On the subject of 10440's in this light, I thought about it; but since it only support non-protected, I'm not sure. Kinda leary to put loose lithium cell right where my manly parts are. It'd be nice if there were 3.0v lifepo4 10440, at least then said parts would only get a nasty kick instead of set on fire.
Your is natural gray and M L H, like mine. Keep it as if were a treasure, because it is a jewel, mate...
Got my new iTP A3 EOS Upgraded today from Going Gear (they are local for me, so while I had to pay sales tax, I ordered Monday night, they shipped Tuesday, and I got the light Wednesday). I had the original in gray and lost it, so I decided for black this time. I didn't remember that they had redesigned the driver, so I was nicely surprised. I had learned to like MLH modes because H was generally Higher than I needed (using a 10440), so M was good enough. Probably I'd still prefer HLM because I use High the most and Low second most, but whatever. LMH makes sense at least.
Compared to my old one the threads are much tighter. That was the worst part of the A3 was that if you twisted it to Off there was enough play in the threads that you could push on the head and it would come on (like while it was in your pocket). And sometimes when switching modes it would flicker off and back on and you'd be in the wrong mode because you'd just done two mode switches instead of one. But that's gone now. The threads are really tight and no accidental flashes!
The PWM is definitely better too. It is still detectable on a time exposure, but way better than it used to be. The crab claw is a big step up from the old ring too. And I may need to use this time around because before I was carrying the light in my pocket loose and I think that's how it got lost (either fell out of my pocket or came out when I took my keys out).
Did you get LMH from GoingGear?
Yes. I realized I should have added that to my post later on. They are really quick and the 10% CPF discount wipes out the 6% sales tax I have to pay.
With 10440 on high it just kills.
Probably also the emitter, but I don't have the guts to use it for more than 10-15 seconds.
Anyway - wow-factor 9/10 ;)
My A3 EOS never did take the place of my keychain light: TANK007 TK-703. The 703 is brighter on AAA and 10440, is slightly heavier and of much more robust construction. Its grippier with the nice knurling, throws way farther, has a nice clicky and takes a lot longer to heat up on AAA and 10440. You could also buy two 703's for the price of one A3. I have the A1, A2 and A3 and still think they weren't worth the money (all three for $50 delivered). They cant be modded/repaired because the heads are glued TIGHT. My A2 was returned because the threads would bind when trying to turn it on/off. No amount of twisting or lube would wear it in. I'm still waiting on the replacement.
That may not be a good thing. Quicker to heat up generally means a better heat path to the exterior. Since both lights are going to be maintained at relatively constant temperature by your circulatory system, that means the emitter is at higher temperature and lower efficacy.
If the 703 is brighter, it means it's higher draw with lower runtime. Even lower runtime if the above is true. For example, the black cats I have are 2A draw, which means like <20min runtime even on nihm AAA's. I would wagger the a3 runs a lot longer even on high.
Overall, I would agree, though. The ITP's are not necessarily worth the price premium.
I think what is being implied is that the the iTP just has less material in general, so the heat builds up quicker than in the heavier Tank. However, I like the light weight, lack of knurling, and the small size (twisties are shorter than clickies). To me that's what makes it a great pocket light. With heavier knurling it would just scratch everything up on my keychain. I carried an iTP for at least six month every day in my pocket with my keys and it was just barely showing wear along the edges. I think they are definitely worth the premium . . . which is why I bought another one. I don't have a Tank to compare it against though and the Tank seems like it is a very nice light for the price.
Mass will only matter that much to transfer if you don't hold it in your hand. Otherwise your bloodstream (liquid cooling :)) will keep the exterior within a few degrees.
I wonder how is the tint on Tank007 cree lights? I find that some brands tend towards warm (like Skyray's mode lights ~6000K) and some run cool (Hugsby ~8000K).
Thats an interesting thought, and we're definitely on the same page with your concerns. The 703 is heat sinked properly to the head and body. I've had mine apart to have a look. It will get hot but takes much longer than the A3. The aluminum is machined and much thicker than the A3. In fact, the A3 reminds me of a cheap thin extruded aluminum soda can the way its constructed and I was quite disappointed when I felt how light and cheaply built it is. I get about 55 min run time from the 703 on eneloops, which is actually a completely moot point for me since I don't use alkalines. Again, and hands down... I'll take my 703 over the A3, regardless of which one costs more.
I cant tell you how many times I had my 703 on my keychain and was amazed for its sheer ability to throw far, particularly for its size. IMO, the A3 fails miserably in that department. On one unplanned camping trip into the wilderness, I had only the 703. After darkness fell, we could hear several large animals running around the aircraft, which was at least 150 yards away. One ran into the tail section which made a large thud. Having no way to get to the aircraft quickly, I screamed at the top of my lungs to scare off anything in the vicinity. To my surprise, the 703 cast enough light to illuminate the plane and several deer that were competing for food by the plane. Now I pack a few 18650 throwers in my glove box for those unexpected trips.
I get about 55 min run time from the 703 on eneloops, which is actually a
That's interesting. That's a draw of only like 0.7A?? A3 on high is supposedly about 0.8A. Xp-e's are also more efficient especially in something of that size because of their smaller primary lens and therefore larger reflector coverage.
Is your 703 nicely tinted? Might have to get one.
I just measured 2.08A on a slightly discharged AAA eneloop (tones 2nd gen) after 5 sec turn-on. I'm sure it will decline as the battery burns down. The tint is probably in the upper 6k range. Its whiter and a bit bluer than the cold white tint of the A3. The 703 tint turns a dingy green color when the battery is about 75% used up but has a nice tint otherwise. The A3 is definitely a better indoor whitewall hunters floodier beam, and mine gets used a lot indoors. The 703 has a center hotspot that increases with distance. There is a prevalent ring around the hotspot that shows up on a whitewall but not noticeable outdoors. The ceiling bounce test is almost indiscernible between the two. I have a dark hardwood floor with wooden furniture so not as much light will reflect as apposed to the usual home in the same test. When the beam of the 703 is transposed over the A3 beam, the A3 beam gets completely blotted out by the 703, accept for about 20% of the larger A3 corona that remains untouched.
703 = best outdoors and for throw.
A3 = best indoors or where multimode output is required with flood beam
Also available here in black
Hope that helps.
Thanks.
So runtime is more akin to the black cats (AAA will be much less than 750mah if run at 2A, so maybe it dims a lot), which isn't ideal with a 1 mode light. It'd be nice if they could just add modes.
Its far brighter than the A3 till 75% of the battery is consumed. I read somewhere that the 703 is brighter and built far better than the blackcat so I didn't buy one. For my purposes for a keychain light, the multimode on the A3 has proven to be far more of a hassle than a benefit. The darn thing has to be twisted three times to get to high mode. If done to quickly, it stays in the same mode no matter how many times I twist it. That's a complete hassle when outdoors and trying to illuminate anything past 10 feet away, especially when I need the light RIGHT NOW and trying to operate it with one hand. IMO, the ideal AAA light would have programmable modes with memory.... candle, low, med, high, turbo. I built a Hugsby P31 with a custom driver I use for my EDC with those modes and wish I had one like it for my keychain. IMO, the 703 is the next best thing. Just as all pilots are trained, start the light with your finger/hand over the lens and gradually uncover it just enough to adequately illuminate the subject, thus saving your night vision. Probably common sense for most people but still part of mandatory instruction.
On a night flight last week, I dimmed the cockpit illumination and kept the P31 on in candle mode and placed it in my lap for the duration of the flight. Every few minutes, Id pick it up for a quick panel scan. The difference in my night vision sensitivity was astounding after 30 minutes, and I was able to easily land without the landing lights for the first time at my home field.
Tank TK 703 = contact problems, bad switch, protected 10440 does not fit, bad keychain attachment, only 1 mode (10440 suffers on that high amp draw), and more cons
I prefer to pay 16 euro for the itp than 10 euro for the tank. For only 6 euro more you get itp quality, 3 modes, less weight, less size, etc....
Remember "lo barato sale caro"
True, only unprotected 10440's fit, but the drop-off in light output by the end of a discharge cycle (around 3.5V) is pronounced with a rapidly dimming led signaling its user to switch out a battery. I've ran my 703 through several sustained on-time cycles using 10440's and have never had any problems with the switch or otherwise. Of course I take apart all of my lights and clean, lube and adjust switch contact points before pumping large amounts of current through them. If the tail is getting hot, there is an obvious problem with the switch contacts where they meet the tailcap. Only a few 703 switch failures were reported otherwise. Not bad considering these things are sold by the thousands.
When my hand is used for cooling the light while using 10440's:
703 = hot but tolerable and can leave on through the entire discharge cycle. More surface area with knurling and larger, longer, heavier body.
A3 = burn the living crap out of my hand within 1.5 minutes. If you have really big balls Fran, you might be able to hold it for 2 minutes if your light doesn't go up in smoke first.
Some EOS have threading issues at the moment where the threads seat the driver to the body tube, thus creating intermittent contact issues, unintended mode switching and difficulty in turning as the light heats up. Mine did that and I sent it back. Its also been a know issue with ITP, which they still have not resolved to this date.
ITP does make a fine light and the EOS is great for a multimode long lasting flood beam. I have four ITP lights and two of their much larger Olight cousins (AAA through 18650). Although well finished, I don't consider any of them worth the extremely discounted prices I paid for them. Never will any of them accompany me into wilderness areas 50+ miles from civilization where the only engine driven machines allowed are aircraft. These lights are elegant but not robust enough to take any real punishment. Of the 6 lights I mentioned, 2 have been returned - one of them burning up its own driver... also a known issue for that particular model and continues to be manufactured in the same sealed system that does little to evacuate heat. Even my m20 warrior had contact mode switching problems which I resolved by polishing the contact surfaces with a dremel and relubing... another known unaddressed issue. Thanks again Olight!
So to date, these lights have proven to be far less reliable than any cheapie lights I have ever purchased or read about (and I have many of them). IMHO - Reliability not withstanding and while functioning properly, they simply aren't tough enough lights for the real outdoors enthusiast nor do they warrant the prices they command.
I tinnk interms of AAA brightness then RMSEN RV-107 would beat the other 2 lights.
The problem with that is it looks the size of a AA light.