# Niteye EYE-30 (3 x XM-L | 2/4 18650) Review



## turboBB (Jan 5, 2012)

Niteye is an OEM mfg for other flashlight companies and recently introduced their own light, the EYE-30. While it's a solidly built light overall with amazing output, the sample I received suffers from an Achilles Heel. Read on to see why...



*MFG SPECS
*MSRP: $295 USD (non-SS ring, SS ring = $299 USD)
- 3 x Cree XM-L U2 LED
- Battery: 4x/2x 18650's
- Magnetic Ring switch/dimmer
- Constant current curcuit / constant brightness
- Working voltage range: 6 - 12.6V
- Weight: 396g (excluding batteries)
- Dimesion: 145mm (D) x 6mm (L)*








PACKAGING
*The EYE-30 arrived in a neat aluminum box with foam cushioning:






 



Additional accessories included were:
- handle
- car charger
- holster

There has been mention that some people received a spare o-ring but mine didn't come with it. The manual was emailed to me as PDF, which I'll try to repost as pics later.
*


DESIGN & FEATURES
*It'd be natural for one to draw comparisons between the EYE-30 and other 3 x XM-L's lights, however, it implements its three X-ML's differently than those on the TM11 or RRT-3. While all three XM-L's are housed in a single solid triangular head, each LED feature its own smooth reflector:




The SS bezels secure double-sided AR coated lens that I measured to be 3mm thick! 


 

 



Each of the three XM-L's were well centered:


 

 


Unlike the Klarus XT20 I recently tested, they do not seem to be aimed to allow beam convergence, however, I didn't really notice any unusual beam pattern/shape as a result of this configuratoin. All two or three beams (depending on level) will nicely converge into a single unified beam w/sufficient distance from wall/object being shone at.

Just aft of the trio of XM-L's and at each "corner" of the EYE-30 are cooling fins that should do an OK job of cooling the light, however I don't feel that the thermal transfer path from the LED's to the fins are optimal (more on this later):


 

 
The EYE-30's entire finish features a texture pattern akin to concrete.

The head features three flat sides that are adorned by a specific functionality on each. One bears the charging/battery indicator:


 



Another bears the charging port:


 


The port has a rubber cover plugged into it that must be removed in order to plug in the charger. While there is a polarity indicator symbol, the positive/negative indicators are missing :shrug: (center tip is positive). 

Last but not least, the mount for the handle features prominently on the last flat side and normally has a screw "plug" which must be removed in order to attach the handle:


 

 


Incidentally, the "Princess Leia" motif is not merely just for aestheics but rather serves to keep the handle aligned via the matching pattern on the handle side. There is however a very slight amount of play even with the screw tightened all the way. Not an issue for me but might be for ODC types... :nana:

The handle itself is comprised of three "parts" - anodized screw, washer, handle:


 


The screw has a gap between the head and the tip of the screw that is without thread and needs to be threaded into the handle first. I felt this was a good feature since it helps keep the screw on the handle and reduces the likelihood of it being lost.

Subjectively, the over-sized body colored screw offers a nice contrast to the Al one and really adds to the overall aesthetics:


 

 

The control ring (amongst other design elements on the EYE-30) bears an uncanny resemblance to another well regarded manufactuer that first featured it. I don't know if they manufacturer lights for them or not. The tolerances are very tight w/nearly no gap between the ring and the body head on either end. Incidentally, the circumference of the control ring protrudes just a tad bit past the flat edge thus not allowing it lay perfectly flat and causing a little wobble.


 

 


The head is finished off with a smooth section featuring no design elements.

The body of the EYE-30 is canister like and potentially a single solid piece w/an Al end cap:


 

 


It features three "sides" that have a rectangular texture pattern with the middle empty to allow for laser engraving in which case one of the three features the mfg logo and web addy, the other bears the model and misc text and the last is not engraved.

While the EYE-30 is rechargeable, it is achieved solely through the dedicated charging port. The reason why I emphasize this is that while the base of the light features a conductive (at least around the edges) Al "cap", the center is plastic? and non-conductive unlike the V60C:




Unscrewing the body from the head, one will find square-cut threads that were amply greased"


 

 
The "base" of the head does not feature a spring (nor is it required given the battery carrier set up but more on that later).

There is a huge spring at the base of the body which can be removed for whatever reason:


 

 

The battery carrier was designed w/room to spare; the width between the cathode legs measure 20mm and there are what look to be robust springs that measure 12.2mm uncompressed and 2.9mm compressed:


 

 

 

This should allow accomodation of cells of various lengths and diameter:


 


Given there is a little room for play involved, one needs to "center" the batteries so that they do not obstruct ingress when inserting the carrier into the tube.

The carrier is wired so that the anode/cathode are redundant on either end allowing it to be inserted without regard for polarity (the batteries themselves however still need to be inserted in the correct polarity):


 
Both ends are identical as per above; there is a central "floating" brass anode plate and the exterior rim carries the cathode path.

The "legs" of the carrier not only provide structural support but the four outer legs carry the cathode path and the single center leg carries the anode path. The carrier is wired in 2S2P and thus puts out a total of 8.4V from either 2x or 4x 18650's (thus doubling the capacity of the paired cells w/the latter configuration). Side B wires 2 cells in series (2S) and Side A wires the two pairs of cells in parallel (2P):


 



To elaborate, here's a pic indicating how it's wired:




This also allows the light to run on just two cells (see runtime section for further details), in which case given there isn't enough weight to compress the spring at the bottom of the tube, it'll cause the carrier to tilt and care must be taken to not catch the rim between the head and tube when threading the body on:


 

 
L: carrier w/2 x 18650's | R: carrier fully loaded w/4 x 18650's

There are little anode tips on the carrier which allow the use of flat-tops, however, one needs to be careful during battery removal so as not to catch the heat shrink on it:


 

 

The light was supplied with a holster (more to come...)



*SIZE*



From L to R: RediLast 18650 | Niteye EYE-30 | Sunwayman V60C | FoxFury Rook CheckMate | ThruNite TN11 | Klarus XT20

The light is definitely one chunky mutha and even more so than the V60C as can be seen above. The main diameter of the tube measures 47.5mm (1.87") but flares out to 51.4mm (2.02") at the base and 61.8mm (2.43") at the widest point of the head:


 

While I don't have any problems with the size, those w/physical ailments with their hands/wrists might (so definitely something to consider before purchasing) in which case, the handle might prove useful:


 

 

 

The size alone isn't the real story here but rather the full weight; the battery carrier alone w/4x 18650's loaded weighs 8.79oz (249.3g) and the rest of the EYE-30 w/the handle mounted weighs 12.86oz (364.5g) for a combined total of 21.65oz (613.77g). To draw a comparison, that is just shy of two 12oz soda cans' weight!


*
FIT & FINISH
*The overall construction of the light is excellent (considering that they manufacturer for other companies, I would've expected no less). The anodized finish on my smaple was flawless and evenly matched between head, body and handle: *
*


Flash intentionally used to highlight any mismatches in anodizing but none were found.

I didn't notice any anodizing missing between the crevices in the texture:




All engravings were nice and sharp:


 

 



I did however note what looks to be excessive glue applied to hold the end cap in place:




The charging port also looks to be glued in place:



Its durability may be of concern over the long run especially given the temeratures this light is able to achieve. There's also the matter that this light is rated to IPX-8 and I have doubts this port is water tight (especially w/the rubber plug removed).

The control ring clicks nicely between each detent (except at each extreme end where there are none) and the tube threads into the head nice and smoothly. Overall, a very well made light.

So what then is the Achilles Heel I mentioned in the intro? Well, it has to do with the control ring seizing on the very first run time test I conducted. While I didn't monitor the temp of that run, a fan was used and based on subsequent runs, the temp shouldn't have been above 120F on these runs. The first time the head seized up, I was able to unseize it w/my bare hands but with tremendous force. On the runtime test w/out fan, the ring sezied again and this time I had to use a rubber strap wrench to free it.

I decided to take the head apart to investigate what might be causing this:


 


There are three torx screws (T7) holding the base plate in place. 

There are two circuit boards sandwiched and connected via jumper prongs. The boards look to be proprietary to Niteye and specifically designed for this light:


 

 

 
The charging circuit is incorporated into one of these boards.

With the base board out of the way, we now get to the smaller of the two: 


 

 


All the connections in the head come to this board; 3 x B/R LED wires, 1 x B/R charging wire, 1 x R/W/G/Y/B charging/battery level indicator.

I found it interesting that the LED's were not wired directly to a board. I believe this helps the circuitry stay cooler given the limited thermal transfer via the wires:




As can be seen, the LED's sit directly on the head which should theoretically allow excellent heat transfer to the fins:



However, the location where the LED sits is roughly towards the final fin (side closest to the control ring).

In the end and despite all this, I wasn't able to access the control ring mechanism to remove it thus I wasn't able to get to the root of the issue. Regardless, I do believe it's temperature related and I feel that if there were more mass creating a better thermal path to the fins, it would help enhance the light's ability to shed heat and maintain optimal output and potentially prevent the ring seizure from happening. Initial feedback from manufacturer is that the issue is limited to my sample but I plan on re-escalating the issue especially since it happened again.



*UI
*The light is operated w/the magnetic control ring of which there are 6 positions as follows (the Strobe/Beacon/BC feature are shared in one position):





With the head of the EYE-30 pointed away from you, one turn CCW from "Off" will activate the Strobe. Each subsequest Off -> 1 turn CCW will cycle through the Beacon, BC and Strobe sequentially. The last used mode is not memorized so you can't say program the position for battery check and be able to always access only just that feature.

However, I did note that if the strobe is activated for longer than 5 seconds and then shut off the light and wait at least 2 seconds, 1 turn CCW will activate the strobe again.

Starting from "Off": 
- 1 turn CW will activate Low mode which is achieved by illuminating a single LED
- 2 turns CW will activate Medium mode and illuminate two LED's
- 3 turns CW will activate High mode and three LED's on reduced output
- 4 turns CW will activate Turbo mode and three LED's on Max output

When cycling from Low to High, the next adjacent LED CCW will turn on sequentially. One novelty I noted is that if you turn the light to Low and then shut it off and then turn it back on to Low again, the next adjacent LED CCW will light up so that it cycles through the LED's in CCW fashion. I'll include this in my upcoming video review but this set of photos should give you an idea of the LED cycling:



























*RUNTIME (4 cells)
*The relevant battery stats are provided above each runtime graph along with: - Voltage of the battery at the start and end of the test
- Current draw as taken right before the test (to come)
- Actual runtime until the battery cut out (first in HR and then in M so for Turbo read this as 2.2 Hrs _OR_ 130 Min)
- Also captured the temperature: ambient, the head at start and the max it reached (in which case a fan was used for Turbo & High)
​*




*
First off, while the light uses 4 cells, it runs 2 in parallel so the battery carrier only shows 8.4V. The light is also able to run on just 2 cells inserted but given I haven't measured the current draw yet, I didn't run it in this manner for long.

Niteye is using ANSI FL1 standards and has quoted 2hrs on Turbo, however I'm not sure what capacity batteries were used to achieve this. I was able to achieve 2.2hrs on CK 3100's. I did note that after about 21min, the light dropped roughly 20% in output. I finally stopped testing at nearly 3hrs when the data logger reached its limit. The light output at this point was still very usable.

Also, while the light never exceeded 106F, I did notice that the control ring sezied up after testing. It took a LOT of force before I was finally able to loosen it. While the overall build of the light is quite good, this particular incident was not confidence inspiring. I'll need to keep an eye on this on subsequent runs.

I have escalated my observations and the issue to the manufacturer and will post an update when I hear back from them.

*NEW 1/9/12: *Just wrapped up runtime on High and again was able to exceed mfg claims (w/caveat that mfg. has not replied yet on what capacity batteries were used to achieve claims). The temp never went over 96.5 and the control ring didn't seize this time around.

EDIT 1/15: I took the temp reading after 10 min and again a bit after step-down so didn't capture peak temp since max reached w/2 cells testing (below) was 115.4F. Will reconduct testing on 4 cells w/temp graph.

EDIT 1/16: I retested runtime on Turbo w/4 cells and monitored temp as well. Max reached was 114.1F but what was interesting was that the temp started to climb again towards the tail end of the run. Regardless it still didn't climb higher than the max reached shortly after step down. Also happy to report that I didn't reencounter the ring seizure issue.

EDIT 1/20: I conducted runtime on Turbo w/4 cells without the aid of a fan this time (at least initially - I turned on the fan shortly after step down and as can be seen in the chart, there was a corresponding uptick in output) and can confirm the step down is purely timed and not related to temp (unless the threshold was established above 162F!). While the light survived this run without any blinking/flickering, it did however suffer a seized control ring again and I had to use a rubber wrench to get it loose this time. Here's a pic of the temp shortly after step down:












Axis: X = Time in Min and Y = Relative Output

The results on High were as with Turbo, I was able to exceed stated claims but yet again, w/the caveat that I don't know what batteries were used by Niteye.



*RUNTIME (2 cells)*









Given this light can operate on 2 cells, I've conducted testing different brands of batteries on Turbo. To allay my concerns w/the control ring seizing, I also logged the temp via a Fluke 289 w/the sensor wedged in the middle fin. As can be seen above, the temp never got above 118F (47.8C). I didn't experience any issues w/the control ring seizing up on any of these runs but will redo the 4cell test w/temp monitoring later. Where the temp (dotted line) took a nose dive, that's when I stopped monitoring and not becuase of some insane drop in temperature.

I've confirmed w/the mfg that the EYE-30 will indeed step-down (roughly 20%) in output on Turbo shortly after 20 min to prevent it from overheating. Interestingly enough, the 2 x AW IMR's never made it that far thus you don't see that step-down in the graph above. I like the fact that they've incorporated this flexibility into the EYE-30 so that one can run the light on full brightness w/just 2 cells in a pinch (albeit w/reduced runtime).

*

INDOOR SHOTS
*Turbo






 

 



High


 

 



Med


 

 



Low


 

 

 
For details of the above shots and comparo vs. many other lights, check here.

*[NEW: 7/14: Outdoors
500ft (152.4m) Beach Shot
**





40ft (12.2m) campsite shot:
*



*100ft (30.5m) tree top shot:
*


For details of these shots as well as comparo vs. 23 other lights, check here.*]*


*INITIAL CONCLUSION
*Overall, I feel this light offers decent value for the money. It sits about dead-center in terms of MSRP between the two lights it will most likely be cross shopped against (TM11, RRT-3). While it's more expensive than the TM11, it does offer internal charging circuit and ability to charge directly off a 12V source (albeit in 2S2P). It also includes the handle which is extra on the RRT-3. Where it does outshine both (pun fully intended) given its unique battery arrangement is in runtime. Despite the step down it can still maintain roughly 1500+ lumens for just over two hours on quality 3100 mAh 18650's.

My biggest problem with this light remains the control ring seizing issue (at least on my sample). I feel it's caused by heat albeit I'm not sure exactly how since I wasn't able to remove the ring.

However, here is what I suspect is happening; as the EYE-30 heats up, the body and ring (which are Al) start expanding. Perhaps the tolerances between the ring and body are so tight that the expansion causes the seizing against the steel ball that serves as the click you feel/hear on each detent. The maximum temp that I measured was actually between the final fin and the control ring thus reinforcing my initial belief that thermal transfer is not optimized to transfer heat evenly to all the fins



Here I'm confirming the temp w/an IR thermometer during runtime testing w/out a fan and shortly before step down. However, the temp difference between this location and the middle of the fins where the DMM temp probe is slotted was only roughly 2-5 degrees F difference.

I have already escalated this issue to Niteye but given the Chinese New Year holiday, won't be hearing back from them for another week or so. Until this issue is sorted, I can't fully give this light a full thumbs up.

There were also concerns raised re: the lack of track record for Niteye, however, as they've cited, they have been producing lights for other well known companies for a while so they should have the expertise. Also uncertain is how their customer service will rank. I've made them aware of membership availability via the manufacturer's section on CPFMP and suggested they should subscribe. Hopefully they'll sign on and engage their customer's directly to show their commitment and demonstrate what kind of CS consumers can expect from them.



*CHARGING
*



Given I don't have a PSU or AC to 12V DC converter, I asked Niteye what the input parameters were and they replied that input voltage is from 10-20V DC and supply a minimum of 1A (positive core). Despite having accumulated a mass of adapters over the years, I couldn't find one that met this criteria AND had a plug that fit so I wound up using an old HP laptop adapter (18.5V / 3.5A) and wired up the EYE30 and have completed the charging of 4 cells (in which case the total voltage is in parentheses). I marked each cell just to see how 2S2P charging would affect balance. I'll update the graph when I wrap up charging of 2 cells.

Overall it looks like the EYE30's built-in charger is using a CC/CV algo, however, there is this weird little 10mA jump that keeps happening in repeated cycles (as evidenced by the zigzags) *[EDIT:* The little zigzags are caused by the charging indicator going on/off*]*. The current will start off roughly at just over 1A (500mA to each pair) and then upon termination, it'll apply a very low 11mA charge, HOWEVER, the draw from the LED charging indicator is roughly 22mA for a net yield of -11mA. What this means is that the indicator will actually draw a minute amount of energy upon termination of charge. To put things in perspective, using an avg. 2600mAh battery (and leaving self-discharge out of the pic) divided by the net draw (11mA) would mean that it will deplete the battery in roughly 10 days.

I believe the charger will reinitiate once battery voltage drops below a certain level but I don't know what that threshold is. However, this is just speculation on my part thus far since I didn't continue monitoring much after termination. Speaking of battery level, the charging indicator started off w/2 bars but for some reason, the intervalometer on my camera didn't work (stopped after just 5 shots) so I didn't capture the progression in order to do a correlation w/voltage level. I'll look to do that as well as monitor the voltage/current draw situation when I graph charging of 2 cells in the future.

I did test whether charging would reinitiate upon power loss/resumption (ie: unplugging the charger & plugging it back in) but it didn't so that's a very good sign. Based upon that and the charging algo/termination current, I feel it's a very competent charger that should fill up 4 fully depleted cells (w/3100mAh capacity) in just over 7hrs. Provided quality protected cells are used, I feel it's reasonably safe and gentle enough even with 2 cell charging. Best thing about it is that it's integrated into the light so you'll never forget it when traveling. The only thing you'll need to pick up for charging at home is either an AC to 12VDC converter (with min. of 1A) or an adapter/PSU that meets the aforementioned specs.



*GALLERY
*

 

 

 





 

 

 





 

 

 



Cheers,
Tim

Disclosure: EYE-30 provided by Niteye for review.


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## turboBB (Jan 7, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

Initial runtime testing on Turbo posted. Also noted an issue with the control ring seizing up after testing, check OP for details.

More testing to come...

Cheers,
Tim


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## mohanjude (Jan 7, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

It would be nice to compare this light to the Nitecore TM11 as they are similar in spec.


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## candle lamp (Jan 7, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

It's an interesting light. Can't wait your excellent review!


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## kj2 (Jan 8, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

Nice light  saw it @ HKequipment - a bit pricey though - in comparison with for example the TK41.


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## CarpentryHero (Jan 8, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

Just looked on hk, and it costs more the nitecore tm11 ? If it was more affordable maybe I'd get one


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## turboBB (Jan 9, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

Runtime on High and brief UI details now added. Didn't have any probs w/the control ring this time around (but then again, it didn't get as hot as on Turbo).

WRT the price, I haven't heard back from the mfg on the MSRP but after a quick google, I noticed the special edition listed for $299 w/US retailer. The distinction between the SE and standard is that the SE has a SS control ring. Will post back MSRP for standard when I find out.

EDIT: MSRP for standard is US $295

Cheers,
Tim


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## turboBB (Jan 15, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

Runtime w/2 cells on various batteries now posted. I expect to receive an XTAR S1 for testing so will post some comparo shots if it materializes.

More testing on the EYE-30 to come.

Cheers,
Tim


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## candle lamp (Jan 16, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

Thanks a lot for your excellent review and effort. turboBB! :thumbsup:
Your runtime graph is very informative because it include the heat of the light and shows the results when using several batteries as well.

Does the light step-down after 20 mins automatically regardless of the temperature?
P.S. : Is it constant current controled light? Did you check the temp. for 10~20 mins without cooling? 
Because EYE-30 is very similar to Nitecore TM11 in its size & some fetures, I'm interested in the heat of the light in real life.


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## turboBB (Jan 16, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

UPDATE: AW 2600 runtime added to 2 cells graph.

Thx candlelamp. I believe the step down is purely time controlled but had thought about testing a run w/out the fan so will try an abbreivated run and post back the results.

Haven't gotten around to the current draw but I don't believe it's CC but rather PWM. Will post updates when I get around to measuring that.

Cheers,
Tim


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## candle lamp (Jan 17, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Preview*

Oh! Thanks so much for your reply & your future effort.


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## turboBB (Jan 21, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Bulk of review now up but still more to come.

@candlelamp, I conducted an abbreivated runtime w/out the fan and confirmed the step-down is very likely timed and not dependent on the temp, unless as I stated in the OP, the threshold for temp stepdown is above 162F (72.2C). The output however (as with nearly all LED's) is directly related to the temp. Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Tim


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## candle lamp (Jan 21, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*



turboBB said:


> Bulk of review now up but still more to come.
> 
> @candlelamp, I conducted an abbreivated runtime w/out the fan and confirmed the step-down is very likely timed and not dependent on the temp, unless as I stated in the OP, the threshold for temp stepdown is above 162F (72.2C). The output however (as with nearly all LED's) is directly related to the temp. Hope that helps.
> 
> ...



Oh! Thanks a lot for your great effort again. turboBB! :thumbsup:
The light looks more upgraded version for heat dissipation & overall build quality than TM11.

January 23 is the lunar new year's day. In general, most Korean think the lunar new year's day is more important than the solar new year's.
Beacuse they've celebrated it for centuries. Anyway, it's peculiar we have two new year's day to others.

Thanks again for your excellent review again and Happy New Year. turboBB!


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## turboBB (Jan 21, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Thx candlelamp, you too!

All, this review is now pretty much wrapped up. I just need to take additional indoor shots for the lower levels as well doing a mini video review. Will also try to get some outdoor shots when the weather improves but I have however posted my final thoughts on this light. The ring seizure remains a concern and am waiting to hear back from Niteye regarding this. Will pos their reply when they get back from their holidays.

Cheers,
Tim


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## turboBB (Jan 31, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Indoor shots for H, M, L now added. I'm currently hunting a new location for outdoor shots since they have now fenced off the underpass. 

Cheers,
Tim


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## turboBB (Feb 9, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

As an update, Niteye got back to me with their testing in which they hit 75C (167F!) and didn't have any issues:




I've also checked in with a dealer and they didn't encounter any issues and also mentioned that it survived a dunk test w/batteries installed. Another owner also PM'd me stating they didn't have any issues and while it's a small sample size, I'm hopeful the issue is limited to just my sample.

The S1 didn't pan out but I do have another 3 x XM-L light (albeit different form factor/function) coming in that I'll be reviewing and will at least have something similiar to compare to. More to come.

Cheers,
Tim


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## turboBB (Mar 2, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Charging graphing in progress...


 

 

 


The charging current starts off at about 1A and then slowly tapers down to about 970mA. 33min into the charge now and according to FlukeView Forms the avg. has been 962mA.

I also measured current draw of freshly charged bats and took the avg. reading after 15 seconds and got the following:




EDIT: Chart above is wrong, the last two are measured in A and NOT mA.

Will post the charging graph later today.

Cheers,
Tim


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## Patriot (Mar 2, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Really great review Turbo! Thanks for taking the time to post these kinds of informative tests.



Does anyone know if there are any CPF dealers that sell these?


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## turboBB (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

OK, charging summary now posted. Overall, a very decent charger and provided quality protected cells are used, should be reasonably safe.

Thx Patriot! I'm aware of one dealer over on CPFMP that's carrying this.

Cheers,
Tim


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## Ginseng (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Very nicely done review, turboBB. Thank you for all the effort and insights. It seems to be a fairly substantial piece of engineering and I would strongly consider it were it not for the CCT of the LEDs. What would you estimate the color temp to be? About what I can tell is that these are likely around 5500-6000.

Wilkey


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## Ginseng (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Very nicely done review, turboBB. Thank you for all the effort and insights. It seems to be a fairly substantial piece of engineering and I would strongly consider it were it not for the CCT of the LEDs. What would you estimate the color temp to be? About what I can tell is that these are likely around 5500-6000.

Wilkey


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## tjhabak (Mar 3, 2012)

Ginseng said:


> Very nicely done review, turboBB. Thank you for all the effort and insights. It seems to be a fairly substantial piece of engineering and I would strongly consider it were it not for the CCT of the LEDs. What would you estimate the color temp to be? About what I can tell is that these are likely around 5500-6000.
> 
> Wilkey




I just recieved my Eye30 yesterday. Overall, I really like it. The tint is my only real complaint. To my uneducated eye, my sample looks very cool. I'd guess the 7000-7500K range. I can live with it but if they ever release a warm or neutral version I will definitely have to upgrade.


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## Ginseng (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*



tjhabak said:


> I just recieved my Eye30 yesterday. Overall, I really like it. The tint is my only real complaint. To my uneducated eye, my sample looks very cool. I'd guess the 7000-7500K range. I can live with it but if they ever release a warm or neutral version I will definitely have to upgrade.


Ouch. I hear you. Tint in that range is an absolute non-starter for me. My 40-something eyes are very averse to tints even above 5500K. Thanks for the feedback.

Wilkey


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## Patriot (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

I think I read that this light is pulling 3.35A on turbo. Does this seem a bit low for a triple XM-L?

Thanks


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## yifu (Mar 3, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*



Patriot said:


> I think I read that this light is pulling 3.35A on turbo. Does this seem a bit low for a triple XM-L?
> 
> Thanks


My DRY 3 XML reads around that as well, it's just the current the light pulls from each of the 18650 cells. Actual current going to each LED should be less than that, around 3A, which is pretty standard.


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## turboBB (Mar 4, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Thx Ginseng! Like thhabak's, the tint on my sample is definitely cool and I'd guesstimate around 6500K. I'll ask Niteye if they have any plans for neutral's.

@Patriot - There could also be some loss due to the wiring setup (as shown in reply 17 above) since this light doesn't exactly lend itself well to tailcap measurements. However, what's important is what that translates to in terms of output and thus far in my rudimentary lumens measurement contraption, I'm within % of the ANSI values cited by the mfg (2113 on turbo / 1114 on High). I'd be foolish to claim these readings are accurate but thus far based on the sample of measurements I've taken and with a few exceptions, each light has come within +/- 10% or so of claimed values. For relative comparisons, this has worked better than ceiling bounce measurements for me.

I am however planning a DIY IS build and will be posting that along w/values when done.

EDIT: The 2 cells charging completed yesterday and I continued the logging process and can confirm that the light will cotinue to draw a net 11mA (check charging section for full details) and thus drain the batteries. The resting voltage upon termination was 8.38V yesterday and has dropped to 8.19V today morning. I'll keep logging this to see if it'll reinitiate charge at some point.

Lesson here is to remove that charging cord ASAP when charging is complete.

Cheers,
Tim


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## Travelmate (Mar 5, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Hi!

2000 lumens is rated at the emitter or OTF? How's this as compared to TM11?

Thanks


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## turboBB (Mar 5, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Niteye uses ANSI FL1 standard so that's the output measured OTF between 30 seconds and 2 minutes from initial turn on. The values I got were done after 30 seconds (again for comparitive purpose only).

Nitecore also uses ANSI FL1 standard.


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## ciccio90 (Mar 10, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

beautiful lights....the charger incorprated is secure fot the cells and all flashlight? can i recharge this niteyey with my solar panel of 20W these: http://cgi.ebay.it/20W-Folding-Sola...ltDomain_0&hash=item2eafeff4b8#ht_1703wt_1270 if the niteye is completely dependabilities ibuy it, i must use it in outdoor and trekking-hiking i must have 100& affidability! moreover i want so the tm11 but is less secure about electronic sytem....you confirm?


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## turboBB (Mar 10, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

Based on my sample, my personal opinion is that the charger is actually fairly decent and reasonably safe (of couse you'll still need to use your own discretion and always use quality protected cells). It adheres to a CC/CV charging algo and the termination current is actually below the draw from the LED charging indicator so will not continue to charge the batteries (and as a matter of fact, will start depleting it slowly upon completion).

As for the solar charger you referenced based on the specs (17V / 20W (or 1.18A)) it should work, however, those are likely under optimal conditions (full direct sunlight). Also, you need to keep in mind that it'll take roughly 7hrs to charge up four fully depleted cells (w/3100mAh capacity) so as long as you can ensure you'll have that much sunlight during the day, it should be fine.

Ciao,
Tim


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## ciccio90 (Mar 15, 2012)

*Re: Niteye EYE-30 Review*

thank a lot for counsil....! however i can use not it direct on the flashlight but i connect to the solar panels my soshine sc-s1 mix and s1 max and i recharge 18650  bye!


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## turboBB (Mar 21, 2012)

I thought I had replied to this on your original thread but if it helps put your mind at ease, I took my longest battery (68.3mm) and added a magent to the top for a total length of 69.9mm and it was a VERY tight fit but it did fit:


 




 



So provided your 18700's are EXACTLY 70mm in length, they SHOULD fit.

Perhaps others who actually have 18700's and have used it in the EYE30 can chime in.

Cheers,
Tim


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## Patriot (Mar 22, 2012)

I performed a ceiling bounce test in my 'integrating bathroom' to measure the relative output of the Eye-30 as compared to the other two popular tri-XM-Ls.

RRT-3 331 lux
TM-11 V2 322 lux
Eye-30 307 lux

Despite being slightly less bright I'm really enjoying this light and the handle attachment, which at first I thought I'd never use. It carries so much easier than the other two especially on longer walks. The throw is less than the RRT-3 but slightly better than the TM11. 

Thanks for posting this review turboBB as it was the main reason I became interested in this light.


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## iron potato (Mar 22, 2012)

Really liking the handle of eye-30, while rrt3 a bit bulky for me, then TM11 have some issue with thermal & battery compatibility... then again, TM15 & TM20 coming on the horizon... I still can't decide which one to pick, I want at least one multi emitter/ cells flashlight :shrug: 
Btw, any outdoor beamshot between these 3 monsters ?


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## Patriot (Mar 22, 2012)

iron potato said:


> Btw, any outdoor beamshot between these 3 monsters ?



Yes, but the other two lights are loaners. I'll be getting them back to make a comparison video but I can take some beamshots while they're here.


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## iron potato (Mar 23, 2012)

Thank you sir ! :thumbsup: I'll be waiting


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## Bruno28 (Apr 30, 2012)

Great Review.
Still indecisive on the eye30 or TM11.


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## fonzerelli (May 2, 2012)

I am pretty happy with my Eye30. I got the Eye30 and eight Panasonic protected 3100 batteries/cells off an Ebay Vendor for $325 shipped!


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## iron potato (May 8, 2012)

Actually was torn between RRT3, TM11 & EYE30, in the end, I went for EYE30,

1, Handle included, for the size & weight its great to hold it with handle (for me)

2, Straight forward mode change, but sometimes may switch to strobe if off it in a rush :duh2:

I powered with sets of Xtar 3100mAh or Hi-Max 2600mAh 18650, no problem so far.

Like it alot :devil:


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## FireStik (Jun 25, 2012)

How cool is the tint? Is the blue really that visible?

That's the only thing standing between me and the credit card....well that and my wife.


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## turboBB (Jun 25, 2012)

Speaking for my sample only, the tint, while cool is not noticeably blue like on some lights. If anything, there is a light hint of green. I have the EYE30's shots here where you can compare against many other lights. The tint in those pics is pretty close to what I see in real life.


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## FireStik (Jun 25, 2012)

Thanks for the response, TurboBB, I appreciate it. After looking at your beamshots, I'm a little less concerned. I hate angry blue but that doesnt look bad at all.

Soooooo close...


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## FireStik (Jun 29, 2012)

Just received my Eye-30 and LOVE it! The beam is close enough to neutral white that I have no issues with it. Even though I spent hours reading reviews and watching videos, it was smaller than I expected. It's an awesome light.

Thanks again TurboBB for your excellent review and additional info. It weighed heavily into my decision to go ahead with the purchase.


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## turboBB (Jun 29, 2012)

Congrats and enjoy!


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## Jayman (Jul 14, 2012)

Very informative with some excellent photos of this light in action! Posted a link to this review on the Niteye's Facebook fan page, so others can access this information https://www.facebook.com/Niteyelight


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## turboBB (Jul 14, 2012)

Thx! I've also updated OP w/ceiling bounce and outdoors shots.


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## MontanaMan (Aug 11, 2012)

I have one of these in the tan finish, and was really enjoying the light. I found it to be a nice combination of flood and throw. However, the gasket I received is defective, and the light failed a water submersion test in my sink. I don't know if the head is supposed to be sealed, but the reflectors are filled with water. The entire head is filled with water, and yes, I had the plug cover properly in place. I believe part of the problem is that the gasket came without lubrication. That means it was screwed on at the factory, and screwed off by me, dry. I think the gasket got pinched. The defect is visible. Anyhow, I hope the vendor will be cool and work with me on this. I'd actually like to get the same light. I'll just be aware of this in the future, and visually check the gasket when I get the replacement. So make sure you lubricate the gasket when you put the batteries in because the light arrives dry. 

I also found the light to get pretty hot when using the highest setting for more than a few minutes, but I had no problems with ring seizure, play in the handle, or battery rattling.


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## turboBB (Aug 11, 2012)

Yikes, that's unfortunate.  Hopefully you'll get this all sorted. Let us know how it works out for you.

Cheers,
Tim


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## MontanaMan (Aug 18, 2012)

It was a bummer, but the vendor was super cool, and had the replacement before they even received the returned item! The gasket again seemed to be dry on arrival, but anticipating this, I slowly and gently unscrewed the body to load the batteries. I inspected the O-ring for damage, and it looked good. I then made sure I got a good amount of lube on the thing before I tightened things back down. The new light works great, though we will have to see if it survives the dunk test again. I depend on my lights to work, as do the people I might gift these items to. I can't send my buddy off into the Amur region to study Tigers and Amur Leopards with a light that isn't true to the IPX-8 rating it carries. Soooooo.... we shall see how things turn out!


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## turboBB (Aug 18, 2012)

You might know this already but just in case, be sure to grease the ID (inner diameter) of the o-ring as well. You'll want to reduce any chances of binding whatsoever and that is usually a culprit since most people would likely just grease around the OD of the o-ring.

Great to hear that your vendor was so accomodating, sounds like they deserve a Cheers-worthy thread over at CPFMP.

Tim


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## cyberdemon8 (Aug 24, 2012)

Thanks for the very detailed review turboBB!! I finally pulled the trigger on an Eye-30 thanks to your review. I wanted to ask if you ever did a measurement on the parasitic drain on the Eye-30 when it’s turned off? The current draw you mentioned in the review is only for the led charging indicator while it is being charged right? (I would think that the magnetic control ring is electronic hence there’ll be a stand-by drain while it is off?) Thanks!!


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## turboBB (Aug 24, 2012)

Thx and :welcome:

I just measured the standby current and it's *71.45µA* (.07145mA) which is absolutely trivial. To put this into perspective, utilizing standard 2600mAh batteries and leaving the self-discharge out of the pic, it would equate to *4.15yrs on standby* (2600/.07145 = *36389hrs*/24 = *1516days*/365 = *4.15yrs*). Regardless though, as an extra safety precaution, I always lock out my lights when not in use and I'd recommend the same to anyone. 

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Tim


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## MontanaMan (Aug 25, 2012)

Thanks! I did lube the entire thing, and the upper threads. Things seem good so far, but only time can tell how these lights will perform over time. My EYE-40 SS should arrive today or monday.


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## MontanaMan (Aug 25, 2012)

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff485/StinkBomb420/IMG_1386.jpg

Starting the addiction young! My 20 month old son, Sawyer LOVES flashlights.


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## turboBB (Aug 25, 2012)

Ha, what a cutey pie! Congrats on the EYE40 as well.


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## MontanaMan (Aug 25, 2012)

turboBB said:


> Ha, what a cutey pie! Congrats on the EYE40 as well.



Thank you! I can't wait to see how it performs. I know there will be a lot of flood, but that is fine with me as long as the reach is close to what they claim (420m)!


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## xoomercom (Sep 28, 2012)

Amazon now has the RRT-3 XML with tactical switch, mounting ring and carry handle included for $289 out the door.

I think its better light in more conventional housing.


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## jcw122 (Feb 17, 2013)

Great review, thanks a bunch! I'm gonna be keeping my eye on this light. A lot of very cool features.


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## GehenSienachlinks (Oct 27, 2013)

turbo - I don't know if you know this but there is some hidden mode on the eye 30 , if u go from off to turbo , high , turbo , high , turbo you get 3 flashes .

There is also a battery check mode that I discovered , from off go strobe ,back to off and repeat two more times .


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## turboBB (Oct 28, 2013)

Thx. I was aware of the battery check but didn't know about the 3 flashes. Not sure what it does though... :shrug:


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## GehenSienachlinks (Oct 29, 2013)

Looks like there are three ways to check battery , one is turbo to high three times other is off to strobe three times where battery indicator will remain lit and the last one is low setting should give the same results as other two methods.


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