…and as my daughter says: “It’s the bomb-dot-com.”
The fit and finish is superior to my EA4. I really like the two-stage switch on the EA4, but I have concerns about the switch ballooning as well as how it will work in the long term. The D40A has a clunky interface by comparison, but I get the impression that the switch design will outlive the EA4’s switch by orders of magnitude. So maybe it’s less elegant than the EA4, but far more robust.
So far, I’m in love. At least until a new love comes along.
The interface is clunky? So far its probably the best ui I have ever used. There’s shortcuts for moonlight and turbo, hidden blinkies, everything someone could ask for.
Don’t forgot to lock it out with a quarter turn!
I love mine I’d grab another in a second. It just needs to fall below 50 again.
Don’t get me wrong. I do like the interface. I guess I just miss the momentary on. But on the EA4 it’s really two momentary on’s. On the EA4 I can momentary on high or low, and I thought that was neat. But I can tell this design is way more robust. The switch on the D40A isn’t going to do a balloon or anything weird. The D40A is definitely going to be my new precious. The EA4 now goes in the ‘bag of shame’ where I put the lights I’m not currently carrying. But I guess I just miss the momentary on.
And I was so close to getting the D40A before MAP at FT, at least my EA4 was only $48.
When the price drops i will reconsider the D40A, I am not a fan of dual mode switches though.
Shipping would kill the deal for you, but folks in the United States can get a D40A in the same price range from Illumination Supply by using the "laborday" coupon code. I ordered mine Friday afternoon and got it today even though we had a 3 day holiday weekend.
Hmmm I paid $79.50 for Amazon Prime just to order it late Friday and get it today. Oh well, no regrets. Normally Prime beats everyone. Illumination Supply is a great seller, though. I’ve had GoingGear beat prime once or twice.
I know , you guys get such good deals, we can’t even order from Amazon anymore if its electronic, anyhow no big deal, I managed to get one Sunwayman before MAP, the V20C , and I was about to order the D40A, it was in my checkout ,but come the Monday the price had jumped, at least they shipped the V20C at the old price.
The momentary on and the beacon-mode is what I liked more about the EA4, but the switch, moonlight-mode and the higher output makes the D40A the winner for me.
You can get it from doingoutdoor for less than 60$ shipped with coupon or ask FT for a bulk pricing quote for one item, Im sure they will work out something for you ;)!
Same here, I have lots of AA and AAA batteries that I could use with AA adapters that I also have plenty of.
But with arrival of D40A and with definite future purchase of another multi AA, perhaps even 8xAA light, I feel like I will have to buy even more NiMh’s :D!
The question now is, which ones besides Eneloops(pricey here) and Turnigy’s(get pricey when you add shipping) should I order, which ones can hold their voltage under load as good as the ones I just mentioned?
FT has what appears to be good prices on Enelongs. I bought some, but haven't tested them. They seem to work fine though. I got them after I saw RaceR86 talked about them in a thread. He hadn't tested them either at the time. I think others have used them here. I haven't heard anything bad yet. I'm wondering if they are 1st generation Eneloops, because of the stated stats.
EDIT: Like Atb above, I'm a big fan of this light. I bought it because it puts out a lot of light on AA's, but I fell in love with the UI and moonlight mode. Once I change to a better tint, this light will be perfect for what I use it for. I need to get better at finding the buttons in the dark though. I wish they had a texture around them or something to facilitate locating by touch. Anyone have a mod for that?
I might. I have a headlamp that I can never find the buttons on by feel….so I picked a tiny bottle of GITD paint in the dollar store (apparently the kids use the stuff to decorate T-shirts)….I applied it in the middle of the buttons, raising a nice little bump. Works like a charm. The stuff is really thick and rubbery, and it’s easy to get a substantial bump with it.
I was going to try silicone (the kind you seal around your shower cabinet with) but I thought it might have a bad effect on the switch material. The paint worked quite well, and it’s easily replaceable if it ever falls off. It comes in little one ounce squirt bottles in a half dozen luminous colours .
I have bought one of these GITD vinyl self adhesive sheets on ebay (to cut out gitd stars for in my son's bedroom, much better than the local gitd stars from the toy-shop), probably expensive for such a small piece, but I got it fast, in a normal envelope, the GITD is very good and it sticks well. I guess you can easily stick it on the D40A buttons.
Great suggestions. Thank you. Much better than putting something around the button area like I was thinking. If done right, maybe it will help prolong the life the plastic cover that is over the switches.
I tried the D40A on the nightstand last night just for giggles. I have a little dog with heart problems. He woke me up coughing and I couldn't for the life of me find the buttons in the dark. I like the GITD suggestion but my old eyes aren't so good anymore. I need something I can find by feel. The normal V11R is on the workbench waiting for grease, and I have an SRT3 on the way. I don't normally keep a light as big as the D40A for a nightstand light so it was just an experiment anyway. Think I'll go back to the 4 mode L10.
