I Received My Fenix EO1 Today...

[nikon]

This is not a review, but rather a description of the specific light which arrived in the mail this morning. I suspect that the light I received may be malfunctioning, as it doesn't perform to anywhere near the standard I came to expect from all the pre-release chatter.

In a direct comparison with the Arc CS and Gerber Infinity Ultra (CS led), the Fenix EO1 I have is considerably less bright. I'd estimate it's output to be in the neighborhood of 3 lumens.

I measured the current draw from several batteries and the EO1 appears to be operating in regulation, so I know the circuitry is working. From a used Duracell aaa battery measuring 1.3v, the Fenix draws .087mA. From a fresh Energizer Lithium measuring 1.78v, it draws .056 mA. It pulls .062 mA from a fresh Rayovac alkaline (1.56v). These numbers would indicate a fairly consistent current regulation. They would also indicate a fairly low output from the light, which is the case here. I'm hoping that the light I received is an aberration and not the norm.


Here are a few beamshots comparing the Fenix EO1 with an Arc CS and with a bare GS led in a MiniMag body...


Arc CS on left...Fenix EO1 on right.....one foot from wall

Arc CS on left...Fenix EO1 on right.....three feet from wall

Fenix EO1 on left...bare GS led in MiniMag body on right.....one foot from wall

 

[Badbeams3]

There should be many of these landing in mailboxes today and the rest of the week. At this point we all know it`s not as bright as other 5mm lights. But if you right about 3 lumen from yours then I think you my have a problem with it...the old E0 was rated at 5 lumen...

 

[Marduke]

Try cleaning everything with an alcohol swab?

 

[nikon]

Beamshots added.

 

[Burgess]

Thank you, Nikon, for your information and beamshots. :thumbsup:



(taken, no doubt, with a Canon camera)

:devil:

_

 

[RebelXTNC]

You could also try cleaning, abrading and then recleaning the contacts on the battery itself. That made a big difference with my Peak Matterhorn, a similar fine-thread twisty 1AAA that wasn't performing very well at first.
The abraded battery contacts (again on the battery itself, not the light's contacts) worked much better, especially when operating the light with one hand when you can't apply much torque.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Thanks for the shots. It doesn't appear to have a whole bunch of useful sidespill in that one picture.

 

[NeonLights]

That looks pretty close to my E01 vs ARC CS comparison I did in a darkened room. There may have been a little less of a difference, but it was pretty close to your pics. From more of a distance, it is obvious that the ARC CS has a lot more sidespill than the Fenix.

 

[nikon]

Thanks for the shots. It doesn't appear to have a whole bunch of useful sidespill in that one picture.

That's right, it has much less sidespill than the Arc. Fenix set the led deep in the reflector so only the direct light emerges.

 

[Led75]

That looks pretty close to my E01 vs ARC CS comparison I did in a darkened room. There may have been a little less of a difference, but it was pretty close to your pics. From more of a distance, it is obvious that the ARC CS has a lot more sidespill than the Fenix.

Could the Arc have more side spill do to the fact the led is set deeper in the E01??:shrug:

 

[this_is_nascar]

That's right, it has much less sidespill than the Arc. Fenix set the led deep in the reflector so only the direct light emerges.

OK, thanks. That may prove to be an issue for my purposes. I should know more tomorrow, since my Brightguy order should be arriving.

 

[Led75]

Sorry nikon you beat me to it

 

[geepondy]

So you guys are saying E01 is less bright then an Arc with only a CS, not even a DS or GS? I guess that would explain the long runtime.

 

[this_is_nascar]

So you guys are saying E01 is less bright then an Arc with only a CS, not even a DS or GS? I guess that would explain the long runtime.

... aka, the Arc-XLR for you long-timers.

 

[Fallingwater]

Huh. If all E01s are like the OP's, then I'm glad I resisted the impulse to buy one.
Then again, I imagine it'll be perfect for people wanting long runtimes at the expense of output.

Edit: thinking about it, I myself could use a long-running light. I may yet order one after reading some reviews.

What's the runtime of the ArcAAA-GS?

 

[nerdgineer]

I hope someone will be able to put a meter on one of these and get an actual output measurement...

 

[Haz]

Could the Arc have more side spill do to the fact the led is set deeper in the E01??:shrug:

Yes, that is likely, looking at some of the available pics, the led is set quite deep in the E01, so there will be loss lumens that are not reflected forward, and not captured by the aluminium 'reflector' in the head.

From some of the pics i have seen, the aluminium needs to be polished up a bit more (perhaps a lot more) in the E01 head to reflect more of the lumens forward. I notice when my ArcAAA gets dusty in the head, it doesn't have much of a corona, but when i wash out the dust, the corona is more defined and brighter.

 

[Yapo]

i just got mine...it is brighter than my L0D RB80 on low which is claimed at 7.5 lumens although the spill isnt as wide

 

[Fallingwater]

Ok, I'm looking at pictures of the reflectors and I'm thinking someone at Fenix had a brain fart.
If all the light that came out the sides of the LED was reflected forward then one could explain it with the intent of making the hotspot brighter, but the way the thing is designed it just gets blocked by the metal, being effectively wasted.
Why on Earth would anyone design a light this way? The only reason I can see to block side spill is for military use (like the old Infinity Ultra M), but come on, who's gonna use E01s on the battlefield?

Is it possible to disassemble the head and push that LED forward a bit?

 

[Haz]

Fenix and Arc should sit together, have a talk to each other and agree on having the led somewhere in the middle i think.