This really is a "hot rod" light. Not entirely practical, but a lot of light. I'd not bother unless it is going to be used exclusively on 14500s.
A bit on the expensive side for what it is, though it is nicely made. Battery tube could do with 0.1-0.2mm reamed out of it. There is no access to the battery at the LED end so if a battery does get stuck it will be interesting getting it out. It simply doesn't make sense to use alkalines in this light and the low needs to be about 25% of what it is. It'd be nice if version 2 had 100% 20% and 5% with no flashing mode. Or as Mr. Admin says, with the K106 programmable driver modified for the current involved on high.
My guess/hope? (although I don't think I'll actually be getting one) is it's just temporary. DX and/or the manufacturer buy/produce a trial run, if they sell out fast without major complaints & returns they buy/produce more.
Or the heavily modified motorcycle I used to play with - turning circle? Well it was light enough to pick up and point in the right direction.
Riding position that only made sense at about 30mph more than the thing's top speed when the wind resistance held you up and it didn't feel like doing pressups on your thumbs. Loads of fun, but not the device of choice for actually going anywhere. The bus was better for that.
The light isn't quite in that league for unusability, it's been clipped inside my jacket pocket at work (a mostly brightly lit hospital) and nobody has yet commented on how bright the thing is - but then they are used to my lights being rather brighter than most. My one's inability to tailstand is a problem where it is most likely to get used in our storage cupboard under the stairs. Usually you need both hands free in there to shift stuff out of the way to get to what you need.
This makes a lot of sense to me and would explain why some lights pretty much disappear the day they get announced on the new arrivals page. It might also explain the prices as the manufacturers test the market to see what it'll bear. It wouldn't surprise me if some models are a result of DX/KD test marketing for them then the maker makes it a bit different so as to be a new model and sells it at a different price. Which might explain the Ultrafire C3 stainless steel, the first ones were excellent though a bit hot running, the later ones weren't but were probably more profitable.
Just production tolerances I'd guess. I think the switch boot is the guilty party. It only takes a fraction of a millimetre - once I figure out how to get it out, it'll tailstand. The boot is probably too big but I have quite a few 14mm boots I can stick in there till I get one that works properly and takes up the excessive travel in the switch. The Solarforce forward clicky i bought has the same problem. Maybe some more dismantling this weekend - the weather forecast isn't good anyway.
The brightness of this rocket would do well in an indoor situation it would seem......or for short term use outside when one is not carrying a bigger light.
Or with a backpack full of spare cells. Actually the high is too bright for a lot of indoors stuff - and the low is still a whole heap of light. Great fun though. For lighting up the cupboard under the stairs - I'll get a pic - it is great if it'd only tailstand though a blob of Blu-Tak should sort that out
The infamous cupboard under the stairs. It is about 3 metres long and at its highest point about 3 metres high. There is good reason for that sign on the wall/roof - I have the scars on my head to prove it.
With the lights stuck to the wall behind me. It is probably illuminating my back very well.
High
Low
I can do similar shots for other lights if this approach interests anyone - obviously this is as total output rather than hotspot measurement. Here's the light in front of me. Obviously the exposure is different.
High
Low
As you can see, not a lot of difference between high and low in these two pics - while the exposures aren't the same this does capture the visual differences between the two levels quite well, i.e., it isn't really visible.
Hey Don, do you think my Eneloops are functioning correctly? I did another runtime test with a freshly charged Eneloop, and it held very steady until about 2:10, and at 2:21 it was as bright visually as the K-106 on Low. By 2:30 the glow is hardly noticeable. It seems that yours lasts quite a bit longer.
Yes i would say so.....it also depends on the driver. With time and more use your Eneloops will get better and better, so for the first few uses you might get short runtime.
You might be right Al. In fact, I am now convinced these are NOT just cheap knockoffs... I just started a runtime test with a cheap BTY 2700 mAh NiMH that came with my charger, and it's about done for already at 1:14. A full hour more with the Eneloop!
High Quality cells like the Eneloops will just get better with time it seems.......so enjoy them man. And as for fakes i never thought they were. Usually with new cells i like to cycle them first before they get put to use, so in your case i would just use them and put them back on the charger.
I was the one who was suspecting them actually :X the price was pretty good. But I think this is the proof that they are genuine, fully 100% more runtime than the BTY.
Any cell claiming over 2300mAh is probably going to be junk very soon if it isn't immediately. High capacity NiMH (>2000mAh) have to make too many compromises to be useful. My reputable 2700mAh cells never gave me more than 2400mAh even after gentle forming. Now they are junk and are too big to fit in most AA using devices. Hence, Eneloops only for me. I have cheaper LSD cells but they aren't as good - but then they were half the price. With sensible treatment (not charging them above an amp), they should last for more than a decade. Most of my >2200mAh cells are in a recycling box and the rest relegated to cordless mice and the like.
Yup, I never expected much out of these BTY cells, they just came for free with the charger. But my point is that if these Eneloops were fakes, they would probably be every bit as cheap as the BTYs, which they aren't.
So you say that the BTY cells quickly lose their initial charge capacity and become even worse in short order? Mine are not noticeably lighter than the Eneloops, so they do appear to have a healthy dose of electron soup inside.
In the short term they may work well enough, and if you never overcharge them (This kills more cells than anything else) and never expect high currents out of them (anything over half an amp) then they might serve well. Or they might not. Modern NiMH cells contain a small and very carefully measured amount of water. If this is lost by overcharging, overheating or overdischarging they will irreversibly lose capacity. It is normally reckoned that cells have had it when they are down to 80% of original capacity. If the seals aren't very good even if you avoid all the above, then they will irreversibly lose capacity.
In a year's time they may well be useless - or, if you are lucky they will still have life in them. None of my very gently treated "2700mAh" cells made it to 3 and they were not cheap cells.
Usually with new cells i like to cycle them first before they get put to use, so in your case i would just use them and put them back on the charger.