# *NEW* Fenix PD40 1x26650 MT-G2 Light



## Ryp (Jan 6, 2015)

http://www.fenixlight.com/ProductMore.aspx?id=1155&tid=9&cid=1#.VKzObivF9AI












Along with Fenix's new 26650 (not included)


----------



## BeastFlashlight (Jan 7, 2015)

Anyone know if these fat 26650 batteries will charge on an Xtar WPG II charger? I have so many 18650s would suck to need a new charger


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jan 7, 2015)

Dang! I really thought this was going to be an almost perfect light and thanks to this new info I realize that it does not have a rear clickie switch. I thought the side switch was just for changing modes. This is a major disappointment for me as I was ready to buy one of these when I first heard about it several weeks ago.


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

I'll keep using my TK35UE.


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

Just checked, but I don't see a Fenix branded charger, that can charge a 26650 battery. Wonder if they will release a new charger too?


----------



## TheBelgian (Jan 7, 2015)

kj2 said:


> Just checked, but I don't see a Fenix branded charger, that can charge a 26650 battery. Wonder if they will release a new charger too?



In the slides they are suggesting the are-c2 as a accessory, so it could probably handle it.
EDIT: Looking from pictures, it can take 26650, though only 2 at a time.


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

TheBelgian said:


> In the slides they are suggesting the are-c2 as a accessory, so it could probably handle it.
> EDIT: Looking from pictures, it can take 26650, though only 2 at a time.



Thanks


----------



## guitarhero (Jan 7, 2015)

kj2 said:


> I'll keep using my TK35UE.



Could you tell me why? Because of the better runtime or battery?
thanks in advance from germany
guitarhero


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

guitarhero said:


> Could you tell me why? Because of the better runtime or battery?
> thanks in advance from germany
> guitarhero



I already have batteries for it, and I like a rear clicky. It has a Turbo instead of a Burst mode and better runtime (specially on lowest mode). It is a little bit larger, but I'll take that.


----------



## kj75 (Jan 7, 2015)

Will be available in week 4, price € 99,90. 
But original 26650 will be available mid-February...price € 18,90


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

kj75 said:


> Will be available in week 4, price € 99,90.
> But original 26650 will be available mid-February...price € 18,90



So light is available sooner than the battery, but you need to purchase the battery separately. Right....


----------



## kwaka636 (Jan 7, 2015)

kj2 said:


> I already have batteries for it, and I like a rear clicky. It has a Turbo instead of a Burst mode and better runtime (specially on lowest mode). It is a little bit larger, but I'll take that.



Sorry guys, general question: is 'Turbo' a latching mode on a torch and 'Burst' a momentary (keep finger held) button press for max output? 

Keen to see how the UK price for this light works out. Thought I wanted a TK51 with ARE-C2 charger and 18650's as my first powerful torch 'kit', but maybe I should wait till all 2015 models are out - wanted a future proof charger/battery setup.

Mike


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

kwaka636 said:


> Sorry guys, general question: is 'Turbo' a latching mode on a torch and 'Burst' a momentary (keep finger held) button press for max output?
> 
> Keen to see how the UK price for this light works out. Thought I wanted a TK51 with ARE-C2 charger and 18650's as my first powerful torch 'kit', but maybe I should wait till all 2015 models are out - wanted a future proof charger/battery setup.
> 
> Mike


Burst is indeed a momentary mode.


----------



## SubLGT (Jan 7, 2015)

kj75 said:


> Will be available in week 4, price € 99,90………...



Converting to US dollars, it is around $118, which seems a bit overpriced. I wonder what Fenix pays for the MT-G2 versus the XM-L2?


----------



## SubLGT (Jan 7, 2015)

Fenix-store.com shows the PD40 being available on approx. Feb 13. Price is $99.95. Over priced, IMO.


----------



## Ryp (Jan 7, 2015)

Ehh, not bad but a little overpriced.


----------



## Capolini (Jan 7, 2015)

kj2 said:


> Just checked, but I don't see a Fenix branded charger, that can charge a 26650 battery. Wonder if they will release a new charger too?



That is NOT the case! I have Two Fenix ARE-C2 Four Bay Chargers and they charge 26650's. I have done it many times a few lights of mine that require 26650. They made the Two Outside bays bigger so you can charge Two w/ Two 18650 in the middle slots or a smaller 14500 or 16340


----------



## Capolini (Jan 7, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> Fenix-store.com shows the PD40 being available on approx. Feb 13. Price is $99.95. Over priced, IMO.


 I think OP likes the price! He had it over $150 on another thread!


----------



## Ryp (Jan 7, 2015)

Me? In the Fenix 2015 Catalogue I listed $160 for the price of the LD75, not the PD40.


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

Capolini said:


> That is NOT the case! I have Two Fenix ARE-C2 Four Bay Chargers and they charge 26650's. I have done it many times a few lights of mine that require 26650. They made the Two Outside bays bigger so you can charge Two w/ Two 18650 in the middle slots or a smaller 14500 or 16340



See post #7


----------



## LessDark (Jan 7, 2015)

So you can't use the Keeppower 5200mah protected battery in this light to get the burst mode?...I really like the idea of a MTG2 led on a single 26650, huge led on a huge battery.


----------



## Capolini (Jan 7, 2015)

kj2 said:


> See post #7



Just thought I would give you first hand experience instead a visual observation,,sorry!


----------



## Capolini (Jan 7, 2015)

Back to the light.I have ZERO interest in ANYTHING that has a Burst mode! Every manufacturer competes with how much output along w/ run time theire specific torch has. It is deception! The reality is it can not maintain high output for long and is an advertizing ploy!

Now when Fenix made the TK75 and the TK35 they did that right.They can maintain high output for the duration of the battery charge Although they have 20 and 25 minute step downs respectively. Just step back up! 

Obviously this [burst modes] does not matter to everybody or they would not sell any lights.For those people I would think they would enjoy this light? I will say that at least they tell you it is a burst mode so it is not a complete surprise for those expecting it to maintain that output.

It is just preference. I prefer high output when I am on the hiking trails.


----------



## Ryp (Jan 7, 2015)

I don't think they're deceiving anyone, as it is the buyer's responsibility to research the product before purchase. Also it's not really deception in the sense of output, as, despite the low runtime for burst mode, it is putting out the claimed output.


----------



## NH Lumens (Jan 7, 2015)

I'd be game for this light. 

For me, it's fills the _house light/walk-the-dog _niche extremely well with good low and mid setting outputs/runtimes. Even at 1000 lumens, nearly 2 hours of run time. Tail-stand it on the kitchen table during power outage on low and that wide, 80-lumen beam would be quite useful bounced off the ceiling for area lighting, all in a light that could be easily carried in a jacket pocket.

Like Ryp, this one is on my radar screen.


----------



## BeastFlashlight (Jan 7, 2015)

Wait a minute so Burst and Turbo are different? I always assumed they were synonyms. Ok so Turbo is always preferred over Burst...is there some kind of time frame definition like if it lasts less than 5 minutes it's Burst, and over 5 minutes is a Turbo mode?


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2015)

BeastFlashlight said:


> Wait a minute so Burst and Turbo are different? I always assumed they were synonyms. Ok so Turbo is always preferred over Burst...is there some kind of time frame definition like if it lasts less than 5 minutes it's Burst, and over 5 minutes is a Turbo mode?



Burst is momentary and is selected by press and hold of some kind. Although you also have to press and hold with the Olight SR Mini to get Turbo.
But with Fenix you need to press and hold to get Burst (on lights that have that mode).


----------



## BeastFlashlight (Jan 7, 2015)

Ok thanks, i never owned a Burst mode light then


----------



## SubLGT (Jan 7, 2015)

LessDark said:


> So you can't use the Keeppower 5200mah protected battery in this light to get the burst mode?……………………...



I don't see why you can't use a KP 5200.


----------



## martinaee (Jan 7, 2015)

I own the Fenix 2 18650 charger. Can the 4 bay ARE-C2 charger do multiple 26650's? I'd guess 2 at one time from the pics? No way you could get 4 of those in there.

Cool light, but I think I'll pass mainly because I don't think I want yet another type of battery. 26650's have amazing potential, but somehow sticking with 18650's seems more manageable for me. Also I don't think I like Fenix's recent "burst" mode on more powerful lights. I would much rather have them impliment a step down or even better active thermal management so it steps down. If it started at 1600 then slowly ramped down after a good minute that would be good.


----------



## andrew2 (Jan 7, 2015)

Mr. Tone said:


> Dang! I really thought this was going to be an almost perfect light and thanks to this new info I realize that it does not have a rear clickie switch. I thought the side switch was just for changing modes. This is a major disappointment for me as I was ready to buy one of these when I first heard about it several weeks ago.



From the picturrs on the website ,there is no tail switch,only a side switch,shoule be able to tail stand.


----------



## lionken07 (Jan 7, 2015)

oh man I had so much hope for this light... No tailcap clickie is a big no no for me. I don't mind the side switch but give me a rear clickie!

The output lockout is a letdown too. You can only use low setting at 50% battery power?


----------



## andrew2 (Jan 8, 2015)

martinaee said:


> I own the Fenix 2 18650 charger. Can the 4 bay ARE-C2 charger do multiple 26650's?



ARE-C2 can charge the 26650 battery.


----------



## Face (Jan 9, 2015)

Any reason why i couldnt use a 18650 cell with adapter in this light? Dont really want to have to get in to another cell type.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jan 9, 2015)

andrew2 said:


> From the picturrs on the website ,there is no tail switch,only a side switch,shoule be able to tail stand.



Correct, that is the reason that this is such a disappointment for me. If there would have been forward clicky switch on the rear and the side switch for mode changes this would have been a great light for me. With the side switch only and especially the .5 second wait for on/off it is a deal-breaker for me.


----------



## phantom23 (Jan 9, 2015)

Why buy this over the PD35? MT-G2 in this light makes no sense, it makes just 10klux/1m at 1600lm and only in short bursts. PD35 is also quite floody, basically as bright and much smaller. I think XHP-50 emitter (for mor ethrow) with regular timed stepdown would be better (not to mention XP-L with long stepdown, decent throw and runtimes).


----------



## L84CABO (Jan 9, 2015)

So what is the shelf life on a 26650? How long will a fully charged cell maintain it's charge if unused? I'm looking for a new house light. Preferably one that can run on both primary and rechargeables but I need a rechargeable that can hold a charge for 3-6 months. My current house light is a Fenix TK40 running on Eneloops which fit that requirement nicely.


----------



## kj2 (Jan 9, 2015)

L84CABO said:


> So what is the shelf life on a 26650? How long will a fully charged cell maintain it's charge if unused? I'm looking for a new house light. Preferably one that can run on both primary and rechargeables but I need a rechargeable that can hold a charge for 3-6 months. My current house light is a Fenix TK40 running on Eneloops which fit that requirement nicely.



Don't imagine a 26650 works differently than a 18650 since both are Li-ion. So need a charge every 2-3 months.


----------



## Tac Gunner (Jan 9, 2015)

I may have to keep close attention on this light. I currently run all AA lights except my eagletac sx25l2t which takes eagletac's 2 26650 battery pack and is rechargeable. With this light I can standardize on two battery types. I don't find the burst mode that big of an issue because really 1k lumens is plenty for most daily tasks and I have bigger lights which will handle the added heat and sustain longer runtimes. I find this to be a great all around edc light. I typically edc an EA4 and right now I treat the turbo mode as a boost mode so I don't over discharge my eneloops or over heat the light.


----------



## leon2245 (Jan 10, 2015)

Jeez man


----------



## phantom23 (Jan 10, 2015)

Smaller size and lighter weight applies to PD35.


----------



## LessDark (Jan 10, 2015)

The battery type and the LED used is my main reason for getting this light, I just love the two and have been looking for a light which uses both until now. Will be a great hiking light.


----------



## MichaelW (Jan 10, 2015)

Will it work on 2x cr123A?
With a large sleeve of sort to keep them centered/aligned.


----------



## 18650 (Jan 10, 2015)

Capolini said:


> Back to the light.I have ZERO interest in ANYTHING that has a Burst mode! Every manufacturer competes with how much output along w/ run time theire specific torch has. It is deception! The reality is it can not maintain high output for long and is an advertizing ploy! Now when Fenix made the TK75 and the TK35 they did that right.They can maintain high output for the duration of the battery charge Although they have 20 and 25 minute step downs respectively. Just step back up! Obviously this [burst modes] does not matter to everybody or they would not sell any lights.For those people I would think they would enjoy this light? I will say that at least they tell you it is a burst mode so it is not a complete surprise for those expecting it to maintain that output. It is just preference. I prefer high output when I am on the hiking trails.


 The choice isn't between having a "turbo" mode and a "burst" mode. The choice between having a high + burst mode versus high and no burst or turbo at all. Go on boycotting them for their "deception". Rather ironic the way you use the word deception there.


----------



## 18650 (Jan 10, 2015)

Face said:


> Any reason why i couldnt use a 18650 cell with adapter in this light? Dont really want to have to get in to another cell type.


 The current demands on burst might trip the protection on ICR cells? You might need to use IMR or hybrids?


----------



## StorminMatt (Jan 11, 2015)

Face said:


> Any reason why i couldnt use a 18650 cell with adapter in this light? Dont really want to have to get in to another cell type.



You can typically use an 18650 in any application that uses a 26650. But as the other guy said, you will want to use a high current cell. Your typical protected cell is probably not up to the task. It also goes without saying that runtime will be significantly shorter than with a 26650.


----------



## andrew2 (Jan 13, 2015)

MichaelW said:


> Will it work on 2x cr123A?
> With a large sleeve of sort to keep them centered/aligned.



I don't read the manual,but I am sure it can not use CR123A battery because 26650 is much bigger than CR123A battery,you can not put these two kind batteries into one flashlight


----------



## Ryp (Jan 13, 2015)

andrew2 said:


> I don't read the manual,but I am sure it can not use CR123A battery because 26650 is much bigger than CR123A battery,you can not put these two kind batteries into one flashlight



You can use CR123As in most 18650 lights, and 18650s in most 26650 lights so I don't see why not.


----------



## andrew2 (Jan 14, 2015)

Ryp said:


> You can use CR123As in most 18650 lights, and 18650s in most 26650 lights so I don't see why not.



Sorry,I am new to the forum,just google it ,yes, you are right,18650 lights can not use 26650 batteries,but 26650 lights can use 18650 batteries,they are only different in the diameter and the capacity.But I don't think it can use CR123A batteries,it is difficult to keep two CR123A batteries centered.


----------



## leon2245 (Jan 14, 2015)

Delrin sleeve or something, if physica l fit is the only problem


----------



## SubLGT (Jan 14, 2015)

Ryp said:


> You can use CR123As in most 18650 lights, and 18650s in most 26650 lights so I don't see why not.



Two CR123A batteries=6V. The PD40 is designed around a 3.7V battery. 6V may damage the electronics on the PD40.


----------



## Gotravelling (Jan 14, 2015)

kj2 said:


> Burst is momentary and is selected by press and hold of some kind. Although you also have to press and hold with the Olight SR Mini to get Turbo.
> But with Fenix you need to press and hold to get Burst (on lights that have that mode).



For now, i think Fenix burst mode should not have to hold it with fingers, it can last for 30 seconds, what I heard about PD40


----------



## SubLGT (Jan 14, 2015)

The instruction manual for the PD40 states that burst mode is activated by holding down the button. When the button is released, the light returns to the previous mode.


----------



## Munters (Jan 15, 2015)

As the size of a 26650 is roughly twice a 18650, I think a 26650 4800mAh is disappointing as 18650 are available as 3400mAh.
I would expect a 6500mAh at least.


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 15, 2015)

martinaee said:


> Cool light, but I think I'll pass mainly because I don't think I want yet another type of battery. 26650's have amazing potential, but somehow sticking with 18650's seems more manageable for me.


I don't understand this, if it's of no interest, why even post up in this thread? The battery type is clearly listed in the thread title.

On a side note, I also don't understand how "sticking with 18650's is more manageable", are you not able to manage AA and AAA batteries??? :thinking: I mean, it's not exactly complicated stuff.

And for the record, you can get plastic inserts that allow you to run an 18650 in a 26650 tube without rattle. Although on a light like this you'd need high performance 18650's to handle the current.


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 15, 2015)

Face said:


> Any reason why i couldnt use a 18650 cell with adapter in this light? Dont really want to have to get in to another cell type.


Physically an 18650 will fit and will work. But the MT-G2 is likely pulling quite a bit of current, even more so as this won't be a linear driver in there like it would be for an XM-L2 emitter.

The MT-G2 has a much higher forward voltage than an XM-L2, hence why most MT-G2 lights are multi Li-ion. The PD40 must be using a boost driver (the type you normally find in an AA/2AA light), although designed for the MT-G2 and Li-ion input voltage.

For an 18650 to deliver the amps and performance you'll probably need a high performance 18650, maybe such as an IMR or INR chemistry. ICR's will work, but performance will suffer.

Overall performance on an 18650 is likely to be less too. Certainly much less sustained high output performance and lower runtimes and cell dependant it might not even make it's full lumen quota.

I really can't see the issue with buying a 26650. They are pretty cheap and they are not a different type to an 18650, just a different size. In fact the only difference physically is they are 26mm wide rather than 18mm. There is more arguably as much difference between an AA and a AAA battery.


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 15, 2015)

L84CABO said:


> So what is the shelf life on a 26650? How long will a fully charged cell maintain it's charge if unused? I'm looking for a new house light. Preferably one that can run on both primary and rechargeables but I need a rechargeable that can hold a charge for 3-6 months. My current house light is a Fenix TK40 running on Eneloops which fit that requirement nicely.


A 26650 is exactly the same as a 10440, 14550, 16340, 18350, 18500, 18650. It's just a Li-ion.

Some reading up on Li-ion would be well worth your time and effort. :thumbsup:

Li-ion has a low self discharge. So make for good backup lights, just get a DMM and check it now and again and recharge when needed.

There are no primary batteries (non-rechargeable) suitable for this light.


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 15, 2015)

MichaelW said:


> Will it work on 2x cr123A?
> With a large sleeve of sort to keep them centered/aligned.


Nope, most likely not.

2xCR123a = 6v
1xLi-ion = 4.2v

The driver may be ok with it, but it might not like the voltage hike.

Biggest issue is capacity and probably current draw. CR123a's are low capacity, so even if they could power the torch, it wouldn't be for long enough for anyone to care, unless you only used low modes, in which point why bother with this exact torch anyhow.

Physcially fitting them in the torch too would require a 2xCR123a to 18650 adapter inside an 18650 to 26650 adapter.

Basically if you aren't happy running the right batteries, buy something else. It's like wanting to buy a diesel car that you are only willing to run on petrol!!!!


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 15, 2015)

Ryp said:


> You can use CR123As in most 18650 lights, and 18650s in most 26650 lights so I don't see why not.


This isn't true.

18650 lights only support 2xCR123a if the driver can handle more than 4.2v many many torches and drivers do not and are usually capped at 4.2v

18650's can often be used in 26650 torches because they are essentially the same thing. Same voltage, same sort of battery, even the same length. It's only the width that is different.

Although the larger size/volume of the 26650 means they handle current differently. Their C rating and C discharge ratings will be different.

But you also need to understand a little about this specific light. Most CREE LEDs such as XM-L2's or XP-G2's have a forward voltage of 3.x volts. This means you can direct drive them off one 4.2 Li-ion battery, as under load their nominal voltage is 3.6-3.7 volts. About ideal for these LEDs.

Conversely 2xCR123a (6v) and multi Li-ion torches will use a buck driver to lower the voltage supplied from the batteries down to what the LED needs (else it would fry the LED).

AA/2AA/AAA/1xCR123a all have a voltage below what normal CREE LEDs need, so these use a 'boost' driver to increase the voltage supplied to the led, ie the volts out of the driver are higher than those going in. To do this more current is used.


The MT-G2 is different, it has a forward voltage of 6.x volts, about double a normal XM-L2. This means you can't direct drive an MT-G2 from a single Li-ion, although you can direct drive them from 2 x Li-ion.

This PD40 must be using a boost driver to raise the voltage that the battery supplies. This means it is likely drawing more current to achieve this, hence why a 26650 is good for this as they have lots of capacity. But you'll note most/all other MT-G2 lights on the market at present are all multi Li-ion setups, this is down to needing the voltage and multi Li-ion with a buck driver is an easy way to do it.

CR123a's might have higher voltage when you run two in series. But it might be above the specs of the driver and fry it. But even so, the capacity of a CR123a is something like 1200mAh at low current and 600-700mAh at higher current.

I honestly don't think they are going to be suitable. It would be like using a 900cc motorbike engine in a 2500 Dodge Ram.


----------



## leon2245 (Jan 16, 2015)

A rear clicks for momentary, like the tk35ue's biggest advantage over this to me would have been great, but smaller, lighter, tail stands, & single cell all appeal to me too. 

ot but anyone know of any other single cell mt-g2's out there, or else multicell aa mtg2s?


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 16, 2015)

leon2245 said:


> ot but anyone know of any other single cell mt-g2's out there, or else multicell aa mtg2s?


I haven't seen any other single battery MT-G2's yet and I suspect for the reason I posted above. The forward voltage of the MT-G2 is much higher than that of an XM-L2, so it's just easier to run 2 x Li-ion.

As for mutli AA, the only ones I know of are custom Mags. But again it's a voltage thing, vs amp draw, vs capacity.

You'd probably need 7 or 8 AA's (NiMH) in series to get sufficient voltage. But in series that would still only be 2000mAh. So to make it useful with enough capacity you'd probably want 15-16 AA's in total.

If you would be happy with lower runtimes and lower output you could probably get by with 8 AA's in maybe a Mag 4D running 2AA in Series per D cell holder. But I bet you would only just match or maybe fall short of this PD40 in terms of performance and with only 40% of the runtime in something almost 4 times longer.


----------



## leon2245 (Jan 16, 2015)

It would be like using sixteen 50cc go-kart engines in a 2500 Dodge Ram.


----------



## zs&tas (Jan 16, 2015)

leon2245 said:


> It would be like using sixteen 50cc go-kart engines in a 2500 Dodge Ram.


Now theres a project !


----------



## HIDSGT (Jan 16, 2015)

30 second burst mode? LMAO... wat a marketing scam! Fenix just can't get anything right these days. this light has no rear tail switch and their new flagship light has a cluster of buttons on the side vs ONE big button like Olight uses so ppl can get confused which button does wat wen its dark out. 

great idea Fenix bravo! Fenix is failing with their new lights and need new developers obviously cause they are missing the boat here.... smh


----------



## martinaee (Jan 16, 2015)

HIDSGT said:


> 30 second burst mode? LMAO... wat a marketing scam! Fenix just can't get anything right these days. this light has no rear tail switch and their new flagship light has a cluster of buttons on the side vs ONE big button like Olight uses so ppl can get confused which button does wat wen its dark out.
> 
> great idea Fenix bravo! Fenix is failing with their new lights and need new developers obviously cause they are missing the boat here.... smh



Are you serious? The light is barely bigger than a TK11 and the *high* put out 1000 lumens. It's definitely pocketable and also does 1600 when you need it. I'm sorry, but we're just getting carried away here on CPF sometimes. Do you guys remember the Olight M22 warrior was released not long ago? People on here were losing their **** from it being able to do over 900 lumens in that small 1 18650 form factor. Are we really going to complain right now that a light this small can only do *1600* lumens for a short time? If you want 2000 lumens running for hours without dropping down in 2015 you just have to get a bigger light.

If you just don't like the non-tail-clicky format then just wait for other makers to put out their answer. Surely there will be tons of lights like this this year.


----------



## magicstone12 (Jan 18, 2015)

Chicken Drumstick said:


> On a side note, I also don't understand how "sticking with 18650's is more manageable", are you not able to manage AA and AAA batteries??? :thinking: I mean, it's not exactly complicated stuff.



Maybe 26650 battery is not available in his country.


----------



## zs&tas (Jan 19, 2015)

Well said martinaee thanks. I think this will be a really nice useable light . It is very very small, running on imr the turbo output will be reusable for much of the run I think too. 
When I am walking my dog and wonder whats up ahead, it dosnt take me 30 seconds to look, typically a quick scan around takes 10 secs ? Makes this light great to me !


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 19, 2015)

magicstone12 said:


> Maybe 26650 battery is not available in his country.


Very unlikely as you buy online with worldwide shipping.


----------



## Mr. Tone (Jan 19, 2015)

I personally love the 1x26650 format and size. It's just that the UI of this particular light doesn't suit my needs. Since Fenix has already developed the driver I bet we will see them give us additional products like this in the future that address some of our desires/needs.


----------



## LessDark (Jan 19, 2015)

Did anyone actually order this light? If so then I hope you will let us know what you think about it. I'm close to ordering it but just want to hear what other people think about it first.


----------



## martinaee (Jan 19, 2015)

Mr. Tone said:


> I personally love the 1x26650 format and size. It's just that the UI of this particular light doesn't suit my needs. Since Fenix has already developed the driver I bet we will see them give us additional products like this in the future that address some of our desires/needs.



I too think it's awesome, but I just can't see myself getting into ANOTHER battery format now. I've got AAA's, AA's (both in NiMh and Alkaline), D's in NiMh and some alkaline, 18650's, cr123's, 16650's, and an assortment of odd battery formats for random things. Also a million chargers and power cords for devices and also my DSLR batteries and chargers.

TOO MUCH lol... The 26650's are beasts, but I'm going to wait a few years if ever.


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Jan 20, 2015)

martinaee said:


> I too think it's awesome, but I just can't see myself getting into ANOTHER battery format now. I've got AAA's, AA's (both in NiMh and Alkaline), D's in NiMh and some alkaline, 18650's, cr123's, 16650's, and an assortment of odd battery formats for random things. Also a million chargers and power cords for devices and also my DSLR batteries and chargers.
> 
> TOO MUCH lol... The 26650's are beasts, but I'm going to wait a few years if ever.


lol I still struggle to see the issue tbh. If you have multiple flashlights at your disposal, you only need one 26650 and simply leave it in the torch. If you think you'll use it a lot or want a spare, get two and keep the other one in a box where you keep batteries.

Charging is easy, just get yourself a single Li-ion charger capable of charging say 14500 to 26650 sizes. It really isn't difficult.

Now if you where into RC cars or planes, that would be a different thing entirely. Lots and lots and lots of different sized batteries, specs, configs and connectors. But again it's really not complex or difficult.

Just as in the same way spanners and sockets come in different sizes and fitments too.


----------



## leon2245 (Jan 20, 2015)

YEah the next person who posts that needs to come up with a better reason than just not wanting more battery types to manage, being more difficult/expensive to obtain where you live, increased collection uniformity so that more of your lights are compatible with more of the total batteries you have etc. because chicken drumstick & I just aren't accepting those excuses, & tbh idk if we can move on until we fully understand why others are liking things that we don't like.


----------



## Stefano (Jan 24, 2015)

German review available 
http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/fenix/39423-review-fenix-pd40.html


----------



## martinaee (Jan 24, 2015)

Wow... almost no hotspot it looks like from those pictures. Should be a really nice walk around light if you don't need huge distances.


----------



## kj2 (Jan 25, 2015)

Like the fit and finish of this light. Looks indeed like there is (almost) no hot spot. Did hope it had a rear clicky.


----------



## NH Lumens (Jan 25, 2015)

martinaee said:


> Wow... almost no hotspot it looks like from those pictures. Should be a really nice walk around light if you don't need huge distances.



My thoughts exactly. We take the dogs out on leashes every night and a flood beam is far more usable for this activity. I still plan on ordering one in the next month or so for this purpose (as long as the reviews remain favorable).


----------



## martinaee (Jan 25, 2015)

Yup. With the XM-L(2) you can't really do this in a light this size so things are going to get interesting. Do any of you have 26650's AND the 2 cell fenix ARE-C1 charger (the one without a display)? I can't find anywhere if you specifically can't fit 26650's in it. I know the new one can, but if the less expensive 2 bay charger can too that would be amazing. (edit) It doesn't look like it would be possible just looking at mine/the pics and specifications and dimensions. I kind of want another 18650 charger anyway so I might get one in the future and especially if I wanted 26650 lights like this.

I think this light will spawn similar lights from other companies--- I personally want a light like this with a rear clicky so you can INSTANTLY shine 1600 lumens at something quick from out of your pocket 

I know Fenix doesn't take requests, but I'd like to see them do this light in the TK09 style. Make it tactical so it always come on in that crazy brightness, but you can easily cover it with your hand and bring it down if you don't need BEAST-MODE to blind everyone a city block away.


----------



## CodyCash (Jan 25, 2015)

Fenix is claiming that any of their 18650 chargers will work with the 26650, you can see it in the going gear shot show video on /youtube


----------



## SubLGT (Jan 25, 2015)

martinaee said:


> …………………….I think this light will spawn similar lights from other companies---…………….



I would like to see what Zebralight can do with a 1x 26650 + MTG2. Perhaps 1600 lumen for 20 minutes?


----------



## martinaee (Jan 25, 2015)

Really? Actually I guess maybe it would fit in. But only one at a time of course and it wouldn't have the contacts centered on the battery terminals. Maybe I'll contact Fenix-Store or Fenix to find out for sure.


----------



## Ryp (Jan 25, 2015)

I want a 1x18650 1" diameter MT-G2 light.


----------



## wrxman (Jan 25, 2015)

Mr. Tone said:


> Dang! I really thought this was going to be an almost perfect light and thanks to this new info I realize that it does not have a rear clickie switch. I thought the side switch was just for changing modes. This is a major disappointment for me as I was ready to buy one of these when I first heard about it several weeks ago.


I believe I heard in one of the Fenix shot show videos that it would charge in a normal charger.


----------



## westfork (Jan 25, 2015)

L84CABO said:


> So what is the shelf life on a 26650? How long will a fully charged cell maintain it's charge if unused? I'm looking for a new house light. Preferably one that can run on both primary and rechargeables but I need a rechargeable that can hold a charge for 3-6 months. My current house light is a Fenix TK40 running on Eneloops which fit that requirement nicely.



Well, I just checked a 26650 (4Sevens green 3900mAh) that has been sitting in a maelstrom S12 since 2011 and it has been at least two years since the cell has been charged since the light was barely used in that period. When I popped it in the charger it wouldn't kick in. Checked the voltage and it was still at 3.8 and powers the maelstom to full output. So as long as there is little parasitic drain by the flashlight you may be good.

**OK, I realized the charger was set at 3.7 volts instead of 4.2. At 4.2 it is topping off the charge. But still, over two years sitting in a flashlight with some use . . .


----------



## andrew2 (Jan 27, 2015)

martinaee said:


> Really? Actually I guess maybe it would fit in. But only one at a time of course and it wouldn't have the contacts centered on the battery terminals. Maybe I'll contact Fenix-Store or Fenix to find out for sure.



There is a picture on their website shows that their chargers can charge 2660 battery


----------



## HIDSGT (Jan 27, 2015)

yes very serious. marketing scam. I can buy a dozen other lights that have a 1000 lumens. hav no interest in some cheesy burst mode for a few seconds. totally worthless and misleading saying 1600 lumens! wat a joke!



martinaee said:


> Are you serious? The light is barely bigger than a TK11 and the *high* put out 1000 lumens. It's definitely pocketable and also does 1600 when you need it. I'm sorry, but we're just getting carried away here on CPF sometimes. Do you guys remember the Olight M22 warrior was released not long ago? People on here were losing their **** from it being able to do over 900 lumens in that small 1 18650 form factor. Are we really going to complain right now that a light this small can only do *1600* lumens for a short time? If you want 2000 lumens running for hours without dropping down in 2015 you just have to get a bigger light.
> 
> If you just don't like the non-tail-clicky format then just wait for other makers to put out their answer. Surely there will be tons of lights like this this year.


----------



## Ryp (Jan 27, 2015)

HIDSGT said:


> yes very serious. marketing scam. I can buy a dozen other lights that have a 1000 lumens. hav no interest in some cheesy burst mode for a few seconds. totally worthless and misleading saying 1600 lumens! wat a joke!



It actually does do 1600 lumens so I don't see how you could possibly think that it's misleading.


----------



## 18650 (Jan 27, 2015)

HIDSGT said:


> yes very serious. marketing scam. I can buy a dozen other lights that have a 1000 lumens. hav no interest in some cheesy burst mode for a few seconds. totally worthless and misleading saying 1600 lumens! wat a joke!


 Scam? Misleading? The spec sheet clearly calls it a burst mode and abstains from listing a runtime. Are you saying it doesn't actually hit 1600 lumens in burst mode or that burst mode doesn't exist? Well guess what, those "non scam" 1000 lumen lights will never have a 1600 lumen mode. At least you wouldn't feel scammed from buying one hah.


Ryp said:


> I want a 1x18650 1" diameter MT-G2 light.


 I would like to see that too along with the requisite 1000 lumen standard mode and 1600 lumen scam mode. I wonder if such a driver could be fitted into the SC62 body.


----------



## Ryp (Jan 27, 2015)

18650 said:


> I would like to see that too along with the requisite 1000 lumen standard mode and 1600 lumen scam mode. I wonder if such a driver could be fitted into the SC62 body.



That would be awesome, really high size-to-output ratio.


----------



## martinaee (Jan 27, 2015)

I don't have any of the Fenix lights with burst modes right now--- Does the mode eventually step down if you just hold it down for long enough? Surely it has to for heat build up prevention.

I can't say whether I would prefer a really short timed step down or Fenix's burst mode they've been doing in a lot of their lights, but it's not a "scam". They say how it works and it works that way... how is that a scam.


----------



## martinaee (Jan 27, 2015)

andrew2 said:


> There is a picture on their website shows that their chargers can charge 2660 battery



It shows the newer charger with the display charging a 26650, but not the older charger unless I'm just not seeing it.


----------



## guitarhero (Jan 28, 2015)

Is there any other review than the one from the german taschenlampenforum? 
Does anybody already have this?


----------



## wrxman (Jan 28, 2015)

guitarhero said:


> Is there any other review than the one from the german taschenlampenforum?
> Does anybody already have this?


I would just search YouTube.


----------



## westfork (Jan 31, 2015)

Mine just arrived and so far it looks good. The beam is a nice creamy neutral white and it is exceptionally floody with the hot spot barely noticed in most use. Burst mode appeared to be only the same intensity as high but then I noticed by battery taken from another light was mostly discharged. Will try again when it comes off the charger. The interface takes some getting used to. When you expect instant reaction from pressing a button, the half second delay seems odd. Does this delay feature help with handling the high current I wonder. I would also like to see if this type of switch contributes less to parasitic drain. We will see how it performs when the sun goes down.


----------



## wrxman (Jan 31, 2015)

westfork said:


> Mine just arrived and so far it looks good. The beam is a nice creamy neutral white and it is exceptionally floody with the hot spot barely noticed in most use. Burst mode appeared to be only the same intensity as high but then I noticed by battery taken from another light was mostly discharged. Will try again when it comes off the charger. The interface takes some getting used to. When you expect instant reaction from pressing a button, the half second delay seems odd. Does this delay feature help with handling the high current I wonder. I would also like to see if this type of switch contributes less to parasitic drain. We will see how it performs when the sun goes down.


cool let is know!


----------



## rickypanecatyl (Jan 31, 2015)

Capolini said:


> That is NOT the case! I have Two Fenix ARE-C2 Four Bay Chargers and they charge 26650's. I have done it many times a few lights of mine that require 26650. They made the Two Outside bays bigger so you can charge Two w/ Two 18650 in the middle slots or a smaller 14500 or 16340



I've got the ARE-C2 charger and it does't fit C's or 26650 though it says clearly on it that it does. I've heard both sides before and can only conclude they've got (1) battery charger sticker but (2) slightly different sized chargers.


----------



## westfork (Jan 31, 2015)

wrxman said:


> cool let is know!



OK, with a charged 26650 cell there is a very obvious increase from high to burst. About a half second delay from any level to the burst mode (a half second with no output) and immediate return to the previous level when button is released. VERY smooth floody output. The tint is just slightly cooler than my nichia 219B. I guess I won't be doing any outdoor tests tonight as a winter storm has arrived. Maybe I can see if it will burn through a blizzard on burst 

I just discovered that the interface on this light is affecting me. After handling the PD40 I find myself "holding for a half second" when clicking the computer mouse. . . .


----------



## martinaee (Jan 31, 2015)

I think I'm going to pass on this light (at least right now) for the simple reason that I'm assuming Fenix is planning other 26650 lights if they are willing to brand a 26650 of their own. 

I doubt they would do that just for the PD40 by itself. Especially with the MT-G2 and some of the other high power emitters I envision them coming out with other 26650 lights in the hopefully near future which is exciting. Maybe a more "tactical" type light but with out put like this PD40? How about an TK09 light but thicker and with a 26650 and MT-G2?  What do you guys think or hope for from Fenix in this regard?


----------



## Joeymt3 (Jan 31, 2015)

rickypanecatyl said:


> I've got the ARE-C2 charger and it does't fit C's or 26650 though it says clearly on it that it does. I've heard both sides before and can only conclude they've got (1) battery charger sticker but (2) slightly different sized chargers.



I've got the C2 charger and it will work with the larger batteries BUT you can only charge one at a time with mine. That's all that will fit and you must use one of the two middle slots. Try that and see if it works.


----------



## westfork (Jan 31, 2015)

The snow let up for a while so I did some outdoors testing of the PD40 against the foursevens S12/MMU. Both these lights are awesome! The tint on the SST-90 in the MMU is good but the PD40 is a beautiful creamy neutral white by comparison. The PD40 is pure flood and lights up the whole world with an even beam without a sharp hot spot contrast. The MMU is pretty floody but with a wide focused hot spot. Beyond 70 to 100 yards I would choose the MMU if I had to see detail. The PD40 is a great high power flood light while the S12/MMU combines good flood with moderate throw. The PD40 has more levels than the MMU and the momentary burst mode that can be easy accessed from any level is a big plus. The build quality on both is excellent!
After the first few minutes it looked like I was losing the burst mode on the PD40 again. This was no doubt because of the lower capacity four year old cell I was using that couldn't keep up with the demands of the 1600 lumen burst mode. It is hard to decide which light to grab when heading out the door as they are similar size, weight, and shape and both put out an incredible number of lumens. The output of the PD40 is more pleasing with its smooth warm flood but the hot spot of the S12/MMU allows more reach while still producing a good flood. As you can see I am rambling in indecisiveness here 
I hope these casual observations are useful.


----------



## wrxman (Jan 31, 2015)

westfork said:


> OK, with a charged 26650 cell there is a very obvious increase from high to burst. About a half second delay from any level to the burst mode (a half second with no output) and immediate return to the previous level when button is released. VERY smooth floody output. The tint is just slightly cooler than my nichia 219B. I guess I won't be doing any outdoor tests tonight as a winter storm has arrived. Maybe I can see if it will burn through a blizzard on burst
> 
> I just discovered that the interface on this light is affecting me. After handling the PD40 I find myself "holding for a half second" when clicking the computer mouse. . . .


 So, do you like the light so far?


----------



## westfork (Feb 1, 2015)

wrxman said:


> So, do you like the light so far?



Yes, very much so. I have always liked the single 26650 format and neutral to warm tints so this light had me coming in. It has a fantastic smooth floody beam and performs just as expected. Things that would have made it even better for me:
-Thick stainless steel bezel (I have broken way too may lights over the years from front end falls).
-Eliminate the half second delay for on & off and going into burst mode. I assume this is for switch protection dealing with the high current.
-Separate controls for on/off and modes is always preferred, but the PD40 is pretty intuitive.


----------



## westfork (Feb 1, 2015)

Here are some pictures comparing the PD40 with the Maelstrom S12 & MMU to go with my comparison comments above. Both Maelstroms have the SST-90 led while the PD40 has the new MT-G2. The release of the Fenix PD40 is four years after the FourSevens Maelstrom S12.


----------



## moshow9 (Feb 1, 2015)

westfork said:


> Yes, very much so. I have always liked the single 26650 format and neutral to warm tints so this light had me coming in. It has a fantastic smooth floody beam and performs just as expected. Things that would have made it even better for me:
> -Thick stainless steel bezel (I have broken way too may lights over the years from front end falls).
> *-Eliminate the half second delay for on & off and going into burst mode. I assume this is for switch protection dealing with the high current.*
> -Separate controls for on/off and modes is always preferred, but the PD40 is pretty intuitive.



I believe this is a feature on the greater majority, if not all, of Fenix's recent lights that use a second button for mode switching. A while back I picked up a PD32 and mode switching was like this. I also own and carry a LD40 since it's release, and this too has the slight delay in mode advancement after pressing the mode switch button, despite being a 4xAA light. Maybe it is Fenix opting for a sort of soft-transition to the next mode? Just a guess though, as I honestly do not understand the reasoning behind it.


----------



## thedoc007 (Feb 1, 2015)

westfork said:


> -Eliminate the half second delay for on & off and going into burst mode. I assume this is for switch protection dealing with the high current.
> -Separate controls for on/off and modes is always preferred, but the PD40 is pretty intuitive.



I think that assumption is incorrect. Electronic switches don't need to carry the full current (or even a substantial portion of it), which might be one reason why Fenix didn't go with a rear clicky. IF it had have a physical switch, the current might be a problem...but even then I don't see how a half-second delay would make it any better. Either it can handle the current, or not. I too usually prefer separate switches, but using two electronic switches like the Fenix TK75 or Sunwayman D40A would be the best solution in this case. 

I'm still waiting for an explanation for the delay...sounds like it would be very annoying. Burst modes are nice, but having a delay defeats one of the main purposes to have it.


----------



## thedoc007 (Feb 1, 2015)

moshow9 said:


> I believe this is a feature on the greater majority, if not all, of Fenix's recent lights that use a second button for mode switching. A while back I picked up a PD32 and mode switching was like this. I also own and carry a LD40 since it's release, and this too has the slight delay in mode advancement after pressing the mode switch button, despite being a 4xAA light. Maybe it is Fenix opting for a sort of soft-transition to the next mode? Just a guess though, as I honestly do not understand the reasoning behind it.



I have a PD35, a PD32UE, had a TK75 and a TK61. None of them ever had any kind of delay when switching modes, or turning on/off. I am baffled...


----------



## moshow9 (Feb 1, 2015)

thedoc007 said:


> I have a PD35, a PD32UE, had a TK75 and a TK61. None of them ever had any kind of delay when switching modes, or turning on/off. I am baffled...


I am mistaken then. Still interesting and odd nevertheless.


----------



## westfork (Feb 1, 2015)

The delay in on and off isn't too bad, but when going into burst mode directly from another level the output ceases for that half second. It is running, your hold the button to activate burst, it goes dark for a half second, and then burst is on. When the button is released it goes immediately to the prior level without a delay. Now going from off there is no loss of output between the last used level and burst.


----------



## wrxman (Feb 1, 2015)

westfork said:


> The delay in on and off isn't too bad, but when going into burst mode directly from another level the output ceases for that half second. It is running, your hold the button to activate burst, it goes dark for a half second, and then burst is on. When the button is released it goes immediately to the prior level without a delay. Now going from off there is no loss of output between the last used level and burst.


I'm thinking that the delay for on and off is to prevent accidental powering of the light in a pocket or bag. The PD 12 has the same switch but it is instant on and would come on in the pocket all the time. So I think the delay is good to initially turn on the light.


----------



## cloggy (Feb 1, 2015)

Does anyone know if this light has a lockout?
Either activated by the switch like the Nitecore EA4 or by partially unscrewing the tail cap?
It looks easy to inadvertently switch it on if it hasn't.


----------



## wrxman (Feb 1, 2015)

westfork said:


> The snow let up for a while so I did some outdoors testing of the PD40 against the foursevens S12/MMU. Both these lights are awesome! The tint on the SST-90 in the MMU is good but the PD40 is a beautiful creamy neutral white by comparison. The PD40 is pure flood and lights up the whole world with an even beam without a sharp hot spot contrast. The MMU is pretty floody but with a wide focused hot spot. Beyond 70 to 100 yards I would choose the MMU if I had to see detail. The PD40 is a great high power flood light while the S12/MMU combines good flood with moderate throw. The PD40 has more levels than the MMU and the momentary burst mode that can be easy accessed from any level is a big plus. The build quality on both is excellent!
> After the first few minutes it looked like I was losing the burst mode on the PD40 again. This was no doubt because of the lower capacity four year old cell I was using that couldn't keep up with the demands of the 1600 lumen burst mode. It is hard to decide which light to grab when heading out the door as they are similar size, weight, and shape and both put out an incredible number of lumens. The output of the PD40 is more pleasing with its smooth warm flood but the hot spot of the S12/MMU allows more reach while still producing a good flood. As you can see I am rambling in indecisiveness here
> I hope these casual observations are useful.


good thing you have them all!


----------



## wrxman (Feb 1, 2015)

moshow9 said:


> I am mistaken then. Still interesting and odd nevertheless.



The PD40 has a different switch than any of those. Same as the PD12.


----------



## martinaee (Feb 2, 2015)

Does the PD40 have memory for the modes besides burst?


----------



## kj2 (Feb 2, 2015)

martinaee said:


> Does the PD40 have memory for the modes besides burst?



AFAIK, yes.


----------



## wrxman (Feb 2, 2015)

thedoc007 said:


> I think that assumption is incorrect. Electronic switches don't need to carry the full current (or even a substantial portion of it), which might be one reason why Fenix didn't go with a rear clicky. IF it had have a physical switch, the current might be a problem...but even then I don't see how a half-second delay would make it any better. Either it can handle the current, or not. I too usually prefer separate switches, but using two electronic switches like the Fenix TK75 or Sunwayman D40A would be the best solution in this case.
> 
> I'm still waiting for an explanation for the delay...sounds like it would be very annoying. Burst modes are nice, but having a delay defeats one of the main purposes to have it.


Ok, it's not much of a delay. The only delay should be to turn it on and to enter burst mode; maybe half a second.


----------



## w8kbrder (Feb 2, 2015)

wrxman said:


> Ok, it's not much of a delay. The only delay should be to turn it on and to enter burst mode; maybe half a second.



So whats the general consensus on this light? I was about to pull the trigger and purchase it but now I'm holding back. I love the way the body is shaped...simple and not busy looking. Love the orangepeel reflector. I'm big on a wider flood rather than a narrow beam as the majority of reasons I want a light is usually up close and personal (protection, observing the most of my surroundings at night, etc).


----------



## westfork (Feb 2, 2015)

w8kbrder said:


> So whats the general consensus on this light? I was about to pull the trigger and purchase it but now I'm holding back. I love the way the body is shaped...simple and not busy looking. Love the orangepeel reflector. I'm big on a wider flood rather than a narrow beam as the majority of reasons I want a light is usually up close and personal (protection, observing the most of my surroundings at night, etc).



It has quickly become my favorite light to grab when taking the dogs out. The beam is so pleasant in both tint and smoothness and it has the capability to definitely illuminate a large area. The shape really makes it easy to hold on to (narrow in middle and wider at each end) and the UI is pretty straight forward. The 26650 platform is great because you have the simplicity and safety of a single cell in a high powered light. The build is very stout as you can see by the large chunk of aluminum around the head but the cooling fins look to be less likely to be damaged than on most lights. Small enough to stuff in your back pocket but with lots of output. I did notice during our double digit below zero night that the button can be hard to find with gloves unless you look at the light. But overall I think it is a winner, especially for the current price using CPF discounts.


----------



## martinaee (Feb 2, 2015)

westfork said:


> It has quickly become my favorite light to grab when taking the dogs out. The beam is so pleasant in both tint and smoothness and it has the capability to definitely illuminate a large area. The shape really makes it easy to hold on to (narrow in middle and wider at each end) and the UI is pretty straight forward. The 26650 platform is great because you have the simplicity and safety of a single cell in a high powered light. The build is very stout as you can see by the large chunk of aluminum around the head but the cooling fins look to be less likely to be damaged than on most lights. Small enough to stuff in your back pocket but with lots of output. I did notice during our double digit below zero night that the button can be hard to find with gloves unless you look at the light. But overall I think it is a winner, especially for the current price using CPF discounts.



What CPF discounts?


----------



## westfork (Feb 2, 2015)

martinaee said:


> What CPF discounts?[/QUOTE
> 
> Many dealers offer discount codes for CPF members. There is a long list on a thread at CPF Marketplace under "Good Deals" the first post "Sticky: "CPF Specials" webpages/dealers".


----------



## CM2010 (Feb 17, 2015)

Would these cells be fine for this light?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-GENUINE...RECHARGEABLE-BATTERIES-UK-STOCK-/181460241857

And what's the difference between these ones http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...eview-of-Keeppower-26650-5200mAh-(Black)-2014 ?


----------



## kj2 (Feb 17, 2015)

You can, but there is not really a need to use IMR cells. Light doesn't ask that much Amp.


----------



## CM2010 (Feb 17, 2015)

It's just that my light is on hold whilst my dealer waits for the Fenix 26650's to come into stock and I'm looking for an alternative.


----------



## texas cop (Feb 18, 2015)

I received mine. I like it and put the meter to it with a freshly charged ICR 26700. On eco- 0.035 amp, low- 0.148 amp, med- 0.590 amp, high and burst on the meter both do 2.7 amps. However off the meter there's a brightness difference so it looks like the circuit doesn't like the extra resistance from the meter. The slightest turn of the tail cap does lock out the battery. When on low and turning it off one half of the led has a slight glow while the other half is completely off. A few tries with a welder's lens showed this happening consistently when the light cycled from low to off. You can actually see the individual 36 dots on and the other 36 dots off.


----------



## Lex Icon (Feb 19, 2015)

CM2010 said:


> It's just that my light is on hold whilst my dealer waits for the Fenix 26650's to come into stock and I'm looking for an alternative.



As for a battery alternative, a 5200 mah Keeppower I ordered only barely fits into my Nitecore D4 charger when I force it after slightly bending one of the charger prongs backwards….be aware!


----------



## Lex Icon (Feb 19, 2015)

LessDark said:


> So you can't use the Keeppower 5200mah protected battery in this light to get the burst mode?...I really like the idea of a MTG2 led on a single 26650, huge led on a huge battery.


The 5200 mah protected Keeppower battery seems to work fine for my light, with considerations for a compatible charger. I love the LED and tint, the build quality and beam pattern. However, it is heavy compared to my Zebralight SC62, and the burst mode a bit disappointing.


----------



## CM2010 (Feb 19, 2015)

I was actually looking all over for the keeppower 26650 5200 blacks but could only find the IMR ones so ordered them, what actually turned up was the ones I wanted and they fit fine in my xtar vp2 and PD40..


----------



## Lawson4323 (Feb 20, 2015)

How big is this light?


----------



## Ryp (Feb 20, 2015)

Lawson4323 said:


> How big is this light?



The dimensions are on the website and there are a couple of pictures in this thread using other lights/hands for size reference.


----------



## Mr. Nobody (Feb 24, 2015)

HIDSGT said:


> 30 second burst mode? LMAO... wat a marketing scam! Fenix just can't get anything right these days. this light has no rear tail switch and their new flagship light has a cluster of buttons on the side vs ONE big button like Olight uses so ppl can get confused which button does wat wen its dark out.
> 
> great idea Fenix bravo! Fenix is failing with their new lights and need new developers obviously cause they are missing the boat here.... smh


Here's Nitecores chance to pass up Fenix...of that'll ever happen


----------



## TDW1954 (Feb 24, 2015)

HIDSGT said:


> yes very serious. marketing scam. I can buy a dozen other lights that have a 1000 lumens. hav no interest in some cheesy burst mode for a few seconds. totally worthless and misleading saying 1600 lumens! wat a joke!



But it doesn't take very long to look around with 1600 lumens.


----------



## TDW1954 (Feb 24, 2015)

westfork said:


> When you expect instant reaction from pressing a button, the half second delay seems odd. Does this delay feature help with handling the high current I wonder.



It might be a safety consideration especially with the button on the side. I have a nasty scar on my hip from my seat belt buckle bumping my tail cap switch while driving to work one night. I thought the bezel of the light was gouging me and by the time I figured out what was hurting me I had a nasty burn.


----------



## andrew2 (Feb 27, 2015)

Lawson4323 said:


> How big is this light?



Size: Length: 145mm (5.7 in.) Diameter: 40mm (1.6 in.)


----------



## Gemman Aster (Mar 28, 2015)

Hey Forum!!!

I just got hold of one of these and thought I would post my impressions. The asking price is a bit steep to plump for without at least a little guidance. I don't really know how to go in to all the details required for a proper review and can only really give comparisons to my existing torches. Nonetheless I hope this proves useful to someone.

A little background to my choice might not come amiss. I have been something of a torch collector since I was a kiddie in the blackout during the last war. Back then 'number 8' batteries were like gold dust, so I perhaps appreciate all these rechargeable cells with interesting output voltages a little more than some younger chaps do! Over the past 25-30 years I have been a loyal and exclusive fan of Maglite and I think have bought an example of every size they produce from single AAA to the giant six D cell. A while ago I read that solid-state 'bulbs' were soon going to replace incandescents and so was a bit surprised when Maglite did not really seem to jump on that bandwagon. They do now offer a couple of LED options, but the performance is not overwhelming and the range quite limited. Accordingly I decided to dip my toe in to the pool of competing brands.

Initially I picked up a Chinese clone/knock-off 'UltraFire XML-T6' from Amazon for about £10 I think. This included an illegal battery charger - without even the socket for a fuse - and two Li-Ion 18650's. I must admit I was hugely impressed by the brightness for its size and the handy focussing collar. Sadly it started to suffer the death of a thousand cuts almost at once; within three weeks the lense dropped out and had to be super-glued back in, the tail-switch became dislodged which also needed re-gluing in place and finally the focussing-collar seal broke and proved tough to find a replacement of the right size. Still, it proved to me LED's these days were pretty good and so I took the plunge for a reputable make.

For no particular reason I chose Fenix and their 'PD25 Ultimate Edition'. What I specifically wanted was a bright torch that was small enough for the inside pocket of a coat, which this model seemed made for. At first I was a little underwhelmed! The 'PD25ue' was if anything too small, little more than a 'pen light'; in comparison to the zombie UltraFire, perhaps equally bright but more diffusely focussed. However the thing has grown on me over time and I now find it invaluable. When compared in a practical night-time setting it is actually VERY bright, especially for its size/weight and is absolutely perfect for carrying in the pocket at all times.

Given these two index points I now come to the 'Fenix PD40'. Firstly; the price is very, very steep at almost £100 for a hand torch. Even the giant D-Cell Maglite only cost me £35! It also requires pretty expensive 26650 Li-ion batteries to feed it. Good, protected ones with a decent capacity seem to average at around £15-£20 each. You definitely do not want to fork out that kind of money casually. For those prices you need to know you will get a lot of use from it for a long time. Thankfully that required 'sensation of quality' is present in spades! In fact it feels so trimly made and hefty that you really suspect you could drive nails with it! At the same time the physical size is... Not terrible actually. In length it feels about equal to a Mini Maglite, while about twice as chunky. When combined with the single 26650 cell it is an appreciable weight, but does not tire you out carrying it. 'Reassuringly Solid' I would say. Certainly it is handy enough and fits in to a pocket without any difficulty. Still, I do not think anyone would want to carry it all the time. Obviously the most important factor to consider is the brightness. In this area it really, truly excels. On top, not even 'burst' setting it blows every other torch I have out to the water including the biggest Maglite. Yet it takes up a third at most of the space and weight of that monster. I easily lit my whole living room with it stood on end at medium brightness during a recent power cut. The level of light was comfortable to read under. The beam will also reach an amazing distance, certainly to the back of my acre-plus garden/tree-wilderness! Yet, it must be said the 'burst' setting is a bit of an enigma. Supposedly you activate it by holding in the power button. However the beam this produces does not seem any brighter to my eyes than the top 'normal' setting. I guess this could be useful if you were stranded on the moors after a car breakdown say and needed to signal for help. Unlike the 'PD25ue', both the power switch and the brightness selector are integrated in to one push-button that is located on the side. I have read several people saying this is a deal-breaker for them and to some extent I can understand why. It is fairly easy to accidentally switch the torch on while stowing in the 'holster'. However, I personally do not like the awkwardness of having to switch on with a tail-button so do not mind. Also, as I mentioned it is nice to be able to stand it on end to light a room or perhaps tent if you were out camping. In regards the outdoors, supposedly the 'PD40' is waterproof to 2 meters. I have not dropped it into the bath to check! However it is nice to know if you are walking in the rain then no harm will be done. I do slightly miss the spot-to-flood capability of the Maglites and even the otherwise shoddy Ultrafire. However the uniformity of the beam seems pretty much perfect to me and you are not constantly twiddling the setting to try to move the uneven 'blindspot' out of the area you want to see.

Finally, as I mentioned in passing the 'PD40' requires the fairly uncommon - to me - 26650 size battery. These are not only expensive to buy at a reasonable capacity, but require a very capable charger. I have had a second-generation 'NiteCore Intellicharger i4' for about six months. In fact I bought it after receiving the terrifying and illegal fuse-free charger with the Ultrafire. Over that time it has proven a capable machine given the asking price, although I understand there are some problems regarding the excessive charging voltage it uses for certain cells. Usefully it claims to fit pretty much every size of Li-ion, Ni-MH and Ni-Cd battery. This includes the huge 26650. However... An unprotected, low-brand 26650 would indeed - just - clip in to the holder. Yet, when I attempted to charge a good brand name, protected and therefore slightly longer battery I discovered it would not fit. This forced me yet again to buy another charger! After reading a number of positive reviews I chose the very well regarded 'XTar VP2' and this has proven an amazingly high quality piece of work. Not only will it genuinely charge every Li-ion cell on the market - handily, only Li-ion - it also offers a huge degree of granularity in setting and user control. I would recommend the 'VP2' to absolutely everyone who is looking for a Li-ion only charger. I can categorically state this does fit the protected 26650's the 'PD40' demands and charges them quickly and safely.

At the end of the day, I would sum up the 'PD40' as; expensive, but an excellent quality and exceptionally bright torch indeed. I heavily recommend it.


----------



## SubLGT (Mar 28, 2015)

Gemman Aster said:


> ………………….Yet, it must be said the 'burst' setting is a bit of an enigma. Supposedly you activate it by holding in the power button. However the beam this produces does not seem any brighter to my eyes than the top 'normal' setting……………...



I enjoyed reading your review. That is a surprising result from the burst setting. Exactly which 26650 battery were you using? And was it fully charged?


----------



## ven (Mar 29, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> I enjoyed reading your review.
> 
> +1


----------



## run4jc (Mar 29, 2015)

I really appreciate your review as well. Though I have no need, that Fenix is appealing - the MTG2 emitter is awesome for lighting large areas, and I already have a 26650 cell. Just fyi - not sure if he still makes these, but MartinDWhite makes an interesting array of battery adapters. I have a number of them, and one of the most useful is the 18650 'dummy' with 2 charging wires/magnets. This little adapter can be put in any charger that can charge an 18650 and allows you to charge any size battery. Thread here.

This thread is dedicated to the PD40, so I'll make this additional comment brief. My experience with the Intellicharger has been great - no overcharging issues on any cell. Even Eneloops - it just sets the voltage and charges. I haven't tried charging any 3.2V li-ions, but I have a dedicated charger for those anyway.

So again, thanks for the PD40 review! When the budget recovers from too many purchases of late, that is the next light on my list.

:thumbsup:


----------



## Gemman Aster (Mar 29, 2015)

MANY thanks chaps! I actually enjoyed writing it! I might do a more thorough one for the tiny 'PD22ue' next, as that little thing has really grown on me.



SubLGT said:


> I enjoyed reading your review. That is a surprising result from the burst setting. Exactly which 26650 battery were you using? And was it fully charged?



I have actually used two different types of battery. I bought the 'PD40' from http://www.torchdirect.co.uk - an excellent internet outfit. However, at that point they were out of stock of the recommended 'Fenix ARB L4's and I wanted to try the torch out over the coming weekend, so had them split the order and got hold of another 26650 on next-day delivery from another source. This unit was NOT a very inspiring brand - '4sevens' - and not protected either, which at least allowed it to slot in to the 'Intellicharger i4'. The Fenix cells came a couple of days later, followed after another pause by the ' XTar VP2' to actually charge them!

So in total, I have used a '4Sevens 26650' and 2 'Fenix ARB L4's'. In both cases I have now run them through the 'VP2' to ensure a good charge.

It could be that 'burst' is accessible as the top setting both through clicking the button through to it in sequence and also as a 'shortcut' by holding it in, when set on one of the the lesser brightnesses. However that was not my understanding of how the 'PD40' worked.


----------



## SubLGT (Mar 30, 2015)

You are not really required to use a protected battery in the PD40. The Fenix batteries you are using are probably high quality. I thought perhaps you were using Ultrafire or Trustfire, etc. I wonder who manufactures the 4800mAh cell that Fenix is using?

Other reviewers have commented that burst mode is brighter than high mode, but only by a small margin. Surprising that 60% more lumens is not perceived as a large increase, isn't it?

I don't know how much current flows through the boost driver and LED when in burst mode, but I wonder if an IMR cell (such as Efest 4200mAh or KeepPower 4200mAh) might make the burst mode brighter.


----------



## Gemman Aster (Mar 30, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> You are not really required to use a protected battery in the PD40. The Fenix batteries you are using are probably high quality. I thought perhaps you were using Ultrafire or Trustfire, etc. I wonder who manufactures the 4800mAh cell that Fenix is using?
> 
> Other reviewers have commented that burst mode is brighter than high mode, but only by a small margin. Surprising that 60% more lumens is not perceived as a large increase, isn't it?
> 
> I don't know how much current flows through the boost driver and LED when in burst mode, but I wonder if an IMR cell (such as Efest 4200mAh or KeepPower 4200mAh) might make the burst mode brighter.



Do our eyes work on a logarithmic/exponential scale perhaps, like hearing?

I have not tried the 'IMR' type of battery yet, although the 'VP2' charger does say it can handle them - so perhaps that would be an interesting thing to look in to. Also, I do have some of those cheaper brands you mention in 18650 size - they came with the knockoff 'UltraFire XML-T6' torch. I had already considered the possibility they were a bit duff though as they do not hold a charge for very long at all.

One thing I realize I forgot to mention in my mini-review is the fact there is apparently a lot of room for 'modding' the 'PD40'. I have seen several people talk about tweaking the voltage regulator or even removing the LED array itself and replacing it with a brighter/more advanced model. I have also read a suggestion for adding the contentious feature of a tail-button. I may give some of that a go at some point - but to be honest I think you might want to try that kind of game with a cheaper base-unit!


----------



## reppans (Mar 30, 2015)

Gemman Aster said:


> Do our eyes work on a logarithmic/exponential scale perhaps, like hearing?



Yes definitely, and arguably subject to square/square root laws - ie, it takes 4x the lumens to appear 2x as bright. So a 60% lumen increase will appear 27% brighter or 1.6^0.5=1.27


----------



## andrew2 (Mar 31, 2015)

reppans said:


> Yes definitely, and arguably subject to square/square root laws - ie, it takes 4x the lumens to appear 2x as bright. So a 60% lumen increase will appear 27% brighter or 1.6^0.5=1.27



Professional !!


----------



## SubLGT (Apr 4, 2015)

FYI: Someone at BLF is organizing a group buy on the PD40, at $76 (or lower). http://budgetlightforum.com/node/38648


----------



## andrew2 (Apr 6, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> FYI: Someone at BLF is organizing a group buy on the PD40, at $76 (or lower). http://budgetlightforum.com/node/38648



Good information!


----------



## avernite (May 22, 2015)

Just received mine today. The MT-G2 emitter is larger than I anticipated and looks like a tasty, lemon flavored candy. Looking forward to sunset.


----------



## moldyoldy (May 22, 2015)

FWIW, I have the PD40, not sure for how long. I do not really care for the on/off switching method - requiring a rather long press. Changing output modes is a short press. The long press would admittedly prevent accidentally switching the light on from random pressure. However the method is baffling for people new to the PD40 and confusing to me since I often change lights used depending on the need. 

More importantly, the presumed burst mode lumen increase does require a low-output-resistance 26650 cell. I first used a 4Sevens 26650 and the difference between burst and high was negligible once used for only a couple minutes on burst mode (exact time not documented). I purchased the recommended Fenix 26650 and the burst mode lumen increase noticeably lasts much longer. The burst mode on the PD40 does require a cell with less voltage drop during high current draw. I tried only the 4Sevens and recommended Fenix 26650 cells.

The difference between burst mode and high is easily verified by setting the light output on high, then holding the switch until burst mode is entered, which also means a very short blackout as it switches. Once in burst mode, then release the switch and the light instantly drops back to high, thus allowing a quick comparison in output. 

The MT-G2 LED remains outstanding in this implementation!


----------



## StorminMatt (May 23, 2015)

I don't think protected cells are the way to go with this light. From my observations, this light doesn't seem to go into burst mode if voltage is below 4.0V. Given that you typically lose around .1V through a protection circuit, you can see that burst mode won't work for long at all with a protected cell. Of course, it won't work super long with an unprotected cell, either. But you can maximize available runtime by using cells that can support higher draws, such as the King Kong 4000 or even the Keeppower 5200. If the King Kong 5000 26700 will fit, that would also be a good choice.

At the end of the day, though, this is a rather imperfect light. Fenix should have done a better job with the burst mode. And it's really more of a gimmick than anything else. On the other hand, 1000 lumens still isn't too shabby. And given that the tint and beam of this light is WORLDS better than, say, the Foursevens MMU-X3, it is DEFINITELY worth getting.


----------



## lumen aeternum (May 23, 2015)

I've never thought it appropriate to say "epic fail" before. A 1/2 second of COMPLETE DARKNESS when you try to activate the "emergency" mode... wtf were they thinking?

Not to mention probably needing unprotected cells to utilize it...

Very sad, I love my floody Fenix TK22. The TK40 seemed like a great step up with the available mid-ranges.


----------



## StorminMatt (May 23, 2015)

lumen aeternum said:


> Not to mention probably needing unprotected cells to utilize it...



I don't see this as a liability. The PD40 already has low voltage protection. So protected cells aren't necessary.


----------



## lumen aeternum (May 23, 2015)

The cell Fenix recommends is their 4800 protected cell. BUT the fine print on the spec sheet says it was tested "with thermal control and low voltage warning function turned off." Does this mean they stripped the protection circuit off the battery, or does the flashlight have those functions? If so, did they mod the light or activate a user-usable function on the light? maybe a hidden mode?

And will that battery fit in an Intellicharger i4?

If I pretend the 1600 mode doesn't exist, are the other modes at useful intervals? Compared to the >900 lumens in the PD35 & TK22...
Its the huge run time off that battery... but you could carry a spare for the other lights...

1000, 300, 80, 20 PD40
920, 400, 120, 10 TK22 (2014 edition)
960, 460, 180, 50, 14 PD35 (2014 edition) is this as floody as the TK22 (I LIKE that flood)


----------



## LessDark (May 23, 2015)

I just got this light as well and tbh I just ignore the burst mode. The 4 other modes are enough, and 1000lm more than enough for sure. 
The 300lm mode is perfect for hiking or walking the dog, and at that mode it has a really long runtime compared to the other 18650 lights. 
It's my first mtg2 light, and I do really like it but I just wish it had a tiny bit warmer colour temperature. 
With a soshine 5500mah battery it has almost endless runtime


----------



## StorminMatt (May 23, 2015)

I pretty much ignore the burst mode myself. And like the other guy said, 1000 lumens is plenty. I should also mention that, unlike 18650 lights, the 1000 lumen mode operates without a stepdown. So you're literally getting 1000 lumens until the battery is dead. And with a Keeppower 5200, this is about an hour and thirty five minutes until it steps down to 300 lumens. Fenix claims 8 hours at 300 lumens. This probably includes runtimes in lower modes after stepping down (in line with FL-1 standards). But even if you can get a solid six hours at 300 lumens, that's not bad. Unlike carrying extra cells with an 18650 light, you don't have to worry about changing batteries on a pitch-black moonless night in the Sierra.


----------



## andrew2 (May 26, 2015)

StorminMatt said:


> I pretty much ignore the burst mode myself. And like the other guy said, 1000 lumens is plenty. I should also mention that, unlike 18650 lights, the 1000 lumen mode operates without a stepdown. So you're literally getting 1000 lumens until the battery is dead. And with a Keeppower 5200, this is about an hour and thirty five minutes until it steps down to 300 lumens. Fenix claims 8 hours at 300 lumens. This probably includes runtimes in lower modes after stepping down (in line with FL-1 standards). But even if you can get a solid six hours at 300 lumens, that's not bad. Unlike carrying extra cells with an 18650 light, you don't have to worry about changing batteries on a pitch-black moonless night in the Sierra.



For me,I enjoy camping outside,100 lumens is pretty enough for me.It is good for walking around.I really can not understand why people need the 2000 or 3000 lumens output.What do they do with such a bright flashlight?


----------



## avernite (May 27, 2015)

andrew2 said:


> For me,I enjoy camping outside,100 lumens is pretty enough for me.It is good for walking around.I really can not understand why people need the 2000 or 3000 lumens output.What do they do with such a bright flashlight?



I agree. Personally, I find the 100-150 lumen range ideal for walking around in the woods; 300 lumens or more is not as comfortable to my eyes. Dedicated throwers are a different story though, I can see good reason for high outputs for those kinds of lights.


----------



## andrew2 (May 31, 2015)

avernite said:


> I agree. Personally, I find the 100-150 lumen range ideal for walking around in the woods; 300 lumens or more is not as comfortable to my eyes. Dedicated throwers are a different story though, I can see good reason for high outputs for those kinds of lights.



Yes,high lumen output is useful and necessary for some people,such as rescue worker and flashlight enthusiasts.


----------



## StorminMatt (Jun 1, 2015)

avernite said:


> I agree. Personally, I find the 100-150 lumen range ideal for walking around in the woods; 300 lumens or more is not as comfortable to my eyes. Dedicated throwers are a different story though, I can see good reason for high outputs for those kinds of lights.



Alot depends on the terrain. If the trail is such that I can just walk along without having to pay attention to my feet, 100-150 lumens is enough. But many trails where I hike (or at least parts of those trails) are rather rough and rocky. Then I want more.


----------



## magicstone12 (Jun 10, 2015)

StorminMatt said:


> Alot depends on the terrain. If the trail is such that I can just walk along without having to pay attention to my feet, 100-150 lumens is enough. But many trails where I hike (or at least parts of those trails) are rather rough and rocky. Then I want more.



But you can not do everything with just one flashlight.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 2, 2015)

Has anyone ran the light on a 18650? Just wondering what type of run times it gets on the lower levels and if "burst" is still available...using an adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X5DZ5GI/?tag=cpf0b6-20


----------



## StorminMatt (Jul 3, 2015)

Badbeams3 said:


> Has anyone ran the light on a 18650? Just wondering what type of run times it gets on the lower levels and if "burst" is still available...using an adapter.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X5DZ5GI/?tag=cpf0b6-20



This actually got me REALLY interested. I have no special sleeve to use with an 18650. So I just wrapped one in paper. The cell was an unprotected Sanyo/Panasonic NCR18650GA fully charged to 4.18V. With this cell, the light ran on high (1000 lumens) for 55 minutes before stepping down to 300 lumens (at which point, voltage was 3.48V - close to fully dead). This is quite a bit less than the 1:25 that I get with a fully charged 4000mAH King Kong. But that battery is underrated, and 26650s seem to be rated to a higher cutoff voltage (around 2,8-3.0V) compared to 18650s (typically 2.5V). For comparison, Keeppower 5200 runs for 1:35.

The bottom line is that an 18650 WILL work in this light. Burst mode also works, at least with a higher current cell like the unprotected NCR18650GA. I haven't tried it yet with an NCR18650G, and I have no protected cells to test. But given that you can easily lose a tenth or two of a volt through a protection circuit, the light may fail to enter burst mode with a protected 18650 (or only go into burst mode for a short time). Regardless, you give up ALOT of runtime in high compared to a 26650. Of course, you should still get pretty decent runtime in the lower modes with an 18650. So run 18650s in this light if you like. But to get the most of it, you should really run 26650s. Because even a relatively low capacity 26650 will give you around 50% greater runtime that the current top of the line 18650.


----------



## Badbeams3 (Jul 4, 2015)

StorminMatt said:


> This actually got me REALLY interested. I have no special sleeve to use with an 18650. So I just wrapped one in paper. The cell was an unprotected Sanyo/Panasonic NCR18650GA fully charged to 4.18V. With this cell, the light ran on high (1000 lumens) for 55 minutes before stepping down to 300 lumens (at which point, voltage was 3.48V - close to fully dead). This is quite a bit less than the 1:25 that I get with a fully charged 4000mAH King Kong. But that battery is underrated, and 26650s seem to be rated to a higher cutoff voltage (around 2,8-3.0V) compared to 18650s (typically 2.5V). For comparison, Keeppower 5200 runs for 1:35.
> 
> The bottom line is that an 18650 WILL work in this light. Burst mode also works, at least with a higher current cell like the unprotected NCR18650GA. I haven't tried it yet with an NCR18650G, and I have no protected cells to test. But given that you can easily lose a tenth or two of a volt through a protection circuit, the light may fail to enter burst mode with a protected 18650 (or only go into burst mode for a short time). Regardless, you give up ALOT of runtime in high compared to a 26650. Of course, you should still get pretty decent runtime in the lower modes with an 18650. So run 18650s in this light if you like. But to get the most of it, you should really run 26650s. Because even a relatively low capacity 26650 will give you around 50% greater runtime that the current top of the line 18650.



Actually I think 55 minutes at 1000 lumen constant with no step down is pretty darn good for a 18650. I wonder if the MT-G2 is more efficient than the XM-L2 U2...be very interesting to see what type of run times this light delivers on the lower more commonly used levels on an 18650...might be companies don't use them cause they are more expensive than the common XM's....


----------



## StorminMatt (Jul 4, 2015)

Badbeams3 said:


> Actually I think 55 minutes at 1000 lumen constant with no step down is pretty darn good for a 18650. I wonder if the MT-G2 is more efficient than the XM-L2 U2...be very interesting to see what type of run times this light delivers on the lower more commonly used levels on an 18650...might be companies don't use them cause they are more expensive than the common XM's....



Well, runtime at 300 lumens is 4:54 with the same fully charged 18V) NCR18650GA. Not bad. Definitely ALOT better than the 2.5-3hr that I get with the same cell in my SC62d. But I'm sure the Luxeon T is nowhere near as efficient as the MT-G2. As far as efficiency of the MT-G2 vs XM-L2, not sure how they compare. But all in all, it looks like the PD40 is a fairly efficient light, especially when you consider that it runs a boost converter. Then again, a boost converter is not nearly as inefficient when you start off with a nominal 3.7V than with, say, 1.2V from a single NiMH cell.

Of course, price is probably an issue with the MT-G2 vs XM-L2. The MT-G2 is just plain expensive to buy, even compared to the XHP70/50 emitters. Add to this the fact that you need a boost converter for single cell lights, and an MT-G2 light is going to cost ALOT more to make.


----------



## thedoc007 (Jul 4, 2015)

StorminMatt said:


> As far as efficiency of the MT-G2 vs XM-L2, not sure how they compare.



I did some rough math a while back...at peak output, XM-L2 and MT-G2 have almost identical efficiency. Of course, at 1000 lumens, the XM-L2 is at redline, and the MT-G2 is just cruising. So at that particular drive level, the MT-G2 will definitely be more efficient. At 300 lumens, I'd guess the MT-G2 would still win out, but the difference wouldn't be as large. This is one reason why triples and quads actually make sense...even if it gives you similar output to a single-LED setup, you will get less waste heat, and better runtime, assuming all else is equal.


----------



## andrew2 (Jul 21, 2015)

thedoc007 said:


> I did some rough math a while back...at peak output, XM-L2 and MT-G2 have almost identical efficiency. Of course, at 1000 lumens, the XM-L2 is at redline, and the MT-G2 is just cruising. So at that particular drivel level, the MT-G2 will definitely be more efficient. At 300 lumens, I'd guess the MT-G2 would still win out, but the difference wouldn't be as large. This is one reason why triples and quads actually make sense...even if it gives you similar output to a single-LED setup, you will get less waste heat, and better runtime, assuming all else is equal.



Sounds great,I am just curious about how to test it?


----------



## StorminMatt (Jul 21, 2015)

thedoc007 said:


> I did some rough math a while back...at peak output, XM-L2 and MT-G2 have almost identical efficiency. Of course, at 1000 lumens, the XM-L2 is at redline, and the MT-G2 is just cruising. So at that particular drive level, the MT-G2 will definitely be more efficient. At 300 lumens, I'd guess the MT-G2 would still win out, but the difference wouldn't be as large. This is one reason why triples and quads actually make sense...even if it gives you similar output to a single-LED setup, you will get less waste heat, and better runtime, assuming all else is equal.



Then again, triple and quad XM-L2 lights are unlikely to have either the awesome tint or the artifact-free beam of a single MT-G2. Especially since most of these lights are cool white only. One only need compare the PD40 to, say, the Foursevens MMU-X3 to see what I'm talking about. That's one reason why, for me, the MT-G2 will ALWAYS win out over a triple or quad light.


----------



## thedoc007 (Jul 21, 2015)

StorminMatt said:


> Then again, triple and quad XM-L2 lights are unlikely to have either the awesome tint or the artifact-free beam of a single MT-G2. Especially since most of these lights are cool white only. One only need compare the PD40 to, say, the Foursevens MMU-X3 to see what I'm talking about. That's one reason why, for me, the MT-G2 will ALWAYS win out over a triple or quad light.




My comment about triples and quads was a tangent...I meant compared to a single die version using the same emitter. For example, a single XM-L2 over-driven to 1500 lumens, versus a triple XM-L2 where each LED is cruising at 500 lumens each. (That is part of the "all else equal" statement - if you use a different LED, you are introducing many other confounding variables, and rules of thumb won't cut it.) Sorry that was unclear. My comment was addressing the efficiency aspect, not arguing for any particular setup. I too prefer single LED MT-G2, in the real world, compared with multiple XM-L2. Not even a tough choice.


----------



## Swedpat (Sep 13, 2015)

texas cop said:


> I received mine. I like it and put the meter to it with a freshly charged ICR 26700. On eco- 0.035 amp, low- 0.148 amp, med- 0.590 amp, high and burst on the meter both do 2.7 amps. However off the meter there's a brightness difference so it looks like the circuit doesn't like the extra resistance from the meter. *The slightest turn of the tail cap does lock out the battery.* When on low and turning it off one half of the led has a slight glow while the other half is completely off. A few tries with a welder's lens showed this happening consistently when the light cycled from low to off. You can actually see the individual 36 dots on and the other 36 dots off.



Hi!
I find this light attractive. That both because I have two other lights with MT-G2 emitter and I like the tint. Also I already use lights powered by 26650 battery.
Just to be sure I got it right: this means a small turn of the tailcap makes this light protected from accidental activation?


----------



## SubLGT (Sep 13, 2015)

Swedpat said:


> ...this means a small turn of the tailcap makes this light protected from accidental activation?



Yes.


----------



## LessDark (Sep 14, 2015)

This light requires you holding down the button for 1 sec to turn the light on/off, which also helps against accidental activation.


----------



## markr6 (Sep 14, 2015)

LessDark said:


> This light requires you holding down the button for 1 sec to turn the light on/off, which also helps against accidental activation.



That was the thing really holding me back on this light. But still on my radar.


----------



## LessDark (Sep 14, 2015)

markr6 said:


> That was the thing really holding me back on this light. But still on my radar.



Really? That's one of the features I really like about this light, it's not annoying for me at least.


----------



## markr6 (Sep 14, 2015)

LessDark said:


> Really? That's one of the features I really like about this light, it's not annoying for me at least.



I guess it's not a big deal depending on how you use it. For me, a lot of my use is turning it on and off frequently, so a momentary switch is nice. Even a click on/off is OK. I don't think I could get used to holding it down every time.


----------



## WarRaven (Sep 14, 2015)

It's doable, just a little different from most, 
I loan a E25 and most say it won't work or they can't shut it off lol.
It has same delay.
IMO, a double click would be a bit better for on and off.
Jmtc, still a sweet light at any rate.


----------



## Swedpat (Sep 14, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> Yes.





LessDark said:


> This light requires you holding down the button for 1 sec to turn the light on/off, which also helps against accidental activation.



Thanks for info, that's good. Even if I prefer forward clicky with momentary on but I can live with that. But I wonder about the runtime: the claimed time at 1000lm is 1h 45m. Still this does not make me satisfied because it's according to ANSI/NEMA standard(until 10% of output). Anyone who have measured the stable output time at 1000lm level?


----------



## texas cop (Sep 14, 2015)

I'm using King Kong 26700 5000 mAh - ICR26700 Battery in my light and it has a fairly flat output curve for most of the batteries life. These particular batteries also showed a real capacity of about 5300 mah and has the ability to run the turbo mode for about half the cycle of the cell. A few other cells had trouble running turbo after only a little run time.


----------



## SubLGT (Sep 14, 2015)

I am surprised a 70mm long battery will fit in the PD40 without doing some crush damage to the battery, or to the flashlight circuit board.

Addendum: after looking at the specs for the Fenix 4800mAh battery, which is 70.5mm long, I am no longer surprised that the 26700 battery fits.


----------



## LessDark (Sep 14, 2015)

I'm using 71.1mm long 5200mah keeppower batteries in mine without any problems.


----------



## andrew2 (Sep 16, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> I am surprised a 70mm long battery will fit in the PD40 without doing some crush damage to the battery, or to the flashlight circuit board.
> 
> Addendum: after looking at the specs for the Fenix 4800mAh battery, which is 70.5mm long, I am no longer surprised that the 26700 battery fits.



There are coil springs on both sides,so I think it doesn't matter if the battery is one or two mm longer


----------



## Swedpat (Sep 16, 2015)

texas cop said:


> I'm using King Kong 26700 5000 mAh - ICR26700 Battery in my light and it has a fairly flat output curve for most of the batteries life. These particular batteries also showed a real capacity of about 5300 mah and has the ability to run the turbo mode for about half the cycle of the cell. A few other cells had trouble running turbo after only a little run time.



I have two 4Sevens 4000mAh cells for my Maelstrom MMU-X3. This light puts out 1400-1500 lm for more than an hour, yes around 1000lm for more than two hours without cooling. Yes; 3x XM-L2 will be more efficient than one MT-G2 emitter, I think. Anyway 1000lm for one hour should be possible with PD40. Unfortunately Selfbuilt has not reviewed PD40, that would give all information needed.


----------



## anongpc (Sep 17, 2015)

use 26650 Have a longer battery life, And good quality of the overall work,I like it.


----------



## StorminMatt (Sep 17, 2015)

Swedpat said:


> I have two 4Sevens 4000mAh cells for my Maelstrom MMU-X3. This light puts out 1400-1500 lm for more than an hour, yes around 1000lm for more than two hours without cooling. Yes; 3x XM-L2 will be more efficient than one MT-G2 emitter, I think. Anyway 1000lm for one hour should be possible with PD40. Unfortunately Selfbuilt has not reviewed PD40, that would give all information needed.



THE PD40 gives me 1000 lumens for 1:25 with a King Kong ICR and 1:35 with a Keeppower 5200. As for the MMU-X3, it may run for close to two hours. But it won't give you 1000 lumens for that time. It steps down to around 700 lumens (or so). Not sure how efficient a triple XM-L2 is compared to the MT-G2. But the one thing that probably helps it is the fact that it doesn't need a boost converter. On the other hand, the MMU-X3 is a less pleasant light to use due to its hideous cool white tint (with NO neutral option). And the beam quality is nowhere near as good as the PD40.


----------



## magicstone12 (Sep 21, 2015)

anongpc said:


> use 26650 Have a longer battery life, And good quality of the overall work,I like it.



Ii only supports 26650 battery,you have no other choice.


----------



## WarRaven (Sep 21, 2015)

You can run 18650 in this light.


----------



## magicstone12 (Sep 23, 2015)

WarRaven said:


> You can run 18650 in this light.



Where do you find this? 26650 is much bigger than 18650,how to keep the battery fixed in the flashlight?


----------



## dts71 (Sep 23, 2015)

magicstone12 said:


> Where do you find this? 26650 is much bigger than 18650,how to keep the battery fixed in the flashlight?



You can order rubber sleeves just for this purpose or put 2 o-rings on the 18650 to avoid the rattle.


----------



## magicstone12 (Sep 25, 2015)

dts71 said:


> You can order rubber sleeves just for this purpose or put 2 o-rings on the 18650 to avoid the rattle.



Thank you,the voltages of the two batteries may be the same ,I mean the sizes are not the same.It is a good way to use a rubber sleeves.


----------



## WarRaven (Sep 25, 2015)

Sorry was away, yes rubber or a paper sleeve around cell. ☺


----------



## magicstone12 (Oct 10, 2015)

WarRaven said:


> Sorry was away, yes rubber or a paper sleeve around cell. ☺


----------



## ven (Oct 10, 2015)

Or some plastic tube cut to size with the 18.5mm or so internal diameter

Along lines of ebay No 141280277398

Of course make your own!!!!! cost cents.........


----------



## magicstone12 (Oct 14, 2015)

ven said:


> Or some plastic tube cut to size with the 18.5mm or so internal diameter
> 
> Along lines of ebay No 141280277398
> 
> Of course make your own!!!!! cost cents.........



Thank you,hand made tube sounds great,but for DIY, I am not good at it


----------



## leon2245 (Oct 14, 2015)

Maybe Fenix will now make the adapters available separately, that come with their new 26650/18650 zoom light.


----------



## dpadams6 (Oct 14, 2015)

lumen aeternum said:


> The cell Fenix recommends is their 4800 protected cell. BUT the fine print on the spec sheet says it was tested "with thermal control and low voltage warning function turned off." Does this mean they stripped the protection circuit off the battery, or does the flashlight have those functions? If so, did they mod the light or activate a user-usable function on the light? maybe a hidden mode?
> 
> And will that battery fit in an Intellicharger i4?
> 
> ...


The fenix battery does fit in intelli i4


----------



## dazzleaj (Oct 16, 2015)

In spite of the bad comments and because of the good ones, I bought one of these in a package deal from Fenix with the battery and 4 bay ARE-C2 Advanced Multi-Charger for 112. Charged the battery up and took it for a spin. It compares well to the TK35 UE of last year (2014) with the 35 edging it out in the turbo mode. All other modes seem generally comparable with the 40 being a better walking and general illumination light in the low and mid modes. The beam is a nice even spray of light in front of you with no real hotspot. Very nice when compared to any other light I have used. This in and of itself is worth getting it for, in my opinion of course. Hold it in for turbo and you light up the world around you. Not as bright as the 35 but a close second. 
The 40 is solid and heavy, but not as clunky as the 35. I rather like the 35 but the thing is just a bit too big for comfortable carry in a picket. The 40 is just about as big as I would want to carry and a bit heavier than is comfortable in the pants pocket. Jacket pocket or belt holder for this guy. I have over 50 LED lights and the only other one so far that really competes with the 40 is the Nitecore EA41 for power and size. They are not directly comparable as the 41 is a thrower and the 40 is a flood but side by side they seem to be related somehow. Not by looks so much as by power and functionality. Both pocketable and both really good at what they do. Proud to have them both.


----------



## andrew2 (Oct 19, 2015)

dazzleaj said:


> In spite of the bad comments and because of the good ones, I bought one of these in a package deal from Fenix with the battery and 4 bay ARE-C2 Advanced Multi-Charger for 112. Charged the battery up and took it for a spin. It compares well to the TK35 UE of last year (2014) with the 35 edging it out in the turbo mode. All other modes seem generally comparable with the 40 being a better walking and general illumination light in the low and mid modes. The beam is a nice even spray of light in front of you with no real hotspot. Very nice when compared to any other light I have used. This in and of itself is worth getting it for, in my opinion of course. Hold it in for turbo and you light up the world around you. Not as bright as the 35 but a close second.
> The 40 is solid and heavy, but not as clunky as the 35. I rather like the 35 but the thing is just a bit too big for comfortable carry in a picket. The 40 is just about as big as I would want to carry and a bit heavier than is comfortable in the pants pocket. Jacket pocket or belt holder for this guy. I have over 50 LED lights and the only other one so far that really competes with the 40 is the Nitecore EA41 for power and size. They are not directly comparable as the 41 is a thrower and the 40 is a flood but side by side they seem to be related somehow. Not by looks so much as by power and functionality. Both pocketable and both really good at what they do. Proud to have them both.



Fenix released the E41 flashlight to compete with the Nitecore EA41,I think PD40 is much different from the EA41.


----------



## sidecross (Oct 21, 2015)

zs&tas said:


> Well said martinaee thanks. I think this will be a really nice useable light . It is very very small, running on imr the turbo output will be reusable for much of the run I think too.
> When I am walking my dog and wonder whats up ahead, it dosnt take me 30 seconds to look, typically a quick scan around takes 10 secs ? Makes this light great to me !




I just ordered this light and a 'burst' high out put is all I will need. If I need more output I would choose another light. This seems to be a great design featuring 26650 battery and MT-G2.


----------



## sidecross (Nov 5, 2015)

cloggy said:


> Does anyone know if this light has a lockout?
> Either activated by the switch like the Nitecore EA4 or by partially unscrewing the tail cap?
> It looks easy to inadvertently switch it on if it hasn't.


The PD40 does lock out; I turn the tail cap not more than .25" and no power goes to the switch. The PD40 is my favorite light now; with the 26650 battery and Cree MT-G2 this is a most light, small, and powerful light.


----------



## KeepingItLight (Nov 5, 2015)

sidecross said:


> The PD40 is my favorite light now; with the 26650 battery and Cree MT-G2 this is a most light, small, and powerful light.




I can see why you like this flashlight so much. You get all of joy of the *Cree MT-G2* emitter coupled with all of the benefits of 26650, without any of the risk that arises when Li-ion batteries are put in series. The result is a wonderful general-purpose flashlight that fits perfectly in the hand, and equally well in a coat pocket.

Although I am not very good at reading a Cree datasheet, I noticed in the datasheet for the MT-G2 that there is a version that has a 5000K CCT together with a CRI of 80. I would love have a modder install one of those in my MT-G2 light. I do not know the fact, but I believe that most (or all) flashlights that feature the MT-G2 are using the 70 CRI version.


----------



## Behemoth (Dec 8, 2015)

Hey guys. Thanks for all reviews. I ordered one yesterday from Fenix site. They're throwing free battery and charger. Also used a coupon MP15 for 15% off. So my total was $85 with free shipping. Can't wait to test it


----------



## sidecross (Dec 8, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> I can see why you like this flashlight so much. You get all of joy of the *Cree MT-G2* emitter coupled with all of the benefits of 26650, without any of the risk that arises when Li-ion batteries are put in series. The result is a wonderful general-purpose flashlight that fits perfectly in the hand, and equally well in a coat pocket.
> 
> Although I am not very good at reading a Cree datasheet, I noticed in the datasheet for the MT-G2 that there is a version that has a 5000K CCT together with a CRI of 80. I would love have a modder install one of those in my MT-G2 light. I do not know the fact, but I believe that most (or all) flashlights that feature the MT-G2 are using the 70 CRI version.


From my eye sight the FD40 MT-G2 has a much warmer (yellow to my eyes) than the Fenix FD40 that uses the Cree XP-L HI LED. Maybe one of the other forum members could give you a better description than mine. Most of my lights are 'cool white' and it is very noticable that the Fenix MT-G2 is not at all a 'cool white'.


----------



## sidecross (Dec 8, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> I can see why you like this flashlight so much. You get all of joy of the *Cree MT-G2* emitter coupled with all of the benefits of 26650, without any of the risk that arises when Li-ion batteries are put in series. The result is a wonderful general-purpose flashlight that fits perfectly in the hand, and equally well in a coat pocket.
> 
> Although I am not very good at reading a Cree datasheet, I noticed in the datasheet for the MT-G2 that there is a version that has a 5000K CCT together with a CRI of 80. I would love have a modder install one of those in my MT-G2 light. I do not know the fact, but I believe that most (or all) flashlights that feature the MT-G2 are using the 70 CRI version.


From my eye sight the FD40 MT-G2 has a much warmer (yellow to my eyes) than the Fenix FD40 that uses the Cree XP-L HI LED. Maybe one of the other forum members could give you a better description than mine. Most of my lights are 'cool white' and it is very noticeable that the Fenix MT-G2 is not at all a 'cool white'.


----------



## KeepingItLight (Dec 9, 2015)

sidecross said:


> From my eye sight the FD40 MT-G2 has a much warmer (yellow to my eyes) than the Fenix FD40 that uses the Cree XP-L HI LED. Maybe one of the other forum members could give you a better description than mine. Most of my lights are 'cool white' and it is very noticeable that the Fenix MT-G2 is not at all a 'cool white'.



The only flashlight I own that uses the *Cree MT-G2* is the *Nitecore P36*. In my sample, the MT-G2 lives up to its 5000K billing. The beam is just about as neutral white as it could be. The P36 uses a large, OP reflector. That, together with the large size of the LED, create a beam that is uniform in color, from the center hot spot, through the corona, and out to the edge of the spill. Unlike most of the *Cree XM-L2* and *Cree XP-L* emitters I have tested, it does not show any hint of green in the corona, nor purple/blue in the spill. In fact, I don't see any color at all, just white.

It is a fantastic LED.


----------



## sidecross (Dec 9, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> The only flashlight I own that uses the *Cree MT-G2* is the *Nitecore P36*. In my sample, the MT-G2 lives up to its 5000K billing. The beam is just about as neutral white as it could be. The P36 uses a large, OP reflector. That, together with the large size of the LED, create a beam that is uniform in color, from the center hot spot, through the corona, and out to the edge of the spill. Unlike most of the *Cree XM-L2* and *Cree XP-L* emitters I have tested, it does not show any hint of green in the corona, nor purple/blue in the spill. In fact, I don't see any color at all, just white.
> 
> It is a fantastic LED.


It is a fantastic LED and mine too have a uniform color from center to corona. I especially like that the MT-G2 can be used with a single battery in an application with a 26650 battery.


----------



## Swedpat (Dec 9, 2015)

I received PD40 last week. In the same order I also included a PD25 and FD40. This is my 4th MT-G2 light and it didn't make me dissatisfied. 
I don't care much about the Burst mode. It did not contribute to my choice of this light, and I will likely not use it at all. All other of my MT-G2 have a nice neutral tint and PD40 isn't an exception. Floody and pretty similar beam like TK35UE MT-G2. But PD40 is much more comfortable in the hand. For the most tasks a side switch is to prefer before a tail switch, in my opinion.
PD40 and FD40 share the same battery type which is good. The beam character and tint are totally different however. FD40 is a typical white cool tint and not as comfortable as the tint of PD40. While PD40 is very floody and therefore does not throw far even at the higher levels, the FD40 is everything between flood and throw. I don't think FD40 is regulated at the highest mode, if so very short time. The brightness decreases slowly. PD40 seems to provide stable 1000lm output, however. I have each Fenix 4800mAh cell in each of them and the cells were charged at the same time. Whatever: I am very pleased with both of them. Both provide stable tailstanding and can be used for room lighting as well. Just wish FD40 had the tint of PD40!


----------



## sidecross (Dec 9, 2015)

I seem to the inverse of people who prefer a warmer tint; it might be because most of my lights are cool white and I have not adjusted to a warmer tint.

I am very pleased with both the PD40 and FD40 and do like the burst mode of the FD40 and use it often. Both these lights give excellent performance in a smaller package.


----------



## guest2 (Aug 10, 2016)

All,

I was going to get the Zebralight SC5 but looking around I noticed the PD40 along with the Fenix ARB-L4 26650 battery at a good price, so baught it.

The charger I have is a Nitecore Intellicharger i4 which I read a few pages back does not fit (is too small) for the 26650 Fenix battery. Is there a way to make it fit / wire it to the charger so I don't have to spend another £20 or £30 on a new one? It does say it supports 26650 batteries on it which is one of the reasons I bought the PD40 

Other options I thought about were the;
Fenix LD41 2015 edition (4xAA, 960 lumen)
Fenix TK35 - slightly too big
Nitecore P12 - 1x18650
Zebralight SC600

I wanted a pocked size torch that runs off AA batteries but the newer LED and cheap price pushed me towards the LD40. AA batteries are so easily available, plus I already own Eneloops.

Do you think I should have stuck with my option to get the SC5 or gone with something like the LD41 which is also AA?

Is there a new 2xAA long skinny torch like the P12 size with a new LED that offers similar specs to the Zebralight SC5 (just longer runtime and/or lumen output)

Thanks


----------



## guest2 (Aug 11, 2016)

I dont seem to be able to edit my post above but I have the torch and battery and it appears to be charging fine the the Nitecore i4...


----------



## StorminMatt (Aug 11, 2016)

guest2 said:


> Is there a new 2xAA long skinny torch like the P12 size with a new LED that offers similar specs to the Zebralight SC5 (just longer runtime and/or lumen output)?



Unfortunately, no. Armytek has the Prime A2 rated at 500 lumens. But it doesn't seem to be as bright as the SC5. It's more along the lines of the Eagletac D25A2 (which I actually prefer to the Prime A2). I'm not sure why 2AA lights are so behind 1xAA lights. But I myself would actually LOVE to see a decent, bright 2AA light. Such a light would have superior runtime to the SC5. And it could put out on the brightest setting without the hitches of the SC5 (ie battery fussiness, very limited runtime, rapidly dropping output, etc).


----------



## Swedpat (Aug 11, 2016)

guest2 said:


> All,
> 
> I was going to get the Zebralight SC5 but looking around I noticed the PD40 along with the Fenix ARB-L4 26650 battery at a good price, so baught it.
> 
> Thanks



I have both and consider both to be really great lights. Different size and different capacity. SC5(I have the W) is great pocket light, good between the fingers. PD40 fills up the hand better, perfect hold. Both of them are tailstandable. If you consider single AA light SC5 is great choice and if you like the tint of PD40 I think the SC5W is to prefer.


----------



## guest2 (Aug 12, 2016)

How about the fenix e25 ue?


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...*-Fenix-E25UE-2x14500-or-2xAA-max-1000-lumens​


----------



## pongagt (Dec 1, 2016)

I recently ordered a PD40 for $80 using Fenix's 20% off promo code. After reading that it was discontinued and not hearing about my order right away i figured the order would be canceled. Instead i got a call from Fenix offering me the new PD40R for $15 more. It comes with a battery and usb charging and higher lumens along with other features so i figured it was a good deal. The light is $130 on their website. It has the same Cree XPH70 emitter as the Acebeam EC50 Gen II that i was planning on getting if the PD40 was not available. The Fenix is rated for 200M (the Acebeam is rated at 300M) but that should be ok for me. It looks like Fenix priced the PD40R pretty much the same as the Acebeam. I guess the Fenix is so new there are no reviews on it here. I should get mine Saturday. I like the low battery indicator and the usb charging but i am a little weary about the duel switches on the side. I would have preferred it to have the same switches as the PD35. Fenix says you need to use their power Li-ion battery in order to use turbo mode (3000 Ln). I just bought 4 Obtronic 5200's that i need to see if they work for turbo mode.


----------



## cancow (Dec 2, 2016)

Looks like like one of the best lights you can get right now.




pongagt said:


> I recently ordered a PD40 for $80 using Fenix's 20% off promo code. After reading that it was discontinued and not hearing about my order right away i figured the order would be canceled. Instead i got a call from Fenix offering me the new PD40R for $15 more. It comes with a battery and usb charging and higher lumens along with other features so i figured it was a good deal. The light is $130 on their website. It has the same Cree XPH70 emitter as the Acebeam EC50 Gen II that i was planning on getting if the PD40 was not available. The Fenix is rated for 200M (the Acebeam is rated at 300M) but that should be ok for me. It looks like Fenix priced the PD40R pretty much the same as the Acebeam. I guess the Fenix is so new there are no reviews on it here. I should get mine Saturday. I like the low battery indicator and the usb charging but i am a little weary about the duel switches on the side. I would have preferred it to have the same switches as the PD35. Fenix says you need to use their power Li-ion battery in order to use turbo mode (3000 Ln). I just bought 4 Obtronic 5200's that i need to see if they work for turbo mode.


----------



## Swedpat (Dec 2, 2016)

I am very happy with my PD40 and would not change it out to the new R model. The tint with the MT-G2 is very nice ~5000K and what I can read the successor does not use a neutral LED.


----------



## david57strat (Oct 16, 2017)

I realize this is late in the game, since the original PD40 has been discontinued; but I'm going to chime in, anyway, since someone may find it, used, and want to know more about it, looking for comments from actual owners/users. 

I've had my PD40 since April of 2015, and have found it to be an extremely reliable light. I bag carry it, all the time, with numerous other lights. 

The 1000 lumen high output is plenty, and it's a wonderfully floody light, with a decent neutral tint. I was attracted to the light because of the emitter, and the use of a 26650 battery. 

I'm sure plenty more chargers have become available to accommodate the 26650 battery, since the release of this light; but just for reference, I use, either the two outside wells of an XTAR Dragon (at 2 Amps per hour, both slots in an SV2 (on the same setting), or the two outside channels of a Nitecore D4 (up to 3 Amps, max, using the two outside slots), and they work very well in any of these chargers. 

They also fit perfectly well in my VC4, VP2, and VC2 Plus chargers (although charging at a lower rate of 1 Amp, for each battery). Chargers are pictured below:






I often use this light (in conjunction with others), at work, late night, when alone, ceiling bounced, and it does a respectable job of filling up a decent-sized work area, with a far more pleasant light than I get from those awful fluorescent lights (which I find thoroughly depressing). 

I've had zero issues with this light, since I purchasd it, and only regret not having purchased two, rather than one, at that amazing Group Buy price :-(.


----------



## Loverofthelight (Nov 8, 2017)

Most argued about the Burst mode, IMO, it gives the claimed output though with the runtime compromised, but for safety granted. 
I believe lots of people will need Burst mode.


----------



## Swedpat (Nov 8, 2017)

Loverofthelight said:


> Most argued about the Burst mode, IMO, it gives the claimed output though with the runtime compromised, but for safety granted.
> I believe lots of people will need Burst mode.



In my opinion the burst mode is more a selling argument gimmick than really useful. I find it's only available with fully charged cell and after a short while it's not. But the 1000lm level is measured to around 1,5hours and that's great!


----------

