Light Review: NITECORE EA45S (4xAA)

subwoofer

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NITECORE's first die-cast unibody light was the revolutionary EC4 (check the index page for a review link). Developing the idea further, we now have a 4xAA thrower using a similar format die-cast 'unibody', the EA45S.

06%20EC45S%20angle%202%20P1150998.jpg


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Author's Statement for Transparency and Disclosure
The test sample/s featured in this article have been provided for technical testing and review by the manufacturer. Test samples are retained by the reviewer following publication of the completed review for the purposes of long term testing and product comparisons.

All output figures and test results published in this review are the sole work of the reviewer, and are carried out independently and without bias. Test results are reported as found, with no embellishments or alteration. Though best endeavours are made to maintain the accuracy of test equipment, the accuracy of these results is not guaranteed and is subject to the test equipment functioning correctly.
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Taking a more detailed look:

NITECORE's familiar cardboard packaging is used.
01%20EC45S%20Boxed%20P1150979.jpg



Inside the box is the EA45S, a wrist lanyard, holster and instructions.
02%20EC45S%20Box%20contents%20P1150985.jpg



Holsters are always appreciated and this is well made.
03%20EC45S%20holstered%201%20P1150988.jpg



You have the choice of a fixed belt loop, Velcro belt loop and a D-ring.
04%20EC45S%20holstered%202%20P1150991.jpg



A very distinct feature is the red tail-cap screw that the 'S' versions of the die-cast lights have.
07%20EC45S%20rear%20anlge%20P1160006.jpg



There is a dual side-switch for operating the EA45S.
08%20EC45S%20switch%20detail%20P1160011.jpg



Heat sink fins are cast into the body. Thanks to the die-cast body there is an uninterrupted heat-path from these fins (and the rest of the body) to the LED board mount.
09%20EC45S%20heat%20fins%20P1160012.jpg



At the base of a smooth reflector is the EA45S's XP-L Hi V3 LED.
11%20EC45S%20LED%20P1160016.jpg



Looking more closely at the XP-L Hi V3 LED.
12%20EC45S%20LED%20close%20P1160026.jpg



NITECORE's die-cast lights use an unusual tail-cap design. It has lugs to engage with the body, the contact board, and a thumbscrew.
13%20EC45S%20tailcap%20contacts%20P1160030.jpg



Looking slightly left of centre in this photo, you can see the threads which are almost entirely hidden.
14%20EC45S%20tailcap%20threads%20P1160032.jpg



Those threads engage with a small section of threading inside the body.
15%20EC45S%20internal%20threads%20P1160035.jpg



Here you can see the EA45S next to the four AAs it holds.
16%20EC45S%20with%20cells%20P1160042.jpg









The beam

Please be careful not to judge tint based on images you see on a computer screen. Unless properly calibrated, the screen itself will change the perceived tint.

The indoor beamshot is intended to give an idea of the beam shape/quality rather than tint. All beamshots are taken using daylight white balance. The woodwork (stairs and skirting) are painted Farrow & Ball "Off-White", and the walls are a light sandy colour called 'String' again by Farrow & Ball. I don't actually have a 'white wall' in the house to use for this, and the wife won't have one!


Designed for throw, the EA45S has a very defined and strong hotspot.
19%20EC45S%20indoor%20beam%20P1170299.jpg



Giving it a bit more range...

For the full set of beam-shots, please go to the Exclusive Content at Tactical Reviews, but remember to return to this forum to discuss the review.





Modes and User Interface:
The EA45S has a total of five constant modes (Turbo, High, Medium, Low, Ultra-Low) and three flashing modes (Strobe, Beacon and SOS). Like many other NITECORE lights this is controlled by a dual button.

From OFF, to switch ON to the last used steady white output, briefly press the Power switch. When ON, press the Mode switch to cycle through Turbo -] Ultra-Low -] Low -] Mid -] High back to Turbo etc. To switch OFF briefly press the Power switch.

From OFF, for direct access to Ultra-Low, press and hold the Power switch for more than 1s.

From OFF, for direct access to Turbo, press and hold the Mode switch for more than 1s.

To access White flashing modes, from ON, press and hold the Mode switch for more than 1s. This will activate strobe. Press and hold the Mode switch for more than 1s again to switch to Beacon mode. Press and hold the Mode switch for more than 1s once more to activate SOS.
Once activated, pressing the mode switch briefly returns the EA45S to the previous steady mode, or a brief press of the Power switch will turn the EA45S OFF.

There is a 'Standby' mode which uses brief low power flashes of the blue switch indicator LED to act as a locator to allow you to find the EA45S in complete darkness. To activate Standby, from ON press and hold the power switch for over 1s until the blue switch light comes on. Although low power, the flashes are bright enough to disturb someone's sleep. Exiting standby mode is achieved by switching on the EC4. When using Standby mode the drain is increased but the should still last a year in this mode. Turn ON and OFF again to exit standby.

There is a lockout mode included. With the EA45S ON, press and hold both buttons simultaneously for 1s to enter lockout. When entering Lockout, the EA45S will turn off and give a brief flash of the main beam as you release the buttons. Like this the buttons will not turn the EA45S on. Thanks to the button design this can be done easily with the thumb. To exit Lockout press and hold both buttons simultaneously for 1s and the EA45S will turn ON in the last used mode.

Lastly when first inserting cell/s into the EA45S or briefly pressing the mode switch when OFF, the blue switch light will flash to indicate the battery charge level. It flashes once, twice, or three times. Three flashes indicates full power.





Batteries and output:

The EA45S runs on 4xAA, Alkaline or NiMh. NiMh will give the best performance.


To measure actual output, I built an integrating sphere. See here for more detail. The sensor registers visible light only (so Infra-Red and Ultra-Violet will not be measured).

Please note, all quoted lumen figures are from a DIY integrating sphere, and according to ANSI standards. Although every effort is made to give as accurate a result as possible, they should be taken as an estimate only. The results can be used to compare outputs in this review and others I have published.


For Detailed output measurements, please go to the Exclusive Content at Tactical Reviews, but remember to return to this forum to discuss the review.


* Beacon and Strobe output measurements are only estimates as the brief flashes make it difficult to capture the actual output value.

Peak Beam intensity measured 43100 lx @1m giving a beam range of 415 m.

There is parasitic drain at 102.6uA (2.33 years to drain the cells).

The EA45S does indeed hit 1000lm at switch on, but this drops....

For the runtime graph, please go to the Exclusive Content at Tactical Reviews, but remember to return to this forum to discuss the review.



Troubleshooting

This section is included to mention any minor niggles I come across during testing, in case the information helps anyone else.

No issues were encountered during testing.

However, I did have a couple of issues with the tail-cap threads not engaging properly. It requires a very firm pressure during the entire fitting of the tail-cap to fit smoothly. The thumb wheel has a convenient smooth depression which allows you to press onto it firmly with your finger while turning the screw.

As per the description of this section, this information is provided in case anyone else finds a similar 'issue' that might be fixed in the same way.




The EA45S in use

For those that have followed my reviews for a while, you will most likely know I have always loved the 2xAA format for being easy and comfortable to hold. I've tested other 4xAA lights which have had the four cells all together (making quite a handful) or 2x2 as in the EA45S. Thanks to the die-cast unibody and lack of cell holder, the EA45S takes this 4xAA format and fits it into a more compact body.

The EA45S has just pushed out the 2xAA as my favourite size/shape, and put itself firmly into pole position with its compact 2x2 4xAA cell layout. It is really comfortable to hold, stable, thanks to the rectangular cross section, and just the right size and weight.

18%20EC45S%20in%20hand%20P1160052.jpg


This is a bigger light than I would EDC, but when I need a step up in performance and runtime without going to something really large, the EA45S fits the bill (and hand) nicely. It is also perfectly reasonable to just throw into a backpack even if you might not need it.

Of course with its throw biased beam, it can be a little fatiguing to use indoors. The Ultra-Low and Low modes are really all you will want to use when inside. Other than that the EA45S's beam comes into its own. Peering into an engine bay, or deep into storage (loft, or other large space), the throw helps you to see clearly. Outside you can really appreciate the throw the XP-L Hi V3 LED gives you, and how comfortable it is to hold (I might have mentioned that before).

The surface finish on the EA45S is HAIII hard anodised, which can prove challenging on die-cast aluminium, but NITECORE have achieved an excellent quality finish. At first this surface might appear to be a powder-coat due to the graininess, but this is due to having to pre-treat (sand-blast) the die-cast surface before anodising.

A couple of other observations, there is a degree of cell rattle when you knock the EA45S or put it down, but this does not happen with normal handling. Also for use wearing gloves the switches can be a little tricky to hit just right.

Certainly in the sample I have, you have to be careful fitting the tail-cap. Removing it presents no issues, but due to the contact spring strength, it does need constant pressure on it to ensure the threads start and run properly all through the tightening. The thumb-wheel has a shallow smooth depression which makes it easy to apply pressure and turn the wheel to tighten it.

Thanks to the unibody design, heat transfer is managed with ease; nothing gets particularly hot with the entire body acting as a heat-sink.

There are other 4xAA lights with similar output, but NITECORE have delivered it with a superbly ergonomic design. I liked the EC4, but really love the EA45S.



Review Summary

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Things I likeWhat doesn't work so well for me
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Excellent ergonomics.Tail-cap can be cross-threaded easily.
Over 900lm from four AAs.Beam can be fatiguing at close range.
415m beam range.Parasitic drain could be lower (but is acceptable).
Stable when tail-standing.
Direct access to Ultra-Low and Turbo.



05%20EC45S%20angle%201%20P1150993.jpg
 

1jono

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Excellent review,thank you!

I have the EC4,EC4S & EC4GT and may end up getting this after reading your review:)
 

Gryffin

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Feb 16, 2005
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Ohio
Great review of a great light!

I looooove mine, the 2x2 format makes for a MUCH slimmer light than the "pop can" 4xAA class lights. It's too long (for my taste, at least) to EDC, but in the hand, it feels more like a 2xAA light. The cast construction keeps it compact AND very light for it's size.

And the output, oooooh the output! It throws almost as well as my ThruNite TN4A HI, but in a much slimmer package. The two-button UI is simple and full-featured, I use the immediate access to moonlight and turbo from OFF all the time.

For in-the-house use, Nitecore makes an excellent diffuser for it (search for NFD34) that uses actual frosted glass for a milky smooth, all-flood beam with no hotspot, perfect for close-up work on lower modes. On HI or Turbo, tho, it'll light up an entire room.
 

Octavian

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Romania
Very nice light, the space levels are pretty good (I like the 400lm which are more 500 lm constant ! ) .

The only minus (from me) is that the thermal protection on max mode intervenes to quick, the light is just a little warm and it steps down (somewhere between 500 and 1000lm...but is obvious ).
 

subwoofer

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Good review as always, did you use a cooling fans for runtime test ?


Always (unless a specific light is designed for static indoor use on maximum). The test is not fully attended and running a light indoors, fixed in a clamp, at full output for as long as possible is not a realistic use case, but the main reason is for my safety and the safety of my house.
 

sandysim

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Singapore
Hi Subwoofer

i have an EA45S and i started noticing issues with flat enerloops. I thought maybe my set of batteries were faulty, switched with another set of 4, but still found them flat in less than a week.
That was when i decided to measured the off state current, and discovered the current was a pretty high 9mA, compared to what you reported of 0.1mA.


P5FYSCN6679GG3KJA

https://goo.gl/photos/P5FYSCN6679GG3KJA
 
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subwoofer

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Hi Subwoofer

i have an EA45S and i started noticing issues with flat enerloops. I thought maybe my set of batteries were faulty, switched with another set of 4, but still found them flat in less than a week.
That was when i decided to measured the off state current, and discovered the current was a pretty high 9mA, compared to what you reported of 0.1mA.

sandysim, I too have noticed when left as a standby light it is not lasting more than a month or two. This does not match the drain measurement I took.

When you first connect the ammeter to the EA45S the initial current is much higher while it flashes the battery level indication. This then settles down to a lower level, and was as I stated in the review. Is your measurement from when you initially connect, or after 30s or so once it settles?

NITECORE have sent me a second sample which I have on my right now. I've just measured this one and again, when initially connecting I get up to around 5mA when it flashes the battery level indication, then it falls to 0.1mA and stays there (well for the 30s I was measuring for). This is the exact behaviour I found with the initial EA45S. I'll remeasure the first one when I can.

My concern is that there is an increase of the drain current after some period of leaving the light unused. This will be difficult to capture and I'm considering running a logging ammeter for this test over a 24 hour period to see if it shows anything.
 

sandysim

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hi subwoofer

the initial current is 13mA, then settles to 9mA and stays like this. If i remove the multimeter probe and remeasure, it logs the same 13mA then settles to 8-9mA. Given a typical enerloop capacity if 2000mAh, it means 2000/9/24 =9.25 days before the batteries go flat. Don't know what to do now, since the light does work as advertised, just that the standby time is so poop!
 

subwoofer

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hi subwoofer

the initial current is 13mA, then settles to 9mA and stays like this. If i remove the multimeter probe and remeasure, it logs the same 13mA then settles to 8-9mA. Given a typical enerloop capacity if 2000mAh, it means 2000/9/24 =9.25 days before the batteries go flat. Don't know what to do now, since the light does work as advertised, just that the standby time is so poop!

That is definitely faulty and needs to be returned to the retailer or for warranty repair.

It's lucky you are not using primary cells or this would be getting expensive.

If there is any argument about the fault, direct them to the user manual:

Standby Mode
With the light turned on, press and hold the on/off switch for over one second to turn the light off and
activate the power indicator to blink once every three seconds, thus helping users locate the EA45S in
dark environments. When powered by 4xAA batteries, the EA45S can operate for about 12 months with
the power indicator on, or remain on standby for about 18 months with the power indicator off.
 
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Timothybil

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Just got mine in the mail today. I contacted the Nitecore Store, and they said the CCT was 5500K, so I decided to take the plunge. GearBest had a deal going for $38.99 that I couldn't turn down. I don't really need another light, but a nice light like this at half off is hard to resist.

Anyway, I had to charge up some NiMH before I could use them, so I put one 14500 and three dummy cells in just to see how it worked. It worked just fine. I decided I didn't want to risk using two 14500 cells, so I passed on that. I can't believe how light this light is, and how comfortable it is in hand. And the beam is fantastic. I was white walling (actually a light beige, but who cares) and could just barely make out a hint of unevenness in the hot spot, but one has to expect that with a reflector as highly polished as this one is. I'm looking forward to taking it outside and doing some distance tests tomorrow night. I'll possibly have some more after that, depending on how sell it does. Again, one really nice light.
 

Timothybil

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Just a little more info on parasitic drain for this light. I charged the Amazon Basics LSD 2400mAh cells in my light on 1/22. Today when I checked the little light blinked twice to tell me they were down to at most 50%. I checked them with my ZTS, and they all registered 60, which means anywhere from 50-70. I recharged them in my Xtar VC4, and they charged up at 750mAh. According to my trusty Windows calculator, that works out to the cells being down to 69% of capacity before being recharged. Also, the VC4 read the voltage at 1.3v on being inserted. I am a little disappointed that the circuitry in the EC35S was that far off, but I would rather have it off in this direction than the opposite.
 
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