NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More!

[grinsekatz]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Thanks selfbuilt for another great and detailed review! :twothumbs
It is a really nice flashlight and on RCR it is really darn bright.
My lux numbers for throw are unfortunately significant lower and I'm not sure why. :shrug:
For those who can't wait for the 18650 extension:
you can also mount the NiteCore head with the Darktort body - works fine.

Alex

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

if im not mistaken...thats one of the best single CR123A/RCR out there?
how does it compare to the Spartanian II do you have any data?

I've just updated the RCR graphs with the Spartanian II results (hit your browser reload to see them). As you'll see, the SR-3 clearly outperforms it at Hi settings.

and gosh the new nitecore HA is DARK isnt it....much much darker compared to the Extreme in your picture

The SR3 is completely black, with a glossy finish. In fact, it looks just like the DarkTort ... surprise, surprise ...

oh, did you mean, XR-E, not XP-E? it appears to be the former... oop, and I thought "q5" was also a bin..

Typo fixed, it should now read as XR-E and R2 bin everywhere.

Selfbuilt, great review. Do you know if the 18650 tube will fit an Extreme head or if Nitecore might be planning one especially for the Extreme? The SR3 looks a bit too chunky for me but the tube on my NEX would be perfect.

No, the SR3 will not mate with the Extreme's E-series compatible body/head. However, as grinsekatz points out:

My lux numbers for throw are unfortunately significant lower and I'm not sure why. :shrug:
For those who can't wait for the 18650 extension:
you can also mount the NiteCore head with the Darktort body - works fine.

Good catch grinsekatz - yes, the SR3 head fits and functions perfectly on the DartTort DT-E1.0 body. :twothumbs

As for lux numbers, every meter is different (depends on calibration). Mine seems to report about "average" numbers, but they actually vary quite a bit from one sample meter to another. It should be internally consistent to allow you to compare relative throw among your lights.

 

[276]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Nice review as always. It would be nice if they added a clip to the extended body.

 

[NoFair]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Great review as always:thumbsup:

The addition of an 18650 tube greatly adds to the usability of the light imho. Might have to get one if I don't get my U2 Milkied

Sverre

 

[Crenshaw]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

wow, i may just need to sell my spartanian then....

Crenshaw

 

[RainerWahnsinn]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Thank you for this excellent review, I love my SR3 even with the Strobe-bug

 

[euroken]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Thanks again for a great review. Your NEX review previously made the decision for me to buy the light before. Looks like I'll be buying SR3 because of your review again :twothumbs

One question, does the Darktort tailcap fit on SR3 body? Thanks again!

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

One question, does the Darktort tailcap fit on SR3 body? Thanks again!

No, the Darktort has a different design for the tailcaps - it's not interchangeable with the SR3. You can only exchange the heads between the Darktort and SR3 bodies.

 

[euroken]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Bummer. Nitecore legos would have been exciting!

Thank you Selfbuilt!

 

[m16a]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Edit. Question removed.

 

[TooManyGizmos]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

This design does interest me ............

Kinda wish the brightness ring had an OFF position.


When will we see some updates on this model ??



I don't recall any other light maker with a brightness ring like this.(w/magnets)
.

 

[HKJ]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

I don't recall any other light maker with a brightness ring like this.(w/magnets)
.

EagleTac M2C4/M2XC4 and JetBeam raptor both models.

 

[Arkiv N]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Great review as always selfbuilt. Thank you!

 

[PhotonSuperposition]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

I decided to go for the SR3 as my first 18650 light as soon as the body was posted on the 4sevens web site. I received 5 out of 100. I already had some AW 2600 mAh cells and a charger for another light that has yet to show up (after months of waiting), but the flat top on these cells does not play nice with the polarity protection setup on the head contact of the SR3. And, worse, a magnetic spacer on top of the battery plays havoc with the magnetic switch. However, I contrived a fix; I trimmed a small gold coated spring off of an old broken switch I had in my hobby box, and placed that on top of the cell. Works very well, but it's still kind of a kludge. I may resort to soldering a bead onto the positive contact of the cell.

I don't consider that a problem with the SR3, however, merely the cell. The light itself is very well constructed, and filled with thoughtful features. The threading is very well done, with lead ins machined into the flat surface on the ends of the very thick battery tube, and these make screwing on the head or the switch much easier. It is very grippy even though there is minimal knurling with the 18650 tube on, and it's got a bit heft without being too heavy. It doesn't make my pockets sag, for instance. The holes in the grip ring handle not one but two strands of paracord each, which is unusual and nice. And the ring switch works excellently, allowing for the selection of light levels while the light is off without any issue. While it is on, one can sometimes accidentally activate the 'mode switch' if you are flicking up and down light levels quickly. Decisiveness is the solution for this bug, I think, but it is a minor bug nonetheless. In the woods, it throws very well too; finally I have a light that out throws the my similarly sized 27LT.

Overall, I'm not sorry I dropped the dough on it, though the 18650 tube really ought to come with a sheath that fits the light with the tube installed if they are going to charge over 30 bucks for it.

 

[euroken]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

Ack I just ordered some magnets for the 18650-26 setup...

SR3 definitely is a well built, high quality light. I only had a little qualms about the selector ring not 'clicking' distinctively but I got passed that real quick once I started comparing the light output with other lights

 

[TooManyGizmos]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

For the HI price they want ....................

I won't order till they put a white "WC" bin in it .


I don't like the current tint !

.

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

I already had some AW 2600 mAh cells and a charger for another light that has yet to show up (after months of waiting), but the flat top on these cells does not play nice with the polarity protection setup on the head contact of the SR3. And, worse, a magnetic spacer on top of the battery plays havoc with the magnetic switch.

Thanks for sharing your observations of the light. That's a really good point about the flat-tops on the new high capacity AW protected 18650s (2600mAh). I don't have any on hand, so am not able to test in this setup. I can see the magnet solution would be problematic.

Of course, I don't normally recommended a magnet anyway, since it could potentially slip and short the cell - unless tacked in place with crazy glue or such. It seems like you would indeed have to add some sort of bridge in this case for those batts (a dab of solder on the positive contact nipple in the head is probably the safest thing).

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

UPDATE:

The question of using the new higher capacity flat-top 18650s (i.e. protected 2600mAh) has been surfacing a lot lately.

Like a number of recently released 18650-class lights, the SR3 features physical reverse polarity protection in the head (i.e. requires the use of button-top cells). As such, some of the newer flat-top 18650s may not work in this light without modification.

I have added this point to the Potential Issues section of all my recent reviews (where applicable), and will be commenting on it all future reviews of this class of light.

 

[TriChrome]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

I hate to be the harbinger of bad news (especially since I just posted in the NiteCore Extreme thread with problems as well), but my SR3 arrived dead on arrival. The plastic retaining ring (which protects against reverse polarity) with the gold colored pill inside it was loose in the body when I got it.

I replaced it those parts (seemed they used a little dab of glue to hold the pill in, which isn't good for the connection), and the light goes on for maybe 20 times, then expectantly won't turn on again for several clicks. Rebuilt/cleaned/lubed, replaced the switch, and it did the same during a couple hours of playing with it. It's my second NiteCore in as many weeks with a problem so it's going back, so needless to say I'm either extremely unlucky, or their QC isn't the greatest.

 

[EngrPaul]

Re: NiteCore SR3 (1xCR123A/RCR) Review + 18650 Extension: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & More

As such, some of the newer flat-top 18650s may not work in this light without modification.

AW18650 2600mA*h do not work on my SR3.

I've reported it in this thread, maybe others will comment there as well.