Eagletac D25 Clicky Series Round-up Review (D25C, D25A2, D25LC2 - XM-L & XP-G)

[sspc]

That's a good question. It's possible you may maintain modes on a 3V Li-ion (although perhaps only once some of the charge has been drained off). I don't have any to test, so don't know. Would be interesting to find out.

And on the issue of the website, I too found it difficult to navitage on Firefox. I basically resorted to google as well to get the first detailed specs page, and then manually changed the URL to bring up each specific model.

Thank you selfbuilt!!

[phips]

Great review, especially your work on the brightness/runtime graphs.
I am pretty sure I will order the D25LC2 based on your recommendation concerning its efficiency.

Do you think it would be possible to set the flashlight to my needs (no mode memory, moonlight group) and then lockout the turbo/strobe group with a piece of paper/plastic in between the head and body?

[phips]

I guess I will find that out myself... just ordered one
Thanks again for helping me make an informed choice!

[biglights]

I guess I will find that out myself... just ordered one
Thanks again for helping me make an informed choice!

Very good choice, I have the neutral version and use it all the time.

[shelm]

the Titanium clickies should have the same performance as the aluminum clickies, right?
the lowest global shipping i could find was with Tod from Illuminationgear so i ordered the D25A Clicky Ti. please anyone keep us posted when they are officially available and in stock. there are so many Titanium twisties (and stainless steel twisties) on the market by Olight, iTP, 4Sevens, Klarus, Fenix, and the earlier Eagletac D25 Mini Ti series that it's a relief to have a small light in titanium with a clicky. i like Titanium, but Titanium twisties i dont like!

Now we need to find out if the D25A2 head can be lego'ed with the D25A body!

[selfbuilt]

I am pretty sure I will order the D25LC2 based on your recommendation concerning its efficiency.
Do you think it would be possible to set the flashlight to my needs (no mode memory, moonlight group) and then lockout the turbo/strobe group with a piece of paper/plastic in between the head and body?

Well, the D25LC2 differs from the other members in that there is no mode memory option (like the D25A, apparently). This means the light always comes on in the Lo setting when in the head-loosened state. But of course, it does remember which of the two mode groups you choose (i.e., the default Lo or the moonlight Lo group) - that kind of memory works fine. But as for moonlight group, in this case it is hardly "moonlight" in practice - while lower than the default Lo, it is not as low as the other members of this family. If that's what you want, sure, it can operate that way.

As for the locking out the head-tightened modes, I suppose that should be possible with some sort of non-conductive washer in the way of the body tube (i.e., a thin plastic spacer, or maybe an o-ring). Experiment and see, I guess.

[BLUE LED]

I thought that I would like the memory on the D25C clicky U2, but after using it I am no longer a fan. I am AW IMR 16340 and put it on the lower mode setting. I have lost medium mode, but that doesn't bother me. I can now go from low to high very quickly

[BWX]

I found something very annoying with these lights that seems like a huge oversight and that will probably get fixed in later versions.

In ''head loosened'' mode, you go through two rounds of low, medium, high to get to supposed ''hidden'' strobe modes, etc.

Well those annoying strobe modes aren't hidden at all, they pop up constantly.

For instance on my 4sevens Preon2. Low- medium- high- low- medium- high.. PAUSE for a few seconds... then back to low, medium, high.

On the D25LC2.. Head loosened- Low, medium, high, low, medium, high.. PAUSE for 5 MINUTES.. next half click... STROBE!! What???

So strobe modes aren't hidden at all, and no matter how long you wait, if you go through 2 rounds of low, medium, high- the next half click is strobe, and then all the other 8 blinking modes.

How could they not see that as a huge issue? It's a real hassle when using this light almost every time I use it. What the hell were they thinking?


edit.. Oh I see it has been discussed post 39 and 40, 44.. Not sure why I missed that before. I guess no light is perfect, but this makes it go from a light I want to edc and use all the time to a light that annoys me to no end 90% of the time.

[selfbuilt]

In ''head loosened'' mode, you go through two rounds of low, medium, high to get to supposed ''hidden'' strobe modes, etc.
Well those annoying strobe modes aren't hidden at all, they pop up constantly.

You are quite right - with mode memory enabled, the strobe modes are not "hidden" modes at all. Mode memory always remembers where you are in the sequence, and you never get that reset (even when turning off).

So you have to leave mode memory off (which is the only possibility on the D25A and D25LC2, optional on the others), and always have the light default to the first Lo state.

In practical terms, mode memory is really only useful if you plan to set the head-loosened state to something you don't plan to change often. If you expect to cycle between constant outputs, you are best leaving it off (so that it always comes on in the first Lo). This is how I leave mine set, as I prefer to know it will always come on low with the head loosened - I can always increase the output from there if I need it.

Good to discuss explicitly, as the options here do get a bit dizzying sometimes.

[BWX]

Well I've discovered that if I'm in head loosened mode and I'm in low-med-high-low-med- and want to get back to -low- again, I just do a full click, wait about 1 second, then turn it back on. Then I've started the sequence over and I'm in low. I was waiting longer so it was a bigger PITA, but one second isn't too awful bad.

It's still more of a hassle than it should be, it should be like a 4sevens. Oh well, I'm still going to EDC it, other than that problem it's an amazing little light.

[jhc37013]

Well I've discovered that if I'm in head loosened mode and I'm in low-med-high-low-med- and want to get back to -low- again, I just do a full click, wait about 1 second, then turn it back on. Then I've started the sequence over and I'm in low. I was waiting longer so it was a bigger PITA, but one second isn't too awful bad.

It's still more of a hassle than it should be, it should be like a 4sevens. Oh well, I'm still going to EDC it, other than that problem it's an amazing little light.

I agree it should be hidden better maybe three or four full cycles instead of two but like you have discovered thankfully when you switch it off it starts back in low in like a second and a half so it really isn't to bad.

I like a good discussion on these things and hope when other members read it they realize it really is constructive criticism of a really good light in hopes that Eagletac will pick up on these things and tweak them in future releases, judging from selfbuilt they are open to ideas and opinions.

[BWX]

I learned another trick!

low-med-high-low-med-high- -->one second SOFT click- -> low! Even better- no clicky noise.

Yeah it's definitely constructive criticism.. Too late for me but they could change their light for the better for future customers.

[jhc37013]

I learned another trick!

low-med-high-low-med-high- -->one second SOFT click- -> low! Even better- no clicky noise.

Yeah it's definitely constructive criticism.. Too late for me but they could change their light for the better for future customers.

Good call on the soft click or rather soft press and hold for ~1.5sec, it beats switching off to avoid blinkys.

[selfbuilt]

I learned another trick!
low-med-high-low-med-high- -->one second SOFT click- -> low! Even better- no clicky noise.

Good catch. It works for me too.

To explain further for those who don't have the light - you can revert to the first Lo mode no matter where you are (i.e., at any level in the head-loosened state) by soft-pressing and holding the switch for more than one second. This is a "shortcut" that jumps you back to the first output state (i.e., the first Lo mode).

This is very useful, so I will add to to my UI section.

EDIT: sorry, the shortcut reset only works if the memory mode is off. So there there is no way to avoid the blinking modes with the memory mode on.

[BWX]

Good catch. It works for me too.

To explain further for those who don't have the light - you can revert to the first Lo mode no matter where you are (i.e., at any level in the head-loosened state) by soft-pressing and holding the switch for more than one second. This is a "shortcut" that jumps you back to the first output state (i.e., the first Lo mode).

This is very useful, so I will add to to my UI section.

Cool! It might be a little longer than one second.. If I say "one, one thousand" in my head it's long enough, LOL... Maybe 1.1 or 1.2 sec? maybe 0.9 sec? Not sure.

[candle lamp]

Thanks a lot for your excellent review as always. Selfbuilt!

As you explained, I've double-checked mode memory again.

If I have mode memory turned on, my sample always remembers the last mode I used on group I, but it doesn't rember the last mode on group II.

I'll ask it to Eagletac. And thanks for your useful tip for the shortcut. Selfbuilt & BWX!

[jerrysimons]

Could somebody post a picture with the Eagaltac D25C next to a 4Sevens Quark 123 and not just the Quark mini 123?
Thank you.

[tacgearguy]

GREAT REVIEW as usual!!!! I just got my D25A clicky last week. AWESOME light! Its my new edc.

[shelm]

GREAT REVIEW as usual!!!! I just got my D25A clicky last week. AWESOME light! Its my new edc.

please could you video review it? i enjoy your youtube channel a lot!!
maybe you could let us know how bright it is compared to your other lights (M10A, SC51). you were probably going to review it anyway. You dont have 14500's do you?

[jerrysimons]

selfbuilt, Thank you btw!
bwx and selfbuilt, could you please specify whether or not the short-cut for mode sequencing with the head loosened is with memory mode turned on or off?

As I understand it, with memory mode turned on, the sequence will always pick up at the last mode you were on in the loosened mode-set, even when the light is turned off for any period of time and then turned back on. Also, the last-used-mode from the loosened mode-set is remembered when the light is on and the user twists to the tight mode-set and then back to loosened mode-set. Does the 1 second click/soft press short-cut work to restart the memory when memory is tuned on? If not then there truly is no way to avoid the blinking modes when cycling through the loosened mode-set with memory mode turned on.

With memory mode turned off, the light in loosened mode-set will continually cycle through the modes as long as the light remains turned on, unless you do the 1 second off click/soft-press short cut described or simply turn the light of and then on again after a longer period of time, right? This means that, similar to the Regular/Pro Quark UI, the blinking modes are not actually hidden. It is just that there is a second sequence of low-med-high to cycle through before you get to the blinking modes instead of just one like the Regular/Pro Quark UI. Unlike the Regular/Pro Quark UI, however, you can also break the cycling sequence in the loosened mode-set by tightening the bezel and then loosening it again, which I think is less favorable than the Quark type "on"/temporary memory function between mode-sets.
From what I have gathered, In order to truly hide the blinking modes there would have to be some sort of timed window to have to cycle through the constant modes to get to the blinking modes, like the Quark minis have. This would allow the user to break the sequence advance by simply leaving the light turned on in a loosened mode-set constant mode for longer than the timed window before advancing from the "C" in A->B->C back to the "A".

If wish the D25s memory off setting still included the Regular/Pro Quark temporary memory while the light is on between mode-sets and then would reset when turned off; and that the blinking mode access were truly hidden in the loosened mode-set like the Quark minis with some sort of timed window. For that matter, I wish the Regular/Pro Quark UI had blinking modes hidden like the Quark minis also.

[selfbuilt]

bwx and selfbuilt, could you please specify whether or not the short-cut for mode sequencing with the head loosened is with memory mode turned on or off? ... If not then there truly is no way to avoid the blinking modes when cycling through the loosened mode-set with memory mode turned on.

EDIT: sorry, the shortcut reset only works if the memory mode is off. So there there is no way to avoid the blinking modes with the memory mode on.

From what I have gathered, In order to truly hide the blinking modes there would have to be some sort of timed window to have to cycle through the constant modes to get to the blinking modes, like the Quark minis have.

Yes, that's what you need to truly avoid the blinking modes normally.

[jerrysimons]

Thanks for the reply. Edit: If the short cut doesn't work with the memory mode on then it looks like the best way to use the memory mode is as you described; when the user desires to select an output and leave it that way.

Given the extremely high output of the D25LC2 on 2x cell sources along with similar form to the Thrunight TN12 (lighter even), do you suspect problems with tripping the protection circuits is cr123a primaries? That issue is one that steered me away from the TN12.

[BWX]

I have no memory mode on the D25LC2...

[loquutis79]

D25LC2 does not have memory mode. I think it's the only one in the 'Clicky' line that does not have it.
I have the same light

[rufus001]

Question: any idea how the d25c would run on a Tenergy 3.0 900mah rcr123? This is the batt with a fully charged voltage of 3.6v so Im curious if you maintain all modes with this batt.

Are you sure? My Tenergys go to 4.0V using the Tenergy battery charger. I've put one in anyway and will report back at what point I get my modes back.

[rufus001]

It works with either memory turned on/off.

Doesn't work for me.

[rufus001]

Doesn't work for me.

And it shouldn't! Otherwise how does it remember your setting if you turn the torch off if this shortcut resets the sequence to the start?

[selfbuilt]

Doesn't work for me.
And it shouldn't! Otherwise how does it remember your setting if you turn the torch off if this shortcut resets the sequence to the start?

Aarg, sorry guys. You are right, it doesn't work with memory turned on - my bad. I thought I had memory turned on when I tried it the other day. But I just re-tested on both D25C samples, and the shortcut only works if memory is turned off. In essense, this shortcut works like turning the light off and on, but without the clicking required.

I will edit my posts.

[selfbuilt]

D25LC2 does not have memory mode. I think it's the only one in the 'Clicky' line that does not have it. I have the same light

Confirmed that it doesn't work on my D25LC2 either. According to the manual, the D25A is also missing it (but I don't have one to verify).

One oddity - the manual also states that the memory works for group 1. Given the specificity of mentioning that group, you would logically infer that it doesn't work in group 2. I found memory (when turned on) worked in both group 1 and group 2 on all three of my samples (2x D25C and 1x D25A2) that support memory mode. This has been confirmed by at least one other user. But a couple of users have also reported now that they only have memory in group 1. I don't know why the discrepancy.

Given the extremely high output of the D25LC2 on 2x cell sources along with similar form to the Thrunight TN12 (lighter even), do you suspect problems with tripping the protection circuits is cr123a primaries? That issue is one that steered me away from the TN12.

You should be fine. Although the D25LC2 is initially as bright, it steps down to a lower level just after 3 mins have passed. I've never see any sign of PTC engagement on lights with that sort of step down - it is just the continuously maximally-driven you have watch out for.

[JudasD]

I would sure like to see some outdoor beamshots of the D25C in XML vs XPG with a 16340. I cant decide which one to get. I have seen the numbers comparing the two with the RCR123. I currently own a V11R so i am also trying to use that as a reference when looking at the numbers. Selfbuilt, could you tell much of a difference in throw with the XPG vs the XML?

Thanks,
JD