Nitecore EC11 (CR123/IMR 18350 light) - Off line now :-)

[logindetails]

@Trevi_lux

@logindetails

My Efest IMR 800 mAh battery was drained to 1.5v with no indication from the EC11 that the voltage had dropped below 3v - please see this thread

The flashlight has not alert for low voltage, but you can read the voltage with the flahslight…
If you not use protected battery, you must check the voltaje of your battery.

At the rate this light drains batteries it’s not very practical - you’d need to be checking the voltage every minute especially if running on hi.

[Trevi_lux]

@logindetails

@Trevi_lux

@logindetails

My Efest IMR 800 mAh battery was drained to 1.5v with no indication from the EC11 that the voltage had dropped below 3v - please see this thread

The flashlight has not alert for low voltage, but you can read the voltage with the flahslight…
If you not use protected battery, you must check the voltaje of your battery.

At the rate this light drains batteries it’s not very practical - you’d need to be checking the voltage every minute especially if running on hi.

Lithium batteries are not a toy. Is the responsibility of everyone understand its functioning and risks.

[xed888]

So you guys are saying that funny shape is normal then?

Strange though.some people have report d it to be completely circular

Plus my led is not centred for sure

[wolfdog1226]

Thanks for every ones input regarding the “Distorted Beam Profile”?!. I believe this is a FAIR AND LOGICAL ASSESSMENT of that!

@ M4D M4X- It would be helpful if you could answer my question in post #215. How far away from the wall were you?

Thanks,

@ sesgum- post #216

Thanks for your post. I would have NEVER known of any distortion/halo if it was not for your post! I tried from 2ft./~.66m, 3Ft./~1m and a bit further and saw NOTHING until I read your post. So I got out my tape measure! I could NOT notice anything until I was 8”/20cm away from the wall l!!! Mine was NOT as pronounced as M4D M4X.

This little bit of distortion has ZERO NEGATIVE affect in practical use! Whether EDC’ing ing inside my condo or out on the TRAIL W/ Capo.
_

@Ricflair.post #211

I agree with your words 100%!.

From your post # 211- But not enough to really bother me or affect the beam too much. I don’t use my lights to look at white walls. But if I did, then I bought the light for the wrong reason in the first place.

@ smaller lights post # 217

I do not know if you have the light. If you do, this is NOTHING to worry about. If you don’t, don’t let something as irrelevant as this stop you from getting it!

EVERY LIGHT MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THIS REGARD. AT LEAST FOR MINE, AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE FOR SOME OTHERS, THIS WHITE WALL DISTORTION IS A NON FACTOR!
_

I did some simple yet helpful run time tests last week. EVERY new light I get I do this so I have an idea of how long I can run a light at a certain level. Because of this, my batteries have NEVER got below 3.50v and into unsafe territory.

With that said, as you notice the Voltage in a few of these tests were way too low!! I forgot to realize the ANSI way of calculating run times.

You have to take the good with the bad. We can always criticize and search for that elusive perfection! Believe me,I have done it too much! ,I will do it again,sort of!

The Two negatives are the EXTREME heat when on TURBO and the shorter run times.We must Keep in mind that these batteries are only
700 to 900mAh ~ 1/4 the capacity of a 3400mAh 18650.
*

BATTERY: EFEST IMR “PURPLE” 18350 700 mAh.

TURBO OUTPUT -I DID 3 MINUTE INCREMENTS[THAT IS THE STEP DOWN] W/ ABOUT 4 MINUTES OF REST IN BETWEEN.

TAIL STAND/NO FAN/LOFT TEMP. WAS 74F/23.3C.

STARTING VOLTAGE:4.20V* I actually used my stop watch on my phone app! STEP DOWN WAS EXACTLY 3 MIN. 7.7 SEC.!!!

3 MIN= 3.90V 6 MIN=3.74V
9 MIN=3.64V 12 MIN=3.50V

I decided to try for 3 more minutes. After an additional 2 min. 10 sec. the light stepped down to medium or low! I immediately checked w/ the DMM and it was @ 2.28v!! Needless to say when I tested my second Efest IMR 18350 I stopped at 12 minutes. Both batteries tested exactly the same.

The EFEST IMR 16340 RAN FOR 15 MINUTES[3 MIN. INCREMENTS] AND WAS @ 3.50V .It did not get as hot and certainly did not push the light quite as hard.

---

A COUPLE MORE TESTS I DID TODAY!

It passed the FREEZER test with basically identical voltages. About 0.01/0.02 additional volts per 3 min. increment.

I just got done testing it on HIGH[300Lumens]. This did not surprise me as it was demonstrated in my TURBO TESTS.

After 20 consecutive minutes on high=3.62v

5 MINUTES REST

After 10 more minutes,totaling “30 combined” minutes on high=3.22v!

EDIT: NOT GOOD! I would NOT recommend running it more than 20 minutes on “High”!

[Trevi_lux]

Thanks for this runtime wolfdog1226, are of great help to know how to use my light.

[prodal]

That shape is normal, but you only see it when you hold it very close to the wall when making the beamshot. I couldnt even make a pic of it where its visible but with your eyes you can see it clearly.

The effect of the red LED making the beamshot weird can be shown in the beam profile.

1st picture shows the light with the red led facing the wall, in the 2nd the light was turned 90 degrees and in the last one 180 degrees so the red led is facing the camera.

The led of my EA11 is also not perfectly centered.

[Trevi_lux]

My EA11 not perfect centered, but yes perfect beam

(of course at 15 cm of the wall you can see the “funny” reflections, but is not a problem I’m not using my flashlight on high to see something at 15 cm)

[wolfdog1226]

@prodal

That shape is normal, but you only see it when you hold it very close to the wall when making the beamshot. I couldnt even make a pic of it where its visible but with your eyes you can see it clearly.

The effect of the red LED making the beamshot weird can be shown in the beam profile.

1st picture shows the light with the red led facing the wall, in the 2nd the light was turned 90 degrees and in the last one 180 degrees so the red led is facing the camera.

The led of my EA11 is also not perfectly centered.

Guten tag! Welcome to BLF. Thank you for the creative and insightful photos. :bigsmile:

[wolfdog1226]

@Trevi_lux

Thanks for this runtime wolfdog1226, are of great help to know how to use my light.

Hola, buen dia !! My Italian is slightly better! Your welcome,glad they can help.

[prodal]

@wolfdog1226

Guten tag! Welcome to BLF. Thank you for the creative and insightful photos. :bigsmile:

It’s a pleasure, thank you for the warm welcome.

[Ormbett]

Hmm… Im somewhat confused. Not the first time though :bigsmile:

How to calculate runtime according to ANSI:

Runtime

The amount of continuous runtime (in minutes) until the light output drops to 10% of its original value (measured 30 seconds after turning the light on).

This test is done using the batteries included with the flashlight.[1] If no batteries are included, the test is done using the manufacturer-recommended batteries.[1]

The test is done in an integrating sphere just like the lumen test with light output measured every 15 minutes. 10% of brightness probably gives inflated runtime numbers. In the past, some testers used 50% to be a little more practical, but with most batteries, the drop-off is usually pretty quick and the time between 50% and 10% usually is not long

Runtimes according to Nitecore:

Runtimes measured by wolfdoggie:

BATTERY: EFEST IMR “PURPLE” 18350 700 mAh.

TURBO OUTPUT -I DID 3 MINUTE INCREMENTS[THAT IS THE STEP DOWN] W/ ABOUT 4 MINUTES OF REST IN BETWEEN.

TAIL STAND/NO FAN/LOFT TEMP. WAS 74F/23.3C.

STARTING VOLTAGE:4.20V* I actually used my stop watch on my phone app! STEP DOWN WAS EXACTLY 3 MIN. 7.7 SEC.!!!

3 MIN= 3.90V 6 MIN=3.74V
9 MIN=3.64V 12 MIN=3.50V

I decided to try for 3 more minutes. After an additional 2 min. 10 sec. the light stepped down to medium or low! I immediately checked w/ the DMM and it was @ 2.28v!! Needless to say when I tested my second Efest IMR 18350 I stopped at 12 minutes. Both batteries tested exactly the same.

The EFEST IMR 16340 RAN FOR 15 MINUTES[3 MIN. INCREMENTS] AND WAS @ 3.50V .It did not get as hot and certainly did not push the light quite as hard.

[Trevi_lux]

I only can talk about about Nitecore eA11 with IMR AW 14500:
nitecore says 30 minutes, I have make a continuous runtime of 21 minutes,(measure each 30 seconds). I cut and battery is 3.52V, I think perhaps is possible 25-27 minutes to 10% (and my battery is not perfect, because has only 2 charges). 30 minutes is credible.

[wolfdog1226]

Turbo is 900 lumens. Say @ 30 seconds it is 850 lumens. 10% of its original value[850 lumens] is 85 lumens.

It seems like they are saying this. They state 900 lumens for 30 minutes run time. So @ 30 minutes the light needs to put out 10% of its original output. Which is 85 lumens!

It is very deceptive and your battery would be dead/ruined if you ran it for 30 minutes, even it wasn’t, it would have to be done incrementally because of HEAT!

When I and most others see 900L/30 minutes,that is what we hope and think we are getting, But we are NOT!

I am sure someone can explain it better than me. Although I believe what I calculated is what they mean and are saying! But I may be wrong!!

[Trevi_lux]

They use ANSI FL-1, nobody that knows Ansi must think that is 30 minutes 900 lumens.
You can see on my graphic the temperature on Celsius, is not a problem for a runtime of 21 minutes or 25 minutes, the temperature down ok, after the step down.

[M4D_M4X]

on the gif I was about 10 cm away from the wood (which does nothing affect the beam)

but I can clearly see it on a white wall from 2m also!

see it - not be disturbed…

[Ormbett]

Yes I know we cannot expekt 900 lumens for 30 minutes, but we should be able to expect that we can turn on the light for 30 continues minutes without damage taken to the cell or flashlight…. or?

Thanks Trevi_lux and wolfdog for helping me to understand!

[Sirius9]

OP updated!

[mikeyx]

I just got mine (a little late to the party). Emitter was well centered…not perfect, but very close. Overall, I am very pleased, especially at the GB price.

Mike

[Nguyen]

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[Sirius9]

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