/tactical light.

 

[opus360]

Now that it has been over a year since this generation of SRT lights came out, anyone care to share more of their experiences? I am considering one for its ability to adjust various brightness levels, for just around the house, car and EDC use.

 

[hiuintahs]

Now that it has been over a year since this generation of SRT lights came out, anyone care to share more of their experiences? I am considering one for its ability to adjust various brightness levels, for just around the house, car and EDC use.

I really like the SRT6. I chose that one because I don't care for the red/blue leds. It's a little big but its one of my most favorite flashlights. For a smaller control ring light I have the SWM V11R with AA extender. I didn't care for the SWM V25c and the 360 deg ring. The SRT6 with indents is perfect for me. I also prefer the ability to turn the light completely off with the tail cap switch without parasitic drain with also the option to turn it off with the ring........knowing that there will be some drain.

 

[soul347]

I have been using the SRT7 for quite some time right now and love it. I don't really see much reason to choose the SRT6 over the 7 seeing that the price is almost identical and they don't have much of a size difference. The srt7 also has a higher output and further throw distance, and you get the more options that are there if you need them, but are not intrusive when you don't. I was particularly impressed with Nitecore's video of the divers doing deep water scuba diving with the SRT7 as well as the water pressure test. It testifies to their durability and excellent water proofing.

By the way the SRT7 works great with a cone diffuser and work great for signalling, directing traffic etc. because the colored LED's nicely color the cone. Also you can keep it on turbo for quite some time without it automatically stepping down. The SRT7 has great heat management.

What I love about the SRT line in general is that the UI is so easy a small child can figure it out. And you can easily memorize each mode, and you can go to the desired mode by just turning the ring even before turning on the light. If you look at other lights from other companies like Zebralight, Eagletac, Armytek, etc. which are all great companies in their right, their UI's I often find very quirky, requiring you to memorize different button pressing patterns.

 

[Charles L.]

I have an SRT3 and have mixed feelings about it. I love the variable ring UI. A poster above complained about having to cycle through modes, but with respect I don't get that. You can set it wherever you want before you turn the light on, and it has indents at the low and high range of the regular beam pattern. It's quite easy to tell where you are in the range before you turn the light on. Someone also said its low wasn't low enough -- if that is the case, their light is defective. Low on mine is a very low moonlight mode.

What I don't like: its battery limitations and its size. For a CR123 light, it is fairly big and bulky. Why would I use it when I have a ZL SC62 that fits more easily in my pocket and has much greater battery capacity? In short, I don't. I also have no need for the colored LED's. Red might be useful if it were more powerful, but it isn't. SRT3 also has the ability to use an AA battery -- nice to have a variety of battery options, but then the light is really big. Also not a fan of cool white tints anymore.

My issues with the size and battery capacity of the SRT3 should not matter as much with the bigger lights in the SRT range.

 

[NoNotAgain]

Got the SRT7 and can't say that I'm a fan of the light.
The low lumen setting isn't low enough.
The red/blue flashing leds are gimmicky.
The colored leds aren't bright enough to be useful.
The control ring because of no detents doesn't stay in place when holstering the light.

The pros are that the light has halfway decent throw.
The control ring allows for intermediate light settings.

Other than that, I'll probably be gifting the light to a friend or family.

 

[soul347]

Got the SRT7 and can't say that I'm a fan of the light.
The low lumen setting isn't low enough.
The red/blue flashing leds are gimmicky.
The colored leds aren't bright enough to be useful.
The control ring because of no detents doesn't stay in place when holstering the light.

The pros are that the light has halfway decent throw.
The control ring allows for intermediate light settings.

Other than that, I'll probably be gifting the light to a friend or family.

I've had quite a different experience. IMO:
-I've personally find the lowest setting to be low enough for night time use without effecting night vision. Wouldn't see why one might want it any lower.
-Red blue lights are indeed gimmicky. Never found a use for them and would think they could get you in trouble with the law. I don't really mind though since it doesn't get in the way of anything.
-The colored LED's I found to be bright enough. The red maintains night vision while allowing you to navigate in the dark and the green and blue are plenty bright in dark settings. Not bright enough during day though, but I wouldn't want to use them during the day anyway. Whatever the case, a person doesn't need to use these modes if they don't want to.
-Not sure what you mean by not having detents. They click when you go to each different mode and have found the stiffness just right. I've never experienced them moving on their own when storing them or using in a holster

I certainly respect your opinion though. I don't expect everyone to feel the same way I do about this light

 

[thedoc007]

Not sure what you mean by not having detents. They click when you go to each different mode and have found the stiffness just right. I've never experienced them moving on their own when storing them or using in a holster

It does have detents for all the blinky/color modes, but the main variable brightness portion does not. So when you holster it, it will often change the brightness. Not a big deal to me...but I can see why it might bother some.

Other than that, though, I really like the SRT7. You can call it gimmicky if you like, but you don't have to use any of the extra modes unless you want to. And some of them could be very useful in certain circumstances.

 

[NoNotAgain]

-Not sure what you mean by not having detents. They click when you go to each different mode and have found the stiffness just right. I've never experienced them moving on their own when storing them or using in a holster

I certainly respect your opinion though. I don't expect everyone to feel the same way I do about this light

I need to clarify the detent statement. When the light is in the white light "detent" setting, there is no increase in friction to deter the ring from moving when inserting or removing the light from the holster. I've used older lights that used a rheostat to regulate brightness. Because the rheostat was mechanical you could feel the winding wires .

My TM26 provides three lumens on low setting. The SRT7 when turned down as low as it will go and still stay lit, is brighter than the TM26. I thought that I might just have to wear it in a bit. A small movement of the ring yields either off or close to 10 lumens.

I've got two of these lights and have the same issue with both. The second light, the XM-L2 led isn't quite centered in the reflector. Not a big deal, but I expected better based on my other Nitecore lights.