# Nitecore Explorer (EC1, EC2, EA1, EA2) Round-up Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO+



## selfbuilt

*Warning: a lot more pic heavy than usual. :sweat:*

_*Reviewer's Note – July 20, 2012:* The Explorer series review is now complete, with all testing results for all models. I have updated my comments throughout, to reflect the final set of results._ :wave:







The Explorer Series from Nitecore is a very distinctive set of lights. All models sport a dual electronic-switch control interface, in an otherwise fairly minimalist build. Let's see how they perform, relative to their respective classes … 










*Manufacturer Specifications:* 

*Common Specs:*

LED: CREE XP-G R5
High efficiency constant current circuit
Dual electronic switch design, easy-to-learn and simple user interface
5 brightness levels - Micro, Lo, Mid, Hi, Turbo – and secondary red light mode (0.2 lumens)
Hidden Strobe and SOS modes (momentary push-on)
Impact resistance 1.5m
Waterproof and submersible: IPX-8, 2m
Power indicator red LED also serves as battery voltage indicator (accurate to 0.1V), standby indicator when powered down
Toughened ultra-clear mineral glass with dual-side anti-reflective coating
Elaborate allow reflector purpose-designed for exceptionally long throw
Constructed from aero grade aluminum alloy
HA-III military grade hard-anodized
Stainless steel bezel retaining ring protects core components from damage
Detachable two-way anti-rolling clip
Tailstand function
Accessories: High quality holster, lanyard, spare o-ring
*EC1*

Maximum Output: 280 lumens
Powered by 1xCR123A or 1xRCR battery
Output/runtime (1xCR123A): Turbo 280lm - Hi 200lm / 1hr 20mins – Mid 75lm / 5hr – Lo 25lm / 12hr – Micro 4 lm/70hr
Peak beam intensity: 5000cd
Beam distance: 141m
Bezel diameter: 25.4mm, Tail diameter: 22mm
Length: 65mm
Weight: 42.5g (without battery)
Accessories: High quality holster, lanyard, spare o-ring
MSRP: ~$55
*EC2*

Maximum Output: 320 lumens
Powered by 2xCR123A batteries or 1x18650 battery (2xRCR batteries supported but not recommended – battery capacity indicator won't function normally)
Output/runtime (2xCR123A): Turbo 320lm - Hi 200lm / 3hr – Mid 80lm / 11hr – Lo 15lm / 50hr – Micro 2 lm/220hr
Peak beam intensity: 5650cd
Beam distance: 150m
Bezel diameter: 25.4mm, Tail diameter: 24mm
Length: 99mm
Weight: 59g (without battery)
MSRP: ~$67
*EA1*

Maximum Output: 180 lumens
Powered by 1xAA (NiMH/Alkaline/L91) or 1x14500 (1x14500 supported but not recommended - brightness level is greatly increased and circuit cannot accurately detect battery charge)
Output/runtime (1xNiMH AA): Turbo 180lm - Hi 100lm / 2hr 20min – Mid 40lm / 5hr – Lo 12lm / 17hr – Micro 3 lm/80hr
Peak beam intensity: 3000cd
Beam distance: 109m
Bezel diameter: 25.4mm, Tail diameter: 19mm
Length: 81mm
Weight: 47.5g (without battery)
MSRP: ~$52
*EA2*

Maximum Output: 280 lumens
Powered by 2xAA (NiMH, Alkaline, L91) – Note: 2x14500 is banned
Output/runtime (2xNiMH AA): Turbo 280lm - Hi 200lm / 2hr – Mid 60lm / 8hr – Lo 15lm / 30hr – Micro 3 lm/150hr
Peak beam intensity: 5000cd
Beam distance: 141m
Bezel diameter: 25.4mm, Tail diameter: 19mm
Length: 131mm
Weight: 64g (without battery)
MSRP: ~$60






The Explorer series lights come in standard display shelf packaging. Inside the cardboard box, you will find the light, good quality holster, wrist lanyard, extra o-ring, extra button cover sticker, manual, warranty card and product insert. Note there is no place to attach the wrist lanyard securely. 

Overall, the Explorer series lights are fairly small for their respective classes, despite the rather large flat area on the head where the control buttons are located. I will be providing detailed size and weight comparisons/pics in the detailed sections on each model – scroll down for details.

I will focus on the EC1 below for the general build discussion, updating with additional pics from the other models when aspects differ.






















The Explorer series build is rather unique. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think all will agree these lights are distinctive. oo:

My samples have a matte black finish, with no obvious chips or damage on the bodies (there were however several small chips and nicks in the screw thread anodizing on several models). There is knurling on the body tube and tailcap – but it is not overly aggressive. There are also fins on the head, presumably to help with cooling. Identification labels on the body are clear and bright against the black background. There appears to be a serial number on each light (in very small print, just below the head) 

Overall body wall thickness is on the thin-side, but the lights still feel solid (good weight in the hand). Surprisingly for such a small light, it has thick square-cut screw threads. oo: Screw threads are anodized on both body and tailcap for tailcap lock-out.





(EA2 on top, EC1 on bottom)

One comment on the EC1 – the threading area narrows down to only one full thread wide at places (although still seems quite stable). The other models all have longer threading areas. 

There is also a removable bi-directional clip, held in place by two screws. I typically like this type of design, as it allows you to clip the light bezel-up or bezel-down (e.g., good for a make-shift headlamp on a ball cap brim). Clip feel is ok (e.g., similar to some early Jetbeam lights), but not as sturdy as say the Surefire E1B. Note that on the EC1, the bend of the clip may get in the way of your fingers somewhat while tightening the tailcap.

Tailcap size is quite small, as there is no clicky switch. Lights can all tailstand comfortably. Removing the clip on the EC1 and EA1 will require a good set of flat-head jewelers screw drivers.

I find hand feel is good across the line. All lights are fairly compact for their classes, I found them all to be well-balanced and comfortable to hold and use.

Note that the EA1 and EA2 have relatively slim-lined bodies compared to the other models (i.e., they are customized to take the narrower AA-class cells). Also, the body tube diameter on the EA1 at least seemed a little variable – my replacement sample was unable to take any of my protected 14500 cells.

The EC2 is thick enough to take protected 18650. :thumbsup:

There is stainless steel bezel ring around the lens in the head, with raised aluminum flanges all around it (i.e., scalloped). This allows you to head-stand the lights, and still be able to tell if it is on. There is an obvious anti-glare reflective coating on the lenses. 










The Explorer series lights have a relatively deep and smooth reflector, which should translate into excellent throw for the size. The emitters were not always perfectly centered on all my samples, but it was typically pretty good. On some of my samples (like EC1), there seems to be some faint concentric rings visible at the base of the reflector near the opening around the emitter. These are likely to help smooth out the beam slightly, while still maintaining good throw. However, most of the samples I've received have had perflectly smooth reflectors.

Scroll down for specific beamshots of each model, relative to its class counterparts.

And now, the most distinctive part – the flat panel with dual-switch control interface. I will describe this in more detail below, when I cover the user interface. But to summarize the physical build, there are two electronic switches (labelled ON/OFF and MODE), and a small red LED. Switch feel is distinctive - something like a small bubble-switch. There is a very faint click as you make contact. Press and release to click, press and hold for continuous operation.

*User Interface*

User interface is common across the Explorer series.

When you first connect the tailcap with a battery installed, the red LED next to the control buttons will flash quickly once every 2 secs or so, serving as a locator beacon. This is helpful is you are trying to find the light in the dark. If you don't want to see the beacon, simply break the current by loosening the tailcap a quarter turn. 

Note the red LED doesn't flash while the light is on, unless the battery runs low. According to Nitecore, the light starts flashing once every 6 secs during operation once the battery reaches 50% remaining, and 3 times every 3 seconds once the batteries are nearing exhaustion.

Main beam operation is controlled by the ON/OFF switch – press and release to turn the light on at the previously memorized constant output level. While on, press and release the MODE switch repeatedly to cycle between the four main output levels in the following repeating sequence: Micro > Lo > Med > Hi. Press and hold the MODE switch for 1 sec at any level to jump to Turbo. To exit Turbo, press the MODE switch again. 

Turn the light off by pressing and releasing the ON/OFF switch again. Light has mode memory, and will return to the last level used when turned back on from off.

There are also "hidden" Strobe and SOS modes. You can access a disorienting variable-frequency strobe by pressing and holding the ON/OFF switch for more than 1 sec from Off. SOS is accessed by pressing and holding the MODE switch for more than 1 sec from Off. You can exit these modes by pressing any switch.

There is a lockout mode that reduces the standby power drain, and prevents quick activation. To turn it on, press and hold the ON/OFF for 1 sec when the light is on. It will shut-off, and stay locked out until you press and hold the ON/OFF switch again for 1 second. Under this mode, Nitecore says the current is reduced to below 0.1mA, for multi-year battery life (see my Standby drain testing section below for more info).

When you first enter lockout mode, the red LED next to the switches will flash out a voltage reading of the cell. The first set of flashes corresponds to number of volts, after a pause a second set of flashes will tell you the number of tenths of a volt. This will give you an idea of the battery charge remaining. A useful feature at any time, if you are wondering how much juice you have left. :thumbsup:

While on the subject, you can actually turn the red LED on continuously by pressing the MODE button while the light is off. The red LED will stay on until you press the MODE switch again, or turn on the light by the ON/OFF switch. The red LED is fairly bright when in constant on mode, with dark-adapted eyes.

For some reason, there was a slight delay in being able to activate the red light mode/beacon on my EA1 samples. White mode could be activated immediately, but it typically took a few seconds after making battery contact before beacon would activate or the continuous red light mode could be activated. 

For a more detailed examination of the build and user interface, please see my video overview: 



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

*PWM/Strobe*

There is no sign of PWM that I can see, at any output level – the lights appear to be current-controlled, as claimed.  

Micro/Lo/Med Noise:





Hi/Turbo Noise:





Note there was some very faint high frequency circuit noise present on Micro/Lo/Med levels at a frequency of 1 kHz, but this was not perceptible at all to the eye. On Hi/Turbo, this noise was ~2.2 kHz. But in either case, it is not PWM and you will not be able to see it visually.

Strobe:





Like other Jetbeam and Nitecore lights, the EC1 uses a true oscillating, or variable-frequency strobe. The time between pulses varied anywhere from 20msecs to 200msecs in my testing (i.e. 50 Hz to 5 Hz), with no discernible pattern. This is quite disorienting. :green:

*Standby Drain:*

Due to the electronic switches and the red LED locator beacon, there is going to be a standby current drain when the tailcap is fully connected.

This drain isn't easy to measure, as the red LED beacon mode causes a re-occurring fluctuation every 2secs that is too quick for my DMM to consistently capture. 

For the EC1, my best estimate on 1xCR123A is the background drain is ~50uA, with periodic jumps every 2 secs of up to ~2mA for a fraction of a second (i.e., that is the highest current my DMM ever displayed during a beacon flash). On 1xRCR, the background drain seemed to be ~20uA, with peak flashes of ~1mA for a fraction of a second.

If I were to roughly "guestimate" that the duration of the beacon flash was 1/5 of a sec, that would "average" out to ~0.25mA over 2secs on CR123A, and ~0.12mA on RCR. That would translate into ~8 months of runtime on either 1400mAh CR123A or 750mAh RCR. But that number is a very rough estimate and could be much higher or lower – it is very hard to estimate how quick the flash is (or how accurate my DMM is in capturing the current).

If you lockout the light according the switch method (i.e., hold the ON/OFF switch for more than 1 sec while On), the light is supposed to drop to a <0.1mA level. For all intents and purposes, I expect that what happens is the locator beacon is turned off, and the standby drain remains around the base ~50uA and ~20uA levels detected above. If so, I would expect ~3-4 years on the EC1, depending on the battery used.

So it looks like Nitecore's current drain and battery life estimates are pretty accurate. 

*Testing Method:* 

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

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

-----------

*EC1 Review*













From left to right: CR123A; Nitecore EC1; Sunwayman M11R; Eagletac D25C; Zebralight SC30; Jetbeam PC10; Novatac 120P; Surefire E1B.

All dimensions are given with no batteries installed:

*Nitecore EC1*: Weight 43.0g, Length: 68.6mm, Width (bezel): 26.1mm
*Rofis JR10*: Weight 75.0g, Length (max): 110.6mm (angled): 92.9mm, Width (bezel): 24.8mm
*Jetbeam PC10*: Weight: 50.5g, Length: 93.6mm, Width (bezel): 22.6mm
*Jetbeam BC10*: Weight: 46.6g, Length: 90.3mm, Width (bezel): 23.2mm
*Lumintop ED10*: Weight: 21.5g, Length: 70.4mm, Width (bezel): 20.7mm
*Thrunite Neutron 1C*: Weight: 45.2g, Length: 91.5mm, Width (bezel) 22.0mm

The EC1 is clearly tiny for the class. Weight is higher than typical for this size, suggesting reasonable heatsinking.

*Beamshots:*

All lights are on Turbo/Max on 1x AW protected RCR in the first set of panels, followed by 1xCR123A in the second. Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 





























































And now on primary 3V 1xCR123A:

















































As you can see, the EC1 has fairly tight and focused hotspot, compared to most other lights of this class. There are some faint beam rings, but they are not overly distracting.

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables.











As expected, output and throw are excellent for the class. :thumbsup: 

The EC1 is brighter on 1xRCR than 1xCR123A, consistent with a heavily-driven (but regulated) XP-G R5 light. 

*Output/Runtime Comparison:*



























-----------

*EC2 Review*













From left to right: AW protected 18650; Nitecore EC2; Jetbeam PC10; 4Sevens Quark Q123-2; Zebralight SC600; Spark SL6; Lumintop ED20; Eagletac D25LC2.

*Beamshots:*

All lights are on Max output on 1x AW protected 18650 (2200mAh). Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 





























































*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables.
















*Output/Runtime Comparison:*
























Again, no surprises for the output/runtime efficiency - the EC2 was excellent for a current-controlled XP-G R5 light (e.g. look at the 4Sevens G5 for a comparison).

One thing that is different - the timed step-down from Turbo to Hi was 27 mins on all battery sources. That's longer than you normally see for most timed step-downs. Note that you can always go back into turbo by simply holding down the button again at this point.

One oddity - on my 2xCR123A run, the light stepped down to Micro instead of Hi after 27mins. I restarted the run at Hi at this point, to allow you to better compare to the other runtimes.

---------

*EA1 Review*













From left to right: Duracell AA; Nitecore EA1, Defender Infinity, D10, EZAA; Fenix LD10-R4; 4Sevens Quark AA; Zebralight SC51.

*Beamshots:*

All lights are on Max output on Sanyo Eneloop AA NiMH. Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 





























































*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables.











*Output/Runtime Comparison:*
































Note: I was unable to complete 14500 runtimes, as the body tube on my replacement EA1 was too narrow to take any of my protected 14500 cells.

---------

*EA2 Review*













From left to right: Duracell AA; Nitecore EA2; Eagletac D25A2; 4Sevens Mini AA-2, Quark AA-2; Eagletac P20A2-II; Jetbeam PA20; Nitecore PD20.

*Beamshots:*

All lights are on Max output on 2x Sanyo Eneloop AA NiMH. Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 





























































*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables.






*Output/Runtime Comparison:*
























---------

*General Output/Runtime Comments:*

Please refer back to the individual light reviews above for detailed tables comparing output and throw for each light, relative to its respective class.

One general conclusion that I can draw is that the reported peak beam intensity and distance measures seem accurate, for all lights, for the identified battery type. :thumbsup:

To better allow you compare output at all levels on all lights, below are detailed tables for each model, on all supported battery types. I have indicated the manufacturer's specs for the identified cell type.





















_*Note:* I didn't put in the tables above, but I would estimate the red LED light is ~0.4 lumens when run in continuous mode. This is not far off Nitecore's 0.2 lumen spec._

Again, in general terms, Nitecore seems to be fairly accurate in their relative output spacing - especially for the EA-series lights. Most of my output estimates seem to be a bit higher than spec on the EC-series lights. 

The only real anomaly is my EC1, which seems to have a somewhat brighter Micro mode compared to the other lights (and to the specs). :shrug:

The EC1 and EA1 have noticeably higher outputs on 1x 3.7V Li-ion than their primary battery sources. Although relative spacing is still maintained, the lights in essence lack true low modes when run on RCR or 14500. This issue was identified by Nitecore in the packaging materials (see specs at the top of this review). Note that my replacement EA1 sample has a slightly narrow battery tube, and none of my 14500 cells would fit.

The lights are generally well regulated on their primary power sources, at all levels tested. Output/runtime efficiency seems very good relative to other members of the same class of XP-G R5-equipped lights. Keep in mind that most of the models support multi-modes on multiple sources (e.g., the EC1 fully supports both 1xCR123A and 1xRCR). This is something a number of competing models don't do, and means the EC1 is thus bound to incur some small efficiency hit (given the overhead of the broader voltage circuit support). 

On Turbo, the models typically step-down from Hi after 3 mins runtime. In the case of my replacement EA1 however, the light stepped down to whatever the last memorized mode was before Turbo was activated. 

On lights that support both primary and rechargeable Li-ion sources, there is a compression of the difference between output levels (e.g., the EC1 on 1xCR123A vs 1xRCR). There is also fairly typical semi-regulated looking pattern on Li-ions (i.e., gradual drop-off in output, with leveling off shortly before the protection circuit trips). Note that there is not much difference between Hi and Turbo on Li-ion – the EC1 runtimes look pretty much equivalent (although you can see the slight step-down at 3 mins is still there). Again, overall efficiency is again quite good on 3.7V Li-ion.

_*UPDATE JULY 9, 2012:* Issue with continuous red LED operation

There have been reports of some Explorer lights heating up quickly on continuous red LED use (with concomitant short runtimes). I have measured surface temperature on all my samples using a thermal probe attached to the body right next to the red LED. Basically, this probe was taped in the middle of the "Nitecore" label beside the red LED. I have sorted the table below by the increase in temperature over background room temp.






Consistent with these measures, the EC1 samples (and to a lesser extent the EA1 samples) felt subjectively quite warm to the touch by 1 hour into the run. The whole body felt warm, suggesting a significant power draw off the battery (i.e., it is not just the LED that is heating up). 

As you can see in the runtime results in the table, heat was indeed indicative of a high current drain (you can't escape thermodynamics ). There is a clear inverse correlation - lights with low runtimes (indicating high power drain) got warm quickly. Of course, battery capacity has a role here, but there is definitely a very wide swing in power efficiencies among my samples.

Anyway you look at it, <3 hours runtime on the EC1s is disappointing. My EC2 seems to have the best performance - negligible heat, and >8 days runtime.

What I don't know is whether these findings are specific to the models in question (i.e., are the EC1 and EA1 always that much worse than the EA2 or EC2?). Or is it simply highly variable across all models? Unfortunately, I have no definitive way to answer this, given that I only have one or two of each. I would be curious to hear other people's experience with runtimes on continuous red.
_
*Potential Issues for the Explorer series*

The Explorer series electronic switches are small and relatively close together, and may be difficult to access (especially if you are using gloves).

My EA1 sample suffered an emitter failure during testing, and had to be replaced. 

Although a full range of battery types are typically support on all models, the EC1 and EA1 have much higher output levels across the board on 3.7V Li-ion. Note that the battery tube was narrower on my replacement EA1, and none of my protected 14500 cells would fit (some of the regular NiMH cells were also a tight fit).

Although most lights have reasonable min output modes around ~2 lumens (and ~0.4 lumens for the red LED "moonlight" on continuous use), my EC1 had an abnormally high white Micro mode of ~11 lumens on 1xCR123A.

Lights are relatively throwy (by intentional design), but some may prefer a floodier option.

Bi-directional clip is a good design, but could be a bit thicker/stiffer. It may also interfere with your screwing of the EC1 tailcap.

Removing the clip on the EC1 and EA1 may be difficult, given the narrow openings to access the Phillips-head screws within the clip. I found that a flat-head jewelers screwdriver worked best to get these off (i.e., a Phillips-head jewelers screwdriver is too fine at this width, and could potentially strip the screws).

Lights all have decent square-cut and anodized threads, but the EC1 has less threading than the other models. Screw threads also seemed a bit rough on some models, with noticeable chips or nicks in the screw thread anodizing upon arrival.

There seems to be significant variability in the power draw of the red LED on continuous operation (giving anywhere from a few hours to a few days or runtime). See my comments in the update above.

Bezel ring appears to be press-fit on the head of the light, and there is no easy way to access the light's internals.

_UPDATE August 14,2 2012_: Although the lights are listed as IPX8 waterproof, there have been several reports here of individual samples failing under less stringent conditions. The two likely sources of water ingress are the bezel ring and adhesive switch cover. There are both only press-fit into position, so it is possible that some samples will fail at the IPX8 standard (although many are probably fine). 

_UPDATE March 12, 2013:_ There continue to be reports of inconsistent assembly or component tolerance issues on this line. I would recommend you carefully inspect any light you receive, to make sure it meets your standards and expectations upon arrival.

*Preliminary Observations*

The Explorer family by Nitecore has a lot going for it – a lot of care and thought clearly went into this design, and it works well. :twothumbs

The aesthetics are a matter of personal taste – not everyone will like the flat-panel head, but it is certainly distinctive.  It is also very functional, and the interface is easy to learn. There are only so many possibilities, even with electronic switches, so you should be able to work your way through them quickly.

I personally like the added functionality of the red LED – both for notification/signaling and continuous "moonlight" use.  And if you don't want the locator beacon, you can always cut power by twisting the tailcap, or lock-out the switch electronically.

Generally, the overall build was very good on all the samples I was sent. Despite being compact, the lights feel solid for their classes, with good overall weight balance and hand feel. There are a lot of nice design features, such as good quality square-cut screw threads, anodized tailcap lock-outs, stainless steel bezel rings, etc. I like this sort of bi-directional clip design as well. Note however that centering of the white LEDs was variable. 

The individual models of this family clearly have customized circuits, given the varying support of different battery voltages. On the EC2, comparable output levels are maintained on all battery sources. On the EC1 and EA1, all Li-ion output levels are considerably brighter than on the primary battery options.

Now that I have tested all the models, overall output/runtime efficiency seems generally very good across the series (i.e., in keeping with current-controlled lights).:thumbsup: On fully supported batteries, the regulation pattern was very typically well stabilized, with a timed step-down on Turbo. Note that 1x 3.7V Li-ion produces the more common quasi-regulated pattern on the EC1 (and presumably EA1) - but multi-mode status is maintained (just at a higher set of levels).

Although I remain impressed with the usability and performance of all the lights, some issues have cropped up. In particular, I've discovered there is a lot of variability in how efficient the lights are on continuous red LED operation (see table above). Unfortunately, red mode runtimes can be disappointingly short on some of the smaller models (which also heat up quickly). 

There have also been build concerns raised by some members, but these are difficult for me to comment on as all my samples have performed reliably during testing. I did experience an issue on the EA1 that required a replacement sample, but this seemed to be a Cree emitter fault, not a Nitecore issue. But interested moders/DIYers take note - the bezel ring appears to be press-fit, and there is no obvious way for the end-user to access the internals of the light. Other build and/or assembly issues have been reported, so I strongly suggest you thoroughly evaluate your light upon arrival, to make sure it meets your expectations and standards.

In terms of the features, I can see this model doing well for extended travel. Thinking back to my two-week experience in a remote rainforest, I can see how the EC1 on CR123A would have been a perfect travelling companion. The range of levels, the excellent throw, the low-power "moonlight" red light, the beacon function – these are all things I would have appreciated on that trip. :bow: About the only thing I can think of that would complete the package would be an optional diffuser cover for up-close work with the white LED.

I find there is a lot of marketing "fluff" that goes into models names and numbers in the flashlight world. But this is one light family that I think lives up to the "Explorer" moniker in terms of its feature set.  Hopefully, Nitecore can iron out the persistent build/assembly issues that have been reported here.

----

Explorer Series EC1, EC2, EA1, EA2 supplied by NiteCore for review.


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## Bigpal

Another outstanding review. I am looking for a 2xAA light and a 1xRCR123 light. I am going to replace my LD20 with an LD22 and pick up the EC1. Good job.


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## Blackbeard

Not sure if I misread this, but the red light flashes all the time when it is off unless you loosen tailcap? Not sure if I like this feature.


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## THE_dAY

Wasn't expecting a review on these so soon. What can I say except great review as always!:twothumbs

Looking forward to the followup after your return.


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## GordoJones88

Thanks a whole bunch for doing this so fast Selfbuilt.

I like what distinguishes these lights from the pack is they are very short with really good throw.

These lights are like Pokemon.


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## tam17

Thanks, selfbuilt! First and very informative, as always :thumbsup:


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## candle lamp

Excellent review as always, and thanks a lot for your time & effort. Selfbuilt! :thumbsup:

It looks the explorer series have nice features & functions. It's very interesting to see the battery voltage indicator as well.

I think these series show a certain side of the flashlights evolution.

Have a nice travel. :wave:


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## jmpaul320

excellent review as always... definitely interested to see about the 2aa model myself as ive been debating getting a light to leave in my car trunk (also looking at the dereelight javelin)


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## BIG45-70

Thanks for the great review. I have been waiting for these to be released for some time now jumped on the EA1 as soon as it was released. 

Are there any durability concerns with the electronic switch? How should a switch like this hold up for time and extended use?

Thank you again,


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## snakyjake

I really like the red locator beacon! Hopefully I can now find my flashlight in the dark. 

...or maybe the beacon is directional facing


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## selfbuilt

Blackbeard said:


> Not sure if I misread this, but the red light flashes all the time when it is off unless you loosen tailcap? Not sure if I like this feature.


Yes, this is the standard beacon mode.



THE_dAY said:


> Wasn't expecting a review on these so soon. What can I say except great review as always!:twothumbs


It is only because I had done full testing of the engineering sample - I just had to redo the runtime graphs, output/throw tables, etc., and update my preliminary comments. Still, it was a slog getting this done before I left (just checking in from the road ... )



GordoJones88 said:


> I like what distinguishes these lights from the pack is they are very short with really good throw.These lights are like Pokemon.


:laughing:



BIG45-70 said:


> Are there any durability concerns with the electronic switch? How should a switch like this hold up for time and extended use?


No problems so far on the engineering sample, and I've had that one a couple of months ...



snakyjake said:


> I really like the red locator beacon! Hopefully I can now find my flashlight in the dark.
> ...or maybe the beacon is directional facing


It is, but the red LED is bright enough that you will see it flashing on the other side of the light (with dark adapted eyes).


----------



## phantom23

Another great review, can't wait for EC2 runtime graphs. I was torn between Fenix PD31 and Eagletac D25LC2 but Nitecore seems to be a clear winner.


----------



## moshow9

I'm guessing not since this was not mentioned in your review, but did you happen to notice if any of the lights got hot during testing? Another poster mentioned that their EC1 got hot while using primaries and even when using the red led only.


----------



## candle lamp

Selfbuilt! 

Can you check if the stainless steel bezel ring is fastened on the head by screw threads or by other method?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## selfbuilt

phantom23 said:


> Another great review, can't wait for EC2 runtime graphs. I was torn between Fenix PD31 and Eagletac D25LC2 but Nitecore seems to be a clear winner.


We'll see how the runtimes do (once I'm back). The EC2 looks good so far - it has comparable levels on all batteries (including Lo modes).



moshow9 said:


> I'm guessing not since this was not mentioned in your review, but did you happen to notice if any of the lights got hot during testing? Another poster mentioned that their EC1 got hot while using primaries and even when using the red led only.


No warmer than I'd expect for the output in such small bodies. The lights will get warm quickly on all the med-hi-turbo levels. Judging from the extra weight in the head, I'm hoping the heatsinking is good. 

As for the red LED, I've noticed no heat at all after a couple of minutes of continuous runtime.



candle lamp said:


> Can you check if the stainless steel bezel ring is fastened on the head by screw threads or by other method?


Hmm, I've go no idea how it is fastened. There are no indents for snap-ring pliers, and I am unable to open it by hand (it is slighty recessed below the aluminum flanges, making it hard to isolate. Perhaps something like the underside of mouse-pad might work to loosen it, but I don't have one with me to try - sorry.


----------



## Creep0815

Great review. Do you know if they'll playe any NW Nitecore E on the market?

Thomas


----------



## run4jc

This is (as usual) and awesome review! I picked one of these up out of curiosity and am quite impressed with it. Kinda like a Zebralight SC31 on steroids. 

I really appreciate the review - explained the operation clearly - better than the owner's manual!


----------



## phantom23

selfbuilt said:


> We'll see how the runtimes do (once I'm back). The EC2 looks good so far - it has comparable levels on all batteries (including Lo modes).


As I don't use CR/RCR123 at all my bigger concern is that low and especially med are higher than they should. That's why I hope it has efficient driver and long runtimes on those modes.

PS. Is possible to turn the red light on in lockout mode?


----------



## GordoJones88

Creep0815 said:


> Do you know if they plan any NW Nitecore E on the market?



Nitecore and Jetbeam typically only have cool white emitters. 





phantom23 said:


> Is possible to turn the red light on in lockout mode?


 
Lockout mode turns the blinking red light off to reduce battery drain. 
Isn't that the point of lockout mode?


----------



## phantom23

I was thinking about constant red light, not beacon.


----------



## think2x

I'm really liking this light but I have an important question. Will the EC2 take the larger capacity flat top 18650's like the Redilast? I either over looked it or can't find that bit of info anywhere. If it does work with the Redilast cells this will be the light replacing my dead SC600w.

Thanks and great review as always Selfbuilt.

Jamie


----------



## MichaelW

These seem to be the most blatant exploitation of the ANSI testing protocol for marketing purposes yet.

I do like the helical grip, it is a change of pace, but a herringbone pattern might be better.


----------



## moozooh

Heh, anybody else gets the vibe that EA1 is much like an underperformer clone of ZL SC51? Similar size and proportions, same LED and battery, somewhat lower efficiency but lower price and better throw to compensate. I guess it's only worth the trade-off if you really prefer the throw.

EA2, though, that one is pretty interesting. The spec runtimes trump the 2xAA XM-L Quark, and the output/throw appear to be the best in class, so this might well end up to be the 2xAA light of choice for the time being. I can see it being really useful as a throw light on long trips where equipment size/weight are an issue, and battery recharging is out of the question.


----------



## biglights

just ordered the EC1, thanks selbuilt for yet another great review!!! My wallet dosnt like your reviews though :naughty:


----------



## Up All Night

Selfbuilt :thumbsup:! As always, Thank you!
Nice to see a 2AA light that doesn't look like its inspiration was an elongated chess piece. Impressive numbers as well, looking forward to run-time results.
Thanks again!

Setting the WizardOne to "charge"!


----------



## dajabec

My EC1 is great! It doesn't have any overheating issues. 
This thing is way too small to fit an 18350 if anyone was wondering. 
Man the reflector is deep; hard to believe such a small light throws so well. 
Also, interesting "beam pattern" on the red light. My kids were looking to see where the laser was pointing at :-D

BTW the EA2 numbers look amazing. If I'm in the market for a AA light this would be it.


----------



## GordoJones88




----------



## rufus001

GordoJones88 said:


>



"I'm sorry, GordoJones88. I'm afraid I can't do that. "


----------



## scout24

I'm intrigued by the EA1, looking forward to the Eneloop runtimes... Curious-is there a runtime spec listed for the red constant on mode for any of these? Thanks for the thorough review and video.


----------



## tam17

GordoJones88 said:


> Nitecore and Jetbeam typically only have cool white emitters.



Typically yes, but Jetbeam PA40 was available in neutral "W" version soon after the cool white was released. I wouldn't be surprised if this happens with Nitecore E series.

Cheers


----------



## JudasD

I just snagged an EC1. I was having trouble deciding on what Eagletac D25C version to get but this guy has a touch more throw than both of them and is physically smaller! :thumbsup:


I was going over my bills for the last few months and my wife was getting fed up entering in all of these random vendor names for flashlight orders. I told her to just file everything flashlight related under "selfbuilt". She asked what the heck does that mean? I said he's the reason for all these damn bills!!! :lolsign: 

Once again, thank you for the awesome review selfbuilt.

JD


----------



## andrewnewman

moozooh said:


> Heh, anybody else gets the vibe that EA1 is much like an underperformer clone of ZL SC51? Similar size and proportions, same LED and battery, somewhat lower efficiency but lower price and better throw to compensate. I guess it's only worth the trade-off if you really prefer the throw.



Funny I was thinking just the opposite. Granted the ZL SC51 seems to have a better circuit but the light itself has some troublesome flaws that I am hoping aren't present in the EA1. If you ever put your SC51 in your pocket you have to remember to lock out the tailcap or it has a pretty decent chance of coming on (in high). No biggie really but I never much liked requiring a loose tailcap (and intact anodization) to assure no battery drain. Electronic lockouts seem more elegant (to me, admittedly this is very subjective).

Also, I keep my house pretty dark and at night I'm always forgetting where I put my light. The beacon is pretty useful here. Finally, for camping I am thinking that a small red LED for finding something in my backpack at night or exiting a shared shelter is more civilized than even the dimmest white LED.


----------



## JudasD

My EC1 arrived yesterday. I was EDCing the SWM V11R and truthfully i never really liked that light. It needs just a touch more throw for the amount of flood that it produces. There where times where the light actually made it feel like a foggy night since there was so much flood and vs. the amount of throw. I'm not sure if this phenomenon has a name but it was the extreme opposite of the tunnel vision that you get with an aspheric light.
I also kept unscrewing the head whenever i would adjust the levels. Not good  

The EC1 is super short! The throw is beyond excellent for a light this small. Walked around last night and the amount of throw is perfect for the amount of flood. No foggy-night appearance at all. Vision was good up to 150 yards!
I do like the dual button operation and placement. I wish turbo mode was just part of the rotation and not a long press. If you are wearing gloves this light will be a problem. I will have to see if i still like this light come winter time.
Turbo mode is very difficult to discern from high mode. Even at distances i had to really pay attention to notice that turbo mode was engaging. Ill probably just stick with high and never use turbo mode. No reason to waste battery if it's not doing much for me. 
WARNING: If you like moonlight modes this is NOT the light for you! The ultra-low mode isn't very low with a RCR123. I only use RCR123s and have no CR123s so i am not able to see how much lower it can go. This isn't a deal breaker for me, but i do wish it could go a bit lower. 
I have zero use for strobe modes, but i must admit that this light has the most obnoxious strobe mode that i have ever seen. I suppose that is a good think right? LOL

Compared to my previous EDC lights (SC51, SC600, V11R) the EC1 is my preference. I was going to try a D25C but i think i will just stick with the EC1. I dont want to have to fiddle with the twisty head and such since it's too reminiscent of the V11R issues that i had.

JD


----------



## selfbuilt

andrewnewman said:


> Funny I was thinking just the opposite. Granted the ZL SC51 seems to have a better circuit but the light itself has some troublesome flaws that I am hoping aren't present in the EA1. If you ever put your SC51 in your pocket you have to remember to lock out the tailcap or it has a pretty decent chance of coming on (in high). No biggie really but I never much liked requiring a loose tailcap (and intact anodization) to assure no battery drain. Electronic lockouts seem more elegant (to me, admittedly this is very subjective).


I'd say there is much less risk with the EC1. The Zebralight switches have always been pretty sensitive (i.e., a light touch required). The Explorer lights all need a firmer press.



JudasD said:


> WARNING: If you like moonlight modes this is NOT the light for you! The ultra-low mode isn't very low with a RCR123. I only use RCR123s and have no CR123s so i am not able to see how much lower it can go. This isn't a deal breaker for me, but i do wish it could go a bit lower.


That was my experience in the review as well for the my EC1 sample. Not sure why it doesn't go as low as the other members of this family, but I personally wouldn't consider the reported 2-3 lumens to be moonlight anyway (i.e., too bright). You really need to rely on the <1 lumen red LED for moonlight.


----------



## billbebob

Looks like an interesting and promising light from Nitecore. As always Selfbuilt your reviews are top notch and among the best online. May have to put the EC2 on my list of products to purchase. Thanks!


----------



## chadvone

Deleted


----------



## chadvone

Deleted


----------



## selfbuilt

chadvone said:


> Just came back from my run, the RED LIGHT had DRAINED the batttery to .85 volts. No light. It was still on at 7pm when I left. 5-6 Hours is what I am getting.


It will be a few days before I am back, but I will test the red LED runtimes on the various models when I get back. I will also see if I can do some heat comparisons ... may take a little time, though.


----------



## hurld

I can't make up my mind which model I want. I'm leaning toward the ea1. Using 14500 batteries it should be the same brightness as the ec1 on a rcr123 right? Decisions decisions. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## chadvone

Deleted


----------



## TweakMDS

chadvone said:


> Deleted



Chadvone, would you care to elaborate on your earlier - now deleted - comments regarding the battery drain from the red light? One of them is still present in a quote, so I was curious. As you deleted them, am I right to assume this was either a faulty battery or some sort of user error? If I see any more reports on faulty Explorers, I'll move this off my shortlist because it's beginning to look like another D11.2.
If only someone put this led + reflector on a sunwayman M-style body


----------



## chadvone

My EA1 on RED doesn't make it through the night.
I tested this and it died between 5-6 hours

another test on LOW got about 11 hours.

Was trying to delete my post, because I don't want to dirty up Selfbuilts Review before he comes to his numbers. Sorry SB


----------



## euroken

selfbuilt said:


> I'd say there is much less risk with the EC1. The Zebralight switches have always been pretty sensitive (i.e., a light touch required). The Explorer lights all need a firmer press.
> 
> 
> That was my experience in the review as well for the my EC1 sample. Not sure why it doesn't go as low as the other members of this family, but I personally wouldn't consider the reported 2-3 lumens to be moonlight anyway (i.e., too bright). You really need to rely on the <1 lumen red LED for moonlight.



I just received my EA1 and find the low in single AA to be not low enough. Definitely not middle of the night wake up friendly  However, the red light is quite low in my opinion.

I find the aggressive thread pitch (is this correct?) in the tailcap also reduces number of turns to remove the tailcap. With this in mind, I would be hestant to loosen the tailcap to turn off the red indicator light.

Regardless, it's a well built light and quality seem to be a top notch.


----------



## JudasD

euroken said:


> I just received my EA1 and find the low in single AA to be not low enough. Definitely not middle of the night wake up friendly  However, the red light is quite low in my opinion.
> 
> I find the aggressive thread pitch (is this correct?) in the tailcap also reduces number of turns to remove the tailcap. With this in mind, I would be hestant to loosen the tailcap to turn off the red indicator light.
> 
> Regardless, it's a well built light and quality seem to be a top notch.



I agree with your statements 100% with the exception that i have the EC1. Aside from these shortcomings i really do like this light. It is now my EDC.

JD


----------



## rufus001

euroken said:


> I just received my EA1 and find the low in single AA to be not low enough. Definitely not middle of the night wake up friendly  However, the red light is quite low in my opinion.
> 
> I find the aggressive thread pitch (is this correct?) in the tailcap also reduces number of turns to remove the tailcap. With this in mind, I would be hestant to loosen the tailcap to turn off the red indicator light.
> 
> Regardless, it's a well built light and quality seem to be a top notch.



The red light can be turned off without loosening the tailcap.


----------



## euroken

rufus001 said:


> The red light can be turned off without loosening the tailcap.



Sorry, i meant the 3 second blinks. I haven't found a way to turn off the blinks.


----------



## rufus001

euroken said:


> Sorry, i meant the 3 second blinks. I haven't found a way to turn off the blinks.



Yeah they are a bit annoying especially as you can check the voltage any time you want simply by locking the light out.


----------



## selfbuilt

chadvone said:


> Was trying to delete my post, because I don't want to dirty up Selfbuilts Review before he comes to his numbers. Sorry SB


Hey, no worries - it is all valid data. I am now back home, so will get back to testing the rest of the models shortly. I will start with red lights, as there seems to be a lot of concern here.



euroken said:


> I find the aggressive thread pitch (is this correct?) in the tailcap also reduces number of turns to remove the tailcap. With this in mind, I would be hestant to loosen the tailcap to turn off the red indicator light.


Yeah, but I wouldn't worry about it - you just need a tiny loosening of the tail to break contact. The light should still be held together quite stably, and the o-ring is still fully engaged for waterproofness.



euroken said:


> Sorry, i meant the 3 second blinks. I haven't found a way to turn off the blinks.


Locking out the light (by the >1sec press of the on/off switch from on) will disable the red light beacon mode. You can still easily turn the light back on my pressing and holding on on/off switch for >1 sec.


----------



## euroken

Thank you selfbuilt! Just tried it and its quite easy to opperate the lock out. So this is great!


----------



## selfbuilt

Just an update - I am in the process of testing the other models, and there is clearly a lot of variation in heat and runtime of the red LED in continuous use.

Specifically, some of my samples remain just barely above room temperature, and appear to last for days (runtimes ongoing). Others get noticeably warm, with concomitantly lower runtimes of just a few hours. So far, it is looking like these two factors are inversely related - the warmer your light gets on continuous red, the shorter the runtime you will be. 

That makes a certain amount of intuitive sense - you can't escape the second law of thermodynamics (i.e., entropy is always increasing in a closed system). The question is why do some samples draw so much more power than others (thus creating more secondary heat). But it certainly seems to be a good inverse proxy for estimate runtime. I will update with actual results once I have them.


----------



## JudasD

selfbuilt said:


> Just an update - I am in the process of testing the other models, and there is clearly a lot of variation in heat and runtime of the red LED in continuous use.
> 
> Specifically, some of my samples remain just barely above room temperature, and appear to last for days (runtimes ongoing). Others get noticeably warm, with concomitantly lower runtimes of just a few hours. So far, it is looking like these two factors are inversely related - the warmer your light gets on continuous red, the shorter the runtime you will be.
> 
> That makes a certain amount of intuitive sense - you can't escape the second law of thermodynamics (i.e., entropy is always increasing in a closed system). The question is why do some samples draw so much more power than others (thus creating more secondary heat). But it certainly seems to be a good inverse proxy for estimate runtime. I will update with actual results once I have them.



I tried a red led runtime test last night on an EC1 with a AW RCR123 battery. My current draw was measured at 60ma. The led stayed lit for 6 hours and then it shut off. My light was room temperature after this 6 hours. I removed the battery and it measured 3.45v. At this voltage i was still able to use the light. I'm not quite sure why things had shutoff. Tonight i will try it again. This time when it shuts off, i will turn the red led back on again and continue my timer. 

JD


----------



## Rexlion

I would be interested in hearing whether the electronic switch is more or less subject to accidental activation vs. the Zebralight SC series (I have SC-51). Also if you happen to have any SC lights for beamshot comparison, that would be great; I know EC will be less floody but it would be nice to see a visual. It seems like the ZL SC's are the closest competitor. Thanks for all the hard work, SB!


----------



## GordoJones88

Rexlion said:


> I would be interested in hearing whether the electronic switch is more or less subject to accidental activation vs. the Zebralight SC series (I have SC-51).



I would say that it is extremely unlikely my EC1 switch is gonna be accidentally activated 
clipped to the inside of my front pants/shorts pocket while EDCing. It is not that kind of a switch.




Rexlion said:


> Also if you happen to have any SC lights for beamshot comparison, that would be great;
> I know EC will be less floody but it would be nice to see a visual.



The Explorer series is very throwy, and not floody at all.
It has a big, deep, smooth reflector with a really small, tight hotspot.

The EC1 and SC31 reflectors are very different, 
hence their beam profiles are quite different.













I think a better comparison to the EC1 is the Lumintop P1C.


----------



## selfbuilt

GordoJones88 said:


> I would say that it is extremely unlikely my EC1 switch is gonna be accidentally activated
> clipped to the inside of my front pants/shorts pocket while EDCing. It is not that kind of a switch.


I concur - a firm press in just the right area is required to activate the Explorer switches. The Zebralights can be activated by a light press almost anywhere on the switch cover. This was my major frustration when EDCing the SC51 on my belt - if I forgot to lockout the light, I was bound to experience an accidental activation by brushing up against something, sooner or later. I can't see that happening with the Explorer lights.




> The EC1 and SC31 reflectors are very different,
> hence their beam profiles are quite different.


Indeed, but I will add the SC51 to my beamshot comparison of the E1A.


----------



## chanjyj

I'm considering pulling the trigger. But looking at the images - it seems rather hard to navigate the 2 electronic switches.. or is it ok in reality?


----------



## jhc37013

Thanks for leading the way on these models Selfbuilt I'm thinking of ordering either the EA2 or EC1 to hold me over until the EC2 is released so I'm looking forward to your EA2 runtimes, they are not terribly expensive so I may just buy both it's tempting. Over the past year all the small light's I've bought have mostly been XM-L with a shallow broad reflector so it will be nice to get a couple small lights with some throw

Before I place my order I would like to see if we can get this issue about heat and the red light figured out, right now I don't know if some are defective and others fine or if it's just the way it's going to be depending on the model (cell used). 

If there are some that is just plain defective maybe I could ask my dealer if they would check out their inventory the best they can before sending the light's I order out to me.


----------



## Rexlion

Thanks for the quick, informative replies! I like it more and more... provided I can get a non-heating one.

BTW, on EA1 specs you have it at 280 lumens, but on the package and elsewhere it's indicated at 180... maybe a typo in there.


----------



## iron potato

jhc37013 said:


> Thanks for leading the way on these models Selfbuilt I'm thinking of ordering either the EA2 or EC1 to hold me over until the EC2 is released so I'm looking forward to your EA2 runtimes, they are not terribly expensive so I may just buy both it's tempting. Over the past year all the small light's I've bought have mostly been XM-L with a shallow broad reflector so it will be nice to get a couple small lights with some throw
> 
> Before I place my order I would like to see if we can get this issue about heat and the red light figured out, right now I don't know if some are defective and others fine or if it's just the way it's going to be depending on the model (cell used).
> 
> If there are some that is just plain defective maybe I could ask my dealer if they would check out their inventory the best they can before sending the light's I order out to me.



+1, eyeing EA2 too ~


----------



## biglights

chanjyj said:


> I'm considering pulling the trigger. But looking at the images - it seems rather hard to navigate the 2 electronic switches.. or is it ok in reality?




I have the EC1 and I don't think that the switches are hard to use. Maybe if you were wearing gloves they could be an issue. In fact I kinda like this set up, something different that actually works!!


----------



## JudasD

biglights said:


> I have the EC1 and I don't think that the switches are hard to use. Maybe if you were wearing gloves they could be an issue. In fact I kinda like this set up, something different that actually works!!



I agree with this 100%. i have also never had my EC1 accidentally turn on in my pocket.

JD


----------



## jhc37013

I'm starting to really get into to 2xAA lights, I mean sure I've always kept a handful for emergencies but now we are in the 400lmn range with good runtimes. It started for me with the Quark X AAx2 then the ET D25 Clicky and now this EA2, it's not just the output but also the compact size.

The 18650 will still rule for me but these outputs on just 2AA's is mind blowing, sure the body is longer but it's also narrower so EDC'ing a 2xAA isn't all that bad these days. Of course you can always throw in a couple alkalines put it on medium and you have light for probably as long as you need it, it's always been a good feeling knowing you can do that but now you can also get that 350-400 lumens if needed without resorting to lithium batterys.


----------



## BWX

Opps.. delete this...


----------



## fyrstormer

MichaelW said:


> These seem to be the most blatant exploitation of the ANSI testing protocol for marketing purposes yet.


The point of a standard in the first place is to define what is considered important enough to measure. If the lights are built to meet the standard, then the standard is working properly. If the lights were not actually useful in real life, that would mean the standard was poorly written, not that the manufacturer is cheating. Certainly the manufacturer can build the product to meet whatever spec they want, but if a standard exists, it is reasonable for the manufacturer to assume that the standard describes how a well-performing product should work. It's not their fault if the standard is defective.

Anyway, I like the way these look. I wonder if Nitecore could be talked into making a Ti version?


----------



## biglights

Has anyone tried taking the clip off on the EC1?


----------



## selfbuilt

biglights said:


> Has anyone tried taking the clip off on the EC1?


Yes, I have. I recommend the use of a flat-tip jeweler's screwdriver. 

A phillips-head screwdriver (even a jeweler's model) typically has very fine endings in the size required to fit through the clip openings. I would be worried about stripping the heads if I tried to use one. A flat-tip screwdriver has a wider head for the same diameter body. Just pick the size that just makes it through the opening in the clip, and you are good to go.


----------



## davidt1

I really like the size/throw/price ratio of the EC2. It's easily the smallest 18650 light in the picture. It also has the best symmetry and proportion of all the new Nitcore EC lights. Thanks for another fine review.


----------



## biglights

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, I have. I recommend the use of a flat-tip jeweler's screwdriver.
> 
> A phillips-head screwdriver (even a jeweler's model) typically has very fine endings in the size required to fit through the clip openings. I would be worried about stripping the heads if I tried to use one. A flat-tip screwdriver has a wider head for the same diameter body. Just pick the size that just makes it through the opening in the clip, and you are good to go.



Thanks Selbuilt that worked, I was worried about stripping the screws. I love this light, but not the clip, always seemed to get in my way. PERFECT now :thumbsup:


----------



## selfbuilt

My continuous red mode runtime on the EC2 is still progressing, but I thought I would share my heat/runtime results so far.

I measured surface temperature using a thermal probe attached to the body right next to the red LED. Basically, this probe was taped in the middle of the "Nitecore" label beside the red LED. I have sorted the table below by the increase in temperature over background room temp.







Consistent with these measures, the EC1 samples (and to a lesser extent the EA1) felt subjectively quite warm to the touch by 1 hour into the run. The whole body felt warm, suggesting a significant power draw off the battery (i.e., it is not just the LED that is heating up). 

As you can see in the runtime results in the table, heat was indeed indicative of a high current drain (you can't escape thermodynamics ). There is a clear inverse correlation - lights with low runtimes (indicating high power drain) got warm quickly. Of course, battery capacity has a role here, but there is definitely a very wide swing in power efficiencies among my samples.

Anyway you look at it, <3 hours runtime on the EC1s is disappointing. My EC2 seems to have the best performance - negligible heat, and >4 days runtime so far.

What I don't know is whether these findings are specific to the models in question (i.e., are the EC1 and EA1 always that much worse than the EA2 or EC2?). Or is it simply highly variable across all models? unfortunately, I have no way to answer this, given that I only have one of each. I would be curious to hear other people's experience with runtimes on continuous red.

Regula white mode runtimes are progressing on the other lights, I should have the E2A results up by tomorrow night. :wave:


----------



## fyrstormer

Hopefully someone can confirm whether the bezel ring is removable without damaging the light. I hope it's not press-fit.


----------



## regulator

Thank you Selfbuilt. It looks like there is a definitely a flaw in the circuit design or manufacture. That's a bummer. I hope they are watching and take quick action to head this off. 

Maybe the EC2 delay will help insure that it's circuit is good. The red mode should have super low current draw for long runtimes.


----------



## selfbuilt

fyrstormer said:


> Hopefully someone can confirm whether the bezel ring is removable without damaging the light. I hope it's not press-fit.


I've tried to remove mine using a mouse-pad underside, but no luck so far. But that doesn't mean it wasn't screwed in - just that with nothing to grip on to, it's hard to see how to get it off. :shrug:



regulator said:


> Thank you Selfbuilt. It looks like there is a definitely a flaw in the circuit design or manufacture. That's a bummer. I hope they are watching and take quick action to head this off.
> Maybe the EC2 delay will help insure that it's circuit is good. The red mode should have super low current draw for long runtimes.


I've sent my results back to Nitecore, so we will see what their engineers have to say.

One thing - I will have the chance to test a second EA1 sample. The emitter on my current EA1 has failed during runtime testing (a dark spot has appeared on it, and output has dropped). I've never seen anything like this before, but it appears to be a Cree issue, not a Nitecore one. In any case, they are sending me a replacement EA1 so that I can complete the review. I will test its performance on continuous red mode as well.

My EA2 testing is done, just collecting the findings and will post later tonight.


----------



## Phil Ament

I also notice that under the "Battery Options" heading of all of the Explorer Series instructions that while it says that both CR123 and RCR123 are compatible, it also has the word "Recommended" in brackets next to the CR123. I wonder what that really means and I also hope that Nitecore won't try and use this to suggest that any of our problems or any of the very disappointing run times (mainly constant on red LED) are being caused by the fact that we are using the non-recommended RCR123's.


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## selfbuilt

Phil Ament said:


> I also notice that under the "Battery Options" heading of all of the Explorer Series instructions that while it says that both CR123 and RCR123 are compatible, it also has the word "Recommended" in brackets next to the CR123. I wonder what that really means and I also hope that Nitecore won't try and use this to suggest that any of our problems or any of the very disappointing run times (mainly constant on red LED) are being caused by the fact that we are using the non-recommended RCR123's.


No, the product documentation makes it clear that RCR are compatible (and supported) in the EC1 and EC2. Each model has a specific "recommendation" among supported battery types though. 

Actually, Nitecore's documentation is probably the clearest I've seen yet, since it specifically lists whether a given battery is compatible or not. The "recommended" is just additional guidance. The manuals also list any specific restrictions (e.g., they identify that the battery indicator feature doesn't work normally on 2xRCR in the EC2).


----------



## selfbuilt

EA2 runtimes now up:
























Again, no surprises here - the EA2 performs well for a XP-G R5 light.

:wave:


----------



## selfbuilt

Main review updated with beamshot comparisons of the EC2, EA1 and EA2.

For the EA1, I have included the recent SENS AA as a comparator, as well as the Zebralight SC51 (by special request). For the EA2, all the comparators are XP-G versions of the listed lights. For the EC2, I don't have much in the way of recent XP-G lights, so had to use XM-L based comparators.

Should have the EC2 runtimes up by tomorrow. :wave:


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## fyrstormer

selfbuilt said:


> I've tried to remove mine using a mouse-pad underside, but no luck so far. But that doesn't mean it wasn't screwed in - just that with nothing to grip on to, it's hard to see how to get it off. :shrug:


Perhaps an appropriately-sized rubber cork would provide better grip.


----------



## bobjane

I did a constant red runtime test with an EC1 and AW 750mAh RCR123 charged to 4.18V.

LED went out after 3 hours and 4 minutes. The body was slightly warm throughout, however the ambient temperature is only about 10 Celcius.

Battery came out reading 3.12V. I assume this means the light has its own over discharge protection since the battery's over discharge protection is supposed to be at 2.45V.


----------



## selfbuilt

bobjane said:


> I did a constant red runtime test with an EC1 and AW 750mAh RCR123 charged to 4.18V.
> LED went out after 3 hours and 4 minutes. The body was slightly warm throughout, however the ambient temperature is only about 10 Celcius.
> Battery came out reading 3.12V. I assume this means the light has its own over discharge protection since the battery's over discharge protection is supposed to be at 2.45V.


Yes, others have been reporting the same thing. My EC2 is still running after ~7.5 days on continuous red on a 2200mAh 18650. When it finally stops, I will report the voltage of the cell.

Speaking of which, my runtimes for the white mode of the 18650 are now done:
























Again, no surprises for the output/runtime efficiency - the EC2 was excellent for a current-controlled XP-G R5 light (e.g. look at the 4Sevens G5 for a comparison).

One thing that is different - the timed step-down from Turbo to Hi was 27 mins on all battery sources. That's longer than you normally see for most timed step-downs. Note that you can always go back into turbo by simply holding down the button again at this point.

One oddity - on my 2xCR123A run, the light stepped down to Micro instead of Hi after 27mins. I restarted the run at Hi at this point, to allow you to better compare to the other runtimes.

:wave:


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## selfbuilt

My EC2 red light run finally came to an end last night, somewhere between 8 days 17hrs and 8 days 19 hrs runtime:






It terms of the battery voltage though, the protection circuit had tripped at this point (i.e. 0 volts). So that means the EC2 at least did run the battery down to where the protection circuit engaged.


----------



## selfbuilt

Just finished the replacement EA1 testing, and added the results to the review. The review is now complete, with revised commentary reflecting all the testing results. :sweat:

FYI, my original EA1 developed what appears to be a burnt-out area on the emitter (distorting the beam and reducing output). Nitecore dispatched a replacement, so that I could finish this review. Here are the runtimes:
































Note: I was unable to complete 14500 runtimes, as the body tube on my replacement EA1 was too narrow to take any of my protected 14500 cells. :shrug:

I have also tested the red light mode, and added the results to my temp/runtime table:






As you can see, the results fit in with the general correlation - lights that drain the battery quickly on continuous red operation get hotter faster. 

Anyway, that brings my detailed testing of this family to a close. Hope you found the runtimes (and everything else) useful!


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## chadvone

Thank You SB for another great review. I like the EA1 as it is , but the runtimes on lower setting are too low for my tastes. Maybe there will be version .2 that they get the runtimes on low and red increased.


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## ergotelis

Selfbuilt, i can see something going wrong on your measurements. I think something is not made right and you numbers seem overrated. Let me explain. 

Lets take Nitecore EC2. You are using a AW 2200mah, which is quite a "tired battery", but lets guess that it is still performing quite well.
You are mentioning that EC2 outputs 270 lumen stable for 3hours. 3 hours of discharging for an AW 2200, means about 0,7amp to the led. Even in perfect efficiency, which we don't have anywhere, it won't be higher than 0,8amp, without of course counting the fact that this AW won't perform as it did in its first cycles. 
According to cree, a xp-g R5, @0,7amp,@25 C has output of 260-280 lumen. Do you get the Point?

If we add the higher temp, maybe almost 70 C on the core, the lumen loss due to reflector and glass, we won't be getting more than 230 lumen from the flashlight. And this is for a top bin led xp-g S2, for example. My estimation, about 200 lumen OTF, for a classic xp-g R5. 
I don't own the flashlight, i am going to have it soon.

And this possibly happens for all of your nitecore explorer series flashlights, can't comment for the others models other than those of the same form factor. i bet that also on them, EC1, EA2, EA1 , your results are overrated.


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## selfbuilt

ergotelis said:


> Lets take Nitecore EC2. You are using a AW 2200mah, which is quite a "tired battery", but lets guess that it is still performing quite well.


No, I'm afraid you've misunderstood - it is a new battery.

AW still manufacturers and sells 2200mAh cells. In fact, I buy over a dozen new ones every year, usually in batches of 4 every 3-4 months. This is the same for _all_ the other rechargeable cells in my testing. I discard cells after about 40-50 discharge cycles, max (maybe less). 

It is fair question to ask for the deailed methodology of my testing. Let me summarize it:

I verify every new battery that arrives to confirm that it performs within the range of early samples (using a standardized set of lights that I run everything though in my lightbox). Capacity outliers are discarded, although that is pretty rare with AW. His cells 2200mAh 18650 and 750mAh RCR protected cells haven been remarkably consistent in rated capacity over time (14500 less so, but still reasonable - there has been a slight increase in capacity over time).

The same is true of my Eneloops. I buy multiple packs of 4xAAA and 4xAA every time they go on sale here, and go through them even faster than Li-ions (probably more like 20-25 cycles on average, maybe less). The reason for that is the occasional over-discharge occurs (i.e. running a light down to off, or nearly there). This is damaging to LSD NiMH - I toss those cells once one of those events occur.

I also maintain an ongoing calibration of lightbox (again using a standardized set of lights, tested at regular intervals). My lightbox design is permanently mounted (i.e., the sensor never moves), and I have determine an internal calibration standard. From inception, I can confirm that there is a <2% drift per year, which I correct for on at least a monthly basis. So the relative output values you see today are entirely consistent with the results from several years ago. 

The point is that the internal standard for my lightbox (and all runtime graphs) is tightly controlled and monitored. You can rest assured that results are directly comparable. To use the example of the EC2, the initial turbo output is indeed the same as my samples of the Rofis JR20, Armytek Predator, etc. If I were to run those lights in my lightbox again (with the current calibration), the graphs would be pretty much indistinguishable (I know, because I do this periodically to confirm the calibration). 

As to the actual lumen estimate, I have never made any claim to its _absolute value_ accuracy. The method I have used to adjust my interally-consistent and calibrated lightbox values to estimated lumens (and note I always refer to them as such) is based on a statisical relationship developed form an extensive series of comparisons, described in detail here:

How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens

The point is that the _relative value_ accuracy of my measures remains remarkably high. So if I estimate one light at 270 lumens and another at 300 lumens, you can feel fairly comfortable with the conclusion that the second light is indeed about 10% brighter. But whether or not that is _really_ 240 and 265 lumens (or 300 and 330 lumens , etc, etc.) I cannot say with any certainty. For that, I am relying on all the results of the 150 or comparison points in the analysis above.

Frankly, there is no way anyone without a properly maintained, properly-sized, NIST-certified, calibrated integrating sphere - used under controlled conditions by a knowledgeable and skilled operator - can asert true, _absolute_ accurate lumens. However, as you will see in the analysis above, I think I have gone to more effort than most in trying to make my estimates as good as they can be.

In any case, I still make no claim to the accurate lumen estimate accuracy. But I do assert that the runtime graphs remain an absolutely well-calibrated and internally-consistent _relative_ set of results from my testing, using only new batteries properly examined for relative performance.

If (and when) AW stops making consistent 2200mAh cells (and Sanyo stops making consitent 2000mAh Eneloops), I am certainly going to have a lot of re-testing to do ... 

Again, it is perfectly valid and appropriate to question the methodology used by anyone to report relative or absolute values. Some of this is explained on my flashlightreviews.ca website, and I periodically write up posts like this when queried. I hope that clarifies the situation ... happy to explain further if anything isn't clear. But do check out that other thread for the explanation of the lumen estimation.

:wave:

Update: I'm gone back to check the full runtime data for the EC2, and the output on Hi is actually closer to ~255 estimated ANSI lumens (using my method above), not 270. This review was an unsual situation, as I rushed to get the summary tables up before leaving town (and thus didn't have the full runtimes of all models). In the case of the EC2, I did quick manual testing of each level in my lightbox at 30secs, and then did hand calculator conversions - looks like something was a bit off on that one. Normally I do the summary tables last, so have complete traces to work from (and automatic Excel generated formulas, so no user error to worry about). Now that all the runtimes are all completed, I will verify all the values against the excel files to confirm.


----------



## ergotelis

Ok, thanks for all these details, i don't doubt about runtime graphs, just for the lumen estimation method/standard that you have, so, i still insist on that, even if an AW 2200 is new:

"A xp-g R5(even the best ones) is impossible to output 270 lumen for 3 hours from a single 18650 AW 2200" . Is it only me seeing that there is something wrong with this? 

For me, either the runtime had to be 2 hours, or the lumen have to be about ~200.

Only a good *xp-g2* / xm-l U2 can probably make the numbers selfbuilt posted.


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## regulator

Fantastic SelfBuilt. That was a great read and really helps understand your method of testing. It also provides a lot of confidence when comparing performance of lights (albeit from a single sample). I always look forward to seeing your testing of a new light I am interested in. I also like being able to pull up charts and numbers from multiple lights that you have tested previously to make comparisons.


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## selfbuilt

ergotelis said:


> "A xp-g R5(even the best ones) is impossible to output 270 lumen for 3 hours from a single 18650 AW 2200" . Is it only me seeing that there is something wrong with this?


I have now re-verified all the lumen estimate tables based on the actual runtimes in my excel tables. Most of the results were consistent with my initial reports - the only two that were noticeably off were the EC2 estimate on Hi is (now corrected to ~250-255 depending on battery) and Turbo on EA2 (estimate now corrected to ~355 on my scale).

I warrant that still seems high for the EC2, but a number of factors may be in play here. First, that's only the ANSI FL-1 estimate at 30 secs - after a couple mins, output drops to closer to ~240 lumens on the 18650 Hi mode run. Secondly, (as previously discussed) I agree the absolute value of the lumen estimation may be off - the conversion is only as good as the comparator data in the analysis linked to above. 

Third is the battery variation. I have looked up which battery that Hi mode was done on - and it is one that tests at the very top end of my accepted range of capacity of AW 18650 cells. In case you are curious, the acceptable capacity variance range that I use for those 18650 cells is +/- 3.5% from average, upon arrival (measured at ~1A draw). I do this because I find that > ~90% of cells I buy fall within that range upon testing (i.e., I don't need to toss too many outliers). FYI, I also track each individual battery for just this purpose, so I can go back to verify anything unusual results.

Another point is that I do not know what the Vf of the emitter on my particular EC2 sample is (not identified, and I've previously noticed it can have a huge effect on runtimes). For that matter, I don't know if the output bin is really a R5 (that's just what Nitecore reports). It's always possible that that is a minimum spec, and they bundle higher output bins when available as well (e.g., S2?). And as always, where in the bin it falls is unknown (although I think we can assume this sample is good one).

The point is that when you put all those variable in play, it's possible (though uncommon), for all the "stars to align" in the same direction, giving unusually high or low performance for a given light, on a given battery, at a given level. That is certainly true when you consider the uncertainty in lumen estimation - it is the one factor that I cannot fully control for, as I am dependent on a comparison to other known results. :shrug:



regulator said:


> It also provides a lot of confidence when comparing performance of lights (albeit from a single sample).


I am glad to see your parentheses  - yes, the other main limitation here is sample variability. I typically only test n=1 of any given light. I thus have no way to know what the typical variation among samples is, and where mine sits relative to the mean. It is always a mistake to assume "typical" performance from any one sample. 

It's important for people to think of all these results statistically. I do what I can to limit additional variability introduced by testing, but the fundamental variation is unknown.


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## jhc37013

Selfbuilt great job on not only the review but also your responses to the questions about your testing method, the best simply the best.


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## JudasD

selfbuilt: after your red LED run on the EC1 did you happen to notice what the battery voltage was? Mine ran for alot longer than 2 hours (6 hours to be exact) and my battery voltage was at 3.45 volts. Any thoughts as to why the EC1 would have short LED runtimes compared to the rest of the line?

JD


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## selfbuilt

JudasD said:


> selfbuilt: after your red LED run on the EC1 did you happen to notice what the battery voltage was? Mine ran for alot longer than 2 hours (6 hours to be exact) and my battery voltage was at 3.45 volts. Any thoughts as to why the EC1 would have short LED runtimes compared to the rest of the line?


No, I'll have to try another runtime and measure it on mine. The 18650 coming out of the EC2 had its protection circuit tripped, but that one ran for over a week (i.e., a much slower current drain). I'll give the EC1 another try when I get the chance.


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## jhc37013

Selfbuilt do you have a dark spot in your EC2's hotspot? Mine has a dark spot in the hot spot, I noticed the EA2 has that hybrid type reflector but the EC2 is a regular smooth reflector and I don't have a dark spot in my EA2, not sure why they didn't use the hybrid reflector in the EC2.

Also your EC2 and EA2 have about the same micro mode output ~1.8 lumens but my EC2 is closer the to the low mode of the EA2 I'd say about 10-15 lumens. Now my EA2 seems to be about equal with yours at the ~1.8 lumen count.

Comparing to different light's I have that I know for sure are around ~300-320 lumens then I'd say my EC2 on max is around the 320 mark.


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## selfbuilt

jhc37013 said:


> Selfbuilt do you have a dark spot in your EC2's hotspot? Mine has a dark spot in the hot spot, I noticed the EA2 has that hybrid type reflector but the EC2 is a regular smooth reflector and I don't have a dark spot in my EA2, not sure why they didn't use the hybrid reflector in the EC2.


It is pretty common to see some sort of dark spot in the center hotspot of XP-G lights with smooth reflectors. In some cases, this can look like a dot right in the center, or a slight dark ring near the center (fancifully referred to as a "nipple" by some here). I didn't comment on it in the review, but my EC2 has a slight dark ring (and my EA2 has slight center dot). 

But in both cases, you have to really look for it on a white wall (note for example that I can't see it in the white wall beamshots). Since my samples are no worse than other lights, I didn't bother mentioning it before.

As for the reflector, only my two EC1 samples and original EA1 has noticeable evidence of rings at the base (i.e. "hybrid") - my EA2 and EC2 both seem quite smooth (as does my replacement EA1). Since all lights have the same size head, I suspect this just some variation in reflector manufacture. But I agree, the more "hybrid" pattern is probably better.



> Also your EC2 and EA2 have about the same micro mode output ~1.8 lumens but my EC2 is closer the to the low mode of the EA2 I'd say about 10-15 lumens. Now my EA2 seems to be about equal with yours at the ~1.8 lumen count.


Thanks for sharing. That would suggest the abnormally high "Micro" mode is not just limited to my EC1 sample (i.e., it probably a sign of variability more generally across line, affect various samples). My EC2 and EA2 definitely have comparable micro output (as did my EC1 engineering sample - it is just my EC1 shipping sample that was higher). 

I hope they are able to lock that down better, as I personally prefer as low as possible for the lowest level (i.e. I would rather take my EC2 with me back into a rainforest, than my shipping EC1 for this reason).



> Comparing to different light's I have that I know for sure are around ~300-320 lumens then I'd say my EC2 on max is around the 320 mark.


Yes, it could well be my lumen estimates are off in that range - I had few samples in the ~300-450 lumen range to compare to in my original analysis. But in comparing the few lights >~300 lumens lights that I jad in common with BigChelis, MrGman and TiForce, this lumen esitmate conversion came in pretty consistent to their readings. For example, my 4Sevens G5s (both pre-release and shipping), clocked in at ~290 lumens on Turbo in my lightbox using this method (which is very consistent to what others reported at that time for the initial release). And my EC2 is quite a bit brighter overall. :shrug:

Now that I have a NIST-certified lightmeter, I may start experimenting with building a better integrating sphere and redoing the comparisons that the conversion is based on. No promises, but I'll see if I can spend some time later this summer playing around with it.


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## TORCH_BOY

Excellent review, well done.

Tempting little lights


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## NiteShift

Really great review Selfbuilt. 

My biggest disappointment with these is the low runtime of the Red SMD LED - only 5 hours for the EA1! Interesting to note the heat/runtime correlation - and also the size/heat/runtime correlation. The smallest light gets the shortest runtime and the the largest light gets the longest (the EA1 being in the middle) Someone living in a cold environment would do better with these lights I guess. 

Thanks again SB


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## selfbuilt

NiteShift said:


> My biggest disappointment with these is the low runtime of the Red SMD LED - only 5 hours for the EA1! Interesting to note the heat/runtime correlation - and also the size/heat/runtime correlation.


Agreed, it is disappointing (both the absolute runtime on some lights, and the wide degree of apparently acceptable variation). Certainly quite happy with my EC2 sample ...

One thing - I have just re-done the red mode runtime on the EC1, and again got ~2hr 45min. This time I measured the voltage of the cell afterwards (after a couple of minutes - it took me a bit of time to notice the light had gone out, so the cell would have had some time to recover). I measured 3.0V exactly. So it looks like my EC1 is running down the cell to close to its protection circuit tripping point.


----------



## JudasD

selfbuilt said:


> Agreed, it is disappointing (both the absolute runtime on some lights, and the wide degree of apparently acceptable variation). Certainly quite happy with my EC2 sample ...
> 
> One thing - I have just re-done the red mode runtime on the EC1, and again got ~2hr 45min. This time I measured the voltage of the cell afterwards (after a couple of minutes - it took me a bit of time to notice the light had gone out, so the cell would have had some time to recover). I measured 3.0V exactly. So it looks like my EC1 is running down the cell to close to its protection circuit tripping point.



This is very interesting that the single red led can discharge the 16340 in almost 3 hours. Mine took 6 hours and the light shut itself off and the battery was still at 3.45v. Something is very weird about the EC1 quality control.

JD


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## selfbuilt

A question came up about water-proofness in another thread (where a user reported watering entering the head of his EC1).

FYI, I've just popped my EC1 into a glass of water for an hour (with a battery installed and indicator blinking). 

Took it out, and absolutely no signs of water penetration anywhere on the light. The head is still perfectly sealed and dry, and no water has entered the battery tube.

Hopefully the reported failure was an exceptional situation (I note Nitecore has already responded in that case with an offer to replace the light).


----------



## NiteShift

Having just brought one myself (EA1) I did the same glass of water test and found no signs of leakage. Although as I said in the other thread, I'm not sure how constant exposure to water/dampness may effect the adhesive on the switch sticker and subsequently the switch its self? I feel this could be a weak point for water entry.

I just wanted to mention that my EA1 (unlike Selfbuilt's replacement model) can indeed take protected 14500 cells. Specifically AW's Red Label Cells. There's a bit of side play too, which means there would be room for an even thicker cell. 

I plan to try and test the red LED on my sample and see if there is any difference in runtime when compared to selfbuilt's findings. I'll report back asap :wave:


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## selfbuilt

NiteShift said:


> Having just brought one myself (EA1) I did the same glass of water test and found no signs of leakage. Although as I said in the other thread, I'm not sure how constant exposure to water/dampness may effect the adhesive on the switch sticker and subsequently the switch its self? I feel this could be a weak point for water entry.


I agree, this is the most likely source of entry for those who experienced it in the other thread. Any damage/lifting of that sticker could allow water into the light.

Note by the way that the IP ratings are not very specific as to terms. IPX8 simply means that the light can handle some depth (>1m) for some period (specified by the manufacturer). It also doesn't necessarily mean that no water can enter (i.e. the minimum spec is that no amount of water enters that can produce a harmful effect on functioning).

But the ANSI FL-1 standard is more specific - the "submersible" rating (which Nitecore supplies for the Explorer series) means meeting the IPX8 standard at a specified depth (2m given in this case) for 4 hours. Note that standard ANSI testing requires 5 samples for immersion tests, and is done with a battery loaded but the light off, and the light functiong tested immediately after the test (and again 30 mins later). It also specifies that there must be no ingress of water in any area that contains unprotected electrical components or light sources. So ANSI FL-1 is a more rigourous interpretation of IPX8 (which is really a minimum rating).

Personally, I would expect the explorer lights to be at least as water-resistant as any other make or series. But I can understand the concern that not all samples may meet the actual ANSI FL-1 submersible standard of the IPX8 rating (i.e., there's at least two reports of water ingress under presumably less stringent conditions).


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## Phil Ament

selfbuilt said:


> I agree, this is the most likely source of entry for those who experienced it in the other thread. Any damage/lifting of that sticker could allow water into the light.
> 
> Note by the way that the IP ratings are not very specific as to terms. IPX8 simply means that the light can handle some depth (>1m) for some period (specified by the manufacturer). It also doesn't necessarily mean that no water can enter (i.e. the minimum spec is that no amount of water enters that can produce a harmful effect on functioning).
> 
> But the ANSI FL-1 standard is more specific - the "submersible" rating (which Nitecore supplies for the Explorer series) means meeting the IPX8 standard at a specified depth (2m given in this case) for 4 hours. Note that standard ANSI testing requires 5 samples for immersion tests, and is done with a battery loaded but the light off, and the light functiong tested immediately after the test (and again 30 mins later). It also specifies that there must be no ingress of water in any area that contains unprotected electrical components or light sources. So ANSI FL-1 is a more rigourous interpretation of IPX8 (which is really a minimum rating).
> 
> Personally, I would expect the explorer lights to be at least as water-resistant as any other make or series. But I can understand the concern that not all samples may meet the actual ANSI FL-1 submersible standard of the IPX8 rating (i.e., there's at least two reports of water ingress under presumably less stringent conditions).





By the way I just thought that I would add that in my EC1 User Manual it very clearly states the following, and I quote:


Waterproof in accordance with IPX-8 (2 meters submersible)


I would also like to add that I currently have five different brand new EC1's to directly compare to each other, and there appears to be a rather large variance in nearly every aspect of them, including the output levels, beam profiles, reflectors, run times, voltage readout accuracy and various other details too. There also appears to be some sort of artefacts (if that is the right word for it) or small shadows in the hot spots, however the shape and pattern of it differs greatly with each light. When I had a close look at the reflectors in each of them I noticed that there were reflections of some sort of foreign material in them. I then had an even closer look at them, first with a magnifying glass and then a jeweller's loupe, and each one of them has a considerable amount of dust/grit on the reflectors and I also noticed that they also seem to have dirt/grit and several very distinct black spots on the domes of all of the LED's, and which sort of looks a little bit like pepper although I am not really sure what it actually is. I then did the same thing with several of my other similar quality lights (JETBeam, Fenix, SureFire, Dereelight, Sunwayman) and all except for one were perfect (Sunwayman M10R with a large smudge in the middle of the dome) and they did not have any such similar traits. 

I also must say that while I believe the Explorer series have the potential to be really wonderful flashlights, I am extremely disappointed in the apparent lack of any acceptable standards in their construction and quality control! Oh, and I haven't even been game to try the water dunking test yet!


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## roadkill1109

Selfbuilt, I noticed the lux disparity between the RCR123 and the 14500 and the 18650, since they have identical heads and essentially the same voltage for the lithium ion cells, wouldnt the output be identical? What could be causing this disparity?

I had my heart on the EA1 and run it with a 14500 to reap the benefits of having a smaller light but with good throw, but with the lux ratings you posted, it just turned me right off. My Quark AA w/14500 and Turbo X head can do better. 

Anyways, after reading this review, gave me a better idea to just purchase the SWM C20C. 

Thanks again Selfbuilt! As always, we count on your reviews (and Marshall's too) before buying our next lights!


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## selfbuilt

roadkill1109 said:


> Selfbuilt, I noticed the lux disparity between the RCR123 and the 14500 and the 18650, since they have identical heads and essentially the same voltage for the lithium ion cells, wouldnt the output be identical? What could be causing this disparity?


Looks like my response to this thread was lost with the recent outage. But to summarize, the results with the Explorer series are quite normal.

Although the heads look the same on the outside, they have customized circuits that respond to voltages differently. The EA1 has to be able to respond appropriately to 1.2V battery sources, so it behaves differently on 3.7V Li-ion than the EC1 or EC2 do. The EC1 and EC2 also have different circuits, although in those cases they are pretty well matched for output on 3.7V Li-ion.

In the "old days", manufacturers often went for a common circuit among similar members of a given family (i.e., 1xAA, 2xAA, and CR123A). This has a simplicity and economy of scale in manufacturing. But it usually meant that 3.7V Li-ion wasn't fully supported on any member of the family (or if it were supported on all, there were usually limitations in the level or number of low modes on standard batteries). There is also an overhead issue (affecting efficiency) for having extra unnecessary circuit features in any a given model. Using a customized circuit for each member of a family allows you to tailor performance, giving the end use the best possible experience. I am starting to see more and more examples of makers going this route (e.g., recent JetBeam and Eagletac lights as well).


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## RAM2

Does the explorer series have reverse polarity protection?
Does the EC2 have low voltage shutoff?

Thanks for the good review.


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## UlrikJ

Hi selfbuilt,

Great review as always! 

I have a hard time deciding between the Sunwayman C20C and the NiteCore EC2. I can see that the C20C has a Cree XM-L with more output than EC2 and it's Cree XP-G R5 with a lower runtime at turbo mode as a result. The EC2 have better runtime in turbo mode than C20C. Both the C20C and the EC2 it about the same size (it will be my winter time EDC). Which of the two lights would you choose? And is it possible to see the output difference between the C20C and EC2? Thanks.


----------



## phantom23

Don't forget that EC2 can run on turbo for half an hour while C20C has 5 min. limiter. Nitecore has more throw, Sunwayman has big emitter and tiny reflector=wide, floody beam. C20C has just low voltage indicator while EC2 cal also measure the actual voltage, plus yo can turn the red light on as firefly mode to maintain night vision. What I like about C20C is the way it looks, it's one of the best looking flashlights on the market.

PS. I think selfbuilt's beamshots are comparable so you can sompare pictures from different reviews. In that case C20C is noticeably brighter (both on turbo):


----------



## UlrikJ

phantom23 said:


> Don't forget that EC2 can run on turbo for half an hour while C20C has 5 min. limiter. Nitecore has more throw, Sunwayman has big emitter and tiny reflector=wide, floody beam. C20C has just low voltage indicator while EC2 cal also measure the actual voltage, plus yo can turn the red light on as firefly mode to maintain night vision. What I like about C20C is the way it looks, it's one of the best looking flashlights on the market.
> 
> PS. I think selfbuilt's beamshots are comparable so you can sompare pictures from different reviews. In that case C20C is noticeably brighter:



Thanks for your comment.

From the C20C review I can see that the output is 440 lumens with 18650 at high mode which is more than the 390 lumens the EC2 outputs in turbo mode. 
The throw of the EC2 is smaller than the C20C (178m vs 140m estimated). And the EC2 is a bit more compact than the C20C which is nice as I will have the light in the inside pocket of my jacket. 

In the long run, I am a bit afraid of the durability of the EC2's buttons. I know that it comes with a spare "button" but still ... However, the button of the C20C is equally difficult to replace.


----------



## phantom23

You won't see the difference between 390 and 440 lumens, especially when EC2 has more concentrated beam (tighter beam appears brighter than it really is). EC2 has better throw than C20C. Nitocore's buttons have hard coating plus they're recessed reducing the risk of damage.


----------



## UlrikJ

Yeah, you are properly right. And the EC2 did great in selfbuilt's water test. I am beginning to like the EC2 more than the C20C. But there is still the fact that the EC2 is proberly impossible to operate with gloves in the winter. But that is not a big thing for me, just mentioning it.


----------



## selfbuilt

RAM2 said:


> Does the explorer series have reverse polarity protection?


It is not mentioned in the specs, so you would have to ask Nitecore to find out for sure.



> Does the EC2 have low voltage shutoff?


There is no evidence of it in my testing (i.e., look at the 18650 runtimes, and you'll see the runs just continued at a low level until I manually stopped them).



UlrikJ said:


> I have a hard time deciding between the Sunwayman C20C and the NiteCore EC2.


I agree with the above posters, I wouldn't worry too much about a few lumens. What it really comes down to is beam profile (i.e., EC2 is "throwier", and C20C has a wider "spill"), build, and user interface/features. The C20C feels a little more sturdy, but has a simpler interface.

You have to live with the light, so I recommend going with whatever you think you will find most appropriate for your needs.


----------



## tobrien

so i assume nitecore hasn't revised the tubes of the EA1s for protected 14500s and better nimh fit? 

i guess i'll go with an EC1 and do a li-ion 16340 on that then. hmmmmmm


----------



## selfbuilt

tobrien said:


> so i assume nitecore hasn't revised the tubes of the EA1s for protected 14500s and better nimh fit?


It's variable. :shrug: My first EA1 took protected 14500 fine, but not my second one (which was even tight on certain specific NiMH batteries).


----------



## phantom23

UlrikJ said:


> I am beginning to like the EC2 more than the C20C. But there is still the fact that the EC2 is proberly impossible to operate with gloves in the winter. But that is not a big thing for me, just mentioning it.


Well, C20C button is easier to operate with gloves but also easier to damage. I like EC2 better as well but I haven't bought one yet - there's a new emitter, it's called XP-G2 and it's a replacement for XP-G so I hope that Nitecore will use it in next batches (Explorer series is quite difficult to mod). It's worth it because new emitter gives 20% more light and increases throw (to about 9500lux/1m which is 195m by ANSI standard).


----------



## tobrien

selfbuilt said:


> It's variable. :shrug: My first EA1 took protected 14500 fine, but not my second one (which was even tight on certain specific NiMH batteries).



got it, thanks selfbuilt! it's probably multiple factories they've got producing these, hence the difference?

i don't know though, but i'll play it 'safe' and get an EC1


----------



## UlrikJ

phantom23 said:


> Well, C20C button is easier to operate with gloves but also easier to damage. I like EC2 better as well but I haven't bought one yet - there's a new emitter, it's called XP-G2 and it's a replacement for XP-G so I hope that Nitecore will use it in next batches (Explorer series is quite difficult to mod). It's worth it because new emitter gives 20% more light and increases throw (to about 9500lux/1m which is 195m by ANSI standard).



Why it the C20C button easier to damage? In which way?

Okay. Thats real interesting. Anyone knows if NiteCore has the intention of using the new XP-G2 emitter or is it just wishful thinking?


----------



## phantom23

Because it's protruding and it has classic, soft rubber.

Wishful thinking unfortunately but XP-G2 is a replacement for XP-G, plus some dealers have special discounts for first Explorers. I still hope that we'll see stock EC2 with XP-G2 soon.


----------



## greatscoot

Fantastic review. I had to get an EC1 after reading this.


----------



## Chicken Drumstick

Thanks Selfbuilt for another great review!!!

I've just been checking out the Nitecore website for the EC1, it doesn't seem to mention support of RCR's or any voltage specs. The only thing it has is a small picture of a battery under "Optional Accessory" and when you click it, it takes you to a page for a Nitecore RCR. But it's not very specific.

Are you able to confirm that Nitecore does indeed support RCR's on the EC1? Thanks.


----------



## selfbuilt

Chicken Drumstick said:


> I've just been checking out the Nitecore website for the EC1, it doesn't seem to mention support of RCR's or any voltage specs. The only thing it has is a small picture of a battery under "Optional Accessory" and when you click it, it takes you to a page for a Nitecore RCR. But it's not very specific.


I just checked, and their website shows the accepted batteries under the main Explorer page (i.e., for the EC1, it says "Battery: one lithium CR123 or RCR123 li-ion battery"). But the detailed EC1 page makes no mention of batteries or voltage ranges. In fact, they seem to be missing the battery subsection of the manual on all the detailed pages.

In any case, I can confirm that the included manual (on my sample) explicitly supports RCR123A (3.7V Li-ion).


----------



## Chicken Drumstick

selfbuilt said:


> I just checked, and their website shows the accepted batteries under the main Explorer page (i.e., for the EC1, it says "Battery: one lithium CR123 or RCR123 li-ion battery"). But the detailed EC1 page makes no mention of batteries or voltage ranges. In fact, they seem to be missing the battery subsection of the manual on all the detailed pages.
> 
> In any case, I can confirm that the included manual (on my sample) explicitly supports RCR123A (3.7V Li-ion).


Thank you for the conformation and for taking the time to respond. Very much appreciated.


----------



## roadkill1109

selfbuilt said:


> Looks like my response to this thread was lost with the recent outage. But to summarize, the results with the Explorer series are quite normal.
> 
> Although the heads look the same on the outside, they have customized circuits that respond to voltages differently. The EA1 has to be able to respond appropriately to 1.2V battery sources, so it behaves differently on 3.7V Li-ion than the EC1 or EC2 do. The EC1 and EC2 also have different circuits, although in those cases they are pretty well matched for output on 3.7V Li-ion.
> 
> In the "old days", manufacturers often went for a common circuit among similar members of a given family (i.e., 1xAA, 2xAA, and CR123A). This has a simplicity and economy of scale in manufacturing. But it usually meant that 3.7V Li-ion wasn't fully supported on any member of the family (or if it were supported on all, there were usually limitations in the level or number of low modes on standard batteries). There is also an overhead issue (affecting efficiency) for having extra unnecessary circuit features in any a given model. Using a customized circuit for each member of a family allows you to tailor performance, giving the end use the best possible experience. I am starting to see more and more examples of makers going this route (e.g., recent JetBeam and Eagletac lights as well).



Thanks for the information.  Was expecting the EA1 to be a pocket rocket. But since the waterproofing issue, i lost interest in this line of lights.


----------



## mortrca

I have purchased the EC2, but being new to this type of flashlight I don't know what I need for a battery. I understand that many people on CPF trust the quality of AW batteries, but I have become lost in a sea of protected/unprotected, flat/not, and a range of different maH ratings. What would be considered the "best choice" when buying a battery for the EC2?

mortrca


----------



## Chicken Drumstick

mortrca said:


> I have purchased the EC2, but being new to this type of flashlight I don't know what I need for a battery. I understand that many people on CPF trust the quality of AW batteries, but I have become lost in a sea of protected/unprotected, flat/not, and a range of different maH ratings. What would be considered the "best choice" when buying a battery for the EC2?
> 
> mortrca


Best is always subjective. Personally I'd stick with a quality known brand such as AW or maybe the new EagleTacs. The more mAh the more capacity, so longer run times. But this isn't the be all and end all. Some 'cheap' batteries from overseas often claim false or unrealistic mAh ratings, so again I'd say buy quality, not just the claimed numbers.

ICR Li-ion are normally protected cells, this chemistry is potentially more volatile so the "protected" circuitry will try and prevent over discharging. This makes them much safer.

IMR Li-ion uses a safer chemistry and these are far less volatile. These are not normally protected because there is no real hazard using them. However you can still over discharge them, which while safe to you can damage the cells.

If you are new to Li-ion cells then I'd recommend avoiding any non protected ICR's. While it's possible to use them, they are likely to be the most as risk of producing an accident.

There's nothing really to fear about Li-ion, but there are potentially hazards, so it's well worth reading up on them first. Lots of good info in the battery forum.


----------



## mortrca

Thanks for the info, Chicken Drumstick. 

What about the difference between flat and button top batteries? Will flat top batteries work in the EC2? Is the lump on one end really the only difference between the two designs?
Finally, I have looked through the CPF marketplace and have found IMR batteries by AW, but I haven't seen any listed as ICR. Is an ICR just any protected battery or is there more to it than that?

mortrca


----------



## selfbuilt

mortrca said:


> Finally, I have looked through the CPF marketplace and have found IMR batteries by AW, but I haven't seen any listed as ICR. Is an ICR just any protected battery or is there more to it than that?


ICR is a type of Li-ions chemistry - the most common type, in fact. The "C" refers to the use of cobalt at the cathode (as opposed to "M" manganese in IMR cells). Here's a thread by Battery Guy that explains the chemistry types.

"Protected" cells refers to a type of circuitry that provide some degree of protection against over-discharging (or over-charging for that matter). Protected cells are recommended, as over or under charging the cells damages them. Typically, all protected cells are based on ICR. But it is possible to buy unprotected ICR cells too.

AW is well-known and well-respected dealer/brand here on CPF. Unless specified otherwise, his Li-ion cells will all be the ICR type (i.e., other chemistries will be identified). 

And yes, the button top style is matter of preference by manufacturers. Smaller button-tops are more compatible with a wider range lights, but will add length which can also be an issue (and which is why most high-capacity cells have wider buttons),
Please see the batteries subforum here for more info. :wave:


----------



## cxg231

Hi everyone - first post in a long time! I was looking for a new EDC light, and the Nitecore EC2 seems to fit the bill pretty well. I currently EDC a Fenix PD20, which is a very nice little light, but I am less than satisfied with the runtime, as I mostly use the light on "high" when I need it for work or to scope out the critters in my backyard at night. So, I was looking for something small with comparable light output and much longer run time. Basically I knew I was looking for a small 2-cell CR123A light, bonus points if I could also run a 18650 cell. I think this light is exactly what I have been looking for, only 3/4" longer than the PD20 so it will be easy to pocket carry, higher output and 3x the runtime @~200 lumens.

Another "thank you" to selfbuilt for all of his hard work! :wave:


----------



## daberti

Outstanding review Selfbuilt!

I've an EC1 and as you told below I'm definitely unhappy with the runtimes scored with RCR123 (AW's as yours) 
Many manufacturers claim that they support a broad voltage range, but mantaining same output level and decent runtimes is quite another story.
I.e. so far the only one is Ralights/HDS Systems and I do hope I miss some 1x123 form factor flashlight that runs on RCR123 perfectly regulated as well.
My EC1 will be another shelf queen 




selfbuilt said:


> The individual models of this family clearly have customized circuits, given the varying support of different battery voltages. On the EC2, comparable output levels are maintained on all battery sources. On the EC1 and EA1, all Li-ion output levels are considerably brighter than on the primary battery options.
> 
> Now that I have tested all the models, overall output/runtime efficiency seems generally very good across the series (i.e., in keeping with current-controlled lights).:thumbsup: On fully supported batteries, the regulation pattern was very typically well stabilized, with a timed step-down on Turbo. Note that 1x 3.7V Li-ion produces the more common quasi-regulated pattern on the EC1 (and presumably EA1) - but multi-mode status is maintained (just at a higher set of levels).


----------



## IronMac

I am seriously considering the EC1 but are there really issues with running this on AW RCR123s? From selfbuilt and daberti posts it seems that battery life is compromised and on a retailer's site there is a review stating that the EC1 will not work well with RCR123s.

Any suggestions? I can stick with the Olight S10 baton but I was hoping for something with a bit more throw that runs on 1x RCR123. Thanks!


----------



## selfbuilt

IronMac said:


> I am seriously considering the EC1 but are there really issues with running this on AW RCR123s? From selfbuilt and daberti posts it seems that battery life is compromised and on a retailer's site there is a review stating that the EC1 will not work well with RCR123s.


Well, the EC1 has decent output, throw and runtime on Med on 1xRCR, which is comparable to the output of a lot of lights on Max on 1xCR123A. :shrug:


----------



## IronMac

selfbuilt said:


> Well, the EC1 has decent output, throw and runtime on Med on 1xRCR, which is comparable to the output of a lot of lights on Max on 1xCR123A. :shrug:



Hrmm...sounds a bit like faint praise because it sort of precludes High on RCR. I think I may keep looking, thanks selfbuilt!


----------



## daberti

IronMac said:


> Hrmm...sounds a bit like faint praise because it sort of precludes High on RCR. I think I may keep looking, thanks selfbuilt!



As you cited myself I wish to chime in, with some sort of simplifying though.
As Selfbuilt previously said (post #1) EC1 is a semi-regulated flashlight with RCR123. Much better anyway than many 1x123 flashlights simply run in direct draw with RCR123. The only notable exception being HDS/Ralight line that runs fully regulated with RCR123. 
This means you will achieve higher outputswith direct drawn flashlights with RCR123 cells, but you'll trade for sure runtime and in many if not all cases all of the intermediate and lower levels, keeping only the max level and lowest level. This is true notably for EagleTac D25C Clicky.
But there is another issue you must be ready to understand: RCR123 give higher voltage (3.7v under load nominal voltage) and will somehow run led beyond specs with reference being made to flashlight body/led housing coupling.
Last but not least: RCR123 (the best ones) are tipically on the 750mAh range and can withstand a max draw of 2C. Thus 1.5A. At 1.5A their capacity will drop by a great deal.
You could use IMR16340 to mantain same (or even higher) outputs as with RCR123, but these ones have 500mAh capacity. You'll find IMRs to deliver better runtimes than RCR123 at the two highest levels, tipically, though, as they are designed to withstand 4C currents.
Yet heat problems and semi-regulation are still there.
The best option IMHO is to get AW's LiFePo4 cells and charger . These can handle (Selfbuilt please confirm) 4C currents as well, yet their nominal voltage is 3.2v (more on the 3.1-3.0v tag if under 1C-2C load). EC1 will actually help you monitoring their actual voltage (by means of red led blinking), thus avoiding discharging them beyond recovery. You'll keep all levels as with primaries. You'll keep perfect regulation as well. You'll lose extra lumens.


----------



## selfbuilt

daberti said:


> The best option IMHO is to get AW's LiFePo4 cells and charger . These can handle (Selfbuilt please confirm) 4C currents as well, yet their nominal voltage is 3.2v (more on the 3.1-3.0v tag if under 1C-2C load). EC1 will actually help you monitoring their actual voltage (by means of red led blinking), thus avoiding discharging them beyond recovery. You'll keep all levels as with primaries. You'll keep perfect regulation as well. You'll lose extra lumens.


Not sure about the current discharge limits of LiFePO4, but this is the general application for them (i.e., for lights that are over-driven or that lack defined levels on standard 3.7V ICR/IMR Li-ions).

I don't have any, so can't confirm how well they work in the Explorer series. But in principle, relative output levels should be closer to 3V primary CR123A than 3.7V Li-ion, so discharge rates should not be a problem. Questions is if you want to deal with unprotected cells, and the custom charger. :shrug:


----------



## daberti

selfbuilt said:


> Not sure about the current discharge limits of LiFePO4, but this is the general application for them (i.e., for lights that are over-driven or that lack defined levels on standard 3.7V ICR/IMR Li-ions).
> 
> I don't have any, so can't confirm how well they work in the Explorer series. But in principle, relative output levels should be closer to 3V primary CR123A than 3.7V Li-ion, so discharge rates should not be a problem. Questions is if you want to deal with unprotected cells, and the custom charger. :shrug:



I've just asked AW the official C rate of his own LiFeO4 cell.
I've tested them with EC1 (now donored to my father) and they deliver more runtime than RCR123at turbo mode and at the level immediately below.


----------



## IronMac

selfbuilt said:


> Questions is if you want to deal with unprotected cells, and the custom charger. :shrug:



Thanks daberti for your response and recommendation but it may be getting too much into the weeds at this point. I'm already having issues with another charger and overheating on AAs. :duh2:


----------



## daberti

IronMac said:


> Thanks daberti for your response and recommendation but it may be getting too much into the weeds at this point. I'm already having issues with another charger and overheating on AAs. :duh2:



You're welcome. AW said 2C max continuous discharge rate.
Which charger is giving issues to you BTW?


----------



## IronMac

daberti said:


> Which charger is giving issues to you BTW?



It looks like a knock off of the Intellicharger V.2. And it was not even off of eBay! It recharges AW RCR123As very well. (Battery barely warms up) But with GP2000(sp?) NiMH batteries they become VERY hot. I am going to try a recharge on slots 1+3 or 2+4 to see if that will cool things down a bit.


----------



## Burntrice

Thankyou Mr Built for a fantastic review and great responses to a torrent of questions. Just ordered the EC1


----------



## davpet

Hi guys,

I noticed that when I use my ec1 with a primary 3 volt cr123a battery - especially on high or turbo -, the tube and the battery itself get hot really fast. I have not experienced this with rechargeable 3.7 volt cr123a s. Is this normal? The primaries in question are Nitecore branded, that I received bundled with my TM 15 from Nitecore uk. (8 non rechargeable cr123a bundled with a rechargeable flashlight. WOW!  )


----------



## selfbuilt

davpet said:


> I noticed that when I use my ec1 with a primary 3 volt cr123a battery - especially on high or turbo -, the tube and the battery itself get hot really fast. I have not experienced this with rechargeable 3.7 volt cr123a s. Is this normal?


In general terms, yes - I've noticed that primary CR123As will get hotter than rechargeable Li-ion for equivalent output/drive levels. I presume it has to do with the internal resistance difference of the cells. This is true for all lights, not just the EC1.

This is why primary CR123A have a PTC resistor, to shut-down current if the cells overheat. It's presumably also why I've noticed more circuit failures on highly-driven lights when run on multi-CR123As than on multi-Li-ions (i.e. more heat generated on CR123A, which can be bad for the circuit as well as the cells). 

Again, in general terms, the real risks with Li-ions are when you are attempting to charge them (as opposed to CR123A, where discharging is the concern). You can see the battery forum here for more info.


----------



## davpet

selfbuilt said:


> In general terms, yes - I've noticed that primary CR123As will get hotter than rechargeable Li-ion for equivalent output/drive levels. I presume it has to do with the internal resistance difference of the cells. This is true for all lights, not just the EC1.
> 
> This is why primary CR123A have a PTC resistor, to shut-down current if the cells overheat. It's presumably also why I've noticed more circuit failures on highly-driven lights when run on multi-CR123As than on multi-Li-ions (i.e. more heat generated on CR123A, which can be bad for the circuit as well as the cells).
> 
> Again, in general terms, the real risks with Li-ions are when you are attempting to charge them (as opposed to CR123A, where discharging is the concern). You can see the battery forum here for more info.



Thank you for your response, selfbuilt!

So, would you say that operating the ec1 on primaries are safe, and the heating up of the battery should not be a concern? Or should I just stick with rechargeables? Thanks


----------



## selfbuilt

davpet said:


> So, would you say that operating the ec1 on primaries are safe, and the heating up of the battery should not be a concern? Or should I just stick with rechargeables? Thanks


It's meant to work with primaries, so you will be fine. Just stick with quality cells, and hold onto the light during use at the really high levels (helps dispel some heat).


----------



## davpet

selfbuilt said:


> It's meant to work with primaries, so you will be fine. Just stick with quality cells, and hold onto the light during use at the really high levels (helps dispel some heat).



Ok, maybe it's a lame question but are Nitecore cells considered quality cells? As I have 8 of them, and they will not go into the Monsters.


----------



## selfbuilt

davpet said:


> Ok, maybe it's a lame question but are Nitecore cells considered quality cells? As I have 8 of them, and they will not go into the Monsters.


I haven't tested them personally, but I presume they care about their QC. You may want to check in with the experts in the batteries subforum for more info.


----------



## davpet

After playing around with the ec1 using primaries, I have discovered the following: when the battery voltage reaches cc. 2.6-7 volts, I can no longer activate turbo. Well, I can, but it will have the exact same output level as high. This is only unfortunate, 'cause it takes only a few minutes on turbo to deplete the battery this much, so in order to have a fully functional light on every level, I would have to change the batteries after a few minutes of use...
Why won't it let me switch to the highest output? And even when it shows that there is still 2.9 volts in the battery, why is the red light flashing on turbo, signaling that the batteries are nearly depleted?


----------



## selfbuilt

davpet said:


> when the battery voltage reaches cc. 2.6-7 volts, I can no longer activate turbo. ... And even when it shows that there is still 2.9 volts in the battery, why is the red light flashing on turbo, signaling that the batteries are nearly depleted?


Interesting finding. I suspect the two points above are related. For multi-power lights, it can be a challenge to design a circuit that understands on-the-fly what type of cell is inserted. On some programmable lights, you actually need to manually instruct the light after a battery change, so it behaves appropriately.

In this case, I suppose it is possible that the light uses the <2.6V initial voltage as a "cut-off" point, to confirm that a partially depleted primary cell has been inserted (i.e., a protected RCR would likely have tripped around then). They may have thought Turbo mode was not appropriate on a partially depleted primary cell, as it could be seen to be driving it too hard.

The above is just speculation. What you can tell from my continuous runtime graph is that they purposefully step-down both RCR and primary CR123A on Turbo after just a few mins of runtime (and far more so for CR123A). I had originally presumed that this was likely a timed step-down, but it could also be due to battery voltage (i.e., it could predict what type of battery was inserted, based on initial voltage). If they were really concerned about Turbo mode on primary CR123A, voltage-controlled step-down would be a better way to go (i.e., the problem with a timed step-down is the user can always turn off-on again to restore Turbo).


----------



## davpet

selfbuilt said:


> Interesting finding. I suspect the two points above are related. For multi-power lights, it can be a challenge to design a circuit that understands on-the-fly what type of cell is inserted. On some programmable lights, you actually need to manually instruct the light after a battery change, so it behaves appropriately.
> 
> In this case, I suppose it is possible that the light uses the <2.6V initial voltage as a "cut-off" point, to confirm that a partially depleted primary cell has been inserted (i.e., a protected RCR would likely have tripped around then). They may have thought Turbo mode was not appropriate on a partially depleted primary cell, as it could be seen to be driving it too hard.
> 
> The above is just speculation. What you can tell from my continuous runtime graph is that they purposefully step-down both RCR and primary CR123A on Turbo after just a few mins of runtime (and far more so for CR123A). I had originally presumed that this was likely a timed step-down, but it could also be due to battery voltage (i.e., it could predict what type of battery was inserted, based on initial voltage). If they were really concerned about Turbo mode on primary CR123A, voltage-controlled step-down would be a better way to go (i.e., the problem with a timed step-down is the user can always turn off-on again to restore Turbo).



Thanks for the info selfbuilt! So, it seems that this light has a voltage controlled step-down "mechanism".


----------



## daberti

IronMac said:


> It looks like a knock off of the Intellicharger V.2. And it was not even off of eBay! It recharges AW RCR123As very well. (Battery barely warms up) But with GP2000(sp?) NiMH batteries they become VERY hot. I am going to try a recharge on slots 1+3 or 2+4 to see if that will cool things down a bit.



That's why I kept on charging different chemistries on targeted chargers


----------



## tam17

My new EC2 has a 10+ lumens Low mode and obvious PWM regulation in lower power settings. Battery indicator shows 3.7V (Jetbeam 2300mAh). Can it possibly be second (downgraded, bah) driver version or some kind of production glitch?

Cheers


----------



## selfbuilt

tam17 said:


> My new EC2 has a 10+ lumens Low mode and obvious PWM regulation in lower power settings. Battery indicator shows 3.7V (Jetbeam 2300mAh). Can it possibly be second (downgraded, bah) driver version or some kind of production glitch?


That's very unlikely. I did detect faint 1kHz noise (not visible on any sample), so it is probable that you have a malfunctioning unit that is showing noise flicker. Nothing you can do to fix, so I would RMA it.

It is rare, but I have seen other current controlled lights have flicker issues at lower levels on occasion, on some samples.


----------



## tam17

selfbuilt said:


> That's very unlikely. I did detect faint 1kHz noise (not visible on any sample), so it is probable that you have a malfunctioning unit that is showing noise flicker. Nothing you can do to fix, so I would RMA it.
> 
> It is rare, but I have seen other current controlled lights have flicker issues at lower levels on occasion, on some samples.



Thanks, Selfbuilt. This flicker is visible only when the movement is involved, but it surely resembles pure PWM. As I previously said, the "Micro" mode (low low) is 10+ lumens, so specified runtime is out of question. IIRC there are other members who reported out-of-spec Low mode. I think I'll contact my distributor.

Cheers


----------



## Kokopelli

Any idea if you'll receive a EA4 Pioneer for tests in near time?


----------



## selfbuilt

Kokopelli said:


> Any idea if you'll receive a EA4 Pioneer for tests in near time?


I haven't heard anything from Nitecore about it so far. :shrug:


----------



## Kokopelli

I'd really like to hear your opinions on this new light. I hope I can hold myself until then


----------



## awyeah

To those worried about accidental activation: I just got my EC1 yesterday. Loaded it with a SureFire CR123A primary. 

The girlfriend and I went out and I had her put it in her purse. We went into target for about 20-30 minutes, and when we got back to the car, we found that it was on in her purse - on high!

Holy moly it was hot to the touch. Not hot enough to burn skin, but hot enough that I couldn't hold it continuously. 

For good measure, I got out of the car, took off the tail cap and removed the battery until it all cooled down. 

Everything seems to be working fine, no apparent damage was done.

Anyway - just a reminder to be careful with our bright lights in enclosed spaces!

Going forward, I will be more careful with this light and make sure to use the lockout feature (or loosen the tail cap).


----------



## tam17

awyeah said:


> Going forward, I will be more careful with this light and make sure to use the lockout feature (or loosen the tail cap).



Tailcap ("hard") lockout = much safer.

Cheers


----------



## awyeah

tam17 said:


> Tailcap ("hard") lockout = much safer.



It sure is! And I've found that with this light, you don't have to turn the tailcap very far to lock it out.


----------



## awyeah

I posted results of some temperature testing I did with my EC1: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?349104-Nitecore-EC1-Temperature-Measurements


----------



## Patriot

I feel as though I really lucked out going with the EC2. I wasn't aware of the water resistance issues and had the thing sitting in my fish tank over night for a video review. Fortunately no water ingress. :sweat:

To my mind, the heating of the light during red LED mode is inexcusable! It sounds as if the circuit is failing! Here again however, I feel like I dodged a bullet as there hasn't been any heating issues with mine or any other EC2's. I've been using it continuously like a night light.

I was so happy with my EC2 that I almost ordered a EA1. I'm so glad that I didn't after scanning through this thread!

It seems as if this light has great potential across the whole model line but right now, Nitecore needs to get every model squared away. :shakehead


----------



## phantom23

@Patriot, EC2 and EA2 don'a have any heating issues, they have different circuits.


----------



## selfbuilt

Patriot said:


> To my mind, the heating of the light during red LED mode is inexcusable! It sounds as if the circuit is failing! Here again however, I feel like I dodged a bullet as there hasn't been any heating issues with mine or any other EC2's. I've been using it continuously like a night light.
> I was so happy with my EC2 that I almost ordered a EA1. I'm so glad that I didn't after scanning through this thread!





phantom23 said:


> @Patriot, EC2 and EA2 don'a have any heating issues, they have different circuits.


Well, the EC2 certainly seems to be free of this issue - and the EA2 does pretty well. It is mainly the EC1 and EA1 that show low efficiency (and concomitant heat build-up) on continuous red.

Here is a quote of the update I did in the main thread back in July:

_*UPDATE JULY 9, 2012:* Issue with continuous red LED operation

There have been reports of some Explorer lights heating up quickly on continuous red LED use (with concomitant short runtimes). I have measured surface temperature on all my samples using a thermal probe attached to the body right next to the red LED. Basically, this probe was taped in the middle of the "Nitecore" label beside the red LED. I have sorted the table below by the increase in temperature over background room temp.







Consistent with these measures, the EC1 samples (and to a lesser extent the EA1 samples) felt subjectively quite warm to the touch by 1 hour into the run. The whole body felt warm, suggesting a significant power draw off the battery (i.e., it is not just the LED that is heating up). 

As you can see in the runtime results in the table, heat was indeed indicative of a high current drain (you can't escape thermodynamics ). There is a clear inverse correlation - lights with low runtimes (indicating high power drain) got warm quickly. Of course, battery capacity has a role here, but there is definitely a very wide swing in power efficiencies among my samples.

Anyway you look at it, <3 hours runtime on the EC1s is disappointing. My EC2 seems to have the best performance - negligible heat, and >8 days runtime.

What I don't know is whether these findings are specific to the models in question (i.e., are the EC1 and EA1 always that much worse than the EA2 or EC2?). Or is it simply highly variable across all models? Unfortunately, I have no definitive way to answer this, given that I only have one or two of each. I would be curious to hear other people's experience with runtimes on continuous red.
_


----------



## awyeah

Just as an FYI, here's a thread I posted several days ago with my heat measurements on an EC1. I have a replacement that also exhibits similar measurements:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ecore-EC1-Temperature-Measurements&highlight=

The light gets up to 100+ degrees on red light mode. Not good!

I will be returning it and I'll probably get an Eagletac D25C XP-G model.


----------



## Patriot

I saw your updates Selfbuilt and appreciate you reposting them on this page. It's all very helpful along with awyeah's recent thread that I also saw.

Thanks for all the great information guys!


----------



## awes

First of, thanks to Selfbuilt for the comprehensive review.

I have a theory on the poor red light of EC1 performance. It's probably a standard SMD red LED 1.5V, so the input voltage (3.0-4.2) is too much. It's possible that Nitecore didn't implement a proper step-down circuit, but instead they just inserted a resistor in line. This is the simplest way to cut voltage, but also the worst and least efficient. The resistor dispatch all unneeded energy by heat, which means the energy is wasted.
I can be wrong, though.

Nonetheless, the red beacon is such a nice feature, that I plan to order a EC1. Or maybe there are some other (R)CR123 light, that have this feature?


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## Patriot

That could be but I don't think it would explain the issues with the EA1. No resister needed for 1.2V.


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## tam17

awes said:


> I have a theory on the poor red light of EC1 performance. It's probably a standard SMD red LED 1.5V, so the input voltage (3.0-4.2) is too much. It's possible that Nitecore didn't implement a proper step-down circuit, but instead they just inserted a resistor in line. This is the simplest way to cut voltage, but also the worst and least efficient. The resistor dispatch all unneeded energy by heat, which means the energy is wasted. I can be wrong, though.



I don't think that's the problem, since AFAIK not every individual EC1/EA1 unit is affected. It's more an issue of flaky drivers and poor QC.

cheers


----------



## Slocketman

Does anyone know how the EC2 does with different types of protected & non-protected 18650 cells?
I'm looking to use it with Panasonic protected NCR18650B's and would hate if they didn't fit right/rattled or something.

Recently gave two EA2's as Christmas gifts and I love the dual switch UI design (can use all functions single-handed in overhand or underhand grip) and red moonlight LED. Can't seem to find anything with a similar button/UI.


----------



## Patriot

I dropped a Redilast 2900mAh into my EC2 today and it didn't operate. I tried a second one, same thing. I've been using the EAGTAC 3400's which have been working great but grabbed the Redilast cell because it was freshly charged. I still haven't figured out why they don't work but I'm wondering of they're just a little bit too long. 

Anyone else tried the Redilast in this light?


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## Bullzeyebill

Google, cpf only, Redilast 2900mAh too long, and see what comes up. They are pretty long and my experience with too long cells of any make or type can cause erratic or no power to the LED.

Bill


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## Slocketman

Patriot said:


> I dropped a Redilast 2900mAh into my EC2 today and it didn't operate. I tried a second one, same thing. I've been using the EAGTAC 3400's which have been working great but grabbed the Redilast cell because it was freshly charged. I still haven't figured out why they don't work but I'm wondering of they're just a little bit too long.
> 
> Anyone else tried the Redilast in this light?



Thanks Patriot, that helps a lot. It just occurred to me that the Nitecore branded 18650's are probably assured to work well with the EC2, so a cell of similar design should work too.
These Nitecore 2600mah's are listed as 70mm x 18.7mm (with a small button top), which is among the longest protected 18650's (by checking HKJ's chart).
Your EAGTAC 3400mah's are 68.3mm x 18.4mm (small button top), among the shortest 18650's available but apparently work fine.
It's interesting to me that the Redilast cell is 68.9mm x 18.5mm but doesn't work, I wonder if it's the larger diameter button top or if it's too flat.
I've checked Selfbuilt's review and video, it looks like he used an AW protected 2200mah (small button top) with the EC2, at 67.4mm x 18.5mm it's quite a bit shorter than the Nitecore 2600mah.

From those data points, it seems like the EC2 works with most any length 18650 as long as it is a small button top.

Can anyone locate a picture of the inside of an EC2 to see what the positive terminal has to deal with? (Selfbuilt has a shot of the EC1 internals in the review but I can't find the EC2)


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Interesting, I have found that some mostly flattop 18650's can be a problem with some of my lights, and I have added small diameter rare earth magnets to cure the problems.

Bill


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## selfbuilt

Slocketman said:


> Can anyone locate a picture of the inside of an EC2 to see what the positive terminal has to deal with? (Selfbuilt has a shot of the EC1 internals in the review but I can't find the EC2)


FYI, it looks pretty much the same.

Typically, I have found the same as Bullseyebill - the problem is often inconsistent contact with flat-top cells. I haven't seen the cells in question, but it looks from online pics that they have a wide button top. Although better than true flat-top, it is really only the small button top cells that consistently work in all lights. :shrug:


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## Slocketman

Thanks selfbuilt!

I'm now awaiting a GoingGear shipment of an EC2, 2x EagleTac 3400mah's, and XTAR WP6 II charger :twothumbs
(my first pro flashlight purchase!)


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## Patriot

Thanks Bullzeyebill, Slocketman & Selfbuilt. I really appreciate the info. The positive terminal on the inside of the light seem to make excellent contact with the positive battery terminal. It is the wide style of course but protrudes sufficiently to make easy contact. I can even pinch a ribbon in there with really good force so it's not a positive contact issue. 

I also tried a couple of AW 2600mah cells and even though the positive terminal is actually countersunk slightly, contact is fine and the light operates. 

At this stage everything is pointing to the overall cell length being too long with the Redilast 2900s. I'm not sure if the Redilast 3400mah are the same but I do have some Redilast 3100mah that I'll try tomorrow.


----------



## tam17

I've picked up my replacement EC2 today. Previous one was returned to NC on grounds of not being up to spec (15lm Micro mode and PWM flickering in lower modes, despite the light being advertised as current-regulated). Link to my previous post is here.

Replacement EC2 has the exact same flaws as the returned sample (no, it's not the exact same flashlight, since S/N's don't match!) so this whole batch must be bug-plagued. I've decided to keep it anyway, since I can't get even remotely small 1x18650 in local stores, and tint on this new sample is pleasantly neutral (a true lottery win, considering it's a XP-G R5). I've been offered a refund or choice of another flashlight model, but I'm not exactly happy with any other light from current NC production.

Cheers


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## Ned-L

Selfbuilt,

Thanks for the great review. I just received the EC2 I ordered a few days ago. It is surprisingly small for an 18650 light. Very unusual looking but in a very high tech kind of way. 

I am planning on using it on my occasional nighttime mountain bike rides and was wondering if it should be okay to run it continuously on high for about 2 hours (I think it should last at least that long on a 3100 mAh protected 18650)? I know Nitecore indicates high mode is 200 lm/ 3 hr. I think your test showed 390 lm for turbo, but I couldn't find a measurement for high. I am pretty sure that I am reading your results for the runtime on high correctly at 2 hr 58 min.

One more question, I found that my other 18650 batteries have flat button tops and don't work in the EC2. Would it hurt to use a rare earth magnet as the button to make those 18650s work, as another post suggested?

Thanks for helping to feed my flashlight addiction with all your thorough reviews.


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## daberti

Ned-L said:


> Selfbuilt,
> 
> One more question, I found that my other 18650 batteries have flat button tops and don't work in the EC2. Would it hurt to use a rare earth magnet as the button to make those 18650s work, as another post suggested?
> 
> Thanks for helping to feed my flashlight addiction with all your thorough reviews.



Being the meant usage bike riding, with all of bumps and so on, I would not recommend putting magnets. Just to avoid shorts 
Maybe Redilast 3100 having a raised + pole would fit the bill, but check in advance the pole diameter of the cell with a caliper, so that it will be gladly received by the recessed + pole of the flashlight.


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## selfbuilt

Ned-L said:


> I am planning on using it on my occasional nighttime mountain bike rides and was wondering if it should be okay to run it continuously on high for about 2 hours (I think it should last at least that long on a 3100 mAh protected 18650)? I know Nitecore indicates high mode is 200 lm/ 3 hr. I think your test showed 390 lm for turbo, but I couldn't find a measurement for high. I am pretty sure that I am reading your results for the runtime on high correctly at 2 hr 58 min.


Yes, that's what I found for my lower-capacity 2200mAh 18650 batteries (with very flat regulation). As you will see in the estimated output tables in the review, I would estimate ~250 lumens on Hi. 



> One more question, I found that my other 18650 batteries have flat button tops and don't work in the EC2. Would it hurt to use a rare earth magnet as the button to make those 18650s work, as another post suggested?





daberti said:


> Being the meant usage bike riding, with all of bumps and so on, I would not recommend putting magnets. Just to avoid shorts
> Maybe Redilast 3100 having a raised + pole would fit the bill, but check in advance the pole diameter of the cell with a caliper, so that it will be gladly received by the recessed + pole of the flashlight.


+1 ... I do not recommend using magnets for general use - and certainly not for vigourous use like bike riding. A short would be a REALLY bad thing for the battery, turning it into a potential projectile.

You could try a dab of solder in the center of your flat-top cells (although I don't recommend inexperienced people take a soldering iron to batteries either). Safest all around to just invest in small button-top cells. :sweat:


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## Eye of Unk

I washed my EC2 in my work pants by accident, moisture was in both the tube and head, battery died and the light has no stepping of light modes, only a high beam, the strobe sorta works as well as the SOS but it doesn't seem right.

Its being tossed in the extras box, I bought an EC25, maybe it'll last through the washing machine test better.


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## neksium

Do you recommend me to buy the ec2? Really i love this light but i'm afraid for e series problems.


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## tam17

I kinda learned to live with my EC2. It worked well so far (knock on wood ) and regular wear from EDCing is starting to show. Still taking care not to dunk it in water or leave on Turbo for longer period of time, though. Its unusual appearance makes it a good conversation piece, and AFAIK (besides the PaLight V60) it's still THE shortest in-line 18650 flashlight. Its lowest mode (Micro) is not 2lm as advertised, but somewhere near 15lm. Runtimes? Don't ask.

Is this the recommendation? You decide 

Cheers


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## Bumble

neksium said:


> Do you recommend me to buy the ec2? Really i love this light but i'm afraid for e series problems.




buying a flashlight which you wont have much confidence in, is a bad idea imo...instead of the big smile on your face as you recieve your new flashlight, you will be looking at it with a "negative thought process" eg thinking "please please dont give me any problems" etc... this is not how buying a quality flashlight should be.


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## holylight

good review as usual. tyvm


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## Rexlion

I finally gave in and ordered an EA2. It came today. I really like it, except for one problem: mine came with no tailcap spring! I had to stuff a wad of aluminum foil in there to try it out. Back it goes for replacement......


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## igoman

The small red LED on my EA2 is turned on constantly. Its dimmer than as if it would be turned on (with mode button), but its still on. Its on even in lockout mode. To turn it off I must do it with unscrewing the tailcap. I use eneloops, but I had to peel the white skin of the eneloops off, so that I could insert them in the EA2.


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## selfbuilt

igoman said:


> The small red LED on my EA2 is turned on constantly. Its dimmer than as if it would be turned on (with mode button), but its still on. Its on even in lockout mode. To turn it off I must do it with unscrewing the tailcap. I use eneloops, but I had to peel the white skin of the eneloops off, so that I could insert them in the EA2.


That is not good - on all fronts. I heard there was a batch once of EA1s that was too narrow to take NiMH, but this is the first I've heard of it happening with EA2s. Either way, that's unacceptable in my view - you shouldn't need to peel off the wrappers of your Eneloops. On that front alone, I would return the light and ask for a replacement. 

The constant red light is definitely not acceptable - it will drain your cells quickly. Contact your dealer to request a RMA.


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## igoman

Thanks. I bought it on ebay, will ask for a refund. I am really disapointed with the flashlight, even the beam has 3 rings and I dont like that. I also dont like the operating buttons.


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## Rexlion

My replacement EA2 is working well. Sorry you didn't like the controls, igoman. I guess that's why they make so many different kinds of flashlights nowadays; we all have different preferences. I like the buttons pretty well.

I read a comment somewhere that these lights are not good as bedstand lights because of the red flasher. My bedstand is lower than the top of the mattress, and with the red light pointed toward the mattress I couldn't see a thing. But my wife on the far side complained! I don't know how she can see it. Oh well, now I keep the EA2's controls face-down on the bedstand.  Maybe it's a light only a flashaholic could love.


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## blackFFM

IIRC sombody here modded his EC1 with an XP-G2. But I can't find the thread... any idea who it was?


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## phantom23

*'ergotelis'* modded EC2 and it went from 315 to 398 lm and 6800 to 9700lux/1m. But I wouldn't risk it, Explorer series lights are not very reliable and changing the emitter voids your warranty.


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## blackFFM

phantom23 said:


> *'ergotelis'* modded EC2 and it went from 315 to 398 lm and 6800 to 9700lux/1m. But I wouldn't risk it, Explorer series lights are not very reliable and changing the emitter voids your warranty.



Thanks. I'm not sure if it was him. The thread had pictures with a removed bezel ring in it. Just wanted to know how you can remove it.

Besides I'm not afraid of breaking my lights, so warranty is something I couldn't care less about.


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## phantom23

It's very diffcult to remove bezel ring without breaking the glass.


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## GordoJones88

blackFFM said:


> IIRC sombody here modded his EC1 with an XP-G2. But I can't find the thread... any idea who it was?



I think what was also really cool like this was a member ordered the Eagletac D25LC2 XPG2 with the XMLU2 circuit driver so the XPG2 was driven much harder. Some online vendor then had some made and carry them in stock. I say this because the EC1/EC2 is not driven very hard at all. I do absolutely love the small size of the EC1 with the deep smooth 1" reflector.


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## DocMortal

Thx for the great review pulled the trigger on the EC2 ,gotta love the 18650 battery.


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## Aperture

Can somebody please confirm that the EC2 voltmeter is able to read up to 4.2 Volts?

My EC1 doesn't go any higher than 3.9V which doesn't really help to separate the full from the partially full batteries. The EC25 goes all the way to 8.2V btw with two Nitecore RCR123 (4.1V max each) batteries, this is of course even more desirable for a two cell light but up to 4.2V would be sufficient for me to check 18650's in the field.


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## selfbuilt

Aperture said:


> Can somebody please confirm that the EC2 voltmeter is able to read up to 4.2 Volts?
> My EC1 doesn't go any higher than 3.9V which doesn't really help to separate the full from the partially full batteries.


My EC1 and EC2 both read up to 4.2V without issue. :shrug:


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## Aperture

Thanks for the quick confirmation selfbuilt, same goes for your awesome reviews btw, really appreciated.


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## lawnman

My first post, I joined after reading a few of selfbuilt reviews they are excellent, looking forward to more.... Thanks


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## blackFFM

I wish there would be an update with XP-G2 and some neutral white LEDs. I wouldn't mind a XM-L2 in a deep reflector like that, either.


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## selfbuilt

lawnman said:


> My first post, I joined after reading a few of selfbuilt reviews they are excellent, looking forward to more.... Thanks


Thanks, and :welcome:



blackFFM said:


> I wish there would be an update with XP-G2 and some neutral white LEDs. I wouldn't mind a XM-L2 in a deep reflector like that, either.


I agree on the XP-G2 and neutral white front. I think this build is really optimized for throw with the smaller die emitters though, and don't think an XM-L/XM-L2 would add much (beyond raw output - throw still wouldn't be too great). This series is one of the best pocket-throwers I've seen.


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## blackFFM

selfbuilt said:


> and don't think an XM-L/XM-L2 would add much (beyond raw output - throw still wouldn't be too great). This series is one of the best pocket-throwers I've seen.



I agree. And they are so small despite the deep reflector. I'm just too curious how a direct driven XM-L2 would throw in this kind of set up compared to the XM-L /XM-L2 offerings with shallow op reflectors.


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## Aperture

I have tested the EC1 for waterproofness btw and it survived being submersed for hour, it was bonedry inside.


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## dajabec

Put in an xp-g2 and a lower low and I would buy another.


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## GordoJones88

blackFFM said:


> I agree. And they are so small despite the deep reflector. I'm just too curious how a direct driven XM-L2 would throw in this kind of set up compared to the XM-L /XM-L2 offerings with shallow op reflectors.



As you say they are small. They get hot using an XPG and not driven hard. Put in an XML2 and drive it hard the light is gonna get really hot really fast. What you might want to look at if you haven't yet, is the Eagletac TX25C2 and the Nitecore EC25.


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## Patriot

blackFFM said:


> I wouldn't mind a XM-L2 in a deep reflector like that, either.




It would take away the unique qualities of the beam in this light. It's one of the few really great throwers that we have with this aperture. 




> Aperture
> Can somebody please confirm that the EC2 voltmeter is able to read up to 4.2 Volts?



My EC2 and EA1 only read up to 4.1V with cells hot of the charger. Not perfect but good enough be very helpful.


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## dajabec

About the voltage meter, it reads the voltage under load (it turns on high for a second before blinking for this reason) so it will never read 4.2. That is the resting voltage. If it is 3.9 or more the batery is pretty full. 3.8 it's getting low and time to charge, it goes down quickly from there. I have edc this for months and those are my unscientific observations.


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## CYMac

I read this post tonight.. AGAIN and made me want to try the little beast outside AGAIN using my NEW camcorder!! OH GOSH, this is a BEAST!!! Can anyone tell me this is NOT a good flashlight? oh.. probably no one here, haha! It's worth the bucks!


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## blackFFM

CYMac said:


> I read this post tonight.. AGAIN and made me want to try the little beast outside AGAIN using my NEW camcorder!! OH GOSH, this is a BEAST!!! Can anyone tell me this is NOT a good flashlight? oh.. probably no one here, haha! It's worth the bucks!



I agree. This light has so much potential that's why I wish it would come in more "flavours" or at least in a design which allows easy modding (without a press fit bezel).


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## CYMac

blackFFM said:


> I agree. This light has so much potential that's why I wish it would come in more "flavours" or at least in a design which allows easy modding (without a press fit bezel).



Haha~ a good light is good by itself, no need for too much mod! The best thing about the light is not only size, but the voltage indicator thingy that is not found in the 4sevens small dudes too, love it!


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## blackFFM

CYMac said:


> Haha~ a good light is good by itself, no need for too much mod! The best thing about the light is not only size, but the voltage indicator thingy that is not found in the 4sevens small dudes too, love it!



Well, my LED is way off center and the tint is too cool for me. So I would appreciate a screw-on bezel for easy LED swapping.


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## Lightman2

A fan of throw lights and ones with side switches would be hard to depart from my little SC51 which I have come to love and is my night/house EDC. Have spent about two hours reading all the great feedback and of course Selfbuilts review and whilst really keen on the EA1 wonder if I would be making a premature buy given the issues with the red LED and some other regular QC issues. Have been thinking about a SC52 for some months and even though it is not a throw light I am a Zebra convertee. Toss up between the EA1 and SC52 but as it stands with the reviews the SC52 looks like it will win out as much as I am interested in the features and throw of the Nitecore.


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## Bumble

i finally gave in lol.. EC1 $36 from fasttech


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## sledger17

I'm New here and this thread was very informative.Thanks to the author


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## tallboybass

Bumble said:


> i finally gave in lol.. EC1 $36 from fasttech


Me too, how long does it usually take to ship from FT?


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## phantom23

Usually it's 2 weeks but sometimes it can be up to 4 weeks.


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## tallboybass

I got my EC1 in a week and a half from FastTech...this is a really nice little thrower for such a compact package. The beam is very cool and the clip is all-powerful. It will NOT fall off a ball cap!


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## Lintush

I have bought a EA2 flashlight. Great interface and size indeed. Great amount of light from small form factor. But I am having problem inserting Sanyo Eneloop AA battery but Alkaline battery is fitting all right. I bought Sanyo Eneloop for the flashlight and now I cant insert them. Any suggestion how I can use them?


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## selfbuilt

Lintush said:


> I have bought a EA2 flashlight. Great interface and size indeed. Great amount of light from small form factor. But I am having problem inserting Sanyo Eneloop AA battery but Alkaline battery is fitting all right. I bought Sanyo Eneloop for the flashlight and now I cant insert them. Any suggestion how I can use them?


It seems that the tolerances of some of the EA1/EA2 battery tubes don't allow for all NiMH cells. Not sure if there's much that can be done - boring the tube wider would be tedious, and any sort of lubricant could migrate to contact surfaces. Unfortunately, I'm afraid a return (or living without NiMH) seems to be most practical response for these individual samples. Anyone have any further suggestions?


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## holylight

*Nitecore Explorer (EC1, EC2, EA1, EA2) Round-up Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VI*

Remove the wrapper of the battery is a simple solution!


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## Swede74

Lintush said:


> Alkaline battery is fitting all right. I bought Sanyo Eneloop for the flashlight and now I cant insert them. Any suggestion how I can use them?



There isn't by any chance a sticker inside the battery tube, maybe one that shows proper battery orientation or says "Passed QC" or something similar? When I got my Led Lenser A5 it would easily accommodate alkalines, but not NiMH. I found a sticker inside the battery tube, and even though it was very thin, once removed I could insert NiMH cells without a problem. It's a long-shot, but I thought I should mention it.


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## phantom23

Selfbuilt I just looket at SC600 Mk II review and I saw that there is different lux/1m number for EC2:


>



7900lux/1m is a nice number but here's the chart from this thread:


>



Which number is correct?


----------



## selfbuilt

phantom23 said:


> Selfbuilt I just looket at SC600 Mk II review and I saw that there is different lux/1m number for EC2
> Which number is correct?


As explained in the method section of the newer reviews (immediately preceding these tables), the orange highlights refer to the newer results using a NIST-certified lux meter. All my reviews now feature these more accurate results, but I couldn't go back and edit all my older reviews. I recommend you stick with the newer numbers.


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## slab288

hi am I correct in thinking that the voltage indicator will still work correctly when using the14500 batteries in the EA1 Thanks slab288


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