TK's Emisar D4 review

I think half the fun of synths, though, is all the analog controls. I haven’t played with any iPhone or SW synths, but I loved the MiniMoog at Radio Shack back in the day. The 2014 documentary “I Dream of Wires” was both nostalgic and eye opening (to the fact that dev work is still being done!). One button color pattern making would be something to try.

My only experience with multicolor was the functional but so too-simple 4sevens Quark RGB (no color mixing, hideous 18650 tube, but the RGBW MC-E was so cool), and the Technology Associates Rav’n 5mm RGBY 3-button 3-AA box with a big-ol’ DIP uC in it. Neither did mixing or had more than one brightness for each color, but they were cool. There was also a button cell keychain Rav’n which qualifies as 3-color 1-button and I think mixed. If I was going to do the hardware design, though, I’d have to use 4 SMPS current regulated supplies. PWM is, to me, digital software intruding into my analog hardware. Not that the “S” in SMPS isn’t sort of digital, but once you’re in the MHz range, without RF circuit layout, digital starts becoming analog. Anyway, when I’m out of work, I don’t have the budget or inspiration to develop my own flashlight (or a workbench), and now that I am working, I don’t have the energy to do more than some battery and flashlight testing for the fun of it. So I’ll just enjoy what’s out there and affordable. Affordable is relative to income, of course, but just out of principle, I can’t ever see spending over $100 on a light. I think I did for a Surefire Aviator A2 back when THAT was the height of technology, and it is still a wonderful shelf-museum piece. Not sure what the “budget” in BLF means. From this thread it seems like $200 for a light would be unthinkable, but four $40-50 lights is, well, it’s only $40 at a time, right?

As far as kids and lights, depends on the kid. I could have handled a D4 and LiIon charging at 8 or 10. A good portion of adults, most evidently those who like to vape but don’t care to learn anything about electronics, shouldn’t be trusted. Then again, I did melt a carpet with a 7W Christmas lightbulb. As for eye damage, just going by casual knowledge, a flashlight doesn’t begin to compare with even a low-ish power laser. The D4 certainly isn’t going to burn your retinas in the fraction of a second you can look at it without wincing and closing your eyes, only to find it still is uncomfortable with them closed. If you stick it a few inches from your eyeball for several seconds, though, you’ll probably burn your iris, and eyelashes, and eyelid, and it’d really hurt. By the same token, I’d hope kids don’t stick their noses a few inches from a stove burner.

My sweetie does have a 4x7135 convoy C2, but remembering that it has 3 modes is about the limit of what she wants to learn about a flashlight. i.e., You turn it on and it lights up, and there’s something wrong with the light if it’s more complicated. It’s not smarts, it’s attitude. I handle charging or replacing the battery. If I were to give a light to any non-flashlight person, of any age, it would not be 18650. Internal LiPo, maybe. AA or two? Definitely. Sofirn makes a lovely AA light, maybe the SF10. or a Fenix E05. That’d be about it. Hard enough to get someone not used to it to charge a NiMH. Come to think of it, USB charging would be easier to get them to do, assuming they charge something like a phone or camera on a regular basis. USB internal 18650? Eh… maybe.

I always kinda wanted a Techass Rave’N. I still have an ErgoXRay kicking around.

Synths are great fun. I prefer the hybrid variety though, mostly-analog signal path with digital controls and digital effects, so it can get a rich sound but also can load and save presets and automate tonal changes over midi.

But, that said, I also have a Microbrute… which is pure analog to the extent that it uses CV controls, and patches must be dialed in each time they’re used. Sometimes it’s fun to just loop a pattern while painting a rainbow of sound with the knobs. Other times I use it in more carefully-composed songs, usually as a bassline.

Anyway, I’ve also found analog sound synthesis concepts useful for lighting purposes. The candle mode in Anduril is implemented as a 6-oscillator synth where three of the oscillators modulate the other three. And the lightsaber UI works as a 2-oscillator synth moving through a 2D colorspace (hue and brightness), with one wave oscillating between two arbitrary points in the space and the other wave oscillating strictly up and down along the brightness axis. It’s not the fanciest synth design ever, but I wanted to keep it relatively simple since there’s only one button to work with. Despite that, it’s still far more flexible than any other saber engine I’ve encountered, and the 12 profile slots almost feel like they’re not enough.

The interface for that is:

The current pattern is shown real-time during configuration to make it easier to adjust by feel.

Thanks goshdogit. I will hunt for deep carry clip.
Won’t have to be captive or pretty

TK, I cringe to think of the relevancy of “pew pew pew” should that cat backfire…. :wink:

Read this at just the right moment - needed a good laugh

Thanks Dale

Lovely image. Use cats with caution.


Was thinking about efficiency after getting my (2011) ZL SC600w (before it was Mk Anything) and using it for my typical make-a-sandwich and take-a-shower brightness tests. The D4 is OK at it’s IIRC ~125 lm CC mode, where it might get just noticeably warm after an extended run. Around 300lm is really better, though. Not sure where that is on the D4, or how long it’d run, but it gets darn hot (45+C?) if below the thermal control threshold. Double 350mA plus fudge for FET current efficiency loss maybe 1000mA, ~3 hours? The SC600w does 284 for 3h (NCR18650A 2900mAh) and gets “darn hot” too. Maybe they’re not so different. I was surprised the ZL was so hot at such a “low” level. (Turbo is 645) 2011 XM-L vs 2017 XP-G2. Thought I’d compare to the latest maybe most efficient 18650? ZL MkIV+ makes 358 for 5.1h (3400mAh?) and… after a half hour was cool to the touch. (705lm is 2.5, maybe PID kicks in). There’s been a lot of mention of how bright a light can be with this size and ability to dissipate heat. The next level up is 705lm (2.5h) with PID theoretically active, but just tailstanding the whole light gets just a little warm (40C). So at least 800 should be possible if 45 or 50C equilibrium is allowed. Which, explains why I was initially scowling when I set the D4 to, IDK, 400lm or so and it stepped down below 100 in a few minutes (with the default 45C limit, which is really 35C on mine).

The tint is so much nicer than either SC600, though. Only thing that comes close is the Jaxman E2L Nichia triple, which at half power (1050mA) gets a little warm (no idea of output, runtime must be about 3h).

I use Armytek Wizard clips on lots of my lights. It’s my favorite deep carry pocket clip. I grind off the ‘ears’ and sometimes thin the arms to better fit the grooves on the battery tube.

Here’s what it looks like on the Emisar D4 in bezel-up configuration. With some grinding, it could fit even better. Click the images to embiggen.

It’s too long to allow the D4 to tailstand if mounted to the rear groove, but could probably be mounted around the thicker part of the tube.

I ordered a dozen directly from Armytek, but they shipped from China. Other vendors sell them individually. Killzone Flashlights currently has them in stock.

These are a tight fit on most lights, so be aware that the flashlights could be scratched. I don’t mind but thought it was worth mentioning.

We like the same clips.

No such button, but i managed to like” your post somehow hehe
Did the clip worked out the box? I had to bend mine off to just attach it! Too bad angle

I also use the skilhunt h02 clips. I carry bezel down. And I have used epoxy on clips in the past.

Of the options, which led would be the best for flood?

The Nichia 219C option.

That’s a nice looking setup. Is that innertube? I take it you bite that light… :laughing:

Yep, the Nichia will be the floodiest under the stock (10622) TIR. However, I think it can vary with specific LED/TIR combos.
Some emitters can perform differently and be more or less floody depending on the specific TIR being used.
If you look at the Carclo website, it looks like the XP-G2 is actually the more floody option with a 10623 optic (or rather, still a narrower hot-spot than the Nichia, but with more spill).
That said, if you are looking for max flood, I’d go with the floodiest TIR optic (10624), and find out which emitter gives the best performance under it. YMMV.

It’s extremely floody with a frosted optic. Also very smooth. But on mine, I switched back to a clear optic because it seemed too floody for outdoor use. I kept having to turn it up pretty high even for just taking a walk.

Watched a YouTube vid and did a google search and some say that the XP-L 3A is probably the best usable led with the 10623 optic. Can anyone here confirm that’s a good usable outside combo?

I have a D4 with 2 XP-L 3A and two XP-L 5D with the 10622 optic. I love it. My wife and I just returned from a long walk this evening in the local open space. Plenty of floody light to light our path, but still decent throw when you need it so light up the owls flying in the distance (short turbo bursts). I don’t have the 10623 optic to compare. I imagine it comes down to personal preference, maybe buy both?

Some discussion of the two optics here

I’m not a great photographer, but d_t_a requested some beam shots of the 2 xpl-hi V2 3A and 2 xpl-hi V2 5D D4 I have. I am going to compare it to my nichia 219C light, which is the other D4 I have.

Both lights started up “fresh”, so presumably at full current in on 7135. I am surprised to see how green the xpl-hi light looks, as it does not look that way with my eyes. I am just using my cell phone. xpl-hi on left, 291C on right.

Now at the minimum of the ramp

and looking directly into the light with both on low, 291C on top, xpl-hi on bottom

I like the more focused light of the xpl-hi in this light. Both versions are very floody, but the xpl-hi certainly give better throw between the two. I prefer the color of the xpl-hi in person also. It seems warmer to me, at least in person.

I’m a D4 owner. It’s a perfect flashlight, but I’d like a D4S with 21700 batteries so I could also use all my 18650’s and still be small enought for EDC.
Wish Hank reads this…….

I’m a D4 owner. It’s a perfect flashlight, but I’d like a D4S with 21700 batteries so I could also use all my 18650’s and still be small enought for EDC.
Wish Hank reads this…….