# NiteCore Defender Infinity - First Impressions thread



## mchlwise (Dec 20, 2007)

The NightCore Defender Infinities are beginning to be received by CPFers. 

There are a myriad of different reviews out there, and some great photographs of the light - the quality of most of them I wouldn't ever come close to, so I won't even try. 

In this thread, post your first impressions of the light, what you like and don't, and whether you would recommend it at the retail price of around $80.00.


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## mchlwise (Dec 20, 2007)

I was surprised (very pleasantly) to receive mine today. 

I had read every post in every thread about it, and I think I've seen every picture. I knew what to expect, but was still impressed when it arrived. 

The box is great. The foam gives it a feeling of an expensive electronic instrument, which I guess it is. 

Fit and finish are very good. The anodize was very even and matching on my sample, and seems quite tough. I tried to scratch the inside of the anodized tailcap with a knife using reasonable pressure, and was unable to. The threads are clean and smooth. 

They could do without some of the markings which clutter up the appearance of the light. 

The output seems to be amazing. I put it up against my LiteFlux LF5, both on 14500 cells, and the LF5 was humiliated. I can't wait for darkness so I can put it against my Fenix P3DR100. 

There was some mention early on of a connection between NiteCore and JetBeam. The parts of my JetBeam Jet-I are interchangeable with the NiteCore, lending some creedance to this "rumor". 

Bottom line is... I'm very impressed. I only bought one for the introductory $60.00 price. I thought about buying two, and am sorry now that I didn't. 

Highly recommended light, easily worth the $80.00. 

:twothumbs


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## CandlePowerForumsUser (Dec 20, 2007)

mchlwise, thanks for your impressions. let us know how it fairs against the almighty P3D. Can't wait till mine shows up.


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## mchlwise (Dec 21, 2007)

A snowstorm went through Utah last night, but I went out in a break and braved the cold to take some beamshots of the NiteCore. It's surprisingly bright!

First, a control shot of the subject - a bench in my back yard with a table in front of it, a birdhouse on the table, rosebushes and the house behind, and a fresh layer of snow on all of it (I was about 15 feet away): 







I wanted to put the NiteCore against the best that I had - a Fenix P3DR100. I never expected the NiteCore to be as bright as the Fenix, but was pleased with how well it did: 






It's definitely brought the single AA form-factor into a range that makes it competitive with the 123 cell lights such as the LiteFlux LF3). 

What was really impressive was it's performance on NIMH. I threw some freshly charged NIMH cells into it and a Fenix L1DR100 (a P2DR100 head on a single AA body):






The NightCore is as bright as the LF3 (which runs on a 123 cell), and brighter than the Fenix (on a NIMH cell). I compared it in the above shot also with the LF5 on 14500. The NiteCore has a brighter hotspot, but I think overall it's putting out about the same lumens as the LiteFlux. It's amazing to me though - because the LiteFlux is on a 3.7 volt 14500, and the NiteCore is on a NIMH! 

It's not perfect. The ringiness typical of cree based lights is there, in spite of the orangepeel on the reflector, and the Q5 doesn't have near the color-rendering of the Rebel. The NiteCore washed out warm colors noticeably compared to the P3D.

After playing with it outside at night (briefly :green I'm very impressed and definitely stick to my first impression of it being worth the $80 retail price.


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## Fallingwater (Dec 21, 2007)

I plan a full-on comparative review when I finally get mine. Mind you, it'll take a few weeks... :shakehead


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## CandlePowerForumsUser (Dec 21, 2007)

Thanks alot for taking those pics.. looks pretty impressive with 14500. I never ran those before so this will be a first for me.


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## Tubor (Dec 21, 2007)

Nice! 

Looking forwards to taking mine out.


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## swxb12 (Dec 21, 2007)

mchlwise said:


> It's not perfect. The ringiness typical of cree based lights is there, in spite of the orangepeel on the reflector, and the Q5 doesn't have near the color-rendering of the Rebel. The NiteCore washed out warm colors noticeably compared to the P3D.



The NDI also has a narrow and dim outermost ring of light. I wonder if that's due to the strike bezel?

Thanks for braving the cold and taking those nicely controlled shots.


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## Gatsby (Dec 21, 2007)

Great feedback mchl. I generally seem to have similar reactions to lights as you do so I put a fair amount of stock in your opinion! 

I like my Liteflux lights (LF2 and LF5) a lot and this seems to be more of a direct competitor to the LF5 than anything else on the market right now. To compare the Nitecore seems to be basically a two stage light with 100% and a user selectable mode - somewhat like the P1 and user adjustable modes on the LF lights if P1 is fixed at 100% and user adjustable is accessed through loosening the bezel?

I have a Dereelight CL1H (had a Fenix T1 and would like a Fenix L1T v2.0) and I like a two stage with clickie arrangement - this seems to add the ability to adjust one of those modes.

I asked in another thread but how does the ramp up/down compare to the LF series (it's one glaring weakness)? 

It does seem that the SSC P4 - which is a nice emitter and has a nice smooth and floodier beam, is being outpaced by the Q5 emitters - although the LF light driver board does seem to sacrifice some efficiency for features - no question the Nitecore seems to have a pretty efficient driver to combine programmability along with a high output.


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## mchlwise (Dec 21, 2007)

Gatsby said:


> I like my Liteflux lights (LF2 and LF5) a lot and this seems to be more of a direct competitor to the LF5 than anything else on the market right now. To compare the Nitecore seems to be basically a two stage light with 100% and a user selectable mode - somewhat like the P1 and user adjustable modes on the LF lights if P1 is fixed at 100% and user adjustable is accessed through loosening the bezel?



Yeah, I guess the NiteCore's closest competitor is the LF5. They're both multi-mode lights with programmable brightness. 

As far as features and modes, though, the LF5 wins handily. The Nitecore is essentially a 3-mode light: 1) 100%, 2) strobe (at 100%) 3) user-selected level. The LF5 has what... 7 or 8 modes, and all of them are user-adjustable. The Nitecore's only "programmable" mode is the user-selected mode which the light goes into when the head is loose. 

The ramp up/ramp down is MUCH more noticeable (and I think better) on the Nitecore. It's much quicker from one extreme to the other. I always have trouble with the Lightflux when it's bright trying to see if it's actually dimming or not. No such problem with the Nitecore. When it gets to where you want, push the button to turn it off, and it comes on again later at that brightness.

The LF5 is MUCH more programmable, but it's also much harder to program. You can program P1 and P2 on the LF5 to be whatever you want them to be - twist a little for a little light and a lot for a lot, or twist a little for a lot and a lot for a little. Either level can be set for whatever intensity you want. (Mine is set for P1 at a low low and P2 at full bright). 

With the Nitecore, tight bezel is 100% and loose bezel is whatever you set it to be. You can tighten or loosen the bezel before turning it on to get the level you want (though if you turn it off in low and tighten the bezel, it will come on in low for a split-second then bump up to high).

Strobe is much easier to get to on the Nitecore (start at tight, then quickly loosen and tighten), but it's not programmable. The LF5 has 2 strobe modes which are both programmable, but again only if you have the patience to do so.

One of the downsides of the Nitecore is actually strobe's accessibility. It's easy enough to get into that it can be done accidentally. The light senses if the head is loosened, and if it's tightened again quickly it changes modes. There is just enough play in the threads that if you loosen it slowly, or torque it while you do, or put some pressure on the head, it can lose contact and regain it again and activate strobe without you intending to do so. I've done it a couple times, and so did my wife when she first looked at it. The easy "fix" for this is to twist quickly and aggressively going from tight to loose so it gets far enough away to not make "accidental" contact again and switch to strobe. 

I've never been a big fan of the Seoul emitter, but I like it a lot more after having my LF5 and LF3. The beam is much more diffuse and smooth. In the snow last night the cree rings were VERY noticeable, and the cree has a much more defined hot-spot. Of course, this does make it much more of a thrower. As far as throw, the Nitecore is second only to the P3D in my collection. 

I really wish they would throw a Rebel into the Nitecore.


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## nanotech17 (Dec 22, 2007)

Strong Light with NiMH 
still waiting for mine as well :candle:


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## z-b-i (Dec 22, 2007)

nanotech17 said:


> Strong Light with NiMH
> still waiting for mine as well :candle:



I thought you should have received it already, being closer to China?

Anyway, Selamat Hari Raya!


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## nanotech17 (Dec 22, 2007)

Selamat Hari Raya 
I think the M'sia post office personnel are having fun with mine,the customs will release it within an hour as always.
Unless Pos Laju got hold of it than the delivery will be smother. 
But i skipped the EMS


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## Inferno (Dec 22, 2007)

Got mine today, I'm in Honolulu, Hawaii. Didn't pay EMS, just took the free shipping...

Initial impressions good so far, just trying to ge the programming down pat. Using Eneloops from the package, I find my hotspot is about 10% bigger than my Inova Bolt (2 x 123) and just a hair dimmer (barely noticed it!) shone on a wall some 8 feet away...


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## elt1 (Dec 22, 2007)

Just got mine today!

General first impressions: 
-Its [email protected] bright on an AW 14500!
-Nice large hotspot and throw. Especially for a light on the AA platform.
-The forward-push momentary clickie is very smooth- one of the better ones out there IMO.
-UI is a bit of a pain- not a fan of all the twisting. I'll probably end up using the max & user-programmable modes...any strobe function is completely useless for my needs. We'll see if it replaces my Jetbeam C-LE V2.0. I like the Jetbeams UI - simple last function memory, easy to scroll through.
- Fantastic for what I paid but I doubt I'd go for it at the $80 regular price

Overall: great quality thrower in a small package! But I doubt it will be replacing my P3D Q5 or NovaTac 120P as an EDC anytime soon.


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## Flic (Dec 23, 2007)

I got my three last week. I finally got to clean and lube the threads and o-rings. Everything is perfect. The forward clickies are all smooth and reliable. The UI is great and works perfectly on all units. Output is top of the class.

Down side - slight mismatch on anodizing of one light in particular and slightly stiff bezels to twist (tailcaps are ultra smooth and have anodizing on threads while heads are stiffer with chemcoat(?) on threads.

Overall rating, my favorite AA light by far.


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## 9volt (Dec 24, 2007)

mchlwise said:


> The parts of my JetBeam Jet-I are interchangeable with the NiteCore, lending some creedance to this "rumor".



Does the Nitecore head work on the Jetbeam body?


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## Paul6ppca (Dec 24, 2007)

Mine ARRIVED today! They made it before xmas as promised!:twothumbsFirst impression WOW,very bright on both NIHM and lion.Beautiful white beam
My Ultrafire 14500 fit and work no problem as does AW14500.
Mine arrived NO ems in RI(USA)

A big thanks to Nitecore!:twothumbs Great product!


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## p1fiend (Dec 24, 2007)

Paul6ppca said:


> Mine ARRIVED today! They made it before xmas as promised!:twothumbs
> Mine arrived NO ems in RI(USA)
> 
> A big thanks to Nitecore!:twothumbs Great product!


 
Our Mail-Men must be Santa Claus in disguise, because he just dropped of my light too!!!

No EMS shipping for me, shipped to CT.

Absolutely love the look and feel of the light. Perfect length, slender body (compared to my EDC P2D), and the clicky tailcap has such a nice soft smooth feel .

You could say I'm just beaming.


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## p1fiend (Dec 24, 2007)

Does anyone elses light whine when on? My light is quite loud when there is no background sound.

Just noticed the noise is related to brightness. The brighter the light, the louder. Quite a whine on high mode.


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## WadeF (Dec 24, 2007)

I'm liking the Nitecore more and more. I have a Liteflux LF2, and the UI is fun, but also a bit of a pain, and I don't find it useful for on the fly adjustment. The Nitecore however, is easy to adjust on the fly. The other night I was under the Christmas tree and I had the Nitecore set to the lowest low, I wanted a tad more light, quick twist to ramp up, turn off, turn on and I was set. While the Liteflux has more programming options, I don't think you need more than one with the Nitecore because it's quick and easy to change light levels. 

If Nitecore was to add another mode, some kind of slow strobe, that would flash at whatever ther user defined level would be, would be handy. That way you could put it on the lowest setting and set it to blink so it would act like a beacon locator, etc.


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## Inferno (Dec 24, 2007)

Okay, got to use her at work today! I thought I was doing the UI thing wrong, but it may just be picky to my twisting. Right now she's unscrewed, which takes her to low when I turn her on; tighten the head, and I got high. The amount of light coming out of this thing is amazing to everyone!


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## CandlePowerForumsUser (Dec 24, 2007)

I hate you all.


































JK, did anyone in CA get one thats no EMS?


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## jsr (Dec 24, 2007)

I've been enjoying my NiteCore DI for a couple of days now and really love it! It's amazingly bright on all battery types (tried alk and 14500 myself, I don't have NiMHs). It's actually brigther on 14500 than my Dereelight CL1H 2.0 on 18650, which is a big feat since my Dereelight is no slouch. The beam is a good combination of throw and spill. As mentioned previously, the parts from the Jet1 MKI are interchangeable (the threads all match), but not everything works (tailcap doesn't make contact w/ the NDI tube). I love the momentary feature and the ability to select my low level and that I can have it come on in either high or low reliably (just leave the head tightened or loosened). I had an L1D and sold it to get the NDI. Prior to getting the NDI, I looked at all the 1xAA clicky light options and feel the NDI is the best available for me. Here's what I thought of the competitive brands/models (keep in mind I like my lights to be as small as possible with a given battery because if it were bigger than needed, I would rather go to a larger battery size for more runtime):

- Fenix L1D - great efficiency (driver) and bright on alkalines, but it's large in both diameter and length for a 1xAA, too slick and difficult to twist the head (needs knurling), and didn't fully support 14500s (no low or other modes). Q5 version ~$60.

- Olight T15 - the closest other option I was considering, but also too large (it's almost as long as a SF E2e!, in which case I would rather pick up a 17670-compatible light for much more runtime) which is just an inefficient use of space, but I like the UI and quality seemed really good. The size was the main detraction. Q5 version ~$60 shipped.

- Lumapower LM33 - Again, way too long (about the same size as the Olight T15). I like the simple UI (low and hi only), but a resistored low is very inefficient with 14500s (only 2hrs runtime on low w/ 14500). Plus, it's not as bright as the others on 14500 (which is something I wanted, the ability for a LOT of light on 14500). It was a combo of the size and low runtime on 14500 (low) that killed it for me. SSC ~$40 shipped.

- Jetbeam CLE v2 - Really nice looking and not too large (only slightly larger than my Jet1 MKI which is amongst the smallest 1xAA clicky lights), but these were sold out quickly and I was concerned with Jetbeam's customer support. It also doesn't support 14500s at all, which is something I wanted. Price was good tho. My 2nd closest option behind the Olight. Q2 ~$40 shipped.

- Jetbeam Jet1 MKIIR - Love the design and size (looks like my MKI) and fully supports 14500s (all modes work), but the UI is crazy and I don't want to worry about getting into some weird mode and trying to figure out how to get out of that mode during a time I just need it to work right. The UI was the main con. Q4 ~$73 shipped.

- Dexlight X.1 - My favorite of all the 1xAA designs...just so attractive and the right size (same size as Jet1) and fully supports 14500s, but has the most difficult UI of them all. As with the Jet1 MKIIR, the UI was too big a con. P4 $40 shipped.

- Nitecore DI - attractive, not much bigger than a Jet1 (about the size of a CLE v2), simple UI, fully supports 14500s, great runtime with 14500s due to electronic regulation instead of resistored low, and momentary switch...wow, what a combo. The only con relative to the other 1xAA offerings was the inability to tailstand, but with all the other pros, I easily overlooked this con.

I got the DI at the $40 intro price (should've bought 2 or 3 more at the $60 price...darnit), but considering the closest competitors are in the $60s to $70s range, for $80, I would still have gotten the DI.


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## WadeF (Dec 24, 2007)

jsr said:


> I've been enjoying my NiteCore DI for a couple of days now and really love it! It's amazingly bright on all battery types (tried alk and 14500 myself, I don't have NiMHs). It's actually brigther on 14500 than my Dereelight CL1H 2.0 on 18650, which is a big feat since my Dereelight is no slouch.


 
What emitter are you running in your Dereelight? My Nitecore can't touch any of my Dereelights. Do you have a bad pill in your Dereelight?  Or maybe you have a super charged Nitecore.


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## Crashking (Dec 24, 2007)

got mine today as well in florida... no ems.... took it out of the box... lubed the threads and o-ring... put a battery in... put it together... hit the switch... nothing.... made sure the switch end was tight... still nothing.... took it apart... cleaned the threads thinking maybe i had to much lube... put it back together... nothing.... tightened the switch end again and it came on! so i thought maybe it was just to much lube and the cap wasnt tight enough... played with it for a little while... dimmed up and down.... compared it to my gladius... and the gladius was definitely brighter.... so i tried a alaline aa instead of the eneloop... same result... gladius brighter... slightly tighter spot... nitecore slightly wider spot... but not as bright... and the gladius has some use on the batteries... for 100lumens more it wasn't impressing me... then the light started flickering.... did that for a about 10 secs and went to full brightness while in tactical.... tried user set mode... to dim up and down... and got nothin.... just a slight flicker.... then i got it to dim and brighten but it would still flicker (not a PWM flicker... like actually brightness variation) at the settings it was at... then it stopped changing brightness... and stayed at full bright.... and well now i got nothing... no light at all...tried 3 different batteries and nothin.... cleaned all the threads real well.. checked the switch with my meter... switch is good.... gonna contact tad gear and get an rma :mecry:


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## WadeF (Dec 24, 2007)

Crashking said:


> gonna contact tad gear and get an rma :mecry:


 
Did you try any other fresh alkalines? When I first got mine I put in a NiMh off the charger and the light didn't turn on. I put in an akaline and it was fine. Here the NiMh, after coming off the charger, didn't take a charge, it was below 1v so it wasn't turning the light on. 

Do you have any deoxIT? What kind of lube did you use? Also make sure when you're turning it you don't loosen the tailcap, or that will cut the power as you can lock out the tailswitch by loosening it.


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## Crashking (Dec 24, 2007)

WadeF said:


> Did you try any other fresh alkalines? When I first got mine I put in a NiMh off the charger and the light didn't turn on. I put in an akaline and it was fine. Here the NiMh, after coming off the charger, didn't take a charge, it was below 1v so it wasn't turning the light on.
> 
> Do you have any deoxIT? What kind of lube did you use? Also make sure when you're turning it you don't loosen the tailcap, or that will cut the power as you can lock out the tailswitch by loosening it.



nyogel 760g on the threads and 779ZC on the o-rings..... tried 3 different akalines plus an eneloop... akaline at 1.56 volts and the eneloop at 1.29volts... no deoxit but i've cleaned the threads about 3 times now... tailcap definitely not loose... i struggle to get it off even with a rubber gripper thing...

tried another akaline... tight on both ends.. nothin 

i even tried bypassing the switch with a piece of wire.. and nothing... it's dead


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## freefall8 (Dec 24, 2007)

Received mine today, and it is a great light. Well made, nice knurling on the body, and very bright. All the modes work, and the forward clicky is smooth.

I paid $40, and I am very happy with the deal. At $80, I would pass on buying.


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## WadeF (Dec 24, 2007)

Crashking said:


> tried another akaline... tight on both ends.. nothin


 
Bummer.  Hope you get a replacement quickly. Once you get a good one I'm sure you'll love it.


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## Crashking (Dec 24, 2007)

WadeF said:


> Bummer.  Hope you get a replacement quickly. Once you get a good one I'm sure you'll love it.



i'm sure i will.. it's similar to my gladius and i love that light's ui... the NCDI doesnt switch as easily... but has the same features..... is brighter (hopefully) and uses a cheap/common aa as battery power... gladius doesnt do that... 

i actually found someone else on here with the same problem... http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2102172&postcount=1498


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## roymail (Dec 24, 2007)

Where did you get one of these for $40... I didn't hear about it? :ironic:


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## Fallingwater (Dec 24, 2007)

Crashking said:


> got mine today as well in florida... no ems.... took it out of the box... lubed the threads and o-ring... put a battery in... put it together... hit the switch... nothing.... made sure the switch end was tight... still nothing.... took it apart... cleaned the threads thinking maybe i had to much lube... put it back together... nothing.... tightened the switch end again and it came on! so i thought maybe it was just to much lube and the cap wasnt tight enough... played with it for a little while... dimmed up and down.... compared it to my gladius... and the gladius was definitely brighter.... so i tried a alaline aa instead of the eneloop... same result... gladius brighter... slightly tighter spot... nitecore slightly wider spot... but not as bright... and the gladius has some use on the batteries... for 100lumens more it wasn't impressing me... then the light started flickering.... did that for a about 10 secs and went to full brightness while in tactical.... tried user set mode... to dim up and down... and got nothin.... just a slight flicker.... then i got it to dim and brighten but it would still flicker (not a PWM flicker... like actually brightness variation) at the settings it was at... then it stopped changing brightness... and stayed at full bright.... and well now i got nothing... no light at all...tried 3 different batteries and nothin.... cleaned all the threads real well.. checked the switch with my meter... switch is good.... gonna contact tad gear and get an rma


Please restructure this post with clear sentences and without pointless periods. It's a real pain to read it as it is.


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## Crashking (Dec 24, 2007)

Fallingwater said:


> Please restructure this post with clear sentences and without pointless periods. It's a real pain to read it as it is.




I'm going to pass on that bit of fun. Thank you for the offer though. if it's tough to read... dont read it ... ... ... ...


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## PhantomPhoton (Dec 25, 2007)

I hate you all. Well not really, I'm just grumpy that mine didn't leave Hong Kong till the 19th. :sigh: And no tracking.
I'm consistently cheap, I guess I'm used to the waiting by now. If the shipping is free by canoe from Indonesia I'll take it over a $2 ride in an airplane. 
Thanks for all of the feedback about the light so far. Keeps me going.


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## Patriot (Dec 25, 2007)

I got mine this morning!

I also pleasantly was surprised with the fit, finish, and overall quality. It's not as bright as the P3DR or P3DQ5 but I didn't expect it to be. It carries smaller that either of those lights also. I was a little distracted this morning so it took me about five minutes of fiddling to figure out the modes. I do think that the programmable sweep almost moves too quickly but this is a small issue. It's definitely worth the $50 that I paid for it but $80 would be pushing the limit considering what a L1 costs. I will say it's one of the most interesting AA lights to hit the market lately. As much as I like it, I'm giving it to my Dad as a Christmas gift and I probably won't replace it unless I can get it for $50-60 bucks again. 

Ditto to what another CPFer noticed about all of the markings. I could to without the "star" marking and the etching on the bezel that says "strong light" with an exclamation. Most flashlights would say, 'caution hot surface.' I can't help but to think that something got mixed up in translation somewhere there.


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## jsr (Dec 25, 2007)

WadeF said:


> What emitter are you running in your Dereelight? My Nitecore can't touch any of my Dereelights. Do you have a bad pill in your Dereelight?  Or maybe you have a super charged Nitecore.


 
I have a Cree P4 in my Dereelight (I have the CL1H 2.0). I haven't compared it to my Q2 pill yet. I don't have the Q4 or Q5 pills as the P4 is plenty bright. Perhaps when an R2 or R3 comes out, I'll upgrade. I'm sure the DI won't hold up against a Q5 CL1H 3.0.


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## Inferno (Dec 25, 2007)

I showed mine to a coworker today, while it was set on LOW... he takes a look at it, makes some coment about his keychain light being brighter, then proceedes to unscrew it and inspects everything-- which was fine until he put it back together, cinching the head down and unknowingly put my new baby into HIGH. He looks down the emitter end and turns it on while saying something about the light being dim enough to check pupil response... what followed next was a bit of swearing followed by complaints of a big blue dot obscuring his eyesight for the better part of an hour...

Nightcore, I love this light!


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## ankhbr (Dec 25, 2007)

Inferno said:


> I showed mine to a coworker today, while it was set on LOW... he takes a look at it, makes some coment about his keychain light being brighter, then proceedes to unscrew it and inspects everything-- which was fine until he put it back together, cinching the head down and unknowingly put my new baby into HIGH. He looks down the emitter end and turns it on while saying something about the light being dim enough to check pupil response... what followed next was a bit of swearing followed by complaints of a big blue dot obscuring his eyesight for the better part of an hour...
> 
> Nightcore, I love this light!




Some like learning the hard way...  :lolsign:


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## Fallingwater (Dec 25, 2007)

Inferno said:


> I showed mine to a coworker today, while it was set on LOW... he takes a look at it, makes some coment about his keychain light being brighter, then proceedes to unscrew it and inspects everything-- which was fine until he put it back together, cinching the head down and unknowingly put my new baby into HIGH. He looks down the emitter end and turns it on while saying something about the light being dim enough to check pupil response... what followed next was a bit of swearing followed by complaints of a big blue dot obscuring his eyesight for the better part of an hour...
> Nightcore, I love this light!


You just gave me an idea for practical jokes. I'll show it to people in low mode, then switch it off, put it into high and give it to them to fiddle with.
Since everybody seems to have some sort of compulsion to switch on flashlights while looking at the emitter, this should be good for some laughs


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## sabre7 (Dec 25, 2007)

CAUTION STRONG LIGHT! Strike bezel on AA? ROFLMAO!!! Markings and box looks like its marketed to 7 year olds who want to play army. Does it come with a GI Joe doll too?


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## Fallingwater (Dec 25, 2007)

Yes, the butch factor is a bit exaggerated. I don't really care, though, since it seems a very good product.


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## Paul6ppca (Dec 25, 2007)

PhantomPhoton said:


> I hate you all. Well not really, I'm just grumpy that mine didn't leave Hong Kong till the 19th. :sigh: And no tracking.
> I'm consistently cheap, I guess I'm used to the waiting by now. If the shipping is free by canoe from Indonesia I'll take it over a $2 ride in an airplane.
> Thanks for all of the feedback about the light so far. Keeps me going.


 

Mine also said shipped the 19th too.I got on dec 24! I think it comes down to your post office.postman.


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## frankr (Dec 25, 2007)

Mine was shipped on the 19th and I got in yesterday


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## regulator (Dec 25, 2007)

Mine was shipped on the 19th and I did not receive mine yet (Illinois). I was really hoping for it to arrive yesterday. I am hopeful it arrives tomorrow seeing many have received theirs. In the meantime it is nice to read about all the cool lights some are getting for Xmas.


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## Inferno (Dec 26, 2007)

I think the strike bezel is more for looks than function-- with my luck, I'll sandwich that fat on the side of my hand between the teeth and whatever I'm hitting! I would have liked it a little flatter so I can press it against my pts arms when looking for veins on the tough sticks, but it does look cool whether you're 7 or 27! Everyone at work loves the light, then they go "WHAT?!" when I tell them I paid $50 on a preorder! Nevermind telling them the MSRP, they just won't get it... 

By the way, these are the same type of people who would drop $300+ on the latest phone or PDA, and you know what good that'll be in a power outage with the cell towers knocked down...


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## regulator (Dec 26, 2007)

Got mine this afternoon! I am extremely happy and mine is pefect. I always am concerned about what kind of tint to expect since it is still a lottery. My tint is absoutely gorgeous! Pure white. The fit and finish is great as well. I know that there are slight variences in HA color but mine is about perfect as well.

I have been doing some comparisons to other small lights I have and adjusting brightness by eye to match and then taking current measurments to get an idea of how efficient the light is. I can tell you that the DI is a pretty efficient light. I consider the Fenix P3D to be an efficient light and the DI is matching output/current. 

I can set the brightness of the DI to the medium output on the P3D and they require approximately the same current. This is about 150 mA and puts out a nice amount of light (P3D using a 17670 cell and the DI using a AW 14500 cell both fully charged to just over 4 volts). I can probably expect about 4-5 hours of bright output with the DI at this "nice" output level which is great. I am very happy with this light!!!


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## WadeF (Dec 26, 2007)

jsr said:


> I have a Cree P4 in my Dereelight (I have the CL1H 2.0). I haven't compared it to my Q2 pill yet. I don't have the Q4 or Q5 pills as the P4 is plenty bright. Perhaps when an R2 or R3 comes out, I'll upgrade. I'm sure the DI won't hold up against a Q5 CL1H 3.0.


 
My Nitecore won't touch any of my Dereelights with a Q2 or better pill. I don't have any of the P4 pills, but I wouldn't expect the Nitecore to compare in output with something like a CL1H.


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## Hondo (Dec 26, 2007)

Got my 3 DI's (one is a gift) and a Spear today, also left Shanghai on the 19th. Very nice, bright for a AA, but drawing 1.7 amps from a NiMH, it should be! I have some of the slight HA variations mentioned, but as a multiple HDS owner, I would call them a near-perfect match. There is a slight bit of flicker when moving the switches through the first half of the momentary travel, but only on high, for whatever reason. I am sure if I can disassemble them, a Deoxit/Progold treatment would fix that.

Anyone having trouble changing modes MUST clean and lube the head end threads and o-ring. Mine were constantly glitching into strobe mode until I did, and now they work just as they should. Another thing I had trouble with was overshooting the brightness I wanted, as it goes pretty fast when you are trying to get something just a bit brighter than max low. I found I could nail it much easier by turning it off by twisting the tailcap rather than cycling the clickie. YMMV.

Well, it's pretty dark here now, I need to go outside to really appreciate this Spear. I'll find my way out back by a DI .


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## Pumaman (Dec 26, 2007)

good: beautiful presentation and extras, great knurling and anodizing, white tint, forward clicky, bright for a nimh and alkaline.

bad: emitter slightly off center resulting less than stellar beam, too much "strong light" markings and such, front bezel turning action too stiff after clean and lube.

all around a very nice light. might be worth the 80 asking price, great deal at the 40 i got it for.


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## frank777 (Dec 27, 2007)

Mine is flickering occasionally on HIGH. It goes off completely if tightened too snugly..... too bad. Otherwise, it would be a great light.


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## Dark Matter (Dec 27, 2007)

I received my 2 Nitecore DI on Dec 24. I was'nt expecting it until next week since the tracking info from Hong Kong said that it left China on Dec 21.

One NDI came with a black lanyard and the other with an olive color lanyard. Lanyards are very fancy. The knurling is perfect with no color mismatch on both. The threads were as clean as a wistle but very dry. I lubed the threads and o-rings and fired both up. Very nice white tint. Very bright on high with a nice low low. The UI is intuitive and works flawlessly. Forward clickie has a good feel to it. Momenary on works beautifully. I would highly recommend the lights


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## EDGETAC (Dec 27, 2007)

frank777 said:


> Mine is flickering occasionally on HIGH. It goes off completely if tightened too snugly..... too bad. Otherwise, it would be a great light.


 
Hi frank777,

As to the problem you mention, refer to your PM please! 



 Happy Holidays to all here! 


Best Regards,
Y.L.Wong


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## LightJaguar (Dec 27, 2007)

I'm extremely pleased with this light. Only complain is the markings but thats minor. 
Today I was playing around with it at work when a coworker asked me "is that Surefire?". I realized that he was looking at my light and I told him "no, its better then a Surefire"......

He then commented on how expensive Surefires are. I turned my light on and he had a look of amazement on his face. He then pulled out his minimag and started complaining about it. 
Not bad for a light that I paid $50 for. I don't really think that it is better then a SF but compared to their lower end lights it is a much better value.


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## KeeperSD (Dec 27, 2007)

Mine also arrived today, i wasn't expecting it until next week so I was pretty excited to see it. :thumbsup:Mine looks like it was opened by customs, but no big deal there. 

Great feel to the light, nice size, weight and feel. lanyard is also a nice touch, although i like mine a tied a little tighter so i modified mine. 

I agree with the other posters on here that it needs some lube on the threads, mine squeaks when undoing them. Only other bad thing is that my 14500 (Wolf Eyes) doesn't operate the light, fits inside but i assume the tail cap doesnt contact the body :mecry: So here comes another order for a AW cell.


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## Paul6ppca (Dec 27, 2007)

EDGETAC said:


> Hi frank777,
> 
> As to the problem you mention, refer to your PM please!
> 
> ...


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## djblank87 (Dec 27, 2007)

LightJaguar said:


> I'm extremely pleased with this light. Only complain is the markings but thats minor.
> Today I was playing around with it at work when a coworker asked me "is that Surefire?". I realized that he was looking at my light and I told him "no, its better then a Surefire"......
> 
> He then commented on how expensive Surefires are. I turned my light on and he had a look of amazement on his face. He then pulled out his minimag and started complaining about it.
> Not bad for a light that I paid $50 for. I don't really think that it is better then a SF but compared to their lower end lights it is a much better value.


 

This thread is going good and has useful information that others who do not have the light can read and make a decision on whether they want to buy one or not. 

For once lets not  about who is better than who and why. 

Instead focus on the positives and anything negative about the light so as to help people that in time might want one. LJ I know you stated you do not think one is better than the other but to bring it up makes everyone get on edge and brings nothing to the table.


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## Rzr800 (Dec 27, 2007)

WadeF said:


> My Nitecore won't touch any of my Dereelights with a Q2 or better pill. I don't have any of the P4 pills, but I wouldn't expect the Nitecore to compare in output with something like a CL1H.


 
...and _by gosh_ that goes for you too, Wade!  (sorry, couldn't resist :grouphug: ).


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## Fallingwater (Dec 27, 2007)

LightJaguar said:


> Today I was playing around with it at work when a coworker asked me "is that Surefire?"


Where do you work? I'm surprised your coworkers know what Surefires are


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## Oddjob (Dec 27, 2007)

I just received mine and my first impressions are favourable. The anodizing is even with the head being a fraction lighter than the body but not very noticeable. The knurling is good and it has a nice feel in the hand. I like the overall aesthetics except for the writing. It doesn't bother me but I think it unnecessary. The two flat areas with the "X"'s do not work to prevent rolling unless you lay the light down on the flat spots. I pocket carry my lights so no clip does not bother me.

So far it is working properly and with a little bit of lube the twisting of the head and tail are smooth with the head being a little harder to twist than the tail. No problems with programming the user defined mode or switching the strobe on and off.

The beam quality is OK. There is a slight dark area/ring around the corona but not noticeable unless whitewall hunting. Tint is slightly warm (which I happen to like) with a little bit of a warmer/yellowy area surrounding the darker ring. Doesn't bother me though and again not noticeable when using it.

The areas I would like to see improved are the beam quality and the engraving. I'm not overly picky but there are comparable lights out there with better beams. In terms of the engraving, I am a minimalist. I would like to see nothing on it but barring that maybe just the manufacturer name and model. Overall I like the light so far and hopefully time will prove it's durability and reliabilty.


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## LightJaguar (Dec 27, 2007)

Fallingwater said:


> Where do you work? I'm surprised your coworkers know what Surefires are


 
Yea he surprized me too, specially since he is Australian. At fist I heard something fire so I was wondering if he was talking about our fire alarm system. 
He mentioned expensive and Military when talking about SFs. I told him that I do have a few SFs but that my DI was not one of them.

Sorry if I hurted anyone's feelings by repeating his comments. I guess he just didn't realize the consequences of calling my Nitecore a SF.


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## fredb (Dec 27, 2007)

Received mine today. It's a great little light, but I think I'd have a hard time paying more than $50 for it. I absolutely love the knurling and absolutely hate the markings on body. The only problem that I've encountered is that even though I set the user definable mode to the lowest low, sometimes it mysteriously changes to a brighter setting. Not necessarily a worry right now, but something I need to observe and figure out what's going on.


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## CM (Dec 27, 2007)

Got mine a few days ago. For a single AA light, it's impressive. Edgetac needs to be truthful about the "180 lumens" output. No friggin' way this is 180 lumens. I'd say more like 120. That's my only major criticism. The other is the busy markings on it and the "strong light" logo. 

As far as fit/finish/workmanship, if it said "Surefire" on it, I'd probably believe it.

Back to the busy markings. I really disliked the "Strong Light" mark on the head. It had to go. Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black made it virtually disappear. It's darker than the anodized area but you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. I'll post pictures later.


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## mchlwise (Dec 27, 2007)

fredb said:


> The only problem that I've encountered is that even though I set the user definable mode to the lowest low, sometimes it mysteriously changes to a brighter setting.



I've had the same problem. 

I believe this is caused by not unscrewing the bezel enough when you go into user-defined mode, or not screwing it down fast enough when going back to high. The head makes just enough contact with the end of the body and then it breaks contact, making the light think you want to ramp up brightness. Then you either turn it off or change to high, and it remembers where it was last - which is brighter than you wanted user-defined to be.


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## mitchmcgee (Dec 27, 2007)

I received my DI yesterday. Thanks Edge!

It is about as bright as the 3 watt energizer I got from Walmart. I am using eneloops in both.

The good:
1> The size and weight are almost perfect.
2> The knurling is perfect. Grippy but not scratchy.
3> The UI works well. I did not need to read the manual.

The bad:
1> The bezel crenellations are to sharp.
2> The metal shrouds on the tail are to thin. It makes it uncomfortable to use.
3> The switch is to soft. It just does not provide enough tension and tactile feedback for positive signaling.
4> The tail cap does not allow the light to tail-stand.


The ugly: All the graffiti!

My suggestions:
1>Do not laser etch any where but the two main flat areas.
2>Do not machine a edge on the bezel crenellations.
3>Increase the diameter of the tail cap to match the body ring.

Cheers,


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## matrixshaman (Dec 27, 2007)

Most people consider the quality Fenix lights a good value still so I am comparing this to Fenix lights with their prices and considering these following improvements over Fenix I consider this well worth the $80 price:
1 - Forward clicky tactical type switch - and very smooth at that
2 - No PWM noticeable
3 - Will actually work with a 3.6 volt rechargeable AND STILL have a LOW
4 - fully adjustable second mode to any level you want
5 - sharp teeth front bezel for trimming hangnails 
6 - nice lanyard with GITD end - a $5 to ~ $8 item from many sources free with this light
7 - works with nearly equal brightness with standard AA's and NiMH
8 - real HAIII that FEELS like HAIII

I'm not knocking Fenix here and I still like them but I just frustrated that they can't get a digital light out that works with both 1.2-1.5 volt AND 3.6 volt cells while retaining the low settings on the 3.6 volt cells. Edgetac has obviously shown this can be done and my cheers to them for doing so.


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## Oddjob (Dec 27, 2007)

fredb said:


> ...The only problem that I've encountered is that even though I set the user definable mode to the lowest low, sometimes it mysteriously changes to a brighter setting...


 


mchlwise said:


> I've had the same problem.
> 
> I believe this is caused by not unscrewing the bezel enough when you go into user-defined mode, or not screwing it down fast enough when going back to high. The head makes just enough contact with the end of the body and then it breaks contact, making the light think you want to ramp up brightness. Then you either turn it off or change to high, and it remembers where it was last - which is brighter than you wanted user-defined to be.


 
I've had more time to play with it now and I have found the same thing happening to mine. The shower test shows it to be waterproof enough for my uses.


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## matrixshaman (Dec 27, 2007)

mitchmcgee said:


> I received my DI yesterday. Thanks Edge!
> 
> 
> The bad:
> ...


I'm surprised by your comments in the 'bad' points. I haven't heard anyone yet complain about the tail switch being too 'soft' and I actually felt that was one of it's best points - it seems ideal to me. So I'll concede everyone has different opinions and tactile may be different for you. I'm not sure what you mean about the metal srhouds being too thin. I also love the sharp bezel crenellations although you may need to be careful in how you carry this as a result of that - just another fine point (no pun intended) that I happen to like. I do agree it would be nice to have it tail stand but I suspect it might be more difficult then to press the switch with the current diameter. Cheers


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## srvctec (Dec 27, 2007)

Got mine today and really like the light. Had to clean and lube the threads as I do all my new lights. Had some flickering and sanded both ends of the body with 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper- works fine now. Also put De-Oxit on all conductive surfaces.

*BUT...

*I have an issue that I have not seen mentioned yet. When using the momentary on feature in high mode (head tightened all the way down), sometimes within one or two seconds, my light will go into a slow flashing mode (not to be confused with strobe, I know what that is) with a flash on and off duration of about one second. In other words, on for one second, off for one second, or at least pretty close to that. I've reproduced it several times, but am unsure exactly what causes it. Once this starts, as long as I hold the switch in the momentary on position, the 1 hz flash will continue indefinitely. A couple of times, even when I press the switch to click on, it would stay in this slow flash mode. To get it out of this 1 hz flash mode, all I have to do is to rapidly press the switch on and off a few times and momentary on works fine (will stay on as long as I hold switch in). Also, once the 1 hz flash starts in high mode, if I loosen the head to go into user defined mode (low low for me), the 1 hz flash will continue. I noticed this problem right out of the box before I cleaned, lubed and used De-Oxit.

* Anyone else notice this??*


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## Thujone (Dec 27, 2007)

So far to sum up...

If the head came better cleaned to avoid the glitching and had less markings on it it would be the perfect edc for its price.

The former can be fixed with deoxit and some time, the latter can simply be ignored.. For me that makes it a value at the 60 I payed, fix those 2 things and I will order another.


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## Thujone (Dec 27, 2007)

srvctec said:


> \
> * Anyone else notice this??*



Yeah, Edgetac has suggested this is a low voltage indicator for Lion batts, I am not so sure though, I ran in hogh mode for a few minutes and had it go into doing this, then topped off the battery, it was 2/3 full... Glad I never use 100% for any extended amount of time.


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## CandlePowerForumsUser (Dec 27, 2007)

Finally got mine today. its a well made light, my threads on both ends could have been cleaner (not dirty as in dirt, threads kinda jagged in some areas) but its not that big a deal. on NiMH, its as bright as my other AA modded light with a RV7 driver and an SSC. on 14500, its ever slightly brighter.

Very pleased with the Nitecore. I'm glad someone tried something different with the design of the light instead of following whats already been done. Money well spent. 

Thanks Nitecore.


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## mitchmcgee (Dec 27, 2007)

matrixshaman said:


> I'm surprised by your comments in the 'bad' points. I haven't heard anyone yet complain about the tail switch being too 'soft' and I actually felt that was one of it's best points - it seems ideal to me. So I'll concede everyone has different opinions and tactile may be different for you. I'm not sure what you mean about the metal srhouds being too thin. I also love the sharp bezel crenellations although you may need to be careful in how you carry this as a result of that - just another fine point (no pun intended) that I happen to like. I do agree it would be nice to have it tail stand but I suspect it might be more difficult then to press the switch with the current diameter. Cheers



I should have said that I want to make the DI my EDC. I do like the light. So, my "bad" points were targeted at refinements to that end.

Cheers,


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## EDGETAC (Dec 27, 2007)

srvctec said:


> Got mine today and really like the light. Had to clean and lube the threads as I do all my new lights. Had some flickering and sanded both ends of the body with 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper- works fine now. Also put De-Oxit on all conductive surfaces.
> 
> *BUT...*
> 
> ...


 

Dear sevctec,


As to this issue you mention, it may be caused by not fast enough activation on the tail cap, if you press not fast enough, it will cause contact resistance, which makes the voltage provided for flashlight lower, so the flashlight circuit senses this and generates the low-voltage alarming signal of flickering once every 2 seconds. Hope it's clear to you.

Faster press on the tail cap should resolve this issue, please try and if any further issues, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will be of support in solving them. 


Best Regards,


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## Thujone (Dec 27, 2007)

EDGETAC said:


> Dear sevctec,
> 
> 
> As to this issue you mention, it may be caused by not fast enough activation on the tail cap, if you press not fast enough, it will cause contact resistance, which makes the voltage provided for flashlight lower, so the flashlight circuit senses this and generates the low-voltage alarming signal of flickering once every 2 seconds. Hope it's clear to you.
> ...




As I said in my post, this has also happened to me after running for a few minutes on high even though the battery was nearly fresh(244mah out of a battery that nonrmally takes ~750). Not sure that that suggestion matches up with that, seems that the low voltage warning may be set too high to me.


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## EDGETAC (Dec 27, 2007)

Thujone said:


> As I said in my post, this has also happened to me after running for a few minutes on high even though the battery was nearly fresh(244mah out of a battery that nonrmally takes ~750). Not sure that that suggestion matches up with that, seems that the low voltage warning may be set too high to me.


 

Dear Thujone,


As to your issue, please use a fresh new battery to try, used batteries even fully charged might have resistance, please try and see if problem still exists. Let me know if any further issues, thanks!


Best Regards,


----------



## chibato (Dec 27, 2007)

Kudos to Edgetac for staying up on NDI threads and posting solutions/responses to product issues.:thumbsup:


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## srvctec (Dec 27, 2007)

EDGETAC said:


> Dear sevctec,
> 
> 
> As to this issue you mention, it may be caused by not fast enough activation on the tail cap, if you press not fast enough, it will cause contact resistance, which makes the voltage provided for flashlight lower, so the flashlight circuit senses this and generates the low-voltage alarming signal of flickering once every 2 seconds. Hope it's clear to you.
> ...



Thank you!! That's exactly what is happening. I just verified it by pushing slowly on the switch and it went into slow flash mode. I then purposely pushed fast on the switch, still only using the momentary mode and it does not flash. Now that I know how to reproduce this, I kind of like it! Thanks for a fantastic light, EdgeTac!!

Forgot to mention that my battery is a 14500 reading 4.0v before I used it in the light.

Here's mine after adding a Gerber Infinity clip (trimmed down with my Dremel). Also added my own finger lanyard to my liking.


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## matrixshaman (Dec 28, 2007)

I just put my focus on playing with the UI a couple minutes and I totally love this setup. I've had the light 3 days but just realized now how really slick and simple this setup is! You can have momentary on in strobe, high or low or any level you choose for the user setting. Or you can have switched on for any of those too. How can it get any better than this? 
BTW am I the only one that likes the /!\ Strong Light label ?? It just makes me want to chuckle but I really don't have a problem with it. However the Nitecore star label on it just takes away from an otherwise very professional looking light. That label might have been okay if it was on a 'flat' like the other writing.


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## merlocka (Dec 28, 2007)

Well, I fixed the tail-stand problem.











Now I just need to solve the tail-stand & forward-clicky 
problem...


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## Bushman5 (Dec 28, 2007)

I got mine a few days ago, have run about 15 AA batteries thru it since.

words cannot express how HAPPY i am at FINALLY having a functional flashlight that does'nt take *(^&*&%&** CR123s! I have had NOTHING but problems and frustrations with CR123 lights and chargers and batteries. The fact that the NiteCore runs on common and CHEAP AA's and rechargeable AA's is like a gift from the heavens. 

oh yea, the light. yea its bright, works well, well made, bla bla bla. whoc ares...i dont!

IT RUNS ON AA's and works!!!!!!! nuff said!  

well worth the $40 bucks for the light and the 5 bucks for the 30 AA's i bought.

thanks Mr Edgetac.


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## CandlePowerForumsUser (Dec 28, 2007)

has anyone replaced the rubber boot in the tail cap with DX or Kai colored one? If so, whats the correct one to get, they have different sizes and I have no way of measuring it.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Thujone (Dec 28, 2007)

EDGETAC said:


> Dear Thujone,
> 
> 
> As to your issue, please use a fresh new battery to try, used batteries even fully charged might have resistance, please try and see if problem still exists. Let me know if any further issues, thanks!
> ...



The first cell was an AW 14500 fully charged, second cell tested today was a DLG 14500 fully charged. Both times it took less than 10 minutes for it to trip into this slow blink mode. I can immediately turn off the light and back on and it ceases to blink for a while. This is not a huge deal but something I think should be looked at. May simply be that the voltage level to trip the low voltage indication is set too high.


----------



## mchlwise (Dec 28, 2007)

Thujone said:


> May simply be that the voltage level to trip the low voltage indication is set too high.



I also suspect this is the case. I did a rough runtime test on a fresh 14500 and it went into slow-strobe (battery warning) after about 25 minutes. :shakehead

I didn't measure the voltage of the battery at the time, instead I just decided I'm going to run the NiteCore on NIMH cells from now on. 

I threw in a NIMH for another rough runtime test, and it was going for about an hour before I had to go do something else. 

My 14500 is rated at 900mah, and my NIMHs are rated at at least 2500mah. The output on NIMH is bright enough that I'm happy to trade a small drop in output for a huge increase in runtime - especially since this is my EDC now.


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## CM (Dec 28, 2007)

"Strong Light" detractors, this is what I did:







I used Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black. You can barely make out the Strong Light markings. In fact, I had to photoshop the picture above to enhance whatever remained of the marking. I agree that the marks should be minimal and it should be applied to the flat parts of the body and not on the knurling. 

After a few days of playing with this light, I remain impressed at the sample I got. I still can't get over how bright it is for a single AA light. I am now looking at all my 123 based lights in contempt though I admit that if Edgetac can get this much light out of a single AA, they should be able to produce a single 123 based light that would be noticeably brighter. But I digress, and the appeal of using easily available Alkaline AA's in a pinch has great value. 

Nice job Edgetac!


----------



## Walt175 (Dec 28, 2007)

CM said:


> "Strong Light" detractors, this is what I did:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
I was planing on trying Aluminum Black this weekend. Nice to know it will work. :twothumbs


----------



## Inferno (Dec 28, 2007)

Okay, got the UI down... but sometimes when I leave her in low mode (I prefer just maximum low & high settings) then tighten down to high, she'll strobe instead; I get warning of this though, because she strobes for a few seconds when I go from low to high, then back to low-- the next "high" will strobe instead. As for my impressions of the switch, I think it's just right; I also notice, however, that slight depressing the switch will give me about "medium" in output, then high when I go all the way down. 

Now, markings on the flat sides only, flat head, flat switch, no-taper body tube... nah, that would make it like every other AA light out there! I think EdgeTac is doing the right thing, if I wanted those other things, I would've bought a Jetbeam... I swear, all the AA lights look the same out there (except that Romisen one with the bigger head); this niche needs a little variety, and this is it!


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## swxb12 (Dec 28, 2007)

The markings are tasteful, the problem is just there is too much for some. I think they're fine. If they get rid of them, we'll have limited editions!

I noticed that TADGear seems to have it in stock on their website now. I would be interested to see whether or not they have a "version 1.*1*". Something, if anything different than our units.

Lucky me, I had 3 power outages since last night. L2D saw room-lighting candle stand duty and my NDI lit up the neighbors' houses.


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## Inferno (Dec 28, 2007)

swxb12 said:


> Lucky me, I had 3 power outages since last night. L2D saw room-lighting candle stand duty and my NDI lit up the neighbors' houses.



Only on these forums would someone start off a power outage story with the words _lucky me_...


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## nanotech17 (Dec 28, 2007)

CandlePowerForumsUser said:


> has anyone replaced the rubber boot in the tail cap with DX or Kai colored one? If so, whats the correct one to get, they have different sizes and I have no way of measuring it.
> 
> Thanks in advance.




post #268
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/180378&page=9


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## Fallingwater (Dec 28, 2007)

Inferno said:


> Only on these forums would someone start off a power outage story with the words _lucky me_...


Only on these forums would someone refer to a flashlight as a "she" instead of a "it"


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## GarageBoy (Dec 28, 2007)

Mine is great..slightly less bright than my P2D Q5, but WOW, the finish is amazing (eh, won't complain about the lettering) for something that price. Love the UI, except I think it ramps too quickly and there is no response to the twisting until a second later (same gripe I had with HDS)


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## frisco (Dec 29, 2007)

Had mine a couple of days..... Really like it, except how stiff the head turning was..... even after clean and lube it was a two hand deal.

I took the O-ring out of the head side..... Wow! Now it's a one hand operation!

Gonna look through my Fenix/JetBeam stuff for a thin O-ring.

frisco


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## Blindasabat (Dec 29, 2007)

Got a note in my mailbox yesterday that it was to be in the post office for me to pick up today, so of course I went to get it with a 14500 in my pocket.

Nice well matched Ano, good feeling knurling, good fit in the hand. I used the sharp crenellations to cut off a paper wrapper over a glass bottle's cap (Arizona Ice Tea if you have seen them). LED color is a little cool for my taste, but I prefer very warm. This is almost colorless. Beam is OK though it has rings visible on flat surfaces.

The UI has the delay in response I saw in the video. It could be made to respone immediately like the HDS, then react when the sequence is recognized without impacting operation. If setting the low level brightness (low-hi-low twist), it would switch to high then back to low before starting ramping. A small price to pay for more responsive behavior. But it does switch to strobe half the time I switch to or from high.
Nice light for the $50 I paid. Probably worth $80 if it turns out to be durable and reliable, and you don't have an HDS, Novatac, SF L1 or equivalent.


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## gunga (Dec 29, 2007)

frisco said:


> Had mine a couple of days..... Really like it, except how stiff the head turning was..... even after clean and lube it was a two hand deal.
> 
> I took the O-ring out of the head side..... Wow! Now it's a one hand operation!
> 
> ...


 

I used a stock Fenix o-ring from an L1D, works great 1 handed now.


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## ankhbr (Dec 29, 2007)

CM said:


> "Strong Light" detractors, this is what I did:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Wow, nice job! !
I'll try that when I get mine. For now, just praying for customs to work faster...


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## AFAustin (Dec 29, 2007)

Great thread. I posted my initial impressions in the Review thread, and should've posted here. They are as follows:


Mine shipped 12/19 and arrived Texas 12/27, not bad at all. I've played with it the last 2 nights. Initial impressions:

Presentation: well above average. Very nice foam lined box, handsome lanyard, slick instructions, etc.

Build quality: excellent overall. Nice HA and strong knurling. Middle section slighly darker than 2 end pieces, NBD. Good threads. Has a quality feel---I put it next to my SF E2L and they look like they could be first cousins. Same objection to all the lettering, but hopefully EdgeTac will learn from its missteps.

Switch: a winner. Great feel and slick momentary. Protruding button means no tailstand, but easier to operate with gloves.

U/I: mixed. I like the concept, and the relative simplicity. Some problems so far with consistent proper operation---sometimes it starts strobing for no reason, or low setting spontaneously reverts to lowest setting, or just can't get it to go into proper user defined mode. If I just keep fooling with it, it rights itself, and these problems are only intermittent, so I can live with it---but it's not perfect. Haven't had time to try and isolate the cause---is it the lack of a nipple on my 14500s? (don't think so, because most of the same problems with an eneloop); is it the lubricant on the head threads? (I've tried Nanolube, then Nyogel, and neither has resolved the issue---should I go "dry" on the head?). I will be reading with interest how you guys resolve these issues.

Output: cutting edge. I have a very bright Rexlight and the DI is noticeably brighter and keeps its cool, while the Rex feels the heat (i.e., DI has excellent thermal management). I took the DI out tonight, loaded with a 14500, to play with my WE Sniper 6AX HO Cree (170 lumen). It threw a bit less, and had a bit less overall output, but not by too much. The tint on the DI is warm, but pleasingly so---none of this ugly yellow or green. In fact, I like the better outdoor color rendition, and it's easy on the eye. The beam does have fairly prominent rings, both around the hotspot (which is only noticeable on a white wall), and on the perimeter, which is noticeable everywhere. Again, NBD. Like everyone, I am amazed by its output on NiMH. On an eneloop, it is only a little dimmer than on a 14500---impressive. That said, with the marginally better output, and significantly better runtime, I'll still probably stick with a 14500 in the DI.

Size: I wish it were 1/2" shorter, so it would fit better in my jeans coin pocket. But, hey, I'm quibbling here.

Upgradeability: Who knows? Has EdgeTac made any pronouncements on this issue?

Manufacturer resonsiveness: So far, so good. I have been very impressed with what I have seen to date, including one PM from yours truly and a quick and satisfactory response from Ms. Wong.

Conclusion: Very impressive little light. Everyone who got in on the introductory offers got a real deal.


Postscript: Even after my clean & Deoxit drill, I am still having some problems with the UI. See: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/180378&page=11

This is a very significant light, IMO, and the somewhat fickle UI is the only Achilles heel.


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## Walt175 (Dec 29, 2007)

I went to town on mine with the Birchwood Casey Aluminium Black, and I have to say I love it! I darkened the "strong light" warning, the star symbol on the body, and the + and - on the body. It's actually kind of cool, because they are still there, just subdued and blending in with the HA. Fortunately whatever alloy they use seems to take the blackening rather well. Now we just need to see how long it lasts. :thumbsup:


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## sabre7 (Dec 30, 2007)

Looks like quite a few proud new owners are getting rid of em quick in Marketplace......:thinking:


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## texbaz (Dec 30, 2007)

sabre7 said:


> Looks like quite a few proud new owners are getting rid of em quick in Marketplace......:thinking:


 
I noticed that also, One Sold for double what the seller paid not a bad way make a buck.


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## Aaron (Dec 30, 2007)

I'm guessing it's not upgradeable, as I haven't read anything about it either way. Does anyone know if the Q5 can be removed and replaced with an R4 when they come out?


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## Fallingwater (Dec 30, 2007)

sabre7 said:


> Looks like quite a few proud new owners are getting rid of em quick in Marketplace


I'm guessing at least some people bought them when the price was low with the sole purpose of reselling them for a profit after the promotion ended.


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## Daniel_sk (Dec 30, 2007)

Anyone wants to sell me a little of the "Birchwood Casey Aluminium Black"? Just to paint the labels on one Nitecore, ordering a big bottle of it from USA would be too expensive (and most stores won't bother sending one bottle to Europe, Slovakia) . Thank you and sorry for little off-topic .


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## Fallingwater (Dec 30, 2007)

You're bound to have similar stuff in Slovakia. Look for metal paints and varnishes.


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## Daniel_sk (Dec 30, 2007)

Fallingwater said:


> You're bound to have similar stuff in Slovakia. Look for metal paints and varnishes.


It's not a simple paint, but some sort of chemical that will blacken the aluminum. I could use simple paint but I don't think I'll get similar results. Anyway, I'll try to find something comparable to this.


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## Walt175 (Dec 30, 2007)

I believe that Birchwood Casey is some sort of an acid. 
Here's some "after" pics. 














As far as some people selling them off, profit may be one reason, the other is that this light, like all lights, is not for everyone. Some will love it, some will not, but you won't know until you check it out.


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## srvctec (Dec 30, 2007)

Walt175 said:


> I believe that Birchwood Casey is some sort of an acid.



Do you think Wal-Mart would have this stuff? I'd rather get it locally than to order it and pay for shipping.


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## Walt175 (Dec 30, 2007)

srvctec said:


> Do you think Wal-Mart would have this stuff? I'd rather get it locally than to order it and pay for shipping.


 
I don't think so. You'll have to check the yellow pages for local gun stores. They may have it. I bought mine from a local store, yet another I went to didn't have it.


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## SlotCAR (Dec 30, 2007)

Walt175 said:


> I don't think so. You'll have to check the yellow pages for local gun stores. They may have it. I bought mine from a local store, yet another I went to didn't have it.


 

I bought mine from Bass Pro Shop $5.29 ...

Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black Metal Finish

*- SlotCAR*


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## merlocka (Dec 30, 2007)

SlotCAR said:


> I bought mine from Bass Pro Shop $5.29 ...
> 
> Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black Metal Finish
> 
> *- SlotCAR*



Thanks! Any tips on application?


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## srvctec (Dec 30, 2007)

SlotCAR said:


> I bought mine from Bass Pro Shop $5.29 ...
> 
> Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black Metal Finish
> 
> *- SlotCAR*





I just placed an order for it from there as well. Did a Google search and came up with that result as the best price.


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## SlotCAR (Dec 30, 2007)

merlocka said:


> Thanks! Any tips on application?


 

No real tips on using it, just follow the directions.
My only warning is that not all aluminum turns black.
Some types turn a dark grey.

*- SlotCAR*


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## SlotCAR (Dec 30, 2007)

By the way, touch up pens are also available.
Its more of a paint as it can hide scratches by filling them.

Super Black Touch-Up Pen

But this is from a company that may not have the best reputation with CPF'rs, but that comment belongs in the "jeers" forum on CPF.

*- SlotCAR*


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## SlotCAR (Dec 30, 2007)

And last, but not least, either of these two products can coat an entire torch.

- Brownell's *Aluma-Hyde* II 
- Lauer's Duracoat

*- SlotCAR*


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## robo21 (Dec 30, 2007)

I really like the NDI. The interface is very nice but takes some getting used to. To set the infinitely variable setting you slightly loosen the bezel then do tighten/loosen move and the light begins to ramp down. It takes about 6 seconds to go from max to lowest. Another tighten loosen move will ramp the light back up in brightness. To lock a setting the light is turned off during the ramping process. This is truly an infinite sweep and not stepped like the 120P. Keep the bezel slightly loosened to stay in user defined mode or tighten the bezel completely to go to tactical mode. 

Tactical mode has two functions, either strobe or max brightness. These are selected by doing a quick loosen/tighten move. 

There is NO flickering in the lowest setting (3 lumens). 

The maximum output is amazing for a AA light. Very bright and good tint. The lens is the super clear and antireflective – it is virtually invisible. The lens was delivered crystal clear and perfectly clean. 

Physically the light is approximately ½” longer and 2/3 the thickness when compared to the 120P. The crenellated bezel edges are sharp but that has not been a problem. The knurling is very clean and lighter on the bezel and tail cap than on the barrel. I would have liked the deeper knurling everywhere on the light myself but it works fine as is. As we know, there have been numerous complaints about the printing on the bezel (Strong Light!) which I do not find objectionable. If I were displaying the light in a trophy case as a collectible item it might be an issue. But then if I were doing that I could turn the flashlight around so the warning was in the rear. Of course my hypothetical trophy case would probably have a mirror back wall so the warning would be visible in the reflection. Oh well. J

The clickie switch feels really nice and not as stiff and clunky as the switches in either my KD 5 Mode AA light or MTE 5 mode rebel AA light. The Novatac has spoiled me though and I have yet to see a switch on any light that is as slick as the switch on the 120P. The NDI does have the tactical clicky where a momentary soft press will turn the light on. 

I haven’t done any runtime tests yet but based upon the posted reviews the runtime is excellent. 

EdgeTac hit a home run in my opinion. I really like this flashlight. The infinitely variable programmability, high AA output, quality fit and finish, superb lens and overall utility make this light a real winner. The fact that it uses the ubiquitous AA battery form factor only adds to the value.


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## regulator (Dec 30, 2007)

I just posted a "crude" runtime test in the reviews section. The NDI has very good runtime for the amount of light it can put out. The overall circuit design is very good and efficient - I really like this light. 

If you are not driving the light at MAX, you can actually get very good performance ( good amount of light and runtime) on just about any cell. It is very efficient when driven at lower levels even on an alkaline cell. I was very surpised at the runtime with the brightness setting I had mine at. I do not have test equipment to verify this but compared to the many lights I have, and have had, it is a very nice light and I am very happy with it. This is NOT a gimicky toy or "impress you I'm the brightest" light. It is efficient and well built.


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## chibato (Dec 30, 2007)

I had the same problem some others had and couldn't get mine to switch to lower settings. I cleaned the threads with a q-tip and alcohol, lubed her up, and everything works fine. A bit smaller than I was expecting(which I am not complaining about.) Very nice light. Hope she holds up with time. Well done Edgetac!:thumbsup: Now I have to patiently wait for the Raidfire.


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## V8TOYTRUCK (Dec 31, 2007)

CM said:


> "Strong Light" detractors, this is what I did:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Sweeeeettttt......I was contemplating using a Sharpie


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## Illumination (Dec 31, 2007)

Received my light yesterday. 

In general, seems to be very well made - No Surefire, but better than Fenix and on par or better than Lumapower and Jetbeam's best. On Alkaline, visibly brighter than any other AA light I have (admittedly none are Q5s). Beam quality is ok, not as clean as some of my lights, but the brightness and whiteness makes up for that.

The only real negative is as others have mentioned; the light is packaged and marked like it were a toy. I too thought "Strong Light" sounds a bit bizarre. The box, while high quality, looks like it should package a toy. 

The above said, it was a great first effort. The light itself is as good as any AA light I have and I'm very happy to have ordered.

I got it for $60 on the pre-order. It was a good price, though I wouldn't spend much more.


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## LightJaguar (Dec 31, 2007)

Man some of you guys need to get out more often or perhaps take a vacation. I understand complaining about the markings but complaining about the packaging? What's the world coming to?
That being said my younger bro took one quick look at my new DI and his comments were "wow high tech".


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## Fallingwater (Dec 31, 2007)

The STRONG LIGHT mark might actually be useful to avoid people turning it on while looking at the emitter.
It does make sense, but it should be more tasteful.

Then again, this is nitpicking. I don't really care about aesthetics, so if my flashlight can illuminate houses from two blocks away I don't care if it's red and yellow with green spots.


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## Daniel_sk (Dec 31, 2007)

Just got my Nitecore today  (shipped December 21).
Very nice package, good first impression. Light is smaller than I thought. Very good anodizing, feels very "durable" - almost like a Surefire in hand. Knurling isn't agressive as on Surefires, but it's still an improvement over slippery flashlights. Lens was dirty, with finger prints - fortunately it was on the outside of the lens and I could clean it off :sweat:.
It took me a few minutes until I could control the UI, I had to take the manual (was it the first time in my life? ) and read it. The UI seems to work as advertised, but the bezel is very hard to turn - I might try some lube (because the threads were absolutely dry). 
Seems to be very bright for a 1AA light (on Eneloops), the lowest setting is quite low (main reason why I sold my L1D CE and bought the Nitecore). I have to wait for the night to test it.

I tried the red Fenix filter but it was too wide, but it might work with some duct tape.

For now, it's the BEST 1AA flashlight I ever had.


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## Daniel_sk (Dec 31, 2007)

I tried to compare a Surefire A2 Aviator to the Nitecore, I don't know how it's possible but this "50 lumen incan" has about the same throw and overall output as the Nitecore. I know, it's not a fair comparision (2x CR123A agains 1xAA) but still... this was supposed to be 180-200 lumens. That should noticable brighter than a SF A2... I have yet to find a small light that will impress me more than my Aviator . 
I just tried to shine both lights out of the window, will do more tests in the woods later.


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## patycake57 (Dec 31, 2007)

I've been playing with the NDI for a couple of days now, and I think it is an excellent light. The marking don't bother me, but I'd prefer they weren't there.

I think this is the best AA light out there. The 2 stage UI is quite nice, and I like that they've kept the strobe if I need it. I have had a couple problems with the thing ramping on user mode. I think it is because I didn't turn it out enough, and a small bump resulted in a quick hi-low signal to ramp. It would be nice if it was changed to a switch x 2 to avoid this issue. I can't think of anything else that I would change about this light (running on NiMH).

I still like the UI of the 85P better, but (correct me if I'm wrong), I believe that the Novatac is a parasitic circuit, so great for EDC, but not a keep somewhere just in case. Of course, for that much money, it should be used. I do wish Novatac/HDS would come out with one that is less tank like, more like a P2D or LF3 in size (for us office folk).


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## Oddjob (Dec 31, 2007)

Now that I have played with mine for a few days I have to say that I am still liking it. I have noticed a mark/dull spot on my reflector but it's not noticeable and does not affect the beam. It's been dropped a couple of time with no problems. It's passed the shower test for water resistance. 
I am still a little disappointed in the quality of my beam. The slightly dark ring around the corona and the yellowy ring around the dark ring are the only strikes for me so far. It probably would have bothered me a lot more if I paid full price for this light since there are less expensive lights with better beams. I'm probably just being knitpicky but the overall quality of the light is good and I think the beam should match that. It's still a great light IMO and as I said before I hope time proves it to be reliable and durable.


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## WadeF (Dec 31, 2007)

Daniel_sk said:


> I tried to compare a Surefire A2 Aviator to the Nitecore, I don't know how it's possible but this "50 lumen incan" has about the same throw and overall output as the Nitecore. I know, it's not a fair comparision (2x CR123A agains 1xAA) but still... this was supposed to be 180-200 lumens. That should noticable brighter than a SF A2... I have yet to find a small light that will impress me more than my Aviator .
> I just tried to shine both lights out of the window, will do more tests in the woods later.


 
I estimate my Nitecore to be around 110 lumens out the front. Maybe 140-150 emitter lumens at best, that's with a 14500.

Are you using a 14500 battery? It will be even less bright with a regular 1.2-1.5V AA, NiMH or akaline.


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## HiltiHome (Dec 31, 2007)

Got my NDI a few days ago and noticed, that it also got the slow strobe (blink mode).

With a partially depleted AW14500 (3,9V open circuit) i can access this hidden mode by turning the head several times.

I can't access this mode by slowly pressing the switch.

When in blink mode, it goes 2sec. on, 2sec. off. Once in this mode, there is no low mode, loosen the head makes the light stay in blink mode.


I guess this behavior ist not intended to be a low batt warning, at least it doesn't make sense to me in this way.


A low batt warning should be implanted like it is in a Gladius, just a short blink every 15sec.


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## Thujone (Dec 31, 2007)

Failure to operate on a 14500 without premature warning has taken the NDI out of EDC rotation for me. Novatac is back in my pocket where it belongs. Thanks for the week of entertainment NDI...


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## HiltiHome (Dec 31, 2007)

Just like Thujone wrote,

The NDI goes to the shelf, while my all time favorite is back in my pocket.

It's a SPY005


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## Daniel_sk (Dec 31, 2007)

WadeF said:


> I estimate my Nitecore to be around 110 lumens out the front. Maybe 140-150 emitter lumens at best, that's with a 14500.
> 
> Are you using a 14500 battery? It will be even less bright with a regular 1.2-1.5V AA, NiMH or akaline.


I am using just an Eneloop NiMH. So the output is quite comparable to the SF-A2, maybe the nitecore is little brigher but worse color rendition. And runtime is about the same on high as on the aviator (although the aviator eats 2x CR123A per hours). Anyway I am still very satisfied with the Nitecore, definitely a keeper for me (if it proves to be reliable enough).


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## lightfire (Dec 31, 2007)

I like mine, but do not like the interface. I think I'll just keep it in max setting. I like the L2D better and think it is a better buy, but this light is some amazing tech and I'll keep mine.


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## nanotech17 (Jan 1, 2008)

i add 2 o-ring to have a cigar grip style


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## Daniel_sk (Jan 1, 2008)

I found out that the lowest setting is a bit lower than Arc-P CS (and whiter). It should be something like 3-5 lumens? 

A picture of Arc AAA-P, Nitecore DI, SF A2 (taken under bad light conditions):


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## Fallingwater (Jan 1, 2008)

Thujone said:


> Failure to operate on a 14500 without premature warning has taken the NDI out of EDC rotation for me. Novatac is back in my pocket where it belongs. Thanks for the week of entertainment NDI...


Please give more details about this premature warning.

Why don't you just run it on eneloops? Do you absolutely need the few more lumens?


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## nanotech17 (Jan 1, 2008)

HiltiHome said:


> Got my NDI a few days ago and noticed, that it also got the slow strobe (blink mode).
> 
> With a partially depleted AW14500 (3,9V open circuit) i can access this hidden mode by turning the head several times.
> 
> ...




when this happened to me the 1st time, i just twist the tailcap to OFF position twist it back to ON position and the issue eliminated at once with ease


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## liquidsix (Jan 2, 2008)

Got mine December 31st. I'm very happy with it. I can live with the 'grafitying', wish the anadizing didn't fade out at the end of the bezel but was cut off at a seam like everywhere else on the light. 

All I can really compare it to is a MKII.X and a CL1H V1.0 with SSC module. I have to say, at half power it's as bright as the MKII.X at 100%, pretty amazing. And no more multi-click UI! WooHOO! The on button just turns the light on and off, like the classic lights I used to love. 

Now to have fun with it, does anyone know where I can get a decent GITD tailcap for this guy? I saw a video where someone moded theirs with one. I'm guessing it's a 14mm but it's taller than average.


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## robo21 (Jan 2, 2008)

liquidsix said:


> Got mine December 31st. I'm very happy with it. I can live with the 'grafitying', wish the anadizing didn't fade out at the end of the bezel but was cut off at a seam like everywhere else on the light.
> 
> All I can really compare it to is a MKII.X and a CL1H V1.0 with SSC module. I have to say, at half power it's as bright as the MKII.X at 100%, pretty amazing. And no more multi-click UI! WooHOO! The on button just turns the light on and off, like the classic lights I used to love.
> 
> Now to have fun with it, does anyone know where I can get a decent GITD tailcap for this guy? I saw a video where someone moded theirs with one. I'm guessing it's a 14mm but it's taller than average.


 
I am very curious about your anodizing issue, could you post a photo? 

I received an "early" shipment which was delivered on 12/17/07 and find perfect anodizing, no "seams," etc. 

If it's really objectionable maybe you could get a replacement.


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## CallMeDave (Jan 2, 2008)

What I love about it:

Everything except the beam.
Great switch. Feels almost as good in the hand as the (current) SF L1. 
UI works as advertised.
What I do not love about it:

The beam. More pronounced rings then my first generation Fenix Cree lights (P3D, L1D, P1D) with SMO reflectors. Inside the house it can't compare to the buttery smoothness of the NovaTac.
Did I say I didn't like the ringy beam?


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## Thujone (Jan 2, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Please give more details about this premature warning.
> 
> Why don't you just run it on eneloops? Do you absolutely need the few more lumens?



The .5Hz warning flash kicks in if on high for more than ~5 off a fresh 14500 in my light. 

But that isnt really the main reason it is not in my pocket. Mine has some serious reliability issues compared to my other lights. And they seem worse on eneloops than 14500 cells. On eneloops it will sometimes not fire up without twisting of the head and turning it on and off multiple times. It also has a higher tendency of turning off completely if I even slightly tighten the head past just touching for high mode. Also it does not seem to hold the high level steady all the time, sometimes it varies as much as 40% in intensity for a moment or two before settling into regulation which sometimes is 100% sometimes not. All in all it adds up to me simply not having any faith that the light will perform when I need it to.


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## Rzr800 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thujone said:


> The .5Hz warning flash kicks in if on high for more than ~5 off a fresh 14500 in my light.
> 
> But that isnt really the main reason it is not in my pocket. Mine has some serious reliability issues compared to my other lights. And they seem worse on eneloops than 14500 cells. On eneloops it will sometimes not fire up without twisting of the head and turning it on and off multiple times. It also has a higher tendency of turning off completely if I even slightly tighten the head past just touching for high mode. Also it does not seem to hold the high level steady all the time, sometimes it varies as much as 40% in intensity for a moment or two before settling into regulation which sometimes is 100% sometimes not. *All in all it adds up to me simply not having any faith that the light will perform when I need it to*.


 
With all due respect; I'd send the light back, as it appears that you may simply have a defective unit with that many problems listed. It's pretty hard to have faith in anything if it indeed never worked in the first place and I have yet to hear of Edgetac not making it right with anybody. Sorry to hear about your bad luck on this one.


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## srvctec (Jan 2, 2008)

Thujone said:


> The .5Hz warning flash kicks in if on high for more than ~5 off a fresh 14500 in my light.
> 
> But that isnt really the main reason it is not in my pocket. Mine has some serious reliability issues compared to my other lights. And they seem worse on eneloops than 14500 cells. On eneloops it will sometimes not fire up without twisting of the head and turning it on and off multiple times. It also has a higher tendency of turning off completely if I even slightly tighten the head past just touching for high mode. Also it does not seem to hold the high level steady all the time, sometimes it varies as much as 40% in intensity for a moment or two before settling into regulation which sometimes is 100% sometimes not. All in all it adds up to me simply not having any faith that the light will perform when I need it to.



Mine kind of acted up a little at the start, but I'm one who will pretty much fix any problems that arise. I just sanded the ends of the tube with 1200 grit wet/dry sand paper, then applied De-Oxit to all conducting parts. No problems whatsoever since. It's been my EDC since I got it a week ago and used frequently every day and still on the first 14500 I put in it.

Yours sounds like a bad connection problem, maybe between the head and body or tail and body. Just a thought.


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## liquidsix (Jan 2, 2008)

robo21 said:


> I am very curious about your anodizing issue, could you post a photo?
> 
> I received an "early" shipment which was delivered on 12/17/07 and find perfect anodizing, no "seams," etc.
> 
> If it's really objectionable maybe you could get a replacement.



Oops, my bad. I meant KNURLING not ANODIZING. I think it would be cool if it tapered to a seem near the strike area like it does in 5 other places on the light, instead of just fading out. After looking at it a bit, I think that wouldn't leave any room for the lense if it was done that way.


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## Thujone (Jan 3, 2008)

srvctec said:


> Yours sounds like a bad connection problem, maybe between the head and body or tail and body. Just a thought.



Yeah.. Unfortunately I have cleaned it to high heaven with deoxit to no avail, I have also sanded the top of the body. I am thinking that there must be a contact issue in the pill. Unfortunately I don't feel I can go down the return path because of the sanding of the head and tinkering I have done trying to trouble shoot the issues. Also I have sanded a bump out of the bezel. It just doesn't seem right to go down the return path when it is simply not in like new shape. It will still get some around the house duty, I just cant carry it as a primary. 

(Edgetac: If you read this and still want to warranty it I would not be opposed. I just wanted to fully disclose my actions.)


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## Fallingwater (Jan 3, 2008)

You should contact Egdetac anyway (as opposed to waiting they notice this post here). The light was defective to begin with, so they might replace it anyway.


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## robo21 (Jan 3, 2008)

Thujone said:


> Yeah.. Unfortunately I have cleaned it to high heaven with deoxit to no avail, I have also sanded the top of the body. I am thinking that there must be a contact issue in the pill. Unfortunately I don't feel I can go down the return path because of the sanding of the head and tinkering I have done trying to trouble shoot the issues. Also I have sanded a bump out of the bezel. It just doesn't seem right to go down the return path when it is simply not in like new shape. It will still get some around the house duty, I just cant carry it as a primary.
> 
> (Edgetac: If you read this and still want to warranty it I would not be opposed. I just wanted to fully disclose my actions.)


 
It sounds like you had a bad light from the get-go, I would hope that Edgetac would honor warranty regardless. Your runtime issues are inexcusable.


----------



## srvctec (Jan 3, 2008)

Thujone said:


> Yeah.. Unfortunately I have cleaned it to high heaven with deoxit to no avail, I have also sanded the top of the body. I am thinking that there must be a contact issue in the pill. Unfortunately I don't feel I can go down the return path because of the sanding of the head and tinkering I have done trying to trouble shoot the issues. Also I have sanded a bump out of the bezel. It just doesn't seem right to go down the return path when it is simply not in like new shape. It will still get some around the house duty, I just cant carry it as a primary.
> 
> (Edgetac: If you read this and still want to warranty it I would not be opposed. I just wanted to fully disclose my actions.)



I would definitely PM EdgeTac (Ms. Y.L. Wong). She has been great responding to me in several PMs with questions during the pre-buy. I know there are several others who have had very good customer service when going the PM route as well. Fantastic customer service for a brand new company with their first lights, IMO.


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## robo21 (Jan 3, 2008)

srvctec said:


> I would definitely PM EdgeTac (Ms. Y.L. Wong). She has been great responding to me in several PMs with questions during the pre-buy. I know there are several others who have had very good customer service when going the PM route as well. Fantastic customer service for a brand new company with their first lights, IMO.


 
I agree 100%. I think you will be surprised how well they take care of you Thujone. Good luck and please keep us posted on your results.


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## Illumination (Jan 3, 2008)

AFAustin said:


> U/I: mixed. I like the concept, and the relative simplicity. Some problems so far with consistent proper operation---sometimes it starts strobing for no reason, or low setting spontaneously reverts to lowest setting, or just can't get it to go into proper user defined mode. If I just keep fooling with it, it rights itself, and these problems are only intermittent, so I can live with it---but it's not perfect. Haven't had time to try and isolate the cause---is it the lack of a nipple on my 14500s? (don't think so, because most of the same problems with an eneloop); is it the lubricant on the head threads? (I've tried Nanolube, then Nyogel, and neither has resolved the issue---should I go "dry" on the head?). I will be reading with interest how you guys resolve these issues.
> 
> 
> This is a very significant light, IMO, and the somewhat fickle UI is the only Achilles heel.



I completely agree. For me this seriously detracts from the light.

I really liked my light at first, but I'm starting to have lots of problems with the U/I - it's so finicky. Sometimes it works and other times it does not. I'm starting to think that I should set the low level once and never again adjust. 

I can only hope it doesn't get more unreliable. I've noticed the light sometimes goes off when I am adjusting it...like a connection is being interrupted.

EDIT: Per suggestions on CPF, gave it a cleaning and a new o-ring (from a Fenix) - it now seems to work much better!


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## Rzr800 (Jan 3, 2008)

Thujone said:


> "...It just doesn't seem right to go down the return path when it is simply not in like new shape...I just wanted to fully disclose my actions..."


 
Wish there were more out there like you, Thujone. :sigh:

How many times do we witness people 'loud and proud' up here on the forums (have yet to see it here) not only attempting to pull the exact opposite but encouraging others to do so also.

Whether it's taken care of or not; I applaud the sentiment and wish that more felt the same way. :thumbsup:


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## robo21 (Jan 3, 2008)

Illumination said:


> I completely agree. For me this seriously detracts from the light.
> 
> I really liked my light at first, but I'm starting to have lots of problems with the U/I - it's so finicky. Sometimes it works and other times it does not. I'm starting to think that I should set the low level once and never again adjust.
> 
> I can only hope it doesn't get more unreliable. I've noticed the light sometimes goes off when I am adjusting it...like a connection is being interrupted.


 
This is mind boggling to me. I've had zero problems from day one and I'm EDC'ing mine. I have to wonder if intermittent or progressively problems might be caused by the battery or dirt or something similar.


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## clintb (Jan 3, 2008)

Should HA-III anodizing be pretty tough? Reason I ask is my DI rolled off my desk and landed on top of my Mac Pro (aluminum case), which is only a drop of 6 inches. That small drop chipped the anodizing, which looks more like a coating instead of something that penetrates the surface.


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## Walt175 (Jan 4, 2008)

Illumination said:


> I completely agree. For me this seriously detracts from the light.
> 
> I really liked my light at first, but I'm starting to have lots of problems with the U/I - it's so finicky. Sometimes it works and other times it does not. I'm starting to think that I should set the low level once and never again adjust.
> 
> ...


 
Mine's the same way. Sometimes it works fine. Sometimes not. Like how the clicky became momentary only for an hour or so. Then another time I had nothing but high. No user level or strobe. The next thing it did wrong was that it would flash brightly whenever I turned it on when on in user level. Since I use that as my "low", It was great for the night vision. Finally there's the always present dead spot. Turn the head till it's just snug and the light doesn't work at all. Loosen it slightly, or crank it down more and it'll work.
On the bright side when it works correctly, it's my favorite light!


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## Thujone (Jan 4, 2008)

Edgetac did happen across my post and is going to stand by their light. Just have to wait for the next round of lights to be produced. This is good news. Thanks for standing up for your product and providing very good support!


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## V8TOYTRUCK (Jan 4, 2008)

Just got my DI tonight...nice packaging and accessories. Won't be using the lanyard though.

I must say I am very impressed with the output from a AA battery. It holds it s own with my 2x123 lights. 

It took me about 10-15mins to get the UI. (The last 5 mins or so I decided to read the manual )

I'll most likely leave low on the lowest low. Overall a nice light. I bought it to use with eneloops and put it on my keychain but I have a feeling it will too big to stay there. 

The Orb Raw NS is half the size, and has dual levels. I bought the DI thinking I would put it on my keychain because its so easy to find AA's. I also wanted to consolidate to AA and CR123s only lights. Finding a 14250 is almost impossible locally.


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## Kilovolt (Jan 5, 2008)

OK, so I've had my Defender for four hours now. Of course I can't say much as to its performance through the years....

But the thread's title being 'First Impressions' here's mine:

The light is smaller than expected, same size as Jetbeam CL-E V.2 or Fenix L1D CE. Finish is excellent and the parts are nicely matched in color. The threads were dry as a bone but clean, they needed just some silicone.
The beam is exactly like the Jetbeam's one but definitely stronger. It has a dark ring around the hotspot that is as usual noticeable only when white wall hunting. Incredibly powerful for a 1 x AA. Color is pure white.
The switch works well and the use of the U.I. is clear enough after reading some 2,000 posts here on CPF. No way you can use it to change the second level very frequently and you must not be in a hurry when you do that. Having just spent $500 for an SF Titan I am rather happy that the Nitecore does not do the same trick for one tenth of the price....:naughty:

Only drawback IMO: the corners of the tailcap and of the head are too sharp. 

All considered I like the Defender and will most probably enjoy it.


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## swxb12 (Jan 7, 2008)

Kilovolt said:


> Only drawback IMO: the corners of the tailcap and of the head are too sharp.



Things should round out for you not too long from now. I've been carrying the NDI everyday and the sharp edges couldn't help but begin to wear away. The rest of the light still looks flawless, but I haven't dropped it yet.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 9, 2008)

It's here!
Very happy with the interface and brightness, works flawlessly, looks tough as nails. 
Only one question: what the hell is that ginormous lanyard for? I was under the impression lanyards are useful so you can put a hand or finger in them as you operate the light so as to avoid it falling if you should lose your grip. So how exactly is the NDI's... thing... of any use?


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## Diode (Jan 9, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Only one question: what the hell is that ginormous lanyard for?


I think it's like the "tactical" crenelated bezel, "Strong Light" warning, over-the-top logo, and exaggerated name. They're supposed to be cool, bad ***, dangerous, or something like that.

Seriously though, the *flashlight* itself is quite awesome. I don't think it needs any of the above gimmicks to sell. Besides, they don't fool anyone. If anything, they annoy people.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 9, 2008)

Yes, but those things, while unnecessary, do not *take away* from the general usefulness of the flashlight. That thick lanyard seems less useful than the hypercheap ones that come with DealExtreme lights.

Edit: I wouldn't call the tactical crenelated bezel useless. It doesn't have the knockout potential of the bezel on a larger light, but if you stab someone with it they'll be hurtin'. I just tried to lightly hit my hand, and it wasn't pleasant.


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## swxb12 (Jan 9, 2008)

You can use it as a grab handle. Like have it attached to the DI, but hanging outside your pocket. Or go MacGyver and carry it as emergency rope, or stuff some fire starter or other misc things into it.


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## kilgor (Jan 9, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> I just tried to lightly hit my hand, and it wasn't pleasant.



Smack yourself in the forehead with it and report back the results. We will need pictures... :hahaha:


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## Diode (Jan 9, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Edit: I wouldn't call the tactical crenelated bezel useless. It doesn't have the knockout potential of the bezel on a larger light, but if you stab someone with it they'll be hurtin'. I just tried to lightly hit my hand, and it wasn't pleasant.


Sure, I agree it's unpleasant and probably even dangerous. But I suspect most people won't use the light in any tactical sense. Most likely, if anyone gets hurt, it'll be the user accidentally hurting himself.

But don't give them any ideas, unless you want to see more warning labels, such as "WARNING: Unpleasant Bezel".


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## MaxKnight (Jan 9, 2008)

_Likes_


Brightness on primaries.
Programming is easy!
Quality build for the value.

Just a really great light, well done!

_Dislikes_


Programming: Occasionally goes into either full bright or previously programmed brightness when switching on and refuses to change by tightening the head or doing the 2 quick turns to go into programming mode. At one point it was stuck in SOS mode no matter what I did, left it a day and it was working again.
The tail switch is forward clicky, but when fully depressed it loses power until you release. Sometimes between the forward click and release it seems to think I want to enter programming mode.

These might be problems specific with mine?

Some other things to contribute to feedback that aren't to do with the light build - mainly on professionalism.


Less writing on the light and none on the rough parts = better.
The box is great, but there's a sticker that you can see when you open the box that says something along the line of _"Pls(sic) see manuals under foam"_. "Pls" is not appropriate for a professional product


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## Fallingwater (Jan 9, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> You can use it as a grab handle. Like have it attached to the DI, but hanging outside your pocket


A better name for this use would be "steal-me handle" 



Diode said:


> Sure, I agree it's unpleasant and probably even dangerous. But I suspect most people won't use the light in any tactical sense.


True, and I too don't intend to, but should I ever find myself with the choice of beating someone or being beaten, it's good to know I can dazzle them with strobe mode and shred their nose with the bezel (or something). Better than my bare hands...

I decided to toss the existing lanyard and use one that came with a cheap light from DX.


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## Diode (Jan 9, 2008)

Does anyone else notice that the tailcap thread is non-conductive? I use it as a lock-out to prevent unintentional activation. I can also leave the clicky on and use the tailcap as a twisty switch, but I guess there's no reason to do this.

I wish all lights (tailcaps) are like this.


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## fredb (Jan 9, 2008)

Diode said:


> Does anyone else notice that the tailcap thread is non-conductive? I use it as a lock-out to prevent unintentional activation. I can also leave the clicky on and use the tailcap as a twisty switch, but I guess there's no reason to do this.
> 
> I wish all lights (tailcaps) are like this.



It is a very nice feature! Even it the tailcap were conductive it would still work the same with regard lock-out. The switch mechanism is electrically isolated from the housing of the tailcap and relies upon the body squeezing down on the contact plate of the switch. Very nifty and I wish others would follow suit.


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## Nosedive4130 (Jan 9, 2008)

Does anybody else have any information on why this light emits a high pitch whine while in turbo mode and strobe mode?

I have also found that since this whine is at the upper limit of a humans hearing range some people that I know can't hear it, but, most could.

I am wondering if this is a by-product of a tiny arc in the tailcap.

Thanks,
Nosedive4130

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.


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## Nosedive4130 (Jan 10, 2008)

, double post.:thinking:

Sorry


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## WadeF (Jan 10, 2008)

Nosedive4130 said:


> Does anybody else have any information on why this light emits a high pitch whine while in turbo mode and strobe mode?


 
Mine doesn't make any noise. I'm pretty sensative to high pitch whines from electrical equipment, unless I've recently lost that part of my hearing.


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## swxb12 (Jan 10, 2008)

I get the whine if I pay a little attention or move the DI to my ear. Aren't there other lights out there that exhibit this? I could have sworn I've read this on the forum about others.


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## rolling (Jan 10, 2008)

I only get the noise when my 14500 is almost empty.


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## Hondo (Jan 10, 2008)

Out of 3 lights, 2 with no whine, 1 with whine, but only intermitently. After a couple of days of use, no more whine at all. My Rapidfire Spear whines consistantly on low. All three of my HDS lights whine to varying degrees on various output levels. My Streamlight Argo HP headlamp whines on low all of the time.


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## kilgor (Jan 10, 2008)

If I hold mine to my ear on high I can hear a faint whine. It goes away on low.

I am very impressed with this light. It's small, bright, the user interface is simple, it has a REAL low level, and the FORWARD clicky is smooth. 

Well done Nitecore! :twothumbs


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## gswitter (Jan 10, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> I get the whine if I pay a little attention or move the DI to my ear. Aren't there other lights out there that exhibit this? I could have sworn I've read this on the forum about others.


It's not uncommon.

My LF2, Extreme III and Gladius all do it on certain output levels.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 10, 2008)

Diode said:


> Does anyone else notice that the tailcap thread is non-conductive? I use it as a lock-out to prevent unintentional activation


That's actually an intended feature. It's mentioned in the manual.



Nosedive4130 said:


> Does anybody else have any information on why this light emits a high pitch whine while in turbo mode and strobe mode?


I don't know what part on the PCB does it exactly, but many regulated lights do that.



swxb12 said:


> Aren't there other lights out there that exhibit this?


My MTE 5-mode Rebel whines slightly at medium power, and rather noticeably at low power.


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## Diode (Jan 10, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> That's actually an intended feature. It's mentioned in the manual.


Ahh... Right you are.

Anyway, I wish all lights are like this. I personally buy only lights with forward clickies, but many people pointed out that reverse clickies are less susceptible to accidental activations. I think this would negate all arguments in favor of reverse clickies, no?


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## Fallingwater (Jan 10, 2008)

> I think this would negate all arguments in favor of reverse clickies, no?


I don't think accidental activation is much more of an issue in a FC than in a RC. Yes, the light will turn on if something presses the switch even only slightly, but anything that doesn't make it click is unlikely to be able to *keep* it on long enough to waste significant battery life. And if whatever pushes on the switch has enough force to click it, well, then it makes no difference whether it's forward or reverse.
The lock-out is a desirable function, but it should be added to all lights, regardless of how their switches click.

Edit: besides, multilevel flashlights with more than two modes need a reverse clicky to switch inbetween them.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 11, 2008)

I'm having a bit of a problem with the switch.
The light flickers a bit if I use the switch "tactically" i.e. not clicked in, just pressing to activate.
That is, however, not the main problem.
If I press the switch and keep it pressed, the light goes on normally. When I leave the switch and it clicks, the beam dims a bit. It's not a night and day difference, but it's definitely noticeable.
I'm quite sure it didn't do this when I started using it. Regardless, I don't want it to.
How do I fix it?


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## nexro (Jan 11, 2008)

Hi Fallingwater,
The same thing as you described happenned to mine as well. This is probably due to the contacts between the bezel and the body threads. If you tighten the bezel, there will be no problems.

Try cleaning the bezel and body's threads. When you depress the switch with the bezel loose (low mode), there is slight flickering too (or goes dim) and this is due to your fingers applying pressure on the bezel inwards to the body. When I try depressing the switch without touching the bezel, it seems fine. No flickering or dimming.


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## rolling (Jan 11, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Edit: besides, multilevel flashlights with more than two modes need a reverse clicky to switch inbetween them.



Not quite right. The Deree-Lights do it with a FC. 
Try to disassemble the switch and get a drop of Deoxit Gold into the switch module.


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## AFAustin (Jan 11, 2008)

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by Fallingwater
> Edit: besides, multilevel flashlights with more than two modes need a reverse clicky to switch inbetween them





rolling said:


> Not quite right. The Deree-Lights do it with a FC.
> Try to disassemble the switch and get a drop of Deoxit Gold into the switch module.



Likewise with some WE lights---e.g., my 6AX Sniper HO Cree---forward clickie + tap to change modes. Ditto my Milky Black E2L (same innards as the Gotham).

Sorry to be OT here. And now, back to the Nitecore DI......


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## Fallingwater (Jan 11, 2008)

nexro said:


> If you tighten the bezel, there will be no problems.


No, I've tightened it as much as I can and it still flickers.



> When you depress the switch with the bezel loose (low mode), there is slight flickering too (or goes dim)


When in user mode it behaves perfectly if dim, but starts misbehaving again if I let it ramp up to full power.

I'll try disassembling the switch module. Let's hope they didn't threadlock it too much.


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## Tubor (Jan 11, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> It's here!
> Very happy with the interface and brightness, works flawlessly, looks tough as nails.
> Only one question: what the hell is that ginormous lanyard for? I was under the impression lanyards are useful so you can put a hand or finger in them as you operate the light so as to avoid it falling if you should lose your grip. So how exactly is the NDI's... thing... of any use?


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## mchlwise (Jan 11, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> I'll try disassembling the switch module. Let's hope they didn't threadlock it too much.



The switch module shouldn't have any threadlock on it at all. 

The light module in the head on the other hand... :green: :sick2:  :duh2: :scowl:  :thinking: :sigh:


:shrug:


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## Everett (Jan 11, 2008)

The high-pitched noise people have mentioned is actually due to the inductor used for step-up. The circuit oscillates (apparently at 10-20 kHz), making the coil produce a magnetic field and then not again really fast, which pulls it towards whatever steel is around (battery casing), essentially becoming a speaker. Some lights are quite loud and some are inaudible because of differences in orientation and how tightly the core is held. It's not an indication of a malfunction. If it really bugs you, you could open it up and cover the inductor in hot-melt glue.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 11, 2008)

Ok, turns out the switch problem was somehow caused by the battery. I was using an old NiCD AA (why? Because I can!); replacing it with a Hybrio NiMH solved the problem. The light changes the pitch of the inductor whine when I release the switch now, but the brightness does not change in any perceptible way, and neither does it flicker when I use the switch tactically.
This is repeatable: whenever it runs on the NiCD AA the switch misbehaves, but it works perfectly with the NiMH cells.
Weird.
Oh well, the important thing is it works fine now.


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## Khaytsus (Jan 11, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Ok, turns out the switch problem was somehow caused by the battery. I was using an old NiCD AA (why? Because I can!); replacing it with a Hybrio NiMH solved the problem. The light changes the pitch of the inductor whine when I release the switch now, but the brightness does not change in any perceptible way, and neither does it flicker when I use the switch tactically.
> This is repeatable: whenever it runs on the NiCD AA the switch misbehaves, but it works perfectly with the NiMH cells.
> Weird.
> Oh well, the important thing is it works fine now.



Have you compared the profile of the two batteries, length, width, and what the ends look like?


----------



## Fallingwater (Jan 11, 2008)

Not yet - I actually discovered this while playing with the light during a train trip - but I'll take measurements soon.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 11, 2008)

Finally received mine today. Been looking forward to receiving this light more than any I think I bought this year. What a disappointment in the UI so far. Tint and brightness are good and I like it, but I cannot get the UI to work consistantly to save me. In the last two hours I think I got it to ramp up and down twice and then it will not stay in the brightness level I set it at. Also when you set user mode then turn the light off, then set tactical mode and turn the light back on it goes from user brightness to full in about 2 seconds. Then if you turn the light off set it in user mode and turn back on it will not come back on. Tactical mode always works. Hope I fugure it out or I will have to contact Tad Gear Tomorrow. This light says love me but for this price everythings gotta work or back it goes. Oh and yes and I deoxt and lubed more than once. No help. I'll post again tomorrrow.

Bill


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## srvctec (Jan 11, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> What a disappointment in the UI so far. *snip* Hope I fugure it out or I will have to contact Tad Gear Tomorrow.



Did you watch WadeF's video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daFqQjRYgMs


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## Hitthespot (Jan 11, 2008)

srvctec said:


> Did you watch WadeF's video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daFqQjRYgMs


 
Yea, but thanks for the tip. Understanding the UI isn't the problem, Thought maybe there was something simple wrong I could figure out, but this thing is not working correctly and it doesn't appear to be something simple. Huge disappointment. Oh well I'll have to ask for a replacement unless someone knows something I'm missing.

Bill


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## swxb12 (Jan 11, 2008)

Try increasing your mode changing (twisting) speed. I thought I had a dud for the first hour or two.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 11, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> Try increasing your mode changing (twisting) speed. I thought I had a dud for the first hour or two.


 
Thanks, but no luck. 90% of the time my light is completely dead in the user mode setting. If I go from Tactical then twist the head (unscrew) the light goes completely dead, again 90% of the time. When it is on if flickers like Heck. What a shame, I like the beam, brightness and tint on this one.

Bill


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## kilgor (Jan 11, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> Try increasing your mode changing (twisting) speed. I thought I had a dud for the first hour or two.



And increase distance. Loosen it a full 1/4 turn and conversely be sure to tighten it all the way when going to "tactical" mode. There seems to be a spot where it's not tight, but not loose and the poor connection makes the light do funny things.

If you clearly move it 1/4 turn and do it quickly it should work just fine. Mine does and it's a great light.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 11, 2008)

kilgor said:


> And increase distance. Loosen it a full 1/4 turn and conversely be sure to tighten it all the way when going to "tactical" mode. There seems to be a spot where it's not tight, but not loose and the poor connection makes the light do funny things.
> 
> If you clearly move it 1/4 turn and do it quickly it should work just fine. Mine does and it's a great light.


 
Tried that too my friend. Unless Edge has an explanation (fix) I would say this light is defective.

Thanks Everyone for attempting to help.

Bill


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## swxb12 (Jan 11, 2008)

Good luck, Bill. Let us know how TADGear treats ya.


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## kilgor (Jan 11, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> Tried that too my friend. Unless Edge has an explanation (fix) I would say this light is defective.
> 
> Thanks Everyone for attempting to help.
> 
> Bill



Hope you get a good one and that this doesn't sour you on the light. I couldn't be happier with it.


----------



## srvctec (Jan 11, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> Tried that too my friend. Unless Edge has an explanation (fix) I would say this light is defective.
> 
> Thanks Everyone for attempting to help.
> 
> Bill



The only other thing I can think of that I don't know if you've tried or not is to sand both ends of the tube with very fine wet/dry sandpaper. I used 1200 grit and put it down on my workbench grit side up. I then just took the body of the light and twisted it back and forth keeping it as flat against the sandpaper as I could. Mine had slight flickering in the beginning and I have not had a single problem since I sanded the tube ends over a week ago (I use mine numerous times a day at work).


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## Hitthespot (Jan 11, 2008)

srvctec said:


> The only other thing I can think of that I don't know if you've tried or not is to sand both ends of the tube with very fine wet/dry sandpaper. I used 1200 grit and put it down on my workbench grit side up. I then just took the body of the light and twisted it back and forth keeping it as flat against the sandpaper as I could. Mine had slight flickering in the beginning and I have not had a single problem since I sanded the tube ends over a week ago (I use mine numerous times a day at work).


 
Thanks for the tip. An hour ago I might have tried it but this thing has more serious issues than flickering. I have since wore a blister on my thumb and the light is now stuck in flash mode and I can't get it out no matter how fast or how far I turn the head. For $86.00 with shipping I'm done fooling with this light. I ordered this light at least 11 or 12 days ago. I hope I don't have to wait that long or longer for a replacement.

Again thank you everyone for the interest and suggestions, what a great place we have here.

Bill


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## Khaytsus (Jan 11, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> Thanks for the tip. An hour ago I might have tried it but this thing has more serious issues than flickering. I have since wore a blister on my thumb and the light is now stuck in flash mode and I can't get it out no matter how fast or how far I turn the head. For $86.00 with shipping I'm done fooling with this light. I ordered this light at least 11 or 12 days ago. I hope I don't have to wait that long or longer for a replacement.
> 
> Again thank you everyone for the interest and suggestions, what a great place we have here.
> 
> Bill



Hopefully a dumb question, but you have tried known good batteries, right? I've seen at least a few threads on various lights that wound up being dead batteries.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 11, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> Hopefully a dumb question, but you have tried known good batteries, right? I've seen at least a few threads on various lights that wound up being dead batteries.


 
Brand New Sony Alkaline and a Brand New Energizer Lithium.

Thanks


----------



## Lite_me (Jan 12, 2008)

Hitthespot & all... 
I received my light yesterday and with all the threads & reviews on this light, I figured one more assessment and my experiences with it wouldn't hurt. 

I inspected the light exterior and everything looks good as most have reported on theirs. I wanted to try the light just as it came without doing any tweaking first. I tried to remove the head and it was very hard to move. It kinda reminded me of trying to remove a garden hose from an outdoor spigot. :huh: Real tight and lots of resistance when turning. I knew this wasn't going to work but gave it a try anyway.

I dropped a battery in it and _cranked_ the head back on. Switched it On and can't remember the real sequence of events but it did nothing but act up. The head was so hard to turn, it was ridiculous. All I could get it to do was flicker, then go bright, go out, flicker some more, went to strobe, couldn't stop it from strobing... you get the idea. I was trying to get it to go from one mode to the other. The only two modes I could get were flicker & fade! :huh: I too thought it may never work right, even before I tried anything. It looked hopeless.

For an $80 light this is unacceptable. It should work as advertised right out of the box. Not everyone has the expertise or tools that are needed to get this light to work properly. Here's what I did. It's not so much different than what most here had to do.

I first lightly sanded both ends of the barrel and applied deoxit to them. I also applied a little deoxit to the contact area of the switch inside the tailcap, as well as the two contact areas inside the head. I temporarily removed the o-ring. Tried the light again and bingo, it worked! It ramped up and down, tactical mode worked and no more flickering. :thumbsup:

Well, only a little because...

The head was too loose without the o-ring on there, so I tried some others I had like some have suggested here but all still left it too hard to turn. For this, I did the little sanding trick on the original o-ring. I've done this for many lights. I've posted a how-to somewhere around here but don't want to try and find it right now, so here's a brief explanation and a pic. 

IF you should happen to have the tools, I place the o-ring around a socket on a shank and spin it in a drill. Using some sandpaper sand down the o-ring a bit, slip it back on the light and see how the head fits. Keep removing a little bit at a time until it begins to feel about right but still somewhat snug cause you'll want to add some lube afterwards. If you remove too much, there's no going back.  

Also, I _did not _put any lube on the threads. I only wiped then off with a rag and left them dry. I only lubed the o-ring. 

And make sure the tailcap is on _tight_! 








My light works flawlessly now. Twisting is smooth and easy. When I first tried the light, I too thought it might have to be returned. Not no moe. 

I think the biggest problem is lubing the threads. I'd leave them dry. Next would be where the barrel makes contact with the board and don't forget the Pos+ contact button. Deoxit really works wonders here on both. And, the head should move freely allowing quick movement for positive mode switching. 

I'd like to add one thing.... Holy moly is this thing bright,, and on just a AA eneloop! :twothumbs


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## BillMPL (Jan 12, 2008)

One thing I read that might apply, is to remove all the lube from the head. Seems it can be a cause of eradict behavior. http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2109155&postcount=1719

EDIT: Seems Lite Me beat me to it.


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## Tubor (Jan 12, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> Thanks, but no luck. 90% of the time my light is completely dead in the user mode setting. If I go from Tactical then twist the head (unscrew) the light goes completely dead, again 90% of the time. When it is on if flickers like Heck. What a shame, I like the beam, brightness and tint on this one.
> 
> Bill



Is the tail cap is tightened properly as I had the same problem until I realized I was unintentionally unscrewing the tail cap at the same time as twisting the head (the tail cap is designed to do that as a "lockout" mechanism, so your light won't turn on by accident when you don't want it to)?




BillMPL said:


> One thing I read that might apply, is to remove all the lube from the head. Seems it can be a cause of eradict behavior. http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2109155&postcount=1719
> 
> EDIT: Seems Lite Me beat me to it.



Yea I've had problems with all my lights when applying too much lube as it's non-conductive. It's sometimes better to just clean everything off and start again.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 12, 2008)

Lite_me said:


> Hitthespot & all...
> I received my light yesterday and with all the threads & reviews on this light, I figured one more assessment and my experiences with it wouldn't hurt.
> 
> I inspected the light exterior and everything looks good as most have reported on theirs. I wanted to try the light just as it came without doing any tweaking first. I tried to remove the head and it was very hard to move. It kinda reminded me of trying to remove a garden hose from an outdoor spigot. :huh: Real tight and lots of resistance when turning. I knew this wasn't going to work but gave it a try anyway.
> ...


 
You know I cannot believe the extent a flashaholic will go to just to make their NEW flashlight work. I couldn't take it anymore and sanded both ends of the tube lastnight, no help. I will remove the o-ring and also try it, what the heck at this point. And thank you for the post. I'm not ungrateful. BUT to have to go threw this on a $80 flashlite is crazy. I have bought an Olight, Nautilus, Fenix, Proton, Tiablo, all in the last 4 months with not one problem! Well maybe I was just due. LOL.

Bill


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## StefanFS (Jan 12, 2008)

Mine also developed issues. Nothing helped, so I had the choice to do something or send it back for warranty repair. I always prefer to act and do something, so I decided to take it apart. The pic and some other components are sanded or burned by chemicals so it's not possible to id them. The emitter turned out to loose in the head when I had the driver out. There are thermal epoxy visible, but the mini star is loose.
----
Neagative connection on a LDO? - wire came from an A006, as the one seen directly above the missing A006 where I drilled.
















Now it will be very difficult to get the pill out of the head, it's VERY glued.

Stefan


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## kilgor (Jan 12, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> You know I cannot believe the extent a flashaholic will go to just to make their NEW flashlight work. I couldn't take it anymore and sanded both ends of the tube lastnight, no help. I will remove the o-ring and also try it, what the heck at this point. And thank you for the post. I'm not ungrateful. BUT to have to go threw this on a $80 flashlite is crazy. I have bought an Olight, Nautilus, Fenix, Proton, Tiablo, all in the last 4 months with not one problem! Well maybe I was just due. LOL.
> 
> Bill




I returned 2 Olight T15s in a row. The first did not have the highest level and the second wouldn't even light up out of the box. :sick2:

My Nitecore is PERFECT. :thumbsup:


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## Hitthespot (Jan 12, 2008)

Well for those interested I took the O-Ring off. It made no difference at all. So we'll see what Tad Gear has to say on Monday.

Bill


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## Paul6ppca (Jan 12, 2008)

This worked great for me,Mine worked fine,it was just too tight to turn.Now it is silky smooth twisting between modes.The modes seems to activate better too!



The head was too loose without the o-ring on there, so I tried some others I had like some have suggested here but all still left it too hard to turn. For this, I did the little sanding trick on the original o-ring. I've done this for many lights. I've posted a how-to somewhere around here but don't want to try and find it right now, so here's a brief explanation and a pic. 

IF you should happen to have the tools, I place the o-ring around a socket on a shank and spin it in a drill. Using some sandpaper sand down the o-ring a bit, slip it back on the light and see how the head fits. Keep removing a little bit at a time until it begins to feel about right but still somewhat snug cause you'll want to add some lube afterwards. If you remove too much, there's no going back.  

Also, I _did not _put any lube on the threads. I only wiped then off with a rag and left them dry. I only lubed the o-ring. 

And make sure the tailcap is on _tight_! 







My light works flawlessly now. Twisting is smooth and easy. When I first tried the light, I too thought it might have to be returned. Not no moe. 
(I AGREE)

I think the biggest problem is lubing the threads. I'd leave them dry. Next would be where the barrel makes contact with the switch and head pill. Deoxit really works wonders here. And, the head should move freely allowing quick movement for mode switching. 


Great tip ! Im really liking this light!


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## rolling (Jan 12, 2008)

Well, my first jeans-pocket has a hole...


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## Hitthespot (Jan 12, 2008)

rolling said:


> Well, my first jeans-pocket has a hole...


 
Interesting first impression.


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## rolling (Jan 12, 2008)

The fist impression was and is that it is a nice light. The second impression is that it makes holes in my pokets


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## kilgor (Jan 12, 2008)

rolling said:


> The fist impression was and is that it is a nice light. The second impression is that it makes holes in my pokets



Well, you need to carry a leatherman in its pouch on your hip. The added benefit is that the Nitecore rides perfectly in the front or back pockets of the pouch with the leatherman.

Problem solved.


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## Lite_me (Jan 12, 2008)

rolling said:


> Well, my first jeans-pocket has a hole...


Yeah... I was afraid of this happening too. I'm tempted to take a little sandpaper to the crenellated head. Those edges are sharp. I'm assuming that's what dug the hole in your pocket. Hate to do this on a new light though. :ironic:



Hitthespot said:


> Well for those interested I took the O-Ring off. It made no difference at all. So we'll see what Tad Gear has to say on Monday.
> 
> Bill


Bummer... :shrug:


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## PurpleDrazi (Jan 12, 2008)

Lite_me said:


> For this, I did the little sanding trick on the original o-ring.



Lite_me . . . thanks for the tip. Mine is much easier to turn now. Seems to have solved (or at least greatly helped) the problem with it switching to strobe . . . crossing fingers



Francis


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## Lite_me (Jan 12, 2008)

PurpleDrazi said:


> Lite_me . . . thanks for the tip. Mine is much easier to turn now. Seems to have solved (or at least greatly helped) the problem with it switching to strobe . . . crossing fingers
> 
> 
> 
> Francis


 Great! :thumbsup:


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## Khaytsus (Jan 12, 2008)

rolling said:


> Well, my first jeans-pocket has a hole...



This happened directly due to the DI? Bleh... I pocket-carry my lights.


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## AFAustin (Jan 13, 2008)

Lite_me,

Thanks for reminding me of the sanding the o-ring trick. I'm giving it a try on my DI and it's working well, although I cannot seem to totally avoid UI miscues with this otherwise excellent light.

IIRC, you first posted this great tip in connection with improving the twistie on Civictors, and I used it to great advantage on mine. What with all the rapid progress recently in LED lights, that almost seems like a long time ago.....


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## rolling (Jan 13, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> This happened directly due to the DI? Bleh... I pocket-carry my lights.


 Yes. I carry my NDI and my Cell in that poket. My Cell does not have sharp edges...


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## Hitthespot (Jan 14, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> Good luck, Bill. Let us know how TADGear treats ya.


 
Well it's been interesting so far. Sent a email on Saturday. Called today and the voice mail box in customer service is full. I not getting a warm fuzzy here. We will see.

Bill


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## Hitthespot (Jan 14, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> Good luck, Bill. Let us know how TADGear treats ya.


 
Interesting so far. Sent an email on Saturday. Called customer service today. The voice mail box is full. I'm not getting a warm fuzzy here. We'll see.

Bill


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## Templar223 (Jan 14, 2008)

Okay, mine finally arrived about ten days ago. It's a fun little light.

No holes in pockets (yet).

Honestly though, for the time being, I prefer to carry the Fenix T1. It just felt like overkill to carry the T-1, a L1D and the DI (plus a P3D in my fanny pack).

I'm going to have to grind those o-rings a bit as I find the light more difficult than it has to be to turn the head to adjust the brightness mode. Like many here, I had my issues with the adjustment procedure, but I'm getting a handle on it. Honestly, though, I just about got a blister on my finger the day I got it trying to manipulate the head unsuccessfully.

It's a great light, but it's not quite the end-all, be-all of lights.

Worth $80? Well, if I didn't already have a dozen other high-performance lights, I'd definitely say 'yes'. As the owner of a couple of SF's (upgraded to CREE HOLAs), the T1, several Fenix products, a lithium 3-CREE light and a bunch of home-brew incandescents, the NiteCore is 'just another light' to me.

Amazing how you can get so jaded with all of the great lights coming out in the last year or two.

John


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## Templar223 (Jan 14, 2008)

xxxxxx


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## Templar223 (Jan 14, 2008)

xxxxxx


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## Templar223 (Jan 14, 2008)

quadruple tap. and I thought CPF was down.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Jan 14, 2008)

Have any of you guys tested the new protected AW button top 14500 in your Nitecore DI? I'm just wondering how they fit since the old 14500 cells were a little too long and caused some problems. Just making sure before I order a couple for mine. Thanks!


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## Khaytsus (Jan 15, 2008)

I'm going to do a "full" mini review later in the Reviews section, but here's my impressions of the DI that I just picked up from the porch. :thumbsup:

Very initial thought; looks very nice. Looks like one solid piece in color and feel, and is a very dark warm grey. Knurling is terrific, printing on light is silly as has been mentioned..

Second thought; did they *glue it together??* My guess; the orings being 20F from being on the back porch expanded them. Once the light was inside just about 5m the head and tail unscrewed fairly easy. Threads are very nice and clean, and everything is completely clean. As in; no lube. That's fine, my first thing to do to a light (besides a very quick "it works!" check) is lube it.

But for this light, first thing I did was sand off the brassy coating on the ends of the tube, as I've seen a few people mentioned. Put a dab of water on some 1000 grit paper and carefully rubbed, took about 30s for both ends. Then I cleaned of course.

Then I taped over the threads, lubed the orings with pure plumbers silicone grease, put them back on. Note: These orings are VERY stretchy! Most times this part is difficult, as they keep sliding around or popping off the light because they're very tight. These are tight, but stretch very easily!

Then I remove the tape, and apply Deoxit to threads, tube ends, spring, head contact, tube contact inside head, all sparingly as usual..

Light now operates very smoothly. The head is firm but easy enough to turn. As noted in this and other threads, if you rotate slow you WILL get some high/turbo flipping. I did it once when I was turning at a fairly normal rate, now I turn it a little faster and it's fine.

Ramped the user mode up and down. I'll play with this more later, but worked fine, no fiddling. Low to High was kind of odd, it seemed like it wasn't changing but it did. But I was in the laundry room where it's semi-dark, so I'll play with this more when it's really dark. High to Low was good, where'd it go?? Low low! Nice.

Went back to High mode, back to user.. Small .5s delay between, per design, but no other problems. Very quick test shows it's right about the same brightness on Low as my old Arc AAA which is *just exactly what I wanted.*

Tailcape locks out at around 1/8th turn. 

Bezel is not *sharp* but it is edged, so I'm pondering how I want to go with this light. I pocket carry, so I'm thinking I might carry it tail-down, but I'll have to try things out. I really don't want holes in my pocket! And as noted a few times, 3x bezel head-stands perfectly stable. It's on my kitchen table and I can't knock it over, when I start really shaking it just starts moving around a little. 

Anti-roll isn't exactly anti-roll, it'll roll quite some distance with just a small push. It might resist rolling if it's already still, but not really.

Beam is a little uneven, not sure what to make of it... Very small 'flares' around the hotspot, not sure if that's emitter or reflector. I'll look at this more later in the dark, but I"m sure it'll bother me terribly in real use. 

All in all. :thumbsup:


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## Albinoni (Jan 15, 2008)

Is the Nitecore DI the most powerful 1xAA torch in the world and also for its size, also I'm quite surprised they did not bring this out in a CR123 batt version.


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## Marduke (Jan 15, 2008)

Albinoni said:


> Is the Nitecore DI the most powerful 1xAA torch in the world and also for its size, also I'm quite surprised they did not bring this out in a CR123 batt version.



For the price? Probably. There are smaller and brighter, but also much more $$

They didn't do CR123 for the obvious reason as it would have been more expensive to create a second body for the light with no added advantages. They would have had to make the entire light slightly wider, for just a slight length decrease. Brightness wouldn't be any better than on 14500, and the runtime would be the same on 14500 or RCR123.


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## resistance1 (Jan 15, 2008)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> Have any of you guys tested the new protected AW button top 14500 in your Nitecore DI? I'm just wondering how they fit since the old 14500 cells were a little too long and caused some problems. Just making sure before I order a couple for mine. Thanks!



i have them and it fits perfectly


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## Albinoni (Jan 16, 2008)

Marduke said:


> For the price? Probably. There are smaller and brighter, but also much more $$
> 
> Which smaller ones ? The Nitecore has got 190 Lumens but I havent yet seen a smaller one with more Lumnes.
> 
> ...



I would of thought to create a body to accomodate a CR123A batt they body would be much shorter or slightly shorter as 123A batts are smaller than your AA type, the only downside is that their more $$


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## 9volt (Jan 16, 2008)

Marduke said:


> For the price? Probably. There are smaller and brighter, but also much more $$
> 
> They didn't do CR123 for the obvious reason as it would have been more expensive to create a second body for the light with no added advantages. They would have had to make the entire light slightly wider, for just a slight length decrease. Brightness wouldn't be any better than on 14500, and the runtime would be the same on 14500 or RCR123.



They could do it with the existing light. The head of the NItecore will screw on to a Jetbeam 123 body.


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## Marduke (Jan 16, 2008)

Albinoni said:


> I
> Which smaller ones ? The Nitecore has got 190 Lumens but I havent yet seen a smaller one with more Lumnes.
> 
> 
> would of thought to create a body to accomodate a CR123A batt they body would be much shorter or slightly shorter as 123A batts are smaller than your AA type, the only downside is that their more $$




The newest Draco is both brighter and smaller, but also several hundred dollars for the "budget" version.
The LOD Q4 on 10440's would also give the DI a run for it's money on brightness, but definitely for size vs. brightness.

CR123A is 2/3 the length of an old "A" cell. This makes them shorter, but slightly fatter than a "AA" cell


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## Hitthespot (Jan 16, 2008)

Well three days have gone by and no reply from Edgetac or Tadgear on returning this light so against my better judgement I decided to take matters into my own hands. 

I had cleaned the threads previously and lubed them as recommended with no help. I also tried removing the O-ring on the head side as recommended with no help. So here is lastnights procedure. 

Remove the head. 
Remove the supplied clear O-ring head side. 
The threads on both the head and the body appear to have some kind of anodizing on them. It looks like a clear golden material.
I took J&B cleaning compound ( it is a gritty paste used for cleaning very dirty gun barrels ) and placed it on a cloth and rubbed the threads clean. The aluminum was bare.
I did not want to take a chance on placing any of this material in the head so I wet a clean cloth with degreaser/cleaner and rubbed the threads in the head for 2 minutes.
Remove the tail cap. Cleaned the tail cap threads with degreaser. I didn't do more here because I never felt the tail cap was the problem.
I took the battery tube and rubbed both flat ends of the tube on a Moon Stone. ( used for the last stage of sharpening knives, very smooth stone. ) These ends also appeared to have the golden clear colored material on them. I rubbed them smooth and flat.
I placed Deoxit on all threads, the tube, tail cap, and head.
Removed Deoxit after 2 minutes.
Placed New ( Smaller one that came with my P2D ) O-ring back on tube, then replaced head and tail cap. Uncrewed the head and tail cap just enough to show the O-Rings. Very slightly covered just the O-Rings with Superlube.

Well the light works. It isn't perfect by any stretch but it is a usable light. It takes two or three tries to get the user set mode to work but at least it works. I still have a dead spot here and there but they have been greatly reduced.

Anyone having trouble with their light, the secret is clean, clean, clean. Many of these lights I suspicion have too much anodizing in places it shouldn't be. Make sure your threads are clean and place NO lubricant/grease on your threads. If anything Deoxit only.

I'm not sure whats going on at Tadgear and Edgetac. Has Holiday started yet over there?

To answer the original posters question; is this light worth $80.00? I would have to say no taking everything into consideration. I like the tint, and beam quality, but think there are too many issues by too many people. Every light I bought the last 4 months worked straight out of the box, as they should. The customer service hasn't impressed me either. I like the light but I wouldn't trust it for anything critical. There's my impression and my opinion!

Edit: Well it has been 6 hours since I wrote the above. I took the light to my dads to help him work on his TV. Took the light out of my pocket and nothing. Max brightness works but the user set mode is touch and go again. I'm not happy, especially since I cannot get a hold of Tadgear or Edgetac.

Bill


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## Khaytsus (Jan 16, 2008)

Granted what I did to my NiteCore was based on observations from this thread.. Had I bought it blindly, I would probably have problems.

After the initial preventive maintenance type operations I did, my NiteCore works very nicely, although the head is still too stiff. I think the orings used are a bad choice, I think they deform, as sometimes they're smooth and sometimes very tight without any additional lubrication, etc..

I'll be experimenting some with the orings, but even with the head oring being too tight, I've had very little problem with the UI. I have had it go into strobe on me a few times I didn't expect, but ramping up and down in the adjustable mode is no problem. I've actually found that it's just easier if I'm going to use it in high to go ahead and twist the head to high before turning it on.. Same for user mode (which is currently set to the lowest value).

I bet the oring issue will be resolved, hopefully EdgeTac will offer new orings to customers or something like that, I can't imagine the fix would require anything else. The machining and fit of everything is fantastic.


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## Dan C (Jan 16, 2008)

Been playing with mine for a day now, love it. I did discover that the switching assembly inside the tailcap was very loose, several turns actually. Might want to check that if you're having issues.

I can't believe how bright it is on NiMh batteries. On high, it's very nearly as bright as my Jetbeam MkIIx on Max, running a 14500! This is using a lightmeter, not my eyeballs. Unbelievable. I've been waiting for a single AA light that would give decent output on NiMh batteries, and this one surely does.

I am tempted to chuck the head assembly in my lathe and shave off the bezel projections and give the front edge a nice radius to make it a bit easier on the pockets.


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## kilgor (Jan 16, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> Granted what I did to my NiteCore was based on observations from this thread.. Had I bought it blindly, I would probably have problems.
> 
> After the initial preventive maintenance type operations I did, my NiteCore works very nicely, although the head is still too stiff. I think the orings used are a bad choice, I think they deform, as sometimes they're smooth and sometimes very tight without any additional lubrication, etc..
> 
> ...



That's pretty much my experience, except I lubed the threads lightly and it works fine now. The head moves smoothly, but is firm. That's fine with me as I certainly don't want a loose head that can change modes in my pocket.


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## Khaytsus (Jan 16, 2008)

kilgor said:


> That's pretty much my experience, except I lubed the threads lightly and it works fine now. The head moves smoothly, but is firm. That's fine with me as I certainly don't want a loose head that can change modes in my pocket.



Agreed; my P2D got some Deoxit on the oring and it moves *way* too easy now..

But unfortunately, the DI is still very very stiff.. I don't think it's a thread problem, it seems to me like the oring is either binding or something.

I might try cleaning it again and not putting silicone grease on the oring, just Deoxit, but I'm afraid it's not going to help. Maybe just replace the oring like some others have done.

Interestingly the tailcap turns just fine.


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## Khaytsus (Jan 16, 2008)

I replaced the front oring with a fenix one.. I can't get it back off now, because it's rather tight, but it is larger than the head/threads so I think it's fine for waterproofness, etc.

The head turns much, much easier now. Feels great.


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## resistance1 (Jan 16, 2008)

Well i went into Tadgear today, and returned my defective unit. Got a brand new one, and im completely satasfied. Tadgear is great


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## Tremendo (Jan 16, 2008)

It's weird reading some of these comments, as mine's been virtually perfect. I've got the JetBeam 123, Jet C-LE, Rex 2.0, Fenix P2D-P100, a bunch of Surefire, etc. My Nitecore has become my favorite light right now, knocked my beloved FF3 out of my pocket for EDC. I have 2 P2D-P100's I hand picked out of trying more than 10 to get the best beam, and my Nitecore Defender keeps up with them, if not slightly surepasses, and I'm only using an Energizer Lithium AA. Yes, mine needed a little lubing, but that was all I did. I've been EDC'ing it for 10 days (using and adjusting every day) and it's been great and 100% problem free. The fully adjustable low is awesome and the high is unbelievable for a single AA. Worth $80? You betcha!


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## EDGETAC (Jan 16, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> Well three days have gone by and no reply from Edgetac or Tadgear on returning this light so against my better judgement I decided to take matters into my own hands.
> 
> I had cleaned the threads previously and lubed them as recommended with no help. I also tried removing the O-ring on the head side as recommended with no help. So here is lastnights procedure.
> 
> ...


 

Hello Bill,

Sorry for late reply, please refer to your PM, thanks! We will always be support in solving all the issues relating to our light, thanks! 


Best Regards,
Y.L.Wong


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## Hitthespot (Jan 17, 2008)

I think it is only fair that I post that both Edgetac and Tadgear emailed me today since I posted I was having a hard time contacting them.

Thank you to both Edgetac and Tadgear for the replys.

After cleaning the threads for the fourth time my light is now working perfectly. It has never worked perfectly since I received it so maybe the tide has turned. I still think there was something funny going on with the anodizing on the threads. It could be my threads had more anodizing on them than other lights because of a mistake, and maybe I finally managed to remove it all or enough of it because the dead spots appear to be gone. I really don't want to return this particular light because I love the tint, the brightness, and the beam quality. But if I have any more trouble at all back it goes.

The saga continues.

Can anyone tell me how much brighter this light is on 14500's vs Energizer Lithiums and what the difference is in runtime?

Bill


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## kilgor (Jan 17, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> Can anyone tell me how much brighter this light is on 14500's vs Energizer Lithiums and what the difference is in runtime?
> 
> Bill



See here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184939


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## Hitthespot (Jan 17, 2008)

kilgor said:


> See here:
> 
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184939


 
Thanks Kilgor, I didn't see any reference to the Energizer Lithiums. I know the DI is brighter on 14500 but I have also noticed it is very slightly brighter on the Energizer Lithiums. (vs alk or nimh) I was just wondering if there was any difference in brightness between lithiums and 14500. If the 14500 are brighter and runtime is not too much worse I'm ordering a pair.

Bill


----------



## jk904jk (Jan 17, 2008)

kilgor said:


> See here:
> 
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/184939


 

There is not any info about Energizer lithiums that I could find with that link.


----------



## resistance1 (Jan 17, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> Thanks Kilgor, I didn't see any reference to the Energizer Lithiums. I know the DI is brighter on 14500 but I have also noticed it is very slightly brighter on the Energizer Lithiums. (vs alk or nimh) I was just wondering if there was any difference in brightness between lithiums and 14500. If the 14500 are brighter and runtime is not too much worse I'm ordering a pair.
> 
> Bill



i will say i noticed that on my Energizer 2500mah Nimh, it is brighter than the e2 lithiums. and of course on my new set of AW 14500s its definately brighter, havent got a chance to get run time tests yet, since i just got my replacement light today.


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## Tremendo (Jan 17, 2008)

resistance1 said:


> i will say i noticed that on my Energizer 2500mah Nimh, it is brighter than the e2 lithiums. and of course on my new set of AW 14500s its definately brighter, havent got a chance to get run time tests yet, since i just got my replacement light today.



Really?!?! Hmm... If that's the case, maybe I need to recharge some of my NiMH batteries and give it a shot. I just figured the Energizer Lithiums would be the same or more output.


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## Kilovolt (Jan 17, 2008)

After receiving my NDI two weeks ago I started using an Energizer 2500 mAh NiMH then after a week or so I switched to an Energizer Lithium L91. It is my impression that the light is marginally brighter with the latter. I have tried also a Uniross Hybrio but the impression remains. So for now I stick to L91.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 17, 2008)

resistance1 said:


> i will say i noticed that on my Energizer 2500mah Nimh, it is brighter than the e2 lithiums. and of course on my new set of AW 14500s its definately brighter, havent got a chance to get run time tests yet, since i just got my replacement light today.


 
You must of had a weak Energizer Lithium. I did some testing last night after reading your thread. I used two freshly charged Energizer Nimh (2500mah) and two Freshly charged Duracell Nimh (2650mah) The Energizer Lithium is definitely brighter. You don't need to measure it you can see it. I would get yourself a fresh Energizer lithium and try it again.

Bill


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## swxb12 (Jan 17, 2008)

I like the forward clicky setup on my L1T v2 better. It's much more responsive and doesn't give me the partial output (maybe this exists since the light has highly variable output?) when I haven't pressed all the way to ideal momentary pressure.

I tried to alleviate this by adding a thin piece of rubber between the switch boot and the plastic yellow switch. It removed some of the "slack" and made the NDI more sensitive to momentary press but tail lockout was almost mandatory after that (depends on how thick you pad it) to keep it from accidentally turning it on.

Maybe Fenix has a stronger spring or whatever the mechanism is inside their forward clicky device.


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## Khaytsus (Jan 18, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> I like the forward clicky setup on my L1T v2 better. It's much more responsive and doesn't give me the partial output (maybe this exists since the light has highly variable output?) when I haven't pressed all the way to ideal momentary pressure.
> 
> I tried to alleviate this by adding a thin piece of rubber between the switch boot and the plastic yellow switch. It removed some of the "slack" and made the NDI more sensitive to momentary press but tail lockout was almost mandatory after that (depends on how thick you pad it) to keep it from accidentally turning it on.
> 
> Maybe Fenix has a stronger spring or whatever the mechanism is inside their forward clicky device.



Mine 'flickers' just a tiny bit when I first engage the momentary, but otherwise as far as I've noticed, the light is consistent. It doesn't vary how hard it's pushed, all the way to clicking and constant on.

Maybe your switch is a little funky, have you tried Deoxit or something on it?


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## Thujone (Jan 18, 2008)

Hitthespot said:


> After cleaning the threads for the fourth time my light is now working perfectly. It has never worked perfectly since I received it so maybe the tide has turned. I still think there was something funny going on with the anodizing on the threads.
> Bill



Fear not, the issues will return... I thought I finally had it working right again a few nights ago after another cleaning session. It worked flawlessly until this morning when it again began not working in high mode and indicating low battery even on a fresh 14500. I didn't try it on a nimh during the last couple days but when it was acting up before it wouldn't even light up on an eneloop fresh off the charger. I am eagerly awaiting replacement whenever they get the second batch ready I have been offered replacement. It is just scary how it works for a while then doesn't... Strange stuff.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 18, 2008)

Thujone said:


> Fear not, the issues will return... I thought I finally had it working right again a few nights ago after another cleaning session. It worked flawlessly until this morning when it again began not working in high mode and indicating low battery even on a fresh 14500. I didn't try it on a nimh during the last couple days but when it was acting up before it wouldn't even light up on an eneloop fresh off the charger. I am eagerly awaiting replacement whenever they get the second batch ready I have been offered replacement. It is just scary how it works for a while then doesn't... Strange stuff.


 
I coudn't of said it better myself. It works, it doesn't. Presently mine is working correctly although I did have to click the button 3 times this morning to turn it on. That is a new development but it hasn't happened since. I have not tried mine on 14500's yet because I don't have any. Should be here Monday. I hope they don't create more problems. Only thing I can recommend is make sure your threads in the head and on the tube (head side) are clean, clean, clean. Use steel wool on them if you have to and then Deoxit only on all threads.

I really like this light. I hope my troubles are over.

Good Luck
Bill


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## Daniel_sk (Jan 18, 2008)

My NDI fell on asphalt today while walking (because I was too lazy to find a good lanyard for it :sigh, but it survived the impact. It took a deep scratch on the tailcap but it works. 
The only thing I hate on this is that it just stops working if you switch it off and the battery is low. I know there is a enough power for HOURS of light on low level, but it won't turn on again. Sometimes it will start working again if I take out the battery, put a fully charged, switch to low and then put the partially discharged battery. But I don't like this - you can't depend on it, if this is your only light. You have to fear to switch it off, because it might not switch on again...

The 180 lumen is non-sense, my Aviator will beat it in throw and overall light output. But I wasn't expecting it to be 180 lumens.

Anyway, a pretty good light for the money I paid ($50).


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## Marduke (Jan 18, 2008)

Daniel_sk said:


> The only thing I hate on this is that it just stops working if you switch it off and the battery is low. I know there is a enough power for HOURS of light on low level, but it won't turn on again. Sometimes it will start working again if I take out the battery, put a fully charged, switch to low and then put the partially discharged battery. But I don't like this - you can't depend on it, if this is your only light. You have to fear to switch it off, because it might not switch on again...



How is this different from any other light? Every 1xAA or 1xAAA light MUST have a minimum voltage to start up so it's able to drive the circuit. Why does it need to run all the way down? Just stick the cell back in the charger when it's been used for a while, or pop in a fresh one.


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## kilgor (Jan 18, 2008)

Daniel_sk said:


> The only thing I hate on this is that it just stops working if you switch it off and the battery is low. I know there is a enough power for HOURS of light on low level, but it won't turn on again. Sometimes it will start working again if I take out the battery, put a fully charged, switch to low and then put the partially discharged battery. But I don't like this - you can't depend on it, if this is your only light. You have to fear to switch it off, because it might not switch on again...



Using a battery that is almost dead, click it on and wait 3-4 seconds. Mine has always come on doing this. Give it a shot.

All regulated lights that I know of have a minimum voltage requirement. If it still won't come on after leaving it clicked on for a few seconds, you have two choices to get around it.

1) Wait for the battery to restore itself a little bit and try again.

or 

2) Get a direct drive flashlight like the Gerber Infinity Ultra.


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## Thujone (Jan 18, 2008)

Marduke said:


> How is this different from any other light? Every 1xAA or 1xAAA light MUST have a minimum voltage to start up so it's able to drive the circuit. Why does it need to run all the way down? Just stick the cell back in the charger when it's been used for a while, or pop in a fresh one.



Mine for instance shuts down around 4v on a li-ion cell and refuses to fire.. That is unacceptable. It is only 1/3 used at that point. Also I can not fire it up at all on a nimh, it flickers and turns off. Really had my hopes up with it working for 24h but it is like it has a mind of its own.


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## kilgor (Jan 18, 2008)

Thujone said:


> Mine for instance shuts down around 4v on a li-ion cell and refuses to fire.. That is unacceptable. It is only 1/3 used at that point. Also I can not fire it up at all on a nimh, it flickers and turns off. Really had my hopes up with it working for 24h but it is like it has a mind of its own.



Yep, that's screwed up. I hope your replacement is as good as mine.


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## coldlocus (Jan 18, 2008)

A very noobish question, but I was thinking about taking apart the tailcap to put in GID-button. But have no clue how to proceed. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Khaytsus (Jan 18, 2008)

coldlocus said:


> A very noobish question, but I was thinking about taking apart the tailcap to put in GID-button. But have no clue how to proceed. Any help would be appreciated.



Well, you open the tailcap and put in the new 'button'. Not sure what your question is?

Green GITD from DX fit fine. You just unscrew the brassy ring inside the tailcap and the rest is obvious. I use a C-ring tool to unscrew mine, but I've heard of various tools, including hacking on a fork taking out a few of the teeth.


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## coldlocus (Jan 18, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> Well, you open the tailcap and put in the new 'button'. Not sure what your question is?
> 
> Green GITD from DX fit fine. You just unscrew the brassy ring inside the tailcap and the rest is obvious. I use a C-ring tool to unscrew mine, but I've heard of various tools, including hacking on a fork taking out a few of the teeth.



Yes, I'm simply wondering how you open the tailcap. I noticed two small holes, but don't have any suitable tools. I tried two small screwdrivers, but the brassy ring doesnt seem to budge(a bit difficult though since it's two separate instruments, gonna try to use a fork as you mentioned) and I dont want to use too much force. But which direction am I supposed to unscrew the brassy ring? I assumed it was counter clockwise, but maybe I'm supposed to unscrew so it drops out of the bottom?


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## srvctec (Jan 18, 2008)

coldlocus said:


> Yes, I'm simply wondering how you open the tailcap. I noticed two small holes, but don't have any suitable tools. I tried two small screwdrivers, but the brassy ring doesnt seem to budge(a bit difficult though since it's two separate instruments, gonna try to use a fork as you mentioned) and I dont want to use too much force. But which direction am I supposed to unscrew the brassy ring? I assumed it was counter clockwise, but maybe I'm supposed to unscrew so it drops out of the bottom?



Counter clockwise is correct.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 18, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> hacking on a fork taking out a few of the teeth.


I can't believe I didn't think of this while trying to figure out how to crack open my old Fenix L1S. Thanks for the suggestion


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## Tubor (Jan 25, 2008)

Slightly off topic but as it's a discussion: 

Turn the light on in high mode and wait for high if you have to. Turn it off. Now you can momentary in high, turn the light off, twist the head and then momentary in User Defined Mode (UDM). 

You can now: Momentary UDM -> turn the head & momentary High -> turn the head & momentary UDM etc, etc. 

BUT, if you leave it on for longer than 0.5 seconds in UDM and then try to momentary in high, it won't work. You have to wait 0.5 seconds in high mode for high to be activated, and _then_ you can momentary High and UDM as above. I know this has got something to do with the switching mechanism, but why does it work one way and not the other (ie: you can leave it on for 0.5 seconds in high, turn the light off, turn the head and _immediately_ momentary on in UDM, no 0.5 wait)? 

Slightly annoying as I've got to "prep" the torch first if I want to guarantee momentary on in high. Either that or set UDM to High so that the 0.5 second wait isn't noticeable. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? 


Also if people are having contact issues (anything from low-voltage warnings to sudden brightness ramping or sudden strobe), try unscrewing the head and wiping the contact area with a tissue - I always end up with a grey/black oil on it for some reason (don't know where it's all coming from). Maybe a thorough thread/contact clean with ethanol/soap might be in order. :thumbsup:


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## V8TOYTRUCK (Jan 26, 2008)

Mines starting to act up on a consistent basis...

Hit tailswitch No light
Tighten head: Full Bright
Loosen head: No light with multiple clicks
Loose head then tighten head: No Light
Fully tightened head + hit tailswitch: 50% power strobe?


WTH!

I'll try cleaning the contacts tomorrow. I've never done that on any flashlight! I just wanted to program my low and have a high/super low AA light. This light is hands down the most troublesome I've ever had out of my many. Nitecore needs to go back to the drawing board with this one. I don't plan on doing weekly thread and contact cleanings. 

But its so bright and good looking! Definitely wouldn't count on it if I only had 1 light.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 26, 2008)

There is more twisting in the NDI than in most other lights. My experience with twist-lights that use head twisting to change mode is that all the scraping sooner or later gives faulty contact and the light needs to be cleaned and deoxidised. 
My Fenix L1S started flickering and not getting modes right after a bit less than a year of use, and required thorough cleansing before working fine again.
I think it's a small price to pay for having modes without having to bother with a standard multimode driver.


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## mapper66 (Jan 26, 2008)

My first impression? Works great...... without the O-Ring. O-Ring in, all kinds of issues, O-Ring out, works like a charm. Switching between user defined mode and strobe no problem.

Had tried cleaning the threads till they shined, tried lube and no lube, with no luck. Finally found this thread and thought I would try without an o-ring before sanding or trying to find another size. Worked great, so I did the sanding trick and all works well.

Anyone know what size O-ring would work in these, cause the rings that came with mine sure don't.

Other impressions? I love this light. Love the size, the brightness, AA-compatibility, and the ability to define my own secondary level. Well-machined, and the switch is pretty good. We'll see how it fares in the durability department.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 26, 2008)

Just tried it without the o-ring, and it's indeed much easier to operate. However, it also seems like it could easily change mode when bumped. I think I prefer a stiffer head.
I might try another o-ring if I get my hands on one.


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## mapper66 (Jan 26, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Just tried it without the o-ring, and it's indeed much easier to operate. However, it also seems like it could easily change mode when bumped. I think I prefer a stiffer head.
> I might try another o-ring if I get my hands on one.



FW, check out post #202 in this thread. That is what I did and it works great. You can tailor the fit of the O-ring how you like it.


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## Fallingwater (Jan 26, 2008)

Thanks, but it seems I've nicked the o-ring while I was taking it out. It now has a small cut. I'm afraid further handling would cause it to break, so I'll leave it as it is right now.

Which ones of these would fit the NDI?


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## rolling (Jan 27, 2008)

Hmm, anybody thought about that it might be not intendet for onehand use?


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## Kilovolt (Jan 27, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> Thanks, but it seems I've nicked the o-ring while I was taking it out. It now has a small cut. I'm afraid further handling would cause it to break, so I'll leave it as it is right now.
> 
> Which ones of these would fit the NDI?


 
It appears that the size is less important than the compound they are made of. It's better to use an o-ring made of black rubber. In any case these are the measurements:


http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2326550#post2326550


:wave:


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## Fallingwater (Jan 27, 2008)

rolling said:


> Hmm, anybody thought about that it might be not intendet for onehand use?


I never meant to use it one-handed. It's clearly meant to be twisted using two hands.

I'll get the appropriate o-ring, thanks Kilovolt


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## Khaytsus (Jan 27, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> I never meant to use it one-handed. It's clearly meant to be twisted using two hands.
> 
> I'll get the appropriate o-ring, thanks Kilovolt



Even with two hands, my original configuration was very hard to turn, not just stiff, it felt like the oring was binding. A binding oring is useless. If it binds with water on it, the water could easily go beyond it where it's warped.

The Fenix oring fits well. I'm pondering buying a oring set from Harbor Freight but don't really need the other 250 orings in there.. But otherwise, I've never been able to find the same size as the Fenix. 47's was nice enough to send me a replacement oring for my Fenix when I put the wrong lube on it a while back, but it'd be nice to know where to get them otherwise.


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## Vikas Sontakke (Jan 28, 2008)

Guess who are no longer snickering at "Strong Light" ?

- Vikas


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## Khaytsus (Jan 28, 2008)

Vikas Sontakke said:


> Guess who are no longer snickering at "Strong Light" ?
> 
> - Vikas



Not quite as strong as my P2D CE P4, sadly, but it's bright enough and the flexability and build are great. I *was* hoping for more output but it has enough.


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## waTom (Jan 30, 2008)

Hi everyone,

I just recieved my Defender and was surprised and happy that there is no "Strong Light" sign or brand symbol on my unit 

I hope it will last long as I will give away all my other AA lights ... they just can not compete with the Nitecore.


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## Khaytsus (Jan 30, 2008)

waTom said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I just recieved my Defender and was surprised and happy that there is no "Strong Light" sign or brand symbol on my unit
> 
> I hope it will last long as I will give away all my other AA lights ... they just can not compete with the Nitecore.



No logos anywhere? No text, or what? Did you get it from Tad? I wonder if this is a second batch, or one of the very first ones that didn't have the logos.

Interesting!


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## srvctec (Jan 30, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> No logos anywhere? No text, or what? Did you get it from Tad? I wonder if this is a second batch, or one of the very first ones that didn't have the logos.
> 
> Interesting!



Probably the second batch. The second batch units only have the NiteCore and Defender Infinity logos on the flats if I remember that correctly (saw it in a post somewhere either on CPF or CPFMP).


----------



## Lobo (Jan 30, 2008)

Yikes. 
I'm imagining the hoardes of CPFrs who preordered and now demand to get a light from the second batch since they promised that the preordered lights would be exactly the same...


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## Lite_me (Jan 30, 2008)

waTom said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I just recieved my Defender and was surprised and happy that there is no "Strong Light" sign or brand symbol on my unit


 I may be in a minority here, but I actually like the Strong Light logo. At least in the sense that I can tell how far I have the head twisted in the user mode. I untwist it back to line-up with one of the body logos which is almost 1/2 turn and that keeps it from inadvertently switching modes. Also, just by looking at it I can tell what mode I'm in before turning it on. 
Am I weird or what! :shakehead :duh2:


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## Khaytsus (Jan 30, 2008)

Lite_me said:


> I may be in a minority here, but I actually like the Strong Light logo. At least in the sense that I can tell how far I have the head twisted in the user mode. I untwist it back to line-up with one of the body logos which is almost 1/2 turn and that keeps it from inadvertently switching modes. Also, just by looking at it I can tell what mode I'm in before turning it on.
> Am I weird or what! :shakehead :duh2:



NOPE! I do the exact same. I suspect the logo is not in the same place all the time, but when mine is lined up with the NiteCore "Star" logo, it's in User mode (well into User mode, but no flickering here if I wiggle the head etc..)

In high, it's more towards the (+) symbol, so around 160 degrees.


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## Khaytsus (Jan 30, 2008)

srvctec said:


> Probably the second batch. The second batch units only have the NiteCore and Defender Infinity logos on the flats if I remember that correctly (saw it in a post somewhere either on CPF or CPFMP).



What about the +/- and the silly "X" on the flats on the 'sorta anti roll' area?


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## Fallingwater (Jan 30, 2008)

Lobo said:


> Yikes.
> I'm imagining the hoardes of CPFrs who preordered and now demand to get a light from the second batch since they promised that the preordered lights would be exactly the same...


Not worth the trouble for a pair of silly logos. The light works just fine with them.


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## swxb12 (Jan 31, 2008)

They are not a big deal. I haven't noticed the small logos in a while. EDC the light everyday in my pocket.


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## waTom (Jan 31, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> No logos anywhere? No text, or what? Did you get it from Tad? I wonder if this is a second batch, or one of the very first ones that didn't have the logos.
> 
> Interesting!




Only on the flat surface there is in small letters the name and url, and the +/- in the ends of the battery tube.
I bought it from neolumen in France.


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## Kilovolt (Jan 31, 2008)

waTom said:


> I bought it from neolumen in France.


 
I believe that all the flashlights delivered to dealers all over the world are from the second batch.

Anyone else with an NDI bought from a dealer?


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## Khaytsus (Jan 31, 2008)

waTom said:


> Only on the flat surface there is in small letters the name and url, and the +/- in the ends of the battery tube.
> I bought it from neolumen in France.



Maybe someone should take pictures and we can compare the two..  Are the orings still clear tacky ones, is the head still pretty tough to turn sometimes?


----------



## waTom (Jan 31, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> Are the orings still clear tacky ones, is the head still pretty tough to turn sometimes?



Yes and yes but none of it bothers me 
Besides, I think the amount of force needed to turn the head seems just right to me.

I'll try to post pictures the next few days.


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## Kilovolt (Jan 31, 2008)

waTom, the potential problem with a head that is too hard to turn is when you program the second level and you need to turn it rather quickly.

We read in this thread of many people who face an erratical behaviour and in most cases it is due to the o-ring. If your NDI operates well as it is good for you, otherwise be prepared to change the o-ring with a different one as many of us did.


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## Lite_me (Jan 31, 2008)

Kilovolt said:


> I believe that all the flashlights delivered to dealers all over the world are from the second batch.
> 
> Anyone else with an NDI bought from a dealer?



I got my NDI from Tad Gear if that counts. All indications point to it being from the first batch. They're out of stock now waiting for some from the next batch. Mine has all the logos, the clear o-ring & tight turning and my serial # is 252. The only other thing of note is that mine has one of the (newer?) Q5's without the yellow phosphor on the sides around the wafer. All the pics I've seen posted of a NDI are the yellow ones. 

Mine looks like this...


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## Khaytsus (Jan 31, 2008)

Lite_me said:


> I got my NDI from Tad Gear if that counts. All indications point to it being from the first batch. They're out of stock now waiting for some from the next batch. Mine has all the logos, the clear o-ring & tight turning and my serial # is 252. The only other thing of note is that mine has one of the (newer?) Q5's without the yellow phosphor on the sides around the wafer. All the pics I've seen posted of a NDI are the yellow ones.
> 
> Mine looks like this...



My Cree looks the same.. BTW, is the last number on the card in the box the SN? Mine's #213 if so.


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## Hitthespot (Jan 31, 2008)

Here is the latest news from Tad Gear. I know a lot of you are waiting on the next batch. I received the email below from Mike today.

Bill

Hi Bill,

The current ETA from NiteCore is mid-February. J

_[email protected]_

_*P: 415.318.8252*_
_*F: 415.318.8002*_

_*TADGear, Inc.*_
_*660 22nd Street*_
_*San Francisco, CA94107*_


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## Lite_me (Jan 31, 2008)

Khaytsus said:


> My Cree looks the same.. *BTW, is the last number on the card in the box the SN?* Mine's #213 if so.


 That's my thinking. :shrug:


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## Kilovolt (Feb 1, 2008)

My serial number is 111 and yes, I have the yellow phosphor around the wafer. Shall I start to worry?


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## Lite_me (Feb 1, 2008)

Be afraid! ...be wery wery afraid!


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## srvctec (Feb 1, 2008)

Mine's #249 and here is a shot of the LED in my NDI. So serial # must not mean anything here since mine still has the phosphor around the die. I wonder what the purpose of the phosphor around the die is anyway. It doesn't light up, so why bother going to the trouble of putting it there? Just thinking out loud here.


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## robo21 (Feb 1, 2008)

srvctec said:


> Mine's #249 and here is a shot of the LED in my NDI. So serial # must not mean anything here since mine still has the phosphor around the die. I wonder what the purpose of the phosphor around the die is anyway. It doesn't light up, so why bother going to the trouble of putting it there? Just thinking out loud here.


 
I wish I knew the answer - I just had to post to say that that is an awesome macro shot! Very nice photo. :thumbsup:

Perhaps Edgetac will respond and answer the question.


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## Daniel_sk (Feb 2, 2008)

I think the phosphor was originally also arround the die, because it was easier in the manufacturing process to "spray" the phosphor all over the LED. It doesn't serve any purpose. The Cree LEDs from the newest batch have the phoshpor only on the die, because they probably found a good and effective way how to "spray" the phosphor just on the die itself. No change in the output, but Cree saves some phoshpor by doing this.


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## Khaytsus (Feb 2, 2008)

I wish my Cree looked that clean, mine has some funky looking stuff around the edges but I have yet to get a good picture of it.

This is the best I've been able to do, perhaps I should try external lighting rather than the LED itself. 

It almost looks like glue or something on the sides about 3/4ths of the way around. You can even see it in the reflector, but that's from the LED itself, the reflector is clean.


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## srvctec (Feb 2, 2008)

Mine has a smudge-fingerprint maybe? I would prefer it to be pristine, but in reality I don't think it really affects the beam, at least not enough the human eye can discern.


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## Lite_me (Feb 2, 2008)

Since we're posting pics of our actual emitters , here's mine. The pic I posted above was just a sample, of course.


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## e2x2e (Feb 3, 2008)

Anybody else notice that on the Tadgear website, they changed max. output from 190lm to 130lm? Anyone know anything about that? Can't wait till they get them in stock, I want one!!!



http://www.tadgear.com/x-treme gear/flashlights main/defender_infinity.htm


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## ernsanada (Feb 3, 2008)

Here's a pic of my NDI emitter.


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## kilgor (Feb 3, 2008)

e2x2e said:


> Anybody else notice that on the Tadgear website, they changed max. output from 190lm to 130lm? Anyone know anything about that? Can't wait till they get them in stock, I want one!!!
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.tadgear.com/x-treme gear/flashlights main/defender_infinity.htm




That's probably a lot more accurate. Fenix and Olight claim 120 lumens with thier 1AA Q5's and the NDI is a little brighter. 180 on a NiMH was pushing it a bit.


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## ingokl (Feb 4, 2008)

Yes, but the "new" 130 Lumen if the Nitecore are torch lumens, whereas the 120 of the Oight are, als well as in most lights, emitter lumens. 



kilgor said:


> That's probably a lot more accurate. Fenix and Olight claim 120 lumens with thier 1AA Q5's and the NDI is a little brighter. 180 on a NiMH was pushing it a bit.


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## merlocka (Feb 4, 2008)

I'm wondering about everyone else's low-> high transition time. My understanding was that this time was originally ~2 seconds, but was changed to ~1/2 second for production. If I'm wrong on this, let me know.

To be clear, I'm referring to the following time. With the flashlight set to the lowest user defined mode, turn the light off. Rotate the bezel to the MAX position. Turn the light on. The light will turn ON in the low mode, then after some time, switch to the max output.

I measured the transition time between low to high on mine by taking a video. Using video editing sw (I used Nero Vision, but Windows Movie Maker should work fine), you can easily measure the transition time. Mine is about .97 seconds. 

Could someone else measure their light for a comparison?


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## Fallingwater (Feb 4, 2008)

About the same. I'm too lazy to do what you did, but based on a rough estimate with a stopwatch I'd say slightly less than a second.


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## mapper66 (Feb 4, 2008)

About 1 second, definitely not 2.


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## merlocka (Feb 4, 2008)

Fallingwater said:


> About the same. I'm too lazy to do what you did, but based on a rough estimate with a stopwatch I'd say slightly less than a second.




OK. Cool. Just wanted to make sure my light isn't an oddball.


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