# REVIEW: Nitecore SRT9 Flashlight



## Bdm82 (Jul 5, 2017)

*Introduction*

This light was provided free of charge by Nitecore Store for review. 

The SRT9 is the newest model in the SmartRing Tactical (SRT) line. Nitecore SRT series lights offer infinite brightness adjustability via the twist of a magnetic ring near the head of the light while a tail switch controls general on/off.

The SRT9 features a Cree XHP50 emitter outputting 2150 lumens as well as ultraviolet, green, red, and blue emitters for multi-purpose versatility. The SRT9 uses two 18650 or four CR123A batteries. With a die-cast body, the SRT9 manages heat very well and is stronger than many other lights.


 

Here are the key review details in one table for the TL;DR crowd:





*Unboxing*

The SRT9 arrived in a retail box within a padded envelope. The box itself is rather compact at 2.75” wide, 7.25” tall, and 2.125” deep.

 

The SRT9 box is in the same style as other current Nitecore flashlights.

 

The front has quite a bit of information: model designation, emitter type, battery type, peak output, SmartRing explanation with image, and images showing the various emitters.

 

The back of the box has verbiage describing the design of the SRT9, its advantages, the multiple outputs and features of the SRT9, disposal safety, registrations, SYSMAX contact information, and a legal disclaimer.

 

The left side has a (not to scale) image of the SRT9.

 

The right side of the box promotes Law Enforcement and Search as intended uses for the SRT9. It also shows the key output, impact, and water resistance specifications.

 

The bottom of the box has a single adhesive label with model information and barcode.

 

Opening the box, we find the SRT9 in a plastic carrier with the accessories underneath.

 

Included is a holster, manual, warranty card, spare o-rings, lanyard, and already-attached pocket clip.

 

The manual is in 9 languages (English, Spanish, German, French, Polish, Japanese, Romanian, Chinese, and I believe Korean); each language’s section is complete as the text is quite small.
It can be accessed online here:
http://flashlight.nitecore.com/pdf/SRT9_UM_EN.pdf


Nitecore backs the SRT9 with a 5 year warranty, as advertised on the box as well as in the manual.



*Design*

The SRT9 is a compact side-by-side 18650 light with a 40mm head. This form factor is shared with the EC4S, EC4SW, and EC4GT, so traffic wands and other accessories are interchangeable between these models. 

Necessary to accommodate the tail switch, the SRT9 abandons the thumbscrew used to secure the battery door on the other lights to a new design that clicks to lock the tail cap from both sides using spring-loaded pins that extend from the main tube. 

The SRT9 feels more aggressive in hand than the EC4SW thanks to deep cooling fins around the head and down two sides.

 

Nitecore states the SRT9 is 5.83 in. (148 mm) long with a head diameter of 1.57 in. (40 mm). My measurements confirmed these numbers exactly. Weight without batteries was also verified at 7.9 oz. (224 g).


The SRT9’s size can be appreciated when put next to other lights. L to R: ThorFire C8S (18650), Nitecore TM03 (18650), Nitecore EC4SW (18650*2), Nitecore SRT9 (18650*2), Nitecore SRT7GT (18650), Olight R50 Pro (26650), Convoy S2+ (18650), Manker E11 (AA).

 

The head of the SRT9 has a stainless bezel that is flat in shape and color. There are 5 small indentations machined into the inner part of the bezel. When the SRT9 is placed head-down on a flat surface, no light can escape past the flat bezel – so users should take appropriate care to avoid unintentionally depleting the battery this way.

 

The glass is AR-coated mineral glass. The reflector is of the orange peel variety; this produces a floody beam that hides the imperfections introduced by the multi-die XHP50 emitter. The reflector was free of visible defects.

 

The central quad-die Cree XHP50 emitter is perfectly centered. The Green, Red, Blue, and UV emitters are in shallow wells bored into the central reflector.

 

The Nitecore logo, website, model name, registration, and disposal information are all located on the head of the SRT9. The embossing is clean but the text does blend together from a distance given the thick typeface and compact nature of the printing. This isn’t a bad thing; many users prefer to see text as contained as possible.

 

Just to the side is a HOT logo.

 

Opposite of the main embossing is the individual light’s serial number. It is extremely small and hardly noticeable.

 

Below the embossing, cooling fins extend around the circumference of the SRT9. These are deeper than on the EC4S, though sections alternate in length to give some style and grip above the magnetic ring.

The magnetic ring switch - the signature feature of the SRT line - has good knurling and channels for grip.

 

The narrow sides of the battery tube are identical with a checkerboard-style grip.

 

The flat sides of the battery tube are not the same. While both have cooling fins, one has the battery indicator light while the other side has the pocket clip.



 

The battery indicator light is small, blue, and flashes every 2 seconds when the light is on standby or when the battery is below 50%. Below about 10%, the indicator light flashes rapidly.

The titanium coated stainless steel pocket clip is attached with Torx (“star drive”) screws. The clip is smooth and unobtrusive in hand or in a jacket pocket. It is however difficult to use because of the tail cap arms; these are taller than the clip and obscure access to the clip when trying to slide the SRT9 clip onto a pocket. 

The clip is not strong or textured enough to hold onto the brim of a hat (though too heavy to practically use this way anyway). As the SRT9 won’t be “front pocket carry” for most people, I found the clip works best when clipped directly to the waist of a pair of pants or a belt. Like this, it holds the SRT9 well. If more strenuous activity is likely, the holster should be used.


The tail has a forward clicky switch that enables momentary on; if the ring has been left in an “on” position and the tail switch is half-pressed, the light will turn on so long as the tail switch is held. The switch boot has a “N” in the pattern and a spare switch boot is included. Pressure required to activate the switch is on the firm side of moderate.

 

The tail itself – the battery door – attaches via two spring-loaded pins that extend outward from the battery tube into sockets in the arms of the tail cap. These have to be pressed to allow the tail cap to slide into place. A good bit of pressure is then required on the tail to get it to securely clip onto the pins.

 

Those arms extend rearward past the switch. This allows the SRT9 to tailstand, though only on very flat surfaces. Indoors it should be no problem, but finding appropriately flat surfaces outdoors may be a challenge.

 

A slot on each side of the tail allows the lanyard to be attached. The holes are large so threading the lanyard is easy The tail-end location keeps using the lanyard from feeling awkward. Given the size of the holes, though, Nitecore could have used a split/dual hole design to keep the lanyard loop to the side instead of over the tail end where it affects tailstanding.

 

One design feature that I noticed… the arms on the battery door have chevron-shaped lines. A very similar design is on the Nitecore Tube keychain lights.

 

While laying the Tube next to the SRT9, I inadvertently confirmed that the SRT9’s selector ring is magnetic. It attracted the Tube’s keyring and was strong enough to hold the weight of the Tube when lifted.

 

As with many other Nitecore lights, button top batteries are required. The screws on the board in the tail seemed to prevent flat tops or incorrectly inserted batteries from making contact.

The springs are gold colored and there are both inner and outer springs. A custom gasket around the tail cap ensures IPX-8 water resistance to 2 meters underwater. Nitecore includes a spare gasket.

 

The SRT9’s battery tube has channels to hold the batteries in place during loading. These metal sections between the batteries also help to absorb and radiate heat from the light and the batteries.

 

The holster fits the SRT9 well whether the SRT9 is stored head up or head down. It has a D-ring, belt pass-through loop, and hook-and-loop – so it can be worn a variety of ways.

 

Before continuing to the performance information, here are a few more pictures of the SRT9 in its natural habitat (outside)!

















​ 


*Performance*

The XHP50 LED is a quad-die emitter, which would naturally produce a crosshair in the beam. At a very close distance, this is still visible.

 

Nitecore uses an orange peel reflector to help remove these artifacts at a normal distance. The resulting beam has a hotspot with soft edges. The corona is wide and transitions smoothly into the spill. The wells for the colored LEDs do not seem to affect the beam at all. 

The majority of the beam appears creamy neutral with some cool blue at the outer edges of the spill.

 

To demonstrate the relative color balance, here is the SRT9 surrouned by lights with emitters of various tints and temperatures. 
L to R: Astrolux S41S with neutral 219B, Nitecore C1 with cool XHP35 HD E2, Convoy S2+ with cool XM-L U2 1B, Nitecore SRT9 with cool XHP50, Olight S1R with cool XM-L2, BLF348 with neutral 219B, and Lumintop Tool with warm 219B.

 

Nitecore rates the SRT9 at 2150 lumens on Turbo. Nitecore used Nitecore 3400mAh button-top protected 18650 batteries for official specifications so I used the same spec Nitecore batteries (model NL189) for my tests. 4xCR123A batteries can be also used. Flat top batteries do not work.

At turn-on, the SRT9 output a solid 2273 lumens. At 30 seconds, I found output at 2153 lumens. This matches the 2150 lumen rating provided by Nitecore exactly.

What didn’t match rated specifications was Turbo runtime, though it was a good surprise. Nitecore states runtime at 1 hour; I found output didn’t drop to 10% (ANSI FL1 standard) until 2 hours and 20 minutes into the test. While output dropped about 200 lumens in the first 2 minutes, the output was then linear until the batteries were nearly empty. 50% was reached at 68 minutes; 10% was reached at 140 minutes. An 80mm PC fan running to produce some airflow. Ambient temp was 78F.

 

The SRT9 has Nitecore’s “Advanced Temperature Regulation (ATR) module” designed to keep the LED from overheating, yet the light dissipated heat so well that ATR didn’t appear to step in at any point during testing. The SRT9 remained cool with head temperature peaking at 120F (49C) 9 minutes into the Turbo test. The die-cast design is very effective at distributing heat.


Nitecore rates the Ultralow mode at 0.1 lumens. The lowest that I could get the SRT9 to produce any light at with a fresh battery was at about 2.7 lumens. No runtime test was conducted; Nitecore rates it at 250 hours.

As most people will use the SRT9 somewhere in-between Turbo and Ultralow, I ran a test with the light at as close to 1000 lumens as I could. At 30 seconds, the SRT9 was outputting 996 lumens. The output climbed on its own, peaking at 1049 lumens at minute 33. It then dropped to 938 lumens by minute 42. That output was maintained until 2:25, at which point a fairly linear drop towards 0 began. 50% of initial output was reached at 3:06 with 10% hit at 3:27.

 

Both outputs tested, graphed together:

 

I did detect PWM both with the “mirror test” and via camera when the SRT9 was operating at the low end of its output range. On Ultralow, I could easily observe it on a wall. At high output levels I did not detect it visually so it is either high frequency or non-existent there. 


I tested throw distance at 1.46 meters and the resulting candela was 9,810 - equivalent to 289 meters of throw. This outperforms Nitecore’s rating of 246 meters (289 yards).



_My lumen measurement device has not been calibrated for other colors – so please consider the following test numbers with that in mind. _

The 300mW Red emitter is rated by Nitecore at 13 lumens; I measured 12. Nitecore states runtime is 50 hours.

Green is rated at 19 lumens; I measured 21. The green actually seemed brighter than this outdoors, which really shouldn’t be too big of a surprise as this is a typical strength of green lights. Nitecore states runtime is 48 hours.

Both red and green matched rated outputs very closely. Blue did not. Nitecore rates Blue at 3 lumens; it registered 48 lumens when I tested it. I can only speculate as to why the numbers are as different as they are, but in practical use Blue is brighter to my eyes than the Green and especially the Red. Nitecore states runtime is 48 hours.


UV is reported to have a wavelength of 365nm, powered at 500mW, with a runtime of 48 hours. While I lack the equipment to verity those numbers, I can report that the UV illuminates the strip in US currency.

 
It also shows urine and other dried liquids very well. (No pictures will be included; you’ll have to trust me.)


The Nitecore Tube UV reports the same wavelength and wattage specifications, though of course a shorter runtime due to the smaller battery. Comparatively speaking, the SRT9 has more throw but an uneven beam due to the reflector inset. The Tube’s beam is more consistent and round. 

Red, Green, and Blue suffer similar beam shapes due to the way they are inset into the reflector. The beams appear off balance with the hotspot towards one side.


The Police Warning strobe works by alternating red and blue flashes. Red always begins, flashing very quickly over the course of about 7/10ths of a second. Blue then flashes in the same manner before red restarts. The brightness is sufficient for a law enforcement officer to use signaling or announcing presence at night, but higher output would be needed for daytime use or other functions.


All outputs measured:

 

The battery measured between 2.95V and 2.98V after testing. The over-discharge protection functions well; this is a safe termination voltage and above the battery’s protection circuit termination voltage of 2.5V per specifications.



*Outdoor Beamshots*

All photos taken with a Canon SD4000IS camera. 1/4" exposure, ISO1600, Daylight white balance.
Approximate distances: White deck railing @ 15 ft., white fence in distance @ 75 ft., center of boat @ 100 ft.


Control shot:

 

UltraLow:

 

Turbo:




Red:

 

Green:

 

Blue





*Interface*

The SRT9’s tail switch is used as the primary on/off switch. If off, the light will not function no matter what position the selector ring is set to. If the ring is on any mode, it will startup in that mode when the tail switch is activated. There is a very small delay when turning on, a “fade in” of sorts.

The center position on the selector ring is standby. In this mode with the tail switch on, the side indicator will flash every 2 seconds to alert you that the light is in standby mode.

While holding the light, turning the ring clockwise from Standby will smoothly progress from Ultralow to Turbo. Turbo is reached with a click and a “notch” felt in hand. Turning the ring further clockwise reaches Strobe. Again, the position is felt in hand.

Turning counterclockwise (anticlockwise) from Standby, the first position reached is UV. Then is Red, Green, Blue, Police strobe, and Beacon in that order. 

Total rotation from Beacon to Strobe is just short of one full rotation. There is no marking on the ring that identifies the Standby position alignment, but the long step in notches between Standby and Turbo provides a good way to orient the ring switch position when the light is off.



 
*Problems*

No problems were experienced while testing the SRT9. 




*Commentary*

The SRT9 takes the reigns as SRT flagship, bringing new levels of output and runtime to the lineup. With 8 modes, 5 emitters, infinitely variable output up to 2150 lumens, over 250 meters of throw, and a battery indicator, there’s not much missing. 

As the owner of an EC4SW and SRT7GT, the SRT9 feels like a hybrid of the two. It has the strong and floody output and excellent heat management of the EC4SW as well as the 5 emitters, magnetic ring, and infinite brightness adjustment of the SRT7GT. 

It is comfortable in hand or in jacket pocket, though too large for front pocket carry. Proper orientation in hand is always easy due to the shape. The ring is convenient to use and allows quicker adjustment up or down than button-operated lights. The ring interface is very convenient.

I am pleased to see the Turbo output match the rated 2150 lumen rating and that it sustains the output without any aggressive stepdowns. 

As for weaknesses, Ultralow could stand to be a little bit lower. The XHP50’s temperature is cool, though particularly so only at the outer edges. PWM is present and detectable at low output. Finally, as a matter of safety, I would prefer to see UV further from Standby on the ring.

*Overall, the SRT9 is a well-balanced multipurpose light that combines strong output, solid heat management, multiple color emitters, and solid battery life into a light that is easy hold and use. It’s a jack of all trades, though master of none.*





_Meter: Dr. Meter LX1330B
Integrating "sphere": Homebuilt tube-style device calibrated on other known lights and test results. Numbers should be considered relative to each other and my other review figures but accuracy is in no way certified or guaranteed._
_Camera: Canon SD4000IS_


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## proceed5 (Jul 5, 2017)

Thank you BDM82 for the excellent review, details & write ups and tests charts. 

I bought my SRT9 together with the Concept1 and I must that the SRT9's Control ring is by far the smoothest as compared with the SRT7 and SRT7GT. It is a joy to use any Ring controlled flashlights.

You might want to add : Do NOT use magnetic spacers for flat-top batteries in powering the SRT9. The magnetic spacers causes massive Haywire to the Ring control of the SRT9 unit.
(well, I am using the magnetic spacers to power my SRT7GT and it works fine, however the same magnetic spacers do Not work at all with the SRT9)

And in the hands, the SRT9's body design somewhat feels rounder and nicer in the right hand as compared with EC4GT, EC4S, EC4SW. 

Tail-cap wise, in my opinion, I still prefer the screw-in type from the EC4 models. The SRT9's dual buttons click to lock and release can be a bit tricky to securely lock and release. Most of the time, I felt the need for asserting a bit pressure to pull to disengage the cap from the body and batteries flies out. 

Thank you again BDM82 for your excellent review, keep it up :twothumbs


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## DRAWs (Jul 5, 2017)

terrific review BDM82 ! it's been awhile since i read a detailed review like yours


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## Offgridled (Jul 5, 2017)

Yes i agree incredible review!! Well thought out and organized. Thank you..


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## Bdm82 (Jul 5, 2017)

proceed5 said:


> Thank you BDM82 for the excellent review, details & write ups and tests charts.
> 
> I bought my SRT9 together with the Concept1 and I must that the SRT9's Control ring is by far the smoothest as compared with the SRT7 and SRT7GT. It is a joy to use any Ring controlled flashlights.
> 
> ...



The ring was pretty similar on my SRT7GT and SRT9 samples. I wonder if your 7s were adjusted differently than mine. Regardless, as you say, it's a joy to use ring controlled lights... it's easy to get a bit spoiled by it.

I didn't test magnetic spacers (I had button tops aplenty), but I could see that being a problem. Thanks for pointing this out for others who come across this review later.

The body is rounder and fatter than the EC4, but I guess what feels nice is a matter of preference. I favor the EC4 ever so slightly, but that's splitting hairs and I suspect our hands might not be the same shape! 

The tail cap design does indeed require quite a bit of pressure to lock. It's more effort than the EC4's screw design, but there's also no risk of cross-threading the SRT9. A couple times I realized that only one of the two sides got clipped in, but the tail stayed on like that. (It actually functioned with only one side clipped.) When removing the tail cap I never had to pull, but I did experience the spring kicking the cap off a couple inches when I pressed the pins.


Anyway, thanks for the props (and to DRAWs and OG as well)! It feels good to know people find my reviews useful; if you notice I'm missing something key do let me know!


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## snakyjake (Jul 5, 2017)

The battery door arms really bug me and would hold me back from purchase.


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## carl (Jul 5, 2017)

thank you for the nice review!
Good to see it tailstands.
Do you happen to know the mA drain while in standby mode?
Thanks again!


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## Bdm82 (Jul 6, 2017)

carl said:


> thank you for the nice review!
> Good to see it tailstands.
> Do you happen to know the mA drain while in standby mode?
> Thanks again!


12.1mA according to my (uncertified, unverified) Craftsman DMM.

Edit: Keep in mind this is with the tail switch on and the ring set to standby. This mode is intended to be short term use only, though it would last weeks like this. (The side light flashes every 2 seconds, which could be handy for finding it in the dark.) 
With the mechanical tail switch off, it is 0.


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## TCY (Jul 6, 2017)

Thanks for the awesome review. I'm interest in Nitecore's SRT series and it looks like this one doesn't disappoint.


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## markr6 (Jul 13, 2017)

Bdm82 said:


> 12.1mA according to my (uncertified, unverified) Craftsman DMM.
> 
> Edit: Keep in mind this is with the tail switch on and the ring set to standby. This mode is intended to be short term use only, though it would last weeks like this. (The side light flashes every 2 seconds, which could be handy for finding it in the dark.)
> With the mechanical tail switch off, it is 0.



Good to know. Thank goodness it has a mechanical switch. And I thought the 250-300µA (~20 times less!) was bad on the EC4/s/w lights. But I understand the standby function being for short use.

I don't have a use for all those colored lights, but I like most everything else about it. I just couldn't let that tint into my house


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## qqqqqqqman (Jul 13, 2017)

Any chance the batteres come included?

Was hoping to get an Acebeam EC50 Gen ll, for the floody beam....this looks like a great alternative ( though probably not as floody?). Like the ring switch.


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## canonite (Jul 15, 2017)

Actual retail doesn't come with any batteries ...unless you get it as a package deal from the seller..
for those who might want to .. the bezel that fits the SRT7 also fist the SRT9 since its 40mm .. however the screw thread is a tad bit longer than the original flat bezel, so you can't screw the bezel down all the way..


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## Liquidretro1 (Jul 15, 2017)

Are any special batteries required or would some NCR18650b work just fine?


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## Bdm82 (Jul 15, 2017)

Liquidretro1 said:


> Are any special batteries required or would some NCR18650b work just fine?


Those would work fine, so long as button top.


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## Razer (Jul 15, 2017)

Excellent review, very thorough. The runtime data and comparison beam shots were very helpful. That is a lot of flashlight for $120.

Razer


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## qqqqqqqman (Jul 15, 2017)

canonite said:


> Actual retail doesn't come with any batteries ...unless you get it as a package deal from the seller..
> ..





Ouch.....as a first time 18650 for me, that would be another $40-50 for batteries and charger (has no usb). Becomes a $160-170 light.

Advantage of the Acebeam EC50 Gen ll, for me, would be the included 26650 battery and usb charging for $120.

Decisions.....


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## RBWNY (Jul 21, 2017)

Nice review! So I just got this light too... and was hoping you would've said something about that little rubber "gasket" that appears to be for the tail cap. Have you tried to use it? Do you know which way it's supposed to go on? --- because I'm not sure. Is it meant to make tail-standing more secure?


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## Bdm82 (Jul 25, 2017)

RBWNY said:


> Nice review! So I just got this light too... and was hoping you would've said something about that little rubber "gasket" that appears to be for the tail cap. Have you tried to use it? Do you know which way it's supposed to go on? --- because I'm not sure. Is it meant to make tail-standing more secure?


Thanks!

It, if I get what you're talking about, is a spare gasket for the tail cap. It doesn't get used for tailstanding or anything like that. 
Rather, if the original gasket breaks or tears one day, that one is backup. 
Without looking at it, I believe you have to take apart the tail cap using a tiny screwdriver to back out the screws holding the circuit board in the tail. Then you can access and change the gasket.


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## RBWNY (Jul 25, 2017)

Oh wow! So it goes INSIDE the tail cap!? That's different. What I thought puzzling though, is it doesn't seem to be referenced within the manual... or within the listed accessories. It appears to be the same size as the cap, so that's what led me to the conclusion I came to. However, if the gasket is under the circuit board... how in thee world would you ever know that it needed replacing? It's not something like an o-ring, which might gives clues that it's wearing out. Somewhat strange I think.

Anyway thanks for cluing me in!


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## OldSage (Jul 30, 2017)

Couple weeks of use. Overall happy with the purchase. Find the illumination of the green LED bit too bright for max preservation of night vision. Prefer green over the red in reducing night sight. Solution for when preserving night vision is a priority was picking up the NFG-40 and using the white LED at the very low end brightness. Not really sure of the need and purpose of the flashing RED/BLUE mode. I guess for the "wanna be cops" or for the real law enforcement people? 

Not sure if possible, but a stepless range similar to the white LED for red,green and blue modes would be nice in the next gen SRT9.


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## Lateck (Jul 30, 2017)

How is the UV compared to the Nitecore CU6?
Or in general?

Lateck,


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## shawn a. (Aug 7, 2017)

Great review- lots of info. 
One question, to detect PWM, I usually shake the light as fast as possible while looking at the head, or sweeping my arm quickly while looking at the reflection in a mirror or a window. I couldn't see any of the strobe effect while almost dislocating my arm. How did you spot the PWM?
Nice light for my purposes here in a forest where I can only see les than 100 yards into the trees. I,too love the control ring.


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## iNDiGLo (Aug 7, 2017)

shawn a. said:


> Great review- lots of info.
> One question, to detect PWM, I usually shake the light as fast as possible while looking at the head, or sweeping my arm quickly while looking at the reflection in a mirror or a window. I couldn't see any of the strobe effect while almost dislocating my arm. How did you spot the PWM?
> Nice light for my purposes here in a forest where I can only see les than 100 yards into the trees. I,too love the control ring.



shawn,

Aim the flashlight at a ceiling fan and try the different levels. PWM will be obvious because the blades will look like they stopped spinning.

iNDiGLo


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## shawn a. (Aug 9, 2017)

Howdy iNDiGLo,
hey, how did you know I had a ceiling fan? Anyway I tried it with the various fans in our house at all of their various speeds, and still saw no strobing or PWM. I can usually detect it by doing the shaking thing or swinging it in front of a mirror or window, but I get a steady light when I do that. My serial number is 7062188950074. Perhaps they changed the software or something. I'm not complaining - just curious. I really like the light, it's my first Nitecore product, and I just ordered a headlamp for a Christmas gift, and am eyeing another light for myself. I have all the lights I need and can use, and I thought I was a recovering flashaholic until a buddy of mine dangled the Nitecore name in an email and I suffered an ongoing relapse! I'm hopeless!
Shawn


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## Bdm82 (Aug 10, 2017)

shawn a. said:


> Howdy iNDiGLo,
> hey, how did you know I had a ceiling fan? Anyway I tried it with the various fans in our house at all of their various speeds, and still saw no strobing or PWM. I can usually detect it by doing the shaking thing or swinging it in front of a mirror or window, but I get a steady light when I do that. My serial number is 7062188950074. Perhaps they changed the software or something. I'm not complaining - just curious. I really like the light, it's my first Nitecore product, and I just ordered a headlamp for a Christmas gift, and am eyeing another light for myself. I have all the lights I need and can use, and I thought I was a recovering flashaholic until a buddy of mine dangled the Nitecore name in an email and I suffered an ongoing relapse! I'm hopeless!
> Shawn


I'm not indiglo but as OP I assume you don't mind me replying!

Did you try on very low?

I said it in the review, but I couldn't see pwm on high output... it was only when it was at the very low end of the output (white light, not red/blue/green/uv), ultralow, where it was obvious.


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## shawn a. (Aug 11, 2017)

Hello Bdm82,
Yes I expected to see it (if it was there) on the lowest white setting only. I'm going to try to spot it with a photo on my camera, but I think I know what it should look like to my eyes. Am I right in assuming that PWM is sometimes used to accomplish a lower output? I have a few lights that "strobe" when they're on lower levels, and it's not generally bothersome unless it's a real slow "blink". But again, I have no problem with it whether I can perceive it or not. 
Great review by the way, I thought I was a hopeless flashaholic, but I can see I'm an amateur! Just tried the camera and I couldn't see it there either. The lowest setting I could get it to seems noticeably brighter than .1 lumen according to my mark 1 eyeballs. 
Thanks for the reply 
Shawn


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## thgilhsalf (Aug 15, 2017)

Thanks for this nice and detailed review! SRT9 might be one of the popular model of Nitecore. I like its smart selector ring design and colored leds, just purchased one few days ago. Hope it will work well.


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## Daniel Boros (Aug 22, 2017)

Thanks for this excellent review. Could you tell me how you measure the output power? (What instruments you use?)


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## carteriii (Aug 31, 2017)

Would someone people offer a subjective opinion on the throw of the SRT9 compared to the SRT7GT? At ~100-200 yards or meters, is the beam width significantly wider on the SRT9? Is the intensity within the hot spot incrementally or significantly more? While overall light output of the SRT9 is greater, the orange peel reflector and head would seem to provide a slightly wider and more even bream rather than significantly brighter at distance or greater distance. I already have an SRT7GT, so when would you reach for the SRT9 instead of the SRT7GT? Is there a significant enough difference that it's worth having both? And yes, I know the answer is that more lights is always better! If the SRT9 had significantly more throw, it would be a no-brainer for me to add to my collection, but the SRT9 doesn't seem different enough.


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## Bdm82 (Sep 1, 2017)

Daniel Boros said:


> Thanks for this excellent review. Could you tell me how you measure the output power? (What instruments you use?)


Thanks! Instruments are noted at the end of the review (post 1).



carteriii said:


> Would someone people offer a subjective opinion on the throw of the SRT9 compared to the SRT7GT? At ~100-200 yards or meters, is the beam width significantly wider on the SRT9? Is the intensity within the hot spot incrementally or significantly more? While overall light output of the SRT9 is greater, the orange peel reflector and head would seem to provide a slightly wider and more even bream rather than significantly brighter at distance or greater distance. I already have an SRT7GT, so when would you reach for the SRT9 instead of the SRT7GT? Is there a significant enough difference that it's worth having both? And yes, I know the answer is that more lights is always better! If the SRT9 had significantly more throw, it would be a no-brainer for me to add to my collection, but the SRT9 doesn't seem different enough.



I'll get both out this weekend and compare... get a comparison pic at that length if possible. 

As for when i reach for either, the srt7gt has more wow factor. It has 50% more throw, and the lumens are much more concentrated. It is lighter weight and so easier to pocket. So I grab it when using for quick stints, when showing to others, or when I don't have other batteries charged.

But the srt9 is a more balanced light. More flood lumens and around a campsite, yard, or field, they're definitely noticed. But it gives up the longer range targeting. 2x the battery. It also handles heat very well. So I grab it when I don't know what I'll need or for how long.


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## Bdm82 (Sep 3, 2017)

carteriii said:


> Would someone people offer a subjective opinion on the throw of the SRT9 compared to the SRT7GT? At ~100-200 yards or meters, is the beam width significantly wider on the SRT9? Is the intensity within the hot spot incrementally or significantly more? While overall light output of the SRT9 is greater, the orange peel reflector and head would seem to provide a slightly wider and more even bream rather than significantly brighter at distance or greater distance. I already have an SRT7GT, so when would you reach for the SRT9 instead of the SRT7GT? Is there a significant enough difference that it's worth having both? And yes, I know the answer is that more lights is always better! If the SRT9 had significantly more throw, it would be a no-brainer for me to add to my collection, but the SRT9 doesn't seem different enough.



I took these pictures thinking they'd be around 100m. Google Maps (edit: and a rangefinder) says 80m; sorry they aren't in your 100-200m request range.

That said, I do think they show the difference in beam profile and lumen output. (Both pictures taken ISO 1600, 1/4" exposure, daylight white balance.)

SRT7GT:







SRT9:


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## carteriii (Sep 5, 2017)

That is tremendously helpful. Thank you!


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## 1jono (Jan 21, 2018)

Excellent review,thanks👍
Have had my SRT9 for a month now and it really is a well rounded balanced light.I use it most of the time except when I need a bit more throw then I reach for my EC4GT.They compliment each other really well!I used to pair the EC4GT with my EC4S but the parasitic drain on the EC4S was too much for me😱So The SRT9 has replaced my EC4S with the benefits of the excellent magnetic control ring and coloured LED’s Etc.


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## shawn a. (Mar 7, 2019)

Well, one thing I’ve noticed about my light is that it does not seem to be hard anodized. It seems that the only part of it that is anodized is the control ring itself, the rest seems to be painted. Bare metal and overspray can be seen inside the battery compartment. The paint has chipped off on the tailcap and a few other places that protrude. 
Serial number 7062188950074.


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## CelticCross74 (Jan 30, 2020)

This was a stellar review! The SRT9 is a bit too large for my coat pocket. My favorite SRT Nitecore is and always has been the SRT6. Yes the SRT with zero colored secondary LEDs. With two CR123 cells in my SRT6 output jumps a LOT. This SRT9 does indeed have near every gizmo a modern multi feature LED light can have. As for PWM I am not surprised that the SRT9 uses PWM on the lower outputs. Chances are max output does NOT use PWM. 

I am at kind of a loss as to why NC has not upgraded the SRT3,5 and 6. They all sell well.


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