Eye10 or V11R

[edacsac]

Eye10 ordered...anxiously awaiting!!!

Looking forward to hearing your opinion on it.

 

[cyclesport]

Looking forward to hearing your opinion on it.

Me too!

 

[deboy922]

Eye10 received Friday, 8/10. IlluminationSupply is great to deal with...good communication and fast shipping.

The Eye10 is everything this forum said (thanks for everyone's input)...nice beam, good tint, good output, nice moonlight low, variable output, and good quality. I am fine with the detents...sure infinite variability might be better...but the detents work fine for me, as I have not needed an output level in between two detent settings. The knurling on only half of the control ring is definitely an issue, but I am getting used to it the more I use it. I would also prefer the knurling to be more grippy.

I am having a problem getting use to having to turn the ring about 6 clicks to get to a usable level of light. The first 2 detents do nothing. The 3rd detent is barely on (yes, this is very cool and I like it, but no usable light). I would call the 4th detent "firefly", the 5th detent "moonlight", and the 6th detent "low". I like having all of these levels of light, but it just takes me longer than I like to get to a desired level.

I have only used the light for a few days, so maybe I will get more coordinated with it.

Also from what I have read, this light is screaming for an 18350. Now, I will have to decide whether or not to take the rechargeable-lithium plunge.

 

[Ualnosaj]

Eye10 received Friday, 8/10. IlluminationSupply is great to deal with...good communication and fast shipping.

The Eye10 is everything this forum said (thanks for everyone's input)...nice beam, good tint, good output, nice moonlight low, variable output, and good quality. I am fine with the detents...sure infinite variability might be better...but the detents work fine for me, as I have not needed an output level in between two detent settings. The knurling on only half of the control ring is definitely an issue, but I am getting used to it the more I use it. I would also prefer the knurling to be more grippy.

I am having a problem getting use to having to turn the ring about 6 clicks to get to a usable level of light. The first 2 detents do nothing. The 3rd detent is barely on (yes, this is very cool and I like it, but no usable light). I would call the 4th detent "firefly", the 5th detent "moonlight", and the 6th detent "low". I like having all of these levels of light, but it just takes me longer than I like to get to a desired level.

I have only used the light for a few days, so maybe I will get more coordinated with it.

Also from what I have read, this light is screaming for an 18350. Now, I will have to decide whether or not to take the rechargeable-lithium plunge.

That first detent may be used as a locator beacon to find your light at night... as someone pointed out to me

 

[Fireclaw18]

I received my Eye10 from Illumination Supply.

Now I have a Jetbeam RRT-01, Niteye Eye10 and Sunwayman V11R High-CRI that I can compare. Some observations:

Niteye Eye10 (running on AW IMR 18350)
1. Very Bright - the brightest of the 3 lights. Slightly, but noticeably brighter than my RRT-01, and much brighter than the V11R High-CRI.
2. Slippery - The large square cut knurling isn't as easy to grip as the fine diamond cut knurling on the RRT-01 or the V11R.
3. Hardest to operate - The ring is relatively stiff due to the detentes. Even worse, only half the ring is textured. The easiest way to operate this kind of light is to grip it in your hand and then operate the ring with thumb and index finger each on opposite sides of the ring. Because half the Eye10's ring isn't textured, this doesn't work nearly as well. It also isn't helped by having a relatively slick anodizing. Because of this, it's fairly hard to instantly move the light from off to max with one motion in one-hand. Also because of the detentes, you don't really get full infinite variability because the ring will slide into those detentes rather than giving you fine control.
4. Excellent beam pattern with no rings and very wide spill. This light has the best beam pattern of the bunch.
5. Feels very well built and unlike the RRT-01 the Eye10 has heat sink fins.
6. Tailstands perfectly with no wobble if lanyard is not used.
7. Ring is noisy. If you flip the ring from off to max the clicking of the detentes will sound like a zipper being unzipped.
8. Slightly greenish tint at low brightness settings.
9. Occasionally blinks when at max power.
10. Has 2 hidden modes. Strobe and SOS. The strobe is impractical to activate in a tactical setting though.

Jetbeam RRT-01 on AW IMR 18350:
1. Not as bright at the Eye10, and the beam pattern is very ringy. Much worse beam than the Eye10.
2. Fully textured ring with only 2 detentes at off and max is much easier to operate with one hand than the Eye10. This combined with less slick anodizing makes the RRT-01 feel much more secure in the hand.
3. No heat sink fins.
4. Ring is much quieter than Eye10, though still not totally quiet unless moved slowly.
5. Stainless steel lanyard post at tailcap protrudes slightly resulting in wobbly tailstanding.
6. Slightly greenish looking tint at low brightness settings.
7. Occasionally blinks at max power.
8. Has one hidden mode. (SOS).

Sunwayman V11R High CRI on AW IMR 16340
1. Largest of the above lights but runs on the smallest battery.
2. Very warm tinted beam pattern looks great at all brightness settings. My recollection is that the V11R uses PWM rather than current control. This should mean there is no tint shift at low settings unlike on the other 2 lights which use current control.
3. Good beam pattern. Almost no rings. Beam spill is considerably narrower than the other 2 lights due to longer reflector. Overall, I'd rate the beam pattern as being much better than the RRT-01 and almost as good as the Eye10.
4. Perfectly smooth and silent magnetic ring dimmer control. Almost fully knurled and easy to turn with one hand. Note: out of the box the ring was extremely stiff, but after cycling it a few hundred times it loosened up considerably.
5. Rear tailcap switch. The rubber switch works fine. Has a noticeable click when used.
6. Feels great in the hand. Feels slightly more secure than the RRT-01 and much more secure than the Eye10. However, you do have to flip the light in your hand to operate the different controls.

Summary:
Each of the above lights offers something different. The V11R high CRI has the best tint especially at lower power settings and feels the grippiest. The Eye10 has the best beam pattern, is the brightest, and is the least expensive. The RRT-01 feels much better in the hand than the Eye10, but the beam pattern is much worse.

 

[cyclesport]

I received my Eye10 from Illumination Supply.

Now I have a Jetbeam RRT-01, Niteye Eye10 and Sunwayman V11R High-CRI that I can compare. Some observations:

Niteye Eye10 (running on AW IMR 18350)
1. Very Bright - the brightest of the 3 lights. Slightly, but noticeably brighter than my RRT-01, and much brighter than the V11R High-CRI.
2. Slippery - The large square cut knurling isn't as easy to grip as the fine diamond cut knurling on the RRT-01 or the V11R.
3. Hardest to operate - The ring is relatively stiff due to the detentes. Even worse, only half the ring is textured. The easiest way to operate this kind of light is to grip it in your hand and then operate the ring with thumb and index finger each on opposite sides of the ring. Because half the Eye10's ring isn't textured, this doesn't work nearly as well. It also isn't helped by having a relatively slick anodizing. Because of this, it's fairly hard to instantly move the light from off to max with one motion in one-hand. Also because of the detentes, you don't really get full infinite variability because the ring will slide into those detentes rather than giving you fine control.
4. Excellent beam pattern with no rings and very wide spill. This light has the best beam pattern of the bunch.
5. Feels very well built and unlike the RRT-01 the Eye10 has heat sink fins.
6. Tailstands perfectly with no wobble if lanyard is not used.
7. Ring is noisy. If you flip the ring from off to max the clicking of the detentes will sound like a zipper being unzipped.
8. Slightly greenish tint at low brightness settings.
9. Occasionally blinks when at max power.
10. Has 2 hidden modes. Strobe and SOS. The strobe is impractical to activate in a tactical setting though.

Jetbeam RRT-01 on AW IMR 18350:
1. Not as bright at the Eye10, and the beam pattern is very ringy. Much worse beam than the Eye10.
2. Fully textured ring with only 2 detentes at off and max is much easier to operate with one hand than the Eye10. This combined with less slick anodizing makes the RRT-01 feel much more secure in the hand.
3. No heat sink fins.
4. Ring is much quieter than Eye10, though still not totally quiet unless moved slowly.
5. Stainless steel lanyard post at tailcap protrudes slightly resulting in wobbly tailstanding.
6. Slightly greenish looking tint at low brightness settings.
7. Occasionally blinks at max power.
8. Has one hidden mode. (SOS).

Sunwayman V11R High CRI on AW IMR 16340
1. Largest of the above lights but runs on the smallest battery.
2. Very warm tinted beam pattern looks great at all brightness settings. My recollection is that the V11R uses PWM rather than current control. This should mean there is no tint shift at low settings unlike on the other 2 lights which use current control.
3. Good beam pattern. Almost no rings. Beam spill is considerably narrower than the other 2 lights due to longer reflector. Overall, I'd rate the beam pattern as being much better than the RRT-01 and almost as good as the Eye10.
4. Perfectly smooth and silent magnetic ring dimmer control. Almost fully knurled and easy to turn with one hand. Note: out of the box the ring was extremely stiff, but after cycling it a few hundred times it loosened up considerably.
5. Rear tailcap switch. The rubber switch works fine. Has a noticeable click when used.
6. Feels great in the hand. Feels slightly more secure than the RRT-01 and much more secure than the Eye10. However, you do have to flip the light in your hand to operate the different controls.

Summary:
Each of the above lights offers something different. The V11R high CRI has the best tint especially at lower power settings and feels the grippiest. The Eye10 has the best beam pattern, is the brightest, and is the least expensive. The RRT-01 feels much better in the hand than the Eye10, but the beam pattern is much worse.

Thanks for your obsevations on these three excellent lights Fireclaw 18...they are some of my current favorite lights and UI's. I have the V11R (XM-L U2 version), and Eye 10 but not the RRT-01, although have examined a friends recently, and also run them on 16340's and 18350's respectively. I think your comments are spot-on and agree w/you on almost everything with a two exceptions...

(1) My V11R is current controlled and a cooler beam than the other two with the XM-L emitter, although perhaps the high CRI version has PWM as you suggest, but seems like it too should be cc'ed. Selfbuilt's review on CPF states the V11R he tested was cc'ed as well. *As much as I like Sunwayman lights, out of three I've owned they all had an off-center mounted LED's, and all developed rattles in the switch and reflectors...small problems but for some reason this annoyed me more than other issues with other lights.
(2) Can't comment on the RRT-01 but your observation of the occasional blinking w/the Eye 10 (and RRT-01) on max is strange...mine has never, thus far, exhibited this? Is it possible you accidently engaged strobe?

The RRT-01 that I saw had a beam so full of defined rings I had to exclude it from my wish list since IMO it's too distracting in actual use, athough I liked it's body and ring knurling better than the Eye 10.

Though the Eye 10's lack of grip w/it's strange raised blocks and wierd half/smooth control ring w/11 detents (it smooths out and turns easier after lots of use though) make it a little slippery, I only find it a minor annoyance in daily use. This bothered me when I first bought the light but has since become largely insignificant. IMO The beam quality is close to perfection!

Almost warm/nuetral for an XM-L U2 binned LED with a large diffuse hotspot a huge spill, completely free of any artifacts. I'd have to say this is one of the best floody, extremely bright (almost as bright as the 770 lumen ET D25C on 3.7v li-ions), usefull beam patterns I've ever seen on a production EDC light! I paid approx $69 and I consider that a steal! I have quite a few 1 X123 lights, since this is my favorite EDC format, most w/XM-L emitters. When I compare them in a dark room or outside at night, I'm always struck by the Eye 10's superior beam quality, pattern, and tint over my other lights in this category and how much easier it is to find small items in, or against a cluttered backround, in the grass or weeds, etc...This light, with a couple of minor flaws, is just exemplary!

*(As I referenced...EagleTac's 1 X123 D25C using 16340's has a very similar, almost perfect beam pattern in quality & tint compared to the Eye 10, but it's UI (level spacing) suffers going from moonlight/low to "super nova" with nothing really in between...but I believe it too is another worthy contender in the 1 X 123 EDC category).