Fenix LD10

[polkiuj]

Hey all!

Recently got a LD10 and just posting to let all the folks know what I think. There is currently no power in my house so I;m typing this with the LD10 candle pointing too the ceiling on medium.

The light is pretty amazing for a single AA.

Beam unfortunately is not that great. Got the MOP version and there are many rings to the beam though it really doesn't get in the way outdoors. Only indoors it's a little irritating.

The HIGH (not turbo) mode hisses for some reason. Went back to the shop I got it from and lo and behold!! ALL FENIX *D*0 (both P, L, and all battery sizes i think) HISSES ON HIGH! Anyone with a different experience? Its a soft hiss and can only be heard close to your ears. Also, it's pretty slippery on the body.

My first tailcap also refuses to let it go on candle mode. When tightened, the switch bulges just enough to kill that ability. Rectified with a now boot and switch.

I have some suggestions. Get rid of the high. Its about worthless. Lo>Med>SOS. Turbo>Strobe. I think its a better UI since high and turbo is pretty bright and not really a significant difference.

All in all, I think I still love this little pocket wonder. What I really like.
Looks pretty good, not the best but not bad either.
Starts on low and Turbo. Just what I need for self-defence and not to kill someone's eyes. Great UI.

Also, since this light is *only* driving 120lumens 😗 probably less, and the PD30 has 220 or so. And I also gather that they all share the same head. Does that mean that this LED is quite underdriven and should not overheat in (almost) any case? Hope some1 could shed some light here.

Thanks!

 

[TONY M]

When you put the LD10 head on the 2xAA body there will be a much more pronounced difference between high and turbo.

The light should not overheat unless it is left on high/turbo somewhere warm, a pocket or somewhere insulated. If it gets very warm to touch then it is probably getting too warm but you're hand will take much of the heat away if you are holding it.

I wish Fenix had just only one mode with the bezel tightened - turbo. This way you could use a forward clicky and have an excellent tactical light with great runtime on the other modes for versatility.

 

[Gunner12]

The LD10/L1D and PD30/P3D have different heads, the L ones use a boost circuit and the P3D/PD30 use a buck circuit. The P2D/PD20 uses the same head as their respective L series brothers.

1AA doesn't provide enough power to make turbo as bright as it could be, 2AA or 1 CR123 give you a better turbo mode.

IIRC to buzzing is due to one of the components vibrating.

There won't be as much of a visible difference as you'd expect between the LD20 and PD30. The lower output is probably to put less stress on the batteries on turbo, especially for 1AA power.

 

[polkiuj]

So that means that the PD20 and LD10 can't share heads? Aww man! What a waste xD hehe

While a turbo alone mode is great, Strobe is kinda good to disorient people since it gets really irritating. I guess that's why Fenix made the TK10/11?

Though I still think that the high mode is kinda useless. Normal is already way bright for general illumination and turbo works great for when you really need a bright light. That leaves high to be kinda useless and it hisses to boot. =(

 

[rockz4532]

wait, if you are out of power, how did you type the OP? anyway, no noticeable hiss on my P2D

 

[Gunner12]

So that means that the PD20 and LD10 can't share heads? Aww man! What a waste xD hehe

While a turbo alone mode is great, Strobe is kinda good to disorient people since it gets really irritating. I guess that's why Fenix made the TK10/11?

Though I still think that the high mode is kinda useless. Normal is already way bright for general illumination and turbo works great for when you really need a bright light. That leaves high to be kinda useless and it hisses to boot. =(

The P2D/PD20 head is compatible with the L1D/L2D/LD10/LD20/L1T V2.0/L2T V2.0 body and the same circuit as the respective models(P2D/L1D/L2D, same circuit, PD20/LD10/LD20, same circuit). P3D/PD30 are not compatible.

High mode is probably more of a personal opinion thing, though I hope they fix the buzzing/hissing.

 

[kaichu dento]

While a turbo alone mode is great, Strobe is kinda good to disorient people since it gets really irritating. I guess that's why Fenix made the TK10/11?

Though I still think that the high mode is kinda useless. Normal is already way bright for general illumination and turbo works great for when you really need a bright light. That leaves high to be kinda useless and it hisses to boot. =(

High is only useless if you think of the LD1/LD10 as a single light with an awkward UI for accessing all its modes. The way I think of them is as a light, somewhat like the CUI/FUI of the LF3XT, that gives you two options; tactical light or EDC. As a tactical light, you have two modes only, and in EDC, you come on in low, then progress up in levels, all accessed by the switch alone, and without having to twist the head, which is what you do when you want to change the type of light you're carrying.

One of my favorite UI's out there, I only wish the low was much lower than they are, and also, no noise with mine on high or any other setting. 🙂

 

[polkiuj]

So let me get this straight. The P1/L1/P2/L2 series are all interchangeable?

All the LD/PD series i tried in the shop (LD10 and PD20) hissed. Unfortunately I disagree on the 2 flashlight use on the LD10. It is so small and is so easy to use 1 hand to tighten the head that it makes the high kinda useless. It's slower to get to high than it is turbo.

I use a laptop running on battery and a USB modem =D

 

[Nake]

So let me get this straight. The P1/L1/P2/L2 series are all interchangeable?

The P1 series, which includes P1, P1 CE, P1D CE, and P1D (Luxeon), do not interchange with any other Fenix lights, nor with each other, except the two P1D models can interchange tubes.

 

[polkiuj]

Oh right! Sorry about that. Forgot that the 1xCR123 light is the PD20. SOrry for the mistake =D

 

[mishoo]

I like the Fenix L1D more than the LD10

I just got a Fenix LD10 after having owned 2 L1D's for a year (great flashlights). The general impression is that the LD10 is more powerful than the L1D indeed, but I like the L10D less. See below.

The HIGH (not turbo) mode hisses for some reason. Went back to the shop I got it from and lo and behold!! ALL FENIX *D*0 (both P, L, and all battery sizes i think) HISSES ON HIGH! Anyone with a different experience? Its a soft hiss and can only be heard close to your ears.

No hiss here whatsoever, and I'm very sensitive to noise.

My first tailcap also refuses to let it go on candle mode. When tightened, the switch bulges just enough to kill that ability.

Same problem here. If I tighten the light so that it goes in Turbo mode, there's no way to have it stable on its tail. OP, how did you fix that exactly? Do I really need to buy spare parts? Or thumb the switch 1000 times to break it in? This is an amazing oversight from Fenix.

The L1D has perfect candle mode.

The second reason I like the L10D less than the L1D is its strobe mode. The L10D strobe mode flashes too quickly, and it loses its self-defense potency. Is there some way to slow it down, just like the L1D?

 

[recDNA]

My hearing isn't the greatest but I never heard a peep out of my LD10..but the head fell off and I lost it. Der.

 

[thedeske]

I think its a better UI since high and turbo is pretty bright and not really a significant difference.

Almost no difference IMO
I'm used to my PD30 really bumping up in turbo & tend to forget it's only a single AA.

 

[Marduke]

You have to remember it is the same head as the L2D where turbo makes more of a difference.

 

[tb74]

Sorry to dig up a fairly old thread, but I thought I'd let you know that my LD10 (pocket clip version) has started to hiss on high (not turbo) mode after a couple of weeks' use. Nothing disastrous, but a bit strange!

 

[mrmandudeguy]

my ld10 hisses too never noticed untill now weird:thinking:

 

[John_Galt]

The hissing noise is inductor whine. There isn't really anything you can do about it, and not all of the same design are affected by it, for whatever reason...

 

[PerttiK]

My LD10 does it and quark AA also hisses on high but not on max.

 

[Locoboy5150]

I read about inductor whine from time to time here on CPF. Honestly guys, if that bothers you *that* much in any light, you REALLY need to go to more rock concerts!

One Metallica or AC/DC show without ear plugs will take care of any and all whining light problems! :rock: