# New Nitecore EA41



## wedlpine (Jun 30, 2014)

I did a search here for this light and couldn't find anything posted yet. Looks nice for a 4xaa. It has a different switch then the original EA4 and a little brighter.

http://www.nitecore.com/productDetail.aspx?id=126


----------



## voicemaster (Jun 30, 2014)

Oh wow. Here i am just bought sunwayman d40a to replace my ea4 which i gave to my aunt. Nitecore really address all the complains in ea4 (which is a great 4xAA flashlight). They change the switch similar to d40a, added 1 lm mode that a lot of people complain ea4 for not having it.


----------



## kj75 (Jun 30, 2014)

Nice upgrade of the EA4. Warmer tint, better balanced modes (with good low :thumbsup and more throw..


----------



## pblanch (Jun 30, 2014)

I am liking it. 

Love the 4AA. Lots of juice with a lot of potability.


----------



## Overclocker (Jun 30, 2014)

decent updates... buttons are still very flush though, still hard to find by feel


----------



## markr6 (Jun 30, 2014)

LOVE IT! A decent low! Instant 1 lumen, instant 960 lumens, instant strobe. Sounds like a great UI to me!

I guess the momentary feature is no longer available. I liked it, but can live without.

Doesn't specify a neutral tint or show an "EA41*w*" but hopefully that will be available.


----------



## MichaelW (Jun 30, 2014)

Yeah, but Nitecore's "w" models are usually 5000K cool-white.


----------



## SCEMan (Jun 30, 2014)

If true, no "Momentary" is a deal-breaker for me. They ability to jump to Turbo (and back) from any mode is something I use frequently...


----------



## markr6 (Jun 30, 2014)

MichaelW said:


> Yeah, but Nitecore's "w" models are usually 5000K cool-white.



Yes my EA4w is cooler than expected. But, a perfect tint IMO. Way better than any of my Zebralights. Not a good think if you like warm tints though.

Actually, I like it so much that if all "neutral" tints were like my EA4w, I probably never would have made a fuss and bothered with Nichia 219 lights.


----------



## Luminater (Jun 30, 2014)

Very interested if EA41 has no step down on max output!!! 


I think max output is high mode (not turbo)?


----------



## Overclocker (Jun 30, 2014)

Luminater said:


> Very interested if EA41 has no step down on max output!!!
> 
> 
> I think max output is high mode (not turbo)?




this is the usual FAKE nitecore graph. they do this a lot


----------



## markr6 (Jun 30, 2014)

The manual mentions a stepdown; I'm assuming it's from Turbo but not 100% clear:

_NOTE: The EA41 will lower its output lumens after 20 minutes of use to prevent overheating and preserve battery longevity._


----------



## SCEMan (Jun 30, 2014)

markr6 said:


> Yes my EA4w is cooler than expected. But, a perfect tint IMO. Way better than any of my Zebralights. Not a good think if you like warm tints though.
> 
> Actually, I like it so much that if all "neutral" tints were like my EA4w, I probably never would have made a fuss and bothered with Nichia 219 lights.



I agree. The only tint I prefer to my EA4W is that of my M2500 MGT-2.


----------



## Mayor (Jun 30, 2014)

It will be interesting to see some actual runtime graphs. If it really keeps turbo decently before stepping down, 20 minutes isn't bad for a step down time. (Of course that is again assuming the step down is from Turbo, and as mark6 points out we will have to wait to see exactly what they mean.)

The access to low and turbo from off is definitely a nice addition!


----------



## Dr.444 (Jun 30, 2014)

So happy my Sunwayman F40A order didn't ship yet :twothumbs , cancelled it for this one 

Now let the wait begin for a release :tired:


----------



## bbxtwo (Jun 30, 2014)

hopefully the ea41 won't unlock while in the pocket like the ea4 did.


----------



## markr6 (Jul 1, 2014)

I asked Nitecore about the possibility of an *EA41w* since the EA4w has such a nice tint. They said no plans to make a neutral  but passing in along to marketing dept. I'm still hopeful at this early stage.


----------



## bbxtwo (Jul 1, 2014)

its coming in 5 days! at least thats where i mainly buy my lights from say.


----------



## phantom23 (Jul 1, 2014)

markr6 said:


> The manual mentions a stepdown; I'm assuming it's from Turbo but not 100% clear:
> 
> _NOTE: The EA41 will lower its output lumens after 20 minutes of use to prevent overheating and preserve battery longevity._


It's still much longer than in any competition.


----------



## markr6 (Jul 1, 2014)

phantom23 said:


> It's still much longer than in any competition.



I think it's terrific. I can't even think of one time when I used a torch for over 10 minutes straight (at least on a high mode). I think the EA4 is 3 or 5 minutes? Still OK by me.


----------



## SCEMan (Jul 1, 2014)

markr6 said:


> I think it's terrific. I can't even think of one time when I used a torch for over 10 minutes straight (at least on a high mode). I think the EA4 is 3 or 5 minutes? Still OK by me.



And the stepdown is hardly noticeable, at least to me...


----------



## rickypanecatyl (Jul 1, 2014)

SCEMan said:


> If true, no "Momentary" is a deal-breaker for me...





Overclocker said:


> decent updates... buttons are still very flush though, still hard to find by feel




A nice upgrade to this would be raised, larger buttons, momentary and (drumroll....)
different color trits in the "comes on in low" mode and the "comes on in high" mode buttons to help distinguish them in the dark! 
(Do flashlight makers not realize those cute little symbols on their grey/black buttons are sometimes hard to make out in the pitch black? )


----------



## koolranch (Jul 1, 2014)

I was following the EA4 and thus looks like my next light.


----------



## Dr.444 (Jul 1, 2014)

Nitecore EA41 is now AVAILABLE at Batteryjunction.com


----------



## RobertMM (Jul 1, 2014)

How does it lock out? I had the 1st gen turn on in my bag quite a few times so I glued an O-ring around it. 
Also curious about parasitic drain on standby mode.


----------



## bbxtwo (Jul 1, 2014)

actually it's available at battery junction on july 17th. woulda ordered it right away if they had it availabke, but oh well andrew-amanda had a 15 PERCENT off til july 5. so it made the light 59.46.


----------



## bbxtwo (Jul 1, 2014)

RobertMM said:


> How does it lock out? I had the 1st gen turn on in my bag quite a few times so I glued an O-ring around it.
> Also curious about parasitic drain on standby mode.



hold down power button while on to lockout ? to get out of lockout you hold down power button. i had problem with the ea4 unlocking in my pocket so i had to return it. there is a parasitic drain either way, because of electronic switch?


----------



## Dr.444 (Jul 1, 2014)

bbxtwo said:


> actually it's available at battery junction on july 17th. woulda ordered it right away if they had it availabke, but oh well andrew-amanda had a 15 PERCENT off til july 5. so it made the light 59.46.



Batteryjunction says Ships Same Or Next Business Day !


----------



## bbxtwo (Jul 1, 2014)

Dr.444 said:


> Batteryjunction says Ships Same Or Next Business Day !



not according to the cpf marketplace dealers corner post they made this afternoon..


----------



## Timothybil (Jul 2, 2014)

Interesting upgrade. Nitecore changed the spread of the light range at the lower end, changed 65/135/300 to 1/40/120. I think I like it better this way. I was reading through the Users Guide to see how the various levels were switched and noticed something interesting. As far as I can tell, they have changed the *Voltage* display to *Power Level* display, which is just a series of flashes showing relative power levels. Geek that I am, I think I would rather have the voltage display.
If I didn't already have an EA4W, I would be very interested in this version.


----------



## Timothybil (Jul 2, 2014)

RobertMM said:


> How does it lock out? I had the 1st gen turn on in my bag quite a few times so I glued an O-ring around it.
> Also curious about parasitic drain on standby mode.


To lock out, with the light on, press and hold Both buttons for over a second. In lockout mode the batteries are supposed to last for 12 months. The stated life for standby was 120 days.


----------



## SCEMan (Jul 2, 2014)

Timothybil said:


> Interesting upgrade. Nitecore changed the spread of the light range at the lower end, changed 65/135/300 to 1/40/120. I think I like it better this way. I was reading through the Users Guide to see how the various levels were switched and noticed something interesting. As far as I can tell, they have changed the *Voltage* display to *Power Level* display, which is just a series of flashes showing relative power levels. Geek that I am, I think I would rather have the voltage display.
> If I didn't already have an EA4W, I would be very interested in this version.



For my usage (nightly walks) the more I learn about the EA41, the better my EA4W fits me. First no "High" Momentary to jump back and forth from lower levels as I need to ID a distant object; No neutral tint (for now); Power Level instead of Voltage display for getting the most out of batteries; Moonlight is nice, but w/o Momentary yet another level to cycle through to get to High and back again.

I guess you can't please everybody...


----------



## markr6 (Jul 2, 2014)

Timothybil said:


> Interesting upgrade. Nitecore changed the spread of the light range at the lower end, changed 65/135/300 to 1/40/120. I think I like it better this way. I was reading through the Users Guide to see how the various levels were switched and noticed something interesting. As far as I can tell, they have changed the *Voltage* display to *Power Level* display, which is just a series of flashes showing relative power levels. Geek that I am, I think I would rather have the voltage display.
> If I didn't already have an EA4W, I would be very interested in this version.



Why get rid of that voltage indicator?!?! That was the best idea ever! I always seem to check my EA4/w when locking them out...just a nice thing to know. The relative flashes, like Zebralights, is OK but not great.

Looking forward to some reviews soon...


----------



## Swedpat (Jul 2, 2014)

The question is if the new Nitecore EA41 is free from the switch problem of EA4: that the lights now and then goes to strobe when one wants to shut it off. Otherwise EA4 is a great 4AA lights but I find it really annoying.


----------



## markr6 (Jul 2, 2014)

Swedpat said:


> The question is if the new Nitecore EA41 is free from the switch problem of EA4: that the lights now and then goes to strobe when one wants to shut it off. Otherwise EA4 is a great 4AA lights but I find it really annoying.



I've never seen that on either of mine...only when double clicking as it was intended.


----------



## Swedpat (Jul 2, 2014)

markr6 said:


> I've never seen that on either of mine...only when double clicking as it was intended.



I understand that it's a problem not in every sample of EA4 but in some of them, read that there are other users with the same experience as mine.


----------



## markr6 (Jul 2, 2014)

Swedpat said:


> I understand that it's a problem not in every sample of EA4 but in some of them, read that there are other users with the same experience as mine.



That, plus the bubbling/melting switch which Nitecore fixed. Hopefully neither of these issues appear in the EA41.


----------



## Chaitanya (Jul 2, 2014)

I just purchased the EC25 today, for me having that 60 lumens on low and smaller size compared to Ea4 were the reasons why I got it. I will wait till my dealer in India offers this version officially.


----------



## Overclocker (Jul 3, 2014)

Dr.444 said:


> So happy my Sunwayman F40A order didn't ship yet :twothumbs , cancelled it for this one
> 
> Now let the wait begin for a release :tired:





well it wouldn't be as much fun as the F40A!


----------



## lonelyboy (Jul 3, 2014)

I hope there will be EA81 coming......


----------



## Wolf359 (Jul 3, 2014)

To me it looks like a sunwayman D40A with an improved switch. I got the D40AW after my EA4W did the switch melting trick and i got messed around with there customer support. 

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.


----------



## SCEMan (Jul 3, 2014)

Wolf359 said:


> To me it looks like a sunwayman D40A with an improved switch.



Minus the bizarre lanyard attachment location.


----------



## lumenjunkie00 (Jul 5, 2014)

I would like to buy this but might wait until the price drops under 60


----------



## Dr.444 (Jul 5, 2014)

Overclocker said:


> well it wouldn't be as much fun as the F40A!


----------



## bbxtwo (Jul 11, 2014)

just got mine today! AMA!


----------



## pblanch (Jul 11, 2014)

sweet.


----------



## tatasal (Jul 13, 2014)

Hi guys,

There's a group buy of this EA41 light going on now for $47.99, shipped with tracking:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...9-shipped-with-tracking&p=4840578#post4840578


----------



## StorminMatt (Jul 14, 2014)

Timothybil said:


> Interesting upgrade. Nitecore changed the spread of the light range at the lower end, changed 65/135/300 to 1/40/120. I think I like it better this way.



I have to disagree with this. Personally, I'm not a moonlight mode kind of guy. So I can do without a one lumen mode. But I actually LIKE the 300 lumen mode on the EA4. It's good for long night hikes, when you want something fairly bright, but also want significantly more runtime than high. Now you would have to choose between high or 120 lumens.


----------



## Timothybil (Jul 15, 2014)

Well, I got used to low modes from my SL ProTac EMS, which had a low of 3.7. It is surprising how often that is enough to look under a table or to the back of the shelf to find things. I have several of the cheap 5mm squeeze keychain lights, and am often surprised at how much they light up the immediate area in the middle of the night.
Don't knock the 120 mode - take your EA4 outside some dark night and see how well the 135 mode lites up things. It does quite a bit.


----------



## tatasal (Jul 15, 2014)

Hi guys,

The $47.99 Nitecore EA41 groupbuy is already active.

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...A41-group-buy-for-47-99-shipped-with-tracking

Edit: Cancelled


----------



## ragnarok164 (Jul 15, 2014)

I Fixed for Nitecore. :twothumbs


----------



## Dr.444 (Jul 16, 2014)

ragnarok164 said:


> I Fixed for Nitecore. :twothumbs



lol , Nice one :kewlpics:


----------



## TweakMDS (Jul 16, 2014)

Nitecore is on fire with their releases lately, all of them look quite competitive in their own niche. The EA41, the chameleon series, the p25, the srt7... All look good to me. Only thing I worry about is build quality of the electronics and springs. I saw some poor results of an srt7 I think, but that might just be incidental.
I also noticed that they keep bringing out lights with the same 40mm bezel size, which is very nice if you happen to own (or plan to own) multiple of these lights and want to share traffic cone, diffusers etc.

I'm not normally a fan of the 4xaa form factor, but this looks good. Any thoughts on standby drain on this one?


----------



## phantom23 (Jul 16, 2014)

ragnarok164 said:


> I Fixed for Nitecore. :twothumbs


Stepdown is set to 25 minutes, not 3.


----------



## ragnarok164 (Jul 16, 2014)

I just checked and it is 20 min for EA41 and 3 min for EA4. So, Nitecore is still lying with that graph of 100% for 1h 45min.


----------



## jmpaul320 (Jul 17, 2014)

I am very interested to see how this new ea "41" compares to the Ea4 XML cool white and ea4 "L2" XML2 cool white offered from illumination supply as a limited run

both the ea4s are nice lights, but seem to have excessive heat sag on turbo mode (loosing around 25% of the lumens within 60 seconds as measured in my sphere)... the eax does not have this problem at all - in fact it actually gains lumens in the first 60 seconds as the light/batteries warm up :rock:

Im interested to see if nitecore improved the heat dissipation in this new model, or if they are just doing an emitter upgrade


----------



## Overclocker (Jul 17, 2014)

jmpaul320 said:


> I am very interested to see how this new ea "41" compares to the Ea4 XML cool white and ea4 "L2" XML2 cool white offered from illumination supply as a limited run
> 
> both the ea4s are nice lights, but seem to have excessive heat sag on turbo mode (loosing around 25% of the lumens within 60 seconds as measured in my sphere)... the eax does not have this problem at all - in fact it actually gains lumens in the first 60 seconds as the light/batteries warm up :rock:
> 
> Im interested to see if nitecore improved the heat dissipation in this new model, or if they are just doing an emitter upgrade








http://budgetlightforum.com/node/20778

yep heat sag caused by very poor thermal interface from LED to body


----------



## Overclocker (Jul 17, 2014)

ragnarok164 said:


> I just checked and it is 20 min for EA41 and 3 min for EA4. So, Nitecore is still lying with that graph of 100% for 1h 45min.




they always lie about their graphs. check out the HC50 and HC90 graphs. all fake


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Jul 18, 2014)

Unfortunately....








Almost identical max output...

If I understand correctly, the EA4 had an XM-L U2, and the EA41 has an XM-L2 T6. From what I know of Cree's binning system, the U2 is supposed to be about 20% brighter than the T6, so maybe this isn't too much of an emitter upgrade after all. I'm going to double-check my measurements, but doubt the EA41 is going to come close to 960 lumens.


----------



## BobG (Jul 18, 2014)

Bigmac_79 said:


> Almost identical max output...
> 
> If I understand correctly, the EA4 had an XM-L U2, and the EA41 has an XM-L2 T6. From what I know of Cree's binning system, the U2 is supposed to be about 20% brighter than the T6, so maybe this isn't too much of an emitter upgrade after all. I'm going to double-check my measurements, but doubt the EA41 is going to come close to 960 lumens.





---
Cree bins the XM-L at 25 degrees and the XM-L2 at 85. If I remember correctly the XM-L2 T6 at 25 is something like 318 lumens whereas the XM-L U2 is 300... so you are only looking at 6%... would be interesting how they got 100 lumen bump from 6%


----------



## Overclocker (Jul 18, 2014)

BobG said:


> would be interesting how they got 100 lumen bump from 6%




lemme guess, the same place where they get their fake graphs from


----------



## jmpaul320 (Jul 18, 2014)

Cree says xml2 is 20% more efficient than XML . I think some manufacturer s think that means 20% brighter... Which is not the case.


----------



## lumenjunkie00 (Jul 20, 2014)

Bigmac_79 said:


> Unfortunately....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



So what you're saying is the EA4 is actually brighter/better than the EA41?


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Jul 20, 2014)

lumenjunkie00 said:


> So what you're saying is the EA4 is actually brighter/better than the EA41?



Well, you can decide for yourself which of those runtime plots you like better. On Turbo, the EA41 has a very slightly higher brightness at the start, but then spends more time at a lower brightness level so that the run lasts longer. In real world use, if you're on Turbo for 15 minutes or so at a time you'll see the EA41 spending more time at higher brightnesses. Overall, I like the UI of the EA41 much more, with it's dual switch and a real low-output mode.


----------



## JackBlades (Jul 20, 2014)

Well, maybe I've been out of the loop for a while, but my new EA41-W kicks butt! Now I am the proud owner of a veritible antique relic designated "SureFire M3 Millenium Combat". Of course I have several new lamp assemblies for that beast that will likely never see a need for use....
Now can somebody point me towards a light that mimics the brightness (be it 960 or some fantasy number) and the throw (spectacular!) of the EA41, but runs on 2 lithium CR123s?
Yes, I did indeed get this light for it's AA capability. Costco AA bulk packs made that decision for me. But I still have the good stuff. Recommend me another light. I'm burned out on 300, 400, $500 pocket knives that lose their charm before I even get used to carrying them.....


----------



## lumenjunkie00 (Jul 20, 2014)

Bigmac_79 said:


> Well, you can decide for yourself which of those runtime plots you like better. On Turbo, the EA41 has a very slightly higher brightness at the start, but then spends more time at a lower brightness level so that the run lasts longer. In real world use, if you're on Turbo for 15 minutes or so at a time you'll see the EA41 spending more time at higher brightnesses. Overall, I like the UI of the EA41 much more, with it's dual switch and a real low-output mode.



If this light isn't hitting its 960 lumen mark its going right back..combine that with its quality issues I'm very disappointed in buying this. And my delivery time is 10-25 business days.


----------



## Swedpat (Jul 20, 2014)

I am so bored of these misleading lumen claims, available not even for 5 minutes! And the problem is the ANSI/NEMA-standard, providing manufacturers justification to deceive the buyers!


----------



## JackBlades (Jul 20, 2014)

lumenjunkie00 said:


> If this light isn't hitting its 960 lumen mark its going right back..combine that with its quality issues I'm very disappointed in buying this. And my delivery time is 10-25 business days.



Respecting your opinion, what would you consider a fair scale for reference? I have a few "Bubba Tests" as part of my inept evaluation.
*Bedroom Wall Test: If the sucker surpassess all my other high-performance lights, it wins.
*Backyard Tree Test. If the previously-mentioned sucker lights up a treetop from (rifleman's guessitimate without SS) maybe 200~210 meters, it's an amazing thing to hold in my hand. If it get's on a commercial flight, we're rockin. 
*The little blue indicator under the switch membrane is uber-cool. Changing batts in pitch blackness is easy to do by feel, even in a 4X, when you know the drill. Plus, the soft blue indicator lets you know when a batt swap is immenent.
*My experience with many modern lights tells me 2M water seal-out is a conservative estimate for this offering.

Overall rating is, this is a light EVERY HOUSEHOLD SHOULD HAVE. A year of available battery power will be available provided you use the lockout procedure. Otherwise, bet on two seasons. Unless you like to play with it.
which of course is my recommended break-in plan. Guys, get this light, get a buddy to bring HIS (Or HERS!) and set the EA41 on the third level. Bet some beer that yours can go higher than he other one... You win.


----------



## Overclocker (Jul 20, 2014)

JackBlades said:


> Respecting your opinion, what would you consider a fair scale for reference? I have a few "Bubba Tests" as part of my inept evaluation.
> *Bedroom Wall Test: If the sucker surpassess all my other high-performance lights, it wins.
> *Backyard Tree Test. If the previously-mentioned sucker lights up a treetop from (rifleman's guessitimate without SS) maybe 200~210 meters, it's an amazing thing to hold in my hand. If it get's on a commercial flight, we're rockin.
> *The little blue indicator under the switch membrane is uber-cool. Changing batts in pitch blackness is easy to do by feel, even in a 4X, when you know the drill. Plus, the soft blue indicator lets you know when a batt swap is immenent.
> ...




the issue here is nitecore not being honest w/ their marketing stuff. if it doesn't bother you then good for you. a lot of people don't care about the truth anymore these days...







here they claim -dv/dt charging for nimh but HKJ says it’s not true

http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review Charger Nitecore Intellicharger i4 UK.html

just another one of the many counts of marketing BS nitecore has been spewing out these days


----------



## lumenjunkie00 (Jul 20, 2014)

JackBlades said:


> Respecting your opinion, what would you consider a fair scale for reference? I have a few "Bubba Tests" as part of my inept evaluation.
> *Bedroom Wall Test: If the sucker surpassess all my other high-performance lights, it wins.
> *Backyard Tree Test. If the previously-mentioned sucker lights up a treetop from (rifleman's guessitimate without SS) maybe 200~210 meters, it's an amazing thing to hold in my hand. If it get's on a commercial flight, we're rockin.
> *The little blue indicator under the switch membrane is uber-cool. Changing batts in pitch blackness is easy to do by feel, even in a 4X, when you know the drill. Plus, the soft blue indicator lets you know when a batt swap is immenent.
> ...



What I was hoping for was a full blown review of the light to see how it compares to the EA4 & the D40A before I bought it but I was impatient. The D40A is substantially brighter than the EA4 obviously. So if this new EA41 doesn't compete with the D40A, Id have rather bought the D40A for around the same price. Not just brightness but its build quality is being slammed and that worries me. I guess ill have to wait and see how hot this thing gets and if theres any melting. I have no doubt that this light will serve purpose as a household light I was just simply looking to have the best 4AA money can buy.


----------



## skelton660 (Jul 22, 2014)

I just got a new EA41, and the one confusing part is the blue light. I keep having to go thru more button presses to turn the blue location beacon on, so I guess it's OFF by default???


----------



## lumenjunkie00 (Jul 22, 2014)

skelton660 said:


> I just got a new EA41, and the one confusing part is the blue light. I keep having to go thru more button presses to turn the blue location beacon on, so I guess it's OFF by default???



do you have an ea4 you can compare it to? or a d40a?


----------



## lumenjunkie00 (Jul 22, 2014)

I cannot read German well enough to create an account here to see these images. Is anyone able to access the pictures in this thread?

http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/nitecore/34995-review-nitecore-ea41.html


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Jul 22, 2014)

I can't read german, but I type a pretty mean english 

Nitecore EA41 Pioneer


----------



## skelton660 (Jul 22, 2014)

Yes, I own an EA4 as well. The blue beacon stays on on that one UNLESS you lock it out. With the EA41, it seems like it HAS to be turned on.


----------



## Timothybil (Jul 22, 2014)

Another variation from the EA4 UI (from the Nitecore EA41 manual):

_With the light on, press and hold the on/off switch for more than one
second to turn off the light and activate location beacon function. The
blue power indicator will flash once every three seconds to indicate the
location of the EA41. In this mode, the EA41 can keep running on 4 × AA
batteries for 120 days._

_With the light turned on, press and hold dual switches for more than one
second until the flashlight is switched off and enters into lockout mode. In
this mode, the EA41 can continue working on one set of batteries for over
12 months.
Lockout mode prevents accidental activation of the flashlight. To exit
lockout mode, simply press and hold dual switches for more than one
second again.
_
Now I'm going to have to memorize *three* slightly different UIs - the TM11, the EA4, and the EA41. The only problem is, every once in a while I find myself trying to turn on the SOS and/or Beacon mode on the TM11, which has neither. Oh well, helps keep the brain active at least, which is good cause Alzheimers runs in my family.


----------



## weklund (Aug 6, 2014)

My EA41 arrived today. Swift delivery. Light arrived in perfect condition. 10 business days from order to front door is very quick compared to other experiences I have had with Chinese suppliers. Free shipping was included in purchase price via POSTNL. 

Thank you for the exceptional delivery service GearBest.

*Now for the EA41 mini review. 

I have owned all previous versions of the Niteore EA4 which have had their share of problems. I have to say that Nitecore has made a very profound effort to correct deficienticies from the past. Excellent machining and fit. I am very fond of the instant access to turbo and moon modes. Nitecore has made the XM-L2 emitter standard in their new EA41. My light has a very pleasant creamy white neutral tint which is artifact free from center hot spot to perimeter flood. Great throw for such a small light running on 4 AA batteries. 960 lumens ... WOW, very bright. New switch design and UI are well thought out and user friendly. Having the ability to use rechargeable AA batteries are a major plus in my book. I love Panasonic eneloop AA rechargeables and so does this new EA41. Other than the addition of the XM-L2 emitter, switch and UI upgrades, not much else has changed in this new edition.

In closing I must say that this is a very well designed little light that has a place in everyone's collection. I am very pleased with mine.


















































*


----------



## Timothybil (Aug 6, 2014)

Took mine out into the dark last night. I was surprised at how much was lit up by the 1 lumen super-low! As I said in another post, I like the new spread on the light levels. It is a lot more even instead of being mostly at the high end. I tried ceiling bouncing the 1 lumen, and was surprised at how well it light up my living room - enough to be able to navigate around and see what was where. I am getting used to having turbo mode be accessible from the main mode cycle rather than having to go to off and full press. It makes sense, it's just different. I've tried EDCing it the last week. Once I have my jeans on it really isn't noticeable at my side, but when getting dressed, it really pulls down the belt. I don't think I will make a steady practice of it.

All-in-all, it is a great light, and carries on the EA4 tradition. I too have one of each, but I think this one is the best so far. If I change my mind I will let everyone know.


----------



## Kingfisher (Aug 7, 2014)

Trying really hard to resist buying this one as I already own the EA4...but I don't think I can hold out much longer. I will see how the reviews go over the next few weeks and most likely get one, and keep the older EA4 in the car.


----------



## markr6 (Aug 7, 2014)

Come on Nitecore...EA41w...do it!! Do it now!!


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Aug 7, 2014)

Just an update, Nitecore sent me a 2nd sample of the EA41-- I'm not sure what was wrong with the first one, but this one hits 900 lumens no problem. It's a bit above 900 at the start, then drops to 893 at 30 seconds. You can see the data in my review.


----------



## Timothybil (Aug 8, 2014)

I've been experimenting some more to try and get used to the new UI. AFAICT the EA41 *always* remembers the last mode, even through the lockout sequence. I have been testing over the last several nights with setting it on one of the middle modes, turning it off, and then locking out the buttons. The longest I have tested has been 24 hrs, and it started up at the level I left it on as soon as I did the unlock sequence. I didn't find anything in the manual to say one way or the other, whereas the EA4 manual explicitly states the the mode is not memorized during the lockout sequence. Anyone else done any experimenting or noticed anything like this?


----------



## milo101 (Aug 11, 2014)

Hi

I recently purchased this light and I'm I'm very happy with it. I absolutely love the UI I think it's perfect and relatively easy to use, even for people using the light for the first time. The overall quality and the finish is great and you can tell that the manufacturer has gone to great lengths to make sure it's a quality item (ie meticulous application of silicon grease to the threads). The light does have a bright hot spot and throws further than expected with a great and usable spill. I love the flashing blue light and like the fact that now with the EA41 you choose to have that on instead of it being on by default and draining the batteries so Nitecore have put thought into this light but as mentioned before, I think the UI is spot on and the light is absolutely perfect in every aspect of it's design. (I especially love the lockout mode which prevents my 1-2 year old niece and nephew from blinding themselves when they get a hold of one of my lights).

One minor concern I had was the accuracy of the battery indicator. The other day the light wouldn't go into High or Turbo mode and the blue light kept flashing rapidly when the light was on indicating a low battery (which was resolved by changing the batteries) but the battery indicator was flashing 3 times when I turned the light off and pressed the mode button to ask for remaing power which according to the manual indicated > 50% power remaining 

I'm not sure if others have noticed this but the strobe mode is not consistent either. It requires a keen eye but the flickering speed changes slightly (sometimes it lags) and randomly with occasional bursts of higher output lumen on some flicks. I'm not sure if the manufacturer knows this and designed it that way or if it's poor manufacturing but it is there and it'd be helpful if someone actually did propper measurements with a graph to show?

These are minor things that don't really affect normal use of the light but I can see how it might pose a dilemma for some...

Regards
Milo


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Aug 11, 2014)

milo101 said:


> Hi
> 
> I recently purchased this light and I'm I'm very happy with it. I absolutely love the UI I think it's perfect and relatively easy to use, even for people using the light for the first time. The overall quality and the finish is great and you can tell that the manufacturer has gone to great lengths to make sure it's a quality item (ie meticulous application of silicon grease to the threads). The light does have a bright hot spot and throws further than expected with a great and usable spill. I love the flashing blue light and like the fact that now with the EA41 you choose to have that on instead of it being on by default and draining the batteries so Nitecore have put thought into this light but as mentioned before, I think the UI is spot on and the light is absolutely perfect in every aspect of it's design. (I especially love the lockout mode which prevents my 1-2 year old niece and nephew from blinding themselves when they get a hold of one of my lights).
> 
> ...



Hey Milo, not sure about your voltage indicator function (keep an eye on that if it keeps acting up), but the variable speed strobe is supposed to happen. The idea is that a potential assailant may get used to a steady strobe quickly, but the variable speed strobe will keep them disoriented for a longer period of time.


----------



## GordoJones88 (Aug 11, 2014)

milo101 said:


> Hi
> I recently purchased this light and I'm I'm very happy with it.
> Regards
> Milo



Hey Milo, only your 2nd post in 3 1/2 years. 
You'll be able to make another post again in February 2018!


----------



## Kingfisher (Aug 12, 2014)

Couldn't wait:


----------



## Kingfisher (Aug 13, 2014)

Just realized that it comes *without* the 'rattle' which some of you had an issue with. Looks like Nitecore takes notice of stuff around here.
Really happy with the new switch.


----------



## milo101 (Aug 17, 2014)

Bigmac_79 said:


> Hey Milo, not sure about your voltage indicator function (keep an eye on that if it keeps acting up), but the variable speed strobe is supposed to happen. The idea is that a potential assailant may get used to a steady strobe quickly, but the variable speed strobe will keep them disoriented for a longer period of time.



Oh ok fair enough thanks for clearing that up bigmac. Though I didn't see that advertised anywhere. There seems to be no pattern to the variation it's just random bursts of flickering at different speeds and at times higher lumen flickering some single flicks, looks a bit messy...

And just to add to the comment re the voltage indicator, I have done further tests and it seems like it does work properly but the only thing is with the single flash you really have to deplete the batteries to get that single flash. If the batteries are almost out and you turn the light off and check for remaining power it'll flash once, but if you leave the light off for about 5 mins or so it'll flash twice again meaning it's less than 50% but not almost depleted. Correct me if I'm wrong but I assume this is because the voltage of the batteries are low after being under heavy load for extended periods of time and then when you turn them off the voltage does go up a bit, hence the flashlight detecting a "false" voltage which drops immediately again after starting to use the light?


----------



## Verndog (Sep 3, 2014)

StorminMatt said:


> I have to disagree with this. Personally, I'm not a moonlight mode kind of guy. So I can do without a one lumen mode.* But I actually LIKE the 300 lumen mode on the EA4*. It's good for long night hikes, when you want something fairly bright, but also want significantly more runtime than high. Now you would have to choose between high or 120 lumens.



Exactly! I own (2) EA 4's and use 300 lumen mode MOST of the time. Losing the true Medium mode is sad and a deal breaker IMO.


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Sep 3, 2014)

milo101 said:


> And just to add to the comment re the voltage indicator, I have done further tests and it seems like it does work properly but the only thing is with the single flash you really have to deplete the batteries to get that single flash. If the batteries are almost out and you turn the light off and check for remaining power it'll flash once, but if you leave the light off for about 5 mins or so it'll flash twice again meaning it's less than 50% but not almost depleted. Correct me if I'm wrong but I assume this is because the voltage of the batteries are low after being under heavy load for extended periods of time and then when you turn them off the voltage does go up a bit, hence the flashlight detecting a "false" voltage which drops immediately again after starting to use the light?



Yes, they call that effect "voltage sag". It will be most prominent when using high currents (high output modes). I don't know if anyone has ever done extensive measurements of the magnitude of the effect, but with modern high power lights the sag can be very significant.


----------



## donmichaelo (Sep 18, 2014)

Sumarizing...is it worth to upgrade from the EA4 to the EA41????

thanks

DonMich


----------



## Timothybil (Sep 18, 2014)

Its a toss-up and really depends on personal preferences. On one hand, you lose the single two-stage switch, a 300 lumen power level, and the exact voltage read-out. On the other hand, you gain the one lumen lower low, a more even range of light levels, the ability to go to instant lower low or turbo from off, a switchable location beacon, and a little more output on turbo. I never realized how nice a one lumen light could be until I started using it. It more than provides enough light to find your way at night without blasting your or anyone else's eyes. I like the new switch, but miss the exact voltage readout. I like the no location blue beacon until I want it. I think the choice would be a lot easier for a lot of folks if there was an EA41W available, as well.


----------



## markr6 (Sep 18, 2014)

Timothybil said:


> I think the choice would be a lot easier for a lot of folks if there was an EA41W available, as well.



I want the *EA41w *BAD! I would sell my EA4 and EA4w in a heartbeat.


----------



## SCEMan (Sep 18, 2014)

donmichaelo said:


> Sumarizing...is it worth to upgrade from the EA4 to the EA41????DonMich



Depends on your needs. I use my EA4W as a walking light, and moonlight mode is not desired as I like to start at the 60 lumen low. I also prefer the single switch UI and voltage readout. Also, the loss of instant access to Turbo from any mode (and back again) is a deal breaker for me as I use this frequently when navigating between close foliage cover and open areas or need a quick object ID at distance. 

But that's my requirements - you may find this a worthwhile change from the EA4.


----------



## donmichaelo (Sep 19, 2014)

Mmmm..thanks folks!!.... I think Iwill keep my EA4, pass the 41, wait for the "81".. 

DonMich


----------



## ven (Sep 20, 2014)

markr6 said:


> I want the *EA41w *BAD! I would sell my EA4 and EA4w in a heartbeat.




How bad Mark? would it be worth vinh getting one for you and putting the exact tint in for you,also beef up the internals where nitecore seem to fall a little short,be an awesome light!!! only a thought......................just like spending your money really:nana:


----------



## SCEMan (Sep 20, 2014)

ven said:


> How bad Mark? would it be worth vinh getting one for you and putting the exact tint in for you,also beef up the internals where nitecore seem to fall a little short,be an awesome light!!! only a thought......................just like spending your money really:nana:



I asked Vinh a while back and he said he doesn't do work on the EA4, don't know if he does EA41...


----------



## Snooker (Oct 30, 2014)

My EA41W arrived today, it is terrible, I am pleased 

I had a EA4 and I must say that the difference is real 

More light (a little) but better functionality with a single button.

Beautiful color and great color rendering (tested indoors only for now).

Sorry for my poor English, I'm French...


----------



## maxl96 (Jan 30, 2015)

*Nitecore EA41*

Hi all 
I just got a Nitecore EA41 2015 Edition.

If I Turn the light on and go to the SOS Mode, the Blue Powerbutton light blinks about every 3-4 seconds, is that normal?
I´m a bit worried.


----------



## turkeylord (Feb 10, 2015)

*Re: Nitecore EA41*

I took a look inside mine today. I was able to spin the bezel off with my palm, the lens dropped out with a little shaking, and the reflector was held in by an o-ring.







Looks like it would be easy enough to pop the LED board off the heatsink and swap it. Maybe de-dome in situ?


----------



## Timothybil (Feb 10, 2015)

*Re: Nitecore EA41*



maxl96 said:


> Hi all
> I just got a Nitecore EA41 2015 Edition.
> 
> If I Turn the light on and go to the SOS Mode, the Blue Powerbutton light blinks about every 3-4 seconds, is that normal?
> I´m a bit worried.


I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it, but my original EA41 does the same thing. Since I use it about 15 hours a week and have had it for a while now, I'm not worried about it. Everything else works just fine, so I ignore it. I mean, realistically, how often does one run any of the special modes anyway?


----------



## CelticCross74 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: Nitecore EA41*

Good to see this thread still going. Despite being another Nitecore output under performer (Selfbuilt got roughly 800 lumens OTF) I really like this light. I like the UI, the in hand feel. To bad I almost never use it as my D40A, GX25A3 and TN4A all just flat out smoke the EA41. I mean the GX25A3 puts 915 lumens out the front on a mere 3xAA yet Nitecore just cant manage to back up the output claims to within 200 lumens! Pathetic! Sometimes the in between size of the EA41 has it in my coat pocket but if a case of needing a more compact AA light comes along the GX25A3 kicks woefully under performing EA41 back to the shelf. If I did not already have the GX25A3, D40A, SRA40, TN4A then I would be blown away by the EA41 and use it a lot more. I do keep it in rotation as when it comes down to being a compact high power LED light it is outstanding. Had the 2015 since it came out and have tried to love it but....man...Vinh really needs to start modding Nitecore lights that are not Tiny Monsters. I have read that he just doesnt want anything to do with the regular mass produced Nitecores which in itself is a HUGE vote of no confidence in Nitecore....


----------



## Verndog (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: Nitecore EA41*



Timothybil said:


> I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it, but my original EA41 does the same thing. Since I use it about 15 hours a week and have had it for a while now, I'm not worried about it. Everything else works just fine, so I ignore it.* I mean, realistically, how often does one run any of the special modes anyway?*



And there is the problem for the 41 with me. You run into that extra mode everytime you are trying to get to your preferred mode (if you step up one mode)....just more clicks and frustration with interface IMO.


----------



## markr6 (Aug 17, 2015)

lonelyboy said:


> I hope there will be EA81 coming......



It's finally out! EA81 - $119.95


----------

