Competitive models to the EagTac D25C or D25A ?

Received a D3A Rainbow Ti w 4500K 519a
et.jpg


Outputs on Eneloop and head loose 0.6, 8.5, 60, 136 lumens. By default as received, the light always starts on the lowest mode. With head tight Turbo is 300 lumens.

I changed the programming so it now has Last Mode Memory, now it starts at whatever level it was turned off at.
Screen Shot 2025-01-11 at 5.41.18 PM.png

Then I experimented by turning off the moonlight mode. The new outputs w head loose are 8, 25, 59, 139 lumens. So basically, the two moonlight settings swap 0.6 lumens for 25 lumens, the other outputs stay the same.
 
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Received a D3A Rainbow Ti w 4500K 519a
View attachment 72839

Outputs on Eneloop and head loose 0.6, 8.5, 60, 136 lumens. By default as received, the light always starts on the lowest mode. With head tight Turbo is 300 lumens.

I changed the programming so it now has Last Mode Memory, now it starts at whatever level it was turned off at.
View attachment 72843
Then I experimented by turning off the moonlight mode. The new outputs w head loose are 8, 25, 59, 139 lumens. So basically, the two moonlight settings swap 0.6 lumens for 25 lumens, the other outputs stay the same.
Nice! Did you buy it with the 519 already swapped in?

The only D25s I've owned have had a Skylumen driver, so I wasn't aware of the loosened/tightened feature. For that one I'd probably almost never bother tightening the head as 136lm is usually plenty, and the times that it isn't 300 probably isn't enough either.
 
Nice! Did you buy it with the 519 already swapped in?

The only D25s I've owned have had a Skylumen driver, so I wasn't aware of the loosened/tightened feature. For that one I'd probably almost never bother tightening the head as 136lm is usually plenty, and the times that it isn't 300 probably isn't enough either.
FYI, the 'D' lights' are in stock from (very good) U.S. distributor, w/ a choice of LEDs - no 'swapping' required, w/ fast shipping and great support; although they may not have the 'rainbow' model;-) As for the light above, I'll bet that LED's been modded by Monday, but I like my Al D25As and Cs w/ that emitter - STOCK, and the sst-20 4000Ks that ET uses too. I like these lights 'stock', and have no desire to mod them, but to each their own!
 
FYI, the 'D' lights' are in stock from (very good) U.S. distributor, w/ a choice of LEDs - no 'swapping' required, w/ fast shipping and great support; although they may not have the 'rainbow' model;-) As for the light above, I'll bet that LED's been modded by Monday, but I like my Al D25As and Cs w/ that emitter - STOCK, and the sst-20 4000Ks that ET uses too. I like these lights 'stock', and have no desire to mod them, but to each their own!
Thanks for the tip. I didn't realize you could get these factory with high CRI, or that you could disable mode memory. Both of those features make them much more appealing to me.

What are your thoughts on the 519 vs SST20? I've heard in other lights the SST20 can be a bit green
 
I received the D3a in a recent trade.

I mainly took the trade because I wanted to verify which version of the programming options it uses. Since that was being discussed in this thread.

It came with a cool white, Low CRI LED. I replaced the Pill with a new High CRI 4500K 519a Pill from EagTac.

It has a very nice slender form factor, and an excellent pocket clip. I also like that it works with AA.

I sold it because I prefer Anduril UI for myself. But I wanted to mod it to High CRI first, before passing it along for others to enjoy. ;-)
 
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FYI, the 'D' lights' are in stock from (very good) U.S. distributor, w/ a choice of LEDs - no 'swapping' required, w/ fast shipping and great support; although they may not have the 'rainbow' model;-) As for the light above, I'll bet that LED's been modded by Monday, but I like my Al D25As and Cs w/ that emitter - STOCK, and the sst-20 4000Ks that ET uses too. I like these lights 'stock', and have no desire to mod them, but to each their own!

This won't help much as far as subjective spectral evaluation is concerned (which I find dicey at best), but I can tell you that the net is that I like them both, equally, for use in different circumstances, although they're close enough I could use either, and I use both every single day in multiple lights.

I can say that the 'SST-20 4000K R9 Hi CRI' emitters ET/ST uses are visibly better than another "hi CRI" SST-20 4000K example I have, in a much more expensive light. They clearly aren't 'created equal', but I don't know the LED suffix nomenclature that differentiates them. I can say that (obviously) the CT is a factor in this case (4000K vs 4500K [SST-20 vs 519A]), and I find the CRI of the SST-20s I have visibly 'better' than the other SST-20 example I mentioned, and I don't know if that's the Ra CRI number, or the R9 number that makes the difference, or both. I only know they render my local natural surroundings more accurately, and I don't need an instrument to tell me that. @jon_slider studies this stuff, and can probably elaborate better than I. I just use them and know what I see in actual use. They're both great. I actually initially ordered lights w/ both emitters specifically to evaluate them in the real world, and ended up buying more lights with both. Like I said, that probably doesn't help much. I can't call either one 'better' ;-) In general, I prefer the SST-20s specifically outdoors in these surroundings, but also indoors, at night. I tend to grab the 519As in the daylight hours.

I probably shouldn't, but since they're the only Eagtac / Sportac distributor I will use (and the best flashlight distributor I work with), I'll include the link. I should also add that there are functional differences between the shiny Ti versions (D3[A&C]), and the Al versions (D25[A&C]) of similar design, so be aware of that (they don't use the same chip):

 
What are your thoughts on the 519 vs SST20
physically, the 519a is larger and it produces a wider hotspot than the SST20, whose die is smaller and makes a tighter hotspot
In general, I prefer the SST-20s specifically outdoors in these surroundings, but also indoors, at night. I tend to grab the 519As in the daylight hours.
thanks for your impressions,
it makes sense to me that the smaller tighter hotspot would be preferred outdoors, as it reaches a bit farther

it also seems you like the warmer LED at night and the cooler one during the day.. its good to have options.

I also like warmer at night and cooler during the day, here are a pair of TS10 I modded recently for a friend, that offer a warmer and a cooler option for different times of day and night:
two.jpg


Eagtac has been offering some great High CRI options lately. For a warm option, the SFT-40 3000K is nice and throwy, it is a tiny LED and highly regarded by people that like warm light outdoors.

The choice between the SST-40 4000K and the 519a 4500K might depend on whether someone wants a small hotspot with a bit more throw, or a wider hotspot that is slightly more suitable for closer distances.
 
This won't help much as far as subjective spectral evaluation is concerned (which I find dicey at best), but I can tell you that the net is that I like them both, equally, for use in different circumstances, although they're close enough I could use either, and I use both every single day in multiple lights.

I can say that the 'SST-20 4000K R9 Hi CRI' emitters ET/ST uses are visibly better than another "hi CRI" SST-20 4000K example I have, in a much more expensive light. They clearly aren't 'created equal', but I don't know the LED suffix nomenclature that differentiates them. I can say that (obviously) the CT is a factor in this case (4000K vs 4500K [SST-20 vs 519A]), and I find the CRI of the SST-20s I have visibly 'better' than the other SST-20 example I mentioned, and I don't know if that's the Ra CRI number, or the R9 number that makes the difference, or both. I only know they render my local natural surroundings more accurately, and I don't need an instrument to tell me that. @jon_slider studies this stuff, and can probably elaborate better than I. I just use them and know what I see in actual use. They're both great. I actually initially ordered lights w/ both emitters specifically to evaluate them in the real world, and ended up buying more lights with both. Like I said, that probably doesn't help much. I can't call either one 'better' ;-) In general, I prefer the SST-20s specifically outdoors in these surroundings, but also indoors, at night. I tend to grab the 519As in the daylight hours.

I probably shouldn't, but since they're the only Eagtac / Sportac distributor I will use (and the best flashlight distributor I work with), I'll include the link. I should also add that there are functional differences between the shiny Ti versions (D3[A&C]), and the Al versions (D25[A&C]) of similar design, so be aware of that (they don't use the same chip):

What differences between Al and Ti? The descriptions look the same to me
 
14500/li-ion use will double the D25A/D3A lumens. ;)

the D25A/D3A (or D25C/D3C),
have identical circuits... the only difference is HA vs Ti body/host material (and price)...

but, be careful when viewing/researching online info and/or comparing LED models versions ~ as there have been SEVERAL circuit updates/tweaks over the many years these models have been available.

The current circuit was phased in about a year+ ago, and the easiest way to identify it is wether you can enable/disable tailcap strobe from head tight (via the ET standard 20 ON/OFF cycles to enable/disable).
;)
 
What differences between Al and Ti
the differences in firmware are imo pretty minor.. some versions have 3 options, like this:
Screen Shot 2024-11-03 at 10.01.03 AM.png


while some versions have 2 options:
Screen Shot 2025-01-11 at 5.41.18 PM.png

the basic option to use last mode memory or not, exists in both firmwares, so does the option to access a sublumen moonlight output, or not

pick whichever tickles your fancy, dont worry about the programming options

I suggest the Aluminum AA model w 4500K 519a, available here:
Screen Shot 2025-01-12 at 4.31.05 PM.png
 
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I have a D25A with the 4500k 519a and love it. I have carried it daily for many months until recently. The reason I'm not carrying it any longer. Its finishing is very smooth and for a light that is so slender it is almost too smooth. Along with that the clip has weakened to the point where it is not holding tight. I don't want to loose it so I have started carrying the Thrunite Ti pro NW that I received recently. It's considerably shorter which means that sitting with it clipped into my back pocket it's not pushed upwards therefore I'm less likely to fail to see that it's missing. I bought 4 Ti pro's for quite a bit less than the D25A and if I lose the Thrunite no big deal. Ironically with the couple extra mm's in diameter and better knurling the clip holds better than the Eagtac did new.
 
the clip has weakened to the point where it is not holding tight
I have more D25As (and Cs) in Al than I want to admit to;-), and don't recall ever clipping one to anything, but now I'm curious: Did the clip itself bend and fail to retain its original form, or did the mounting screws fail to hold their threading / torque in the body? I'd like to know the 'failure mode' in case I start clipping them to pockets, etc.

BTW, I note that the TN replacement appears to have a completely different method of operation (?), lacking a proper tail switch, which for me personally is a critical / fatal shortcoming, so in my use I don't consider the lights directly comparable; however I realize that for some users, that might make no difference at all. It may otherwise be a great light (aside from their stating an invalid FL1 impact rating for it [1.5 meters]).

Thanx!
 
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The clip has lost its ability to stay snug against the body of the light. My intention is to remove it, secure it in a vise and slightly bend it and hope that it will keep tension.

My mention of the TN was in no way meant to compare the two lights or suggest that the light was a rival to the Eagtac. It is definitely not on either instance. I only compared it as to its cost and how much I would dread losing my D25A. It's my solution to use my Eagtac for more special occasions where I'm less likely to risk losing it and use the cheap TN for a "brighter light than my phone" mostly for work related things.
 
The clip has lost its ability to stay snug against the body of the light. My intention is to remove it, secure it in a vise and slightly bend it and hope that it will keep tension.

My mention of the TN was in no way meant to compare the two lights or suggest that the light was a rival to the Eagtac. It is definitely not on either instance. I only compared it as to its cost and how much I would dread losing my D25A. It's my solution to use my Eagtac for more special occasions where I'm less likely to risk losing it and use the cheap TN for a "brighter light than my phone" mostly for work related things.
Thanks! Sounds like the screws did not loosen, but rather the clip failed to retain its original form due to bending forces. I'll keep that in mind if I decide to start clipping mine to pockets (which I might do at times).

I realize you didn't not compare the two lights directly. I took the liberty of doing that myself from my personal perspective, as an 'aside', or "BTW". I didn't mean to imply otherwise. My comments were in addition to yours, not conflicting with yours (in the spirit of comparing "competitive models").

EDIT: 1 typo
 
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The clip has lost its ability to stay snug against the body of the light. My intention is to remove it, secure it in a vise and slightly bend it and hope that it will keep tension.
Try bending it down with your hands only once you remove the clip. That might be enough to fix the problem. With a vice, you risk possibly snapping the clip apart.
 
Maybe just to secure it and to be able to monitor closely the amount of force. But you are correct, clamping it tightly may well snap it. Thank you.
 
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