# The Quark lights thread! (Part 3)



## Badbeams3 (May 30, 2009)

_*[Continued from **Part 1* *and Part 2]*_


Announcing the new Quark lights...

10 year performance warranty!!!

Let`s try to keep this thread from getting closed down from nonsense 

Here is a link to pricing info http://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=297&osCsid=bc618af22d259d4eea13647d9b03f0a2


----------



## DM51 (Jul 12, 2009)

Part 2 was getting very long, so Part 3 is continued here.


----------



## Egsise (Jul 12, 2009)

> Yep! I bought the Olight T-series Red Filter and it fits perfectly to the Quark 2AA.
> Fenix filter will not function (they have a smaller diameter).



Is the Olight red filter lens removable like in the Fenix red filter?

Or is 4sevens going to make their own filters and diffuser cones?


----------



## DHart (Jul 12, 2009)

Beacon mode is interesting on the Qs, a 1 second long flash about every 11 seconds on mine. It would seem that a somewhat faster rate might be desired, but then again, I guess it wouldn't last as long that way... any thoughts on this? Seems like it should run on beacon for at least a couple of days.


----------



## 4sevens (Jul 12, 2009)

DHart said:


> Beacon mode is interesting on the Qs, a 1 second long flash about every 11 seconds on mine. It would seem that a somewhat faster rate might be desired, but then again, I guess it wouldn't last as long that way... any thoughts on this? Seems like it should run on beacon for at least a couple of days.


We're looking at other options such as driving it at a lower current as well as the time between pulses. There are too many possibilities.


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 12, 2009)

Palor wrote: Yep! I bought the Olight T-series Red Filter and it fits perfectly to the Quark 2AA. 
Fenix filter will not function (they have a smaller diameter). 

Ok, thanks for the feedback.


----------



## Egsise (Jul 12, 2009)

DHart said:


> Beacon mode is interesting on the Qs, a 1 second long flash about every 11 seconds on mine. It would seem that a somewhat faster rate might be desired, but then again, I guess it wouldn't last as long that way... any thoughts on this? Seems like it should run on beacon for at least a couple of days.


The 11 second off, 1 second on, 18h runtime is good compromise between flash rate and runtime imho.
At least it should not be faster or runtime could be an issue.
If you think the worst case scenario: no extra cells, your only cell is half empty, it's really cold.....18h-50%-how much cold effects(NiMH), -20%?= thats just ~7 hours of beacon.


----------



## DHart (Jul 12, 2009)

Egsise... thanks for the spec... didn't realize it was an 18 hour runtime... I presume that's with an AA alkaline? Do we know? If so, it would be days with an L91 lithium. Good reason to always keep a spare L91 or two on board when leaving home. While many folks bemoan the inclusion of sos/strobe/beacon modes on flashlights (and I wouldn't want them on ALL of my lights), I'm really glad to have a few lights (Quarks, Jets, Litefluxes) which have these modes... one never knows when they could save your life!


----------



## mbiraman (Jul 12, 2009)

I don't mind the sos and beacon mode at all, mainly because i don't have to go threw them to get to the med. or high setting from moonlight. I'm not sure when i'd ever use it even but you never know. I have a question about the beacon mode . Mine also goes on about every 11 secs. which is fine to me. When it comes on it goes from moonlight to high in about a 1/3 or 1/2 a second ( ramping up? ) rather than just ON, high. Is that other peoples experience??


----------



## burntoshine (Jul 12, 2009)

mbiraman said:


> I don't mind the sos and beacon mode at all, mainly because i don't have to go threw them to get to the med. or high setting from moonlight. I'm not sure when i'd ever use it even but you never know. I have a question about the beacon mode . Mine also goes on about every 11 secs. which is fine to me. When it comes on it goes from moonlight to high in about a 1/3 or 1/2 a second ( ramping up? ) rather than just ON, high. Is that other peoples experience??



yeah, same here.


----------



## antiplex (Jul 12, 2009)

thank you all very much for your feedback. i didn't mean to complain at all, i like the light as it is, i just meant to post some first impressions.



DHart said:


> The Quarks excel at being throwers. ANd they're great general use lights as well. But they can't be everything for all needs.
> 
> The kind of light you are describing with a wider, softer edge hotspot and brighter spill makes for a wonderful general use light, especially indoors, and there are a few awesome lights which will give you that: LF3XT, LF2XT, D10, etc.
> 
> No single light can perfectly meet every illumination need!


i don't have many other good led-lights that i could compare the quark with so i was not sure what e.g. 'plenty of spill' or 'little flood' actually would look like.
spill is fine and sure the quark makes a great thrower!
funny you mention the LF3XT, i was waiting for the looong announced 2aa tube fot this one quite some time but finally decided that i could use the light pretty soon for my travels to remote parts of south-east-asia instead of waiting and hearing excuses for further delays.
i absolutely don't regret having decided on a quark now but i might think about getting a diffuser lens if available one day.


Palor said:


> Yep! I bought the Olight T-series Red Filter and it fits perfectly to the Quark 2AA.
> Fenix filter will not function (they have a smaller diameter).


thank you very much for this information! maybe if you once find the time, could you take a closeup picture showing the installed filter from the side or diagonal?
how tight does the filter sit? i'd be a bit afraid of losing it maybe...

regarding the beacon, i like the flash rate but was surprised it flashes at full power. for 99% of my uses a lower mode (maybe 3 or 4) would be enough, the only situation for full-power beacon i could imagine would be an emergency case but there i might switch to s.o.s. mode probably.
talkin about the s.o.s. signal mode, anybody knows what runtime can be expected here? it's not listed in the manual. i also not sure if s.o.s. uses full power or maybe the 70 lumen setting...

EDIT: beacon also ramping up and down here - nice!


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 12, 2009)

I'm really torn between Regular and Tactical. I've never had a "nice" light so I'm unsure which UI would be best. I do like the forward clicky on the Tac though because I like being quiet, so momentary-on would be useful, but I'm not sure if I would want to be readily able to access multiple modes instead of only 2.


----------



## Oddjob (Jul 12, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> I'm really torn between Regular and Tactical. I've never had a "nice" light so I'm unsure which UI would be best. I do like the forward clicky on the Tac though because I like being quiet, so momentary-on would be useful, but I'm not sure if I would want to be readily able to access multiple modes instead of only 2.


 
For me it is irritating cycling through modes. I only use two levels most of the time so I am getting a tactical. Extra modes like SOS and strobe are fine on a light as long as they are accessed through a separate menu and not part of the regular UI. I just never liked having to go through them to get to a desired level. That's just me though and there are plenty who don't care. If you are the kind of person who prefers simplicity then go for the Tactical.


----------



## jahxman (Jul 12, 2009)

Oddjob said:


> For me it is irritating cycling through modes. I only use two levels most of the time so I am getting a tactical. Extra modes like SOS and strobe are fine on a light as long as they are accessed through a separate menu and not part of the regular UI. I just never liked having to go through them to get to a desired level. That's just me though and there are plenty who don't care. If you are the kind of person who prefers simplicity then go for the Tactical.


 
+1 :thumbsup:

I went for tactical also, for the same reasons. I really only use two modes usually, very low and high enough, so I want those easily accessible.

It's nice to have programmability and other fancy modes, but they should be hidden. set it and forget it. sounds like an infomercial. :nana:


----------



## Palor (Jul 13, 2009)

antiplex said:


> thank you very much for this information! maybe if you once find the time, could you take a closeup picture showing the installed filter from the side or diagonal?
> how tight does the filter sit? i'd be a bit afraid of losing it maybe...


 
The design of the Olight Red Filter is quite nice. The filter is made of kind of rubber and fits to two ranges of diameter. 
For product details see:
http://www.olightworld.com/proi/cn/product_detail.asp?productid=445

For the Quarks the smaller diameter will be used. Therefore you find some rubber steps near the lens. I was also afraid of the tightness but I must say the filter holds quite well to my Quark. Furthermore you can attach a thin thread to the ring on the filter (see ring on lower right sight of following picture) if you are walking in rough terrain (i.e. through woods).






Another advantage I see: The front part of the filter sticks on the light. The rest of the filter has a bigger diameter, so there is a gap of 1-2 mm between the filter and the light. On turbo mode the heat can dissipate here. :thumbsup:
I try to provide some pictures.



Egsise said:


> Is the Olight red filter lens removable like in the Fenix red filter?
> 
> Or is 4sevens going to make their own filters and diffuser cones?


 
I haven't checked if the lens is removable. Maybe somebody else knows.
But I can check when I am back home.
I wrote an email to 4sevens regarding the filters and from what I understood it seems that they are working on filters. But that's not for sure. But they will definetly provide accessories to their lights (like single lanyards, holster) in the future (this was an answer in another email) 



mbiraman said:


> I have a question about the beacon mode . Mine also goes on about every 11 secs. which is fine to me. When it comes on it goes from moonlight to high in about a 1/3 or 1/2 a second ( ramping up? ) rather than just ON, high. Is that other peoples experience??


 
Yes. First there are 3 short turbo mode beacons and after that every appr. 10 seconds a ramping from low to high. I was also worried the first time but now I like the design of the beacon mode. 


Hope this helps,

Palor


----------



## Egsise (Jul 13, 2009)

DHart said:


> Egsise... thanks for the spec... didn't realize it was an 18 hour runtime... I presume that's with an AA alkaline? Do we know? If so, it would be days with an L91 lithium. Good reason to always keep a spare L91 or two on board when leaving home. While many folks bemoan the inclusion of sos/strobe/beacon modes on flashlights (and I wouldn't want them on ALL of my lights), I'm really glad to have a few lights (Quarks, Jets, Litefluxes) which have these modes... one never knows when they could save your life!


18h beacon mode is in the specs of AA and AA² models, with 123 its 12h and with 123² 23h.
Stated runtimes seems to be with eneloops, not alkaline.

Thanks Palor!


----------



## DHart (Jul 13, 2009)

Egsise said:


> 18h beacon mode is in the specs of AA and AA² models, with 123 its 12h and with 123² 23h.
> Stated runtimes seems to be with eneloops, not alkaline.
> 
> Thanks Palor!



Are those specs from a thread somewhere? I couldn't find any of that data on the 4Sevens website or Quark brochure. 

When reading Quarks stated runtimes for max and moonmode on the 4Sevens website & brochure I didn't see any reference to what power source was used in the determination. Obviously in the case of 123 it would be a CR123, but in the case of AA it simply lists "AA" battery.


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 13, 2009)

DHart said:


> Are those specs from a thread somewhere? I couldn't find any of that data on the 4Sevens website or Quark brochure.
> 
> When reading Quarks stated runtimes for max and moonmode on the 4Sevens website & brochure I didn't see any reference to what power source was used in the determination. Obviously in the case of 123 it would be a CR123, but in the case of AA it simply lists "AA" battery.



I emailed 4Sevens a few weeks ago asking that. It is on NiHM. And the Beacon specs are right on the Quark product pages.


----------



## Palor (Jul 13, 2009)

Here are some pictures regarding the Olight T-Series Red Filter.

First picture: The "steps" for the smaller diameter near the red lens. The head of the Quark fits perfectly tight in between the steps.










Here is the gap between the filter and the casing. (The filter has a second diamter range for lights with bigger head diameter)







And here with Quark and Filter in use:







The lens itself sticks between the steps. I haven't tried to remove the lens but I think it can be removed, but I won't test it.

Greetings,

Palor


----------



## ChoppedBroccoli (Jul 13, 2009)

Received my 2xAA (AA2) last Friday.

On normal alkalines I noticed absolutely NO difference between HI and MAX.
Switched to freshly charged 2400mah nimh batteries. Again, NO visible difference between high and max. In fact max doesn't seem to be THAT bright, its bright, but my buddy's 1xAA MF DA1 wasn't too far off.

I know the Quark AA needs more juice to be pushed to max, but shouldnt 2xAA be enough for the true 170 lumen max? I'll try another set of nimh tonight, but I'm curious if other people are noticing this or if I got a defective unit.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 13, 2009)

ChoppedBroccoli said:


> Received my 2xAA (AA2) last Friday.
> 
> On normal alkalines I noticed absolutely NO difference between HI and MAX.
> Switched to freshly charged 2400mah nimh batteries. Again, NO visible difference between high and max. In fact max doesn't seem to be THAT bright, its bright, but my buddy's 1xAA MF DA1 wasn't too far off.
> ...


 Did you have the head fully tightened?


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 13, 2009)

ChoppedBroccoli said:


> Received my 2xAA (AA2) last Friday.
> 
> On normal alkalines I noticed absolutely NO difference between HI and MAX.
> Switched to freshly charged 2400mah nimh batteries. Again, NO visible difference between high and max. In fact max doesn't seem to be THAT bright, its bright, but my buddy's 1xAA MF DA1 wasn't too far off.
> ...


 
I haven't got my Quarks yet so I can't give you that info. What I can tell you is that on both of my Fenix lights the difference between the high and turbo modes is a small one. I have the L2DCE and the LD20 on NIMH just so you know. It seems that for _much_ of a subjective difference in brightness you need _more_ than double the lumens. I am not saying, though, that there may not be something wrong with your light. You should notice a difference, but don't expect a large increase.


----------



## DHart (Jul 13, 2009)

It takes a considerable increase in light output to be significantly noticible to the eye, so don't expect the difference between high and turbo to totally knock your socks off. There will be a noticible difference, however. 

This is why if you want to conserve battery capacity you run on high rather than turbo, because turbo sucks a lot more juice yet doesn't give you dramatically greater visible output. You get much longer runtime on high than on turbo and still get nearly as much "visible" output.


----------



## ChoppedBroccoli (Jul 13, 2009)

LightWalker said:


> Did you have the head fully tightened?



I think so, i tightened it pretty firmly. Also another indicator is that the strobe mode is available when I tighten it.


----------



## bodhran (Jul 13, 2009)

The difference is noticeable. Perhaps just a good cleaning.


----------



## DHart (Jul 13, 2009)

My 123-2 arrived today.... I removed the clip and popped a 17650 in it right away... man, I love this sucker!


----------



## ChoppedBroccoli (Jul 13, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I haven't got my Quarks yet so I can't give you that info. What I can tell you is that on both of my Fenix lights the difference between the high and turbo modes is a small one. I have the L2DCE and the LD20 on NIMH just so you know. It seems that for _much_ of a subjective difference in brightness you need _more_ than double the lumens. I am not saying, though, that there may not be something wrong with your light. You should notice a difference, but don't expect a large increase.





DHart said:


> It takes a considerable increase in light output to be significantly noticible to the eye, so don't expect the difference between high and turbo to totally knock your socks off. There will be a noticible difference, however.
> 
> This is why if you want to conserve battery capacity you run on high rather than turbo, because turbo sucks a lot more juice yet doesn't give you dramatically greater visible output. You get much longer runtime on high than on turbo and still get nearly as much "visible" output.




Yeah, I wasn't expecting an enormous difference, just at least some visible change in light output. And while the increase in lumes vs perceived light output may not be a linear relationship, I would expect the difference between 70 and 170 lumens (far more than double the lumens) to be visibly noticeable.

Again I'll try different nimh when I get home and report any new news. After that I'll get in touch with 4sevens for more information or a replacement


In the meantime, for those that own the 2xAA quark, do you visibily notice a difference between hi and max?


---

Outside of this, I am very pleased with the light. The moonlight mode is extremely useful in complete darkness, and low and medium fill in the rest of 90% of my day to day use just perfectly.


----------



## ChoppedBroccoli (Jul 13, 2009)

On another note, how do people feel that the black finish will hold up to nicks and nacks. It looks like just having another metal lightly rub on the clip or lanyard eyes gets the finish to blemish a bit.

Honestly, I don't care too much in the end - a bright useful scratched light is just as good as a bright useful unblemished light


----------



## DHart (Jul 13, 2009)

CB... yes, it should definitely be a noticible difference, but I never use alkalines, so perhaps that's what the problem is. Alkalines SUCK!


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 13, 2009)

Sounds like there may be a problem with it. I can easily notice the difference between high and turbo on mine.


----------



## ChoppedBroccoli (Jul 13, 2009)

DHart said:


> CB... yes, it should definitely be a noticible difference, but I never use alkalines, so perhaps that's what the problem is. Alkalines SUCK!



Oh yeah, sorry my previous post was a bit unclear. I did start out with alkalines just to try out the light, but have since been using some La Crosse 2400mah nimh batteries and I am experiencing the same thing. I'll try some Duracell 2600mah batteries when I get home.

Your point on alkalines is spot on tho. One of the things I love about nimh and specifically with this light is that you can have guilt free lumens in high modes and ridiculous run times in moonlight/low modes.


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 13, 2009)

DHart said:


> My 123-2 arrived today.... I removed the clip and popped a 17650 in it right away... man, I love this sucker!


 I removed the clip on mine too, I really like the feel of this light, I have large hands.


----------



## Haz (Jul 13, 2009)

Any chance of a deep carry clip to come out?


----------



## xcnick (Jul 13, 2009)

DHart said:


> My 123-2 arrived today.... I removed the clip and popped a 17650 in it right away... man, I love this sucker!


do you have a pic of it next to the L-mini?


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 13, 2009)

Just pulled on a Quark Tactical AA + AA^2 body + 8x Maha Imedions + La Crosse BC-900 charger 

Very excited for my first high-end flashlight


----------



## Egsise (Jul 14, 2009)

Beacon mode....


4sevens said:


> We're looking at other options such as driving it at a lower current as well as the time between pulses. There are too many possibilities.


ACR MS-2000 Distress Marker Light Flash Rate: 50 ± 10 per minute, Operating Life: 8 hours minimum-strobe.
If the Quark strobe(or beacon) flash rate would be the same, what kind of runtime would it have?


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 14, 2009)

lovecpf


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 14, 2009)

Egsise said:


> Beacon mode....
> 
> ACR MS-2000 Distress Marker Light Flash Rate: 50 ± 10 per minute, Operating Life: 8 hours minimum-strobe.
> If the Quark strobe(or beacon) flash rate would be the same, what kind of runtime would it have?



It looks like that runtime is from 2 Alkalines though. The specs mentions running on Alkalines, so I think that might be what they tested runtime on. It also puts out 125,000 lumens


----------



## Bruiser (Jul 14, 2009)

Well I just received my QAA recently and here are my amateur flashaholic inital impressions:

I really like 1 AA lights since it's so easy to find cells if there was ever an emergency. I have a few different lights ranging from CR123s, AAAs, AAs, up to larger maglights and lantern lights. I tend to stick with an AA light for EDC since I like to clip them in my pocket. Lately it's been a D10 R2 which has been fantastic up until a UI issue that I had to send it back to 47's for. 

While I was on the phone explaining my problem, I talked to Trevor and we got to talking about the Quarks. I was initially leaning toward a tactical model with a programmable UI, but ultimately ended up going with the standard version. I'm super happy I did!

I generally use my D10 on low, and sometimes ramp up a little higher to see my work area a little better. I really like the ramping feature of the nitecores, so I wasn't sure about cycling through the QAA modes. I have to say that I'm impressed. :thumbsup: It's very quick, and if you miss your mode, it's cycles right back. The great part about it, is that when you shut if off, after a few seconds it goes back to moon mode. I pretty much use the low mode throughout the day, and moon mode around the house at night, so it's pretty much a double click set up which is nice.

The body and size is pretty much in the ballpark for what I find acceptable for EDC. Any bigger and I'd probably go in favor of something else. Knurling is well done, and the square threads are very smooth. The R2 emitter is perfectly centered and is very pleasant. 

My two gripes (one not a big deal, the other I absolutely hate)

I'm used to the piston drive on the D10 or simple twisties, so the QAA pushbutton seems a little deep and hard to push. Not a big deal, just something to get used to. The thing I absolutle hate and no offence intended, is the pocket clip! The way I hold the light between my fingers, the clip gets in the way and makes it very uncomfortable.  I also _really _don't like how much of the light sticks up out of my pocket when clipped. A deep pocket clip would be 100 times better. 

Sans clip, the light is fantastic and would definitley give my D10 a run for its money for pocket time. Unfortunately, until I can come up with a new clip, I don't think it will replace my D10. I strongly dislike belt carry, but I may have to make an acception just to carry the Quark. 

I think Dave and everyone at 47's did a superb job with the Quark series, and I look forward to putting mine through the paces. If you're in the market for a new light, I strongly suggest checking out the Quarks. Great lights, 10 year warranty, and 47's support. What else could you ask for? lovecpf 

-Dan


----------



## Phaserburn (Jul 14, 2009)

DHart said:


> My 123-2 arrived today.... I removed the clip and popped a 17650 in it right away... man, I love this sucker!


 
Hm, I thought AW protected cells were snug in this light? How was the fit?

Is this light fully regulated on a single li-ion?


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 14, 2009)

Phaserburn said:


> Hm, I thought AW protected cells were snug in this light? How was the fit?
> 
> Is this light fully regulated on a single li-ion?


 
My AW 17670 and 14340's fit pretty snug but not too bad, I don't have to force them.

Take a look at Selfbuilt's runtime graphs below to see regulation on 17670.











https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/234960


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 14, 2009)

Bruiser said:


> Well I just received my QAA recently and here are my amateur flashaholic inital impressions:
> 
> I really like 1 AA lights since it's so easy to find cells if there was ever an emergency. I have a few different lights ranging from CR123s, AAAs, AAs, up to larger maglights and lantern lights. I tend to stick with an AA light for EDC since I like to clip them in my pocket. Lately it's been a D10 R2 which has been fantastic up until a UI issue that I had to send it back to 47's for.
> 
> ...



I flipped the clip around...so I could clip it on a baseball hat. Anyway, I found it much more comfortable to hold.


----------



## recDNA (Jul 14, 2009)

Just out of curiosity...why are these graphs usually shown in units of % output rather than actual output in lux or lumens?


----------



## Bruiser (Jul 14, 2009)

Badbeams3 said:


> I flipped the clip around...so I could clip it on a baseball hat. Anyway, I found it much more comfortable to hold.



It's a great light, I just wish it had a deeper pocket clip. For me personally, it would feel more comfortable to hold and I'm worried that I'm going to lose it out of my pocket with that much of the light sticking out.

Flipping the clip does make it easier to hold (has to do with where the clip is widest and where my fingers curl around the light), but then I have the light emitter side up, which I'm not fond of either. It's just something I'll need to get used to, that's all. I haven't really been able to stop playing with it since I got it. 

-Dan


----------



## jahxman (Jul 14, 2009)

recDNA said:


> Just out of curiosity...why are these graphs usually shown in units of % output rather than actual output in lux or lumens?


 
Because most of us don't have a calibrated light integrating sphere :rock: like Gman so any absolute lux readings we get from homemade lightboxes, ceiling bounce tests, or direct measurement at some distance from the emitter are only useful in relative terms, i.e. over time or in comparison to another light in the exact same conditions.

The absolute values we get are of limited usefulness, and using them for comparison with readings someone else got under different conditions would lead to bad conclusions.:shakehead

All I have is a multimeter that can talk to my PC, allowing me to chart values over time, and a Amprobe LM631A lux meter, that has an analog output I can feed to my multimeter which in turn feeds it to the PC. So far I have only done ceiling bounce and direct measurement type tests, and at some point I want to construct a lightbox to get a better measurement of overall light output, but any measurements I make in my homemade setup are only useful in comparison to my other lights, other battery power sources, etc.

For example if I chose to mod a light I can measure how it was before the mod, and how it is after, to tell if what I did was what I wanted in objective terms. But any estimate of lumens that I might try to derive from a setup like this would be pretty much a guesstimate, and most likely wrong.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 14, 2009)

Anyone know how much output is lost with the _warm_ versions?


----------



## Biginboca (Jul 14, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> Anyone know how much output is lost with the _warm_ versions?


 
This is something I would love to know also. I thought I read somehwere that it was around 20 to 25%, but don't know if that applies with all LED's or only the one in that discussion. (It wasn't about Quarks.)

I have a warm emitter Quark on order, but playing with the standard one I am really starting to like the regular color. Now I am not so sure I still want the warm! 

I have never owned a warm emitter light so not sure what to expect... except a reduced brightness which sounds like it will be quite disappointing if it's 25%!


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 14, 2009)

Biginboca said:


> This is something I would love to know also. I thought I read somehwere that it was around 20 to 25%, but don't know if that applies with all LED's or only the one in that discussion. (It wasn't about Quarks.)
> 
> I have a warm emitter Quark on order, but playing with the standard one I am really starting to like the regular color. Now I am not so sure I still want the warm!
> 
> I have never owned a warm emitter light so not sure what to expect... except a reduced brightness which sounds like it will be quite disappointing if it's 25%!


 
I have no idea what the actual difference in output is, but I can tell you my subjective thoughts on the warm tint. I have a Fenix L2DCE and also the LD20. I thought that these lights were great for a while until I recently got a DBS. Thanks to many raves at CPF about the 5A Q3 tint I got that pill. When I took it outside at night and turned it on, Wow! I can tell you now that I don't really like my Fenix lights anymore. I can barely stand the color of those emitters now. Yes, for me the tint of the 5A is that much better that I won't be buying anything but lights with warm white emitters again. EVER.lovecpf


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 14, 2009)

Bruiser said:


> My two gripes (one not a big deal, the other I absolutely hate)
> 
> I'm used to the piston drive on the D10 or simple twisties, so the QAA pushbutton seems a little deep and hard to push. Not a big deal, just something to get used to. The thing I absolutle hate and no offence intended, is the pocket clip! The way I hold the light between my fingers, the clip gets in the way and makes it very uncomfortable.  I also _really _don't like how much of the light sticks up out of my pocket when clipped. A deep pocket clip would be 100 times better.
> 
> -Dan



4Sevens has realized the issue with the hard clickies, and they are going to make replacements (mentioned in Part 2). 

Waiting on a clip solutions as well


----------



## Egsise (Jul 15, 2009)

Biginboca said:


> This is something I would love to know also. I thought I read somehwere that it was around 20 to 25%, but don't know if that applies with all LED's or only the one in that discussion. (It wasn't about Quarks.)
> 
> I have a warm emitter Quark on order, but playing with the standard one I am really starting to like the regular color. Now I am not so sure I still want the warm!
> 
> I have never owned a warm emitter light so not sure what to expect... except a reduced brightness which sounds like it will be quite disappointing if it's 25%!


Search: R2 VS Q3



> The reduction in lumens is balanced by a higher percentage of the light being in the part of the spectrum that you need to see things at.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 15, 2009)

My order is now in for a clipless warm 123 . If it is nearly as bright as my Q5 NiteCore Extreme I will be very pleased.


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 15, 2009)

From the comparison shots in Part 2, it looks as if the Quark R2 has no blue at all in the beam. But in the 4Sevens website shot, it is very blue. I wonder how accurate the look of the warm on 4sevens will be to the real beam.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 15, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> From the comparison shots in Part 2, it looks as if the Quark R2 has no blue at all in the beam. But in the 4Sevens website shot, it is very blue. I wonder how accurate the look of the warm on 4sevens will be to the real beam.


 
I think it's one of those things that is relative to what you are comparing it to. I never really noticed the blue/purpleish tint in my Fenix lights until comparing them to sunlight. Also, when comparing next to the 5A tint they appear blue/purpleish. So I think that when you compare the Quark R2 against other lights with a similar tint it goes more or less unnoticed. FYI when I compare my 5A Q3 emitter to sunlight it seems that there is a slight rosy/pinkish tint to it, but I don't really notice it much unless compared to the sun.


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 15, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I think it's one of those things that is relative to what you are comparing it to. I never really noticed the blue/purpleish tint in my Fenix lights until comparing them to sunlight. Also, when comparing next to the 5A tint they appear blue/purpleish. So I think that when you compare the Quark R2 against other lights with a similar tint it goes more or less unnoticed. FYI when I compare my 5A Q3 emitter to sunlight it seems that there is a slight rosy/pinkish tint to it, but I don't really notice it much unless compared to the sun.



Hmm, interesting.


----------



## Wiggle (Jul 15, 2009)

Biginboca said:


> This is something I would love to know also. I thought I read somehwere that it was around 20 to 25%, but don't know if that applies with all LED's or only the one in that discussion. (It wasn't about Quarks.)
> 
> I have a warm emitter Quark on order, but playing with the standard one I am really starting to like the regular color. Now I am not so sure I still want the warm!
> 
> I have never owned a warm emitter light so not sure what to expect... except a reduced brightness which sounds like it will be quite disappointing if it's 25%!



Trust me, the reduction will not be a problem. Here is the same light with a cold Q5 emitter and then a warm Q4 emitter. I realize, that Q4-Q5 is not a big flux difference, but realize that the Q4 is only being driven at 700mA versus the 1100mA on the Q5 in this light. IMO, the warmer emitter makes it's lumens "count" more effectively.











Same camera settings, daylight white balance for both.


----------



## f22shift (Jul 15, 2009)

i agree. really the purpose of a flashlight is to see and if the warme tint makes you see better it can offset the diminished lumens.
for me in the woods at least the 5a is much more superior to recognize things which matters more than the pure output aspect.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 15, 2009)

Wiggle said:


> Trust me, the reduction will not be a problem. Here is the same light with a cold Q5 emitter and then a warm Q4 emitter. I realize, that Q4-Q5 is not a big flux difference, but realize that the Q4 is only being driven at 700mA versus the 1100mA on the Q5 in this light. IMO, the warmer emitter makes it's lumens "count" more effectively.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Agreed. I looked at the 4sevens comparison photo which is side by side. It appears like the difference in light output is negligible, only the tint is noticeable. Look at it this way, you may never have another chance to get a warm white Quark. If you do get one then you can buy just the head with the R2 in it to have both. I have a feeling these(neutral white) will go fast so get em' while you can!  :devil:


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 15, 2009)

Now if someone would build a warm thrower that would accept my unused 18650 I would have all my bases covered .


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 15, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> Now if someone would build a warm thrower that would accept my unused 18650 I would have all my bases covered .


 
Good news coming your way! Someone does make a warm thrower. Get a DBS V3 with the 1S or 3SD Q3 5A pill. Those pills have the warm emitter and also are designed and regulated for 18650 *only*.:thumbsup: It is because of the DBS 3SD Q3 5A that I found out what the warm tint love was all about. And yes, it really throws! Everything outside looks real, greens, browns, reds and everything else IMHO. I'm never going back to cold again.lovecpf
Oh, I also got the DBS from Flashlight Connection which was very fast and professional. They have a CPF discount as well.


----------



## NoFair (Jul 15, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> Now if someone would build a warm thrower that would accept my unused 18650 I would have all my bases covered .



It takes about 20 minutes to solder in a Q3 5A in a Raidfire Spear:thumbsup:

Sverre


----------



## flatline (Jul 15, 2009)

Any word on how often the momentary flash occurs when powering the Quark at low levels?

Is it behavior that every Quark owner experiences or is it limited to an unlucky few?

--flatline


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 15, 2009)

flatline said:


> Any word on how often the momentary flash occurs when powering the Quark at low levels?
> 
> Is it behavior that every Quark owner experiences or is it limited to an unlucky few?
> 
> --flatline


 
I've only noticed it going from high to low on my two models.


----------



## EugeneJohn (Jul 15, 2009)

flatline said:


> Any word on how often the momentary flash occurs when powering the Quark at low levels?
> 
> Is it behavior that every Quark owner experiences or is it limited to an unlucky few?
> 
> --flatline



Here the way it happens on my Quark AA. All the following behaviors are with the head loose, turning on into moonlight mode. The flash only occurs in moonlight, not in low, med, etc.

With an Eneloop if the Quark has been off for more than 15 seconds, the 'flash' does not occur. If the light has been off for less than aprox. 15 sec. it does 'flash'.

Let me state here that the flash is very minor and doesn't bother me, ymmv.

When using an AW14500 the flash happens every time the light is turned on in moonlight mode, no matter how long its been off.

Anyone have a similar experience?

Again, the flash is very minor and considering how much I like the Quark's other features, is of negligible importance to me.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 15, 2009)

> Get a DBS V3 with the *1S *or *3SD Q3 5A *pill.


 How do they differ?


----------



## mbiraman (Jul 15, 2009)

I only have the Quark AA and have only had it a couple of weeks. I didn't noticed the pre-flash until i actually sat down and looked for it and then barely saw it. I have since forgotten about it. Its very minor on my unit, either that or I'm just not as fussy.


----------



## Biginboca (Jul 15, 2009)

Ok, those pics of the 2 warm and cool emitters compared sealed the deal. Switched my pre-ordered Quarks to Warm Tint and feel comfortable that I did the right thing now. Thanks!


----------



## flatline (Jul 15, 2009)

Excellent to hear that the flash is so minor. I can't wait until my warm Quark AA arrives. (it's my first "real" EDC flashlight...I've been carrying a purple minimag with led upgrade on my belt for the last decade).


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 15, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> How do they differ?


 
The 1S has only one output which is high. Very simple, you just turn it on and the brightest it can do is all you get. The 3SD has three output levels which are 100%, 50%, and 5%. They have both of these circuits with various emitters, which Dereelight refers to as pills. If you want a nice warm tint the Q3 5A is the emitter you want in the 1S or 3SD for 18650.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 15, 2009)

The warm tint Quarks have the Q3 5A emitter. The only difference(emitter) to my knowledge is the Quark has XP-E and the DBS has XR-E.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 15, 2009)

http://www.dereelight.com/imgs/NWW-tint.jpg 

http://www.dereelight.com/imgs/creexlampcoolwhite.jpg


----------



## CaNo (Jul 15, 2009)

Pardon me if this question has been asked, but has anyone tried using the Q2xAA body on a Q2x123 head w/ 2x14500 cells?


----------



## matrixshaman (Jul 15, 2009)

I think that was brought up - looks like it was touched on in several posts in part 2 between about post #453 and the end of that thread. It would seem if they physically will fit then it should work.


----------



## mbiraman (Jul 15, 2009)

flatline said:


> Excellent to hear that the flash is so minor. I can't wait until my warm Quark AA arrives. (it's my first "real" EDC flashlight...I've been carrying a purple minimag with led upgrade on my belt for the last decade).



My quark AA is my 1st real flashlight in a decade or so and yes you'll be surprised at how bright it is. Led's have come a long way in ten yrs. Its a good thing i don't have a bunch of cash right now as i would probably buy another light. As it is i ordered a couple of 14500 batteries and a charger from 4 sevens , i couldn't resist seeing what the AA turbo looks like on a 14500 battery. That's my splurge for july. Enjoy, and let us know how you like it.


----------



## Xak (Jul 16, 2009)

I'm curious if the runtimes will be different between the R2 and Q3 5A Quarks. Anyone know?


----------



## jahxman (Jul 16, 2009)

Xak said:


> I'm curious if the runtimes will be different between the R2 and Q3 5A Quarks. Anyone know?


 
I'll test it when I get mine


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 16, 2009)

mbiraman said:


> My quark AA is my 1st real flashlight in a decade or so and yes you'll be surprised at how bright it is. Led's have come a long way in ten yrs. Its a good thing i don't have a bunch of cash right now as i would probably buy another light. As it is i ordered a couple of 14500 batteries and a charger from 4 sevens , i couldn't resist seeing what the AA turbo looks like on a 14500 battery. That's my splurge for july. Enjoy, and let us know how you like it.



14500 will put a smile on your face   :thumbsup:


----------



## Wiggle (Jul 16, 2009)

Xak said:


> I'm curious if the runtimes will be different between the R2 and Q3 5A Quarks. Anyone know?



I suspect that it's just a drop-in replacement so runtime should be about identical.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 16, 2009)

Xak said:


> I'm curious if the runtimes will be different between the R2 and Q3 5A Quarks. Anyone know?


 
With the exact same battery the runtime should be exactly the same. The Quarks are current regulated, so each level is a set current. The circuitry and battery are going to determine runtime, not the emitter. So the only difference there should be would be output and that will be more noticed by electronic measuring devices than the human eye.


----------



## DHart (Jul 16, 2009)

*FIT of 17670 in Q123-2*
I have no problems fitting AW black label protected 17670, though the fit is snug. This is the only way I power my Q123-2, except in emergencies I will resort to CR123 primaries, if need be. Clip removed as well.

*CLIP on Q123*
In comparing the clipless Q123 to the Q123 with *permanent* clip, I would only choose the clipless version. For me the clip is a hinderance and in the way. Unless you REALLY MUST HAVE A CLIP, I would suggest a clipless version, if you want the Q123. Or just order the AA and a Q123 tube as an accessory. Though the Quark clip is very heavy duty and strong, I find it just in the way. Of course, I tend to remove clips on most of my lights anyway. Fortunately with the QAA, Q123-2, and QAA-2 you can use or remove the clip as desired. You don't have this option with the Q123 which has either no clip or a *permanent* clip.

*Q123-2 HEAD with AA-2 Tube with TWO 14500 cells*
Yes, I've done this and it works fine.


----------



## bcwang (Jul 16, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> With the exact same battery the runtime should be exactly the same. The Quarks are current regulated, so each level is a set current. The circuitry and battery are going to determine runtime, not the emitter. So the only difference there should be would be output and that will be more noticed by electronic measuring devices than the human eye.



Don't forget if the forward voltage needed to reach the chosen drive current is different, the runtime will be different as well.

By the way, just how different is the lumens level of a Q3 5A compared to an R2? Is the Q3 5A dimmer than the Q5 and Q4 used in fenix l2d lights? Having actual expected lumens at each level would be nice to know.


----------



## Wiggle (Jul 16, 2009)

Min flux for R2 is about 114 lm (@350mA) and 94 lm (@350mA) for Q3 which is about 22% difference lumens wise. Forward voltage will of course vary from emitter to emitter due to tolerances, but I believe that the flux bin is independant of Vf in the Cree XR-E series.

Yes Q3 is lower than Q4 and Q5 (which are 100 and 107 lm at 350mA respectively), this difference will be less than the 22% calc'ed above. I've done 2 emitter swaps (Q5->Q4-5B and R2->Q3-5A) and in neither case was the reduction noticeable, but the improvement in tint sure was


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 16, 2009)

Using the difference in the Zebralight H501 as a reference my estimate would be 15-20%.


----------



## mon90ey (Jul 16, 2009)

Got my Quark 123x 2 (regular, cool white) on Monday, and after 3 days of use, here are my humble observations. 

1. Upon receipt and after assembly, took it outside in total darkness along with my L2D Q5. Set them both on turbo (Max) and hit the switches. No Contest. The Quark is a light saber! I have never, in my limted experience with LED's, seen a beam as pure and clean as this one. Nice even spill and NO artifacts! None! The Fenix is and always will be a keeper for me, but it's 180 lumens compared to the Quark's 190 OTF lumens, at least to my eyes, doesn't even qualify for the horse race. I know I'm comparing a 2x123 light against a 2xAA light, but I'm ordering a Quark 2xAA in about two weeks, and am very anxious to compare it with the L2D Q5. That should really tell the tale.

2. Yes, the flash is there, but only if you are cycling thru the modes. If the light has been off for a while, and you turn it on (at least in my sample), there is no flash. 

3. Absolutely no PWM-like flicker in the moon mode. It's just not there.

In short, this is the most outstanding flashlight in its class that I have ever owned. If the AA, AA2, and 123 are anywhere near this good, you can't go wrong with these lights. :thumbsup:


----------



## bcwang (Jul 16, 2009)

Wiggle said:


> Min flux for R2 is about 114 lm (@350mA) and 94 lm (@350mA) for Q3 which is about 22% difference lumens wise. Forward voltage will of course vary from emitter to emitter due to tolerances, but I believe that the flux bin is independant of Vf in the Cree XR-E series.
> 
> Yes Q3 is lower than Q4 and Q5 (which are 100 and 107 lm at 350mA respectively), this difference will be less than the 22% calc'ed above. I've done 2 emitter swaps (Q5->Q4-5B and R2->Q3-5A) and in neither case was the reduction noticeable, but the improvement in tint sure was



Good info there. I'm using a L2D rebel 100 right now and wonder where that sits compared to the R2-WH and the Q3-5A. I assume the rebel100 has the flux of near the Q5 bin, and it's supposed to be warm but I'm not sure how much so compared to the Q3-5A. To me, especially at the lower levels, my L2D looks greenish. I certainly hope the Q3-5A will not be dimmer looking than my Rebel100.


----------



## DHart (Jul 16, 2009)

Wiggle said:


> Yes Q3 is lower than Q4 and Q5 (which are 100 and 107 lm at 350mA respectively), this difference will be less than the 22% calc'ed above. I've done 2 emitter swaps (Q5->Q4-5B and R2->Q3-5A) and in neither case was the reduction noticeable, but the improvement in tint sure was



For those who might be concerned about taking a 12-20% hit in brightness due to selecting a Q3 or Q4 vs. Q5 or R2.... when comparing flashlight brightness, a 100% change in brightness is definitely noticible (a doubling of output). A 50% change is noticible, but not dramatic. A 25% change is subtle enough that it may not be that noticible to everyone. A 12% change would be difficult, if not impossible, for most people to discern.

But as Wiggle indicates, tint differences are what is most noticible!


----------



## burntoshine (Jul 16, 2009)

the 'flash' people are talking about when you turn the flashlight on in the lowest setting (moonmode) only happens if your flashlight was on in the last 30 seconds. if your light has been off for about 30 seconds or more, it won't do the quick, bright 'flash'. at least that's my experience.


----------



## hiker123 (Jul 16, 2009)

Is 47's going to do some "official" extra accessories with this series - like a white diffuser and a red filter? I was going to buy a Fenix LD20 but the Quark AA2 seems better and has won my heart - now it's just a matter of should I get a warm tint or not... just please make a diffuser so I can hang it in the tent!

I was also planning on getting a Fenix TK20. Would that be different enough from the Quark AA2 and be worth getting as well? I mean besides the mode differences, would they complement one other for camping/canoeing/outdoor use?
Cheers


----------



## AFAustin (Jul 17, 2009)

I have really been enjoying my Quark AA Tactical the last few nights. One thing that has been a small bother, though, is that too much force is needed to twist the head (to change levels) one-handed. It's not impossible by any means, but hard enough to detract from the enjoyment of using this nice little light. I had read somewhere that the o ring wasn't the problem, as another user had removed it completely with no difference noted. So, I guess I sort of put that thought out of my mind.

I shouldn't have. Tonight, I finally got around to experimenting and did remove the o-ring. It was now very easy---too easy---to twist. Obviously, the o-ring was the problem with mine. A little quality time with the head o-ring, my Dremel, and a sanding block, and---voila'---the head now has just the right amount of resistance. Twisting one-handed is easy, and I am going to enjoy my Quark even more.


----------



## Egsise (Jul 17, 2009)

hiker123 said:


> Is 47's going to do some "official" extra accessories with this series - like a white diffuser and a red filter? I was going to buy a Fenix LD20 but the Quark AA2 seems better and has won my heart - now it's just a matter of should I get a warm tint or not... just please make a diffuser so I can hang it in the tent!
> 
> I was also planning on getting a Fenix TK20. Would that be different enough from the Quark AA2 and be worth getting as well? I mean besides the mode differences, would they complement one other for camping/canoeing/outdoor use?
> Cheers


I have Fenix LD10 and TK20, and for hunting and outdoor use I preordered the Quark AA Q3 5A.
Quark AA will be in my pocket and TK20(+diff.cone) in backpack, for backup/campsite and also if I needed more throw.

When I tested different Fenix models the LD10 and LD20 difference between brightness was so small that I bought LD10 and TK20.
And most of the time the low and medium modes of LD10 are enough.
It's just that if i use LD10 and TK20 at the same time, the LD10 cold blue tint is very noticeable, hate it.
On the other hand, IF size is not a problem, 2xAA would be much more efficient than 1xAA.

I strongly believe that Fenix L/PD series diffuser cone can be used in Quark, the inside of the cone perhaps needs some dremeling.
That is not a problem because those cones are indestructible, and the modification is quite easy because only the "teeth" needs to be partially removed.


----------



## CaNo (Jul 17, 2009)

DHart said:


> *Q123-2 HEAD with AA-2 Tube with TWO 14500 cells*
> Yes, I've done this and it works fine.


 
DQuark, how bright was this light lumen-wise? Compared to the 17670?


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 17, 2009)

DHart said:


> For those who might be concerned about taking a 12-20% hit in brightness due to selecting a Q3 or Q4 vs. Q5 or R2.... when comparing flashlight brightness, a 100% change in brightness is definitely noticible (a doubling of output). A 50% change is noticible, but not dramatic. A 25% change is subtle enough that it may not be that noticible to everyone. A 12% change would be difficult, if not impossible, for most people to discern.
> 
> But as Wiggle indicates, tint differences are what is most noticible!


 
Also the LED ratio of output/current gets smaller as the current drive goes up. So theoretically if you could even perceive the difference in output between the emitters it should be more noticeable at the lower levels than on Max/Turbo. Whatever the rated output percentage difference between the emitters is at 350ma would be smaller at 700ma or 900ma. If I am wrong LED experts chime in to correct.


----------



## Wiggle (Jul 17, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Also the LED ratio of output/current gets smaller as the current drive goes up. So theoretically if you could even perceive the difference in output between the emitters it should be more noticeable at the lower levels than on Max/Turbo. Whatever the rated output percentage difference between the emitters is at 350ma would be smaller at 700ma or 900ma. If I am wrong LED experts chime in to correct.



Should be the same relative difference. Both emitters will get less efficient at higher currents but the outputs should still be the 15-20% (or whatever value) different.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 17, 2009)

Wiggle said:


> Should be the same relative difference. Both emitters will get less efficient at higher currents but the outputs should still be the 15-20% (or whatever value) different.


 
Ah, yes. It was *way *early when I wrote that. Yes, the difference would be relative and I laugh at my cognitive abilities on 2-3 hours sleep. :nana: Thanks for the correction.


----------



## oldpal (Jul 17, 2009)

burntoshine said:


> the 'flash' people are talking about when you turn the flashlight on in the lowest setting (moonmode) only happens if your flashlight was on in the last 30 seconds. if your light has been off for about 30 seconds or more, it won't do the quick, bright 'flash'. at least that's my experience.



My QAA with 14500s does it each time, no matter how long it has been off. This flash is very insignificant and shouldn't be a concern for anyone.

Hugh


----------



## Julian Holtz (Jul 17, 2009)

*Beacon mode*



4sevens said:


> We're looking at other options such as driving it at a lower current as well as the time between pulses. There are too many possibilities.


 
I can't wait to get my neutral AA and AA², and from what I have read, I'm sure I will love them.
But that does not keep the little pedantic perfectionist in me from disagreeing that the current beacon mode is the best what could be possible.
In my opinion, 0.25sec flashes, 2sec apart, would be better. This would be the same duty cycle, thus the same runtime.

My thoughts are the following:
The bacon mode should make it easy for the light to be found in an emergency, right?
Now imagine one is searching something in the wilderness or so. For how long would one look in the same direction? 10sec? I think less.
So a 2sec strobe mode would be more likely to flash while someone looks in the right direction.
And even if someone saw the 10s flash: 
The most likely reaction would be: "Wait, I think I saw something over there!" and then - nothing for 10sec. But how long will someone continue to watch? Possibly less than 10sec, but surely more than 2sec.

Just a little nitpicking.
Anticipation is the most joy.

Cheers,

Julez


----------



## DM51 (Jul 17, 2009)

*Re: Beacon mode*



Julian Holtz said:


> The *bacon mode* should make it easy for the light to be found in an emergency


Mmmm bacon... 

LOL, yes, just follow your nose and you'll find it easily... [sorry Julian, couldn't resist it!]


----------



## matrixshaman (Jul 17, 2009)

AFAustin said:


> I have really been enjoying my Quark AA Tactical the last few nights. One thing that has been a small bother, though, is that too much force is needed to twist the head (to change levels) one-handed. It's not impossible by any means, but hard enough to detract from the enjoyment of using this nice little light. I had read somewhere that the o ring wasn't the problem, as another user had removed it completely with no difference noted. So, I guess I sort of put that thought out of my mind.
> 
> I shouldn't have. Tonight, I finally got around to experimenting and did remove the o-ring. It was now very easy---too easy---to twist. Obviously, the o-ring was the problem with mine. A little quality time with the head o-ring, my Dremel, and a sanding block, and---voila'---the head now has just the right amount of resistance. Twisting one-handed is easy, and I am going to enjoy my Quark even more.



Glad to hear yours is better. That may have been me talking about finding no difference after removing the O-ring. I ended up getting a replacement body which is better but not quite 100% where I'd like it. It still looks on mine like the threads weren't cut completely to the bottom. Can you expand a bit on exactly what areas you dremeled or sanded? Was the O-ring groove not deep enough? Did you use a different O-ring? When I get the time I plan on some filing or dremel work to fine tune this to a purring kitten


----------



## DHart (Jul 17, 2009)

CaNo said:


> DQuark, how bright was this light lumen-wise? Compared to the 17670?



Insignificant difference.


----------



## Egsise (Jul 17, 2009)

*Re: Beacon mode*



Julian Holtz said:


> I can't wait to get my neutral AA and AA², and from what I have read, I'm sure I will love them.
> But that does not keep the little pedantic perfectionist in me from disagreeing that the current beacon mode is the best what could be possible.
> In my opinion, 0.25sec flashes, 2sec apart, would be better. This would be the same duty cycle, thus the same runtime.
> 
> ...


Very short flash every 2sec would be my choice too, the runtime would still be decent, and it would make the beacon mode more usable.
Also the flashing beacon would be easier to spot than ramping beacon.
I just have to hope that 4sevens left a backdoor so we can reprogram the Quark...


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 17, 2009)

My one wish is that they could have designed a deep pocket clip at least for the 123 since it is the most pock friendly. I personally don't like them loose in pocket or sticking out and easily snagged or lost. Since my preferred warm tint is a limited run I am stuck with having to carry a bag.


----------



## Lite_me (Jul 17, 2009)

*Re: Beacon mode*



Egsise said:


> Very short flash every 2sec would be my choice too, the runtime would still be decent, and it would make the beacon mode more usable.
> Also the flashing beacon would be easier to spot than ramping beacon.
> I just have to hope that 4sevens left a backdoor so we can reprogram the Quark...


 I don't have a Quark, yet, but my brother just received his. He's not into the forum here, but likes flashlights just the same. He was looking for a new AA to replace one that he sold, so I told him a Quark would be a good one to get. He ordered a regular AA.

When he was checking it out and got to the beacon mode, he's says, "What good is that? That's just a waste of a mode. You can tell it's a well thought out flashlight, but what were they thinking there?" 

I have to agree.


----------



## f22shift (Jul 17, 2009)

*Re: Beacon mode*



Egsise said:


> Very short flash every 2sec would be my choice too, the runtime would still be decent, and it would make the beacon mode more usable.
> Also the flashing beacon would be easier to spot than ramping beacon.
> I just have to hope that 4sevens left a backdoor so we can reprogram the Quark...


 
it woiuld be great just to _add_ it to the tactical series. i wouldnt mind even more settings as i dont have to fumble with them alll. just the 2 programmed.


----------



## AFAustin (Jul 17, 2009)

matrixshaman said:


> Glad to hear yours is better. That may have been me talking about finding no difference after removing the O-ring. I ended up getting a replacement body which is better but not quite 100% where I'd like it. It still looks on mine like the threads weren't cut completely to the bottom. Can you expand a bit on exactly what areas you dremeled or sanded? Was the O-ring groove not deep enough? Did you use a different O-ring? When I get the time I plan on some filing or dremel work to fine tune this to a purring kitten



matrixshaman, sorry I didn't really explain clearly what I did. I simply removed the head o-ring, put it over a wide bit in my Dremel, and rotated it against a sanding block. I am not the handiest guy, but I have used this little trick (taught to me by Lite_me---thanks again!) on probably the majority of my twisty lights, to get a faster twist action.

The caveat is to sand a little, try it out, sand a little more, try again, etc. It's easy to get carried away and sand too much, so you really have to be gradual in this process.

Hope this helps.


----------



## DHart (Jul 17, 2009)

*Re: Beacon mode*



Egsise said:


> Very short flash every 2sec would be my choice too, the runtime would still be decent, and it would make the beacon mode more usable.
> Also the flashing beacon would be easier to spot than ramping beacon.
> I just have to hope that 4sevens left a backdoor so we can reprogram the Quark...



I agree the interval should be like every 2 to 3 seconds - much more likely to be spotted during a visual scan. And it doesn't need to be turbo brightness, perhaps mid to high.


----------



## gunga (Jul 17, 2009)

I'm playing with some passaround lights, but am waiting on delivery of a few warm white ones!

I find these lights, a little less "exciting" because to me, they are refinements to the Fenix L1T/L1D series (that everyone has been asking for).

That said, they are fabulous lights that have a lot of utility. I like them a lot.

I do notice a flash on moonlight on my regular model, every time. Not too bad, but brightish.

The tactical seems to only flash if it was on high before and the light has not had time to clear the remaining power in the circuit (have not tested th time period yet).

I agree on the clips. I think they are great on the 2x CR123 and 2x AA models, but terrible on the 1AA model (I don't have a clip head CR123).

I too prefer a deep carry, bezel down clip. I think there is a way to do it for the 1 AA body (the CR123 body is likely too short).

Just add a reverse bend to the end of the current clip, similar to that of a Fenix LD01 clip, or like the Lumapower Avenger GX clip (see below).

That way, you can keep the current design of the bodies, and have a deep carry clip that lands on the body (and not the head/tail of the AA Quark).


----------



## Egsise (Jul 17, 2009)

*Re: Beacon mode*



DHart said:


> I agree the interval should be like every 2 to 3 seconds - much more likely to be spotted during a visual scan. And it doesn't need to be turbo brightness, perhaps mid to high.


You are right, using mid or high would increase the runtime which is important too.


----------



## Egsise (Jul 17, 2009)

Because we are trying to improve the beacon mode, how about making the same thing with the sos mode...
SOS is something that is used ONLY in really serious accidents, to 99,99% of people that means sos mode is never used.
Normally sos modes have really poor runtime, so why even use it?


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 17, 2009)

> SOS is something that is used ONLY in really serious accidents, to 99,99% of people that means SOS mode is never used.
> Normally SOS modes have really poor run time, so why even use it?


 True, and wouldn't a beacon serve basically as well in that situation? If not better because of extended run time.


----------



## ninjaboigt (Jul 17, 2009)

WOOO! i just ordered the 2xAA tactical warm tint quark!!!!!!!!!!!1 oh i am excited!


----------



## hatman (Jul 17, 2009)

Based upon what I've read on CPF, I'm wondering whether to try a AA neutral white. From what I've been able understand, it's better at showing off colors.
But have a question for those familiar with this tint.

Compared to other tints, do you consider a neutral white easier on your eyes:

1)Indoors?
2)Outdoors?
3)Both?
4)Neither (I'm not expecting that answer, but hey......)

Many thanks.


----------



## Mikellen (Jul 17, 2009)

Neutral white is easier on my eyes for both outdoors and indoors. My eyes are not too bothered with a whiter tint used indoors but I definitely prefer a neutral tint for outdoors.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 17, 2009)

hatman said:


> Based upon what I've read on CPF, I'm wondering whether to try a AA neutral white. From what I've been able understand, it's better at showing off colors.
> But have a question for those familiar with this tint.
> 
> Compared to other tints, do you consider a neutral white easier on your eyes:
> ...


 
I prefer the neutral white both indoors and outdoors as well. Outdoors is far and away better and indoors the colors appear closer to what you see from standard lighting and the sun than the cool white emitters do. It(5A tint) is much more pleasant and useful IMHO.


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 17, 2009)

*Re: Beacon mode*



Lite_me said:


> I don't have a Quark, yet, but my brother just received his. He's not into the forum here, but likes flashlights just the same. He was looking for a new AA to replace one that he sold, so I told him a Quark would be a good one to get. He ordered a regular AA.
> 
> When he was checking it out and got to the beacon mode, he's says, "What good is that? That's just a waste of a mode. You can tell it's a well thought out flashlight, but what were they thinking there?"
> 
> I have to agree.



Someone suggested using it as a marker. Basically, leave it somewhere so you can find your way back to that point. I think you need to be a bit creative when thinking about more obscure modes like that, but I do like the idea.


----------



## DHart (Jul 17, 2009)

Hey David... question for you....

It would appear that the majority of users seem to prefer the warmer (so-called "neutral") tint version. 

So I'm wondering why the cooler (should we call it "cool" tint vs. the neutral tint?) version the "standard" issue, while the warmer-toned "neutral" version is purported to be just a one-time-only-buy-it-now-or-you're-SOL offering? :shrug:


----------



## matrixshaman (Jul 17, 2009)

AFAustin said:


> matrixshaman, sorry I didn't really explain clearly what I did. I simply removed the head o-ring, put it over a wide bit in my Dremel, and rotated it against a sanding block. I am not the handiest guy, but I have used this little trick (taught to me by Lite_me---thanks again!) on probably the majority of my twisty lights, to get a faster twist action.
> 
> The caveat is to sand a little, try it out, sand a little more, try again, etc. It's easy to get carried away and sand too much, so you really have to be gradual in this process.
> 
> Hope this helps.



Thanks! I think I can picture it now. I didn't realize you were sanding the O-ring. I wouldn't have thought of that. Adding that to my list of light 'fix-it' tips. :thumbsup:


----------



## hiker123 (Jul 17, 2009)

Egsise said:


> I have Fenix LD10 and TK20, and for hunting and outdoor use I preordered the Quark AA Q3 5A.
> Quark AA will be in my pocket and TK20(+diff.cone) in backpack, for backup/campsite and also if I needed more throw.
> 
> When I tested different Fenix models the LD10 and LD20 difference between brightness was so small that I bought LD10 and TK20.
> ...



Thanks for all the info.  I am going to finally get a big upgrade in lighting and get the warm Quark AA2 and TK20!
Cheers


----------



## GregU2 (Jul 18, 2009)

I just bought the Quark 123x2 Tactical and I love it! I'm trying to remove the clip, but I can't seem to get the retaining ring to screw off. It won't go above the o-ring. Any suggestions? Am I doing something wrong?


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 18, 2009)

GregU2 said:


> I just bought the Quark 123x2 Tactical and I love it! I'm trying to remove the clip, but I can't seem to get the retaining ring to screw off. It won't go above the o-ring. Any suggestions? Am I doing something wrong?


 You have to take the oring off first.


----------



## Julian Holtz (Jul 18, 2009)

Concerning the Q AA head stiffness:

How about painting the relevant areas in the thread with a black sharpie?
If there are areas where the material jams due to insufficient cutting depth at the very end, this should show as the paint wears of at this precise spot.

Also useful could be marking the respective angle of the head towards the body, when the jamming occurs.
After unscrewing, one could determine if the beginning of the head thread matches the end of the body thread in this position.
If they do, it is possible that the stiffness has something to do with the thread.
If both are like 1/2 turn apart, there is no way the thread is responsible.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 18, 2009)

DHart said:


> Hey David... question for you....
> 
> It would appear that the majority of users seem to prefer the warmer (so-called "neutral") tint version.
> 
> So I'm wondering why the cooler (should we call it "cool" tint vs. the neutral tint?) version the "standard" issue, while the warmer-toned "neutral" version is purported to be just a one-time-only-buy-it-now-or-you're-SOL offering? :shrug:


 
My guess is simply this. *OUTPUT SELLS*. As we have seen even in this thread the thought of losing X% of output to have the warmer tint makes some, dare I say most flashlight buyers, decide that output is more important than color quality. I was in the output is king boat, but now I have _seen the_ _light_.:thumbsup: I have been wondering what the technical reasons are for not having the warm tints in the highest flux bins, but that isn't relevant to this discussion.


----------



## GregU2 (Jul 18, 2009)

Thanks LightWalker. That did the trick.


----------



## Moonshadow (Jul 18, 2009)

> It would appear that the majority of users seem to prefer the warmer (so-called "neutral") tint version.



As with so many things in life, could it perhaps be that what _appears _to be a majority is in fact just a small - but highly vocal - minority ?


----------



## DHart (Jul 18, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> My guess is simply this. *OUTPUT SELLS*. As we have seen even in this thread the thought of losing X% of output to have the warmer tint makes some, dare I say most flashlight buyers, decide that output is more important than color quality. I was in the output is king boat, but now I have _seen the_ _light_.:thumbsup: I have been wondering what the technical reasons are for not having the warm tints in the highest flux bins, but that isn't relevant to this discussion.



I agree that the quest for ever greater output is a major driver! But I also think that many who opt for the slightly greater output don't realize that the difference in output (while measureable with meters) may be difficult, if not impossible, to actually notice with the eye in real world usage. Whereas, tint differences are quite readily apparent.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 18, 2009)

Moonshadow said:


> As with so many things in life, could it perhaps be that what _appears _to be a majority is in fact just a small - but highly vocal - minority ?


 
That is highly likely. I would guess, however, that if the output numbers between the warm emitters and the cool emitters were the same that people would overwhelmingly choose the warm. Everyone that has seen my cool white and then the warm white prefers the warm, myself included. It's to bad it would be difficult to do an apples/apples comparison and vote, I mean to A/B the cool white Q3 vs. 5A Q3.


----------



## Moonshadow (Jul 18, 2009)

> I would guess, however, that if the output numbers between the warm emitters and the cool emitters were the same that people would overwhelmingly choose the warm.


Sorry, but I don't agree. Fair enough, you prefer the warm - but that doesn't mean that everyone else (or an overwhelming majority) will.

Peoples perception of colour can vary greatly. 

To some people cool tints will look blue and warm tints white . . . but to others, the cool tint will appear white and the warm tint yellow or orange.

In this sense, it goes beyond personal preference - there probably are genuine physiological differences between individuals when it comes to colour perception.

So I think it's great that there is _choice_ - cool tints for some, warm tints for others.


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 18, 2009)

GregU2 said:


> Thanks LightWalker. That did the trick.


 
You're welcome.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 18, 2009)

> I was in the output is king boat, but now I have _seen the_ _light_.


 *+1.* My current EDC has three preset levels which mid is used most often. High and low are utilized about the same.


----------



## Xak (Jul 18, 2009)

Same here. I use my Olight M20 Warrior on med mostly. It's at least 130 lumens on medium and runs for like 9 hours! I use the high mostly for fun, or the rare occasion I really need the most throw I can get and the low so I don't wake up the wife.

I can't wait to get my Quarks! I ordered them at the end of last month! I'm hoping the longer it takes, though, the less of a chance I will get a QAA with the thread problems. 

Which head is appropriate for the QAA with a 14500? Some said it could damage the battery with the stock head, but if that were so why would the Q123 use the same head?


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 18, 2009)

Moonshadow said:


> Sorry, but I don't agree. Fair enough, you prefer the warm - but that doesn't mean that everyone else (or an overwhelming majority) will.
> 
> Peoples perception of colour can vary greatly.
> 
> ...


 
It is good to have the choice. Thanks 7777's! I agree with you that it is a personal choice and subject to one's own preference. I think that if the output numbers were the same some people would still choose cool white over warm white. I was just saying that I think most people would buy the warmer tints _*if the output numbers were equal*_, but of course I could be wrong. Since that scenario doesn't exist currently we won't find out anytime soon.


----------



## DHart (Jul 18, 2009)

Xak said:


> Which head is appropriate for the QAA with a 14500? Some said it could damage the battery with the stock head, but if that were so why would the Q123 use the same head?



You can put *either* Quark head (the .9v to 4.2v that comes with the Q123/QAA/QAA-2 or the 3.7v to 9v that comes with the Q123-2) on *any* of these body/cell configurations:

QAA body with a 14500
Q123 body with a 16340
Q123-2 body with 17670

So whichever head you wish to use on these is fine. 

The ONLY Quark head/body/cell combination you DON'T want to do is: the .9v-4.2v head on the 123-2 body and power it with TWO CR123s or TWO RCR123 li-ions or, POOF.... one 17670 would be fine, though, with either head on the 123-2 body.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 19, 2009)

> I was just saying that I think most people would buy the warmer tints _*if the output numbers were equal*_.


 I agree:tinfoil:. From what I've seen and heard more users are going to chose the warm tint if they become readily available. IMO they possess more virtues than the whiter tints even if a small output % is sacrificed.


----------



## CPFMan (Jul 19, 2009)

Users with this preference: Tactical QAA body with a 14500.

- Does the head/body get hot pretty fast? How long does it take to reach that temperature?
- Will it shorten the life of the led?

If I like the answers I'm gettin' one (14500)


Thanks answer guys


----------



## DHart (Jul 19, 2009)

*Quarks really need LAST OUTPUT LEVEL MEMORY!!!*

With all my crowing about how much I love the Quarks, I wanted to mention that after using the Quarks heavily for a while now, I really think the light is missing one incredibly useful feature, the lack of which is really starting to bother me... memory for last level used. And the answer is not to just buy a tactical model, because having only two modes is not satisfactory to me generally.

Moonmode is a wonderfully low low, but it's definitely NOT the level I would generally want the light to start out at. Same with turbo. 

So every time I turn on the light I need to kick it up a couple of levels to med. or to high, which is starting to get really old. The fact that the switch is so difficult to operate makes this issue even more bothersome.

Apparently, a switch which is easier to operate is in the works... so with that potentially corrected, what I really yearn for is:

Simple solution, add last mode memory... that way the light can always come on at a level you desire, especially if there's a level you use the most. I could turn the head to turbo, but I usually don't need the light to be at turbo any more than I always want it to turn on at moonmode.

Simply adding memory for last output level used would make this light incredibly more user friendly.

David... is this possible???


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 19, 2009)

> The fact that the switch is so difficult to operate makes this issue even more bothersome.





> a switch which is easier to operate is in the works...


Is this going to be an issue with my preordered standard warm 123?


----------



## Egsise (Jul 19, 2009)

DHart said:


> With all my crowing about how much I love the Quarks, I wanted to mention that after using the Quarks heavily for a while now, I really think the light is missing one incredibly useful feature, the lack of which is really starting to bother me... memory for last level used. And the answer is not to just buy a tactical model, because having only two modes is not satisfactory to me generally.
> 
> Moonmode is a wonderfully low low, but it's definitely NOT the level I would generally want the light to start out at. Same with turbo.
> 
> ...


That would be pita...
Fire up your Quark in darkness and.. WHOOOPSAAaargh that was high mode my wife used earlier that day, well i just wait for 20min so i get my dark adapted vision back.

Strobe in reverse clickie light could be moved to other blinking modes.
Loose bezel: moon-low-slow strobe(TK40 style)-fast strobe
Tight bezel: med-high-turbo


----------



## DHart (Jul 19, 2009)

Egsise said:


> That would be pita...



Nah.. not at all.



> Fire up your Quark in darkness and.. WHOOOPSAAaargh that was high mode my wife used earlier that day



If you don't have any awareness of the level the light was turned off at and that could possibly be a big problem, just turn it on against your leg. My wife has her own lights and I have mine! 



> Strobe in reverse clickie light could be moved to other blinking modes. Loose bezel: moon-low-slow strobe(TK40 style)-fast strobe
> Tight bezel: med-high-turbo



This would be far preferrable to the existing design, as far as I'm concerned.

I still vote for LAST LEVEL MEMORY!


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 19, 2009)

Won't LAST LEVEL MEMORY drain the battery when the light is off?


----------



## DHart (Jul 19, 2009)

LightWalker said:


> Won't LAST LEVEL MEMORY drain the battery when the light is off?



Not in my experience. I have a number of lights with last level memory (LF3XT, LF2XT, D10, L-Mini II, Jet I Pro, AKOray K-106) and have come to really, really appreciate this feature. I've come to consider it practically essential. And since the Quark always turns on (loose bezel) at a low which is useless except under extremely dim situations, one almost always needs to pump the difficult to activate switch two or three times before acquiring a good useful general output. 

Are there times when you would want it to turn on at moon mode? Heck YES. But for me, not often.. that's why I want to be able to control what level it turns on at!


----------



## HKJ (Jul 19, 2009)

DHart said:


> Simply adding memory for last output level used would make this light incredibly more user friendly.



This has been discussed many times, some people like memory, some does not. The only way to satisfy both would be an options to turn memory on/off.



LightWalker said:


> Won't LAST LEVEL MEMORY drain the battery when the light is off?



No, flashlight uses something called EEPROM to store this in and it works without power.


----------



## Moonshadow (Jul 19, 2009)

Agree - it really depends on how you are going to use the light.

In my case I don't tend to have the light on for extended periods of time, but will be switching it on and off quite a lot, so a last level memory is vital. Once I've got the level adjusted to suit the lighting conditions where I'm working I want it to come on at that level each time, rather than having to flip through lots of other settings to get back to it. At the end of a session, I usually set it back to the lowest level, ready for next time.

So for me, there's a difference between the light remembering what you were doing a couple of minutes ago and what you were doing yesterday. 

Interestingly, the Gladius is one of the few lights that I know of that does give you the option to program it either way. What a shame that it was never developed further.


----------



## Tom_123 (Jul 19, 2009)

> - Does the head/body get hot pretty fast? How long does it take to reach that temperature?


I just did a quick and dirty read, as I wanted to discharge the battery anyway:

After 5 min left on the desk, the Quark warms up to 44.6 degree Celsius (112.28F).
Then I held it in my hands and it cools down to 40.6 deg. Celsius (105.08F).
Temperature remains roughly at this level until the protection circuit shut the light off.
Room temperature was 25 deg. Celsius (77F)

Please consider that this reading was made with a cheap IR thermometer,
So give/take 2-3 deg. Celsius.

Tested with an protected Ultrafire 14500, 900mAh (the gray one)
Runtime with the not fully charged 14500 was around 23 min on Max.

- Will it shorten the life of the led?

All I can say is that according to the specification of 4Sevens,
the head is build to operate with an input voltage up to 4,2V.
Further they use the same head for the 1x123/16340 and 2xAA lights.

Much more important is, don’t (! never !) use unprotected 14500 batteries for this light,
as it seems that the light will run until the protection circuit of the battery switch it off.


Hope that helps somehow
Thomas


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 19, 2009)

*Re: Quarks really need LAST OUTPUT LEVEL MEMORY!!!*



DHart said:


> With all my crowing about how much I love the Quarks, I wanted to mention that after using the Quarks heavily for a while now, I really think the light is missing one incredibly useful feature, the lack of which is really starting to bother me... memory for last level used. And the answer is not to just buy a tactical model, because having only two modes is not satisfactory to me generally.
> 
> Moonmode is a wonderfully low low, but it's definitely NOT the level I would generally want the light to start out at. Same with turbo.


 

I haven't received mine yet, but was thinking about the same thing. That I would probably want to use a mode a little higher than moon most time and would have to cycle often. Memory could be a nice addition. I wonder how much more complicated the circuitry would be to do it.


Is it _*really*_ low? I am hoping that it is so low that you can barely tell it is on unless it is very dark and you have night adapted vision. The Quark having an advertised 0.2 lumens low mode was a large factor in my decision to purchase, the other being the warm tint option. That is one of my biggest complaints about my Fenix lights. They blow my eyes away in the middle of the night. To be fair, the light that the Fenix's put out on low is a very good *general* low.


----------



## gunga (Jul 19, 2009)

DHart said:


> Not in my experience. I have a number of lights with last level memory (LF3XT, LF2XT, D10, L-Mini II, Jet I Pro, AKOray K-106) and have come to really, really appreciate this feature. I've come to consider it practically essential. And since the Quark always turns on (loose bezel) at a low which is useless except under extremely dim situations, one almost always needs to pump the difficult to activate switch two or three times before acquiring a good useful general output.
> 
> Are there times when you would want it to turn on at moon mode? Heck YES. But for me, not often.. that's why I want to be able to control what level it turns on at!


 

I disagree completely and do not like last mode memory.

:thumbsdow

That said, there is nothing wrong with you wanting last mode memory, just don't try and speak for the rest of us. Your usage patterns are not necessarily the same as everyone elses.

There are many lights with last mode memory. I am happy the Quark does not have that as I know what mode it starts at every time, very predictable. I think that is what 4x7s had in mind.

ANyway, like I said, nothing wrong with you having a preference, just don't expect everyone else to feel the same way.

ALthough, I do agree with your thoughts on warm/neutral emitters.


----------



## flatline (Jul 19, 2009)

If they do add last mode memory, there needs to be a way to turn it off. I don't want surprises from the tools I depend on.

I don't have my warm tint Quark AA yet, but from what I've read, I'm very happy with the design decisions that were made. I'm curious about the "stiff" clickie, but not really worried.


----------



## gunga (Jul 19, 2009)

A quick note about the stiff clickies.

The quark's use an unusual 13.3 mm size of boot. Fenix used about 12 mm, and most other lights use 14mm.

That said, the 14 mm boot does fit in the quark tail.

So if you have a flat, glow in the dark boot (I have one from a Lumapower Connexion, tho I have not seen these sold anywhere) you can have a flat, tailstanding (with slight wobble), glow in the dark boot. The centre post/nub in the boot can be trimmed for better tailstanding at the expense of stiffer action. I'd like to find a source of these boots somewhere.

You can also replace the boot with a 14 mm glow in the dark boot (available from DX etc) to get a tactical style boot. It does not tailstand, but activation is a lot easier. It's still a reverse clicky though, so you will still need to buy more parts if you want the tactical switch.

I'm just offering some easy to use solutions for better clicky feel.

Also note, I think adding a small rubber or plastic spacer under the current boot will lead to better switch feel. I have not tried it yet with the stock boot, but will try and report back.


----------



## f22shift (Jul 19, 2009)

first im glad there is more feedback for users who had used it for awhile.

i'm going to have to jump on the boat of non memory mode. it's a pia because you don't exactly remember the last mode. there's an ability for an error when a non memory act consistent.

also, adding memory would make the action funny. for example if the memory mode is to leave a mode on for 3 seconds to memorize. say for example you leave a mode on like med for 3 seconds or longer. then you want to jump to the next brightness for whatever reason. you half press and nothing happens. essentially your half press is shutting the light off and on quickly which would just go back to the same mode memorize. you would have to double press into the next mode to get under that 3 second memory. say if you want to jump 2 modes it would be 3 half presses. so it makes it overly complicated.

i think a tactical would suit you better. i really don't think it's hard to enter in to programming mode.
or at least wait for the new rubber boot or switch so it's not so cumbersome to switch modes.


----------



## DHart (Jul 19, 2009)

Moonshadow said:


> In my case I don't tend to have the light on for extended periods of time, but will be switching it on and off quite a lot, so a last level memory is vital. Once I've got the level adjusted to suit the lighting conditions where I'm working I want it to come on at that level each time, rather than having to flip through lots of other settings to get back to it.



That's how I tend to use my lights.

Just like emitter tints and practically everything else about flashlights, no design will please everyone. Last mode memory may not be everyone's cup o tea, but it certainly is for a lot of people. The Liteflux LF3XT and LF2XT have shown the flashlight world that designing highly useful features for flashlights (which can be enabled or disabled as the user desires) can be done. The Quark would be significantly improved in my view if the use had the ability to choose last mode memory. Short of that, reassigning modes so that one of the bezel settings is medium>turbo>high and the other is moon>low>strobe>signal, or something of that nature. Then the light could be easily set to come on either a nice generally useful medium or on moon, depending on the need at the time.

As for the difficult-to-activate-switch, David has promised new boots to help with this. In the meantime, I've installed 14mm boots from DX with trimmed center stubs... though this eliminates tailstanding (which I can use other lights for) it makes operating the light and clicking through from moon-to-low-to-medium (practically everytime I turn the light on) a little easier to do and therefore a little less annoying.

I have yet another Quark on order (tactical 123-2) and will no doubt be swapping the head and tailcap on and off my other various Quark bodies in an effort to find the best set-up for my needs. Now that I will have two regular heads, one tactical head, two regular tailcaps, one tactical tailcap, four bodies of various sizes and a bunch of li-ions of all sizes... I'll be able to cobble together some cool combinations to meet my needs. I still want last level memory, though.


----------



## Moonshadow (Jul 19, 2009)

> also, adding memory would make the action funny. for example if the memory mode is to leave a mode on for 3 seconds to memorize. say for example [...] to get under that 3 second memory. say if you want to jump 2 modes it would be 3 half presses. so it makes it overly complicated.



I think that's a complaint about the way that it's implemented, rather than an argument for or against the _principle_ of having a mode memory.

Clearly if you take a UI that's designed around the principle of NOT having a memory, and change only that aspect of it, then it's not going to work very well. But's that's a bit like saying that a right-hand drive car (like we have here in the UK) is a bad idea because you'd have to reach across to get to the steering wheel . . .


----------



## mbiraman (Jul 19, 2009)

*Re: Quarks really need LAST OUTPUT LEVEL MEMORY!!!*



Mr. Tone said:


> I haven't received mine yet, but was thinking about the same thing. That I would probably want to use a mode a little higher than moon most time and would have to cycle often. Memory could be a nice addition. I wonder how much more complicated the circuitry would be to do it.
> 
> 
> Is it _*really*_ low? I am hoping that it is so low that you can barely tell it is on unless it is very dark and you have night adapted vision. The Quark having an advertised 0.2 lumens low mode was a large factor in my decision to purchase, the other being the warm tint option. That is one of my biggest complaints about my Fenix lights. They blow my eyes away in the middle of the night. To be fair, the light that the Fenix's put out on low is a very good *general* low.



My Quark AA on moonlight mode is perfect for getting up at night and not waking your brain up. It wasn't why i bought the light but i saw the benefit right away. If you need more than that its just a light tap or two on the switch and your where you want to be.


----------



## DHart (Jul 19, 2009)

*Re: Quarks really need LAST OUTPUT LEVEL MEMORY!!!*



mbiraman said:


> My Quark AA on moonlight mode is perfect for getting up at night and not waking your brain up. It wasn't why i bought the light but i saw the benefit right away.



I agree! The moonlight mode is fantastic... I love it for those those certain, particular circumstances. And if that's what you bought the light for, then the moonmode start is good for your primary application. But I use my lights much more when I'm awake than when waking from sleep (which I very rarely do), that's why I for the vast majority of my useage, I don't want moonmode to start as I just have to keep clicking to get where I want to be.

So, lately, I've been setting mine to start in turbo mode, because that's closer to what I _usually_ want than moonmode is, although turbo is typically overkill. At least this way the light has good general brightness with one click-on and I don't have to keep hitting the switch to get a good general use illumination. 

I do like using the tactical switch with the regular body which makes clicking up from moonmode to a better general usage level less cumbersome - quicker and easier than the deep-set, harder to push regular switch.



mbiraman said:


> If you need more than that (moonmode) its just a light tap or two on the switch and your where you want to be.



For the vast majority of my usage, the light starts either too low for most situations or too high for most situations... for me, that is. So some level changes are required almost every time I use the light.

By the way, what switch do you have that allows just a "light tap"? You must have a tactical switch on a regular body? Right?


----------



## f22shift (Jul 19, 2009)

Moonshadow said:


> I think that's a complaint about the way that it's implemented, rather than an argument for or against the _principle_ of having a mode memory.
> 
> Clearly if you take a UI that's designed around the principle of NOT having a memory, and change only that aspect of it, then it's not going to work very well. But's that's a bit like saying that a right-hand drive car (like we have here in the UK) is a bad idea because you'd have to reach across to get to the steering wheel . . .


 

yes i agree. it would need a total overhaul. and most likely the sos and beacon would have to be removed.
the problem with memory mode or not a problem but a byproduct is that you MUST go through every mode to get back to the start.


----------



## jahxman (Jul 19, 2009)

*Re: Quarks really need LAST OUTPUT LEVEL MEMORY!!!*



DHart said:


> I really think the light is missing one incredibly useful feature, the lack of which is really starting to bother me... memory for last level used.


 
I gotta disagree - unless the memory mode can be turned off. I don't always remember the last mode I used, and when I want it to come on in moon mode, I want to be sure it is really moon mode.

On my other lights that are programmable and allow this I almost always turn memory off, and set the first mode to be the one I want first, when it is important that it be first.

So I guess a poll could be taken but if this light defaulted to memory mode it would be a negative for me.

I bought the tactical version also, so I can have a light that will be very simple and just have the two modes I want - mainly for my wife and/or daughter to use. Like low and high, for camping, or medium and strobe, for the car, or moon and turbo, cause that's what I like .


----------



## Toohotruk (Jul 19, 2009)

I have mixed emotions about having a memory mode...I like that I can turn on the light at either the highest level, or the lowest level with a single click, but at the same time, it would be nice to be able to turn it on in medium mode with one click as well, since I too use that level most often.

I don't know if it's even possible, but being able to turn a memory feature on and off _without having to turn the light on first _would be SWEET!


----------



## jahxman (Jul 19, 2009)

CPFMan said:


> Users with this preference: Tactical QAA body with a 14500.
> 
> - Does the head/body get hot pretty fast? How long does it take to reach that temperature?
> - Will it shorten the life of the led?


 
Sorry, I don't have my QAA yet, but I measured my Q123-2T after leaving it on turbo for 10 minutes with a 17670 in it.

The bezel was about 120F (49C) and the body was about 112F (44C).

Holding it in my hand for a few minutes brought the bezel down to 110F (43C) and the body to 102F (39C).

I think you would need higher temperatures than this to significantly affect the lifespan of the LED.


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 19, 2009)

I mostly use my regular version when I want to use a lower mode, and use my tactical version or another light when I want to use a higher output mode because I don't want to cycle through the modes. 

It is good to have two lights anyway incase one fails.


----------



## jimmy1970 (Jul 19, 2009)

As many users of the Fenix/Quark series are discovering, it would be nice to have a light that is fully programmable to be as simple or complex to operate as you would like: Novatac, Ra Clicky, LF3XT etc.

Everyones tastes regarding UI are different - it's very difficult to design a light to suit everyones preferences.

James.....


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 19, 2009)

jimmy1970 said:


> As many users of the Fenix/Quark series are discovering, it would be nice to have a light that is fully programmable to be as simple or complex to operate as you would like: Novatac, Ra Clicky, LF3XT etc.
> 
> Everyones tastes regarding UI are different - it's very difficult to design a light to suit everyones preferences.
> 
> James.....


 
Soooooooooo true. UI needs are very personal and subject to what each individual will primarily use it for. I think that the Quark design is a good compromise between various UI types. But, like with my Fenix lights my personal taste would be to have all the flashing modes not part of the regular UI, but hidden or programmable. That would be my preference but of course to somebody else it would not.


----------



## wapkil (Jul 19, 2009)

jahxman said:


> Sorry, I don't have my QAA yet, but I measured my Q123-2T after leaving it on turbo for 10 minutes with a 17670 in it.
> 
> The bezel was about 120F (49C) and the body was about 112F (44C).
> 
> ...



I believe it's hard to precisely judge the situation by measuring only the case temperature. What's important is the LED junction temperature which depends on all the thermal resistance components from junction to ambient. 

The junction temperature is obviously higher than the case temperature but not knowing the light construction parameters it's hard to say exactly how much higher. 50 degrees Celsius on the bezel doesn't seem bad although at this temperature the LED is probably already 20%-30% dimmer than when it's cool. I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to see how hot the LED gets by measuring how much it dims during the first few minutes of the runtime.


----------



## jimmy1970 (Jul 19, 2009)

wapkil said:


> .... I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to see how hot the LED gets by measuring how much it dims during the first few minutes of the runtime.


 That's a very good point. Testing for the maximum lumen output when cold then calculating via percentages the drop in output at the 20 minute mark would be an interesting proposition.

You may find that some moderately driven lights don't experience much of a drop at all.

James...


----------



## DHart (Jul 20, 2009)

LightWalker said:


> I mostly use my regular version when I want to use a lower mode, and use my tactical version or another light when I want to use a higher output mode because I don't want to cycle through the modes.
> 
> It is good to have two lights anyway incase one fails.



Much as I would like memory mode on my Quarks, I'm not as concerned about it as I would be if a Quark were my only light!

The fortunate thing about having so many different lights is that you can really get a feel for many of the possible forms that a UI can take AND you can always select at least one light that will do whatever your specific need is for the application at hand! Definitely no single UI is going to please everyone or even nearly everyone. Obviously, I'm a huge fan of the Quarks, but I feel very fortunate to have a lot of other great lights to choose from when one of my Quarks isn't quite as suitable. I do realize keenly that not one, two, nor even three flashlights can very well suit all the applications one may want to have a light for. That's why many of us are called "flashaholics"! 




Mr. Tone said:


> Soooooooooo true. UI needs are very personal and subject to what each individual will primarily use it for. I think that the Quark design is a good compromise between various UI types. But, like with my Fenix lights my personal taste would be to have all the flashing modes not part of the regular UI, but hidden or programmable. That would be my preference but of course to somebody else it would not.



I agree... for my liking as well, the strobes, SOS, and signal belong more out of the way. And if by doing so, the UI designer can make the light able to come on at min or mid or max, by the user's choosing, that would be much more suitable for some of us than just moon or turbo alone. Moon is awesome and I would NOT want the light to be without it. But for most general use applications, coming on at moon is just a bit of a PIA to have to constantly work your way out of and turbo is overkill.


----------



## LightWalker (Jul 20, 2009)

DHart have you considered getting a Tactical Quark? You can program it to two modes and it is very simple to set.


----------



## DHart (Jul 20, 2009)

LightWalker said:


> DHart have you considered getting a Tactical Quark? You can program it to two modes and it is very simple to set.



Lightwalker... yes, as a confirmed "Quarkaholic", I've got a number of Quarks. I have a neutral tint 123-2 Tactical on order. It will join my AA, 123, and 123-2 regular models. 

I also have the "passaround" kit of Quarks at my house at present, so I've been using the tactical as well as trying the tactical tailcap on regular-head models. I like the operation and programmability of the tactical. But I prefer the wider range of readily accessible output levels and styles offered by the regular model. (Veritable quandry.) At present, my preference is for the regular-modes head with a tactical tailcap, whether it be 123 (with 16340), AA (with 14500), or 123-2 (with 17670). I am not a fan of AAx2 lights, so I don't own one of them, though I have tried the one in the passaround kit.

I've been using the various Quarks day and night now since they were first available and I think I've legoed the Quarks about as much as they can be legoed, which is quite a bit! I've also done some mods to the regular tailcap to make it easier to operate. I'm looking forward to the newly designed regular tailcap to see how it improves useability of the switch and if it interferes with tailstanding operation.

My comments about the Quarks are based on using them in various forms since they were made available... having and/or using all the variations of them which are available at present (except for tints). I'm a confirmed Quark lover and have recommended them many times in various threads on this forum, but as such, I remain a critic, will call a spade a spade, and make suggestions for possible changes, improvements or enhancements to what I believe is already a wonderfully designed (if imperfect) flashlight line. I know that the perfect flashlight has yet to be designed. But Quarks are among my very favorite flashlights!


----------



## Julian Holtz (Jul 20, 2009)

> Everyones tastes regarding UI are different - it's very difficult to design a light to suit everyones preferences.


 
I wonder if this really is the case.
I'm no electronics expert, so I dont know how difficult it is to make a programmable flashlight, but as programmable flashlights exist, it can't be an insurmountable task.

So how about shipping a flashlight with the normal modes as the normal Quarks have them. This should be good for every normal user who does not want to fool around with anything.
But still a program mode is hidden and difficult to reach, like with entering P-R-O-G in morse code.
In this program mode, anyone can choose how many modes, brightesses, strobe, beacon, SOS and whatever modes he likes, and in which sequence, or if he wants tactical without any modes, or only two modes.
Every possibility is open.

This would also make the manufacturing process easier, as only one head would need to be produced.

A Win-Win for everyone, in my opinion.

Cheers,

Julez

PS: YAY! Today's shipping day for the neutrals!


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 20, 2009)

> Definitely no single UI is going to please everyone or even nearly everyone.


 We _could_ go back to that Mini Mag stage and not be bothered with intensive UI's. Of course we'd have to give up the increased level of brightness, multiple outputs, water resistance and smaller form factors.


----------



## flatline (Jul 20, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> We _could_ go back to that Mini Mag stage and not be bothered with intensive UI's. Of course we'd have to give up the increased level of brightness, multiple outputs, water resistance and smaller form factors.



Judging in the number of 3rd party clickies (at last one of which supporting multi modes) made for the minimag, we can't even agree on simple UIs...


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 20, 2009)

flatline said:


> Judging in the number of 3rd party clickies (at last one of which supporting multi modes) made for the minimag, we can't even agree on simple UIs...


 
True. It is amazing to me how it is possible now to do all of the things with flashlights that exist. Having regulation, multiple brightness levels, and programmability is a big thumbs up!:twothumbs I remember when I used to think that Maglite's were the best thing ever. Now I look at my stock 3D Mag with it's mammoth size compared to my Fenix LD20, which is brighter on 2 AA's, and laugh. Now I can't wait for my neutral Quarks to arrive.


----------



## Xak (Jul 20, 2009)

DHart said:


> I've been using the various Quarks day and night now since they were first available and I think I've legoed the Quarks about as much as they can be legoed, which is quite a bit! I've also done some mods to the regular tailcap to make it easier to operate. I'm looking forward to the newly designed regular tailcap to see how it improves useability of the switch and if it interferes with tailstanding operation.



So if I ordered a regular QAA and a Neutral Tactical Q123-2 at the end of last month and I am still waiting for the entire order due to the Neutral Quarks being pre-ordered, which regular tail cap am I likely to receive, will my QAA have the thread problems?


----------



## DHart (Jul 20, 2009)

Xak said:


> So if I ordered a regular QAA and a Neutral Tactical Q123-2 at the end of last month and I am still waiting for the entire order due to the Neutral Quarks being pre-ordered, which regular tail cap am I likely to receive, will my QAA have the thread problems?



That's a question for David/4Sevens...


----------



## recDNA (Jul 20, 2009)

Julian Holtz said:


> I wonder if this really is the case.
> I'm no electronics expert, so I dont know how difficult it is to make a programmable flashlight, but as programmable flashlights exist, it can't be an insurmountable task.
> 
> So how about shipping a flashlight with the normal modes as the normal Quarks have them. This should be good for every normal user who does not want to fool around with anything.
> ...


 

How about an interface with a PC so we can program it to do all sorts of tricks!


----------



## Toohotruk (Jul 20, 2009)

recDNA said:


> How about an interface with a PC so we can program it to do all sorts of tricks!



That could be really cool!


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 20, 2009)

recDNA said:


> How about an interface with a PC so we can program it to do all sorts of tricks!



Yeah! Maybe like sit and roll over! Oh wait that's dogs...hmm...maybe Tail Stand and ...? lol


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 20, 2009)

I finally got my chance to order the AA in neu-tac saturday (I came across some unexpected money). I'm freakin' psyched about this light, I pretty much missed all of Part 2 of the Quark lights thread and there's quite a bit to read, but I just want to know that today (the 20th) is not when the neutrals ship out, but for 4Sevens to get the right numbers from the preorders for production?


----------



## nanotech17 (Jul 20, 2009)

one way to convert your regular Quark to a tactical ones - https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/237287


----------



## Xak (Jul 21, 2009)

Which part of the Quark has the tactical UI? The head or the tailcap?


----------



## Bruiser (Jul 21, 2009)

I like the UI on the Quark just fine. I could probably due without the SOS and Beacon, which would make cycling through the modes easier, but it's fine for what it is. Could it be improved? Sure, but as mentioned, eveyone has a different idea of what works for them. If I'm looking for a programmable light, I just pick one of my others. Maybe 47's could make a programmable module for resale that you could buy seperately?

I also wanted to update my tailswitch issue. I noticed that there is a bit of room between the boot and when it actually makes contact with the switch. This was my main complaint, since I really have to press the switch in to get it to work. What I did to remedy the problem was to place a piece of rubber from a contact switch I had in a parts bin to take up the slack. I had to get it to the right thickness, but when I found the sweet spot, the switch works like a charm now! :thumbsup: The plus is that it will still tailstand too, so at least on mine, it seems the boot was the culpret and not the actual switch.

I know some others have already modded theirs and figured that out, but I just wanted to share. 

-Dan


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 21, 2009)

Xak said:


> Which part of the Quark has the tactical UI? The head or the tailcap?


 
I think it is the head, but I could be wrong. I don't think there is any circuitry in the tailcap. This is just guessing, though. That is a good question. Anyone else?


----------



## jahxman (Jul 21, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I think it is the head, but I could be wrong. I don't think there is any circuitry in the tailcap. This is just guessing, though. That is a good question. Anyone else?


 
The tactical (or regular) UI is in the head. The tactical switch (or regular switch) is in the tail.

You can run a tactical UI light with a regular tail, and vice versa with no problems. But the UI part is in the head.


----------



## insanefred (Jul 21, 2009)

I missed out on the 2xAA warm version tacticals.. 

:scowl::huh::shakehead:shakehead:green::sigh::mecry::mecry::hairpull:

I have to buy a new camera instead.


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 21, 2009)

insanefred said:


> I missed out on the 2xAA warm version tacticals..
> 
> :scowl::huh::shakehead:shakehead:green::sigh::mecry::mecry::hairpull:
> 
> I have to buy a new camera instead.



It's not too late, I don't think, you just missed the preorder, I'm pretty sure they'll have some in the store after the preorders go out, but you'll need to be quick.

As other's have said, the UI is in the head, give the tac a regular tail and it will be a reverse clicky 2 moder, give the regular the tac tail and you will have to momentary press to the mode you want and then click, you will have to unclick it and repeat the momentary presses to change modes again.


----------



## DHart (Jul 21, 2009)

The modular lego-ability of the Quarks is one of their greatest appeal to me. I have been having a great time swapping heads, bodies, tailcaps! You can put together an amazing range of sizes, switches, bodies, heads and powering options. Fantastic. The only thing the lego-maniac needs to avoid is driving the .9v-4.2 head with two CR123s or two RCR123s... other than that, you've got free reign to lego-away.


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 21, 2009)

I shipped my order to the wrong address (no mailbox) so it is being sent back and I asked for a Tactical Neutral White! Can't wait! Plus a 2xAA body  Very excited, as it will be my first light!


----------



## DHart (Jul 21, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> Very excited, as it will be my first light!



Nice light to start your adventure with!


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 21, 2009)

DHart said:


> Nice light to start your adventure with!



I know! I had my budget set around $40, but after reading so much about the Quark so much, I decided it would probably be the the best EDC for me. There just isn't any light out there that can really compare, it is so well rounded. Many other lights have similar features, but not all in one package.


----------



## DHart (Jul 21, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> There just isn't any light out there that can really compare, it is so well rounded. Many other lights have similar features, but not all in one package.



So true.


----------



## Biginboca (Jul 21, 2009)

Looking at the 4Sevens site just now it appears that the warm tints won't be shipping until Friday. Anyone heard anything to dispute that?


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 21, 2009)

Biginboca said:


> Looking at the 4Sevens site just now it appears that the warm tints won't be shipping until Friday. Anyone heard anything to dispute that?



They extended the preorder date, not sure if that affects the shipping date, however somebody on the marketplace said they will recieving and shipping them in the next few days.


----------



## tsask (Jul 21, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> Can't wait! Plus a 2xAA body  Very excited, as it will be my first light!


 
That 2 AA body with its 2 end caps was a pleasant suprise. I ordered the Neutral AA Quark with the 2 AA tube. The 2 AA tube is here, it's also an excellent battery carrier. I like it.


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 21, 2009)

tsask said:


> That 2 AA body with its 2 end caps was a pleasant suprise. I ordered the Neutral AA Quark with the 2 AA tube. The 2 AA tube is here, it's also an excellent battery carrier. I like it.



Oh wow it comes with two end caps? That's great! I can see that being very useful. When I e-mailed 4sevens they said the 2AA body didn't come with any accessories but didn't mention the end caps. Nice.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 21, 2009)

defloyd77 said:


> They extended the preorder date, not sure if that affects the shipping date, however somebody on the marketplace said they will recieving and shipping them in the next few days.


 
Man, I am so excited about getting my neutral Quarks that I might need to get a script for antidepressants to wait it out. I know they are very busy so I am not upset by any means, just excited for these babies to show up.  
I think I will order some 14500 batts for them. Does anyone here feel that the Ultrafire are far inferior to AW, or would they work fine? The price is almost half so it is tempting to go with Ultrafire. I would like some thoughts from those with experience before pulling the trigger on 14500's.


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 21, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Man, I am so excited about getting my neutral Quarks that I might need to get a script for antidepressants to wait it out. I know they are very busy so I am not upset by any means, just excited for these babies to show up.




Ditto. Except I might need tranquilizers. I know 4Sevens is doing all they can, that's just my nature. You should see how bad I am when I send in for my cereal toys. 6 to 8 weeks?!?!?!?! AHHHHH :hairpull:


----------



## DHart (Jul 21, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I think I will order some 14500 batts for them. Does anyone here feel that the Ultrafire are far inferior to AW, or would they work fine? The price is almost half so it is tempting to go with Ultrafire. I would like some thoughts from those with experience before pulling the trigger on 14500's.



AW's are an excellent choice and around $12 or so, if I recall correctly, depending on your supplier.

Trustfire have also been well received by many on this forum and for the price, you can get *two* blue wrapper 14500 protected cells for about $5 including shipping. They are a good, economically-wise option. These cells are generally longer than AWs and you may need to back off your tailcap just a bit to accomodate them. But at _four_ for the price of a single AW.... you can get a lot of life from the Trustfires for your money.

Of the 3 Ultrafires I have bought (14500 protected, silver wrapper), two of them came with offset PCBs in the base, resulting in a base that was too wide to go into my flashlights. I won't be buying any more of them.

If I were you, I'd order 4 Trustfire blue wrapper protected 14500's for about $10 and work with them for awhile... four of them should last you quite a long time for $10. Or buy AW if you don't mind spending $12 for ONE, and then shipping on top of that - they are spendy puppies! Or, buy a couple of AWs and some Trustfires!  Whatever! It's all good and the money ain't that grand.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 22, 2009)

> I think I will order some 14500 batts for them. Does anyone here feel that the Ultrafire are far inferior to AW, or would they work fine? The price is almost half so it is tempting to go with Ultrafire. I would like some thoughts from those with experience before pulling the trigger on 14500's.


 Get the AW's. Get what you pay for. A year ago I got two 123's (rotating in NEX until Quark arrives), 14500 (ConneXion) and 18650 (not used yet). Only thing I can say is that even after using them often and thinking they need to be recharged my Pila says other wise. IMO these type of cells are not items you will need to purchase often. Why skimp?


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

DHart said:


> Of the 3 Ultrafires I have bought (14500 protected, silver wrapper), two of them came with offset PCBs in the base, resulting in a base that was too wide to go into my flashlights. I won't be buying any more of them.


 
Thanks for the info. That is very good to know. I really don't need 14500 batts, but I want them so I can have the extra bright turbo. I have plenty of quality LSD nimh batts, so getting 14500 is a want more than a need. In reality I will use the Quarks on turbo _the least_, but you guys know how it is.lovecpf


----------



## flatline (Jul 22, 2009)

if you want the 170 lumen turbo, it would be cheaper to just get the 2AA tube for your quark and use the rechargeable batteries you already have.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

flatline said:


> if you want the 170 lumen turbo, it would be cheaper to just get the 2AA tube for your quark and use the rechargeable batteries you already have.


 
Yes, that is true. I already have 2 Fenix 2xAA lights and want the compactness of the single AA lights now. I am getting a little tired of how much space the 2xAA take up in my front pocket.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> I shipped my order to the wrong address (no mailbox) so it is being sent back and I asked for a Tactical Neutral White! Can't wait! Plus a 2xAA body  Very excited, as it will be my first light!


 
Are you saying that you got a message that the Neutral white light you ordered shipped since you said it is being sent back? If that is the case when did you preorder?


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Yes, that is true. I already have 2 Fenix 2xAA lights and want the compactness of the single AA lights now. I am getting a little tired of how much space the 2xAA take up in my front pocket.



No kidding.. I think 2xAA lights are just too long. When you can get the incredible output and long runtime with the 123-2 using one 17670 or two RCR123s, the form factor of 2xAA is really unappealing to me. I think a single AA is nice to have for powering flexibility and pocketable size. And the 123 is wonderfully small and potent. I just can't warm up to the 2xAA. But that's just me.


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 22, 2009)

My wife wanted to see the lights that myself and a few other local CPFers saw when we met Eric from 4sevens.ca a few weeks ago.

Big mistake - _she_ wants a 2xAA Quark


----------



## rockz4532 (Jul 22, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Are you saying that you got a message that the Neutral white light you ordered shipped since you said it is being sent back? If that is the case when did you preorder?


I think the 2AA body shipped, not the actual light.
My quark AA warm still hasnt shipped...


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

Black Rose said:


> My wife wanted to see the lights that myself and a few other local CPFers saw when we met Eric from 4sevens.ca a few weeks ago.
> 
> Big mistake - _she_ wants a 2xAA Quark


 
Do you know how many CPFers would love to have their wife(or husband) become a flashaholic??!!!:twothumbs The *ONLY* negative aspect of that would be that you would go broke twice as fast. 






:devil::devil:






:mecry::mecry:


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 22, 2009)

I think I am gonna like the UI of my new standard 123 if the *light depress *to change modes does not present any problems.


----------



## flatline (Jul 22, 2009)

DHart said:


> No kidding.. I think 2xAA lights are just too long. When you can get the incredible output and long runtime with the 123-2 using one 17670 or two RCR123s, the form factor of 2xAA is really unappealing to me. I think a single AA is nice to have for powering flexibility and pocketable size. And the 123 is wonderfully small and potent. I just can't warm up to the 2xAA. But that's just me.


2AA appeals to me for emergency lights since AA batteries are so easy to find in a pinch. For instance, salvage from remotes or kid's toys, purchase at gas stations/grocery stores, etc.


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

flatline said:


> 2AA appeals to me for emergency lights since AA batteries are so easy to find in a pinch. For instance, salvage from remotes or kid's toys, purchase at gas stations/grocery stores, etc.



I can definitely see the utility in having a 2xAA body as a longer lasting emergency back up light, because if all you can find are alkalines, you're going to want two of those puppies behind the emitter, not one... I just don't like the 2xAA form factor aside from that purpose, nor do I use any alkaline chemistry cells in my flashlights - unless I have no other option.

My emergency back up kit includes several dozen lithium primaries in CR123, L91 AA, and L92 AAA sizes, with about a dozen or so of them being L91 AA lithium primaries. These are kept sealed in a ziplock tub, in cool storage in the refridgerator to help extend shelf-life. If I burn through all of those lithium primaries in an emergency (and all the other rechargeable cell options I have) only then would I resort to alkalines. Can you tell I really dislike alkalines???


----------



## flatline (Jul 22, 2009)

I am firmly convinced that you don't like alkalines


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

flatline said:


> I am firmly convinced that you don't like alkalines



Yeah.... and they are notorious for LEAKING into your valuable lights and such!  :sick2:
Word to the wise... beware of alkalines!


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

flatline said:


> 2AA appeals to me for emergency lights since AA batteries are so easy to find in a pinch. For instance, salvage from remotes or kid's toys, purchase at gas stations/grocery stores, etc.


 
Yes I hear you. That is why I already have a Fenix L2D CE and LD20. Now it is time for the single AA form factor of the Quarks to compliment my small fleet. Having the ability to use AA alkaline batteries is a good option to have when the power goes out. I love the idea that my AA Quark lights will be able to use AA alkaline, nimh, lithium primary and also lithium ion rechargables for more performance.:thumbsup: What more could you ask for?


----------



## flatline (Jul 22, 2009)

I'm currently considering buying a boost driver and building a flashlight that can run off a single C or D cell to use up all the alkalines lying around...


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I love the idea that my AA Quark lights will be able to use AA alkaline, nimh, lithium primary and also lithium ion rechargables for more performance.:thumbsup: What more could you ask for?



I agree... the AA flashlight makes great sense (among other options as well) simply by virtue of the fact that they can be powered by so many different and common cell sizes. Lights like the D10, Jet I Pro, AKOray K-106, QAA, and Romisen RC-N3 Q5 and RC-H3 Q5 are among my most valued lights simply for this reason. And I'm starting to think that I may need an EZAA just to round things out!  :sick2:


----------



## BurlyEd (Jul 22, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I think I will order some 14500 batts for them. Does anyone here feel that the Ultrafire are far inferior to AW, or would they work fine? The price is almost half so it is tempting to go with Ultrafire. I would like some thoughts from those with experience before pulling the trigger on 14500's.


I have tried most of the DX 14500s. The only ones I like are SKU 19626 Blue Trustfires $4.75 for 2. These are the only 14500s that I have tried that fit OK in the new SS UF C3 (SKU 26122). TR claims 900mAh. I would not bet on that. I believe these are the same ones DHart recommended also. I would not buy more UF 14500s.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

BurlyEd said:


> I have tried most of the DX 14500s. The only ones I like are SKU 19626 Blue Trustfires $4.75 for 2. These are the only 14500s that I have tried that fit OK in the new SS UF C3 (SKU 26122). TR claims 900mAh. I would not bet on that. I believe these are the same ones DHart recommended also. I would not buy more UF 14500s.


 
Thanks guys for the info. It looks like I will cross the Ultrafires off the list and probably go for the AW. $10-12/each is a little hard to swallow:green:, but if there is problems with the other brands then it will be well worth it.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 22, 2009)

> $10-12/each is a little hard to swallow:green:, but if there is problems with the other brands then it will be well worth it.


 You only need a couple IMO. Along with fresh primaries for back-up you will be all set...


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

I see a lot of people going for the 1x and 2x AA models over the 2x 123A. Why is this? 

Is there a benefit I am not seeing here? If I buy the 2x 123A tactical version can I get a AA body to put on it so I could use 1 or 2 AA if I ever needed to? 

They have a neutral color LED. Will this let me see all the wire colors again finally with a flashlight?!


----------



## Unforgiven (Jul 22, 2009)

passive101 said:


> I see a lot of people going for the 1x and 2x AA models over the 2x 123A. Why is this?
> 
> Is there a benefit I am not seeing here? If I buy the 2x 123A tactical version can I get a AA body to put on it so I could use 1 or 2 AA if I ever needed to?
> 
> They have a neutral color LED. Will this let me see all the wire colors again finally with a flashlight?!




The 2x123 head has a voltage range of 3v to 9v. It would only work properly with 2-3volt cells or single Li-ion cell down to 3 volts. The other Quark heads have a designed range of 0.9 to 4.2 volts and will work with the other Quark body configurations. The manufactures website as well as the reviews will give details and pointers on the individual configurations. Selfbuilt's reviews are detailed with run times and graphs of most cell options


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to work my way through this thread now.

The only other thing I'm wondering about is color rendering.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 22, 2009)

passive101 said:


> I see a lot of people going for the 1x and 2x AA models over the 2x 123A. Why is this?
> 
> Is there a benefit I am not seeing here? If I buy the 2x 123A tactical version can I get a AA body to put on it so I could use 1 or 2 AA if I ever needed to?
> 
> They have a neutral color LED. Will this let me see all the wire colors again finally with a flashlight?!



Regarding the 2x123 head..it will only work on the AA body with a 14500 batt...me thinks that should be THE SWEETEST setup :thumbsup:

Anyone ordering the AA light or body really needs to order a 14500 batt (and charger if they don`t already own one) to run in there. These lights need 3+ volts to really strut their stuff. With out it their just another brick in the wall...er...light in the hand...:tired:


----------



## Egsise (Jul 22, 2009)

passive101 said:


> They have a neutral color LED. Will this let me see all the wire colors again finally with a flashlight?!


Well not ALL, but the difference to cool white is big.
See these posts https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2654418&postcount=269 https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2897070&postcount=1



Badbeams3 said:


> Anyone ordering the AA light or body really needs to order a 14500 batt (and charger if they don`t already own one) to run in there. These lights need 3+ volts to really strut their stuff. With out it their just another brick in the wall...er...light in the hand...:tired:



Brightness isnt everything...


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> You only need a couple IMO. Along with fresh primaries for back-up you will be all set...


 
Yes, 2 would be good. But for me 2 = 4 because I ordered 2 Quarks, the AA regular and the AA tactical. So now you see how my 14500 battery costs are significantly higher with AW. If I order 2 AW 14500 for each by the time shipping is figured in I could have bought a third Quark!


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 22, 2009)

Egsise said:


> Brightness isnt everything...



:banned: :whoopin:


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

I think buying a 123-2T, a QAA, and a 123 body tube makes the most sense. Then you have both the .9v-4.2v head and a 3v-9v head. And you can mix and mingle heads, tails, bodies like crazy to meet your needs at the moment for UI, form factor, runtime, and powering options. Two complete flashlights and a 123 tube. Great set-up!

Both of these heads can run on any body as long as it is being powered by a single li-ion, whether 16340, 14500, or 17670. The tactical and regular tail caps can be used with any body and either head. And you can run the 123-2 head with two cells in the 123-2 body, if you wish. Cool thing about the 123-2 head is that it runs great with a long runtime on a single 17670! (I'm not a big fan of using two lithiums or two Li-ions together as they are so much safer when used singly.)

This versatility is wonderful to have!


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 22, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Yes, 2 would be good. But for me 2 = 4 because I ordered 2 Quarks, the AA regular and the AA tactical. So now you see how my 14500 battery costs are significantly higher with AW. If I order 2 AW 14500 for each by the time shipping is figured in I could have bought a third Quark!



Just buy two batts...I only have one...works fine...just recharge after 20~30 minutes of turbo running.

Can you cancel your order...maybe buy a 123x2 warm one...and a AA regular tint one. Then order 1x14500 AW (AA size) and 1x17670 (2X123 size). One tactical, one regular.

And while your at it, maybe order a Eagle Tac 18650 batt for ten bucks...just to be ready for the upcoming 47`s MC-E light.

Sorry...just a rambling thought.


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

Badbeams3 said:


> And while your at it, maybe order a Eagle Tac 18650 batt for ten bucks...just to be ready for the upcoming 47`s MC-E light.
> 
> Sorry...just a rambling thought.



Oh yeah... that should be nice too!


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 22, 2009)

DHart said:


> Oh yeah... that should be nice too!


----------



## Toohotruk (Jul 22, 2009)

Anybody ever try Wolf-Eyes batteries? I'm thinking about getting a couple of 14500 WE Li-Ions for my Q123 head W/1AA body.

If they're anything like Wolf-Eyes flashlights... :twothumbs


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

This will hopefully be my last question on the quark tactical model. I understand on the standard model works for their UI.

My question is on the tactical I know it can be programed for 2 different modes. Can I have mode 1 set to always be the brightest and have option 2 (head loose) cycle through the options starting with moon light?


----------



## flatline (Jul 22, 2009)

passive101 said:


> I see a lot of people going for the 1x and 2x AA models over the 2x 123A. Why is this?



I'm getting the 1xAA for several reasons. First of all, I already have several AA rechargables since they're so useful in flashlights, pagers, baby toys, and cameras. Second, I don't ever expect to need 170 lumens from my EDC, so I'm content with the 90 I'll get on a single AA NiMh. Thirdly, I don't want to have to invest in a new size battery that I can't use except for 1 flashlight (well, 2... I have a tactical light mounted on the Glock, but it doesn't see much use and it's current batteries will last forever).

I'm more interested in utility and convenience than wow factor.

But that's just me. I'm sure the others have their own reasons.


----------



## jahxman (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

No, you have to pick one of the modes for each of the two possibilities of head tight and head loose.

You can go into programming mode to cycle through the modes, this means twisting the head at least 5 times, then clicking thru the modes. If you stay on a mode for more than 10 seconds, that becomes the mode for the state you are at, either tight or loose.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

No. But the regular pretty much would do what you describe. With the head tight...click...turbo. With the head loose start out dimm and gets brighter with every touch of the switch. But you loose the tactical tail switch.


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> Can I have mode 1 set to always be the brightest and have option 2 (head loose) cycle through the options starting with moon light?



That IS exactly what you would get with the regular model. And you may be able to buy tactical tailcaps once the Quark line is settled into regular production/supply. Or buy two, perhaps a QAA regular and a Q123-2 Tactical, that way you would have both head options, both interface options, both tailcap style options, and two different body sizes... add a 123 tube and you would have an incredible range of lego options. As long as you are running li-ions, you can drive either head with a RCR123, 14500, or 17670. That's what I've done and it's great to be able to put together whatever combination you desire for the need at the moment.


----------



## f22shift (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

sounds like you need the regular version.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



f22shift said:


> sounds like you need the regular version.



I agree. I'm just going to order this thing!

Anyone know how long it's taking them to ship them out now?


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

Depends on where you are I guess...but in the US it`s pretty fast...3~4 day`s. For me anyway...Florida. So what are you going to order?


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

I decided to order the Quark 123x2 natural light model. 

I decided against the tactical and in the future maybe I'll get one mainly for that. 

Thanks so much for helping me out


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

I just ordered a Quark 123x2 in natural. How long is it currently taking them to ship these out? 

I saw it still says pre order until the 24th.


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> I decided to order the Quark 123x2 natural light model.
> 
> I decided against the tactical and in the future maybe I'll get one mainly for that.
> 
> Thanks so much for helping me out



Great choice. Consider running a 17670 li-ion in that light... you will love the output, the guilt-free lumens and the long run-time.


----------



## mbiraman (Jul 22, 2009)

Badbeams3 said:


> Regarding the 2x123 head..it will only work on the AA body with a 14500 batt...me thinks that should be THE SWEETEST setup :thumbsup:
> 
> Anyone ordering the AA light or body really needs to order a 14500 batt (and charger if they don`t already own one) to run in there. These lights need 3+ volts to really strut their stuff. With out it their just another brick in the wall...er...light in the hand...:tired:



am waiting on my 14500's as we speak


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 22, 2009)

passive101 said:


> I see a lot of people going for the 1x and 2x AA models over the 2x 123A. Why is this?



Because I'm a photographer and need AA batteries for my flash units anyway. I don't see any reason to buy a whole new charger and set of batteries. I'm also not a flashoholic, so AA is the standard for me. To me, CR123 is just an odd format that requires extra hardware that I can't use for any other purpose.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

So the 2x123A will work with the lithium AA's? 

How bright would this be compared to the 2x123A batteries.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



DHart said:


> Great choice. Consider running a 17670 li-ion in that light... you will love the output, the guilt-free lumens and the long run-time.



Someone told me the 17670 are dimmer and don't run as long as 2x 123A lithium cells. I'm very confused by all these different formats :thinking:


----------



## rockz4532 (Jul 22, 2009)

passive101 said:


> I just ordered a Quark 123x2 in natural. How long is it currently taking them to ship these out?
> 
> I saw it still says pre order until the 24th.


My guess is it ships Monday, and takes 3-4 days to get to your door... so in all next Thursday or Friday.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



DHart said:


> Great choice. Consider running a 17670 li-ion in that light... you will love the output, the guilt-free lumens and the long run-time.



+1. That will give you a really nice light. If you don`t have a Li-ion set up yet...might be time to do so.

You might want to order a AA body too...along with a 14500 batt. Not a great run time on turbo...but it sure is fun.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 22, 2009)

I can wait that long I guess.


----------



## DHart (Jul 22, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> Because I'm a photographer and need AA batteries for my flash units anyway. I don't see any reason to buy a whole new charger and set of batteries. I'm also not a flashoholic, so AA is the standard for me. To me, CR123 is just an odd format that requires extra hardware that I can't use for any other purpose.



jcw... I'm a professional photographer too (have earned my full time living as such for 20+ years), though I almost never use on-camera flash units which take AA's (I do have a number of them, though). As a photographer, you may come to realize that a few potent flashlights with neutral to slightly warmish tint are extremely useful (if not valuable) to you in both table top photography as well as on-location portraiture at night. I have used flashlights numerous times to supplement, accent, or provide primary lighting during photography sessions of both products and portraits. Don't underestimate the contribution that potent flashlights can make as a part of your photographer's tool kit. A couple of good flashlights, a charger, and a few li-ions are CHEAP lighting accessories for any professional photographer. You might consider re-thinking flashlights as professional tools, not to mention the countless applications they can serve to any human being. Hello!... you can write them off as a business expense! :twothumbs


----------



## Marduke (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> Someone told me the 17670 are dimmer and don't run as long as 2x 123A lithium cells. I'm very confused by all these different formats :thinking:




The runtime will be less, but the brightness will remain the same for the majority for runtime.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Marduke said:


> The runtime will be less, but the brightness will remain the same for the majority for runtime.



And the runtime is within a few minutes of each other. 
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/234960

1:45 minutes vs 1:52 minutes...7 minutes diff. Similar brightness, similar runtime...recharge...say 100 times...so $13 bucks for the 17670...compared to 2x123 @ $1.00 each = $2.00 per run...x 100 times= $200 bucks...and I doubt the 1 dollar batts would run as long as the Duracells used in the test.

So let`s recap...$13 VS $200...$187 dollar differance per 100 runs. You might be able to buy another light with the savings


----------



## Marduke (Jul 22, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Badbeams3 said:


> And the runtime is within a few minutes of each other.
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/234960
> 
> 1:45 minutes vs 1:52 minutes...7 minutes diff. Similar brightness, similar runtime...



Interesting. I guess I underestimated the effect of the much lower Vf of the XP-E in 1x17670 performance in a typical XR-E light vs 2xCR123.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 23, 2009)

passive101 said:


> So the 2x123A will work with the lithium AA's?
> 
> How bright would this be compared to the 2x123A batteries.



If you mean the 14500 batt in a AA body...yes...very well. If you mean the primary lithium AA 1.7 volt batt in a 1AA body...no. 

Brightness would generally be the same. Of course run time would be reduced...42 minutes more/less, if my memory is correct :duh2: :sick2: :green: :thinking:


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

The Quark 123-2 with a 17670 li-ion rules!

Not to mention that running a single li-ion cell is somewhat safer than running two li-ions and much safer than running two lithium primary cells together.

Of late, my 123-2 Quark running on a 17670 cell is definitely my favorite light! Kick *** brightness, great throw, wide spill, gorgeous-clean beam, versatile output choices, long runtime, single-cell convenience/safety, guilt-free lumens, low operating cost! That combination is _*really *_tough to beat.

For all of my lights (except the E1B) I have just enough li-ions around to be able to avoid ever having to run any of the lithium primaries I keep in the refridgerator as an emergency/back-up stash.


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

passive101 said:


> So the 2x123A will work with the lithium AA's?



Either Quark head will run very well on a single li-ion, whether it be one 16340 (RCR123) in the 123 tube, one 14500 in the AA tube, or one 17670 in the 123-2 tube. Runtime and form-factor differs, but performance is very close in all scenarios. Nice, huh!


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 23, 2009)

DHart said:


> jcw... I'm a professional photographer too (have earned my full time living as such for 20+ years), though I almost never use on-camera flash units which take AA's (I do have a number of them, though). As a photographer, you may come to realize that a few potent flashlights with neutral to slightly warmish tint are extremely useful (if not valuable) to you in both table top photography as well as on-location portraiture at night. I have used flashlights numerous times to supplement, accent, or provide primary lighting during photography sessions of both products and portraits. Don't underestimate the contribution that potent flashlights can make as a part of your photographer's tool kit. A couple of good flashlights, a charger, and a few li-ions are CHEAP lighting accessories for any professional photographer. You might consider re-thinking flashlights as professional tools, not to mention the countless applications they can serve to any human being. Hello!... you can write them off as a business expense! :twothumbs



Haha, I'm an amateur photographer, but I never thought of it like that! I have seen threads mentioning lights for photography but haven't checked them out. That sounds very interesting! I'll have to look more into it as I don't understand how a flashlight could be used for portraiture. It sounds very intriguing though. I don't use on-camera flash units either, I am putting together a strobist setup with off-camera flashes. Thanks DHart!


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



DHart said:


> The Quark 123-2 with a 17670 li-ion rules!
> 
> Not to mention that running a single li-ion cell is somewhat safer than running two li-ions and much safer than running two lithium primary cells together.
> 
> ...



I think we are seeing a change in the wind...li-ion is going to become mainstream in CPF world. Not that AA and rechargable AA don`t have their place...as they can be found everywhere and so many things run on them. And 123 primaries still have thier place too...in Surefires and...:thinking: well, in my garbage can.


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

jcw122 said:


> I don't understand how a flashlight could be used for portraiture.



Portraiture or product photography... used directly as an accent light or backlight, directly as a main or fill light, bounced off of a reflector as a main or fill light. Given a high output light with a nice tint, clean beam, and multi-level output options, a skilled photographer can do a lot with such a flashlight.


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Badbeams3 said:


> And 123 primaries still have thier place too...in Surefires and...:thinking: well, in my garbage can.



 You are so right, my friend! And they do belong one more place too... a dozen or so sealed up in a ziplock bag in the back of your fridge... just "in case" for a rainy day/emergency/SHTF scenario!  Other than that, I think li-ions are the kings of flashlight powering. Heck, I saw a show on Discovery a few weeks ago showing that cars can now be made to run on the "new" super high performance battery technology... called "rechargeable lithium-ion"!   And let's not forget that the standard powering technology for cell phones and laptop computers has been li-ions for some time now.


----------



## Marduke (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

Li-Ion won't be king forever. There are too many drawbacks, and other methods show too much promise. 

Not to mention that lithium supplies are not nearly enough to power a battery powered would in the vast quantities you suggest.


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Marduke said:


> Li-Ion won't be king forever. There are too many drawbacks, and other methods show too much promise.
> 
> Not to mention that lithium supplies are not nearly enough to power a battery powered would in the vast quantities you suggest.



Of course not, nothing is forever, including ourselves! But at present, we're talking
about the here and now. We're here today and today, li-ion is it. 

When the "better" future arrives, we can adopt the new king as we see fit! But why short change the best we have at hand now
by saying something better comes in the future. Something better always comes in the future and to hold our breathe and action
based on that mindset, one would never act on anything in the present.


----------



## Egsise (Jul 23, 2009)

Yeap, one of my friends uses PH50 and PH40 in photography.


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

Egsise said:


> Yeap, one of my friends uses PH50 and PH40 in photography.



Those would be useful for sure, but you sure don't need to spend $2000-$3000  on a flashlight to get one that's useful in photography! A $45 L-Mini II with a Q3 warm emitter can achieve wonderful results when used right.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

But in the instances for a flashlight the rechargable li ion will work good? 

I found these for 8.00 each. Are these good 17670 that will work in my 2x123A flashlight I ordered? 

I'm not sure of what type of charger I need for these either.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Marduke said:


> Li-Ion won't be king forever. There are too many drawbacks, and other methods show too much promise.



No doubt...those quick charge capacitors hold promise for one. And I have always wondered about a spring/coiled power source...imagine holding the head of...a fat Quark (just as an example) and twisting the body...inside it is winding a coil that, when released turns a small motor/generator in a clock work fashion, that in turn powers the light. Perhaps ten seconds of winding gives you 30 minutes of 200+ lumen light. :tinfoil:


----------



## CaNo (Jul 23, 2009)

DHart said:


> Those would be useful for sure, but you sure don't need to spend $2000-$3000  on a flashlight to get one that's useful in photography! A $45 L-Mini II with a Q3 warm emitter can achieve wonderful results when used right.



Yes... I agree... There is a fine line between quality and stupidity... Does that flashlight come with a leprechaun that grants you 3 wishes as well? lol 
I guess some people just hate money?


----------



## CaNo (Jul 23, 2009)

Egsise said:


> Yeap, one of my friends uses PH50 and PH40 in photography.



Don't be like your friend lol


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> But in the instances for a flashlight the rechargable li ion will work good?
> 
> I found these for 8.00 each. Are these good 17670 that will work in my 2x123A flashlight I ordered?
> 
> I'm not sure of what type of charger I need for these either.



Yes the 17670 li-ion is a great power source for the 123-2!

I don't know what cells you're looking at, but AW makes a great protected 17670 and many use the Yoho charger (Batteryjunction.com) or WF-139 charger (Lighthound.com) with excellent results for a relatively inexpensive charger.


----------



## Egsise (Jul 23, 2009)

Hey...its just a good flashlight(two of them).
Someone drives a 50k car and carries under 100$ flashlight.
My computer costs 2k, my car is worth less...
PH40+50 on photography, thats just he's way to do it.


----------



## Henk_Lu (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



DHart said:


> Nothing is forever, including ourselves!
> 
> Regardless of what you say... we're here today and today, li-ion is it.
> 
> ...



Previsions are always difficult to make, especially those concerning the future! 

LEDs will get more efficent, other power-sources will be developped. I remember a few years ago, they spoke of fuel cells for UMTS cell phones, as li-ion didn't have enough power for the first prototypes, I've seen no I-Phone that uses alcool as power sources until now. We have still li-ion and some folks even don't know and don't care how their battery works, if it keeps the phone running the whole day and for many months, everything's alright.

For my use, primaries are still the best option. I am the type of flashaholic who mostly needs his lights to play with. On weekends, they are used from time to time in a forest, mostly not more than 2 to 4 hours. So, I always choose another light to take with me and to test in real conditions and I have lights of every sort, some that need primaries, some that would take RCR123, some that could take a 17670, others an 18650. A bunch of li-ion cells would mean that I would have to care about them constantly, to have them fully charged when I need them and of course paying attention not to stick the wrong cell in a light or maybe . The cost of a charger and the cells would exceed the savings in my case.

However, if you always use the same light(s) on a regulary basis, I fully agree that li-ion rule! You can compare it with cars. Someone, who has a car to enjoy a ride occasionnaly in bright weather on a weekend doesn't care if it consumes 8 or 25 liters of fuel. If you need your car daily for 100 kilometers, you surely will care!

I fear, this thread runs completely OT and I apologize for my contribution... :candle:


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> But in the instances for a flashlight the rechargable li ion will work good?
> 
> I found these for 8.00 each. Are these good 17670 that will work in my 2x123A flashlight I ordered?
> 
> I'm not sure of what type of charger I need for these either.



Well, I don`t know what you found...for sure you want to buy the protected type. 47`s sells AW batts on his site...and thats where I would go...unless you must sqeeze every penny. He also sells a charger...139?...that I have. My understanding is it may not be the best...but so far it has worked very well for me.

You should take some time and read up on li-ion batts...for example they don`t like to be over discharged...ruins them fast. Best NOT to run them down to where the protection kicks in. 

The Quark 123x2 head should provide an extra degree of safety for the batt...as it drops to moon mode at around 3 volts...still not a good idea to let it go down that far. If your running the other head it won`t drop until around 1 volt. So your only hope would be the built into the batt protection...which could fail.

I would hope in the near future lights are built completely around li-ion...and do things to protect the batt...like drop to a lower level at 3.2 volts...or maybe blink once a minute...faster at 3.1 volts...giving plenty of warning so you are not suddenly left in the dark.


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

Egsise said:


> Hey...its just a good flashlight(two of them).
> Someone drives a 50k car and carries under 100$ flashlight.
> My computer costs 2k, my car is worth less...
> PH40+50 on photography, thats just he's way to do it.



More power to him! I wouldn't mind at all having a PH40 or PH50, but I don't need them, nor am I likely to buy them. I don't really consider them to be "flashlights"... those puppies are more like military-industrial light sabers!


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

We've sure drifted quite a bit here.

As for li-ions... they are an incredible power source who's promise demands as much consideration for understanding proper use and charging. Are you the type of person who will learn and understand proper use and charging? If so, they're an incredible power source!  

Otherwise, if you can't be bothered with such considerations, stick with primaries, NiMH, or alkalines and be content with the performance they provide. :duh2:


----------



## passive101 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

Yeah I always try to remember how much power I have.

Do they make a li-ion which is not rechargable like a regular 123A battery, but with the added power and single cell of a 17670?


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> Yeah I always try to remember how much power I have.
> 
> Do they make a li-ion which is not rechargable like a regular 123A battery, but with the added power and single cell of a 17670?



None that I'm aware of...


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> Yeah I always try to remember how much power I have.
> 
> Do they make a li-ion which is not rechargable like a regular 123A battery, but with the added power and single cell of a 17670?



No. 17670 is 3.7 volts...primary lithuims are 3 volt. Keep in mind you can run your Quark on high...one level down from turbo...on a 17670 batt...well I`m not sure how long...but 3 maybe 4 hours...and it`s very bright on that level too. So for play...turbo! But just for an hour or so. For work,just hi will do most anything. 

If in doubt RECHARGE and you should be fine and have fun.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

Oh, and as Dhart has pointed out many times...these light don`t need muti li-ion batts to perform... a single Li-ion batt in a light is much safer as far as explosion concerns go...at least that is my understanding.


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 23, 2009)

I still haven't seen any comparisons between the Quarks and Eagletac's P100 series. Did I miss them somewhere? I'm just interested in beam profile comparisons, not brightness. Also the Pentagon MOLLE, which also uses a small emitter and an OP reflector, has a tiny hotspot with lotsa spill, I'm curious if the Quarks are like this light on steroids, that'd be great.

Speaking of the Pentagon MOLLE, the Quarks Fingergrip would go perfectly with the MOLLE's anglehead design, it'd kinda be like the First-Light Tomahawk's fingerloop.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Badbeams3 said:


> Oh, and as Dhart has pointed out many times...these light don`t need muti li-ion batts to perform... a single Li-ion batt in a light is much safer as far as explosion concerns go...at least that is my understanding.




If they made a single cell non rechargable I wouldn't have to worry about that. I guess they don't yet though. As sometimes it wouldn't be charged for a long time rechargable someomes won't be that handy, but if I'm at home and not hiking etc I wouldn't mind a rechargeable. I'm guessing the rechargables don't hold a charge for months or years like primary cells do. If they do that is fantastic. Even if they hold it weeks that could be helpful for most times. 

I've never had a problem with any of my other lights I have used on duty that take 2 123A cells. Duty lights have always been Surefire though.


----------



## half-watt (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



DHart said:


> That IS exactly what you would get with the regular model. And you may be able to buy tactical tailcaps once the Quark line is settled into regular production/supply....



a few weeks ago i rcv'd an email reply fr/a fella' at 4sevens.com. i had asked about purchasing a tactical tailcap. his replied contained two important pieces of information:

1. the tac-tailcap will be available separately.

2. it won't work with the regular (i.e., non-tac) versions of the Quark lights. he didn't explain why it won't work, only that mode switching via the tailcap would be lost.


----------



## DM51 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*

This thread has wandered _waaaaaay_ off topic from the original post. If allowed to continue as a stand-alone thread, it would probably cover/repeat some of the content in the main Quark thread. Instead, I'm merging them to avoid duplication and confusion.


----------



## oldpal (Jul 23, 2009)

DHart said:


> No kidding.. I think 2xAA lights are just too long. When you can get the incredible output and long runtime with the 123-2 using one 17670 or two RCR123s, the form factor of 2xAA is really unappealing to me. I think a single AA is nice to have for powering flexibility and pocketable size. And the 123 is wonderfully small and potent. I just can't warm up to the 2xAA. But that's just me.



I agree with you about the 2xAA light. It is an ugly thing to behold. I'm sorry that I ever got it. The 1xAA, on the other hand, is a very good looking light.

Hugh


----------



## Wiggle (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



half-watt said:


> 2. it won't work with the regular (i.e., non-tac) versions of the Quark lights. he didn't explain why it won't work, only that mode switching via the tailcap would be lost.



I can't see how, I thought it was just a regular forward switch. You couldn't half press to change modes anymore but a quick on/off switch should do it.


----------



## digitaleos (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Wiggle said:


> I can't see how, I thought it was just a regular forward switch. You couldn't half press to change modes anymore but a quick on/off switch should do it.



They work fine. I'm using one now with my regular QAA. With the tactical tailcap the user interface is just like the Surefire E2DL and E1B. You half press the tailcap till you get the level you want then fully click it on. It's nice having the momentary option.


----------



## jahxman (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



digitaleos said:


> They work fine. I'm using one now with my regular QAA. With the tactical tailcap the user interface is just like the Surefire E2DL and E1B. You half press the tailcap till you get the level you want then fully click it on. It's nice having the momentary option.


 
I can confirm this, I have both Tactical and regular models and both work with both tailcaps, with the tac tailcap you just half press until you get the mode you want, then full click.


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> But in the instances for a flashlight the rechargable li ion will work good?
> 
> I found these for 8.00 each. Are these good 17670 that will work in my 2x123A flashlight I ordered?


When it comes to 17670 cells, you are better off coughing up the money and buying AW 17670 cells.

They do cost more, but they are the only ones I have found that fit properly in my 2xCR123A lights. 
The cheaper brands are either too long or too wide (usually both) and won't fit.


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



DHart said:


> and many use the Yoho charger (Batteryjunction.com)


That should be batterystation.com 

Displayed on the BS site as the Dual Pocket Charger.


----------



## DHart (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Black Rose said:


> That should be batterystation.com
> 
> Displayed on the BS site as the Dual Pocket Charger.



Ooops... thanks for the correction... I seem to get BS and BJ mixed up from time to time! :duh2:

As for the tactical tailcap, I can also confirm that each tailcap works on each body and with each head interchangeably. One as a reverse clicky and the other as a forward clicky. NICE! So when 4Sevens offers them for sale individually, that will be great! In the meantime, just buy two complete flashlights (123-2T and AA) and a 123 body to get both heads and both tailcaps and three awesome bodies.   Get some 16340s, 14500s, and 17670s and you're set for lego-mania.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 23, 2009)

> with the tac tailcap you just half press until you get the mode you want, then full click.


 Are you saying that with the Tac you can access the other levels _without_ going through the program mode?



> buy two complete flashlights (123-2T and AA) and a 123 body to get both heads and both tailcaps and three awesome bodies.


 Can you possibly post a pic of all the components?


----------



## Wiggle (Jul 23, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> Are you saying that with the Tac you can access the other levels _without_ going through the program mode?
> 
> Can you possibly post a pic of all the components?



He means the Tac switch on the regular body I'm pretty sure.


----------



## Biginboca (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Badbeams3 said:


> No doubt...those quick charge capacitors hold promise for one. And I have always wondered about a spring/coiled power source...imagine holding the head of...a fat Quark (just as an example) and twisting the body...inside it is winding a coil that, when released turns a small motor/generator in a clock work fashion, that in turn powers the light. Perhaps ten seconds of winding gives you 30 minutes of 200+ lumen light. :tinfoil:


 
That is how my Seiko Spring Drive watch works. But I wonder how far off the tech is to be able to generate the amperage required by a 200 lumen light. Plus I imagine it's not going to be an inexpensive light if it was possible.


----------



## flatline (Jul 23, 2009)

Seems like a flashlight with moving parts (especially under tension) could never be as reliable.


----------



## flatline (Jul 23, 2009)

Just noticed that the Q123^2 head isn't currently available as a Quark accessory. Will it eventually be available or is buying the full Q123^2 flashlight the only way to get that head?

I'm interested in running that head on the AA body with a 14500 so that I don't have to rely on the battery's (easily damaged) protection circuit. The Q123^2 head cuts off at 3v, right?


----------



## Unforgiven (Jul 23, 2009)

flatline said:


> Just noticed that the Q123^2 head isn't currently available as a Quark accessory. Will it eventually be available or is buying the full Q123^2 flashlight the only way to get that head?



4Sevens has stated that when the parts are readily available, many of them will be offered on his site. Check out his forum at the Market Place. There is a Quark questions thread there that he created and has promised answers once his schedule has opened up a bit.



flatline said:


> I'm interested in running that head on the AA body with a 14500 so that I don't have to rely on the battery's (easily damaged) protection circuit. The Q123^2 head cuts off at 3v, right?





Unforgiven said:


> The 2x123 head has a voltage range of 3v to 9v. It would only work properly with 2-3volt cells or single Li-ion cell down to 3 volts. The other Quark heads have a designed range of 0.9 to 4.2 volts and will work with the other Quark body configurations. The manufactures website as well as the reviews will give details and pointers on the individual configurations. Selfbuilt's reviews are detailed with run times and graphs of most cell options




The details are also posted on the manufactures site.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



half-watt said:


> a few weeks ago i rcv'd an email reply fr/a fella' at 4sevens.com. i had asked about purchasing a tactical tailcap. his replied contained two important pieces of information:
> 
> 1. the tac-tailcap will be available separately.
> 
> 2. it won't work with the regular (i.e., non-tac) versions of the Quark lights. he didn't explain why it won't work, only that mode switching via the tailcap would be lost.



If this made it into a true tactical light and made it go automatically to turbo that's AOK by me! In fact that would be perfection! 

Switch to tight and it would take the first settings. Instant surefire style tactical light? Could it be this is now THE perfect light with only a tail cap switch?


----------



## jahxman (Jul 23, 2009)

Wiggle said:


> He means the Tac switch on the regular body I'm pretty sure.


 
yes, that's right. Tac switch on regular body/head


----------



## jahxman (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



passive101 said:


> If this made it into a true tactical light and made it go automatically to turbo that's AOK by me! In fact that would be perfection!
> 
> Switch to tight and it would take the first settings. Instant surefire style tactical light? Could it be this is now THE perfect light with only a tail cap switch?


Not sure what you mean - a regular quark, when turned on with the body tight, will be on in turbo mode, no matter what switch you use. When the head is loosened it will come on in moon mode, again no matter what tailcap switch you use.

Once turned on, if you turn it on and off quickly, or use the momentary on functions of eather switch, it will cycle through the modes available at that body position.

If the light is a tactical model, it will not cycle at all, it has two modes, tight and loose, which you choose which of the available moon, low, medium, high, turbo, SOS, strobe, beacon that you want through programming it.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



jahxman said:


> Not sure what you mean - a regular quark, when turned on with the body tight, will be on in turbo mode, no matter what switch you use. When the head is loosened it will come on in moon mode, again no matter what tailcap switch you use.
> 
> Once turned on, if you turn it on and off quickly, or use the momentary on functions of eather switch, it will cycle through the modes available at that body position.
> 
> If the light is a tactical model, it will not cycle at all, it has two modes, tight and loose, which you choose which of the available moon, low, medium, high, turbo, SOS, strobe, beacon that you want through programming it.



Ah bummer, but that's what I expected from it when I ordered it so that's AOK with me


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 24, 2009)

All this Lego talk has got me second guessing my decision to preorder a warm standard 123. Hope I don't wind up kicking my self later for not getting a different combination... :thinking:


----------



## half-watt (Jul 24, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



Wiggle said:


> I can't see how, I thought it was just a regular forward switch. You couldn't half press to change modes anymore but a quick on/off switch should do it.



i'm with you on this one. i can't see how either, but my words were nearly an exact quote (to the best of my aged memory's recollection) fr/his email reply to me. 

my thought is that it would simply require the user to perform the half-presses BEFORE clicking the light ON in order to select the desired output level. Once the half-presses reach low, med, or high, then CLICK the light fully ON. this is the way the UI in Milky's custom lights work (e.g., Gotham, Surefire E1B-host Creemator lights) - since they use FWD clicky's just like the Quark tac-tailcap. in my experience, it isn't difficult to get used to the UI working this way.

i just may spend $12 (or whatever the tac-tail costs) to find out whether all mode switching on a regular Quark is lost when used with a tac-tail, or whether the light still functions with a very slightly different "UI", so to speak (i.e., half-presses B/F clicking ON versus half-presses AFTER clicking ON).

i'll keep y'all posted after i get the tac-tail and try it out on one of my "regular"/non-tac Quarks (unless someone else beats me to it and i notice the Post).


----------



## jahxman (Jul 24, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



half-watt said:


> my thought is that it would simply require the user to perform the half-presses BEFORE clicking the light ON in order to select the desired output level. Once the half-presses reach low, med, or high, then CLICK the light fully ON.


 
This is exactly how it works. I have a tactical Q123 and a regular Q123-2, and with the tactical tail on the regular quark, this is precisely how you operate the UI. All modes work, use momentary "half presses" until you reach desired mode, then full press/click on in that mode.


----------



## PsychoPilot (Jul 24, 2009)

I found an interesting phenomenon with the Quark AA

-in high mode using a NiMH cell it will get very hot

-in high mode using a 14500 cell it stays cool

-using NiMH there is no difference between high mode and max

So can we conclude that high mode is actually max mode when using NiMH and it will overheat if left on long enough?


----------



## flatline (Jul 24, 2009)

Whoa, I hope you simply have a defective unit. If the QAA can't handle NiMH cells, then it's usefulness to me is greatly diminished.


----------



## burntoshine (Jul 24, 2009)

one of my glow in the dark o-rings was a perrrrrrrfect fit in the tail...


----------



## bodhran (Jul 24, 2009)

burntoshine said:


> one of my glow in the dark o-rings was a perrrrrrrfect fit in the tail...


 That's cool...Where did you get them?:twothumbs


----------



## ChoppedBroccoli (Jul 24, 2009)

PsychoPilot said:


> I found an interesting phenomenon with the Quark AA
> 
> 
> So can we conclude that high mode is actually max mode when using NiMH and it will overheat if left on long enough?



You know I noticed the same thing even on my Quark 2xAA. No difference between high and max. It sounds like I got a bad unit tho, because folks around here at the 4sevens CSR all mentioned that on the 2xAA you should definitely see a difference.

My new unit is being shipped back now, so hopefully I can report back by mid next week.


----------



## ChoppedBroccoli (Jul 24, 2009)

bodhran said:


> That's cool...Where did you get them?:twothumbs



Word. That look hawt and super useful too.


----------



## flatline (Jul 24, 2009)

ChoppedBroccoli said:


> You know I noticed the same thing even on my Quark 2xAA. No difference between high and max. It sounds like I got a bad unit tho, because folks around here at the 4sevens CSR all mentioned that on the 2xAA you should definitely see a difference.
> 
> My new unit is being shipped back now, so hopefully I can report back by mid next week.



So if you can't tell a difference between High and Max on a QAA, you can test the head using 2AA batteries and a jumper to see if you get a 170 lumen Max?

Or am I missing something?


----------



## burntoshine (Jul 24, 2009)

burntoshine said:


> one of my glow in the dark o-rings was a perrrrrrrfect fit in the tail...





bodhran said:


> That's cool...Where did you get them?:twothumbs



http://www.lighthound.com/Glow-In-The-Dark-GITD-O-Ring-58quot-size_p_586.html

this size o-ring fits in there very snugly and it won't just fall out on its own; the o-ring pushes just a tad bit into the two bigger holes/slots on the side of the tailcap and so it sort of holds itself in there.

i had bought a bunch of different sizes from lighthound, just to see the different places i can put them.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 24, 2009)

PsychoPilot said:


> I found an interesting phenomenon with the Quark AA
> 
> -in high mode using a NiMH cell it will get very hot
> 
> ...


 
That is strange. Which part of the flashlight feels hot, the head or body? If there isn't something wrong with the battery it should not be more hot on turbo with 1.2 volt nimh than 3.7 volt lion. I think David said max draw with AA would be like 300ma and 700ma with 14500. That sounds like a question for Customer Service at 7777.


----------



## flatline (Jul 24, 2009)

The product description on 4sevens.com says the QAA pulls 350mA on Max.


----------



## HKJ (Jul 24, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I think David said max draw with AA would be like 300ma and 700ma with 14500. That sounds like a question for Customer Service at 7777.





flatline said:


> The product description on 4sevens.com says the QAA pulls 350mA on Max.



That current is into the led, not from the battery. I measured 1400 mA with an Eneloop just of the charger, this current will increase as the battery get drained.


----------



## PsychoPilot (Jul 24, 2009)

Problem solved!
I tried the Quark AA with a new eneloop battery and there is a definite difference between high and max mode now.

I assume the higher resistance of an old battery causes the heat and also doesn't allow the light to enter max mode.


----------



## flatline (Jul 24, 2009)

That makes sense. The internal resistance of NiMH batteries increases over the course of their life.


----------



## bodhran (Jul 24, 2009)

Burntoshine....Thankyou Sir. Placed an order for the rings.


----------



## SJB (Jul 24, 2009)

PsychoPilot said:


> Problem solved!
> I tried the Quark AA with a new eneloop battery and there is a definite difference between high and max mode now.
> 
> I assume the higher resistance of an old battery causes the heat and also doesn't allow the light to enter max mode.



My QAA on max looks very similar to high when using L91 cells.
I think it is because the output is only 90 lumens vs 70 lumens.
(subtle at best) However if I use a 3.0 volt lithium in a 123 body, then there's a big difference between high and max.


----------



## burntoshine (Jul 24, 2009)

bodhran said:


> Burntoshine....Thankyou Sir. Placed an order for the rings.



no problem!


----------



## passive101 (Jul 24, 2009)

They withdrew the money from my account so I'm assuming it will be shipped sometime soon :naughty:

I'm excited about this light


----------



## hiker123 (Jul 24, 2009)

I emailed 47's and asked if they were going to do official extra accessories, namely a white diffuser tip or a red filter. The reply was yes, they are working on them and to watch for future announcements. Maybe everyone already knows this though and if it was to be top secret then just delete my post.

I am still torn between the Q3 5A and R2 tints. I don't have the cash to buy both right now. I wish the Q3 5A wasn't so limited that way I could see some pictures between the two (hopefully outdoor shots) to help me decide before they are gone. To see them in person would be great but unfortunately these aren't mass market lights. Anyways maybe tomorrow I'll just buy a Q3 5A and stop obsessing. I hope 47's keeps both tints long term - even though I know they have lots in other products in development. 
Cheers


----------



## DHart (Jul 24, 2009)

hiker123 said:


> I hope 47's keeps both tints long term - even though I know they have lots in other products in development.
> Cheers



The Q3 5A tint is warmer than cool, but I don't believe it will be too warm... here it is compared to the tints used on the regular Quark R2 emitters (WC and WD):






I included the 5C tint in my little comparo-chart as I have a couple of other lights with the Q3 5C tint emitter.

4Sevens stated that once the run was done, there would be NO MORE Quark Q3 emitter flashlights. I take that as a trustworthy statement that isn't designed just to sell product now on the basis of urgency. If the Q3 5A emitter option is subsequently offered in the future (like "due to popular demand" or something like that), then that doesn't speak well for 4Sevens integrity. Those who did buy _now_ on the basis of the _"one-time"_ offer would be frosted... feeling as though they had been duped. I'd buy it now, trusting that 4Sevens will be true to their word.  If you don't like the tint of the light, you should be able to easily sell it later in the Marketplace, for about what you paid for it!


----------



## Lobo (Jul 25, 2009)

Are there still neutral white quarks in stock? Cause I clicked on the buy button just to check in it said that the item wasn't available in desired quantities(three stars ***) so I though they were out already.

And does anyone know if there is a way of making a tailstanding tactical Quark(my eternal curse, like easier UIs, but not protruding clickies)?
Is there a simple do it yourself fix as on the Nitecore DI?
Or do I have to buy a regular tailcap? And can I switch the innards between a regular tailcap and a tactical to maintain forward momentary?

TIA


----------



## warrie87 (Jul 25, 2009)

Hello all,

does anyone have some pictures from that 2xAA at night outdoor and/or indoor? Im actually looking for a new good flashlight for outdoor and indoor use.

thanks


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> 4Sevens stated that once the run was done, there would be NO MORE Quark Q3 emitter flashlights. I take that as a trustworthy statement that isn't designed just to sell product now on the basis of urgency. If the Q3 5A emitter option is subsequently offered in the future (like "due to popular demand" or something like that), then that doesn't speak well for 4Sevens integrity. Those who did buy _now_ on the basis of the _"one-time"_ offer would be frosted... feeling as though they had been duped. I'd buy it now, trusting that 4Sevens will be true to their word.  If you don't like the tint of the light, you should be able to easily sell it later in the Marketplace, for about what you paid for it!


 
I preordered the neutral Quarks at this point in time ONLY because I thought I might never be able to again. I would have done it later, yes, but not until I would have had saved up gift money instead of having to part with some other equipment. 

Thinking of something being _too warm, _I found my stock Mag 3D in the basement the other night and put some new batteries in it. The tint of the stock bulb is so yellowish.:green: The 5A tint is beautiful, though, and pure white in comparison to a stock Mag incan.


----------



## wapkil (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> The Q3 5A tint is warmer than cool, but I don't believe it will be too warm... here it is compared to the tints used on the regular Quark R2 emitters (WC and WD):
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The comparison is useful of course but I think that for someone who hasn't seen these tints in person it may be really hard to understand it. I prefer warmer tints but if I knew only these pictures, I would take WC as it is the whitest one. In reality for me WD looks much better than WC and I prefer 5A to both of them (I haven't seen 5C).



DHart said:


> 4Sevens stated that once the run was done, there would be NO MORE Quark Q3 emitter flashlights. I take that as a trustworthy statement that isn't designed just to sell product now on the basis of urgency. If the Q3 5A emitter option is subsequently offered in the future (like "due to popular demand" or something like that), then that doesn't speak well for 4Sevens integrity. Those who did buy _now_ on the basis of the _"one-time"_ offer would be frosted... feeling as though they had been duped. I'd buy it now, trusting that 4Sevens will be true to their word.  If you don't like the tint of the light, you should be able to easily sell it later in the Marketplace, for about what you paid for it!



It's interesting how given the same information people can come to completely different conclusions  As a rule I don't buy things that are "one-time" and "only today" if they are not something really special. With Quarks it's only a different emitter - I can always replace it in a cool Quark. I don't know if there will be a future line of neutral quarks but if it turns out that there is a demand that can be fulfilled and it is profitable to do so, it would be rather strange for a businessman to decide against it, for no apparent reason :shrug:


----------



## jahxman (Jul 25, 2009)

Lobo said:


> And does anyone know if there is a way of making a tailstanding tactical Quark(my eternal curse, like easier UIs, but not protruding clickies)?
> Is there a simple do it yourself fix as on the Nitecore DI?
> Or do I have to buy a regular tailcap? And can I switch the innards between a regular tailcap and a tactical to maintain forward momentary?


 
I bought an extra regular tailcap for this purpose.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 25, 2009)

Anybody notice...looking at the pic`s of the two beams the golden colored one seems brighter on low than the regular? Scroll down to post #17. http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=196497

I wonder how they compare on level 2, 3, 4...we know their not as bright on turbo. But the pic`s show them to be closer than I would have thought.


----------



## f22shift (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> 4Sevens stated that once the run was done, there would be NO MORE Quark Q3 emitter flashlights. I take that as a trustworthy statement that isn't designed just to sell product now on the basis of urgency. If the Q3 5A emitter option is subsequently offered in the future (like "due to popular demand" or something like that), then that doesn't speak well for 4Sevens integrity. Those who did buy _now_ on the basis of the _"one-time"_ offer would be frosted... feeling as though they had been duped. I'd buy it now, trusting that 4Sevens will be true to their word.  If you don't like the tint of the light, you should be able to easily sell it later in the Marketplace, for about what you paid for it!


 

i believe this is wrong. it's only "limited" because he ordered a stock real of a 1000 if i remember correctly. if there is demand i bet they will get more as i bet cree will have more.
the thing is cpf represent a small amount of buyers so the avg joe might just want the brightest at whatever tint. 
i still think the 5a is worth getting now. i say if you dont have the r2 to compare to you dont know what you are missing in light output . but still with the 5a things are more 3d or colorful when an normal white led looks black and white and flat. to me that's what it breaks down to. color tv and black and white. i can still tell the objects on a black and white tv but it's easier with color. but be forewarned that anyone who gets a 5a will not be able to go back. 
but anyway, limited doesn't gurantee it'll be the only ones ever. it can be if the demand is not great enough for a profit or effort then it might be the only ones ever. that's the interpretation that i get based on 4sevens response to the limited wording.
it's just business.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 25, 2009)

wapkil said:


> It's interesting how given the same information people can come to completely different conclusions  As a rule I don't buy things that are "one-time" and "only today" if they are not something really special. With Quarks it's only a different emitter - I can always replace it in a cool Quark. I don't know if there will be a future line of neutral quarks but if it turns out that there is a demand that can be fulfilled and it is profitable to do so, it would be rather strange for a businessman to decide against it, for no apparent reason :shrug:



This is true...somewhere 47`s already stated that if they were a big hit/big demand he would re-order more. I wish he would just offer the heads (mostly the 123x2 head as these work best with li-ion). But he stands to make more profit (at least for the moment) by selling complete lights.

So you take a chance...if they are not well received/loved then there will be no more...and be rare. If they perform great and become popular...they will not be rare.

And there is always a chance for another warm white run...but of a higher grade emitter. Then you will have a rare Q3...that`s not the top dog warm white wise...and you will have to re-buy...if you want the latest greatest...and your old Q3...no one wants You going to roll the dice...take your chance...or not?

Myself...I`m going for it...123x2 neutral white for me.


----------



## flatline (Jul 25, 2009)

I'm not too worried about it. My Q3 won't suddenly become useless just because a Q5 becomes available. A Q5 would give me a couple extra minutes run-time for the same brightness?

Not worth buying a new flashlight just for an incremental improvement that I might never even notice.


----------



## wapkil (Jul 25, 2009)

flatline said:


> I'm not too worried about it. My Q3 won't suddenly become useless just because a Q5 becomes available. A Q5 would give me a couple extra minutes run-time for the same brightness?
> 
> Not worth buying a new flashlight just for an incremental improvement that I might never even notice.



It's a light with fixed levels so more like couple extra lumens with the same runtime. Unless you get a Q5 with the forward voltage lower than your Q3 - it depends on luck but I think for Q3s and Q5s the Vfs are statistically similar. 

I agree that there is no point in postponing the purchase to wait for a better emitter but I think one shouldn't also expect that the neutral Quarks will become some kind of high price items because of their rarity.


----------



## jahxman (Jul 25, 2009)

Yes, I agree - I ordered the warm white quarks because I like the tint.

For example, I have the MG L-MINI II in Q5, R2 and Q3 5C. If I measure the light output on my lux meter, the Q3 5C is definitely a lower output level, but in real world usage I actually find it easier to make out the details of what I am looking at, especially outdoors. 

YMMV depending on your color perception, but for me, the warmer emitters are more effective illumination tools for my eyes, even at slightly lower objective lux output levels. 

It takes a lot more "cool" light for me to see the same detail I can see with a "warm" light, especially outdoors, like in the woods.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 25, 2009)

wapkil said:


> It's a light with fixed levels so more like couple extra lumens with the same runtime. Unless you get a Q5 with the forward voltage lower than your Q3 - it depends on luck but I think for Q3s and Q5s the Vfs are statistically similar.
> 
> I agree that there is no point in postponing the purchase to wait for a better emitter but I think one shouldn't also expect that the neutral Quarks will become some kind of high price items because of their rarity.



Yep, this is how I see it.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 25, 2009)

jahxman said:


> Yes, I agree - I ordered the warm white quarks because I like the tint.
> 
> For example, I have the MG L-MINI II in Q5, R2 and Q3 5C. If I measure the light output on my lux meter, the Q3 5C is definitely a lower output level, but in real world usage I actually find it easier to make out the details of what I am looking at, especially outdoors.
> 
> ...



I don`t know why...but my eyes see the same thing...


----------



## wapkil (Jul 25, 2009)

Badbeams3 said:


> I don`t know why...but my eyes see the same thing...



Yeah, it's the same with mine. And not only in the woods but also around the house. Two days ago, during the night we had a decent thunderstorm here and for the first time in many years there was even a power outage. I used mainly my two zebras but either together the neutral one (5A) and the cool one (WD) or only the neutral one. I simply don't like cool tints, if I have a choice. Actually like a few people here, after using neutral and warm tint LEDs I'm not buying cool ones anymore.


----------



## DHart (Jul 25, 2009)

Reading this on the 4Sevens sales page... 

_These neutral white limited-run Quarks are a one-time production due to special request by members of candlepowerforums.com. We have a very VERY limited quantity of these. *When we run out then there will be no more.*

Here is how this will work. We will open pre-orders for these until July 20th. We will order more of each model. When the pre-order is over, the store inventory will reflect actual units in stock. At that point, *when you add to your cart and it shows out-of-stock, then we really are out-of-stock and we will not be restocking.* _

it seems very clear that they are telling us "if you want it, buy it now, as when we run out there will be no more". Some unscrupulous sellers, thinking they might offer more later if the sales go well, will say things like this to create immediate demand. 

But it sure sounds like we can take 4Sevens at their word that this isn't just a ploy to create immediate demand. Can I see that they would want to offer more in the future if these sell well? Sure! But to make the statement that they made above while thinking that they might want to offer more in the future isn't being honest with their customers and I think 4Sevens is above doing something like that. All speculation at this point, of course... but time will play it out.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> Reading this on the 4Sevens sales page...
> 
> _These neutral white limited-run Quarks are a one-time production due to special request by members of candlepowerforums.com. We have a very VERY limited quantity of these. *When we run out then there will be no more.*
> 
> ...



http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=196497

Yes but further down in post #21 he backs down on this somewhat.

He states that the Quark regular whites have way more volume than the warmer ones (I know...how can this be a valid statement as there were/are no warm whites to be bought at the time of this statement).

I think it is just an assumtion by 47`s that the demand will not be as great...most folks will just go for the lights with the higher lumen rating...all else being =. And he`s probaby right...only time will tell. He does say he only bought one reel of 1000.

But he does leave the door open...don`t be surprised if do to popular demand these become a standard option.


----------



## wapkil (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> Reading this on the 4Sevens sales page...
> 
> _These neutral white limited-run Quarks are a one-time production due to special request by members of candlepowerforums.com. We have a very VERY limited quantity of these. *When we run out then there will be no more.*
> 
> ...


_

DHart, I know it's cynical and sad but as f22shift's wrote above - it's just business. David also wrote that he'll order whatever bin if there's a demand and that they *MAY* not make another run if there's no demand. Would I prefer the world where I could trust the literal meaning of any statement by a seller? Of course I would but unfortunately it's not how it works..._


----------



## DHart (Jul 25, 2009)

I have no doubt that I will love the neutral 123-2 Tactical that I ordered (as I love all of the other Quarks I've already bought!).



Badbeams3 said:


> ...don`t be surprised if do to popular demand these become a standard option.



You may be right and in that case, I will have bought one based on a created-false sense of urgency. :duh2: Not a big deal, though.


----------



## DHart (Jul 25, 2009)

wapkil said:


> Would I prefer the world where I could trust the literal meaning of any statement by a seller? Of course I would but unfortunately it's not how it works...



Yeah.  I know. Reality bites.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> I have no doubt that I will love the neutral 123-2 Tactical that I ordered (as I love all of the other Quarks I've already bought!).
> 
> 
> 
> You may be right and in that case, I will have bought one based on a created-false sense of urgency. :duh2: Not a big deal, though.



It`s just a great unkown...and me too...I really would rather not buy right now...like to wait for the reviews. And a little more $$$ in my wallet.

But just like you...I don`t want to chance being left out if these prove to be fantastic but don`t fly off the shelves on account of the lower lumen rating...and for some reason 47`s can`t or won`t get more.


----------



## ninjaboigt (Jul 25, 2009)

I wish 4sevens would make the neutral white as a standard option...i only had enough money to pre order a 2xAA tactical neutral white, and i wanted a 2x123 in the future, tactical and neutral white..oh well lol

( i went with the 2xAA cause it can take a single AA and single 123 also...so more options...)


----------



## DHart (Jul 25, 2009)

ninjaboigt said:


> I wish 4sevens would make the neutral white as a standard option...i only had enough money to pre order a 2xAA tactical neutral white, and i wanted a 2x123 in the future, tactical and neutral white..oh well lol
> 
> ( i went with the 2xAA cause it can take a single AA and single 123 also...so more options...)



Yes, the 2xAA head will run fine on the single cell bodies - it's the same head as on the 123 and the AA. 

Also, either Quark head will run well on a single li-ion (16340/123, 14500/AA, 17670/123-2), but the 123-2 head won't run on a base AA cell in the AA body or a CR123 in a 123 body.


----------



## jabe1 (Jul 25, 2009)

Are there any more reports of hard to twist heads on the 1 AA? Mine is now worse than when new, almost a grinding in the threads, even after a thorough cleaning and re-lube.
One thing I did notice is that spring tension (due to battery length ie:14500) makes a huge difference! I put a thin o-ring between the clip retainer and the tailcap, keeping it form tightening all the way, and head twisting smoothed out considerably!


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 25, 2009)

jabe1 said:


> Are there any more reports of hard to twist heads on the 1 AA? Mine is now worse than when new, almost a grinding in the threads, even after a thorough cleaning and re-lube.
> One thing I did notice is that spring tension (due to battery length ie:14500) makes a huge difference! I put a thin o-ring between the clip retainer and the tailcap, keeping it form tightening all the way, and head twisting smoothed out considerably!



Might be the O-rings have swollen...what are you using for lube?


----------



## ninjaboigt (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> Yes, the 2xAA head will run fine on the single cell bodies - it's the same head as on the 123 and the AA.
> 
> Also, either Quark head will run well on a single li-ion (16340/123, 14500/AA, 17670/123-2), but the 123-2 head won't run on a base AA cell in the AA body or a CR123 in a 123 body.


 

Thanks for the reassurance!


----------



## Lobo (Jul 25, 2009)

jahxman said:


> I bought an extra regular tailcap for this purpose.


Thanks for the answer.
You're sure btw that you can switch the innards of the tailcaps? Or are you going to use the reverse clicky on the tactical? Think I actually could live with that.


----------



## half-watt (Jul 25, 2009)

*Re: Details on Quark tactical UI needed*



jahxman said:


> This is exactly how it works. I have a tactical Q123 and a regular Q123-2, and with the tactical tail on the regular quark, this is precisely how you operate the UI. All modes work, use momentary "half presses" until you reach desired mode, then full press/click on in that mode.



many thanks, j, for weighing in here. good to know. c

hecked earlier today and couldn't find a tac-tailcap on 4sevens site (maybe this blind old man just missed it???). 

i'll definitely get one tac-tail when they're available. 

have no interest in the tactical Quarks as i would just program them for MAX and ultraLow and can achieve that same basic operation with a regular Quark by using it similarly as a two-mode light. 

thanks again for the info.


----------



## hiker123 (Jul 25, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Thinking of something being _too warm, _I found my stock Mag 3D in the basement the other night and put some new batteries in it. The tint of the stock bulb is so yellowish.:green: The 5A tint is beautiful, though, and pure white in comparison to a stock Mag incan.



Where would a stock Mag incan be approximatley in the chart *DHart* showed - a 6C or 7C or 8C?

Here is the chart: http://img170.imageshack.us/i/creexlampnwwfullix9.jpg/


----------



## jabe1 (Jul 25, 2009)

Badbeams3 said:


> Might be the O-rings have swollen...what are you using for lube?



I'm using versatec bulb grease. It hasn't had adverse results with any other light. I also have tried the replacement o-rings to no avail :shakehead. I love this light, I just wish this problem could get solved!


----------



## jahxman (Jul 25, 2009)

Lobo said:


> Thanks for the answer.
> You're sure btw that you can switch the innards of the tailcaps? Or are you going to use the reverse clicky on the tactical? Think I actually could live with that.


 
I've taken them apart, but not to try to switch the innards ... I just like taking things apart 

The forward clicky switch will definitely not fit in the regular reverse clicky boot, it is too long. The boot is otherwise the only difference in the two tails, other than the switch itself.

So if you want tail-standing, you will need to use the regular reverse clicky.

Unless you want to venture into the unknown and start trying to fabricate your own arrangement to make it tail-standable with a forward clicky, but with the stock Quark parts you can't do it.


----------



## f22shift (Jul 25, 2009)

DHart said:


> Reading this on the 4Sevens sales page...
> 
> _These neutral white limited-run Quarks are a one-time production due to special request by members of candlepowerforums.com. We have a very VERY limited quantity of these. *When we run out then there will be no more.*_
> 
> ...


 
i do see your point and it sort of seems like the "we going out of business" stores that have been doing so for decades 

it's possible in the future there might be the 5b option as there has been some interest so it can very well be the only ones. also, situations can change which would change their mind. they do have the right.

i would just say consumers be smart and never fall for pressure tactics as it's everywhere. 

i think it's still worthy to get the neutral because the merits of the tint.


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 25, 2009)

jahxman said:


> I've taken them apart, but not to try to switch the innards ... I just like taking things apart
> 
> The forward clicky switch will definitely not fit in the regular reverse clicky boot, it is too long. The boot is otherwise the only difference in the two tails, other than the switch itself.
> 
> ...



Thanks for that! Dang, I was hoping to do this as I really want a tailstandable forward clicky light. Maybe 4sevens will design a tailstandable forward clicky switch?


----------



## Toohotruk (Jul 25, 2009)

FWIW...I actually sat down with QuarkMaster David (4 Sevens) and his associate (can't remember his name ) Thursday at the Outdoor Retailer Show in SLC for a good hour, and he showed me the difference between the regular and warm tint emitters...long story short, I kind of wish I had ordered the warm emitter, but I can easily live with the regular one I did buy. There really is a pretty big difference in color rendition between the two. Unfortunately, it was very well lit in there, so I couldn't really tell how much difference in output there is between them. And before you ask, I didn't think to ask them about future availability of the warm tint emitters...in fact, I've since thought of a lot of things I wish I would have inquired about. 

They also showed me a magic briefcase full of secret toys...some that will be released, and others that will not. I made them a promise that I would not divulge the secrets of the magic case, so there isn't much I can say, other than the future looks very bright for 7777! :naughty:

It really made my day to meet David and his associate ohgeez, they are both great guys that were very generous with their time, and their willingness to open the door for a peek at flashaholic paradise for a drooling fan. oo:

This is the first time I have ever actually talked with someone (in person) that is as into (probably more so) flashlights as I am. It really was AWESOME!!! :rock::rock::rock:


----------



## AFAustin (Jul 25, 2009)

Toohotruk, thanks for posting that. It is always great to see the nice guys become successful.


----------



## recDNA (Jul 25, 2009)

Tell him to get the MC-E version out before I get bored and buy the new Eagletac T20c!


----------



## Toohotruk (Jul 26, 2009)

AFAustin said:


> Toohotruk, thanks for posting that. It is always great to see the nice guys become successful.




That's just what I told him...after the way he treats his customers and all the hard work he has done with the Quark series, he deserves success.


----------



## Toohotruk (Jul 26, 2009)

recDNA said:


> Tell him to get the MC-E version out before I get bored and buy the new Eagletac T20c!


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 26, 2009)

hiker123 said:


> Where would a stock Mag incan be approximatley in the chart *DHart* showed - a 6C or 7C or 8C?
> 
> Here is the chart: http://img170.imageshack.us/i/creexlampnwwfullix9.jpg/


 
I honestly have a really hard time reading and translating those charts. I would guess that my stock Mag incan has got to be over in the 7-9 range/probably between 8-9 actually. I bet somebody here actually knows what a stock 3D Mag incan color temp is. It would be a good reference point for many people. Anyone?


----------



## burntoshine (Jul 26, 2009)

jabe1 said:


> Are there any more reports of hard to twist heads on the 1 AA? Mine is now worse than when new, almost a grinding in the threads, even after a thorough cleaning and re-lube.
> One thing I did notice is that spring tension (due to battery length ie:14500) makes a huge difference! I put a thin o-ring between the clip retainer and the tailcap, keeping it form tightening all the way, and head twisting smoothed out considerably!



i had trouble with my quark head being too tight on my AA. i was in the first pre-order batch. i just had to lube it up a little more and turn it back and forth. it has been perfectly fine ever since.

if you take the o-ring completely off, you can tell if the problem is the o-ring or the threads. i also noticed there's a lot of thread-play. without the o-ring on, the head wiggles around a lot. i think maybe on some of the quarks, the indentation where the o-ring sits might be too shallow, therefore pushing the o-ring further out causing more friction. i guess it could be o-ring thickness too or the inside diameter of the head, or a mix of all three.

the diameter of where the o-ring sits on my quark AA head is 712/1000 of an inch. maybe other people can measure theirs with a caliper to compare.


----------



## Lobo (Jul 27, 2009)

DHart said:


> The modular lego-ability of the Quarks is one of their greatest appeal to me. I have been having a great time swapping heads, bodies, tailcaps! You can put together an amazing range of sizes, switches, bodies, heads and powering options. Fantastic. The only thing the lego-maniac needs to avoid is driving the .9v-4.2 head with two CR123s or two RCR123s... other than that, you've got free reign to lego-away.


Man, you're killing me! Just read the Quark AA vs EZAA thread and you're making it a hard time for me NOT to buy the Quark. 
I saw that you had the D10 as well, which was the light I was actually going for, the size and features(not to mention the looks) are really appealing to me, but after reading Selfbuilts review, the throw numbers of the Quark blew me away. Would be awesome to have a pocket rocket like that. But I also realise that it's just numbers and the real world performance can differ, so how would you compare the D10 and the Quark AA(both on 14500) in the throw department? Is there a big difference? Cause that would be the main reason for me to get the Quark over the D10. And don't tell me to get both. 



jahxman said:


> I've taken them apart, but not to try to switch the innards ... I just like taking things apart
> 
> The forward clicky switch will definitely not fit in the regular reverse clicky boot, it is too long. The boot is otherwise the only difference in the two tails, other than the switch itself.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for clearing that out for me. Might actually get the regular version then, the UI isn't that horrible for me.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 27, 2009)

Well guys, hopefully some of us who ordered neutral Quarks might get a shipping notice today! 4sevens said that some should ship Monday and some Saturday. I guess we will have to wait and see. I sure am excited!


----------



## flatline (Jul 27, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Well guys, hopefully some of us who ordered neutral Quarks might get a shipping notice today! 4sevens said that some should ship Monday and some Saturday. I guess we will have to wait and see. I sure am excited!



So if we're not in today's batch, our Quarks won't ship for another 5 days?

*sigh*


----------



## oldpal (Jul 27, 2009)

Lobo said:


> Man, you're killing me! Just read the Quark AA vs EZAA thread and you're making it a hard time for me NOT to buy the Quark.
> I saw that you had the D10 as well, which was the light I was actually going for, the size and features(not to mention the looks) are really appealing to me, but after reading Selfbuilts review, the throw numbers of the Quark blew me away. Would be awesome to have a pocket rocket like that. But I also realise that it's just numbers and the real world performance can differ, so how would you compare the D10 and the Quark AA(both on 14500) in the throw department? Is there a big difference? Cause that would be the main reason for me to get the Quark over the D10. And don't tell me to get both.
> 
> 
> Thank you very much for clearing that out for me. Might actually get the regular version then, the UI isn't that horrible for me.



I have a D10 and a Quark AA, both running on AW 14500s. If you are concerned with throw, then the Quark is the one to get. But you be missing a very nice light by not getting the D10. Its Smart Piston design is a neat concept. The Quark AA also has a lower output with its moon-mode. Again, both are great lights, you can't go wrong with either.

Hugh


----------



## DHart (Jul 27, 2009)

Lobo said:


> Man, you're killing me! Just read the Quark AA vs EZAA thread and you're making it a hard time for me NOT to buy the Quark.
> I saw that you had the D10 as well, which was the light I was actually going for, the size and features(not to mention the looks) are really appealing to me, but after reading Selfbuilts review, the throw numbers of the Quark blew me away. Would be awesome to have a pocket rocket like that. But I also realise that it's just numbers and the real world performance can differ, so how would you compare the D10 and the Quark AA(both on 14500) in the throw department? Is there a big difference? Cause that would be the main reason for me to get the Quark over the D10. And don't tell me to get both.
> 
> 
> Thank you very much for clearing that out for me. Might actually get the regular version then, the UI isn't that horrible for me.



Lobo... the Quark is truly an phenomenal light... every time I use one of my Quarks (which is several times a day, every day and night) I am amazed at it's output. The Quark easily and very obviously out throws the D10. There is something about the combination of the XP-E emitter, the size and shape of the reflector, and the texture of the reflector... this light really reaches out there... way out there. And yet, the spill is wide and very useful. And the beam is so beautifully clean. You will not be the least disappointed in choosing a Quark. But I strongly urge you to run it with li-ion, no matter which model you get. If you get the QAA, run it with a protected 14500 cell and buy a 123 body (without clip) as well. For pocket carry, I much prefer the no-clip 123 version... it's amazingly small and handy. I've got Quarks in all the sizes except 2xAA (because I really dislike the size/length of 2xAA) and my two faves are the 123 and the 123x2 running on a 17670. I have the AA body if I need it because I have a number of other AA size lights, all of which I run with 14500.

The 123-2 on 17670 is my favorite Quark for sure! It has turned a couple of dozen otherwise fantastic lights that I have into shelf-queens. It is my go-to light around the house and would go along (with several other lights) on any night time outing. I love the size, output, runtime. I've modified the tailcap boot for much easier operation (uses a black DX 14mm aftermarket boot which protrudes a fair bit - so this tailcap boot the light will no longer tailstand, which is fine by me, I've got plenty of others which do tailstand).

But I use the 123 body just as much - it's one of my two EDC lights (LD01 stainless & Q123 ride in my front jeans pocket daily). I've modified the tailcap boot by inserting a shim underneath the boot between the boot and the switch cap for just a tiny bit more operational ease (it still tailstands with a tiny wobble).

As for the D10, yes, they're wonderful lights and I LOVE my D10. You will not be disappointed with either a Quark or a D10 and might as well get both. But the Quark clearly has the edge in output, versatility, and modularity... by a long shot.

I'm extremely impressed with the Quarks. So much so that CaNo calls me DQuark. (Rightly so, I suppose!)


----------



## DHart (Jul 27, 2009)

jahxman said:


> So if you want tail-standing, you will need to use the regular reverse clicky.



But you can still make the switch easier to activate by inserting a small shim between the inside of the boot cover and the switch head.

And soon, 4Sevens should have the revised switch boot available which will make activation easier.


----------



## Vox Clamatis in Deserto (Jul 27, 2009)

> Lobo... the Quark is truly an phenomenal light... every time I use one of my Quarks (which is several times a day, every day and night) I am amazed at it's output. The Quark easily and very obviously out throws the D10. There is something about the combination of the XP-E emitter, the size and shape of the reflector, and the texture of the reflector... this light really reaches out there... way out there.


 
I'll sure second that...


----------



## rockz4532 (Jul 27, 2009)

My Quark AAw has no shipping notice yet:sigh:


----------



## passive101 (Jul 27, 2009)

rockz4532 said:


> My Quark AAw has no shipping notice yet:sigh:



My 123A 2 has no shipping notice yet either.


----------



## f22shift (Jul 27, 2009)

DHart said:


> But you can still make the switch easier to activate by inserting a small shim between the inside of the boot cover and the switch head.
> 
> And soon, 4Sevens should have the revised switch boot available which will make activation easier.


 
hmm i remember my p10a had a thin metal shim in between the boot and the switch. i wonder if it did really help.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 27, 2009)

I have a warm standard 123 on order and was just about to order a warm Tac AA but noticed only 90 lm. Is this the same on a 14500 as well?


----------



## Lobo (Jul 27, 2009)

oldpal, Dhart, Vox, thanks for the input, guys! Or should I curse you? I really don't need more lights...

But I guess that makes up my mind. I already have an old Nitecore DI(from the very first batch with the "strong light") so the switch to a D10 wouldn't be that big, especially the beam. The Quark on the other hand, seems to be a totally different beast, and I have heard so much good about the XPE. I really like the D10, but I'll guess I'll pick one up later when they'll eventually update it. Makes you wonder though if 4seven is going to do more collaborations with Nitecore now when they have Quark.

Just a couple of minor questions more though. Does anyone know if there is a low battery warning on QuarkAA and when it kicks in? And can you still use lower light levels after you ran out the battery on the highest?


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 27, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> I have a warm standard 123 on order and was just about to order a warm Tac AA but noticed only 90 lm. Is this the same on a 14500 as well?



It will be the same as the 2AA and CR123 versions, but the warm versions will have lower lumens than stated, the AA will be slightly less than 90 lumens, except for on 14500.

Man I hope I get my shipping notice today


----------



## passive101 (Jul 27, 2009)

Does anyone know how many lumens the neutral 2x 123A is? I have it on order, but still haven't heard a lumen stated other then it's lower then the website states.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 27, 2009)

defloyd77 said:


> It will be the same as the 2AA and CR123 versions, but the warm versions will have lower lumens than stated, the AA will be slightly less than 90 lumens, except for on 14500.
> 
> Man I hope I get my shipping notice today


 
+1. Here, have some popcorn with me to help wait it out.


----------



## ninjaboigt (Jul 27, 2009)

4seven's website just got up dated, saying they just received the neutral tints! and tehy'll be shippping out [email protected] WOOOOO finally.......


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 27, 2009)

I just peeked over in the 4sevens marketplace to see if there was any update and yes, there will be some neutral Quarks shipping today!:twothumbs I don't know if mine will be coming yet, but at least some of us should have some new toys soon!


----------



## StinkyButler (Jul 27, 2009)

defloyd77 said:


> Man I hope I get my shipping notice today



I"ve been refreshing email all day, nothing yet.


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 27, 2009)

For those of you who have the tacticals, do you have to click it through each mode when selecting modes or can you do momentary to the mode you want and then click?


----------



## mbiraman (Jul 27, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> I have a warm standard 123 on order and was just about to order a warm Tac AA but noticed only 90 lm. Is this the same on a 14500 as well?


On my Quark AA i couldn't notice any difference between high and turbo until i put in the 14500 and then saw a difference. 90lms on a quark seem like lots of light and on 14500 is tons and still have the nice moonlight mode, cool


----------



## f22shift (Jul 27, 2009)

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2335650&postcount=71

neutral are in


----------



## Unforgiven (Jul 27, 2009)

defloyd77 said:


> For those of you who have the tacticals, do you have to click it through each mode when selecting modes or can you do momentary to the mode you want and then click?



You can go through the modes by activating the switch without clicking (Momentary) but you do have to get it to the "set mode" before you can change them. (head twist about 4 times = set mode)


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 27, 2009)

Unforgiven said:


> You can go through the modes by activating the switch without clicking (Momentary) but you do have to get it to the "set mode" before you can change them. (head twist about 4 times = set mode)



Awesome, thanks!!! I sort of figured you wouldn't have to click each time, but in the video showing the tac's ui, the guy clicks it each time.


----------



## StinkyButler (Jul 27, 2009)

f22shift said:


> http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2335650&postcount=71
> 
> neutral are in



I just checked email and I got a shipping notice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES!!!!!!


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 27, 2009)

Does it matter when you preordered, ie first come first served and maybe those who ordered at a later date (like myself) might not get theirs from this first batch or is the first batch for the preorderers and the second is for in store stock?

I have to give you guys a lot of credit. This is my first preorder and the anticipation kills me lol. How do you guys do it?


----------



## f22shift (Jul 27, 2009)

defloyd77 said:


> Does it matter when you preordered, ie first come first served and maybe those who ordered at a later date (like myself) might not get theirs from this first batch or is the first batch for the preorderers and the second is for in store stock?
> 
> I have to give you guys a lot of credit. This is my first preorder and the anticipation kills me lol. How do you guys do it?


 
not sure. i ordered over a month ago and didn't get a shipped notice.


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 27, 2009)

> It will be the same as the 2AA and CR123 versions, but the warm versions will have lower lumens than stated, the AA will be slightly less than 90 lumens, except for on 14500.


 Thanks. I'm now torn between a warm Tac 123(2) on a 17670 or AA running 14500. Trying to decide which will cover the bases when complimented with my warm 123 standard.


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 27, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> Thanks. I'm now torn between a warm Tac 123(2) on a 17670 or AA running 14500. Trying to decide which will cover the bases when complimented with my warm 123 standard.



You can run both 17670 and 14500 on either head, but of course the 2 x 123 head will be brighter, but shorter runtime than the AA head. Not sure if that helps or just made things any more complicated, but you know the CPF motto, buy both! I'd suggest the 2 x 123 head for increased brightness over your 123 standard. Did you get a clipped 123 head or clipless?

On another note, I just figured out how to have my e-mail service send me a text when I get something from 4sevens!!! I'm no longer in need of constantly checking and staying glued to this computer lol.


----------



## DHart (Jul 27, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> Thanks. I'm now torn between a warm Tac 123(2) on a 17670 or AA running 14500. Trying to decide which will cover the bases when complimented with my warm 123 standard.



Get the 123-2 and a AA body. Then you can use the head from your 123 or the head from the 123-2 on the AA body with a 14500. Or the head from your 123 on the AA body with NiMH, L91, or alkaline.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 27, 2009)

I didn't realize you could order it without the pocket clip. I sent them an e-mail just now to see if they could send me my order without the pocket clip for my 2x 123A standard neutral light.


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 27, 2009)

I think it's only the 1xCR123A that can be ordered without the clip, since the clip is not removable like the other Quarks.


----------



## passive101 (Jul 27, 2009)

Black Rose said:


> I think it's only the 1xCR123A that can be ordered without the clip, since the clip is not removable like the other Quarks.



Would it harm anything to take the clip off?


----------



## pobox1475 (Jul 27, 2009)

> Did you get a clipped 123 head or clipless?


 Clipless. Don't like bezel up carry. Only thing about it I know before it's in hand is no functional clip. I prefer them on an EDC pocket lights. Brighter 123(2) head does make sense.


----------



## Black Rose (Jul 27, 2009)

passive101 said:


> Would it harm anything to take the clip off?


The clip on the 2x123 is removable and reversible.

To remove the clip on a 1x123 that has a clip, you would have to cut it off


----------



## passive101 (Jul 27, 2009)

Black Rose said:


> The clip on the 2x123 is removable and reversible.
> 
> To remove the clip on a 1x123 that has a clip, you would have to cut it off



Oh then it is already perfect it sounds


----------



## Toohotruk (Jul 27, 2009)

DHart said:


> The modular lego-ability of the Quarks is one of their greatest appeal to me. I have been having a great time swapping heads, bodies, tailcaps! You can put together an amazing range of sizes, switches, bodies, heads and powering options. Fantastic. The only thing the lego-maniac needs to avoid is driving the .9v-4.2 head with two CR123s or two RCR123s... other than that, you've got free reign to lego-away.



One thing that I don't think 7777 will mind me saying about his prototypes and future lights, is you can expect the lego concept to continue...


----------



## DHart (Jul 27, 2009)

Toohotruk said:


> One thing that I don't think 7777 will mind me saying about his prototypes and future lights, is you can expect the lego concept to continue...



I like it!


----------



## Nake (Jul 27, 2009)

pobox1475 said:


> I have a warm standard 123 on order and was just about to order a warm Tac AA but noticed only 90 lm. Is this the same on a 14500 as well?


 
The 90lm rating is with AA batteries. With a 14500 it would be like the 123 model.


----------



## burntoshine (Jul 27, 2009)

defloyd77 said:


> Does it matter when you preordered, ie first come first served and maybe those who ordered at a later date (like myself) might not get theirs from this first batch or is the first batch for the preorderers and the second is for in store stock?
> 
> I have to give you guys a lot of credit. This is my first preorder and the anticipation kills me lol. How do you guys do it?



yeah, it matters. they process the orders in the order they're recieved. i pre-ordered my tk40 pretty early and was in the first batch sent out. there were a bunch of people that had pre-ordered later and didn't make the first shipment and had to wait even longer. and 7777 had to change the ship date about 3 times on that light to boot. waiting for that sucker was brutal.

i think waiting for a light to arrive gets easier as time goes on; at least for me. i think because ever since i fell into flashaholism, i've been upgrading my lights as i go and i seem to become happier with each one. i get pickier and pickier about what i buy because i've already bought lights that i really like. when i'm waiting on a light, i think to myself, "well, i do have these 30 other lights to play with in the mean time.". it depends though, if there's a new light that has a feature or something really new and cool to me, the wait is tougher.

...such a strange addiction.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 27, 2009)

f22shift said:


> not sure. i ordered over a month ago and didn't get a shipped notice.


 
I didn't get a shipping notice either. I ordered the first weekend of July so who knows. The anticipation is killing me. I have never preordered before, and the only reason I did was I didn't want to miss the chance for a warm Quark. Otherwise the whole preordering thing is not for me. I would rather wait for reviews and some real world useage before pulling the trigger. Since there have been a number of reviews and CPF users on the regular Quark line I wasn't to nervous since the only difference should be the emitter. Now back to my popcorn and tonic. :drunk:


----------



## Mikellen (Jul 27, 2009)

I ordered within the first couple of hours that the warm tacticals became available and I didn't receive a shipping notice.
Maybe tomorrow (I hope, I hope, I hope).


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jul 27, 2009)

Mikellen said:


> I ordered within the first couple of hours that the warm tacticals became available and I didn't receive a shipping notice.
> Maybe tomorrow (I hope, I hope, I hope).


 
Maybe the great and powerful Oz can help us, or maybe we will click our heels together 3 times and say, there's no place like home, there's no place like home, etc. 

4sevens did say in the marketplace that the warms were shipping from China in 2 seperate batches. I bet that means some Quark combos are not yet here like the tacticals, or AA regular, etc.


----------



## Mikellen (Jul 27, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> Maybe the great and powerful Oz can help us, or maybe we will click our heels together 3 times and say, there's no place like home, there's no place like home, etc.
> 
> 4sevens did say in the marketplace that the warms were shipping from China in 2 seperate batches. I bet that means some Quark combos are not yet here like the tacticals, or AA regular, etc.


 

Dang.....I don't have any heels. I guess I'll just have to wait for the mailman. I hope he's wearing shoes with a jet pack on them. 
(hehehehehehehe).


----------



## mio1 (Jul 27, 2009)

Just got my Q123 today. I originally ordered for the neutral tint but after reading some articles that R2 bin's are quite warmer in tint than Q5s, I sent 4sevens an email last friday stating that I would like to change my order to an R2. 
After opening the package, I was surprised to see that there were no markings on the head, body or the tail, except of course for the tail cap since I got the Tactical series. 
Comparing it with the EX10 GDP the R2's tint is obviously warmer. At maximum, obviously the Q123 outshines and out throws the EX10 GDP. And of course the Moonbeam, it's is so nice, meaning so low, lower than EX10s lowest output. There are two issues I have with Q123, or maybe it's jsut me. First is the "pre-flash", it's quite annoying. It's depicting the purpose of a "low low" especially in a very dark environment. I hope 4 sevens can do something about this. Second, i was kinda hoping that the knurling would be as aggressive as the ex10. Other than this, especially the "pre-flash", I still think that this is a very impressive little light. :thumbsup:


----------



## defloyd77 (Jul 27, 2009)

Mr. Tone said:


> I didn't get a shipping notice either. I ordered the first weekend of July so who knows. The anticipation is killing me. I have never preordered before, and the only reason I did was I didn't want to miss the chance for a warm Quark. Otherwise the whole preordering thing is not for me. I would rather wait for reviews and some real world useage before pulling the trigger. Since there have been a number of reviews and CPF users on the regular Quark line I wasn't to nervous since the only difference should be the emitter. Now back to my popcorn and tonic. :drunk:



It's the exact thing with me, I was psyched when I first found out about these, but being broke at that time and learning the neutrals were limited I kind of gave up hope. Then on the 3rd of July I was asked to do someone a favor (take care of their dog and cat) and was rewarded with 100 dollars. I got paid on the 18th and realized that the flashlight gods were smiling upon me and had to preorder my AA neu-tac no matter how much the wait will kill me.

Preorders get upgraded shipping right or am I confused with something else, I remember something about a 5 dollar downpayment and then that goes to upgrade the shipping?


----------



## passive101 (Jul 27, 2009)

What is the preflash that someone is talking about?


----------



## Unforgiven (Jul 27, 2009)

passive101 said:


> What is the preflash that someone is talking about?



There are a few threads on it in the 4sevens forum at the market place.


----------



## rockz4532 (Jul 27, 2009)

I pre-ordered my regular AAw July 19th, lol, no shipping notice...


----------



## DM51 (Jul 28, 2009)

Continued...


----------



## jcw122 (Jul 28, 2009)

DM51 said:


> Continued...



Don't forget to close this thread...


----------

