IQ Switch®

[Al]

Don't know if this has been addressed elsewhere ...

Nite-Ize IQ Switch® is parasitic, but how much power is consumed? How much of a detriment is this to a mini-mags' AA batteries?

 

[Black Rose]

There is another thread about it on here somewhere; I tried finding it but couldn't.

I think others have said that the draw is so low it would take a very long time for it to drain the batteries.

 

[Darkpower]

I have one on one of my mini-mags and I sort of like it. Yes it draws a trickle current...but much less then the self-discharge associated with NiMh, even eneloops. The thing I don't like about it is that it drops a small forward voltage to the emitter so you have to give-up a little brightness, but on the plus side is you get 3 light levels, plus an emergency strobe, and a convenient tail end clicky that can still stand up on end for candle mode.

If you wish to eliminate the parasitic current drain...simply twist power off with the focusing head like a normal minimag.

 

[Turbo DV8]

I like my IQ, but the 13 minute auto-shut off, or however long, is annoying when I want to use the light in candle mode suspended from my tent ceiling. I may want a couple hours of light in a night, and it's a bit disconcerting to have the light flash to warn you to reset the timer every 13 minutes.

 

[geek4christ]

I like my IQ, but the 13 minute auto-shut off, or however long, is annoying when I want to use the light in candle mode suspended from my tent ceiling. I may want a couple hours of light in a night, and it's a bit disconcerting to have the light flash to warn you to reset the timer every 13 minutes.

Aw man, so that's what's wrong with it.

I ran up against that several times and just thought it had a really, really conservative voltage cutoff.

That certainly clears things up.

 

[Turbo DV8]

It blinks something like three times, about 30 seconds apart, then shuts off unless you press the button once to reset the timer. For my uses, it is the only thing that keeps the IQ switch from greatness. Outstanding runtime, multi-level with no annoying PWM flicker, and hangable from a tent or stand up in candle mode. But then, there's that damned timer. It's not the end of the world to click the switch once, but to have to do it eight or ten times in an evening gets old quick.

 

[Darkpower]

I agree that the 14 minute timer can be annoying, especially if it is your primary source of light in a candle stick mode. But the mini-mag+IQ Switch+LEDDrop in is relatively a cheap flashlight that you can have a second mini-mag without the IQ switch. It would be better if Nite-ize made it defeatable, but it does work well as a light for a bedside table where you want it to switch off when you fall asleep. That is how I use it, on a bedside table and I often leave it on and let it switch off on its own after I fall asleep.

 

[Turbo DV8]

...it does work well as a light for a bedside table where you want it to switch off when you fall asleep. That is how I use it, on a bedside table and I often leave it on and let it switch off on its own after I fall asleep.

Oh boy, how I do wish I could fall asleep in only 14 minutes!

One thing I noticed when I use this in candle mode hanging from my tent, is that when I tentatively touched the thin metal base the LED is mounted to, it actually burned me. This runs very hot, and not sure having the head in place provides proper contact with the LEd base to offer additional heatsinking.