Peak Eiger, now with Nichia 119-H1 High CRI

[PoliceScannerMan]

Yes, it can take Li Ion, it will be brighter.

[sprinkle]

Yes, it can take Li Ion, it will be brighter.

Thanks! Just wanted to double check.

[PoliceScannerMan]

Minimalists, be warned, there is a big difference between the pocket/short key bodies and the momentary/long key bodies with the QTC.

[Paul_in_Maryland]

Thanks for modding these with the high CRI emitters, Oveready! Any chance you can drop those emitters in some of the Logans?

Or 1AA El Capitans, or 1AA Volcans? You could include a warning not to use it with a 14500 3.7V; it would still be GREAT on a 3V 14505 primary!

[flatline]

So what's the difference between the short keychain body and the long keychain body?

If I want to use the momentary switch, it has to be the long keychain body, right?

--flatline

[sassaquin]

My second 10180 landed today, this one with the Nichia 119-H1 and I am so pleased with the lovely beam and how colors just ring true off of it. I hemmed and hawed over spending an additional $30 for the high CRI, but it truly is worth every penny especially since my Eiger AAA body can wear this special head too.

[run4jc]

Yes, it can take Li Ion, it will be brighter.

My second 10180 landed today, this one with the Nichia 119-H1 and I am so pleased with the lovely beam and how colors just ring true off of it. I hemmed and hawed over spending an additional $30 for the high CRI, but it truly is worth every penny especially since my Eiger AAA body can wear this special head too.

I agree - the High CRI beam is just awesome. Although it is significantly brighter with the 10440, my favorite setup is with an eneloop. It seems easier to control and the reduced output is perfect. Heck, I have plenty of bright lights - I wanted this for a pocket sized AAA light that I can move around my house with. The low output, great tint and small size make it perfect. Just as a note - I find that it now functions even better after I applied just a small amount of Krytox to the threads. Same with my Logan.

[PoliceScannerMan]

If I want to use the momentary switch, it has to be the long keychain body, right?

--flatline

Correct

[Paul_in_Maryland]

My CRI head arrived, but I have no body until the 2AAs are available. I also just received PhaserBurn's low-loss (3%) diffusion film from CPF Marketplace. It's so effective, I'm thinking about placing it on a CRI Eiger head to create a floody CRI Eiger.

[ElectronGuru]

you'll notice the effects of PWM on the photo (the light is on medium.) I'm not sensitive to it with my eyes, but my iPhone sure saw it!

Nice, QTC means no PWM flicker!

Thanks for modding these with the high CRI emitters, Oveready! Any chance you can drop those emitters in some of the Logans?

Or 1AA El Capitans, or 1AA Volcans? You could include a warning not to use it with a 14500 3.7V; it would still be GREAT on a 3V 14505 primary!

Logans were our first choice, but batteries native to Logan sizes, overdrive the Nichia. It can’t handle the power the XPGs can. We may get a 2nd batch of Nichia, but would still feel obliged to replace a dead head, even from misuse.

That looks very good! Does he still make or offer them by any chance?

We are looking into making a clip specific to 10mm bodies. Ideally, one size would work well with 10280 lengths all the way up to pen lights (2xAAA).

What is the battery voltage range these will take? Will these take Li-Ion and if so will it be brighter?

We have more on the way, should be ready by the weekend.

We test every 1xAAA Eiger with an AW 10440, before shipment.

there is a big difference between the pocket/short key bodies and the momentary/long key bodies with the QTC

So what's the difference between the short keychain body and the long keychain body?

Long bodies (one) can be configured with momentary or keychain post (configurable)
Short bodies (two) are made with either a flat bottom or a fixed keychain lug (not configurable)

Long bodies have extra length to accommodate the momentary switch, so the choice is compact vs versatile.

[bmcgators98]

So I now have two Peak QTC lights. The Logan & Eiger High CRI. Love the simple design and function. Neither have the momentary switch (yet) but would like to add them as soon as they become available. My only complaint is that I will turn them off put them in my pocket and find them back on again if they are bumped. I wish there was a notch or click that would let you know the the light is in the off position with no possibility of coming on. You guys seem pretty smart.. How could this be accomplished.

[manoloco]

I do this to al my twisty lights if i want to make sure they wont turn on:

after twisting off press the head to the body, if it doesnt come on, it wont while you carry it.

with time you figure all your lights and know how much to twist off to not get them accidentaly on, just twist it off a little further than you usually do.

In fact twisties (for me) are more reliable to avoid accidental power on than clickies

[fyrstormer]

So I now have two Peak QTC lights. The Logan & Eiger High CRI. Love the simple design and function. Neither have the momentary switch (yet) but would like to add them as soon as they become available. My only complaint is that I will turn them off put them in my pocket and find them back on again if they are bumped. I wish there was a notch or click that would let you know the the light is in the off position with no possibility of coming on. You guys seem pretty smart.. How could this be accomplished.

In a "battery crusher" setup where the length of the battery factors into how far the head has to tighten before the light turns on, there is no way to do this. An unusually long battery could still make contact even if there were a detente to hold the head in a position where a normal-length battery couldn't make contact.

[ravot]

Doing some rough calculations, based on prior XP-G data-sheets from Curt, I calculate a runtime of approximately 11 minutes on max ("#8 power") - to 50% output - with a 200 mAh Li-Ion 10280 .... that is, if I have done the math correctly

Of course, a 10180 will have much less capacity, and runtime, than a 10280. Also, keep in mind that those times are for max output - the great utility of the QTC with these bitty lights is that you can dial up only as much light as you need or want. Since the QTC is not really a resistor, it is incredibly efficient, thereby preserving runtime dramatically with lower output (as opposed to just wasting it as excess heat).

Although I haven't done a proper runtime test, these numbers do seem reasonable based on my everyday use of these tiny Eiger batteries and tubes.

These make great keychain lights, I now use my 10180 Eiger daily. Thanks much for providing this new High-CRI emitter option, I am very tempted ....





For safety, Li-Ion cells need to be kept within their proper voltage range at all times. Overcharging, or over-discharging, can cause problems - Protected cells include a circuit that monitors voltage to help prevent or minimize damage from improper use, but adds to the size of the cell (and introduces a bit of power drain). Since 10180 and 10280 batteries are designed to be as small as possible and have very limited capacity, they are not generally available with protection circuits.

yikes, i posted a message but it only quoted.

Thanks for the info Arch.
to you and or electronguru, (i orderd on friday btw and it got here on monday, talk about fast shipping).

Do you know how long is the proper charge (without ovecharging) the 10180 using the nano charger and spacer from your site? The LED shows green as on and charging, i think, wondering if the LED changes color when at full cap?
Do you know how many life cycles these little guys take?

[fyrstormer]

The Nano charger should show a red light when charging, and it should fade from red to yellow to green when it's fully charged. Full charge for all lithium-cobalt-oxide batteries is 4.2V, and they usually last ~300 charges provided they aren't abused.

[archimedes]

yikes, i posted a message but it only quoted.

Thanks for the info Arch.
to you and or electronguru, (i orderd on friday btw and it got here on monday, talk about fast shipping).

Do you know how long is the proper charge (without ovecharging) the 10180 using the nano charger and spacer from your site? The LED shows green as on and charging, i think, wondering if the LED changes color when at full cap?
Do you know how many life cycles these little guys take?

One of the challenges with 10180 Li-Ion cells is charging them, due to their tiny size (which doesn't fit most standard chargers, without adapters) and low capacity. Personally, I prefer to charge Li-Ions at 1C or less (and ideally at 0.6C, if possible). Most 10180's are around 90 mAh, so I use a cottonpickers charger at the minimum rate available on the version with a voltmeter, which is 90 mA (or approximately 1C). There is a cottonpickers charger available with a 60 mA setting, although it lacks a voltmeter display, and might be preferable if you use these cells a lot. At a charge rate of 1C, by definition, it should take one hour to charge fully (terminating at 4.2v) - of course, at 0.6C, it would take 100 minutes.

I don't know how many cycles these may last but my guess is that, in general, they may be significantly less durable than larger and more "standard" sizes for a variety of reasons....

[run4jc]

Most 10180's are around 90 mAh, so I use a cottonpickers charger at the minimum rate available on the version with a voltmeter, which is 90 mA (or approximately 1C).

Thanks for this info -1 of 2 new AW 10180 cells is in my Cottonpickers charger even now - it's up to 4.14 and charging at 90 as you suggest.

Incidentally, I am astonished by the amount of light that comes out of the little XPG Eiger on this 10180. The QTC functions well, and on the brightest setting, my sphere measures 209 lumen.

Geez - think about it. A $68 light that disappears on your keychain, yet when you need it can either provide a tiny amount of light - or ramp up to over 200 lumen. Incredible. And it's a pure white beam, nice and floody - and made of stainless steel, which seems highly resistant to scratches. Even with my large hands I have no problem operating with the light in only one hand. No more backup light for me on the early dog walks - THIS will be the backup light!

And then you can lego to your heart's content - I have the AAA body and a high CRI Eiger head as well. My goodness - wonderful times we live in! Thanks, Peak and Oveready.

[archimedes]

Yeah, Eigers are definitely quite awesome.

BTW, I have been using the Nichia 119 (HighCRI) for a couple days now on the 10180 - wow, what a nice tint ! Max output is not nearly the crazy amount seen with the XP-G, of course, but still plenty for such a tiny light. I have also noticed a bigger apparent drop in output with the Nichia as the LED heats up, than with the XP-G, but I rarely run it on maximum anyway. Running it on one of the larger bodies might also (theoretically, at least) increase the heat-sinking.

I am very, very pleased with this purchase....

[run4jc]

Yeah, Eigers are definitely quite awesome.

I am very, very pleased with this purchase....

I run my high CRI head in the AAA body - tried it with an old 10440 and it was quirky. Did okay with alkaline - better with Eneloop. When I say, "Better", it seemed as though there was more range from low to high with the Eneloop, but obviously not as bright as with the older 10440. Ah...today a couple of new AW 10440s showed up and each one seems to be juuuust right...nice low with a smoother transition to high - and of course, much brighter. The high CRI is awesome, but I haven't run it long enough to see if it drops in output.

I'll borrow your statement - "I am very, very pleased with this purchase(s)!"

[flatline]

I want to purchase this light, but I also want a momentary switch. Which is my best option?

1. Wait until the momentary switch becomes available?
2. Purchase the long keychain QTC body now with plans to purchase the momentary switch later when it becomes available?
3. Purchase the short keychain QTC body now with plans to purchase the long keychain body with momentary when it becomes available?

--flatline

[sassaquin]

Since I now own two Eiger 10180 (one XP-G and one Nichia high CRI) and have never owned or used an unprotected Li-ion battery before, I am concerned about over discharging 10180 batteries. I feel confident that I won't have any mishaps overcharging as I am checking voltage before and after charging and using Cotonpicker's 60 mA charger. Does anyone know approx. how many minutes I can get on 1/2 brightness before I need to recharge? Or, does anyone have any advice on when to recharge these baby batteries. Thanks.

I'll borrow your statement - "I am very, very pleased with this purchase(s)!"

[archimedes]

Since I now own two Eiger 10180 (one XP-G and one Nichia high CRI) and have never owned or used an unprotected Li-ion battery before, I am concerned about over discharging 10180 batteries. I feel confident that I won't have any mishaps overcharging as I am checking voltage before and after charging and using Cotonpicker's 60 mA charger. Does anyone know approx. how many minutes I can get on 1/2 brightness before I need to recharge? Or, does anyone have any advice on when to recharge these baby batteries. Thanks.

Li-Ion battery chemistry is not especially bothered by frequent "top-ups". Sure, you might not squeeze every last cycle out of them that way, but why risk overdischarge instead ? They only cost a few dollars to replace, when necessary.

Earlier in the thread, I had a few comments on estimated runtime - but an extremely approximate "guess-timation" (at half-max output, as you note) might be 10-20 minutes for the XP-G ? I don't have the specs for the Nichia emitter (battery draw and LED drive), but with lower peak output - it should have correspondingly longer runtime.

[Dances with Flashlight]

I'm not sure about the draw on the Nichia, but with a fully charged 10180 XP-G at 50% the current draw would be somewhere around 375mAh. That would yield about 10 minutes to 25% of its capacity. At 25% output, runtime to 25% of capacity would be around 25 minutes. The limited capacity of these batteries just won't permit much runtime at higher levels, but with the QTC, the 10180 Eiger really has been reborn since most tasks for such a tiny light don't take much time and don't require too much output. Still, it sure is nice to be able to light up a backyard with a light that will fit inside an AA battery.

[ElectronGuru]

Does anyone know approx. how many minutes I can get on 1/2 brightness before I need to recharge? Or, does anyone have any advice on when to recharge these baby batteries.

I've been running with the same 10280 for a year and half. You want to get to know the cell under controlled conditions, so you can make better informed decisions when conditions are less than controlled.

Start with a few discharge sessions. Charge it up, run it on high for a bit (or until its to warm), then shut it off and measure the time and voltage. Figure out where the bottom is and what the light looks/act like and what the cumulative runtime was. In the case of a QTC, repeat it at several different (constant) levels.

3 months from now, when you're using it and have not charged it in a while, and see the output drop a bit, you'll know 1) what it means (voltage is low), 2) what to do right away (turn it off), 3) what to do when you get home (get it on the charger).

[sassaquin]

Archimedes, Dances with Flashlight and ElectronGuru - Thank you all for the advice and suggestions. The experts here never fail to help me out.

[Paul_in_Maryland]

I have my CRI head but no body to put it on! When the 2AAA body is available, I'll buy it. Meanwhile, yesterday I bought a 1AAA pre-QTC body on CPF Marketplace. The 1AAA is for my pocket, where I don't trust the QTC to stay off. I say this because I tried the aftermarket QTC in my daughter's Eiger, and twice I found it on in my front trouser pocket.

[jorgen]

Spontaneous turn on is usually caused by failing to turn far enough. Press on head after off if light shines turn a bit more. This solved a similar problem, for me, in the beginning.

[flatline]

Okay, I pulled the trigger and placed an order for the short keychain AAA body.

I do want the momentary switch to play with (and I do realize that I'll need to get another body to work with the switch), but I decided to go with the short body since I'm primarily looking for a backup light and, pragmatically speaking, the smaller the better. If I decide to make the light a primary EDC light with momentary switch, then I'll worry about my carry options then.

--flatline

[Paul_in_Maryland]

I understand, but if I unscrew the head farther, I spend the day filled with anxiety that I've loosened it too far and it might fall off.

Spontaneous turn on is usually caused by failing to turn far enough. Press on head after off if light shines turn a bit more. This solved a similar problem, for me, in the beginning.

[PoliceScannerMan]

Off:


Low as I could get:


High: