Hi all, recently got the nitecore vcl10 for my vehicle.Its a multiutility vehicle gadget with an inbuilt flashlight and emergency warning light.
The Vcl10 attaches to the regular 12 v cigarette socket in the vehicle.It can charge all your usb devices, and also suports quickcharge 2.0/3.0.
Nitecore has really tried to put up all their expertise in flashlights and chargers into making this.
starting , let's see the manufacturer's
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Input: DC 12V 2.5A (Max)
Output: DC 5V 2.4A (Max)
QuickCharge 3.0: DC 3.6V-12V 2.4A (Max)
QuickCharge 2.0: DC 5V/9V/12V 2.4A (Max)
Maximum Brightness: 25 lumens
Impact Resistance: 1 m
Dimensions: L-3.09"xW-0.96"xH-0.91"
Weight: 1.57 oz
BRIGHTNESS OUTPUTS
White: 25 lm / 3 hr
Red: 350mw / 20 hr
The packaging, is a normal blister retail packaging in the nitecore yellow cover.The package itself gives a very premium feel.
The package contains the instruction manual,the nitecore warranty card and the vcl10 itself.
The build quality is very good.It doesn't have any ipx or impact ratings ,as it is mainly intended for use inside of vehicle,with only emergency outside uses.But as I can see and feel everything is tightly made with strong materials.
It does feel little heavier than normal 12v chargers mainly because of inbuilt battery,magnet and the tungsten steel tail.
User interface is very simple .It has only two modes a constant on white led and blinking red led,(which varies the blinking frequency ccording to the photon sensor).The operations are controlled by a single switch located at the head.
Press and hold to turn on the white light.
When on in white light mode press once to go into red blinky mode,further click turns the light back to white and it cycles between these two modes.
To turn off ,you need to press and hold the switch again.
The charger emits the typical blue light when on.To confirm quick charge function, a separate green led turns on when compatable devices are connected.
The whole unit has a fire retardant plastic body construction with a metal tail end .The tip is made up of titanium steel and is designed very uniquely without taking any additional space.The tip can be used to break glass easily in the event of an emergency.
The charger has an inbuilt 240 mah battery,which can sustain the 25 lumen output for 3hours.The light lens is designed to give a uniform light beam.
The white light is purely flood and with the ability to tilt upto 90° ,is very handy at night.
A thin strip connects the light and switch module to the charger body.
The module is held in place by a plastic pin ,which locks inside a metal clip
The inbuilt magnet easily attaches to the vehicle body.It can provide light for upto 3hrs,which in my opinion is quite enough for a tyre change or jumpstart scenario.
cool part is that this battery can give an astonishing runtime of 20 hr ,for the blinking red light.Believe me this isn't any weak red light, it can be easily spotted from real far distances.This has to be the brightest red warning light that I have ever seen in any gadgets.
As Nitecore is famous for their innovations,they further added a photodetector,which can identify an on coming vehicle and increase the blinking frequency, thereby giving a sharp warning signal to others.
This particularly works great in dark situations where you are stranded because of a breakdown and don't have any power in the vehicle battery to power the hazard lights.
Actually you can use this in many ways .I actually used it ,attached to my bicycle rear end and it worked great.It emits red light at a constant blinking rate ,if no vehicle is coming behind us.But if any vehicle comes close by ,it will trigger the photon detector which then increases the blinking frequency.
It can easily be used as a great safety light for bikes.
Only difficulty is that you only have the option to charge it via vehicle 12 v socket .I really wish nitecore to give it a usb recharging for the inbuilt battery,so that we can even use it outside vehicle,like regular pocket flashlight .
Summarizing
With all its fast charging capabilities and different emergency utilities it's a must have in my opinion.
Pros
1.The build material is top notch, even though its fully plastic(except the tip),the body feels sturdy.
2.The photon detector is a good innovative idea,which works superbly to warn others of your position,when they get closer.
3.The runtime on both white and red leds are great.
4.The glass breaker design is very smartly done, incorporating it to the tip.
5 The ability to swivel the light module is well thought off ,and comes in really handy.
6.The inbulilt magnetic capability also makes it really useful for all kinds of scenarios.
7.Good user interface
8.Separate green indicator to denote quick charge .
Cons/suggestions
1.Definitely needs a digital display for the current and voltage .Also a battery level display for the inbuilt battery.
2.Would love to see a micro usb port to recharge the vcl10 ,to extend its usage even outside of the vehicle-for instance where like me if you like to take it on a bicycle ride,using the red light as a rear safety light.
3.Would have loved one more usb port,as most of us usually have one port always occupied for additional dashcams or rearview camera screen etc
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