# NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review (8/4xAA)



## subwoofer (Apr 2, 2013)

NITECORE caused a stir with their AA powered EA4 Pioneer, and have now followed it up with the EA8 ‘Caveman’ powered by 8 AAs.

The EA8 takes the principals of the EA4’s design but doubling the power supply and improving range with a larger reflector.

With the array of li-ion powered lights on the market, in the EA8 NITECORE brings great performance to those who prefer to stick to good old AAs.









Initial Impressions:

For a light housing 8 AAs, the EA8 is remarkably compact, much more so than any other light I’ve come across that runs on 8 AAs.

Thanks to this compact form (made possible by the design not using a separate battery carrier) and the convenient side switch, the EA8 handles really well.

I was very pleased to find the EA8 comes with a belt holster. A really strong point as I want to be able to carry my lights with me. The holster allows for flexible carry options as it has a D-loop to suspend it, and a choice of fixed or Velcro belt loops.

From the moment I opened the box, I was chomping at the bit to get it loaded up with AAs and put to use (and as a note to any readers, I always finish the photos of the light and contact surfaces etc before I can start to use it so you can see it in the ‘just out of the box’ condition, so I did have to wait).



What is in the box:

The EA8’s retail packaging.






Included are the EA8, belt holster, lanyard, instructions and spare o-ring.








Taking a closer look and looking inside:

The EA8’s body has a ribbed grip with two flats that have the branding and model information laser etched into them






Looking closely at the etching there is a slight chiselled look to it which is very much in keeping with the ‘Caveman’ name.






Unlike most of the other two-stage (camera shutter style) switches on NITECORE lights, the EA8 has a black rubber boot covering the switch just as on the EA4.






The tail-cap has a cross shape machined into it which incorporates a lanyard hole, and all around the tail-cap is crisp knurling to provide grip when fitting or removing the cap.






Heat sink fins surround the base of the reflector and include longitudinal grooves like those on the P25’s head.






A flawless deep reflector gives the EA8’s beam real punch.






The EA8 uses a XM-L U2 LED






The square yellow shape of the well centred LED’s surface is shown magnified in the reflector.






The tail-cap contacts are a special rotating circuit board with locating pins to ensure it lines up correctly with the four columns of AA cells.






Deep inside the battery tube are the corresponding set of head contacts






There is a lot of thoughtful design in the EA8s battery tube. Is has four battery columns each supporting 2 AAs. In the 12 and 6 o’clock positions are the location holes for the tail-cap locating pins to fit into. From each of these location holes there is a groove machined across two of the battery columns. If the batteries need to be fitted in the dark, these grooves indicate to a user which of the four columns have the negative terminal of the battery facing towards you.






Each of the four battery columns reaches far enough around the battery that it is held in place without needing any of the other columns to be filled. This is illustrated by a single AA being suspended in the top battery column in this photo.






The threads are very well lubricated out of the box, fully anodised, and have a flawless trapezoid form.






An excellent feature of the EA8 is that it comes with a holster. There are other 8 AA lights on the market that fail on this point, but the EA8 does not. It is very much like the TM11/TM15 type of holster only scaled down in size.

I am a firm believer in holsters being provided, if nothing else to protect the light however you carry it, so am very glad to see the EA8 has a good one.






It cannot be avoided any longer, there has to be some comparison to a long standing contender in the 8 x AA light segment of the market, the Fenix TK41. Here they are shown side by side so you can see the size difference. Interestingly, the TK75 weighs in at 534g and the EA8 at 521g (fully loaded with 8 x AA) so there is a negligible difference in weight, but a significant difference in overall size.








Modes and User Interface:

NITECORE first introduced the two-stage switch and concept of Daily and Turbo modes with the TM11. The EA8 is very similar in this regard as it too has a two-stage illuminated switch. There are some differences in the interface of the EA8.

The EA8’s instructions cover this comprehensively, so I will not repeat this verbatim as you can read the instructions here:



...



What I will do is a summary and a couple of observations I have made.

When the batteries are first fitted, the EA8 enters Standby mode.

In Standby, starting OFF – (entering Daily mode)

A half press enters Daily mode. Further half presses cycle through Ultra Low, Low, Medium and High.
- A full press turns the EA8 OFF when running in Daily Mode. (the last used Daily mode is memorised)


In Standby, starting OFF – (entering Turbo mode)

A full press enters Turbo mode. A half press cycles between Turbo and High. After 3 minute Turbo automatically down shifts to High. A half press reinstates Turbo.
- A full press turns the EA8 OFF when running in Turbo Mode


In Daily mode ON – (entering Turbo mode)

A half press and hold for over 1s will enter Turbo mode.


In Daily or Turbo mode ON – (entering Lockout)

A full press and hold for around 1s enters Lockout mode. The EA8 will flash the main LED to indicate it is entering Lockout and then the illuminated switch to indicate the battery voltage (first flashing the whole volts and then the 0.1V)


In Daily or Turbo mode ON – (entering Strobe)

A quick, full double-click enters Strobe/flashing modes. This always enters Strobe first.
To change the flashing mode, fully press and hold the switch for 1s and it will change to SOS. A further full press and hold enters Beacon.

A half or full press turns the EA8 off from Strobe modes.


Exiting Lockout mode –

A Full press and hold for 1s will turn the EA8 into Daily mode and the Low output. The last used daily mode is not remembered when exiting Lockout, it always comes on in Low.


Momentary action starting from OFF in Standby mode–

Using either a half press, or full press for over 1s will be in momentary mode. As soon as the switch is released the EA8 will turn OFF.


The illuminated switch provides three main fucntions:






When first installing batteries or entering Lockout mode, the battery voltage is indicated.
When in Standby mode it flashes slowly to act as a locator beacon for the EA8
If the battery is running low, it flashes while the EA8 is on to indicate low battery.








Batteries and output:

The EA8 runs on standard AA cells (not 14500 li-ion) cells so can use Alkaline, Ni-Mh or Lithium AAs. Best performance will be with quality Ni-Mh cells.






The cell configuration is 4S2P which means the EA8 can actually run with either 4 AAs or the full 8 AAs.

With the minimum 4 AAs fitted






And here with all 8 AAs fitted.






As the tail-cap is mated with the end of the locator pins have to be lined up with their matching locator holes before screwing the cap fully home.






Output testing was carried out with AA Eneloop Ni-Mh cells.


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

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


NITECORE EA8I.S. measured ANSI output LumensPWM frequency (Hz)Turbo901 (stepping down to 598lm after 3minutes)27.7kHzHigh (Turbo mode)59827.7kHz and 285HzHigh (Daily mode)599714Hz and 333HzMedium26045Hz is present on the oscilloscope trace but this is not visibleLow84 45Hz is present on the oscilloscope trace but this is not visibleUltra Low80
 
Strobe runs at a mix of 25, 18 and 14Hz
Beacon flashes every 2.1s

Due to the automatic downshift from Turbo to High every 3 minutes, I had to reset this during the entire runtime test (and on the odd occasion was not quite a prompt in doing so).

As well as with the full 8 AAs, the output test was also run with just 4 AAs to see how well this would run.






As you can see the heavily loaded 4 AA output means the cells do not manage 50% of the runtime of 8 cells, instead achieving around one third of the Turbo output run time.

Due to the thick battery tube walls, the EA8 has excellent heat-sinking and has no issue running at Turbo for extended periods. During the Turbo runtime test (under a small cooling fan) the maximum temperature recorded was 33ºC. This makes the automatic downshift very frustrating as there is no good reason for it.


As the EA8 has an electronic switch there is parasitic drain to consider. As the EA8 has two different parasitic rates depending on if you are in Standby or Lockout, these have both been measured.

In Standby, the parasitic drain is an average of 3.25mA. This average figure has been measured by recording the standby current as the switch illumination flashes and taking the mean of the readings. At this rate, a fully charged set of 2000mAh cells will be fully depleted in 51 days.

In Lockout the switch illumination is off. The measured drain is 113uA. At this rate, a fully charged set of 2000mAh cells will be fully depleted in 4 years.



The beam

The indoor beam shot shows the very bright hotspot with super smooth spill with no flaws or artefacts.






Underexposing the image shows the uneven slightly yellowish corona around the hotspot. This is only noticeable when white wall hunting.







As mentioned before, I have to make comparison with the Fenix TK41. For the outdoor beam-shot the first image is of the TK41 and then at the same exposure, the EA8.

Fenix TK41






NITECORE EA8 at the same exposure. The width of the spill appears the same, and the hotpsot very similar though marginally wider on the EA8.






As far as throw goes, using the same equipment to compare them, the TK41 has an estimated beam range of 447m and the EA8 444m.



What it is really like to use…






The EA8 brings the size of an 8 x AA powered light down to something very comfortable to hold and compact enough for easy carry.

At just over half a kilogram in weight when fully loaded with Eneloops, the EA8 feels really solid. The impression is one of a very robust light.

The two-stage switch is a clever interface, and being a side-switch your thumb naturally falls onto it making the EA8 a very ergonomic design.

The half-press / full-press interface doesn’t always work all that naturally, especially when for daily mode you switch it on with a half press and off with a full press. I’ve found myself frequently turning it onto Turbo when I meant to use Daily as I’ve used a full press (having just turned it off that way) to turn it back on. So it gives you a good control method, but one that you may need to think about.

On the original NITECORE models with illuminated two-stage switches, the switch illumination has been very bright. In fact the switch’s beacon flash on these models, such as the TM11, is too bright to use on a bedside table. In a dark room it is bright enough to disturb a light sleeper.

The EA8 almost goes too far the other way. The switch illumination is very dim through the opaque black switch cover. The photos shown earlier in the review required long exposures to show the switch lit up. In daylight it is not possible to see the switch illumination and if using turbo, it is also often not possible to see the switch light.

Unfortunately this makes it very difficult to see the battery voltage when putting the light into the Lockout mode.

However, this dim switch illumination is now perfect for use on a bedside table, as the brightness is sufficient only to locate the EA8 and not project a beam of light on the wall.

With a real 900 lumens, the EA8 is the brightest AA powered light I’ve used and is very impressive. With strong throw and a smooth, bright, usable spill, the EA8 gives you a great all-round beam.

Full power is available even if only running on 4 AAs (be careful if trying to use only 4 Alkalines as they might struggle) making the EA8 very versatile and easy to feed.

Whether exploring caves and treading in the (torchlit) footsteps of our ancestors or just out walking the dog, the EA8 gives you a fist full of light with the ease of AA power.









Test sample provided by NITECORE for review.


----------



## subwoofer (Apr 2, 2013)

Reserved...


----------



## vingebil (Apr 2, 2013)

What an great light! like the output, time for the maglite to say goodbye!


----------



## dougie (Apr 2, 2013)

As always a great review of another flashlight. Thanks for your time and effort, it's appreciated!


----------



## shelm (Apr 2, 2013)

Thanks for the review as alsways!!

You measured 901 lumens? Amazing


----------



## Mr Floppy (Apr 2, 2013)

Oh, I'm a little disappointed that it uses PWM. The EA4 didn't so I'm surprised that this one does. The other disappointing thing is the step down. I was under the impression from Patriot in the regular EA8 thread that it didn't/wouldn't have a step down.


----------



## InquisitiveInquirer (Apr 2, 2013)

Thanks for taking the time for the photos and in-depth review. It was great. The part about it stepping down after 3 minutes is not great. :shakehead In the other nitecore EA8 thread, patriot, one of the first CPFers to get a hold of the light, did an excellent youtube review where he stated that there was no stepdown from turbo. Does this mean that they released two versions? One with stepdown and one without? This is bizarre, especially when you found the heat only gong up to 33C on turbo. I gotta say i'm somewhat disappointed even though i've not even gotten the EA8 in my hands yet!


----------



## 430Scuderia (Apr 2, 2013)

Thank you for another excellent review. It appears to me that the EA8 is a bit brighter in your outdoor beam shot compared to the TK41.
May I ask what is the distance from the light to the tree?


----------



## tickled (Apr 2, 2013)

I have one of these and I cannot detect any PWM using any of the basic methods usually recommended here.


----------



## Mr Floppy (Apr 2, 2013)

tickled said:


> I have one of these



May I ask what the Turbo stepping down situation is with yours?


----------



## herosemblem (Apr 2, 2013)

I did not read through the whole 17 page EA8 review, but I came across one part where (perhaps out of context) that seemed to suggest the light stepped down after 3 minutes. Was this using 4 batteries?

My EA8, using 8 batteries, has no stepdown from turbo. Just wanted to be sure. Thanks!


----------



## tickled (Apr 2, 2013)

Mr Floppy said:


> May I ask what the Turbo stepping down situation is with yours?


 Initially after reading this thread, I watched the ceiling intently while ceiling bouncing this thing and I thought there was a step down but I wasn't sure. I thought my eyes might have been playing tricks on me.

Just now I took a few pictures in manual mode (turbo on, 4 minutes later, manually switched to high) and from looking at the histograms, there doesn't appear to be much of a difference between the first two and a clear difference with the third. I might setup my tripod and try again shortly.

A step down after 3 minutes just would not make sense given the specs and runtimes given by the manufacturer.


----------



## Patriot (Apr 3, 2013)

I can't say enough good things about your reviews SW! I'm completely baffled over the 3m step down however. My light is in the safe without batteries at the moment and I was about to go to bed. This might just keep me awake though.

I'll either check it again tonight or tomorrow night but I have would have trouble believing that my light is different than yours. With that said, mine came in a shipment of 15 lights that were overnighted from China and the first batch into the States, so who knows. I have access to at least one more EA8 from that first batch which I'll be getting my hands on.

I'm honestly a bit annoyed with Nitecore for installing a timed step down that is in no way necessary from a thermal standpoint. At least with a light like the TK75 it's set to 20 min. and by then the light is darn toasty.


----------



## subwoofer (Apr 3, 2013)

Thanks for the positive comments 



shelm said:


> Thanks for the review as alsways!!
> 
> You measured 901 lumens? Amazing



It did indeed manage 901 ANSI lumens (the output at 30s from switch on). The runtime graph shows that this stabilises at more like 870 for most of the run. 



430Scuderia said:


> Thank you for another excellent review. It appears to me that the EA8 is a bit brighter in your outdoor beam shot compared to the TK41.
> May I ask what is the distance from the light to the tree?



To the eye, there is not really any difference, but the TK41 has the tiniest edge on range (again not visible) and the EA8 has the edge on actual output. Where the EA8 really scores over the TK41 is on its size.

The tree is at about 22m and the fence 30m from the camera.



tickled said:


> I have one of these and I cannot detect any PWM using any of the basic methods usually recommended here.



The PWM I detected was only noticeable as I use an oscilloscope with the Integrating Sphere to measure exact frequencies. This means I can detect any signs of PWM even if not visible to the eye and can also precisely measure strobe rates.

The EA8 appears to use overlaid frequencies as when changing the time-base on the oscilloscope I found more than one frequency present. With frequencies such as the 27.7kHz (make sure you spot kHz vs Hz) this is not something the eye can detect. Consider that fluorescent lighting flickers at 50Hz and CRT TVs at 25-30Hz so anything above these becomes less and less visible.

I was very surprise to measure a 45Hz frequency on a couple of levels and had to check and recheck my measurements to be sure. Oddly it is not at all visisble and must simply be a slight wobble in the output level rather than a true on/off cycle, otherwise it would be very visible. This is why I specifically mentioned this was not visible.

In actual use of the EA8 I've not noticed any PWM effects, but I report the measured frequencies as these form part of my detailed testing. 

PWM, if used correctly, can have positive effects such as maintaining consistent tint at different outputs and a higher perceived brightness for lower power usage, so it is not necessarily bad.

In the EA8 the PWM seems well implemented has not caused any negative effects that I can find.


----------



## selfbuilt (Apr 3, 2013)

Hi subwoofer, 

Nice review, very detailed and thorough. I particularly like the great pics, nice job.  

I am currently testing an EA8, and should have my review posted in a few days. 

On the issue the step-down, I can say that mine does indeed step down on Turbo - but by less than 10% of max output. Like yours, my lumen estimates for my sample are very consistent with Nitecore specs. But after the 3min step-down, my sample is still >800 lumens for the rest of the flat-regulated run (i.e., it does not drop down to my Hi level of ~600 lumens). It's odd that there is a difference among samples, and I'm curious as to what others find. :thinking: 

On the issue of Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM), perhaps I can clarify - my EA8 sample is NOT using PWM. What your oscilloscope is presumably picking up is re-occuring signal noise at defined frequencies (which I often observe, but is not PWM). A PM is inbound, so we can discuss that offline. 

In any case, I am not finding any signficant noise or re-occuring signal on my EA8 sample, above the background noise of my testing equipment. That doesn't mean there isn't some there, but it is not detectable on my sample with my setup, and is certainly not visible.

In any case, hope you don't mind my jumping in here to provide some preliminary results of my sampl. Full circuit details, runtimes and output measures on mine will be coming in my review in a few days.


----------



## subwoofer (Apr 3, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Hi subwoofer,
> 
> Nice review, very detailed and thorough. I particularly like the great pics, nice job.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the input - you set the reviewing standard to aim for on CPF.

Agreed, the output 'noise' on the EA8 is not real PWM, but it is a variation in actual output.

On at least a couple of lights this 'noise' has become visible despite not having the classic PWM trace. I have also challenged the manufacturer of a couple of lights that exhibited exactly this type of oscilloscope trace and did exhibit the effect of PWM without the classic Pulses being visible in the trace. They then said it was a form of PWM they were using.

There is a grey area between lights with absolute flat output and those with classic PWM, which muddies the water. Currently I intend to report on the presence of noise and will try to more clearly differentiate when classic PWM is present.

This 'noise' in some light's output might justify a thread of its own....


----------



## selfbuilt (Apr 3, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> I have also challenged the manufacturer of a couple of lights that exhibited exactly this type of oscilloscope trace and did exhibit the effect of PWM without the classic Pulses being visible in the trace. They then said it was a form of PWM they were using.
> 
> This 'noise' in some light's output might justify a thread of its own....


Yes, I have a few manufacturers comment to me that the signal spikes are a result of the "filtering" they are using for PWM. But as the patterns show up on current-controlled lights as well, so it is hard to know their source. I agree that this would be a good topic for the electronics subforum. 

At the end of the day, it really comes down to our ability to technically measure versus our ability to visually detect (i.e., any signal of sufficient intensity at low enough frequency can be perceptible as "flicker"). Glad to hear there is nothing visible on your EA8 sample, just like mine.


----------



## Patriot (Apr 3, 2013)

Man, this is really odd. Just ran two tests 5-6 min each and there's zero step down from turbo. I have a buddy with a sister light to mine from the first batch that came in and I'll be able to see his light next mon or tues. I'm guessing that my step down circuit is inoperative/defective unless my friend's light behaves like mine, in which case I'm guessing the first batch was programmed differently. It's really strange to know of three different lights all behaving completely different from one another. SW's light is obviously waaaay conservative with that significant step down while SB's light is only dropping 10-12%. I was struck stupid when I saw your graph last night SW!


----------



## tickled (Apr 3, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> On the issue the step-down, I can say that mine does indeed step down on Turbo - but by less than 10% of max output. Like yours, my lumen estimates for my sample are very consistent with Nitecore specs. But after the 3min step-down, my sample is still >800 lumens for the rest of the flat-regulated run (i.e., it does not drop down to my Hi level of ~600 lumens). It's odd that there is a difference among samples, and I'm curious as to what others find. :thinking:


 The only tool I have to examine this is my camera and I can say my observations are the same as yours. When my EA8 runs on turbo it steps down very slightly after 3 minutes and it's barely perceptible in use and I can only see a tiny difference when looking at image histograms. The step down is nowhere as "low" as the high level-which when compared via histograms-is significantly lower than whatever the step down level is. I have the EA8W which I ordered in mid-March.


----------



## Patriot (Apr 4, 2013)

I think I'll hold off on picking up an EA8W until we've got more information on step down. To be honest, I've lost a bit of interest if that's part of the standard design of the light. It has the capability to run on high continuously without over heating. I won't be able to verify if my light is broken until I get my hand on its sister light next week. Regardless, a 3 min step down, unrelated to thermal condition, pretty much evaporates my initial high praise for the light.


----------



## wedlpine (Apr 4, 2013)

Does anybody know if there is going to be an XM-L2 version released like the EA4 L2 at Illumination Supply?


----------



## holylight (Apr 5, 2013)

Good review. Great photos


----------



## holylight (Apr 5, 2013)

Patriot how you make this moving


----------



## InquisitiveInquirer (Apr 5, 2013)

wedlpine said:


> Does anybody know if there is going to be an XM-L2 version released like the EA4 L2 at Illumination Supply?



On the other nitecore EA8 thread, in post 118, someone said the emailed Illum supply and they said no plans to do it yet.

BTW, does this having PWM significantly reduce runtimes as compared to if it was current regulated? How much of difference would be talking about?


----------



## subwoofer (Apr 6, 2013)

InquisitiveInquirer said:


> On the other nitecore EA8 thread, in post 118, someone said the emailed Illum supply and they said no plans to do it yet.
> 
> BTW, does this having PWM significantly reduce runtimes as compared to if it was current regulated? How much of difference would be talking about?



As we determined previously the EA8 is not really using PWM, but has power supply noise in the output.

PWM, when present, usually increases runtime because the output is flashing, but of course this flashing can become visible or introduce strobe effects.


----------



## dmevis (May 8, 2013)

*NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*

Separately, I have notified NiteCore that I find their suggestions for use of this light to include "Search and Rescue" and "caving" to be complete B.S.

I am a professional Search and Rescue volunteer and also do caving. This light is suitable for neither activity. I do suppose that this light is suitable for flashligh Geeks (myself included) that are looking for impressive, but largely useless lights. 

While I absolutely love the size, shape, weight, balance, feel, of this light, its long throw pencil beam makes it a non-starter for Search and Rescue or for Caving. In both endeavors, I want a wide smooth beam that lights up the next 100 yards, not the next Zip code. This light is a Fail for anything less than a hundred yards. Actually, the NiteCore EA4 provides a wider and smoother beam.


----------



## melty (May 8, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*



dmevis said:


> Separately, I have notified NiteCore that I find their suggestions for use of this light to include "Search and Rescue" and "caving" to be complete B.S.
> 
> I am a professional Search and Rescue volunteer and also do caving. This light is suitable for neither activity. I do suppose that this light is suitable for flashligh Geeks (myself included) that are looking for impressive, but largely useless lights.
> 
> While I absolutely love the size, shape, weight, balance, feel, of this light, its long throw pencil beam makes it a non-starter for Search and Rescue or for Caving. In both endeavors, I want a wide smooth beam that lights up the next 100 yards, not the next Zip code. This light is a Fail for anything less than a hundred yards. Actually, the NiteCore EA4 provides a wider and smoother beam.



What type of search and rescue do you do? It seems to me that a search and rescue operation in wide-open terrain (such as in the mountains above the tree line) would benefit greatly from a throwy light. Search and rescue seems to be a very broad term that could make use of just about any type of light... which I guess makes it sort of meaningless to attach the term to a flashlight in the first place. :shrug:


----------



## markr6 (May 9, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*



dmevis said:


> Separately, I have notified NiteCore that I find their suggestions for use of this light to include "Search and Rescue" and "caving" to be complete B.S.
> 
> I am a professional Search and Rescue volunteer and also do caving. This light is suitable for neither activity. I do suppose that this light is suitable for flashligh Geeks (myself included) that are looking for impressive, but largely useless lights.
> 
> While I absolutely love the size, shape, weight, balance, feel, of this light, its long throw pencil beam makes it a non-starter for Search and Rescue or for Caving. In both endeavors, I want a wide smooth beam that lights up the next 100 yards, not the next Zip code. This light is a Fail for anything less than a hundred yards. Actually, the NiteCore EA4 provides a wider and smoother beam.



I totally agree. During SAR you are looking for any movement, color, irregular patterns, anything that stands out. You want to see as much as possible with the least amount of effort in the shortest amount of time. THEN once you think you located a subject, you can hit it with a tight spotlight if you need to confirm.

Think of it like the finderscope on a telescope. Use it to view the general area then focus in with the high magnification. It's not an apples to apples comparison, but you get the idea.

As for caving, I'd cross that application off the list without any thought.


----------



## subwoofer (May 9, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*



dmevis said:


> Separately, I have notified NiteCore that I find their suggestions for use of this light to include "Search and Rescue" and "caving" to be complete B.S.
> 
> I am a professional Search and Rescue volunteer and also do caving. This light is suitable for neither activity. I do suppose that this light is suitable for flashligh Geeks (myself included) that are looking for impressive, but largely useless lights.
> 
> While I absolutely love the size, shape, weight, balance, feel, of this light, its long throw pencil beam makes it a non-starter for Search and Rescue or for Caving. In both endeavors, I want a wide smooth beam that lights up the next 100 yards, not the next Zip code. This light is a Fail for anything less than a hundred yards. Actually, the NiteCore EA4 provides a wider and smoother beam.



I think that frequently we need to take manufacturers suggestions for specific uses with a pinch of salt. This is something you need to decide on based on the performance and your personal requirements.

Your statement about being a "professional Search and Rescue volunteer" seems odd. - Are you 'professional' or a 'volunteer' (hence amateur) in your Search and Rescue activities?

In what environment do you carry this out in, at sea, mountains, forest, lakes etc?

What equipment (ok I mean lights) do you currently use? Do you have both flood lights and throwers?


Although I have never been caving, I would imagine that you would use a headlamp almost exclusively. Having both hands free seems vital. Maybe if you find a large cavern you might want a spot light to look about, but primary lighting must be a headlamp?




melty said:


> What type of search and rescue do you do? It seems to me that a search and rescue operation in wide-open terrain (such as in the mountains above the tree line) would benefit greatly from a throwy light. Search and rescue seems to be a very broad term that could make use of just about any type of light... which I guess makes it sort of meaningless to attach the term to a flashlight in the first place. :shrug:



I agree, but marketing departments have to say something.



markr6 said:


> I totally agree. During SAR you are looking for any movement, color, irregular patterns, anything that stands out. You want to see as much as possible with the least amount of effort in the shortest amount of time. THEN once you think you located a subject, you can hit it with a tight spotlight if you need to confirm.
> 
> Think of it like the finderscope on a telescope. Use it to view the general area then focus in with the high magnification. It's not an apples to apples comparison, but you get the idea.
> 
> As for caving, I'd cross that application off the list without any thought.



Great analogy and the reason that if I had to choose between flood or throw it would be flood every time. However having the extra range to pick out details is very useful once you have narrowed down the search area.


----------



## SCEMan (May 9, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*



subwoofer said:


> Great analogy and the reason that if I had to choose between flood or throw it would be flood every time. However having the extra range to pick out details is very useful once you have narrowed down the search area.



Of course a good flip-up diffuser goes a long way towards satisfying both requirements...


----------



## markr6 (May 9, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*



SCEMan said:


> Of course a good flip-up diffuser goes a long way towards satisfying both requirements...



Good point. I've been using my EA4 and Olight M22 with the diffuser about 80% of the time, the other 20% is just for fun throwing at night.


----------



## subwoofer (May 9, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*



SCEMan said:


> Of course a good flip-up diffuser goes a long way towards satisfying both requirements...



It is just a pity that beam quality is never as good as a properly designed flood light and there is a typical 20% reduction in actual output. Still diffusers are a very useful accessory, and it would be nice if the EA8 came with one.


----------



## evxenion (Aug 6, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*

Hi flashaholics, this is my 1st post on CPF. I've just received my new Nitecore EA8 and I'm already tinkering with the various modes and switch presses. I have to say this is hands down the best flashlight I've ever owned and it's a great all round performer. I'd have preferred a bit more flooding,but, I'm ok with it. I'm powering it with 8 out-of-the-box fresh Eneloops and the power on this thing is pretty impressive. I've read the manual thoroughly,but, there are a few things I'd like to know from you all. I wanna know how to completely power off the EA8? The manual gives the lockout option which I've already tried. However, the manual also says it uses "almost no power" when in lockout. Does this mean that there's still a wee bit of power drain even when it's in lockout? If so, is there any way to completely power it off so there's no drain? And this leads to my 2nd vital query. I use the EA8 for daily household activities as also for my evening walks and any other outdoor activities from time to time. I'd like to know is it wise to take the batteries out when it's not in use for say more than a day and will there be any problems if I leave 'em batteries loaded all the time? Also, with my kind of usage what sort of battery life can I expect between recharges of 8 fresh Eneloops (I mostly use the light on the Low (80-85%) n Mid (10-15%) modes n sometimes in the High n Turbo modes (about 5-10% of total usage time) for outdoor stuff) Thanks for any help you all can give me regarding these queries.


----------



## subwoofer (Aug 7, 2013)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman Review - Just Another Pencil Beam Flashlight*



evxenion said:


> Hi flashaholics, this is my 1st post on CPF. I've just received my new Nitecore EA8 and I'm already tinkering with the various modes and switch presses. I have to say this is hands down the best flashlight I've ever owned and it's a great all round performer. I'd have preferred a bit more flooding,but, I'm ok with it. I'm powering it with 8 out-of-the-box fresh Eneloops and the power on this thing is pretty impressive. I've read the manual thoroughly,but, there are a few things I'd like to know from you all. I wanna know how to completely power off the EA8? The manual gives the lockout option which I've already tried. However, the manual also says it uses "almost no power" when in lockout. Does this mean that there's still a wee bit of power drain even when it's in lockout? If so, is there any way to completely power it off so there's no drain? And this leads to my 2nd vital query. I use the EA8 for daily household activities as also for my evening walks and any other outdoor activities from time to time. I'd like to know is it wise to take the batteries out when it's not in use for say more than a day and will there be any problems if I leave 'em batteries loaded all the time? Also, with my kind of usage what sort of battery life can I expect between recharges of 8 fresh Eneloops (I mostly use the light on the Low (80-85%) n Mid (10-15%) modes n sometimes in the High n Turbo modes (about 5-10% of total usage time) for outdoor stuff) Thanks for any help you all can give me regarding these queries.



Hello and welcome to CPF.

This is a direct quote from the first post of this review thread (the information is there is you look for it):

"As the EA8 has an electronic switch there is parasitic drain to consider. As the EA8 has two different parasitic rates depending on if you are in Standby or Lockout, these have both been measured.

In Standby, the parasitic drain is an average of 3.25mA. This average figure has been measured by recording the standby current as the switch illumination flashes and taking the mean of the readings. At this rate, a fully charged set of 2000mAh cells will be fully depleted in 51 days.

In Lockout the switch illumination is off. The measured drain is 113uA. At this rate, a fully charged set of 2000mAh cells will be fully depleted in 4 years."

There is no true lockout unless you virtually completely unscrew the tail-cap (not just half a turn). If you use it regularly and put it into the EA8's lockout, I would not worry.


----------



## nuknuk (Aug 13, 2013)

Hi :wave:I am new here but this was my first proper flashlight and I am over the moon with it so to speak lighting up neighbors roofs at night etc ust think I am nuts.


----------



## hurld (Oct 5, 2013)

So I just sold my Fenix Tk41 to a friend, and ordered a Nitecore Ea8. I really liked the tk41, but couldn't get by without the moon mode. I never really new what I was missing without the moon mode until I bought a Zebralight Sc52.Hope I did the right thing and don't regret this.........

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4


----------



## subwoofer (Oct 6, 2013)

hurld said:


> So I just sold my Fenix Tk41 to a friend, and ordered a Nitecore Ea8. I really liked the tk41, but couldn't get by without the moon mode. I never really new what I was missing without the moon mode until I bought a Zebralight Sc52.Hope I did the right thing and don't regret this.........
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4



At the time of testing the lowest mode on the sample I have gives 8lm. This is very similar to the TK41's lowest output of 10lm. Looking at the current EA8 description, it now lists a 2lm 'micro' mode and different mid and low modes outputs (high and turbo are as tested here).

2lm, though low, is not a moonlight mode by any means, so I hope your expectations are not going to be blown away.

For an 8xAA light the EA8 is significantly smaller than the TK41 (as shown in the review post), and comes with a belt holster, so on this basis I think you will be pleased, however the TK41 is an awesome light so it is a pity you could not have kept it and bought the EA8 as well (CPF style).

Let us know how you get on.


----------



## hurld (Oct 9, 2013)

Well I received my Ea8 today, very nice. Brightness & throw almost identical to the Tk41 I sold, but way nicer interface and a 2 lumen low which is perfect for my nightstand torch. The light is flawless except for the outer rim of the reflector has rust like spots where the bezel screws on. It is outside on the rim where it doesn't affect the beam. Almost like they missed a few spots when coating was applied to the reflector, or maybe the edge was contaminated? Do you guys think it will spread into the main reflector? I really don't want to go through the hassle of exchanging it, as it doesn't affect the beam & really doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't turn into a cancer which spreads down the reflector. Thanks for your input.





Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4


----------



## griff (Oct 9, 2013)

nice light


----------



## subwoofer (Oct 10, 2013)

hurld said:


> Well I received my Ea8 today, very nice. Brightness & throw almost identical to the Tk41 I sold, but way nicer interface and a 2 lumen low which is perfect for my nightstand torch. The light is flawless except for the outer rim of the reflector has rust like spots where the bezel screws on. It is outside on the rim where it doesn't affect the beam. Almost like they missed a few spots when coating was applied to the reflector, or maybe the edge was contaminated? Do you guys think it will spread into the main reflector? I really don't want to go through the hassle of exchanging it, as it doesn't affect the beam & really doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't turn into a cancer which spreads down the reflector. Thanks for your input.



Those spots look more like they are on the glass or the seal rather than the reflector itself. Either way they don't look like a problem. If you removed the bezel and tried to clean them off there is a danger of really damaging the reflector. I don't think they justify the hassle and cost of sending it back for exchange (as I would think this would not be a warranty return). This is of course just based on the photo you posted.


----------



## hurld (Oct 10, 2013)

Thanks subwoofer, I removed the stainless bezel & checked it out. The stains are actually on the very rim of the reflector where the o-ring seals. I'm gonna just live with it, most people wouldn't have even noticed it. Thanks for your input, it's a great torch.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4


----------



## RiCu (Oct 10, 2013)

I received my EA8 last week, compared to a lot of you I'm just starting my flashlight journey, but it's the first light I've ever been totally happy with.

I love the beam profile, IMO the UI is much easier than my ZL SC52, it's a great size and feels like a great quality product.

Just wondering what to get next, I hope I haven't peaked too early...


----------



## wojtek_pl (Oct 10, 2013)

Thanks for a great review!

Another flashlight for may wishlist...


----------



## Blglover96 (Oct 27, 2013)

Nice


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


----------



## Three_Balls (Jan 16, 2014)

Hi all new here. This is a really informative forum!
I am really interested in this light but I see the power down after 3 minutes on turbo mode has not been answered? Maybe my eyes are to old I read the thread only once. 
So is the power down with 4 batteries only? anyone?
Subwoof that has to be the best review i have read. Thank you


----------



## moldyoldy (Jan 17, 2014)

Three_Balls said:


> Hi all new here. This is a really informative forum!
> I am really interested in this light but I see the power down after 3 minutes on turbo mode has not been answered? Maybe my eyes are to old I read the thread only once.
> So is the power down with 4 batteries only? anyone?
> Subwoof that has to be the best review i have read. Thank you




Ref the output power with 4 batteries (cells) vs 8 cells: Back up in the original post, in the batteries section, a graph is provided of the output difference between 4 cells and 8 cells. I doubt that most flashaholics could detect that difference in output with their Mark I eyeball.


----------



## swockan (Nov 29, 2014)

Hello guys!

I'm a longtime lurker who finally registered for the forum.
The EA8 was actually my first big AA flashlight and the biggest fail of all my lights.

Let me explain. 
I had it for 4 weeks before the problems started. The light would not go out of lock-out mode easy. After that it was pretty much downhill. 
The light would turn on and glow with a moonlight mode not stated in the manual and wouldn't go to any other modes. Tried 4 sets of new batteries of different brands, nothing. Then the Light wouldn't turn on at all. Just that blue light blinking away in standby. (couldn't find the blinking sequence in the manual)

I took it apart and wanted to see if I could fix it since sending the thing to china for replacement (as stated with the support ticket I sent) wasn't an option since the shipping was almost as much as the flashlight cost me new. 

There was some blinking when I poked around but nothing more than 5-10 lumens or so. Threw it in the owen to see if it was the soldering. Nothing. 

Kinda sad about this light. But just now I bought a TK41 instead. From what I have read there is to timed step-down on the TK41?
I really really hated that "feature" of the EA8. The light didn't get hot at all when using it outside after 3 minutes IMO. 

I'm really put off to buying more flashlights from Nitecore after this incident. The build quality was not what I expected when I took it apart and after the problems I had. 

Sorry for any misspellings, I'm Swedish and I'm currently drinking beer.


----------



## subwoofer (Nov 30, 2014)

swockan said:


> since sending the thing to china for replacement (as stated with the support ticket I sent) wasn't an option since the shipping was almost as much as the flashlight cost me new.



Good to hear from you. Your English is far better than any second language of mine!

A pity you have had this bad experience, but unfortunately this is one of the perils of saving money buying direct from China. I don't know how they manage to send goods out as cheaply as they do, but sending back is much more expensive for everyone else. Buying from a local dealer means having some sort of back up as you can return it to them if you have problems. It is attractive to save money buying direct from China, but it can be a false economy.

The TK41's instructions should confirm if there is timed step down. I've got an older one, but only ever use Turbo for short times so can't remember if there is a timed step down. If I get time, I might do a runtime trace for it on Turbo when I do my next set of tests.


----------



## Bushman5 (Jan 4, 2015)

swockan said:


> Hello guys!
> 
> I'm a longtime lurker who finally registered for the forum.
> The EA8 was actually my first big AA flashlight and the biggest fail of all my lights.
> ...




I too bought this light, was delighted with the 800 hour moonlight mode - i managed to get over 1300 hours with new Eneloops, inside the house (22 deg Celcius). I loved the locating beacon mode, used it in my camp in the woods as a camp marker. 

I was so excited to have this light that i treated myself to $120 CDN bucks worth of Eneloops (16 AA's, 16 AAA's, and 2 chargers. Used the light for over a month in - 20 weather, at work, at home at camp, ran the hell out of the turbo mode at night while at camp. 

*but like my Swedish friend above, i too began to have problems. The light crapped out and would only go into the moonlight mode, and the next low mode. It would go into strobe mode, but it was weak and flickery. I could still access the beacon, the sos mode and the strobe, but weak and flickery. 

tried MULTIPLE sets of brand new alkaline AA's, lithium primary AA's, and 4 BRAND NEW sets of Eneloop AA's . Definitely not a battery issue. 

Emailed NiteCore for an RMA number. No response. Emailed them again, no response. Emailed them two more times,no response. That was THREE WEEKS ago. Yes, checked all my email folders too. Nothing *:thumbsdow*

Dealer was unable to help me as the 14 day period had passed. (i had the light for 40 days before the problems started. *

Checked with my postal guy about parcel costs to return the light. $95 cdn to mail the box back with tracking number and signature. I could buy a 4/7s light for that money. (and i did - the Maelstrom 1200 lumen lil powerhouse with a 4/7's 26650 (2) for a little extra cash. 

really really disappointed with Nitecores lack of response. This is the 3 Nitecore light i have bought, and the third to fail. And the third time with ZERO RESPONSE from Nitecore over the last 5 years 

never again. :thumbsdow


----------



## T-Freak (Jan 8, 2015)

I received a Nitecore EA8 from my wife to christmas. A very nice lamp! Unfortunately after 5 days the torch runs only in the lowest mode (accus full). I have heard, that is a prevalent problem with this model. I have replaced the EA8 with a Thrunite TN4A now. It's not the same, but I'm happy with it.


----------



## 18650 (Jan 10, 2015)

swockan said:


> Hello guys! I'm a longtime lurker who finally registered for the forum. The EA8 was actually my first big AA flashlight and the biggest fail of all my lights. Let me explain. I had it for 4 weeks before the problems started. The light would not go out of lock-out mode easy. After that it was pretty much downhill. The light would turn on and glow with a moonlight mode not stated in the manual and wouldn't go to any other modes. Tried 4 sets of new batteries of different brands, nothing. Then the Light wouldn't turn on at all. Just that blue light blinking away in standby. (couldn't find the blinking sequence in the manual) I took it apart and wanted to see if I could fix it since sending the thing to china for replacement (as stated with the support ticket I sent) wasn't an option since the shipping was almost as much as the flashlight cost me new. There was some blinking when I poked around but nothing more than 5-10 lumens or so. Threw it in the owen to see if it was the soldering. Nothing. Kinda sad about this light. But just now I bought a TK41 instead. From what I have read there is to timed step-down on the TK41? I really really hated that "feature" of the EA8. The light didn't get hot at all when using it outside after 3 minutes IMO. I'm really put off to buying more flashlights from Nitecore after this incident. The build quality was not what I expected when I took it apart and after the problems I had. Sorry for any misspellings, I'm Swedish and I'm currently drinking beer.


 I actually have one and had the same problem as the people here and here. Maybe it's a design flaw in the switch? I sent it back to the manufacturer and was given a new one as a replacement. I guess whatever the problem was, it wasn't fixable.


----------



## Bushman5 (Feb 3, 2015)

Feb 2nd, 2015, still no reply from Nitecore. 

I'm pissed about this. 

I really like this light......the size, the throw, the AA factor, the machining and the tail cap and battery carrier, all are really well done. The first two weeks i had the Caveman, you could not pry it out of my hands. I was using it for everything. 

LOve the beam pattern.......love the size and how the light feels in the hand. It just dissapears in a coat pocket. 

Since it died, i've tried contacting NiteCore. ZERO RESPONSE. I've tried cleaning all the contacts with cleaner, even the cleaning the battery terminals. I unscrewed the lens cover and checked the conncections on the LED circuit board......all seem fine.

sigh.

i really like this light.

I am will to pay $150 to have someone here gut it and put in a new LED, circuit board etc. 

just frustrated with NiteCores complete lack of response.


----------



## CelticCross74 (Feb 14, 2015)

Still no response from Nitecore after all this time? Shows their priorities as I emailed them about the release date of the MH12 in the States and they got back to me in less than 24 hours! Its a damn shame about the EA8. Why Nitecore cant mass produce what is actually a pretty basic high output LED light is beyond me. Why there has not been a switch and LED update on the seemingly popular EA8 is also a mystery. I mean seriously it is 2015 now and they are still pushing the old XM-L? One would think a progression in switch and electronics ala EA4 - EA41 would have occured by now. 

Vinh is known for only modding Tiny Monster Nitecores and has stated in the past he doesnt want to do the regular mass production series but it couldnt hurt to email him with your issues. Thank god for CPF I was about to buy this light now I know better and will get the Eagletac SX25A6 instead.


----------



## Nikolos (Oct 26, 2017)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman locked*

After remaining for a long time idle, now my EA8 CAVEMAN refuses to operate, eventhough i hold the button for a while. i tried everything but to no avail. Can anyone advice me, or that's it? :wave::thanks:


----------



## subwoofer (Oct 26, 2017)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman locked*



Nikolos said:


> After remaining for a long time idle, now my EA8 CAVEMAN refuses to operate, eventhough i hold the button for a while. i tried everything but to no avail. Can anyone advice me, or that's it? :wave::thanks:



Although you said you have tried everything, as the Caveman has parasitic drain, I have to ask the obvious; have you replaced the batteries?

If yes, did you examine the old batteries to see if they leaked?


----------



## moldyoldy (Nov 3, 2017)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman locked*

double post somehow. deleted.


----------



## moldyoldy (Nov 3, 2017)

*Re: NITECORE EA8 Caveman locked*

The EA81 is very similar to the EA8. hence my experience with my EA81 may assist a resolution with bad switch contacts. I did have the EA8, but gave it away and upgraded to the EA81.

My EA81 copy was mostly on standby next to the apt outside door, and not used. Over time, the EA81 developed severe issues with the mode switch. eg: press and nothing would happen, or, press and it jumped a couple levels, maybe. Over time the mode switch irregularities were becoming worse and worse, essentially rendering the EA81 unusable. Finally I was ready to either recycle the light or attempt a repair, somehow, not expecting any part from the manufacturer either.

Since the switch behavior was a classic oxidized contacts, I decided to experiment. I carefully poked a tiny slit in the end of the mode switch rubber boot, as close as possible to the metal of the light. Then while holding the slit open with a finger-nail file so as to not cut the boot any more, I squirted a liberal amount of Deoxit D5 into the slit - while holding the light at vertical as possible so that the lubricant/cleaner would run down both sides of the switch. I exercised the switch a dozen times or so, then repeated the Deoxit application. The mode switch began to function correctly and continues to function correctly. 

Of course the slit in the rubber boot compromised the water-tight integrity, but I was ready to recycle the light anyway. To enhance the sealing of the slit, I squeezed some O-ring lubricant into the slit since I do expect that the Deoxit treatment will need to be repeated.


----------

