Emisar D4S review

To blink out the temperature:

  • switch off the light
  • Click 3 times for voltage
  • Click another 2 times for temperature blink out.

(Edit: I will leave it like this now, but the next time I’ll refresh the browser first… Promised! :sunglasses: )

Well, just finished an infuriating flash session with my D4S.

It absolutely REFUSED to flash with the 219c attached. Desoldered them as I was switching to XPL-HIs and it immediately flashed with 0 errors. Not sure if I got lucky the first time, but I repeatedly got transmit errors around the 1% and 60% mark. Im thinking its more hardware related as in with my laptop, and the low vF emitters or something. Really weird.

No, corrected from Toykeeper.
Lexcel wrote you must desolder the AuX-LEDS on the ROT66 to flash it. Maybe that is the same reason on the D4S?

Could the 219C have been reflowed in an incorrect orientation? A short there would have prevented the flash. Low Vf wouldn’t have done it, at least I’ve never had that be an issue in all the multitudes of one’s I’ve flashed…

The problem could be the power supply.
If you take a close look, the main LED flashes for a bit when data is transferred as both of the channels use the same pins as the data lines.
Since the layout connects the programmers power supply directly to battery plus, your programmer has to also power the LEDs.
If you have a programmer that cannot supply enough current, then there will be some kind of error.

Sadly, I cannot offer you a clear solution, but maybe try a USB 3.0 port as they may be able to provide enough current.

Have anyone found a pocket clip that fits on the D4S?

No, that’s not it. The D4S flashes just fine with aux LEDs installed. The ROT66/PL47 flash issue happens due to the way Lexel’s aux LED board regulates power, and that’s not relevant for Emisar’s designs. Incidentally, this is also why the D4S aux LEDs have a low mode, but the ROT66/PL47 do not.

Don’t see how they could fit

Guess I’ll use it for something else, deleted the post to not create confusion…

For the love of god, my dad clicked the button a bunch of times and made a complete mess of the programming.

I’ve got it mostly sorted out except I can’t figure out how to get smooth ramping back.

Can someone please spell out the sequence to change it from stepped ramping to smooth ramping?

Thanks!

Edit: Nevermind, found this great “manual”, worked perfect: RampingIOS V3 Manual | Phil! Gold

-Jamie M.

The factory noctigon was 219cs, I was going to try to flash it before swapping to the xpl-hi noctigon from my bricked d4s. I’m assuming it was the port but it gave me quite a fight until I desoldered the main and aux emitter boards.

I’ll retest when I have time with the xpl-his with the new flashing adapters I made. The male dupont adapters are a really nice fit in the flashing vias after being crimped and filed down a hair.
I need to double check my USB ports, but I think they’re standard 3.0 but the other ports are the high speed charge 3.0 which I’ll try next. Hopefully its not the laptop. It’s a brand new dell precision workstation.

While on, click 3 times.

What about the clip used in this 26650 light? Can we find the supplier?

https://www.fasttech.com/product/5707401-btu-pk26-led-flashlight

Comparing the Emisar D4S and the BLF Q8 in Alaska:

Let me apologize for two things before I start:

  1. Someone might have already posted a comparison of these two lights in this thread. I have not had the time to go through the previous 44 pages.
  2. I don’t have photos to show what I will try to describe.

Here in Alaska the nights are getting very long and cold, making this a great time to get outside and try out my new Emisar D4S in vast dark wilderness beyond the edge of town.

The few nights ago I had taken out my D4S (XP-L HI V2 3A @5000K), comparing it with my other Emisar lights: the D4, D1 and D1S. My takeaway from those trials is that I can put away my D4 and D1 as the D4S has the brightness of the D4 and throw of the D1. The D1S throws a longer distance. I’ll keep that one around.

But it occurred to me the D4S seemed similar to the BLF Q8 in terms of light output (lumens, flood and throw). How similar?

Last night I took my D4S and BLF Q8 (XP-L HD V6 3D @4750K) to my favorite remote testing spot, the base of a shear rock cliff that is about 300 meters long and 100 meters tall. I stood at one end of the base of this cliff, comparing throw, flood, brightness and tint knowing I would not be disturbing any humans, the nearest living miles away. (I once bothered a curious moose and another time a massive Great Horned owl. Sorry fellas.)

The beams of the two lights are indeed very similar. Both provide a useful combination of a broad hot spot giving plenty of throw plus abundant spill/flood. In fact, that much flooding light (at turbo levels) reflecting on white crystalline snow can be too dazzling. Both lights throw a beam the full 300m length of the cliff with almost the same apparent brilliance. The Q8 is a teeny-tiny bit brighter than the D4S but it’s just about a tie. Batteries: Q8: 4-18650 Sony VTC6; D4S: 1-26650 Orbtronic 5750mah high drain. Freshly charged.

The tint of the Q8 (4750K) is a bit warmer than the D4S (5000K). Both look nice.

The biggest differences between the two lights are:

  1. Physical size and weight
  2. How they handle their generated heat and
  3. Batteries

Size and weight: The D4S is pocketable in my denim jeans. At 242g with battery, and only 4.1” short, it is almost an EDC – though it is not a shirt pocket carry. The Q8 needs a much bigger pocket – like the one in my overcoat. The Q8 is also too heavy (608g with batteries) to leave in my overcoat pocket. My car’s glovebox is a good place for it.

Heat handling: The D4S gets warm fairly quickly – though not as quickly nor as hot as the scorching D4. Quick heat renders the D4 less than practical. Not so the D4S: It can run at around 800 lumens without overheating (remember: I live in cold Alaska. You may need to ramp the D4S a bit lower to keep it cool). The Q8, with its greater mass, is a champ at heat dissipation. It takes a long time to get warm; it never gets hot.

Batteries: The four 18650 batteries in the Q8 will outlast the single 26650 in the D4S. But the D4S/26650 lasts a long time (compared to lights with a single 18650).

And the winner is……? Which light will I use the most? Which will I reach for first? Which will stay closest to me?

In terms of short to mid-duration light output (bright bursts up to a few minutes), both lights are equally capable. They are excellent flood AND throw lights.

So, for me, it comes down to carrying convenience. And here the D4S has the clear advantage. It is smaller and much lighter than the Q8. It goes where I go more easily. It also fits in my hand perfectly.

I predict Emisar will sell a lot of these.

Other thoughts on the D4S: The auxiliary emitters are nice (mine are cyan). I keep them on their low setting although the high setting creates a nice Blue Moon mode. I also purchased the magnetic cap. It is a strong magnet. It holds the light at any angle. It is fond of my key ring.

Thanks for this head to head comparison. I’ve been looking for something as powerful as my Q8 but in a smaller size. I thought I’d need a larger light with perhaps a XHP70.2 emitter but it seems that the D4S (even with the tradeoffs) is a contender.

Thanks for the comparison, I was also looking for something like the Q8 but smaller. :slight_smile: :beer:

Can’t wait to get mine!

Will add my own video beamshot test comparisons (each Youtube video is around 20 seconds long) for each of these flashlights:

(direct ground distance of flashlight to the building on the opposite side is around 125 meters or 400 feet, as checked with Google Maps; but since it's more of a diagonal up, I'd expect around 150 meters diagonal distance)

(tests done with fully-charged batteries: around 4.15+ v ; the Sofirn & BLF Q8 use 4x VTC6 [not "new" ones but have been using them for testing for the bigger part of this year]; while the D4S use cyan INR26650-50A [supposed to be similar to Lii-50A])

(recorded the D4S twice)

(indicated "lumens" are not my measured lumens but the "manufacturer rated lumens")

1) Emisar D4S (quad Nichia 219C 5000K CRI90, "3000 lumens")

2) Emisar D4S (quad XPL-Hi, V2-3A, "4300 lumens")

3) BLF Q8 (quad XPL-HD V6 3D, NW, stock, except updated to Anduril, "5000 lumens")

4) Sofirn (quad XPL-Hi, CW, stock, except updated to Anduril, "5000 lumens")

5) Emisar D1 (XPL-Hi, V2-3A, "1250 lumens")

notes: Sofirn Q8 is a lot more throwy

Awesome videos d_t_a Thank you for sharing…!!! :slight_smile: :beer:

I agree………. :+1: :beer: I also really enjoyed your post Frumious…… almost felt like I was there in Alaska at the base of the cliff with the moose and owls…. Coooool! Still in the low 80s here during the day
I havent ordered my D4S yet but I do have a D1S that is lonely for a floodier brother for EDC.
BTW, Welcome to BLF! :beer: :beer:

Thanks for these videos d_t_a.

My Q8 is the stock BLF - the same as video #3. My D4S has the same emitters as both #2 videos.

I notice in the first of the two #2s there appears a substantial and quick drop of brightness. That drop is not so noticeable in the second #2 video.

Perhaps because it is cold up here, temperature activated step-down does not happen as quickly. Also, I read instructions in one of TK’s posts for how to raise the activation point of the temperature step-down from its low factory default. This would also extend the time the D4S stays at max lumens. I had planned on doing this but after the cold trial did not see the need. I now think I will do it anyway.

Thanks again.