Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with Beamshots and OTF numbers)

[ti-force]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I just stumbled across this thread while looking into getting a Quark Turbo. This thread is great. Thank you for your work on this and the Maelstorm.

Great photos too.

You're quite welcome, and I hope you find this information useful.

 

[MrGman]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I EDC my new Quark 123 and have now been using it at work. Part of what I do is high voltage testing of components and look for arcs. I have a new dark room lab to do that in and use the Quark on Moon Mode to just barely see the control panel of the high voltage tester to bring up the voltage and still not ruin my night vision and ability to look for arcs of the item under test. The kicker is, the center of the beam is to bright so I just use the spill section on the control panel with the center of the beam pointed below it so as not to have to much light. Whoodathunkit be a little too bright. I may just have to get myself the Quark RGB unit???

For an EDC light, the moonlight mode definitely has its place. As I was training a fellow lab worker to do the same test, and we had to work in the dark he saw me use my Quark and was immediately lusting and saying he wanted to get one and what was the cost and so on. Very handy indeed.

 

[forklift]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Is there any chance we can get a comparison of the beamshots from a Quark Tactical 123^2 vs AA^2? I've yet to find a thread here that compared the two "squared" battery types.

 

[ti-force]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Is there any chance we can get a comparison of the beamshots from a Quark Tactical 123^2 vs AA^2? I've yet to find a thread here that compared the two "squared" battery types.

I'll see what I can do. No promises though, and it will be no sooner than this weekend. I'm assuming you want to see the XP-G's paired against each other. Is that correct?

 

[ti-force]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I EDC my new Quark 123 and have now been using it at work. Part of what I do is high voltage testing of components and look for arcs. I have a new dark room lab to do that in and use the Quark on Moon Mode to just barely see the control panel of the high voltage tester to bring up the voltage and still not ruin my night vision and ability to look for arcs of the item under test. The kicker is, the center of the beam is to bright so I just use the spill section on the control panel with the center of the beam pointed below it so as not to have to much light. Whoodathunkit be a little too bright. I may just have to get myself the Quark RGB unit???

For an EDC light, the moonlight mode definitely has its place. As I was training a fellow lab worker to do the same test, and we had to work in the dark he saw me use my Quark and was immediately lusting and saying he wanted to get one and what was the cost and so on. Very handy indeed.

Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:.

Do you want the RGB so you can use red to help keep your night vision? My next project will be a Quark with a red XP-E swap. I plan to use this light for walking in and out of the woods and swamp in the dark during hunting season. I'm hoping the red will help keep my eyes adjusted to dark conditions, and also not spook any animals as easily as a white light.

 

[DHart]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

The kicker is, the center of the beam is to bright so I just use the spill section on the control panel with the center of the beam pointed below it so as not to have to much light.

Hey MrGman... I've got just the Quark for you... the special run XP-G Neutral-white version. Bins used are either 4C0 or 4D0 with an R4, which has a really broad, even floody beam... the hot spot ain't so "hot" nor so "spotty". ;-) Put it on moonlight and you have a really soft, floody squeek of light that has less of a hotspot than the standard Quarks.

 

[Quension]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Hmm, I took MrGman's comment about getting a Quark RGB to be for the MC-E beam profile on moonlight white, rather than specifically about the colors. There probably aren't many other lights that have a 0.4 lumen moonlight mode in a nearly-flat flood beam pattern.

 

[DHart]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Hmm, I took MrGman's comment about getting a Quark RGB to be for the MC-E beam profile on moonlight white, rather than specifically about the colors. There probably aren't many other lights that have a 0.4 lumen moonlight mode in a nearly-flat flood beam pattern.

Sounds interesting... I need to get schooled up on the RGB Quark.

 

[sugibdg]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I am considering to buy Quark 123, thanks for your review, it gave me a lots of info :twothumbs

 

[ti-force]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Hmm, I took MrGman's comment about getting a Quark RGB to be for the MC-E beam profile on moonlight white, rather than specifically about the colors. There probably aren't many other lights that have a 0.4 lumen moonlight mode in a nearly-flat flood beam pattern.

You may be right. I don't have any experience with the Quark RGB, and, well every time I hear RGB, I automatically think Red, Green and Blue. I also though that since red light may be a different color than that of the arcs he's looking for in his dark room lab, the arcs might stand out better. Only G knows, maybe he can comment so we know for sure. Also, I don't know if it matters or not, but the Quark RGB has an OTF rating of. 4 lumens on 4sevens website. I don't know how much difference the added. 2 lumens would make, but I thought I'd point it out. EDIT: I see you've already pointed that out

I am considering to buy Quark 123, thanks for your review, it gave me a lots of info :twothumbs

You're welcome. Go ahead and order the Quark , you won't be disappointed. Also, you can use the CPF8 code during checkout for 8% off :thumbsup:

 

[ti-force]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

DHart,

Did you figure out the UI problem you were having while using the Tactical switch on the Regular UI?

 

[candle lamp]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Excellent review and good job ! Thank you. :twothumbs

 

[JeffN]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

First of all, ti-force, thanks for an incredibly complete review -- your work is very much appreciated. :twothumbs

Now to an issue I'm having. I just acquired a Turbo 123^2 and am fully satisfied with its performance. I planned to lego the Turbo head and switch onto a regular Quark 123 body, the same as I've done with a Quark RGB (fits better in the holster I use). Neither the Turbo head nor Turbo switch will thread onto the regular 123 body -- both bind immediately on the body and I don't want to take the chance of damaging the threads.

Further experimentation shows the regular Quark (R2) head and switch thread right onto the Turbo 123^2 body. The RGB head and its switch thread right onto the Turbo 123^2 body. So the Turbo 123^2 body works in all configurations, but the Turbo head and switch will not go on either of the regular 123 bodies.

I've read through the entire thread here (unfortunately CPFMP is still undergoing resusitation). Am I missing something? Do I have to use a Tactical 123 body? Is the Tactical body different? I just checked 4Sevens' site and the description for the regular Quark R2 123 I purchased (before the R5 ver was released) says the threads are square-cut. The 123 body I use with the RGB was purchased as an accessory a couple of months ago. Was the thread configuration changed?

Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks again.

 

[ti-force]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

First of all, ti-force, thanks for an incredibly complete review -- your work is very much appreciated. :twothumbs

Now to an issue I'm having. I just acquired a Turbo 123^2 and am fully satisfied with its performance. I planned to lego the Turbo head and switch onto a regular Quark 123 body, the same as I've done with a Quark RGB (fits better in the holster I use). Neither the Turbo head nor Turbo switch will thread onto the regular 123 body -- both bind immediately on the body and I don't want to take the chance of damaging the threads.

Further experimentation shows the regular Quark (R2) head and switch thread right onto the Turbo 123^2 body. The RGB head and its switch thread right onto the Turbo 123^2 body. So the Turbo 123^2 body works in all configurations, but the Turbo head and switch will not go on either of the regular 123 bodies.

I've read through the entire thread here (unfortunately CPFMP is still undergoing resusitation). Am I missing something? Do I have to use a Tactical 123 body? Is the Tactical body different? I just checked 4Sevens' site and the description for the regular Quark R2 123 I purchased (before the R5 ver was released) says the threads are square-cut. The 123 body I use with the RGB was purchased as an accessory a couple of months ago. Was the thread configuration changed?

Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks again.

Contact 4sevens and they will send you another Turbo. I've read about this problem before and it's limited to the Turbo model. Look at the threads and see if they are sharp cut on your Turbo. That sounds like the problem.

 

[JeffN]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Thanks for the response. I'm the second owner, so I guess I'm stuck. Not a big deal -- the light fits my hand well in 123^2 configuration.

 

[forklift]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I'll see what I can do. No promises though, and it will be no sooner than this weekend. I'm assuming you want to see the XP-G's paired against each other. Is that correct?

Yes, that would be very much appreciated! Thanks for the review, also! lovecpf

 

[ti-force]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

Thanks for the response. I'm the second owner, so I guess I'm stuck. Not a big deal -- the light fits my hand well in 123^2 configuration.

I don't think you're stuck with it unless you don't get it exchanged. If the threads are sharp, it's a manufacturing defect. Not something that could've been prevented by you, and not something that you caused. 4sevens has excellent customer service and they stand behind their products. You will get quicker service if you call instead of email. If it were me, I'd exchange it. Let us know how it goes if you do exchange it.

 

[JeffN]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I don't think you're stuck with it unless you don't get it exchanged. If the threads are sharp, it's a manufacturing defect. Not something that could've been prevented by you, and not something that you caused. 4sevens has excellent customer service and they stand behind their products. You will get quicker service if you call instead of email.

Yah, maybe I'll give that a try. I'm familiar with their service -- I had a nice chat with Peter a few months ago. It just figures that I've purchased 10 lights directly from them over the past few months without any issues and the first time I buy one secondhand...

I found the forum thread with the discussion of sharp threads on the Turbo -- thanks. I work in the metalforming industry -- this unremarked change in thread design is a disturbing quality issue.

 

[TwitchALot]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I just received a special run XP-G R4 Neutral White 123x2 (I run all of my 123x2 Quarks with a single 17670 li-ion). And I'm finding that with the forward clicky tailcap, the light will not revert back to default at the next "turn-on". For example, I'll use momentary on MAX, then the next time I use momentary, it comes on strobe. Even if the time period in between is much longer than 3 seconds, like 10 sec or 30 sec. Normal operation does occur when used with the reverse clicky switch. Weird. I sent a note to 4Sevens about exchanging the head for another, but haven't heard back.

I have the exact same problem with my 2 X AA Neutral XP-G. It will function as it should after 10 seconds (10-15 seconds or so), but if I turn it off or on before ten seconds, it switches modes. The odd thing about my light is that it only happens on 14500's. It operates as it should on Eneloops in the 2 X AA format.

Switching tailcaps did not help, and this 14500 functions fine with my other heads. So far, no response from CS.

 

[DHart]

Re: Calling all Quarks, Quark Lego Review (updated with OTF numbers)

I have the exact same problem with my 2 X AA Neutral XP-G. It will function as it should after 10 seconds (10-15 seconds or so), but if I turn it off or on before ten seconds, it switches modes. The odd thing about my light is that it only happens on 14500's. It operates as it should on Eneloops in the 2 X AA format.

Switching tailcaps did not help, and this 14500 functions fine with my other heads. So far, no response from CS.

I just heard from 4Sevens CS... they're going to replace my XP-G R4 Neutral White 123x2. They acknowledged that the light should return to default mode after 3 seconds.... something mine does do with the supplied reverse clicky switch, but does not RELIABLY do with a forward clicky switch. :thinking:

I do love the soft, neutral beam, however, which has a very wide and diffuse central beam... excellent for in-house, back-yard use. Not a thrower by any means, but most of the time I don't want a "thrower"... this is where the XP-G R4 shines! I'm looking forward to seeing how the "replacement light" does with a tactical tail-cap. All I want is a reliable return to default mode after 3 to 5 seconds.