Nitecore D11

Thanks guys for the input.

Today i cut the spring about +/- 1cm. It can fully function now using AW 14500 although it's still require a bit pressure on the piston but i think i could live with it.




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I just finetuned my D11, which means I cut the spring and sanded the piston a little bit.

Then I tried a 14500... 😱 😱 😱

OMG!!! While the D10 (& EX10) are only a tick brighter on a li-ion, the D11 engages the turbo! The light just climbed a lot higher in my esteem, no deception anymore. I have no idea how many Lumen you get on a 14500, but it looks like a Quark AA on a 14500 and that's over 200 Lumen...

I also tried to center the emitter, but that's impossible. The emitter is fixed on a black plate and that one doesn't move in the light engine, it seems fixed as well. There's a clear plastic arount the emitter which you can remove, but it has nothing to do with centering, probably to stop the light engine while it's screwed in the reflector.

My D10 will all stay with an L91 inside (or a NiMh LSD for the ones I may use regulary), but the D11 has been given a 14500 and will stay with it. I guess you have to be careful on high, it gets hot really soon as others already mentionned...
 
I can try a 14500, no problem, but I use all my D10 on AA because the difference in brightness isn't really noticeable on those ones.

Henk... while you may not notice much difference between an AA alkaline and a 14500 in the D10, there is a measureable difference. In my ceiling bounce test:

14500 EV 4.7
Eneloop EV 4.6
AA alkaline 3.8

A difference of 1 EV represents a doubling or halving of measured output. Therefore you can expect a 14500 to burn about twice as brightly as a AA alkaline, even if the difference isn't hugely dramatic to your eyes. Plus, the 14500 can be used over and over and can start out fresh every day. The primary cell gets weaker and weaker every time you use it 🙁, soon getting into a grey zone of potency where it's useful to some degree but considerably weaker than fresh. :shrug: Then you have to discard it and get more. :scowl:

I'm a major fan of li-ion rechargeables for their potency, high output, ability to start every day with a fresh, full charge, and their long lifespan of rechargeability. 🙂

Eneloops are my second choice in powering AA lights.

NiMH would be my third choice.

Lithium AA primary would be my fourth choice.

I would never use an alkaline AA unless none of the above options were viable. :shakehead
 
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I just played a little bit with my D11 and noticed that it's somewhat easy to bring it into a faulty mode! 🙁

Perhaps it's limited to 14500, but if I don't press the piston firmly to switch it on, it may flicker and then it reacts to the slightest touch of the piston by shutting of (momentary), blink, flicker. Only a shutting off and on firmly again helps or twisting it off. If you put it away in that state, thinking it's shut off, it may have nasty consequences... :shakehead

DHart, I'm also a fan of li-ion and the runtime of the D10 will be longer on a 14500. I never use Alkaline and have no NiMh, only LSD (Panasonic Infinium). Lithium are great for the lights you only use occasionnally, that way they have power when you use them and they don't leak.
 
DHart, I'm also a fan of li-ion and the runtime of the D10 will be longer on a 14500. I never use Alkaline and have no NiMh, only LSD (Panasonic Infinium). Lithium are great for the lights you only use occasionnally, that way they have power when you use them and they don't leak.

Right on, buddy. I'm in total agreement with your approach.
 
I just finetuned my D11, which means I cut the spring and sanded the piston a little bit.

Then I tried a 14500...

OMG!!! While the D10 (& EX10) are only a tick brighter on a li-ion, the D11 engages the turbo! The light just climbed a lot higher in my esteem, no deception anymore. I have no idea how many Lumen you get on a 14500, but it looks like a Quark AA on a 14500 and that's over 200 Lumen...

I never use Alkaline and have no NiMh, only LSD (Panasonic Infinium). Lithium are great for the lights you only use occasionnally, that way they have power when you use them and they don't leak.

For fully function on AW Li-Ion it's seem the D11 first run production need some "tuning" on the piston spring. Found 2 guys on local forum here also complaining D11 were "hard" to operate when they feed him with AW 14500.

Henk, totally agree with you alkaline is the worst food for high drain device like D11. Beside the leakage problem,alkaline was not made and design for high drain device, maybe i would only use alkaline when SHTF happened and can't find the "right food" for the D11.
 
Hi nje212! :laughing:
Congratulation to success to adjust your D11. It's help for
everyone!
Can I ask you? Which side spring did you cut, reflector side or
battery side, or both?
 
For fully function on AW Li-Ion it's seem the D11 first run production need some "tuning" on the piston spring. Found 2 guys on local forum here also complaining D11 were "hard" to operate when they feed him with AW 14500.

Henk, totally agree with you alkaline is the worst food for high drain device like D11. Beside the leakage problem,alkaline was not made and design for high drain device, maybe i would only use alkaline when SHTF happened and can't find the "right food" for the D11.

I think the AA Energizer Lithium Ultimate L-91 would be a good choice.

Normally, the rechargeable Li-ion batteries would be the BEST choice...if they worked in the D11, of course.

Alkaline batteries are OK if it's a flashlight you use every day, so you can check for leakage...and carry a spare new battery in your pocket, too, since the run time isn't real good.
 
@Soba:
I just cut the piston spring ( battery tube piston )


@Golden Light:
Agree, normally the "best" food for Nitecore D11 is Li-Ion 14500 ( if not works just do simple spring cut) or Eneloop. If i'm gonna use my flashlight almost every day 14500 or Eneloop will be my choice but if i'm gonna use my flashlight occasionally my choice will be Energizer AA Lithium L91.

For me, for everyday use flashlight, if i have to choice betweenEneloop and Alkaline, i will choice Eneloop. I would invest on couples eneloop plus Maha c9000 to get maximum perfomance and benefit on Eneloop. Although it will be relatively expensive investment, but it is totally worthed for everything.

I have been using alkaline before on my D10 and my experience found alkaline was not the "right" choice for D10. Just like you said the run time isn't real good and the output dropped gradually every minute. Selfbuilt 1xAA Runtime Graphics on Alkaline have a good representation data for this. Also routine leakage checking idea does not sounds good for me.
 
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Thanks guys for the input.

Today i cut the spring about +/- 1cm. It can fully function now using AW 14500 although it's still require a bit pressure on the piston but i think i could live with it.


Does anybody have any advise to which 14500 cells work with the D11 without having to make any modifications?

Frans
 
Does anybody have any advise to which 14500 cells work with the D11 without having to make any modifications?

Frans

Mine worked with an AW, nevertheless I cut the spring, simply because I'm used to. Yeah, believe it or not, getting another D10 (or now a D11), I take it out of the box and before I know what happened, the spring is out of the piston, the pliers in my hand and :poof:!

Before reinstalling, I push the spring "inside out" with my thumb, to get some pressure out of it. Nothing's but a smooth piston and while it's out, I clean off the original lube (has become better now, former lights were covered in sticky, stinky blue grease), clean the tube inside and gently relube the o-ring. Smoooooth! 😀

If you don't wanna tweak your light, better not buy a piston drive light... 🙄
 
Does anybody have any advise to which 14500 cells work with the D11 without having to make any modifications?

Frans

Did your D11 did not work with AW 14500? If it so there are other alternative if you do not want bother yourself with spring mod.

After i posted my problem on local forum, an Indonesia Nitecore dealer said when AW 14500 did not work on D11, Trustfire / Ultrafire could works at D11. But i never tried it myself since i only have AW 14500, so i can't confirm it will 100% will work on D11.
 
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I just received my D11 and i'm very happy with it. It's a floody flashlight but it has a very good power so it reaches good distance.
My D11 works perfectly with aw14500 (i've only one to test) and it puts out an huge amount of light. I'm impressed :twothumbs
 
Did your D11 did not work with AW 14500? If it so there are other alternative if you do not want bother yourself with spring mod.

After i posted my problem on local forum, an Indonesia Nitecore dealer said when AW 14500 did not work on D11, Trustfire / Ultrafire could works at D11. But i never tried it myself since i only have AW 14500, so i can't confirm it will 100% will work on D11.

I have not yet bought any 14500 cells, so I thought I should ask before buying any incompatible ones.

Frans
 
I cant remember.. but was the D11 piston compatible with the D10 (SP type) piston?

Is it exactly the same length and diameter (within 0.2mm?)
 
The D11 piston tail is a bit wider so it won't fit the D10 hole easily, unless you do some
sanding work.
To the contrary the D10 piston fits perfect and smoothly on the D11.

BTW, there's no difference between SP and new ramping version D10 pistons, just between new and old style.
 
All unprotected 14500 will work, but i have trouble with all the protected 14500 cells. Ultrafire 14500 unprotected work real well and dont have a problem even when i use it till completely depleted. Non of my protected 14500 will work without cutting the spring.

And the d10 tribute piston will work on my d11, but my d11 piston wont work on my d10 tribute. They are exactly the same, o rings are the same on the button part, but they dont work for some reason.

Im not new, my account disappeared for some reason, so just re-registered.

-Vince
 
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