TK's Emisar D4 review

[goshdogit]

@goshdogit

My ruler says the D4’s bezel is 38mm diameter.

@ToyKeeper

28, not 38.

Crud! :person_facepalming:

I’ve edited my post above to help avoid confusion.

The D4’s bezel is 28mm diameter.

[melainotype]

Does the tactical (momentary) mode use turbo/unregulated or the last memory level?

[maukka]

@melainotype

Does the tactical (momentary) mode use turbo/unregulated or the last memory level?

At least mine uses turbo, but there might have been some talk of newer versions of the FW that memorizes the output for momentary.

[Illumenated]

Thanks for the correction and good to know it won’t melt haha. I’ll order one of these that you recommended today. At that size they might even fit a couple of my other lights like Toykeeper suggested.

[Tixx]

@ChrisGarrett

@Tixx

Looking at a few of the Sony batteries. Is there a point of diminishing returns? If I get the 20A continuous, would I be missing out on much by not getting the 30A? Just want to make a solid choice without having some sort of super performance without a need for such. Thank you!

I bought two of the Sony VTC-5A high drain 2500mAh cells for my 219C. I don’t need the added runtime and since the light bangs pretty hard on a cell, on turbo, I’d rather have the extra headroom.

Chris

Purchased 3, thank you!

[ChrisGarrett]

@Tixx

@ChrisGarrett

@Tixx

Looking at a few of the Sony batteries. Is there a point of diminishing returns? If I get the 20A continuous, would I be missing out on much by not getting the 30A? Just want to make a solid choice without having some sort of super performance without a need for such. Thank you!

I bought two of the Sony VTC-5A high drain 2500mAh cells for my 219C. I don’t need the added runtime and since the light bangs pretty hard on a cell, on turbo, I’d rather have the extra headroom.

Chris

Purchased 3, thank you!

They’re cheap, easily found at reputable dealers here in the US and worth the gamble.

I use my lights just about everyday, but I’m not using them for hours on end, so runtimes have never been ‘my thing’ and I have lights that do better in that regard.

I like smaller lights and bought the 18350 body with a few more of the last Aspire 18350s, but since I can’t run a clip on that config., I said screw it and I’ll probably never use it that way again.

Good luck with your new light and cells.

Chris

[Firelight2]

Wonder what would happen if I try polishing my grainy blue D4 with Blue Magic metal polish. Would a little polish be enough to smooth out the texture? Would it destroy the anodizing?

I like the color, but that grainy texture feels like I’m holding a piece of chalk. Very uncomfortable.

[ChrisGarrett]

@Firelight2

Wonder what would happen if I try polishing my grainy blue D4 with Blue Magic metal polish. Would a little polish be enough to smooth out the texture? Would it destroy the anodizing?

I like the color, but that grainy texture feels like I’m holding a piece of chalk. Very uncomfortable.

You dainty ‘chalk’ guys crack me up.

We have guys here taking angle grinders to brand new lights, just to give them that ‘worn in’ feel, so why not try sanding your brand new pimpy cyan D4 down with abrasive compounds?

Personally, I think you’d end up with a woefully uneven finish, with bald spots here and there. I’m looking at mine right now and while you might get the 18650 body done with minimal screw-ups, I don’t think that you’d get the head done even somewhat consistently.

It’s your light, knock yourself out. I suggest a nice ‘Dremel’ tool treatment.

Chris

[hank]

Or there’s the way we used to put a little wear on new bluejean jackets.
Tie it to a string on your car bumper, and drag it down a gravel road til it’s done.

[Pöbel]

@Firelight2

Wonder what would happen if I try polishing my grainy blue D4 with Blue Magic metal polish. Would a little polish be enough to smooth out the texture? Would it destroy the anodizing?

I like the color, but that grainy texture feels like I’m holding a piece of chalk. Very uncomfortable.

The texture is under the anodizing. However the light is finished before anodizing decides how it will look, anodizing ist just the color.

[ToyKeeper]

If anyone dislikes the chalky texture of their cyan D4, I’d be happy to take it off your hands.

[Tixx]

@ToyKeeper

If anyone dislikes the chalky texture of their cyan D4, I’d be happy to take it off your hands.

The End?

[moderator007]

If you really don’t like the anodizing that much, you could disassemble the light and dip in water with caustic soda for 30 minutes or so and you’ll have no anodizing at all. Just bare aluminum, polish it out for a lustrous shine.

[strayz]

Just as a FYI, the anno if carried for a few months will start to rub off. Now I carry my green in the EDC rotation. So it gets a lot of use, go figure I live in the land of the midnight sun so winters are dark and … You get the idea.

Mine has shinny corners and edges from just being carried every day. The Chalk feeling is all gone and it is smooth. Give it a carry for a few months, it will smooth out. Then again, it may not, not everyone carries and uses in the same manor.

I have been thinking about getting a third one as I do like it that much. Green and black so far, may have to get a grey or blue one…

[Firelight2]

@moderator007

If you really don’t like the anodizing that much, you could disassemble the light and dip in water with caustic soda for 30 minutes or so and you’ll have no anodizing at all. Just bare aluminum, polish it out for a lustrous shine.

I’ve done that with a number of lights. I use Greased Lightning to remove the anodizing and then steel wool, fine sandpaper and finally Blue Magic to polish it to a shine.

My lights polished in that manner look great. But I’m not a fan of the treatment for tiny high-powered lights. I find that without the anodizing, heat transfer to skin via conduction is much greater, while radiation to atmosphere is less. Basically if I removed the anodizing on the D4 I expect the head would become too hot to touch in seconds, making the light much less practical.

[moderator007]

Then polish it and anodize it back to a color and smoothness you prefer.

.
“Thats Rit ”Sunshine Orange” from walmart”:Robot or human?. It was a 2AA black minimag before I cut it down to a 1AA and reanodized it.
Basically the smoother the finish before anodizing the smoother the finish after, but the anodizing tends to look candy colored.
I thought it turned out quite nice with the candy sunshine orange color. It still has some of the shiny aluminum bleeding back through.

[Hugh_Johnson]

@Majoroverkill

After 42 days of waiting my D4 finally arrived and what a HUGE disappointment!!! Not sure why everyone likes this light. The anodizing is poorly done and it scratches very easy. The aluminum is soft and the light has no practical use at all. It heats up within seconds and starts to kick down every few seconds. I played around with the thermo settings and used different cells, HG2 30Q, VTC6 and 5 with the same results even at mid lumen conditions. This light, IN MY OPINION, is a novelty item at best. Worse then the DN35 and 70 lights from Imalent I bought. So glade I only bought one!

I was planning to use mine for low and moderate lumens quite a bit, as well as max factor. So sad to hear it heats up within seconds and has no practical use at all.

[hrbngr]

@Hugh Johnson

@Majoroverkill

After 42 days of waiting my D4 finally arrived and what a HUGE disappointment!!! blah, blah, blah…This light, IN MY OPINION, is a novelty item at best. Worse then the DN35 and 70 lights from Imalent I bought. So glade I only bought one!

I was planning to use mine for low and moderate lumens quite a bit, as well as max factor. So sad to hear it heats up within seconds and has no practical use at all.

Hugh,
I now own (4) of these lights, (2) Titanium w/the Cree XP-L HI 5D and black/smooth and Green/?chalky? in the Nichia 219C. I have no problems running them at low Lumens for a reasonable period, though on Turbo it does heat up rapidly—I do believe the Titanium/Copper head examples can dissipate heat faster, but they are significantly more heavy. However w/(4) emitters that’s the nature of the beast. If heat is a concern, buy a big hunk of metal running a single Cree XP-L, etc—or the more reasonable BLF A6 or Convoy S2+ w/a single emitter for a cheap option @ around 1000 lumen.

Bottom line, this light is a bit of a showboat, but it was designed for that purpose. I don’t think that any other light can touch it for output/size ration @ $40. JMHO.

[ma_tumba]

I have many lights, including some so expensive that I don’t dare to name them here, but since I got my d4/219c it’s been my sole edc flashlight.

[Hugh_Johnson]

My reply was tongue in cheek when I was exhausted. I should have just left it alone. I responded to the insinuation that the light doesn’t function well at lower levels, which was just an emotional assessment.