Nitecore EA11 CREE XM-L2(U2) 900lm

got a promo email from banggood and in it there was an offer of the Nitecore EA11 CREE XM-L2(U2) 900lm for $39.95, i was curious dispite my dislike of the company so i checked it out. Still not going to buy it.

1 x 14500

900lm - 30min
300lm - 45min
160lm - 1.5h
70lm - 2.5h
1lm - 12h

1 x AA

160lm - 45min
90lm - 2.15h
40lm - 2.45h
17lm - 3.45h
1lm - 10h

To me those look like very poor runtimes 1lm for 10 hours on AA sucks and only 30minute more runtime at 40lm than 90lm. The driver must suck goats oval objects, just confirms my personnel thoughts that nitecore is to be avoided.

In the interests of transparency i really dislike nitecore.

Refresh your browser a few time after you click through their link. Promo price will register once cookie is loaded.

you are correct i will amend my original post but i am still not going to buy it, my old fenix E12 offer better runtimes 1xAA, offically quoted runtimes 130lm - 1hr, 50lm - 3hrs, 8lm - 22hrs, but i get better than that eneloop white 1.5hr on high 4 hours on medium and didn’t bother to check low.

EA11 is packed with more power and features than E12 (classic edc). E12 may have impressive for 22hrs runtime on AA spec, but I would prefer to have 900lm (with IMR) in my pocket.

Note: I am not trying to convince you or anyone from getting one.

The price in getting from that link is $ 72.26 CAD.
No promo price.

never saw it at $39.95

It is an email only offer - click from here (non-aff)

A single AA with a 14500 option for real turbo and a standard holster is the format that I find the most useful for edc, as all my other lights are just sleeping soundly in their covers.

I wonder how long it can maintain 900 lumens for without heat issues or stop down. Looks fairly impressive in my opinion…

Just like my Eagletac D25A AA/14500, not much, but just long enough to see clearly, but the next lower mode is still good enough.

Nitecore UK:

What is the benefit using IMR instead of ICR in this light? Does it really need an IMR to get maximum lumen? I thought that protected ICR was the safe way to go but now they recommend IMR. Do they even sell IMR? Hmm… It seems like a very nice light though, with very high output for such a small light. Just a little bit too expensive.

Do they even sell 14500 IMR? :wink:

Edit: I cannot find any IMR on Nitecore.com.
http://www.nitecore.com/productList.aspx?cid=25

I picked up my EA11 at the end of March, and am very pleased with it. It came with an IMR. I wasn’t looking for super long run times. When I need long run times, I use a 18650 light.

It’s not my first Nitecore, but it intrigued me, so I picked it up. The instructions say that it will adjust the output, within twenty minutes, to avoid overheating. I used mine in the garage the other day, as I was looking up in the rafters for something; but probably not long enough to experience any step-down.

I’ve been using these EagleTac 14500 lithium ions in all of my other 14500 lights (See link below). They work beautifully, and are supposedly rated to 3+ amp loads:
http://www.illuminationgear.com/EagleTac-14500-750mAh-Li-Ion-Rechargeable-2-Pack-ET14500750mah2pk.htm

AW make a 14500 IMR:
http://www.oveready.com/battery-/batteries/aw-imr-14500-rechargeable-battery/prod_216.html

I also have Nitecore’s SRT-3, EA4, EC20, P12, 2 CB6 lights, an MT21a, and my personal favorite, for output and throw - the P25 (superb light).

I don’t seem to be able to post pictures directly here, from photobucket. What am I doing wrong?

I have an E11, myself; and it’s not a bad light, for something of that size. But - comparing apples with oranges doesn’t make sense. I don’t think there’s a Fenix light made that is compatible with 14500 batteries, or any other battery, for that matter, in that same form factor, that’s capable of that kind of output.

You know what they say about “the candle that burns twice as bright”… it’s certainly true here; but the output on this thing is tremendous, and is worth the sacrifice in reduced run time. The feature set is very impressive, as well.

Bottom line - the other poster doesn’t like the Nitecore brand. He happened to pick the smallest, most powerful light they make, but didn’t to take into consideration there are very few light companies mass producing a light of this power and form factor, anywhere close to this price range. I think it’s a positive step, for Nitecore, to offer such a light - and no, I’m not a Nitecore rep lol. I just happen to like their lights - enough to own nine of them, in various models/sizes/battery platforms.

Just out of curiosity @wolf359, what is it that you don’t like about Nitecore lights (aside from this particular model)?

I’m curious, as well, how long the EA11 can maintain 900 lumen output, before stepping down; but I’m with you. The output is amazing, even if it only for a few minutes. 9000 candela and 190 meter throw out of a single 14500 (IMR) light is staggering.

Can anyone here think of a single other light, comparably sized and priced, that can deliver the same, for any amount of time?

Truly, this is a niche light. It’s not going to be for everyone. Moonlight mode enthusiasts are going to hate this light, because of the low run time at 1 lumen. There are plenty of lights that produce moonlight mode, in this form factor, but not too many that have this kind of output, as well.

If such a light exists, point me the way. I’ll buy it, without hesitation.

I still haven’t figured out how to post pictures here. In other forums, I merely copy the image link from photobucket and paste it into the post, and the images shows up, automatically resized to 800 x 600 (to conform with picture size limits on most forums.

Agreed. My EA11 holster sits right next to my iPhone 5S and is practically invisible there (blends right in with the phone), and is extremely easy to access.

I’m also EDCing a ThruNite T10 (cool white) and T10 2014 edition - neutral (both running on 14500 lithim ions. Have to be careful not to run them for a few minutes at at time, because of the heat, but they work beautifully, but don’t come anywhere close to the output of the EA11.

I like the instant turbo, or instant low mode access, as well. Not sure how useful that flashing red light would be, but I didn’t’ buy if for that anyway lol. Mode memory is great - very handy :slight_smile:

Saw it on GB. Got interested but a combination of 2 factors drove me away on 2nd reading of the specs…

- As OP said, the driver sucks goat. AA performance is retarded. I’d personally take the Neutron 2A V2 for the price.

  • Got to buy a LION charger :smiley:

BUT it sure does look lovely. I love the looks of it.

I would say, to those of you who are not happy about the performance of this light, using a AA (alkaline or NiMh) battery, it’s not worth wasting time or money, buying this light.

If, on the other hand, you are already running lights that use the 14500 battery, you already own a charger for these batteries, and you would like to have a super compact, super high output light, with many features, you may actually end up loving this light.

As I mentioned previously, this is not a super performer, when it comes to run times - but the output it’s capable of is pretty impressive.

If you love moonlight modes that can run for hundreds of hours,continuously, this is definitely not the light for you. The light is not touted as an AA performer; but a high output light (for which a 14500 IMR is recommended); but that is capable of running on AA batteries. Nitecore don’t make any false claims about overly-optimistic run times. In fact, their specs are pretty accurate. They tell you how it really is. I wish more light companies did this.

Edit - 04-12-15 - please see post #, in response to
(I tried to strike through all of what was written here, but it didn’t take, when I clicked on Save. Not sure why. Anyay, my initial (and incorrect) assessment can be found in MountainKing’s quote in post #20.

First 6 minutes. ceilling Bounce, reference 100% is NiMH Eneloop Max. value. The 14500 Nitecore NL147 ok, best for IMR AW.
from ” banggood Not aff”:http://www.banggood.com/es/Nitecore-EA11-CREE-XM-L2U2-900lm-Compact-EDC-Flashlight-p-961636.html

I’m testing with NiMH complete runtime, and 20 minutes with NL147 Nitecore and IMR AW.

:evil: