# Sunwayman D40A (XM-L2, 4xAA) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO + more



## selfbuilt

*Warning: even more pic heavy than usual. :sweat:*

*UPDATE AUGUST 6, 2013:* _I have done some comparison pics to the new Neutral White version of the D40A. See post #62 in this thread for more info._















The D40A is the latest 4xAA light from Sunwayman. The D40A has a distinctive interface for SWM, and the light itself packs a powerful punch despite its diminutive size. Let's see how it does against the recent competition in this space. :wave:

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:* 
(note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results).


CREE XM-L2 T6 LED
Brand-new Dual-button Side Switch System, slightly depress the side switch buttons for output ranging from 30 to 980 lumens
Runs on: 4x AA (Batteries not included)
Output/Runtime:
Turbo: 980 lumens / .05h
High: 550 lumens / 1.7h
Mid: 220 lumens / 4h
Low: 30 lumens / 31h
Peak Beam Intensity: 24800 cd
Constant current circuit, constant output
High quality reflector with soft beam pattern
Optimized Deep Reflector, great throw distance as well as perfect beam pattern
High quality aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, Stainless steel head retaining ring
Military specification Type III- hard anodized body
Waterproof, in accordance with IPX-8 standard
Ultra-clear tempered glass lens resists scratches and impacts
Tail stand capable- can be used as a candle
Included Accessories: Lanyard, O-ring, Holster
Dimensions: Length: 4.74" (120.6mm), Head Diameter: 1.57" (40mm), Body Diameter: 1.65" (42 mm)
Weight (W/o Batteries): 5.83 .oz (165.4g)
MSRP: ~$80






The D40A comes in the standard Sunwayman hard cardboard box packaging. The light and extras are well secured in hard packing material. Inside you will find the light, good quality lanyard with clip, extra o-ring, holster, manual, product insert and warranty card. 













From left to right: Duracell NiMH; Eagletac GX25A3; Nitecore EA4; Sunwayman D40Al Olight S35; Eagletac SX25A6.

All dimensions directly measured, and given with no batteries installed (unless indicated):

*Sunwayman D40A 4xAA*: Weight: 167.9g, Length: 120.4mm, Weight (bezel): 40.0mm
*Sunwayman M40A 4xAA*: Weight: 247.0g , Length: 145mm, Width 57.0mm (bezel) 
*Eagletac GX25A3 3xAA*: Weight: 151.4g, Length: 109.2mm, Weight (bezel): 38.6mm
*Eagletac SX25A6 6xAA*: Weight: 279.8g, Length: 183mm, Weight (bezel): 47.0mm
*Fenix TK45 8xAA*: Weight: 307.3g, Length: 202mm, Width (bezel) 50.6mm, Width (tailcap) 44.0
*ITP A6 6xAA*: Weight: 209.9g, Length: 174mm, Width (bezel) 48.0mm, Width (tailcap) 37.8mm
*JetBeam PA40 4xAA*: Weight: 184.0g, Length: 183mm, Width: 40.8mm (bezel), 42.1mm (max width)
*Lumintop PK30 6xAA*: Weight: 454.0g, Length: 218mm, Width (bezel): 62.0mm
*Nitecore EA4 4xAA*: Weight: 161.6g , Length: 117.9mm, Width (bezel): 40.2mm
*Nitecore EA8 8xAA*: Weight: 301.9g , Length: 182mm, Width (bezel): 60.1mm
*Olight S35 3xAA*: Weight 177.3g, Length: 127.7mm, Width (bezel): 38.7mm
*Olight S65 6xAA*: Weight 215.4g, Length: 180mm, Width (bezel): 38.7mm 

The D40A is quite petite for the class – just a hair or two longer than the Nitecore EA4, but otherwise similar in stature.






















The overall build of the D40A is excellent. I'm very impressed with the quality and hand feel – especially for such a small build. The light is comfortable to hold and use. Grip is good, thanks to the relatively aggressive knurling on the body (and the ridge detail in the head helps too). 

Anodizing is flat matte black, hard anodized (i.e., type III), with no obvious chips or damage on my sample. Sunwayman has always had top-notch anodizing (although I personally miss the natural finish look). Labels are bright and exceptionally clear (i.e., sharp white against the black background). 

Screw threading is square cut (i.e., trapezoid), and is anodized for lock-out. Threading feels is good, and seems of high quality. It's nice to see the physical lock out, as many carrier-based lights lack this feature. 

The D40A can tailstand easily, thanks to the flat base. There is a lanyard attachment point in the head, so there is no interference with tailstanding.

There is a dual-switch interface in the head to control the light. While the design and interface reminds of the small AA/CR123A Nitecore Explorer EA/EC-series lights, switch feel is better on the D40A (i.e., more definite tactile feedback). The four screws holding down the plate cover should also alleviate any waterproofing concern. There is even a small LED indicator between the buttons (used as a low-voltage warning in this case). See User Interface below for more information. 

Surprisingly for such a small build, the D40A actually uses a battery carrier. 














I am again impressed by the carrier – despite its small size, it feels very solid (e.g., note the metal end pieces and struts). Also note the careful attention to detail – like the recessed hex-head screws, recessed center contact, etc. :thumbsup: The carrier is even reversible (i.e., fits and works in either orientation). Sunwayman has definitely got this right.










The D40A reflector is lightly textured and surprisingly deep – this should translate into very good throw for the size. Overall reflector dimensions remind me of the Nitecore EA4. The XM-L2 emitter was well centered on my sample

The light has a flat stainless steel bezel.

Again, the overall impression of handling the light is one of a quality feel.

*User Interface*

The interface is a novel departure for Sunwayman, with the dual electronic switches in the head. Overall use is thus closer to the smaller Nitecore Explorer series lights (i.e., EA1, EA2, EC1, EC2), but with some differences (e.g., no locator beacon).

With the head connected to the body/carrier, main operation is controlled by the lower Power switch – press and release (i.e., click) to turn the light on at the previously memorized constant output level. While on, click the upper Mode switch repeatedly to cycle between the four main output levels in the following repeating sequence: Turbo > Hi > Med > Lo. I personally would have preferred the other way round. Note thethe light seems to remember your last choice (even after turning off/on) and advances you down to the next level on subsequent Mode press.

Turn the light off by clicking the Power switch again. As mentioned above, the light has mode memory, and will return to the last level used when turned back on from off. Note that if you set the light to a lower level, you can jump to Turbo mode directly by doing a quick double-click of the Power switch from Off.

There are also a number of "hidden" modes. You can access a regular tactical strobe by double-clicking the Mode switch (press any switch to exit). Note that this works when the light is On or Off - a double-click of the Mode switch gives you Strobe. You can access a signaling strobe (called "Police Strobe") by pressing and holding the Mode switch for more than 1 sec when on. Similarly, you can access the SOS mode by pressing and holding the Power switch for more than 1 sec when on. 

From Off, there are two more modes available to you (in addition to Turbo and Strobe, described above). You can access Moonlight by pressing and holding the Power switch for more than two seconds from off. A nice feature here is that the light remembers this mode choice, and comes back to Moonlight when you next activate the light normally. It is not part of the mode sequence cycle however. Press and hold the Mode switch for more than 2 secs from Off to get a beacon mode (called "Aviation mode").

Please see my detailed oscilloscope traces below for more information on all the blinky modes.

The red light LED between the switches comes on and flashes as the batteries are running low. You will not see it in normal operation.

Finally, press and hold both buttons for more than 2 secs to electronically lock-out the light. The same sequence is required to unlock the light (but see my standby drain comments later in this review). Note that you can always physically lock out the light by as simple head twist.

*Video*: 

For more information on the light, including the build and user interface, please see my video overview:



Video was recorded in 720p, but YouTube typically defaults to 360p. Once the video is running, you can click on the configuration settings icon and select the higher 480p to 720p options. You can also run full-screen. 

As with all my videos, I recommend you have annotations turned on. I commonly update the commentary with additional information.

*PWM/Strobe*

There is no sign of PWM that I can see, at any output level – I believe the light is current-controlled.  

Strobe:





The main strobe is standard high frequency strobe, measured at 13.3 Hz on my D40A.

Police Strobe:





"Police strobe" is really a signaling strobe. You get three rapid pulses (at 12.4Hz frequency), followed by a pause – repeating every 1.6 secs or so. This would be used to help direct traffic, identify location, etc.

SOS:





Standard SOS signal (dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot) in about 6- secs. 

Aviation: 





Aviation mode is a beacon mode, and is a full output flash once every 2.6 secs or so. 

*Standby Drain*

A standby current drain is inevitable on this light, due to the electronic switch in the head (and/or tailcap). However, the D40A is fairly unique in my testing. When first connecting the head to the carrier, I measured a drain of 1.71mA for about ~3-4 secs. It then drops down to an ultra-low 11.4uA until a button is pressed. At that rate, it would take about 20 years to drain 2000mAh Sanyo Eneloops. :laughing:

If you are concerned about this miniscule drain, you can easily lock-out the D40A by a quick twist of the head. There is also an electronic lock-out of the switch (described earlier). I don't know if this lock-out mode lowers the drain further, but it would hardly seem necessary. 

_*UPDATE*: I have just measured the drain on lock-out mode, and it is a little peculiar. When you engage lock-out by holding both buttons for 2 secs, the current jumps to 2mA for ~2 secs, and then drops down to 311uA. This is higher than the regular standby mode, and would drain 2000mAh NiMH Eneloops in just under 9 months. Odd that the lock-out current is higher, but this still really isn't much of an issue in practice. If worried, I suggest you lock out the light physically by a head-twist._

*Beamshots:*

And now the white-wall beamshots.  All lights are on Sanyo Eneloop NiMH, at the maximum supported number for the given models (4x, 6x or 8x). Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences (i.e., my SX25A6 sample is a neutral white tint, but you won't be able to tell that below). 





























































Simply put, the D40A is fairly similar to the beam of the Nitecore EA4 and Eagletac GX25A3, with maybe a little more corona around the hotspot. This is what you would expect for a comparably sized and shaped reflector with light texturing. 

For outdoor beamshots, these are all done in the style of my earlier 100-yard round-up review. Please see that thread for a discussion of the topography (i.e. the road dips in the distance, to better show you the corona in the mid-ground). 

FYI, any "streaks" you see across the images are bug-trails. Flying insects are often attracted to the bright lights, and their flight trails get captured as swirly streaks due to the long exposure time. 






I'm afraid this outdoor beamshot didn't come out very well – there really isn't much of a difference in throw between the D40A and the GX25A3. It must be my variable hotspot placement that makes the D40A look less throwy than it is. I'll see if I can re-do it next time I head out.

*UPDATE AUGUST 6, 2013:* _I have done some comparison pics to the new Neutral White version of the D40A. See post #62 in this thread for more info._

_*UPDATE NOVEMBER 5, 2013:* In case you were wondering, here is how the Sunwayman T45C compares to the Cool White version of the D40A. As you will see, there really isn't much of a beam pattern difference between these lights - as you would expect, based on their physical characteristics and my output/throw measures._











*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, as described on my flashlightreviews.ca website. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).






As you can see, despite its small size, the D40A has excellent output and throw. Although not quite in the same throw category as the 6xAA/8X lights, the D40A's output matches some of those larger lights. oo: At the moment, the D40A appears to be have brightest turbo modes among all my 3x/4x AA lights.

In terms of throw, my D40A seems to slightly exceed the Sunwayman specs (note that my measures are done according to ANSI FL-1 standards, with a NIST-calibrated light meter). This makes the D40A at the top of my 3x/4x class lights. :thumbsup:

Let's see how my output estimates compare to the official Sunwayman ANSI-FL1 specs for this light:






Again, very close. :thumbsup: Note that the step-down feature (after 3 mins) actually steps you down directly to the Hi level. See runtimes below for more info.

*Output/Runtime Graphs:*



















As you can tell from above, Sunwayman is using a good current-controlled circuit in the light. Performance is particularly good on alkalines, where both regulation and runtime are very impressive.

The red LED begins to flash as batteries drain down. I haven't carefully monitored it, but it seems to be a reasonably good sensor. The one exception is on fresh L91 lithums – here, the red LED starts flashing immediately, and the light steps down from Turbo to Hi, and then Med, within ~10 secs from activation. I suspect the reason for this is that the voltage sensor detects fresh L91s (which can be ~1.7V) as outside the acceptable range for the light. Once you run down the L91s for a few minutes, enough capacity drains off so that you can at least run the Hi level stably.






For the above trace, I had to keep restarting the Turbo/Hi modes over the first 7 mins or so, before the light would stably run in Hi (this is why you all the jumping between Turbo/Hi/Med over this time period). While messy, this should at least allow you to approximate the Turbo/Hi runtime. I don't have much in the way of comparator data to other 3x/4xAA lights on L91 lithiums to date, but performance certainly seems decent.

*Potential Issues*

Due to the electronic switch, there is a standby drain when not in use – but it is one of the smallest I've seen and is not a concern (i.e., would take in theory 20 years to drain NiMH batteries, which is far longer than their natural self-discharge rate). It is higher in the electronic lock-out mode though (i.e., would drain the cells in just under 9 months), so you may want to lock out the light by a head-twist for extended storage.

The light won't stay in Hi or Turbo on fresh L91 lithiums without rapidly stepping down. This appears to be an over-voltage issue, and resolves after several minutes of runtime (to drain off full capacity) – at least for the Hi level. You may have difficulty with maintaining Turbo on L91s.

The light can roll fairly easily, although there are flat areas of the center ring that provide some stability. Use of the lanyard attached definitely helps.

*Preliminary Observations*

The D40A is the highest output/thrower 3x/4xAA light in my collection at the moment (although the Eagletac GX25A3 is almost indistinguishable).  More than that, I happy to say the D40A appears to have excellent build quality and performance.

Size-wise, the D40A is certainly closely in keeping with the Nitecore EA4 – which is impressive, considering the use of a battery carrier here. Construction and hand feel are top-notch for the D40A. The careful attention to detail through the design of the light is a credit to Sunwayman. :twothumbs

User interface is a departure for Sunwayman, and I like the new dual-switch design. It is reminiscent of the 1x/2x versions of the AA/CR123A Nitecore Explorer series, but with better switch feel (and likely higher build quality) on the D40A. I find it relatively intuitive for most of the modes. Note that despite the use of only two buttons, you get five constant output modes (including moonlight), and four blinky modes. And I like that the blinky modes are "hidden" off the main interface. :thumbsup:

Regulation and output/runtime performance at all levels tested are excellent. I'm particularly impressed by the alkaline runtime and regulation. oo: The one peculiar aspect is L91 lithiums, where you have to drain off a bit of capacity at first (in order to run in Med or Hi). 

The standby current on the D40A is ridiculously low – you would be looking at 20 years before it would drain your NiMH cells (which would already be long-dead from their own self-discharge characteristics). It's true the standby drain is higher in the lock-out mode, but it still quite reasonable (and you can always physically lock-out the light by a head twist).

Beam pattern is very good as well – very throwy, with excellent max output. You may want to consider use of a diffuser for more floody light (any of the common 40mm diffusers will fit - like the Nitecore NFD40, Olight M22X or Butler Creek Scope #5). I also personally like the range of output levels, including a <1 lumen "moonlight" mode. A good range of outputs is sometimes hard to find in this class. 

The D40A is the kind of light you could hand to anyone - with little instruction - and have them easily understand how to access the main constant output modes. Coupled with an excellent build – and top-of-class output, throw and runtime performance – you are unlikely to go wrong with the D40A. Definitely a top contender in the multi-AA class. :wave:

----

D40A was provided by Sunwayman for review.


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## __philippe

Let me be the first to congratulate Selfbuilt for this outstanding D40A test/review, as usual ! (sorry kj2...:nana

cheers,

__philippe


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## kj2

__philippe said:


> Let me be the first to congratulate Selfbuilt for this outstanding D40A test/review, as usual ! (sorry kj2...:nana
> 
> cheers,
> __philippe


Damn it, I'm late 
Nice review by-the-way . I have ordered a Nitecore traffic wand for my D40A, which always comes in handy.


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## Dr.444

Thanks SelfBuilt ,, great review as usual


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## selfbuilt

__philippe said:


> Let me be the first to congratulate Selfbuilt for this outstanding D40A test/review, as usual ! (sorry kj2...:nana





kj2 said:


> Damn it, I'm late


You guys crack me up. :laughing: It sometimes feels like I have you (kj2) standing over my shoulder when I post these. 

And nice write-up yourself kj2. I too have noticed that any of the standard 40mm attachements (like the traffics wand) will fit this light fine. It is nice to see some standardization in bezel diameters - makes mixing-and-matching accessories a lot more fun.


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## kj2

selfbuilt said:


> You guys crack me up. :laughing: It sometimes feels like I have you (kj2) standing over my shoulder when I post these.
> 
> And nice write-up yourself kj2. I too have noticed that any of the standard 40mm attachements (like the traffics wand) will fit this light fine. It is nice to see some standardization in bezel diameters - makes mixing-and-matching accessories a lot more fun.


Wish I could  With all those reviews, you probably have a nice collection 
I'd to buy this Nitecore because the Olight wand doesn't fit the D40A. The Olight wand does fit the GX25A3.


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## Bumble

Hi selfbuilt very nice review thanks. i would just like to mention you have missed something out in the ui, with the light off (not in lockout) you have instant access to turbo mode by a fast double click of the power button.. and then you can switch power levels with the mode button as usual . this is a great light imo.. my ea4 now sits on the shelf.


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## selfbuilt

Bumble said:


> i would just like to mention you have missed something out in the ui, with the light off (not in lockout) you have instant access to turbo mode by a fast double click of the power button.. and then you can switch power levels with the mode button as usual . this is a great light imo.. my ea4 now sits on the shelf.


Good catch, yes, that does work. So, if you set the light to a lower level, you can jump to Turbo mode directly from Off by doing a quick double-click of the Power switch. 

As an aside, I notice the double-click of the Mode switch gives Strobe whether the light is on or off. So for those who want to jump to Strobe from Off, you can easily do it. UI section of the main review have been updated with these two points.


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## SCEMan

Very impressive addition to the 4xAA compact light choices!
But just to clarify;
"While on, click the upper Mode switch repeatedly to cycle between the four main output levels in the following repeating sequence: Turbo > Hi > Med > Lo."
If I'm in LO mode, I have to jump to TURBO, and cycle down to get to MED?:thinking:


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## jamjam

Another great review from Selfbuilt. Regarding the standby current of D40A, I've heard that in lock-out mode (Press dual switch for 2 seconds), the standby current will reach 2mA. I am not sure if this is true as I do not have the equipment to test it.


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## Bumble

SCEMan said:


> Very impressive addition to the 4xAA compact light choices!
> But just to clarify;
> "While on, click the upper Mode switch repeatedly to cycle between the four main output levels in the following repeating sequence: Turbo > Hi > Med > Lo."
> If I'm in LO mode, I have to jump to TURBO, and cycle down to get to MED?:thinking:



simply put yes .


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## Bumble

jamjam said:


> Another great review from Selfbuilt. Regarding the standby current of D40A, I've heard that in lock-out mode (Press dual switch for 2 seconds), the standby current will reach 2mA. I am not sure if this is true as I do not have the equipment to test it.



i have not measured it myself but i know 3 people who have.. well 4 if you include selfbuilt  whilst it does start off quite high and would be a concern.. within a few seconds it drops to a miniscule amount. basically years and years to drain a set of eneloops .


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## jamjam

Bumble said:


> i have not measured it myself but i know 3 people who have.. well 4 if you include selfbuilt  whilst it does start off quite high and would be a concern.. within a few seconds it drops to a miniscule amount. basically years and years to drain a set of eneloops .



The reason I asked this is because Selfbuilt says: "There is also an electronic lock-out of the switch (described earlier). I don't know if this lock-out mode lowers the drain further". So I assumed Selfbuilt didn't measure the lock-out mode. A lot of reviewers measure the standby drain for "off" mode aka "standby" mode, but not "lock-out" mode. Sorry if I missed it.


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## Bumble

jamjam said:


> The reason I asked this is because Selfbuilt says: "There is also an electronic lock-out of the switch (described earlier). I don't know if this lock-out mode lowers the drain further". So I assumed Selfbuilt didn't measure the lock-out mode. A lot of reviewers measure the standby drain for "off" mode aka "standby" mode, but not "lock-out" mode. Sorry if I missed it.



valid point  i think just out of interest people might want to know the drain in lockout ? (just incase theres an unusual "quirk" in the circuitry).. maybe SB may measure the lock out drain ....

edit ! yes after looking about i see what you mean... higher drain in lockout than standby... but i wonder if they tested it for a fair few seconds or not ?


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## Kokopelli

I just ordered one after seeing this review. Well the runtime graphs in fact. The regulation of a light and circuit efficiency is much more important than the emitter used in light for me. This doesn't seem to disappoint


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## shelm

I am wondering if the GX25A3 is more impressive, portable, versatile, practical, compacter and has nicer tint than the D40A. Maybe the D40A styling looks more modern.

Thanks for the helpful review!


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## selfbuilt

SCEMan said:


> But just to clarify;
> "While on, click the upper Mode switch repeatedly to cycle between the four main output levels in the following repeating sequence: Turbo > Hi > Med > Lo."
> If I'm in LO mode, I have to jump to TURBO, and cycle down to get to MED?:thinking:


I'm afraid so - the Mode switch (when On) always jumps you to Turbo first, and then cycles down. I presume they did this intentionally, to give people quick access to Turbo from any mode. :shrug:
_
EDIT: Correction, this is not the case - pressing Mode just advances you back down to the next level. In some cases, I have been able to get it to jump to Turbo first, but I'm not sure what sequence is eliciting that behavior. If I figure it out, I'll update this post._

My measures initially reported in the review were all under under initial connection. I have just measured the drain on lock-out mode, and it is a little peculiar. When you engage lock-out by holding both buttons for 2 secs, the current jumps to 2mA for ~2 secs, and then drops down to 311uA and stays there. This is higher than the regular standby mode (1.7mA for a few secs, drops down to 11uA), and so the lock-out mode would drain 2000mAh NiMH Eneloops in just under 9 months. 

Odd that the lock-out current is higher, but this still really isn't much of an issue in practice. If worried, I suggest you lock out the light physically by a head-twist.



shelm said:


> I am wondering if the GX25A3 is more impressive, portable, versatile, practical, compacter and has nicer tint than the D40A. Maybe the D40A styling looks more modern.


Both are nice lights.


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## shelm

selfbuilt said:


> Both are nice lights.



lol i guessed so


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## kj2

selfbuilt said:


> I'm afraid so - the Mode switch (when On) always jumps you to Turbo first, and then cycles down. I presume they did this intentionally, to give people quick access to Turbo from any mode. :shrug:


Maybe I've to check again but, for what I remember, if I have the light on med, then turn it off, turn it back on the light cycles to low and not back to turbo. But I could be wrong, I'll check it later.


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## jamjam

selfbuilt said:


> My measures initially reported in the review were all under under initial connection. I have just measured the drain on lock-out mode, and it is a little peculiar. When you engage lock-out by holding both buttons for 2 secs, the current jumps to 2mA for ~2 secs, and then drops down to 311uA and stays there. This is higher than the regular standby mode (1.7mA for a few secs, drops down to 11uA), and so the lock-out mode would drain 2000mAh NiMH Eneloops in just under 9 months.



Thank you for verification. 311uA is not ideal but acceptable. The electronic lock-out is good for back pack when one need to remain the last used mode. For me I always physically lock-out the light, and when high mode is not needed, I can always start on moon mode, and low mode is just another click away.

I like this UI a lot. From off, I can have direct access to Turbo, moon mode, beacon, strobe and also the last used mode. IMO Its a lot better than the EA4's UI, don't get me start on the ballooned button on EA4...


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## selfbuilt

jamjam said:


> Thank you for verification. 311uA is not ideal but acceptable. ... IMO Its a lot better than the EA4's UI, don't get me start on the ballooned button on EA4...


Yes, the interface of the D40A is excellent from my perspective as well.

As for the current draw, it is interesting that the lock-out steps up both the initial and long-term current by exactly 300uA (i.e., goes from 1.7mA/11uA normally to 2mA/311uA in lock-out). But it is a minor wrinkle, as a 311uA current draw is still acceptable (especially in a light with a physical lock-out).


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## whatswrongwithmee

I like the higher output of this light but I still like the EA4 more for some reason.


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## elbowtko

Is there a way to quickly access turbo mode without having the cycle through the previous memorized mode? Also whats your feeling about the lanyard placement. My only wish is for the neutral version to come out already...


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## jamjam

Cant remember exactly, if not mistaken double click power button from off will bring you directly toturbo mode. Don't have the light with me now.


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## Bumble

jamjam is correct.. when the light is off double click the power button rapidly , then the light will enter into turbo. i dont use a lanyard so i cannot comment on that.


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## jamjam

Bumble said:


> jamjam is correct.. when the light is off double click the power button rapidly , then the light will enter into turbo. i dont use a lanyard so i cannot comment on that.



There is a lot of complain about the lanyard hole. I think if you use a longer paracord it shouldn't be a problem.


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## kj2

selfbuilt said:


> I'm afraid so - the Mode switch (when On) always jumps you to Turbo first, and then cycles down. I presume they did this intentionally, to give people quick access to Turbo from any mode. :shrug:





kj2 said:


> Maybe I've to check again but, for what I remember, if I have the light on med, then turn it off, turn it back on the light cycles to low and not back to turbo. But I could be wrong, I'll check it later.



Checked again. My light is in medium, turn it off, turn it back on and then press the mode button, it goes to low (and not first to turbo)


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## selfbuilt

jamjam said:


> Cant remember exactly, if not mistaken double click power button from off will bring you directly toturbo mode. Don't have the light with me now.


Yes, double-click the Power switch from Off jumps you to Turbo.



kj2 said:


> Checked again. My light is in medium, turn it off, turn it back on and then press the mode button, it goes to low (and not first to turbo)


You are right - I've just double-checked as well, and find the same thing. This is strange ... playing around with it, I got it to jump to Turbo once (but not sure of the sequence that did it). The jump to Turob is what I first observed, but it doesn't seem to do it "normally" - the common response is to to simply step down to the next level.

Hmmm, I'll have to play it with some more to see what I did that brought it bact to Turbo. But in the meantime, I will revise the text to clarify the typical sequence.


----------



## jamjam

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, double-click the Power switch from Off jumps you to Turbo.
> 
> 
> You are right - I've just double-checked as well, and find the same thing. This is strange ... playing around with it, I got it to jump to Turbo once (but not sure of the sequence that did it). The jump to Turob is what I first observed, but it doesn't seem to do it "normally" - the common response is to to simply step down to the next level.
> 
> Hmmm, I'll have to play it with some more to see what I did that brought it bact to Turbo. But in the meantime, I will revise the text to clarify the typical sequence.



Another thing is when you start the light from moon mode by a long press, the first click on mode switch will bring you to low as well. For me this is good, so that I wont get a sudden blast by turbo from moon mode.


----------



## Cereal_Killer

I'm glad the red led is just a battery indicator and not like on the explorer series lights. I am however a little surprised to see this light receiving 2x more comments than the eagletac is, I would have thought it be other way around with this having the battery carrier and all...


Selfbuilt ur the man, a review a day!? Impressive.


----------



## elbowtko

jamjam said:


> Another thing is when you start the light from moon mode by a long press, the first click on mode switch will bring you to low as well. For me this is good, so that I wont get a sudden blast by turbo from moon mode.



I am glad to hear this, as I wouldn't want to go from moonlight mode to turbo. I am curious is this only from the long click? so if I decide to start the flashlight from moonlight based on memory (just by click) and I press the mode button, will it go to turbo or will this only happen with long click?


----------



## kj2

Cereal_Killer said:


> I am however a little surprised to see this light receiving 2x more comments than the eagletac is, I would have thought it be other way around with this having the battery carrier and all...


There is nothing wrong with a good carrier


----------



## jamjam

elbowtko said:


> I am glad to hear this, as I wouldn't want to go from moonlight mode to turbo. I am curious is this only from the long click? so if I decide to start the flashlight from moonlight based on memory (just by click) and I press the mode button, will it go to turbo or will this only happen with long click?



It will also go to low mode first. The only time it will not go to low mode if your last used mode is turbo or hi, in this case, it will go to either hi or mid mode first. Hope this help.


----------



## __philippe

kj2 said:


> There is nothing wrong with a _*good*_ carrier



Mind you, *"good"* is the crucial qualifier here...there has been, so far, at least one recent disturbing report about a D40A battery carrier melting insulator causing short-circuits between positive contact spring and negative carrier contact plate

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...pact-thrower&p=4226800&viewfull=1#post4226800

A potentially troublesome spot worth pondering in the "battery carrier vs no-carrier" debate....

__philippe


----------



## kj2

__philippe said:


> Mind you, *"good"* is the crucial qualifier here...there were recent disturbing reports of a D40A carrier melting insulator causing short-circuits between positive contact spring and negative carrier contact plate
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...pact-thrower&p=4226800&viewfull=1#post4226800
> A potentially troublesome spot worth pondering in the carrier vs no-carrier debate....
> __philippe


For now there is only one report on a 'bad' carrier, what I know.


----------



## selfbuilt

Cereal_Killer said:


> I am however a little surprised to see this light receiving 2x more comments than the eagletac is, I would have thought it be other way around with this having the battery carrier and all...
> Selfbuilt ur the man, a review a day!? Impressive.


Well, more posts, but overall thread views aren't that different so far.  It comes down to what people what to discuss ... and the D40A represents more of a departure in build and interface for SWM than the GX25A3 does for ET (i.e., many of the common ET build issues have already been discussed elsewhere).

And don't expect this same level of posting frequency ... this was a special case where I was working on both reviews simultaenously. 



__philippe said:


> A potentially troublesome spot worth pondering in the "battery carrier vs no-carrier" debate....


It's hard to know what to make of one reported failure, where I gather the original report has been removed (i.e., don't know the specifics of that light, or how it was handled, etc.). If there are any systemic issues with this carrier, I am sure we will hear about them soon, once more people have them in hand.


----------



## elbowtko

Can anyone tell me what is the advantage of having a battery carrier in the first place?


----------



## jamjam

selfbuilt said:


> It's hard to know what to make of one reported failure, where I gather the original report has been removed (i.e., don't know the specifics of that light, or how it was handled, etc.). If there are any systemic issues with this carrier, I am sure we will hear about them soon, once more people have them in hand.



Do you notice that every time you screw-on the head to the body with the battery carrier inside, you can hear the sound of the spring grinding with the positive end of the carrier. I think there is a slit possibility that the grinding actually make the spring go off-center and bend towards the negative contact. which wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. Just my thought.


----------



## Bumble

elbowtko said:


> Can anyone tell me what is the advantage of having a battery carrier in the first place?



you can mechanically lock the d40a out to prevent activating the light accidently, (by twisting the battery tube a third of a turn)... you cannot do this on the ea4.


----------



## Bumble

jamjam said:


> Do you notice that every time you screw-on the head to the body with the battery carrier inside, you can hear the sound of the spring grinding with the positive end of the carrier. I think there is a slit possibility that the grinding actually make the spring go off-center and bend towards the negative contact. which wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. Just my thought.



Hi, on my sample the spring is VERY well centred.. there appears to be no "spring" noises made by the light when tightning the battery tube. the threads were quite dry when i first recieved the light, which did make a little noise ,so i used some nyogel 760.


----------



## tatasal

jamjam said:


> Do you notice that every time you screw-on the head to the body with the battery carrier inside, you can hear the sound of the spring grinding with the positive end of the carrier. I think there is a slit possibility that the grinding actually make the spring go off-center and bend towards the negative contact. which wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. Just my thought.



I have shared that concern in another thread here in CPF. The spring in my D40A sits or is soldered in not exactly perpindicular manner. There is a slight lean off-center. When the body tube is screwed into the head with the batt-carrier inside, there is a big possibility that the spring will slightly creep away from the center of the batt-carrier and touch both + and - portions of the carrier, creating a dead short.


----------



## tatasal

Bumble said:


> Hi, on my sample the spring is VERY well centred.. there appears to be no "spring" noises made by the light when tightning the battery tube. the threads were quite dry when i first recieved the light, which did make a little noise ,so i used some nyogel 760.



Lucky of you if your unit has the spring sitting dead on-center. That's why there is no spring-grating noise since it is turning in its own axis (and no creep away from the center of the batt-carriers + contact)


----------



## Bumble

tatasal said:


> Lucky of you if your unit has the spring sitting dead on-center. That's why there is no spring-grating noise since it is turning in its own axis (and no creep away from the center of the batt-carriers + contact)



its unusual for me to be lucky lol ...but it looks like iam on this one


----------



## __philippe

elbowtko said:


> Can anyone tell me what is the advantage of having a battery carrier in the first place?



Possibly an advantage to the manufacturer, who avoids a costly fabrication step for milling built-in cells channels within the flashlight body. On the other hand, there is the added cost of the carrier components themselves, so maybe, cost-wise, it balances out.

However, on the down-side from the user standpoint, a battery carrier introduces additional points of failure by multiplying the interfaces between the source of power (Batteries) and the sink of power (LED emitter):

Electrical drawbacks


multiple contact points between carrier and cells, carrier and emitter, carrier and end cap, each induces minute but unwanted additional electrical resistance, detrimental to optimum current conductivity
each additional interface point is more potential source for bad contact, or loss of electrical continuity altogether
potential source of fatal short-circuits (as discussed above in this thread)
need to be designed to prevent accidental polarity inversion
_in a nutshell: *the less contacts, the better*_

Mechanical drawbacks


source of rattle inside the body
structural integrity often marred by flimsy material choice (notwithstanding the remarkably sturdy D40A's carrier)
increases flashlight overall footprint (diameter and length)
increases flashlight weight
_in a nutshell: *one redundant component prone to failure*_

After this admittedly biased view on the subject, let's hear the _real case in favour _of battery carrier, anyone please ?...

Cheers,

__philippe


----------



## __philippe

Bumble said:


> you can mechanically lock the d40a out to prevent activating the light accidently, (by twisting the battery tube a third of a turn)... you cannot do this on the ea4.



Bumble has a valid point in favour of battery carriers...keep 'm coming !

__philippe


----------



## selfbuilt

jamjam said:


> Do you notice that every time you screw-on the head to the body with the battery carrier inside, you can hear the sound of the spring grinding with the positive end of the carrier. I think there is a slit possibility that the grinding actually make the spring go off-center and bend towards the negative contact. which wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. Just my thought.





Bumble said:


> Hi, on my sample the spring is VERY well centred.. there appears to be no "spring" noises made by the light when tightning the battery tube. the threads were quite dry when i first recieved the light, which did make a little noise ,so i used some nyogel 760.


In my case, the spring in the head is only slightly angled off-center. It is not enough to produce any scratching beyond the inner centre of the carrier centre contact. Juding from the appearance of the carrier's contact, I would say the traverse of the spring is less than half the inner contact diameter. I certainly can't hear any scratching sounds, beyond the scraping of the threads themselves (and I agree with Bumble, the threads are dry as shipped).

I can see why people would think that a potential source of failure is the spring getting bent and stretched out during tightening - and possibly making contact with the positive contact plate in the head (thus causing a short once full contact is made with the carrier). Of course, that's theoretical at present - and any such short should show a clearly distended spring (which I don't see on that one posted pic of a shorted unit). Conductive debris in the head, or damage to the insulating ring in the head, could similarly be expected to cause a potential short. Again, all of that is speculation until an example is confirmed. In any case, I agree it is more likely that any potential shorting risk would come from the head and not the carrier, which appears to be exceptionally well made (compared to most carriers I've seen).

Carriers are common in lights with more than two cells, since they simplify the engineering. Of course, whether you use a carrier or have cut-out wells, the greatest risk is _user error_ of accidentally reversing one or more cells in the sequence. This will cause a nasty short that will likely destroy your light/carrier (and your cells), not to mention potentially causing a fire. In that sense, I suppose one of the "benefits" of using a carrier is that any short will only destroy the carrier and not your whole light (i.e., the damage is immediate in a carrier, whereas a light would only be affected once full contact of the head is made). A dubious benefit I suppose ... but one that most people will probably wind up experiencing one day. Even with alkaline/NiMH, it's important to always pay careful attention to proper orientation when inserting multiple cells. :candle:


----------



## weekend warrior

Got my D40 in the mail today. Absolutely love it! Feels great in the hand, and the UI is fantastic. It's nice always having direct access to turbo and moonlight from off, and the blinky modes are "hidden" but not "cycle through the regular modes 18 times" hidden. The buttons feel perfect too, not squishy, not hard either, the perfect amount of tactile feedback. Really happy with this light.


----------



## AmperSand

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, double-click the Power switch from Off jumps you to Turbo.



Did you also notice if you double click to turbo it doesnt retain turbo as the last used mode if you use moonlight It keeps memory of moonlight instead. 

Ie. Use in moonlight mode, turn off with single click of power button.
Doubleclick power to jump to turbo.
Single click power to turn off.
Single click power to turn on once again, still in moonlight not turbo.


----------



## Bumble

AmperSand said:


> Did you also notice if you double click to turbo it doesnt retain turbo as the last used mode if you use moonlight It keeps memory of moonlight instead.
> 
> Ie. Use in moonlight mode, turn off with single click of power button.
> Doubleclick power to jump to turbo.
> Single click power to turn off.
> Single click power to turn on once again, still in moonlight not turbo.



yep. it has a "momentary" turbo. another nice feature of a great light imo


----------



## rcled

Thanks for another outstanding review Selfbuilt!

I ordered my D40A pretty much right after reading your review and just received it yesterday.

The good- nice output, beam pattern, and tint (I have an Olight S65 which is very green in comparison).

The bad- spring in head is rather crooked/angled, fleck of anodizing is missing near knurling on battery tube.

One thing I noticed is that when the batteries run down from high for example, the light "steps down" its output from high to medium and then eventually steps down again from medium to low. It doesn't have a continuous decline in output like that shown in Selfbuilt's runtime graphs. Does anyone else's D40A behave like this?


----------



## selfbuilt

rcled said:


> One thing I noticed is that when the batteries run down from high for example, the light "steps down" its output from high to medium and then eventually steps down again from medium to low. It doesn't have a continuous decline in output like that shown in Selfbuilt's runtime graphs. Does anyone else's D40A behave like this?


Interesting ... what batteries are you running it on? And how closely were you monitoring the light when this occurred?

As you will see in my runtimes, alkalines tend to have a periods of relatively rapid drop, followed by slow declines. These could well appear as "step downs" if you only checked in on the light periodically during these phases. NiMH had smooth declines (although even at that, they do round out at the tails). Did you observe sharp drops in output?


----------



## rcled

selfbuilt said:


> Interesting ... what batteries are you running it on? And how closely were you monitoring the light when this occurred?
> 
> As you will see in my runtimes, alkalines tend to have a periods of relatively rapid drop, followed by slow declines. These could well appear as "step downs" if you only checked in on the light periodically during these phases. NiMH had smooth declines (although even at that, they do round out at the tails). Did you observe sharp drops in output?



Selfbuilt,
I used regular Eneloops (white, 2000 mAh). I was sitting in the room next to the light when each step down occurred. The change in output was very noticeable, which is what caught my attention as I was reading other light reviews on CPF  at the time. Eventually, I pushed the mode button to send it back to Turbo. It stayed there for a few seconds, the low power led started flashing, then it stepped down to medium and shortly after to low again.


----------



## selfbuilt

rcled said:


> Selfbuilt,
> I used regular Eneloops (white, 2000 mAh). I was sitting in the room next to the light when each step down occurred. The change in output was very noticeable, which is what caught my attention as I was reading other light reviews on CPF  at the time. Eventually, I pushed the mode button to send it back to Turbo. It stayed there for a few seconds, the low power led started flashing, then it stepped down to medium and shortly after to low again.


Interesting .... that's exactly the behaviour I observed on L91 lithiums when they were fresh. 

One possibility is that the step down is based on the initial charge state of the Eneloops. In my case, they were all fully-charged to start, and gradually run down. But I suppose its possible that if the light were started at a lower battery charge state, the light could have done actual step-downs (although I expect that would have happened within the first few seconds after activation). If I get a chance to test partially depleted cells, I'll let you know what I find.


----------



## weekend warrior

rcled said:


> Thanks for another outstanding review Selfbuilt!
> 
> I ordered my D40A pretty much right after reading your review and just received it yesterday.
> 
> The good- nice output, beam pattern, and tint (I have an Olight S65 which is very green in comparison).
> 
> The bad- spring in head is rather crooked/angled, fleck of anodizing is missing near knurling on battery tube.
> 
> One thing I noticed is that when the batteries run down from high for example, the light "steps down" its output from high to medium and then eventually steps down again from medium to low. It doesn't have a continuous decline in output like that shown in Selfbuilt's runtime graphs. Does anyone else's D40A behave like this?



When I put some weak eneloops in mine and turned it on to turbo it would only light up briefly before stepping down to high, or what I assumed was high, I didn't measure. I didn't leave it on long enough to drain the batteries anymore then that so I didn't see it stepping down to medium or low.


----------



## AmperSand

Mine exhibits some strange behaviour when cold on moonlight mode.
It will have a very, very noticible flicker.
Turn it on turbo to warm it up somewhat and the flicker on moonlight disappears.
Also noticed if it's warm after it has been in my pocket its ok also.
Anybody else had any similar behaviour?


----------



## Bumble

AmperSand said:


> Mine exhibits some strange behaviour when cold on moonlight mode.
> It will have a very, very noticible flicker.
> Turn it on turbo to warm it up somewhat and the flicker on moonlight disappears.
> Also noticed if it's warm after it has been in my pocket its ok also.
> Anybody else had any similar behaviour?



yes mine does too, its temperature dependant on when the moonlight will actually flicker. if it flickers and as you said... if you warm the light up a little it stops... BUT also if you cool the light down it stops. most strange. NO other modes seem to flicker at all regardless of the temp of the light.


----------



## selfbuilt

AmperSand said:


> Mine exhibits some strange behaviour when cold on moonlight mode.
> It will have a very, very noticible flicker.
> Turn it on turbo to warm it up somewhat and the flicker on moonlight disappears.


I haven't noticed any flicker on Moonlight on my sample, at any temperature. But I have noticed on other lights that flicker effects can sometimes occur on moonlight modes (I gather it is hard to stably tune every circuit down to those levels).


----------



## jamjam

selfbuilt said:


> I haven't noticed any flicker on Moonlight on my sample, at any temperature. But I have noticed on other lights that flicker effects can sometimes occur on moonlight modes (I gather it is hard to stably tune every circuit down to those levels).



I've a Quark 2AA Turbo, Quark AA Regular and Quark AA Tactical, and all of them flicker at low mode (the second mode), but it only happen when using 1.5v battery, 3V and 4.2v battery are ok. Contacted the manufacturer here in china directly and they tried all their Quark on hand and they all flicker, some at different mode than mine.

From their reply, give me the impression that they do not has the intention to fix it. So I returned the 2 Quark AA and keep the Turbo since the Turbo will not flicker when using 2AA which will be exceeding 1.5V. So I believe what Selfbuilt said about flickering. What I don't understand is why didn't they do anything about it, since there are some manufacturer who do not has this problem. And I believe this will hurt their business quite badly.

And the ironic thing is: The two different dealers that I bought the light from, continue to sell the light at the same price, even after they knew about this problem.


----------



## selfbuilt

jamjam said:


> I've a Quark 2AA Turbo, Quark AA Regular and Quark AA Tactical, and all of them flicker at low mode (the second mode), but it only happen when using 1.5v battery, 3V and 4.2v battery are ok. Contacted the manufacturer here in china directly and they tried all their Quark on hand and they all flicker, some at different mode than mine.
> 
> From their reply, give me the impression that they do not has the intention to fix it. So I returned the 2 Quark AA and keep the Turbo since the Turbo will not flicker when using 2AA which will be exceeding 1.5V.


That's peculiar ... I've never notice any flickering on any of my Foursevens lights. 

What you are describing is different from moonlight flicker (which results from trying to tune a particular constant-current circuit too low for a stable current). In those cases, apperance of flicker is idiosyncratic - some lights show it (consistently) but most lights never do (consistently). In cases of persistent flicker, I would personally return for a replacement/repair. One manufacturer actually managed to re-tune a particular light and ship it back to me once, to resolve this problem.

But the consistent appearance of flicker at specific drive levels and input voltage (across multiple lights) suggests that one of the common circuit components is not able to consistently meet its rated specs. I have seen this occur several times (usually on new model launches). The usual response from the manufacturer is to isolate the problem and find a different supplier for the affected component, to ensure consistent quality. This can sometimes take a little while to isolate, as the fault doesn't show up in every unit (and may not be caught by stand QC processes, which don't test every light on every voltage source and level). But it would indeed not be a good business practice to ignore it.

In this case, I suggest you contact Foursevens directly in the US. It is generally not up to the manufacturing plant to resolve these issues on its own - that typically comes from a directive from "head office", so you should really let them know of your issue. Good luck!


----------



## jamjam

selfbuilt said:


> That's peculiar ... I've never notice any flickering on any of my Foursevens lights.
> 
> What you are describing is different from moonlight flicker (which results from trying to tune a particular constant-current circuit too low for a stable current). In those cases, apperance of flicker is idiosyncratic - some lights show it (consistently) but most lights never do (consistently). In cases of persistent flicker, I would personally return for a replacement/repair. One manufacturer actually managed to re-tune a particular light and ship it back to me once, to resolve this problem.
> 
> But the consistent appearance of flicker at specific drive levels and input voltage (across multiple lights) suggests that one of the common circuit components is not able to consistently meet its rated specs. I have seen this occur several times (usually on new model launches). The usual response from the manufacturer is to isolate the problem and find a different supplier for the affected component, to ensure consistent quality. This can sometimes take a little while to isolate, as the fault doesn't show up in every unit (and may not be caught by stand QC processes, which don't test every light on every voltage source and level). But it would indeed not be a good business practice to ignore it.
> 
> In this case, I suggest you contact Foursevens directly in the US. It is generally not up to the manufacturing plant to resolve these issues on its own - that typically comes from a directive from "head office", so you should really let them know of your issue. Good luck!



Mine is not the common PWM flicker. in fact It has a very subtle flicker as if when contact point or screw thread is dirty. I try to clean all contact point and screw thread and re-lube it and problem still persist. And when contacted the manufacturer, the engineer even assemble a new unit for testing. And the only reply is: "We tested on our side and we have the same flickering problem, and we have no idea what is cause". 

Out of curiousity, I've checked online and found there numeral reports about flickering problem with Quark AA at different mode level, and some of them even dated back to 2010. Here is one of them:

1) http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Quark-123-2-problem-with-barrel-thread-length

2) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00513DDMS/?tag=cpf0b6-20

There are even more cases but I just have to find it again. Some of them contacted 4sevens and all 4sevens do is change the switch and the problem didnt go away. So I am sure 4sevens knew about the flickering problem 3 years ago, and they still didnt fix it in my new unit, which was produced after their so call "rebrand" campaign. And beside the flickering issue, the pre-flash is still there, in all my Quark light. So.... really dont know what to say.

I didn't contacted 4sevens directly because I am currently located in China, and if the manufacturer here cannot fix it, I don't think there is anything 4sevens can do from US. And beside that, there are other brand and model I can get here, so even though I really like the mode spacing and runtime of this light. I just returned the light, and never look back.


Note: If all your Quark do not exhibit the same flickering issue, I suspect that the manufacturer may be using the old batch of drivers which was rejected by 4sevens and sell it here in China. Since all the Quarks here (Not Quark Mini) from both manufacturer and dealer are having flickering problem. And yes, the dealers here tested every single one he have in stock and they all flicker, even the one assemble by the engineer himself.


----------



## selfbuilt

I recently purchased a Neutral White version of the D40A, and thought you might be interested in how it compares to the Cool White version tested here.

First, there has been a change to spring design in the head:







This new sample has a larger and more pronounced spring. It is also perfectly straight. This should presumably help prevent the issues some people have apparently experienced of poor contact or potential shorting (from a bent spring).

As for tint of the new Neutral White, that is hard to describe or compare in pictures. Sunwayman doesn't report the tint bin. I have seen speculation here that it is 3B, which is reasonable (i.e., it is a bit on the green-side of "creamy yellow", and I would personally have guestimated 3B, or maybe a 2C at worse). FYI, see the flashlight wiki site for a tint chart.

In any case, to give you an idea, I have done a series of comparisons using the two best-match white balances that I could find on my camera (i.e., the two that most closely matched what I saw by eye). Note that neither of these is "perfect", but together should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect in a comparison. FYI, I find my Cool White sample to have a very "premium" cool white.



































Again, I find my D40A Neutral to be a bit on the green-end of "creamy yellow" - although that may not be captured above, due to white balance differences. And I have no way to predict how that will show up on your graphics card/monitor - those are just the two best white balances on my camera, to my eyes. :shrug:

FYI, I personally prefer a slight rose-tint to my Neutrals (i.e., something more like a 4A/4B). I don't know what my Eagletac G25C2 XM-L Neutral white is, but it is closer to my preferred neutral. Again, here's a couple of the best white balances I could find:



































Again, no single white balance will exactly capture the difference you see by eye. But the two examples above should give you a rough idea of how things compare. 

_UPDATE: I've just tested the output of the D40A Neutral White compared to my earlier Cool White sample. Here are the results from my ceiling bounce and lightbox:

D40A Cool White: 211 ceiling bounce, 940 estimated lightbox lumens
D40A Neutral White: 192 ceiling bounce, 840 estimated lightbox lumens.

That works out to a 11% drop by lightbox lumens, and 9% drop by ceiling bounce. As a result, I'd feel pretty comfortable saying there was a ~10% drop in output on my Neutral version_. :wave:


----------



## Mr Floppy

selfbuilt said:


> As for tint of the new Neutral White, that is hard to describe or compare in pictures. Sunwayman doesn't report the tint bin. I have seen speculation here that it is 3B, which is reasonable (i.e., it is a bit on the green-side of "creamy yellow", and I would personally have guestimated 3B, or maybe a 2C at worse). FYI, see the flashlight wiki site for a tint chart.



I agree with you there. In my post here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...pact-thrower&p=4257195&viewfull=1#post4257195

My phone camera running FCamera was detecting the white balance as 4900K. It does this in steps of 100 but should it be 4900K, that converts to the chromaticity co-ordinates of 0.349 and 0.361. That puts it in the 3C bin on the chart (this one might be easier to read: http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/C... Modules/XLamp/Data and Binning/XLampXMBL.pdf)

Of course, the caveat is that the reading is done by the sensor that is in the Nokia N900 so who knows. 

On another matter, I'm so glad you went out and got one. I speculated as to what the max brightness was in my post but was having trouble converting it to your numbers. I did some ceiling bounces in a shower and I got 151.4 lux for the D40A NW. The other light that you and I have is the Fenix LD10 R4. I got 22.7 lux from that (max, don't have the other levels with me and can't remember them off the top of my head). That's when I got stuck working out your relative output values. Moot point, I'm sure we'll see numbers from you soon enough.


----------



## selfbuilt

Mr Floppy said:


> On another matter, I'm so glad you went out and got one. I speculated as to what the max brightness was in my post but was having trouble converting it to your numbers. I did some ceiling bounces in a shower and I got 151.4 lux for the D40A NW. The other light that you and I have is the Fenix LD10 R4. I got 22.7 lux from that (max, don't have the other levels with me and can't remember them off the top of my head). That's when I got stuck working out your relative output values. Moot point, I'm sure we'll see numbers from you soon enough.


Yes, I'll get to it soon. But keep in mind that there's no guarantee that my various light sensors will be completely consistent in how they interpret tint. This is always a potential confound when trying to estimate output from things that are using different tints (although my previous experience tells me that my lightmeters are pretty good for the cool/neutral end of the spectrum).


----------



## selfbuilt

I've just tested the output of the D40A Neutral White compared to my earlier Cool White sample. Here are the results from my ceiling bounce and lightbox:

D40A Cool White: 211 ceiling bounce, 940 estimated lightbox lumens
D40A Neutral White: 192 ceiling bounce, 840 estimated lightbox lumens.

That works out to a 11% drop by lightbox lumens, and 9% drop by ceiling bounce. As a result, I'd feel pretty comfortable saying there was a ~10% drop in output on my Neutral version. :wave:


----------



## ncvarmint

Selfbuilt, 
I am debating between the GX25A3 or the D40 nuetral white versions. Which would you reccomend and why?
thanks
trevor


----------



## kj2

ncvarmint said:


> Selfbuilt,
> I am debating between the GX25A3 or the D40 nuetral white versions. Which would you reccomend and why?
> thanks
> trevor


I would take the D40A. I've both, and prefer the Sunwayman. Mode switching is easier and overall feeling is better.


----------



## atbglenn

Got my D40A today. Great build quality, UI, cool white tint looks really nice to my eyes. Blows away the Nightcore EA4 in quality IMO. BTW, I returned 2 EA4's due to quality issues.


----------



## selfbuilt

ncvarmint said:


> I am debating between the GX25A3 or the D40 nuetral white versions. Which would you reccomend and why?


On the basis of tint, that would be hard to say (i.e., I don't know what is shipping with the GX25A3). I have typically liked the neutral tints I've seen from Eagletac, though.

But as to the rest, that really comes down to your preference for user interface and build. Both are good quality lights.


----------



## Mr Floppy

selfbuilt said:


> That works out to a 11% drop by lightbox lumens, and 9% drop by ceiling bounce. As a result, I'd feel pretty comfortable saying there was a ~10% drop in output on my Neutral version. :wave:



Cool. That's not too bad. Would love to see how the sub levels compare too, only if you get around to it. Plus it gives me more points to plot when calibrating


----------



## Dr.444

May i ask the NEW spring design in the head with Neutral white version only or Cool white also ?

If yes where can i find this new version ?


----------



## selfbuilt

Dr.444 said:


> May i ask the NEW spring design in the head with Neutral white version only or Cool white also ?


I don't know if the new spring is included on both the currently shipping cool white and neutral white versions, but I would think that is likely. 

You would need to ask the vendors directly to find out if their samples have the new spring or not. There may very well be older stock in the retail inventory channels still.


----------



## JDee

sorry for the noob question but will this light accept 14500 batteries?


----------



## selfbuilt

JDee said:


> sorry for the noob question but will this light accept 14500 batteries?


No it won't. The GX25A3 is the only multi-AA light that I know of that will take multiple 14500. And in any case, it doesn't benefit you any there - output, runtime and regulation are equivalent to standard Eneloops in that light.

Folks are used to the brightness jump when switching to higher voltage cells in single cell lights - but well-designed multi-power, multi-cell lights typically don't see an output improvement on different voltage sources. And the actual power capacity of 14500 is no different than regular eneloops (i.e., multiply the mA current storage capacity by nominal voltage to get the true amount of work that can be done by the cells). 

And :welcome:


----------



## JDee

selfbuilt said:


> No it won't. The GX25A3 is the only multi-AA light that I know of that will take multiple 14500. And in any case, it doesn't benefit you any there - output, runtime and regulation are equivalent to standard Eneloops in that light.
> 
> Folks are used to the brightness jump when switching to higher voltage cells in single cell lights - but well-designed multi-power, multi-cell lights typically don't see an output improvement on different voltage sources. And the actual power capacity of 14500 is no different than regular eneloops (i.e., multiply the mA current storage capacity by nominal voltage to get the true amount of work that can be done by the cells).
> 
> And :welcome:


thank you. your review has sold me on this light. Good job.


----------



## silverspurr

Great light, purchased one after reading *selfbuilt's *review and seeing the video.
I like that it uses AA's.

My D40A with diffuser:


----------



## dealgrabber2002

Silverspurr, 

Where did you get that diffuser? Homemade?


----------



## silverspurr

dealgrabber2002 said:


> Silverspurr,
> 
> Where did you get that diffuser? Homemade?



The silicone one, from a Chinese web site.

This one I did make for my NiteCore EZAA, it's not soft silicone like the other.


----------



## __philippe

dealgrabber2002 said:


> Silverspurr,
> 
> Where did you get that diffuser? Homemade?



One source for the Ø 40mm diffuser:

http://intl-outdoor.com/white-soft-silicone-flashlight-large-diffuser-p-300.html

Cheers,

__philippe


----------



## Eddie C-clamp

Hey Great review. Anytime I need a new torch I spend 30 mins here and I got the skinny on all the new stuff. I got one of these in da mail!


----------



## Dirtbasher

silverspurr said:


> The silicone one, from a Chinese web site.
> 
> This one I did make for my NiteCore EZAA, it's not soft silicone like the other.



Did the same for my D40A, I used the bottom of a roll on deodorant bottle, perfect fit.


----------



## CurrentlyVacant

Well, I finally gave in and have bought the D40A NW. My first 'decent' torch.

I always wanted something stupidly bright, but have managed to restrain myself up till now, and have had a succession of cheap lights. 

I fear that this is only the beginning!


----------



## selfbuilt

:welcome:


----------



## Eddie C-clamp

Just got mine in the mail. worth every penny of 60 bucks!!!!!!


----------



## selfbuilt

UPDATE: In case you were wondering, here is how the Sunwayman T45C compares to the Cool White version of the D40A. As you will see, there really isn't much of a beam pattern difference between these lights - as you would expect, based on their physical characteristics and my output/throw measures.


----------



## Disciple

selfbuilt said:


>



Would you please try fresh L91's in the "new" D40A to see if by lucky chance it handles them better now?


----------



## AnthonyMcEwen2014

Self Built!!! Curse you for your excellently put together and well thought out yet infomatiative reviews!!! Your review on this light was one of the main contributing factors on why I now have a neutral tint one of these on order!! along with advice and help from other fourm members and some other well done reviews and a certain 26min video on youtube it all combined pushed me over the edge!!! I just hope this dose not become n expensive habbit!! (I also have a olight I3 on order and its not even arrived yet, yet I ordered this!


----------



## AnthonyMcEwen2014

Its arrived, I have new spring, but was slightly bent, only slightly, so I think it will be fine.

Oh came with some alkis for free not high end ones but not bad ones so I will use them before I use the nims I have, nimhs I have are not in best condition you see.

Just oozes quality although I was slightly irked that it came home dry so glad I ordered some silicone greases at the same time, funny thing is though it says in user manual (comes perfectly greased) PMSL!!!.

Ah well other than that I think its brillent in terms of build quality, can't wait to test it out tonight, only feature I think its missing is reverse polarity protection, can't see why it dosent have it on a light of this quality?

But never the less I'm 98% happy with it from what I can see so far.


----------



## Disciple

AnthonyMcEwen said:


> ... only feature I think its missing is reverse polarity protection, can't see why it doesn't have it on a light of this quality?



The carrier is bi-directional, so you mean reverse polarity within the carrier itself? I don't think you can protect against individually reversed cells without adding a number of diodes that cause a voltage drop.


----------



## reppans

Congrats on receiving your new light AnthonyM...



Disciple said:


> The carrier is bi-directional, so you mean reverse polarity within the carrier itself? I don't think you can protect against individually reversed cells without adding a number of diodes that cause a voltage drop.



You can... you just need a couple of non-conductive speed bumps on either side of the positive contact - that will allow button tops to slide in between, but prevent flat tops from making contact. 

Personally, I'm glad it doesn't have them though - makes it easier to run 9Vs in the light.


----------



## AnthonyMcEwen2014

If you put cells the wrong way in the carrier or some the right way and some wrong then out it in your light would it not short the light though, reverse polarity protection in the light would stop this no? As you would not know they were in the carrier wrong until you put it in your light??

I know the carrier can be instated any way, but the batterys still have to be put in the carrier the correct way or you would short the light when you installed the carrier into the light. (Unless it had revers polarity protection???). Or have I got it all wrong???


Not that I deam it an issue as I always double cheack the batterys are correctly inserted but it dose mean I have to cheack and take my time to make sure I put them in correctly if I was in the dark before putting it in the light were as with protection I would put battery in the wrong way and it just won't work. Were as this would short.

Dont get me wrong here I am very happy with the light, love the tint/build quality/UI ect. (Other than lack of greases. And small lanyard hole (550 para cord wont fit in jt and im hesitant to use a metak clip in cases it wears away at the hole) but these are not big issues at all as I can easily grease the light myself and have done and just wrap paracoed round the body instead of using the lanyard hole.

Overall I'm very pleased with this light.


----------



## ven

Fantastic review:twothumbs

Congrats on the purchase Ant,unless i am missing something ,2 batts + and 2 batts other way - so either way in light it will be same..stand to be corrected though.

Reg cord,use a thin strong piece ,thread one end through,then loop one end round thicker cord ,thread other end through same way so around the large cord.Both ends through pull and may pull large cord through.Just a thought to try


----------



## dealgrabber2002

This is a great light. A cpf member did an unofficial runtime test on the moon mode, he guessed about 700 hrs with alkie, 500 hrs with eneloop and lithium. Great emergency light.


----------



## AnthonyMcEwen2014

*keep up the amazing work selfbuilt!*

Thanks, well it wasent a major issue anyways, I'll just make sure I put the barriers in the carrier the correct way as always, I was just poinint out that if you put the batterys in the wrong way it can be shorted. It even points this out in the manual. But ether way I think you have to be trying pretty hard to get batterys in the wrong way (flat tops maby) but the type of batterys this uses I feel you would have to be pretty stupid to put them in the carrier the wrong way what with the huge button on top to tell you which side is which, so long as you know the button is always positive and the doing negative I'd imagine its pretty darn hard to do it anyways.


Re lanyard, imm complex rating me king a Spanish wring knot then attaching my box knot lanyard to it. Cheack out the lanyards thread in 24-48 if you want to see my creation (I'll have rather successfuly done it by rthen or given up haha!)

Just want to again say what an amazing job Self built dose for this fourm with his reviews as I have read a fair few of them now. Real quality stuff he dose, clearly has a passion it.

And of course I appreciate all the answers and help I have received from numours members on this fourm, just hope I can help others in the same way when I know a lot more about things here.


----------



## Disciple

reppans said:


> You can... you just need a couple of non-conductive speed bumps on either side of the positive contact - that will allow button tops to slide in between, but prevent flat tops from making contact.



Sorry, I keep forgetting this is a AA cell light; I was thinking of flat-tops. Those need diodes, right?


----------



## Disciple

AnthonyMcEwen said:


> And small lanyard hole (550 para cord wont fit in jt and im hesitant to use a metak clip in cases it wears away at the hole)



550 cord is complete overkill for attachment to a light. Many would argue you should have a break-away lanyard anyway. Attach with a thinner cord and use 550 for hand feel.


----------



## reppans

Disciple said:


> Sorry, I keep forgetting this is a AA cell light; I was thinking of flat-tops. Those need diodes, right?



IDK... I only use AA/CRAA/14500, remember?


----------



## drpower

I am away at sea, the internet is so slow that researching is almost impossible. Last night with the least amount of people logging into the system I managed to order and pay for a D40A NW from HKEquipment, my first real flashlight. I hope someone can tell me which batteries are best for most lumens output, eneloops or li-ion? Alkies? Link would be great so I could just go straight to it and buy it. Looking forward to having this in my house when I get home! A1 professional review by the way! Only took an hour to load the first page haha!


----------



## Disciple

drpower, :welcome:

Direct links to sale pages aren't allowed here (other than paying advertisers).

The D40A cannot run on Lithium-Ion batteries so you can rule that out. 

Alkalines don't like high draw loads and would be a poor choice if you expect to regularly use the High or Turbo levels, but would be fine on medium. However they are notorious for leaking so you should remove them from the light to store it if you choose them.

LSD NIMH (eneloop) is probably your best choice here. They are fully capable of supporting the draw of the D40A on high or turbo. Incidentally the white label (not black label) AmazonBasics NiMH AA batteries appear to be rebranded eneloops at a slightly lower price.


----------



## drpower

ok, I bought 4 Sanyo XX 2500Mah and a BC-700 charger.


----------



## selfbuilt

drpower said:


> I am away at sea, the internet is so slow that researching is almost impossible. Last night with the least amount of people logging into the system I managed to order and pay for a D40A NW from HKEquipment, my first real flashlight. I hope someone can tell me which batteries are best for most lumens output, eneloops or li-ion? Alkies? Link would be great so I could just go straight to it and buy it. Looking forward to having this in my house when I get home! A1 professional review by the way! Only took an hour to load the first page haha!


Hopefully you are not having the light delivered to sea.  I agree with Disciple, NiMH are your best bet for the light.

And :welcome:


----------



## Overclocker

hi selfbuilt! just reporting a typo


----------



## selfbuilt

Right, that should obviously say Turbo is the last row. I will fix it next week when back in the office.


----------



## RGB_LED

Selfbuilt, great review as usual. 

Question: Are the buttons are covered with a plastic coating? Bear with me as I ask this question: I have a toaster oven with slightly raised buttons covered with plastic and it looks similar to the D40. After several years of constant use, the plastic is starting to tear away just at the edges of each button. It doesn't affect functionality but it does look a little ghetto. Just wondering if it is indeed a plastic coating and if it feels fairly sturdy.


----------



## selfbuilt

RGB_LED said:


> Question: Are the buttons are covered with a plastic coating? Bear with me as I ask this question: I have a toaster oven with slightly raised buttons covered with plastic and it looks similar to the D40. After several years of constant use, the plastic is starting to tear away just at the edges of each button. It doesn't affect functionality but it does look a little ghetto. Just wondering if it is indeed a plastic coating and if it feels fairly sturdy.


There is some sort of film coating over the buttons (plastic is a good descriptor). This is pretty much the norm for all such simple press switches. Hard to say what the long-term longevity will be, but it is a likely source of eventual wear. :shrug:


----------



## Overclocker

RGB_LED said:


> Selfbuilt, great review as usual.
> 
> Question: Are the buttons are covered with a plastic coating? Bear with me as I ask this question: I have a toaster oven with slightly raised buttons covered with plastic and it looks similar to the D40. After several years of constant use, the plastic is starting to tear away just at the edges of each button. It doesn't affect functionality but it does look a little ghetto. Just wondering if it is indeed a plastic coating and if it feels fairly sturdy.




yeah but the great thing is that it's held by 4 screws and a metal frame that are user removeable. so years down the road you could probably replace it with a similar material if it wears out

can't say the same for other side buttons from other brands


----------



## Mystiqz

great review! i think i'll be purchasing the D40A neutral white version. thanks for all the info.


----------



## Ruislip

I came across the Nitecore EA4, but after reading this the D40A seems to have a superior switch and a better constructed battery carrier, and so avoids the flaws found with the Nitecore. I assume people would agree the D40A is the better product?


----------



## Lighthouse one

The D40A has a 1 lumen mode that is just excellent for such a powerful llight. Buy a 40mm diffuser from Deal Extrreme and a red filter and you have an awesome combination.


----------



## thedoc007

Ruislip said:


> I came across the Nitecore EA4, but after reading this the D40A seems to have a superior switch and a better constructed battery carrier, and so avoids the flaws found with the Nitecore. I assume people would agree the D40A is the better product?



I've seen this question before...it really comes down to individual preference. Some people like the single switch Nitecore interface, or don't want moonlight mode. The performance of both lights is virtually identical in use, so just get whichever one YOU like better.


----------



## Modsquad

Selfbuilt it was your incredibly comprehensive and detailed review of the D40A that compelled me to purchased this amazing AA thrower. Thanks for making my decision easy. Unless I missed it in your review I couldn't find a runtime for the Moonlight mode so I contacted Sunwayman and they replied "theoretically 15-20 days" Do you think this range of runtime is possible using 2550mah Eneloop's? or is their estimated runtime over exagerated.


Thanks again for another great review.


Modsquad


----------



## Ruislip

Apologies. Post 107 is my first mistake since joining the forum. I've read a lot of AA light specs, and I'm confusing myself. The EA4 does not have a battery holder which, in my view, is one of its positives. The D40A has the best constructed battery holder I've seen so far. the D40A has a more solid looking switch in comparison to the EA4.


----------



## BINOVC

New to the forum. Just purchased several D40A's for my family as Christmas gifts, based largely on this "most excellent" review (thank you selfbuilt!). Much of the technicalities are admittedly over my head. But my wife commented that she would really like a "bright flashlight". Now she has one!
I received my shipment about a week ago. 
I had decided to use lithium batteries, and purchased a 20-pack from amazon before I really understood the voltage issue, and sure enough the voltage light came on, and the beam stepped down as described in the review. Sunwayman replied to my inquiry:
_"As to the red indicator lamp, in fact, you can use L91 lithium batteries, but since the voltage exceeds 1.5V so the indicator lamp will flash since it detects it as a lithium battery, the indicator lamp is to protect the light, the voltage range of this light is 3-6V, thank you."
_I also have an as-yet-unreported issue with the lanyard clasps. With 4 out of 5 of the units I purchased, the clasp was too "fat" to fit through the hole in the flashlight body. Sunwayman responded that a new batch of clasps "were indeed a little bigger." They are working on the problem and will send me replacement lanyards when they are available. I know it's not a big issue, but it is an annoyance for those who actually use the lanyard provided. Also out-of-step with what appears to be an otherwise quality product.
Sunwayman has a very responsive support department - I'm very impressed with this brand!


----------



## reppans

Modsquad said:


> ...Unless I missed it in your review I couldn't find a runtime for the Moonlight mode so I contacted Sunwayman and they replied "theoretically 15-20 days" Do you think this range of runtime is possible using 2550mah Eneloop's? or is their estimated runtime over exagerated...



I think SWM's estimates are good/fair. I believe the manual states 1 lm / 500 hrs (I meter mine 0.7-0.8 lms which is great). I ran half a 9v (3xAAAAs) to 133 hrs, so that's >250 hrs for a full one. If I have my math right, three 9V ~= 4xAA Alkaline or ~ 750 hrs, so Eneloops (2000-2500mah) should cover the 400-500 hrs range. FWIW, one other data point, my low mode metered 15 lms for me (sample variation?) but ran twice as long as spec'd on Eneloops (so same lumen-hrs), which I am very happy to about.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

reppans said:


> , one other data point, my low mode metered 15 lms for me (sample variation?) but ran twice as long as spec'd on Eneloops (so same lumen-hrs), which I am very happy to about.



Apparently it seems it's just yours. According to SB, it's about 28 lumen with his sample. Maybe you have a newer version? When did you get yours?


----------



## reppans

dealgrabber2002 said:


> Apparently it seems it's just yours. According to SB, it's about 28 lumen with his sample. Maybe you have a newer version? When did you get yours?



Well mine's different, that's for sure - zespectre ran 31 hrs on low here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ts-and-more)&p=4323380&viewfull=1#post4323380

Mine run was 46 hrs in 1600 mah Eneloops (old cells measured on a C9000)

That said, I calibrate my light meter with the significantly more conservative lumen scale used by smaller 47s/ET/TN lights, so SB's 28 would be ~ 21 for me. I bought my D40 a month or two before the w version came out.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

I won mine (nw) from their promotion. They shipped it to me right when they have the nw version ready. You think we have the same driver/version?


----------



## dealgrabber2002

Wait a minute.. SB has the cw version. That's maybe why its slightly higher in lumen.


----------



## selfbuilt

Modsquad said:


> Unless I missed it in your review I couldn't find a runtime for the Moonlight mode so I contacted Sunwayman and they replied "theoretically 15-20 days" Do you think this range of runtime is possible using 2550mah Eneloop's? or is their estimated runtime over exagerated.


It's really hard to say, as moonlight runtime (and output levels) can vary significantly across samples. As reppans said, the SWM estimates seem reasonable. But I know from discussions with other makers - and my own limited experience on low-mode runtimes - that it can be highly variable. It has been suggested that Vf of the emitter can have a significant impact on runtime at ultra-low levels (and of course, makers don't purchase defined Vf bins). :shrug:

On the topic of exact lumen estimates ... well, we all just do the best we can with the calibration standards available to us. But you should always expect a certain amount of variability. 



BINOVC said:


> I also have an as-yet-unreported issue with the lanyard clasps. With 4 out of 5 of the units I purchased, the clasp was too "fat" to fit through the hole in the flashlight body. Sunwayman responded that a new batch of clasps "were indeed a little bigger." They are working on the problem and will send me replacement lanyards when they are available. I know it's not a big issue, but it is an annoyance for those who actually use the lanyard provided. Also out-of-step with what appears to be an otherwise quality product. Sunwayman has a very responsive support department - I'm very impressed with this brand!


Thanks for sharing your experience. And :welcome:


----------



## HKdude

Thank you for the review, which inspired the purchase of this light. As a "learning lurker" I cannot express my appreciation for all the reviews you've done, and all the CPF-ers comments and guidance on this wonderful new addict...er, hobby that I've stumbled upon.

As an "old dog" I can't help but feel a sense of the "sci-fi" future when exercising my new "light-saber". What fun!

Again to all the CPF folks, thanks!

Buy this light, it is amazing!


----------



## selfbuilt

HKdude said:


> Thank you for the review, which inspired the purchase of this light. As a "learning lurker" I cannot express my appreciation for all the reviews you've done, and all the CPF-ers comments and guidance on this wonderful new addict...er, hobby that I've stumbled upon.


Glad you are enjoying the light. And :welcome:


----------



## HKdude

Thanks SB, and since I've used your reviews for a couple different purchases of late, I'm sending you some battery money. You do excellent reviews and have made comparison shopping so easy!
Cheers


----------



## revscott

Doingoutdoor has the D40A for a much lower price. Free shipping also. I've never ordered from there and just wondering why it's so much cheaper than others that I have used before.


----------



## BarryH

That price/discount is about the same that a some of the other well know online retailers did during the holiday and black Friday sales.


----------



## froggyted

Sunwayman list a 2-light holiday package that includes a 1020 lumen version of the D40a. Most of the other specs are identical to the 980 lumen version, including throw and run times. Does anybody know whether this will replace the 980 lumen version, or is it just a limited edition?


----------



## revscott

I just got my D40a NW and I really like this light. This was my first venture into the higher lumens (I hadn't pushed 300lm yet)
Even though I like the light, I have to admit that I was disappointed with the turbo vs high. The difference was barely visible. I can't imagine a circumstance where I would need the 980lm vs the 550lm. I was testing the light outside on trees far away. The turbo showed no more detail than the high. I now wish I could just bypass the turbo.
I have read the threads on lumens and what the human eye can really see, but I still thought 980 would look brighter than 550.


----------



## Dr.444

froggyted said:


> Sunwayman list a 2-light holiday package that includes a 1020 lumen version of the D40a. Most of the other specs are identical to the 980 lumen version, including throw and run times. Does anybody know whether this will replace the 980 lumen version, or is it just a limited edition?



They upgraded the LED to XM-L2 [U2] instead of XM-L2 [T6] !

Maybe this will replace the 980LM version when the christmas combo is sold out .


----------



## froggyted

revscott said:


> I just got my D40a NW and I really like this light. This was my first venture into the higher lumens (I hadn't pushed 300lm yet)
> Even though I like the light, I have to admit that I was disappointed with the turbo vs high. The difference was barely visible. I can't imagine a circumstance where I would need the 980lm vs the 550lm. I was testing the light outside on trees far away. The turbo showed no more detail than the high. I now wish I could just bypass the turbo.
> I have read the threads on lumens and what the human eye can really see, but I still thought 980 would look brighter than 550.



Have you tried it in a small room? There should be a very noticeable difference between these two levels, if not maybe your light is faulty. Also, try pointing it at nearer targets rather than targets right at the extreme of the light's range. The least attractive thing about this light for me, judging from spec seems i don't currently own one, is the big jump between 30 lumen and 230 lumen. The 230 lumen setting only gives a quoted 4 hours runtime so i would have liked something nearer the 85-120 lumen mark.


----------



## froggyted

Dr.444 said:


> They upgraded the LED to XM-L2 [U2] instead of XM-L2 [T6] !
> 
> Maybe this will replace the 980LM version when the christmas combo is sold out .



What i really don't understand is that all the run times are exactly the same. Isn't XM-L2 (U2) supposed to be a more efficient emitter? My Fenix LD41 (680 lumen version with U2 emitter) gives a quoted 5 hours 45 min at 240 lumen on 4xAA, yet both versions of the D40a quote 4 hours at 230 lumens, which to me is curious. It hardly seems to have been worth upgrading the emitter for 800 more cd giving a mere 5 metres more throw when every other spec appears identical to the 980 lumen version.


----------



## revscott

froggyted said:


> Have you tried it in a small room? There should be a very noticeable difference between these two levels, if not maybe your light is faulty. Also, try pointing it at nearer targets rather than targets right at the extreme of the light's range. The least attractive thing about this light for me, judging from spec seems i don't currently own one, is the big jump between 30 lumen and 230 lumen. The 230 lumen setting only gives a quoted 4 hours runtime so i would have liked something nearer the 85-120 lumen mark.


Yeah I always play around with the lights in my house. Still don't notice much of a difference. I have no need to light up a room like that. I want more light for outdoor use. I was surprised that 980lm didn't seem that bright. Oh well, I still like the light.


----------



## froggyted

No, i realise that 980 lumens is way OTT for indoor use, i was only suggesting it because it would be more apparent in a room whether or not the light is throwing out significantly more light at turbo compared to high. It is possible that your batteries aren't capable of driving the torch at turbo level, especially if they are alkalines as opposed to NiMh.

I've just ordered one, and i hope i'm not going to be disappointed with the turbo on mine, since i already have a Fenix 680 lumen LD41 and am expecting the D40A to be signiicantly brighter. Amazon have a very good deal on the Cool White version at the moment for just under £UK40 from ThruNite Store. That's about half the rrp from what i can tell.



revscott said:


> Yeah I always play around with the lights in my house. Still don't notice much of a difference. I have no need to light up a room like that. I want more light for outdoor use. I was surprised that 980lm didn't seem that bright. Oh well, I still like the light.


----------



## revscott

froggyted said:


> No, i realise that 980 lumens is way OTT for indoor use, i was only suggesting it because it would be more apparent in a room whether or not the light is throwing out significantly more light at turbo compared to high. It is possible that your batteries aren't capable of driving the torch at turbo level, especially if they are alkalines as opposed to NiMh.
> 
> I've just ordered one, and i hope i'm not going to be disappointed with the turbo on mine, since i already have a Fenix 680 lumen LD41 and am expecting the D40A to be signiicantly brighter. Amazon have a very good deal on the Cool White version at the moment for just under £UK40 from ThruNite Store. That's about half the rrp from what i can tell.



I'm using brand new Eneloop XX that I purchased with the light. Mine is the neutral white version so maybe that effects the perceived brightness even more.


----------



## froggyted

Possibly, although i would have thought there should still be a noticeable difference. I too have XX Eneloops - excellent batteries. Have just ordered a second set plus Sanyo charger. What is your opinion of the lanyard and lanyard positioning? My guess is that the metal crocodile clip will scratch the anodising.



revscott said:


> I'm using brand new Eneloop XX that I purchased with the light. Mine is the neutral white version so maybe that effects the perceived brightness even more.


----------



## revscott

Haven't used the lanyard. I think it will help keep the light from rolling off a table. It's a weird position for sure.


----------



## froggyted

I always use lanyards. I use my lights mainly for hiking and would be afraid to drop it, especially whilst new. I have all my accessories such as water bottle, gps etc. secured to the rucksack either with lanyards, pouches, or a combination of both.


----------



## revscott

I'm not even sure how the lanyard attaches now that I've looked at it. The metal clip is too big for the hole. I guess you have to take it apart and feed the cord through. It seems like it was designed to be a wrist strap.


----------



## froggyted

revscott said:


> I'm not even sure how the lanyard attaches now that I've looked at it. The metal clip is too big for the hole. I guess you have to take it apart and feed the cord through. It seems like it was designed to be a wrist strap.



Interesting. I read somewhere (possibly this thread) that there was a batch of lights with lanyards that wouldn't fit the hole, i thought they'd sorted that out. I will be tempted to source another lanyard from Amazon which doesn't have a metal clip. As long as the lanyard can fit around my wrist without impeding operation it will suit me fine in that respect.


----------



## Disciple

revscott said:


> Even though I like the light, I have to admit that I was disappointed with the turbo vs high. The difference was barely visible. I can't imagine a circumstance where I would need the 980lm vs the 550lm. I was testing the light outside on trees far away. The turbo showed no more detail than the high. I now wish I could just bypass the turbo.
> I have read the threads on lumens and what the human eye can really see, but I still thought 980 would look brighter than 550.



You should be able to see the difference between Turbo and High in direct comparison, but it should not appear to be a large difference. Using the cube root formula, which seems to be a reasonable first-order approximation of human vision, and selfbuilt's measurements (940 and 610 lumens), it should only appear (940/610)^(1/3) = 115.5% as bright as High (15.5% brighter). This may come as a surprise if you were expecting a linear perception of the brightness difference. This is the reality of "the law of diminishing returns" as it pertains to flashlights. The formula for throw is a bit more forgiving as it is a square root relationship, so you should get 24% greater throw (distance to equivalent luminance) on Turbo. For this reason I have little interest in replacing a flashlight, for the sake of brightness or intensity alone, unless the replacement yields a four fold increase in output (which would be perceived as about 59% brighter, or a 100% increase in throw).



froggyted said:


> The least attractive thing about this light for me, judging from spec seems i don't currently own one, is the big jump between 30 lumen and 230 lumen. The 230 lumen setting only gives a quoted 4 hours runtime so i would have liked something nearer the 85-120 lumen mark.



I gave a modified D40A (D40Avn) to my father for Christmas. This light should have an even bigger gap between Medium and Low, since Moon and Low level are unchanged, yet Mid/High/Turbo are boosted. Nevertheless I find the level spacings quite practical. I don't think you should worry unless you are very particular about a certain output level.



froggyted said:


> What i really don't understand is that all the run times are exactly the same. Isn't XM-L2 (U2) supposed to be a more efficient emitter? My Fenix LD41 (680 lumen version with U2 emitter) gives a quoted 5 hours 45 min at 240 lumen on 4xAA, yet both versions of the D40a quote 4 hours at 230 lumens, which to me is curious. It hardly seems to have been worth upgrading the emitter for 800 more cd giving a mere 5 metres more throw when every other spec appears identical to the 980 lumen version.



The higher flux bin could be used to yield either an increase in brightness at the same drive level or longer runtime at a slightly lower drive level that produces the same brightness. Either way it is a minor incremental increase that only makes a difference on paper in my opinion.


----------



## froggyted

Disciple said:


> The higher flux bin could be used to yield either an increase in brightness at the same drive level or longer runtime at a slightly lower drive level that produces the same brightness. Either way it is a minor incremental increase that only makes a difference on paper in my opinion.



Hi Disciple, thanks for the detailed reply. With regard to the above point though, the U2 version of the D40A appears to do neither: more max cd resulting in an extra 5 metre throw (!), but otherwise exactly the same lm/runtimes as the 980lm version:
http://www.sunwayman.com/html/products/201311/146.html


----------



## Disciple

It is rated at 1020 lumens instead of the stock 980 lumens. By brightness alone you'd never see the difference, but perhaps it has a better tint (being optimistic).


----------



## froggyted

Disciple said:


> It is rated at 1020 lumens instead of the stock 980 lumens. By brightness alone you'd never see the difference, but perhaps it has a better tint (being optimistic).



It does make me wonder why they bothered though - can't help thinking they could have done more with the U2 emitter. As it stands it seems just a gimmick so they can quote 1k+ lumens. Anyway, i have ordered the 980lm CW version since there is an offer that is way below rrp on Amazon at the moment (UK£40) and i can't justify paying near the full price. No doubt in a few months time there will be an upgraded model with perhaps better run times and i'll wish i'd held fire. My comments re the low and mid ranges is based on my Feinix LD41 (U2). It has a low mode of 10lm and a mid of 85lm. 85lm is perfect for night walking in woodland, and even 10lm can suffice at a push. I'm a bit concerned that with the 30lm low on the D40A i will be frequently cycling to 230lm, which is overkill for most hiking purposes and will run the battery down much faster. I'm still not sure how Sunwayman only get 4 hours at 230lm whilst Fenix get 5 hours 45 minutes at 240lm (both same emitter). I will report back when i get a chance to test the D40A on a hike. Maybe the 30lm low will do the job better than i anticipate.


----------



## Disciple

I hope you are pleased with the light. Run-times are often stated to 10% output, therefore a light that quickly drops to 11% and holds it will have a far longer run-time than a light which is flat regulated. I don't know what the situation with the LD41 is, but as you can see from selfbuilt's testing the D40A compares favorably to other 4xAA lights; I doubt the LD41 gets to 5:45 flat-regulated.


----------



## froggyted

The LD41 has regulated output, and as far as i understand it maintains the stated lumens for the quoted runtime. Certainly from my experience with the light that appears to be the case.


----------



## reppans

Disciple said:


> ....Using the cube root formula, which seems to be a reasonable first-order approximation of human vision, and selfbuilt's measurements (940 and 610 lumens), it should only appear (940/610)^(1/3) = 115.5% as bright as High (15.5% brighter)...



I'm not sure the cube root formula is correct. That would imply that 900 lumens appears only twice as bright as 100 lumens. I personally use the same formula, but in square root, since to my eyes 4x lumen increases feel 2x brighter. Technically though, I thought I read around here that the Stevens/Weber/Fechner brightness perception laws derived something around 3x lumen increase is ~ 2x perceived brightness. If that's where you were were getting your "cube" number from, then I think the formula should be (940/610)^(2/3) or something like that....



froggyted said:


> .....I'm still not sure how Sunwayman only get 4 hours at 230lm whilst Fenix get 5 hours 45 minutes at 240lm (both same emitter)....



You can't really compare spec sheets like that, there's all sorts of conservatism, exaggeration, interpretation, and gaming going on between the different manufacturers and the ANSI rules are wide enough to drive a truck through - here's my favorite "ANSI" example, see output runtime graph on first post:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?296992-Maglite-XL50-LED-Flashlight-Review

You must either use Selfbuilt's comparative data, or test it yourself (even a free smartphone light meter app will be more accurate/objective than your own eyes). SB found here the D40A to run near 25% over its 4 hrs spec (almost 5hrs flatline), and while he hasn't tested the Fenix, I think we both noticed another Fenix (LD12) fell quite short of its spec claims, even extrapolating for the high capacity cells Fenix likes to test with. I have tested the D40A on its low and moonlight mode and believe them to be pretty conservative on their numbers.


----------



## froggyted

Hi reppans, thanks for your reply. I thought i'd read somewhere on this forum that Fenix were fairly honest with their stated spec? That is, within the accepted margin for error, which if i understand correctly is 10%? Could the difference be something to do with Sunwayman designing their light to step down to Low a bit earlier in order to preserve some usability at 30lm, whereas, from my limited usage so far, the Fenix tends to max out the levels and then step down from Turbo to Low fairly quickly, although to be fair the light then runs on Low for approx 4 hours before the low battery warning (i have reviewed my experience with the LD41 in further detail on one of the relevant threads).

I read Selfbuilt's review of the D40A and noticed the longer runtime in High mode, and hopefully mine will perform similarly when it arrives. In your own tests, when you say the stated spec is conservative are you agreeing with Selfbuilt re extended runtime or are you saying it delivered more lumens, or both? I would also be interested in approximately how long you can run the D40A at Turbo by repeatedly reselecting after step down before the light will no longer run in this mode.


----------



## froggyted

Post deleted.


----------



## froggyted

reppans said:


> You can't really compare spec sheets like that, there's all sorts of conservatism, exaggeration, interpretation, and gaming going on between the different manufacturers and the ANSI rules are wide enough to drive a truck through - here's my favorite "ANSI" example, see output runtime graph on first post:
> 
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?296992-Maglite-XL50-LED-Flashlight-Review



That's dreadful! So after about 10 minutes it runs at 10%, which would actually be lower than the Low mode?! I would never knowingly buy a light from such a disingenuous manufacturer. Maglite are totally overhyped anyway, as are Lenser, who seem to adopt a similarly fluid policy to their specs.


----------



## Impulses

revscott said:


> Doingoutdoor has the D40A for a much lower price. Free shipping also. I've never ordered from there and just wondering why it's so much cheaper than others that I have used before.



Seems like it's just a temp promo, they even state as much (says promotional something or other right at the top)... In any case, I ordered one from them yesterday so I'm looking forward to it... Leap of faith based on having read posts from others ordering there without issue around last summer. 

Hasn't shipped yet tho, Illumination Supply and Fast Tech are definitely besting them in that regard, I placed different orders at all three places simultaneously... Got a ZL SC52 coming as well along with some other minor stuff. I bought the D40A as a larger/throwier alternative to the SC52 with longer runtimes at similar lumen...

Not quite sure if I made the right choice since these are really the first two premium lights I've bought but we'll see. I expect I'll use the SC52 more often while the D40A will be the one I reach for when the power goes out during hurricane season or when I need light for a longer task...

Got kinda paranoid it'd be too throwy for a lot of tasks so I already ordered a little silicon diffuser for it without even trying it out.


----------



## RedForest UK

The Olight M22 diffuser works well for the D40a, and the choice of SC52 and D40a is what I would go for right now if I had to start out over again or trade in all but two of my lights. Very good choices.


----------



## selfbuilt

The discussion here about ANSI specs and runtimes gets back to why it is so important to visually compare runtime graphs done under the same conditions and scales (preferably by an independent source).

FYI, I discuss this on my website a bit further:

http://flashlightreviews.ca/method.htm#Runtimes


----------



## Disciple

reppans said:


> I'm not sure the cube root formula is correct. That would imply that 900 lumens appears only twice as bright as 100 lumens. I personally use the same formula, but in square root, since to my eyes 4x lumen increases feel 2x brighter. Technically though, I thought I read around here that the Stevens/Weber/Fechner brightness perception laws derived something around 3x lumen increase is ~ 2x perceived brightness. If that's where you were were getting your "cube" number from, then I think the formula should be (940/610)^(2/3) or something like that.



I have read (here) that perceived brightness curves depend greatly on ambient illumination. The formula I used is based on the Wikipedia page for Stevens' Power Law, which lists: Brightness 0.33 5° target in dark. It may be preferable to ignore subjective (perceptual) brightness due to the ambiguity and look instead at the formula for throw which is a simple inverse-square relationship that matches your subjective appraisal.


----------



## reppans

froggyted said:


> ... I thought i'd read somewhere on this forum that Fenix were fairly honest with their stated spec?
> 
> I read Selfbuilt's review of the D40A and noticed the longer runtime in Low mode, and hopefully mine will perform similarly when it arrives. In your own tests, when you say the stated spec is conservative are you agreeing with Selfbuilt re extended runtime or are you saying it delivered more lumens, or both? I would also be interested in approximately how long you can run the D40A at Turbo by repeatedly reselecting after step down before the light will no longer run in this mode.



IMHO, Fenix used to be more conservative... I'm a low lumen junkie and only follow the 1xAA (sub-lumen) market closely and I'm skeptical when anyone starts spec'ing lights over 200 lumen-hrs per AA (LD12 ~300 lumen-hrs across all modes). SBs review is consistent with what I thought (I use a more conservative lumen scale than he, but I'm pretty consistent with his relative findings). 

SB only tested the D40A to medium and I trust his numbers. I like testing the lower modes (as a low lumen junkie). SWM specs 30 lms for 30 hrs or 900 lm-hrs (225 lm-hrs per AA) my D40A sample came in at 15 lumens for 60 hrs (900 lm-hrs), so I'm very happy as low lumen/runtime guy (you may not like that though).. I also got 266 hrs from a 9V (well 133hrs from half a 9v actually) which translates to ~700+ from AA Alks and ~500ish on Eneloops.. so that how I believe SWM is conservative/fair on their specs. The >200 lm-hrs per AA is mostly likely due to the efficiency at higher forward voltages.


----------



## reppans

Disciple said:


> ....The formula I used is based on the Wikipedia page for Stevens' Power Law, which lists: Brightness 0.33 5° target in dark. It may be preferable to ignore subjective (perceptual) brightness due to the ambiguity and look instead at the formula for throw which is a simple inverse-square relationship that matches your subjective appraisal.


 
Yeah, I did see that formula, but it doesn't feel right - 90 lumens only perceived as twice as bright as 10 lumens? 

The 4:2 or 3:2 ratios seem more realistic.


----------



## Goldwrap

I just got a D40A neutral white from goinggear and am really pleased with it. This is my first neutral led and I really like the color. 

The only bad thing is I received the "too big" clip lanyard...and yes it will scratch the anodizing (I have a very small spot from where I tried to attach it). Did nobody at the factory try to put it in there before shipping these? Maybe I will try undoing the plastic end and attaching it that way...like froggyted I would like to use a lanyard since I'll be using this while walking outdoors.


----------



## Impulses

My D40A from doingoutdoors shipped FWIW, took a day or two but it looks like I managed to get a decent deal on it. There were like 9 or something left when l ordered.


----------



## froggyted

reppans said:


> IMHO, Fenix used to be more conservative... I'm a low lumen junkie and only follow the 1xAA (sub-lumen) market closely and I'm skeptical when anyone starts spec'ing lights over 200 lumen-hrs per AA (LD12 ~300 lumen-hrs across all modes). SBs review is consistent with what I thought (I use a more conservative lumen scale than he, but I'm pretty consistent with his relative findings).
> 
> SB only tested the D40A to medium and I trust his numbers. I like testing the lower modes (as a low lumen junkie). SWM specs 30 lms for 30 hrs or 900 lm-hrs (225 lm-hrs per AA) my D40A sample came in at 15 lumens for 60 hrs (900 lm-hrs), so I'm very happy as low lumen/runtime guy (you may not like that though).. I also got 266 hrs from a 9V (well 133hrs from half a 9v actually) which translates to ~700+ from AA Alks and ~500ish on Eneloops.. so that how I believe SWM is conservative/fair on their specs. The >200 lm-hrs per AA is mostly likely due to the efficiency at higher forward voltages.



Thanks for the reply, which i've only just noticed despite being subscribed to the thread - it somehow got overlooked. Note that i have corrected my original post to read 'I read Selfbuilt's review of the D40A and noticed the longer runtime in *High* mode.'

I can't argue with your detailed technical analysis since i don't have that experience, so can only offer the observation that Fenix test their lights with high capacity 2450mAh cells (probably Eneloops), which will maximise their runtime data. I haven't tested the LD41 extensivey but the data i have tested so far is consistent with the Fenix specs: the light steps down from Turbo to High at almost precisely 25 minutes and the low battery warning repeats at almost precisely 5 minute intervals (with 2450mAh Eneloop XX). To stay on-topic, i now have the D40A - more below.


----------



## froggyted

Goldwrap said:


> I just got a D40A neutral white from goinggear and am really pleased with it. This is my first neutral led and I really like the color.
> 
> The only bad thing is I received the "too big" clip lanyard...and yes it will scratch the anodizing (I have a very small spot from where I tried to attach it). Did nobody at the factory try to put it in there before shipping these? Maybe I will try undoing the plastic end and attaching it that way...like froggyted I would like to use a lanyard since I'll be using this while walking outdoors.



I now have my D40A, and i too received the oversized lanyard clip. This is a ridiculous oversight on Sunwayman's part. The obvious fix for this oversight is to attach a small spiral ring through the hole, to which the clip can then be attached. Thanks for confirming that the clip scratches the anodising, another fail on Sunwayman's part. Although the supplied lanyard looks to be good quality i always doubt the security of such clips and prefer a rounded strap with a lariat loop attachment and no metal parts. These can be found on Amazon and eBay quite cheaply, although most of the rounded (as opposed to flat profile) straps i've seen so far are only 15cm long. My ideal strap for such purposes would be approx 20 - 25 cm round profile: you can then tie a slip knot that, once you have put your hand through, tightens up around your wrist due to the weight of the light. This doesn't work very well with flat profile straps. Another alternative for this is a spring-loaded fastener, as supplied on the Sunwayman lanyard, although this doesn't work quite so well one-handed as a slip knot. Overall though, if Sunwayman had used a lariat loop fastening instead of a metal clip this would be a really nice, high quality lanyard.

Although the outer anodising was well finished there was a sizeable patch inside the battery tube that wasn't anodised. There was also some scratching on the steel bezel and a few specks of dust inside the lens. Does anybody know whether the bezel can be easily removed or is it glued, since it doesn't seem to want to budge and i don't want to invalidate the warranty by breaking an adhesive seal?

Notwithstanding the above criticicisms i am very impressed with the torch: much smaller and slightly lighter than the LD41, it feels great in the hand. I also love the UI and the added but hidden extra modes. I will post some more observations about the light when i've had a chance to test it on a hike, and will also do a comparative review of the LD41 against the D40A in a new thread.


----------



## reppans

froggyted said:


> I can't argue with your detailed technical analysis since i don't have that experience, so can only offer the observation that Fenix test their lights with high capacity 2450mAh cells (probably Eneloops), which will maximise their runtime data...,



Yeah, we know they use Hi Cap cells... [the LD12] still seemed to fall short of its aggressive 300 lumen-hr efficiency claims... Here's SB's reply to my question. 



selfbuilt said:


> For the runtimes, it is true the specs seem slightly inflated, even with the higher capacity cells. It's not a huge variance. I would say the performance seen on my sample is very good - but not outstanding - for a control current circuit. Meeting those specs would certainly be a sign of excellence. .



I'm just addressing your question of whether Fenix was on the "conservative" side of the fence - SWM seems to meet/exceed its specs for the most part.


----------



## Goldwrap

froggyted thanks for the lanyard suggestions. I thought about using a split ring with the current lanyard, but didn't want to scratch the light again. I ended up finding a flat profile lanyard from an old light and using that for now, but I see what you are saying about a slip knot. I also have a round profile lanyard but it is very small like you said 

I think sometimes the accessories are last second afterthoughts on these lights. I'm reminded of Klarus including a holster that was too small to fit their XT lights a couple years ago.


----------



## froggyted

Goldwrap said:


> froggyted thanks for the lanyard suggestions. I thought about using a split ring with the current lanyard, but didn't want to scratch the light again. I ended up finding a flat profile lanyard from an old light and using that for now, but I see what you are saying about a slip knot. I also have a round profile lanyard but it is very small like you said
> 
> I think sometimes the accessories are last second afterthoughts on these lights. I'm reminded of Klarus including a holster that was too small to fit their XT lights a couple years ago.



The lanyard would be good quality imo if only it had the lariat loop instead of the metal. I do think the pouch is nice though - better than the one on my LD41. I received a pack of lanyards in the post today. They are a nice rounded profile, good quality, but only 15cm long so too short to tie a slip knot. One of these will do the job for now but i have ordered another one. Because of the way the lanyard hole is positioned on the D40A you will probably need a lanyard of similar length to the one supplied (20cm), or maybe a 25cm one to allow for a slipknot.


----------



## Disciple

reppans said:


> Yeah, I did see that formula, but it doesn't feel right - 90 lumens only perceived as twice as bright as 10 lumens?
> 
> The 4:2 or 3:2 ratios seem more realistic.



In my opinion this is because there is more than one kind of "brightness" and I think the 9:1 ratio for "doubling" is quite plausible. Let me explain. If you are not measuring a light by the details you can see with it, but only how bright a featureless gray or white target appears, and you have no prior "calibration" from experience with known illumination levels, it takes a lot of additional light to appear significantly brighter, especially in absence of a reference level (ambient illumination). I believe that perceived brightness is not only greatly dependent on the circumstance but also varies between people. For that reason I think it is better to compare an objective metric such as the inverse square law of throw. Nevertheless this 0.33 exponent was determined empirically and I suspect that it is true for the majority of viewers in that specific environment. I think it also helps to explain why lumen increases are often perceived as less significant than expected, if discernible at all.


----------



## Disciple

froggyted said:


> Does anybody know whether the bezel can be easily removed or is it glued, since it doesn't seem to want to budge and i don't want to invalidate the warranty by breaking an adhesive seal?



The bezel on mine (or rather my father's) loosens by hand but that is after vinhnguyen54 worked on it. He would know if it was glued or not; try asking in the Modding/Repair Helpline thread in his forum section. I'm glad you like the light.


----------



## froggyted

Disciple said:


> In my opinion this is because there is more than one kind of "brightness" and I think the 9:1 ratio for "doubling" is quite plausible. Let me explain. If you are not measuring a light by the details you can see with it, but only how bright a featureless gray or white target appears, and you have no prior "calibration" from experience with known illumination levels, it take a lot of additional light to appear significantly brighter, especially in absence of a reference level (ambient illumination). I believe that perceived brightness is not only greatly dependent on the circumstance but also varies between people. For that reason I think it is better to compare an objective metric such as the inverse square law of throw. Nevertheless this 0.33 exponent was determined empirically and I suspect that it is true for the majority of viewers in that specific environment. I think it also helps to explain why lumen increases are often perceived as less significant than expected, if discernible at all.



Certainly i would agree with Revscott that the perceived difference between High and Turbo isn't that large, so this would seem to bear out your argument. I will do a short night walk in the next few days and test the two levels for throw. Given that Fenix quotes 270m for the 680 lumen LD41 and Sunwayman quotes 315m for the D40A i am expecting a noticeable difference in throw between the High (550 lumen) and Turbo (980 lumen) levels on the D40A.


----------



## gkbain

Received my D40A NW from GoingGear yesterday. I cycled a set of Eneloops through it and everything seems to work well. The neutral white is nice and only the second one in my collection but I am about to be converted. I am impressed as others with the solid feel. It is a very good size for a light, good output, and easy UI. My lanyard was also too big. I emailed Sunwayman about it but haven't received a reply. I put a spiral ring on it for now. I do not store my lights with a lanyard on them but instead use my favorite one on the flashlight I am using at the time by way of a spiral ring. Very satisfied.


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## froggyted

I had a short night walk through woodland and an unlit lane this evening and was impressed with the performance of the light. 30 lumens was surprisingly decent for such conditions. I will post my thoughts in greater detail during the next few days.


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## froggyted

Further comments re. the lanyard positioning: i now have a 20cm (excluding lariat loop) round-profile lanyard. This is just about long enough to tie a slipknot and wear around the wrist. Feed the lariat loop thread between your two middle fingers (for using with switch upwards). As long as you don't have the slipknot too tight around your wrist this provides a very secure and comfortable grip, and you definitely won't drop the light if you lose your grip.


----------



## Talbingo

I'm new here and recently purchased a D40A (thank you SB for your many wonderful reviews) from Ledtorchshop here in Oz. I must say, as a new comer to this environment, I was staggered by the quality and performance from this little 4 AA light sabre. Sunwayman have great quality.

I'm using it for walking my dogs in the countryside (lonely country roads) and city (cycleway/footpaths). I find the moonlight & low the most used with the turbo coming in useful when I want to check the path ahead of behind for security. This light can throw a powerful beam a nice distance. It has also given me more reason to walk the dogs so it's a win for the dogs & a win for me.

I find the light a little thick for a pocket EDC but in the holster it's fine.

I love this flashlight.


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## selfbuilt

Talbingo said:


> I'm new here and recently purchased a D40A (thank you SB for your many wonderful reviews).


My pleasure, glad you are enjoying the light.

And :welcome:


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## Aahhyes68

SWM lists a cool white and a neutral white on their website. I can't seem to be able to find which is which when looking at websites price shopping.

Is there a D40A-CW and a D40A-NW or something similar ??


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## selfbuilt

Aahhyes68 said:


> SWM lists a cool white and a neutral white on their website. I can't seem to be able to find which is which when looking at websites price shopping.
> Is there a D40A-CW and a D40A-NW or something similar ??


Unless the website specifically specifies it is a Neutral white version, it will definitely be the Cool white model. There is no specific model number variant.

Neutral white versions are always relatively uncommon in the wider flashlight world.


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## CDK

Thanks for the fine review, it prompted me to buy this Sunwayman flashlight.


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## Tmack

My d40avn has served me well every day since I received it. I constantly have two fresh sets of charged AA at all times. 
Before I religiously started locking out, it got turned on in my pocket and was almost too hot to touch. Threw in some fresh batteries and it didnt skip a beat. Great light, before the "v54" treatment, and excellent after.


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## selfbuilt

CDK said:


> Thanks for the fine review, it prompted me to buy this Sunwayman flashlight.


Thanks, and :welcome:



Tmack said:


> Before I religiously started locking out, it got turned on in my pocket and was almost too hot to touch. Threw in some fresh batteries and it didnt skip a beat.


Good to hear ... yes, always good to have a lock out option.


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## Albinoni1967

Hi Selfbuild just regarding this torch does the red M and power buttons glow as in backlit. Thanks


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## selfbuilt

Albinoni1967 said:


> Hi Selfbuild just regarding this torch does the red M and power buttons glow as in backlit. Thanks


No, there is no LED or glow with the buttons on the D40A. It is only the Nitecore EA4 and JetBeam SRA40 that have that feature in this class.


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## Albinoni1967

selfbuilt said:


> No, there is no LED or glow with the buttons on the D40A. It is only the Nitecore EA4 and JetBeam SRA40 that have that feature in this class.



Thank you Selfbuilt, very nice light though might end up getting one.


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## credo

Thank you very much for this review, it prompted me to buy this light, my first 'proper' flashlight, and I love it. The only problem is - I fear the floodgates have opened now, what to buy next?


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## texbaz

Thanks, Selfbuilt. been using the GX25A3 for about 9 months, the EA4 for about 10 months (_my button cover blew got a replacement from vendor_) and ever since picking up the SX25L3 MT-G2 version I really started liking the Neutral White versions. Hope the D40a NW I receive is near as nice as my MT-G2. Thanks again for the review and updates.

_update_: received my New D40a, fantastic build,plus looks good. the little micro switches sometimes require a second push maybe I'm not pushing hard enough. The Tint is almost identical to the SX25L3 MT-G2, just a much smaller version in format and beam profile. Marshall's crew at GG hooked me up as always, fantastic little light.
If sunwayman wanted to capitalize on this design, maybe a 18650 version, and a more robust build. Wonder why Manufacturers dont make a rubber/silicone outer cover for these lights, for use in extreme environments. one small drop and this guy is going to get dented or damaged INOP.


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## Nalhcal741

I recently got a D40A and the switch seemed to quickly become pitted and torn. On close inspection it appeared to have a plastic film over the switch. To remove it i had to undo the metal surround on the switch. It seems to work alright but i am worried that due to the difficulty in removing it, it may not have been meant to have been removed and this may affect the waterproofing of the switch. 
Any suggestions / has anyone else experienced this???:thinking:


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## Tmack

I didn't have any type of film on mine. Just the smooth plastic. Is still like the day I got it, and I edc this light often.


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## cpfdemigod

Amazing review Selfbuilt. Always thorough. Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know that I found the D40A for $49.99 shipped. I created a separate thread here, with a link to this review, as I just want to get the word out about this amazing deal on one of the best AA lights out there! It's definitely my favorite looking. Again, thanks for the amazing review. We need to spread the word about how amazing this light is!

On a side note, I feel like CPF needs a complete overhaul on how the forum categories are organized. I have been a CPF lurker for over 10 years, and lately I feel it has diluted so much that it's impossible to find what one needs


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## mrettercap

Just picked up one of these myself from Illumination Supply with their 30% coupon.

I am super stoked for it to arrive; as always, brilliant(!) and thorough review, SB.


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## beemer

I received my d40a in neutral white from Illumn and noticed a quirk, when I activate moonlight mode (by holding power from off) and hit the power button to turn it off it steps down to an extremely low mode that can only be seen if you look at the led directly. it is lower than the lowest mode from my Debralight sc52w. You can't turn off the light once this cycle starts because it just switches between normal moonlight and the super low one when i hit power. i have to either press mode then power, or lock the light out (physically or electronically) to get it to turn off. 

Does anybody else have this same problem on their model? Should i send my light back?


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## selfbuilt

beemer said:


> I received my d40a in neutral white from Illumn and noticed a quirk, when I activate moonlight mode (by holding power from off) and hit the power button to turn it off it steps down to an extremely low mode that can only be seen if you look at the led directly. it is lower than the lowest mode from my Debralight sc52w. You can't turn off the light once this cycle starts because it just switches between normal moonlight and the super low one when i hit power. i have to either press mode then power, or lock the light out (physically or electronically) to get it to turn off.


I have not seen this on any D40 that I have tested, but it is an issue that has cropped up from time to time on various lights (especially ones with a moonlight mode). It would seem to indicate a circuit fault where a tiny amount of current is still being drawn when switching off from moonlight. As you say, breaking the current is the only way to stop it.

Not knowing what the drain level is, it is hard to advise - although I would suggest doing a quick loosen/tighten of the head to break this effect when it occurs. If it concerns you, I would see about returning the light.


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## SubLGT

selfbuilt said:


> *………….*Anodizing is flat matte black, hard anodized (i.e., type III), with no obvious chips or damage on my sample. Sunwayman has always had top-notch anodizing (although I personally miss the natural finish look). ………………………….



The anodizing on the D40A I received today is certainly not top notch. The bottom section of the flashlight has even, but thin looking anodizing, and the top section has thin and mottled looking anodizing. I see much better looking anodizing on my flashlights from Fenix, Zebralight, and Olight. But other than that flaw, and the rainbow output from the XM-L2 emitter, I like this flashlight a lot.


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## bluecrush

I like this light, but would it be overkill for in and around the house?


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## kj2

bluecrush said:


> I like this light, but would it be overkill for in and around the house?



On the highest setting, yes. But on the lower it's a great light. Specially with the moonlight mode.


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## ChrisGarrett

bluecrush said:


> I like this light, but would it be overkill for in and around the house?



No, but it's a bit heavy and there are other lights that I use around the house--EagleTac D25C Ti clicky, my Sunwayman V11R, my Convoy lights and even my little AA L3 L10 and AAA Olight i3s.

Chris


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## WalkIntoTheLight

beemer said:


> I received my d40a in neutral white from Illumn and noticed a quirk, when I activate moonlight mode (by holding power from off) and hit the power button to turn it off it steps down to an extremely low mode that can only be seen if you look at the led directly. it is lower than the lowest mode from my Debralight sc52w. You can't turn off the light once this cycle starts because it just switches between normal moonlight and the super low one when i hit power. i have to either press mode then power, or lock the light out (physically or electronically) to get it to turn off.
> 
> Does anybody else have this same problem on their model? Should i send my light back?



I just received my D40A Neutral White, and I tested it and found the same issue. An extremely dim moonlight mode, which only occurs when turning the light off directly from the "real" moonlight mode. Turning off from the regular modes doesn't activate the "super dim" moonlight. 

Maybe it only affects neutral white versions of this model? Anyone else notice it?

It doesn't concern me, with the possible exception of it increasing the parasitic drain. Has anyone else tested this, and measured the current draw from it? This light is tricky to set up for current tests, so I haven't tested it myself. But based on my Zebralight SC52w-L2, it has a draw of 2mA on the lowest moonlight. So, the D40A has to be quite a bit less than that.

Probably not an issue, unless it's in storage for a few months, but I'm curious to know.

I'll see if it's bright enough to use as a locator in the middle of the night.


Update:

It does work as a locator for a very dark area with fully night-adapted eyes. But, you have to be viewing at least the "spill" area of light. The "hot spot" is actually quite bright when looking directly at it, but that's because it is so focused. Obviously, you can't illuminate anything with this "ultra firely" mode, but if you place the light aimed at you before going to sleep, you'll be able to easily find it.

The brightness, when looking directly into it, is about the same level of brightness as a GITD indicator after a few hours. However, it looks brighter, because it shows up as the entire 40mm lens.

I have noticed that it appears to enter this "ultra firefly" mode when shutting it off on modes other than moonlight, especially if it's been on for awhile. In these cases, it appears even dimmer. Very difficult to see, but possible with dark-adapted vision and looking closely right into the lens.

I wonder if this is a consequence of how Sunwayman designed the electronic circuit. Maybe the same current needed for the electronic switch is also still going through the LED?


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## WalkIntoTheLight

Okay, I used an external power supply to do some current measurements.

As an update to my previous post, I don't think the "super dim firefly" mode is triggered when turning off from any mode other than moonlight. I am unable to reproduce it from any other mode than moonlight, so I think it was either an afterimage on my retina, or just my imagination.

Anyway, the "super dim firefly" mode definitely occurs when turning the light off from moonlight, and is backed up by my following current measurements.

My power source measures 4.97v. This corresponds to NiMH cells that have about 40% charge. Due to very thin wires, I only measured low-drain modes.

Off: 60uA (includes turning off from non-moonlight modes)


Off from moonlight: 247uA (very dim glow from LED)


Moonlight: 4.8mA


Low: 53mA

It's interesting that my standby drain is higher than what selfbuilt measured. (Perhaps I was testing with a lower voltage, or more likely just individual variation.) But I measured it several times, and it always came out to 60uA. This is still insignificant, and it would take 3.8 years to drain 2000mA Eneloops.

The "super dim firefly" mode actually measures about 1.8mA for a few seconds, before dropping to 247uA. Anyway, it would take almost a year to drain 2000mA Eneloops at that rate. So, again, it's not a very significant drain, but if you're storing your light for months, it's probably better to turn it off from one of the normal (non moonlight) modes. Or unscrew the tailcap a half-turn to eliminate all drain.

Moonlight mode and low mode drains are as expected. I didn't measure higher modes.

I'd be interested to know if the "super dim firefly" mode is common on the neutral white D40A's. Or, what the current draw is on any of the D40A's when turning off from moonlight.


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## selfbuilt

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> I'd be interested to know if the "super dim firefly" mode is common on the neutral white D40A's. Or, what the current draw is on any of the D40A's when turning off from moonlight.


Thanks for doing the tests. I've seen other reports over the years, on various lights, of ultra-dim levels being produced when trying to shut-down from moonlight. These all seem to involve residual ultra-low currents, so your measures seem believable. 

As an aside, I note the behaviour and magnitude of the current you describe in the "ultra-dim" mode is _very_ similar to what I measured for entering into the lock-out mode. I wonder if some sort of cross-over effect is occurring. But I would have to leave it to the experts with more knowledge of circuit function to explain why this occurs. 

I bought a NW version shortly after they were first released, and haven't seen any issues on that sample.


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## WalkIntoTheLight

selfbuilt said:


> Thanks for doing the tests. I've seen other reports over the years, on various lights, of ultra-dim levels being produced when trying to shut-down from moonlight. These all seem to involve residual ultra-low currents, so your measures seem believable.
> 
> I bought a NW version shortly after they were first released, and haven't seen any issues on that sample.



Interesting. Did you measure the standby current on the NW version?

I retested my standby current with a 5.78v supply, and it came to 69uA. (Higher than the 60uA with a 4.97v supply, which I think is to be expected, based on the differences you tested on SC52's when using AA vs 14500.)

But the 60-69uA is much higher than your reported 11uA (and I've seen 11uA mentioned in another review as well). I'm curious if it's just the "ultra-low moonlight" versions of the light which have a greater standby current as well. Perhaps Sunwayman is using different chips in later manufacturing runs of the light, which may be the cause of the moonlight "feature".



> As an aside, I note the behaviour and magnitude of the current you describe in the "ultra-dim" mode is _very_ similar to what I measured for entering into the lock-out mode. I wonder if some sort of cross-over effect is occurring. But I would have to leave it to the experts with more knowledge of circuit function to explain why this occurs.



Yes, I noticed when I did that, it was similar to your lockout drain. My light doesn't show any LED glow when in lockout, though. It does make me curious how they're running the current through the light when off, locked-out, and sub-moonlight.

Anyway, I'm not too concerned about it. The sub-moonlight mode is a bit of a neat feature to find the light in total darkness. Last night I tested the output (with fully dark-adapted vision in a very dark room). It was just bright enough to illuminate some white paper when held an inch or two away. No chance of reading anything written on the paper, but it gives someone the idea of the brightness. Way, way, dimmer than the SC52's dimmest moonlight setting. About as bright as a 40mm round piece of GITD indicator after being without light for a few hours.


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## selfbuilt

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Interesting. Did you measure the standby current on the NW version?


Sorry, no.


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## RemcoM

selfbuilt said:


> Sorry, no.



Are beacon, police signal, SOS, and strobe, at maximum output. It seems like, with mine, but not 100 percent sure.


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## selfbuilt

RemcoM said:


> Are beacon, police signal, SOS, and strobe, at maximum output. It seems like, with mine, but not 100 percent sure.


I believe so, but it's not easy to measure.


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## not a fighter

Received the light a few days ago. It is very nicely made and a joy to hold. Noticed the "ultra firefly" on it too. Another thing is accidental activation of the strobe. Change modes too quickly and there it is.

Quick question: How does the lanyard work with this? Am I supposed to use the hook for the hole? I hesitate to do that as I worry metal-on-metal will scratch the light or affect the anodizing. Is there another way to do it? Thanks!

Oh, and great review! It made me buy this one (although the Thrunite TN4A remains my second favourite light).


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## selfbuilt

not a fighter said:


> Received the light a few days ago. It is very nicely made and a joy to hold. Noticed the "ultra firefly" on it too. Another thing is accidental activation of the strobe. Change modes too quickly and there it is.
> Quick question: How does the lanyard work with this? Am I supposed to use the hook for the hole? I hesitate to do that as I worry metal-on-metal will scratch the light or affect the anodizing. Is there another way to do it? Thanks!


It's a good point about the strobe. As for the lanyard, yes, you are supposed to clip it to the hole. It may indeed the wear the finish somewhat over time.


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## Thrower

beemer said:


> Does anybody else have this same problem on their model? Should i send my light back?



Yes, I tested my new D40a tonight and was able to reproduce this ultra-low mode just as you said - switch the light off while in firefly mode.

To confirm that it wasn't a trick of my eyes, I put the bezel directly up to my eye, sealed where the bezel met my orbit with one hand - and then unscrewed the back with the other. I did this twice - and both times - the glow stopped immediately.

It's unlikely that I could see the effect without complete darkness and my eyes at least somewhat adjusted to the dark. It's an extremely faint glow.

As to whether you should return it, well, I'm not planning on it. This light most closely fits my needs and I'll seldom use firefly mode, so I'll be unlikely to cause this mode to occur in real life usage. I'm not wild about the side-mount for the paracord, but the light levels, batteries, beam focus, CRI & form factor are near ideal for my use, so I can overlook a wonky lanyard placement and a glow-mode that won't likely get triggered in the course of my normal use. If I used firefly more, then it might bother me.

** Edit **
And now for the odd part. I liked mine so much that I got one for my wife. I just tested hers tonight and it does NOT do the ultra-low, or to be more precise, it does have the ultra-low glow-mode when switched off from firefly mode, but the glow winks out within ~3 seconds. So perhaps Sunwayman revisioned the light, or perhaps not all of the lights had that characteristic. Both D40a were tested with fresh Eneloop PRO properly charged with a Powerex MC-C9000 charger operating at 300ma/h


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## Mukherjee

Bumble said:


> Hi selfbuilt very nice review thanks. i would just like to mention you have missed something out in the ui, with the light off (not in lockout) you have instant access to turbo mode by a fast double click of the power button.. and then you can switch power levels with the mode button as usual . this is a great light imo.. my ea4 now sits on the shelf.



How is your sunwayman d40a going? Will you suggest that to others? I need a flashlight for trips to places where electricity is still not available.


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## xevious

Very interesting about this ultra-low moonlight mode. Mine has it. Easy to invoke.

But I found a peculiarity... because I'd start with moonlight, turn off and verify ultra-low, turn back on to normal brightness, turn off... and find the ultra-low moonlight comes back on again. I reproduced it a couple times, then couldn't any more. When it did come on, clicking on the mode button once actually turned it off.

Anyway, going on 5.5 years since release and this light still holds its own. Super end-of-year discount brought it down to $35 shipped. Seriously good value! Excellent throw and spill. NW tint is very nice. My only gripe with this light is that ramping descends rather than ascends. But everything else makes up for it.


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## not a fighter

I've had this for a few years now. It's really nicely made and will be useful for a long time. But since it is my most expensive (and cherished) light I rarely take it out and use it. Better use the beaten-up old ones for that. I'm a fool.


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## Midnight.Sun

At first My D40A CW used to make humming sound on strobe and high modes, but the sound stopped after I reversed the battery holder direction. At some point of its life it has started to show the faint very dim LED light for a second or two after I turn the moonlight off, but then gone on its own!

I bought it in 2014, I got the CW for use inside and around the house where colours are mostly grades of white and other synthetic colours, especially handy when I open appliance for maintenance where I need to observe many coloured wires, so the CW is perfect to distinguishing white, yellow, blue, black, gray, green .. etc.

Mine is always fit with an Olight defuser (4mm), makes perfect beam for indoors, and the D40A is amazingly much better looking when fitted with it. I use this light a lot everyday (literally) to better illuminate so many dark and poorly lit areas for inspections, and it tail stands perfectly for ceiling bounce when needed, and the moonlight is perfect for eye sight adaptation at night times, so again it gets used every single home night in my case. Tried to take it out once belt carry in its pouch, it was not a good experience, it's a bit too heavy and wide for pocket or belt carry IMO, unlike my single cell flashlights.

It has so many imperfections from the first day I opened it out of it's package, I'll try to list what I can remember:

1. Ramps up in reverse, but you get used to that quickly, and was not a big deal for me at all.

2. By nature, the XM-L2 U2 has that pale brass tint around the white hotspot, but in my case the Olight defuser eliminate it completely into a beautifully even and pure white cloud of wide beam.

3. The highest mode 980 lm looks almost the same as the second high 550 lm, the closest I've experienced, and both of them heats the whole light very quickly, as it is often the case in small size flashlights. 

4. The battery tube from the start screws and closes-in in a different position every time I open and re close it, it's a real mystery, the threads keeps screwing deeper and deeper every time especially when freshly lubed, and sometimes they stops a lot sooner, so I opened the head plate in the first week and got inside where the driver is located, checked where it's fixed to the head mass and everything was normal, I found nothing there, so the problem remained, I just stopped opening the battery tube unless I need to recharge or change the batteries. 

5. The thin plastic buttons cover wore out and the two round buttons were shaved off leaving the under rubber that covers the electronic buttons exposed, but they look perfectly fine, only have to keep them away from water, although I think they can even withstand that the way they were chipped out in perfect fashion.


So, a lot of history with it, all in all it's a great little and very stable light source, quick to jump to the highest output from the low when needed, it's very comfortable to hold in the hand, and the blinking modes are very variant and easy to start, bringing a lot of fun.


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## Midnight.Sun

Having read the posts about the dim firefly, and to be more precise, my D40A cw still dim out of the moonlight into the dim firefly, but only for about 1 second, but, that wasn't always the case, I remember that at some point it used to turn into the dim firefly for about 7 seconds or more before it dims completely out or get too dim to be seen, but also it could be that it stayed permanent at times, as I used to quickly turn the tube to break off the circuit, or jump to low and then turn it OFF again, because I didn't like it and didn't see it as additional mode, I saw it as another imperfection because it wasn't there before, but it wasn't long before it disappeared and stopped happening, then I remember it reappeared for a while them it disappeared again somehow. One thing I did at some point is that I switched from using Eneloop's XX in this light, to Alkaline's (of known brands) in permanent fashion, and since than (years now) the dim firefly hadn't appeared noticeably since. I don't know, maybe it's not related to the batteries but that's something worth mentioning, also that I flipped the battery carrier direction a couple of times before. One thing I'm sure of, which is in the past the dim firefly used to stay lit for as long as 7 seconds before shutting off or going too dim, now it's quickly disappears in 1 second, but the Energisers are low in charge now I have to say.

Anyway, I remembered two more negatives:

6. The battery tube inside anodisation at the inner bottom and sides part is too thin, and into almost none existence at some spots, showing the colour of the Aluminium barely covered with faint spray of black.

7. The battery holder is very very tightly short in hight, and changing batteries is not easy at all, and the Eneloop XX's used to make spark and smoke when pulling the last one out, or inserting the last one in. You defiantly need your nails not be trimmed, and I more often needed to use something edgy (plastic or wood) to take the first battery out, and once I chipped a tad bit of the protective sealant Blue plastic/nylon from the batteries holder circuit, luckily it didn't expose conducting parts, but it came so so close to, and that's why I started using disposable Alkalines in that light. 

I forgot to mention that the Olight diffuser filter I fit it with is the M22 warrior, and its great like it was designed for the D40A, much better than it's original look.


P.S. In my previous post I mistaken the second high mode for 680 Lm while the correct value is 550 Lm, and between the 550 lm mode and the highest 980 Lm mide there is not much difference in output, using either fully charged Eneloop's or fresh Alkalines.


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## Midnight.Sun

Love it, great flashlight, great blinking modes, in cool white and with a good diffuser, you can imitate lightning indoors on some of them very well. 

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder


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