Well I received my 2 Quark RGB's today (1 cool white, 1 neutral white) and my Quark Turbo which I brought as a replacement to my current EDC (the Fenix TK10)
This, the Fenix TK10 is my current EDC:
Note all the "love marks" from where it has been dropped etc, but, considering the thing is 2 years old I think the finish has held up very well.
The only major problem I ever had with the TK10 was a switch failure about 1 year in, and the supplier shipped me a new switch the very next day, no questions asked. In addition I brought 2 extra "backup" switches, for "just in case"
Fortunately I have not needed to use one yet.
Anyway, as per the below thread, a couple of weeks ago I decided to look for a new EDC:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=273064
My reasons for wanting a new EDC where:
-The protruding switch of the TK10 was getting accidentally turned on in my pocket from time to time
-There was no "low" mode really, not one that would give me 30+ hours of runtime anyway
-I like a throwy EDC, and the TK10 is not particularly throwy
-The Q5 emitter is still good, but I wanted to give the new XPG a go
Anyway, I ended up deciding on the Quark Turbo, and then adding the tail cap with the recessed switch. Instead of buying a tail cap, I thought, "hey, why not buy a Quark RGB" while i'm on the job. Because of the shenanigans that can be had with 2x RGB's (red + blue strobe, he he) I decided to get 2. So I placed an order with 4 sevens.
Today they have shown up.
Below they are pictured, along with my old EDC (note, in the pics I have already swapped the tail cap, the Quark Turbo actually comes with a protruding switch)
Left - Right in all front facing photos (reverse for the backwards one):
Fenix TK10, Quark RGB, Quark Turbo, Quark RGB
Of course I have not had the Quarks long enough yet to know about the reliability of them but anyway, here are my first impressions:
When I first saw them, I thought someone had played a horrible prank on me and sent me AA versions!! They where just soo much thinner and smaller than I was expecting (I am used to my big old TK10). They are MUCH lighter than my old TK10 too
Fit and finish feels good, threads are good, I pulled the pocket clip off my Turbo because I dont use pocket clips, but if I did want to clip it to my pocket the clip would definitely do the job.
I was worried I was going to have to scrounge around to find some batteries, but.. BATTERIES ARE INCLUDED (it really made my day, not often do you get batteries included with things).
For EDC I will be running it off rechargeable anyway but I brought a bunch of lithiums with the torches, so i plan to "waste" the ones that came in the packaging for "testing" purposes
Anyway, that was my first impressions, now on to the "good" and "bad" of the torches, for my use/preference, and compared to my expectations.
Fenix TK10
Good
-Has been riding in my pocket for 2 years now, and its still going, and the finish has held up surprisingly well
-Very simple to use (2 modes, twist change)
-Inspires confidence when you hold it (its a big old chunk of aluminum thats for sure, it feels pretty much indestructible in hand)
-To me, with my experience of torches when I got it, it was VERY bright
-You can buy a mount to attach it to bicycle (which is what I did, and what it will still be used for, even though it has "retired" from EDC duty)
Bad
-Protruding tail switch gets turned on in my pocket occasionally
-Emitter slightly out of date now
-Had a failed tail clicky, but the service for replacement was excellent. Cost of spares is also reasonable.
Quark RGB's
Good
-Although there are artifacts and rings in the beam, due to the nature of the emitter, it is a good floody light, great for close up work with no hotspot
-It changes color !
-If you have 2 you will be able to play tricks on your mates (responsibly of course)
-Fit and finish on mine are all good
-Much brighter than I was expecting actually
-The way the UI works (except for the small complaint in the bad section) is great. Makes it fairly easy to get to whatever mode you want.
Bad
-When you turn it off and turn it back on again within 4 seconds it changes to the next output type which is a bit annoying. I would prefer it to remember the mode after more like... 1 second.
-If i pull the thing out of my pocket in the dark, i get a bit muddled up about what end is the switch and try and press the glass lol. Familiarity with the torch will solve this though, as the checkering is different at each end. I just need to remember what end is what (and hope i'm not wearing gloves)
Quark Turbo
Good
-Beam tint on my example is warmer (and preferable) to my TK10
-Definitely throws further than my TK10, although, in a ceiling bounce test cant really tell the difference in max outputs. I wasnt really expecting a noticeable difference anyway
-Lighter and more pocket-able than my TK10 (its much smaller than I was expecting it to be)
-Now that I have swapped the tail cap for a recessed one from an RGB, I wont have any accidental pocket turn ons (although, there is a drawback, mentioned in the bad section)
-I LOVE the UI, it would have to be the perfect UI for an EDC, 2 modes, easy to operate, just like my TK10, however I can get into programming mode and pick from a whole bunch of others if the situation dictates I need it.
For EDC purposes I think I am going to set the primary mode to SOS and the backup mode to strobe (just joking guys! ). At the moment I have the primary as Max mode (of course), still toying with what I should have as secondary, strobe, moonlight, low... too many choices
Bad
-Now that I have swapped the tail cap for the recessed clicky, I have lost momentary on, which is a real bummer . I wish there was a way I could get the recessed clicky but with the momentary on function. If anyone knows if its possible to dismantle the tailcap somehow and swap the components I would love to hear from you!
-I would prefer the glass to be recessed a bit more, with a slightly more pronounced bezel just to keep the glass that little bit safer, not necessarily to the same extent as the TK10, but somewhere in the middle.
All of the Quarks
Bad
I would rather save $2 or whatever it costs, and not have that hand grip come with it. I really dont know of many people that would use it...
The other accessories are good though (especially the batteries, did I mention before they come with batteries! )
Summary
Thats about it for now, in general I would say that I am happy with my purchases. I would be happier if my clicky was the other way around... so if your reading 4Sevens, please make me a recessed clicky with momentary on! . With that it would be pretty much perfect.
This, the Fenix TK10 is my current EDC:
Note all the "love marks" from where it has been dropped etc, but, considering the thing is 2 years old I think the finish has held up very well.
The only major problem I ever had with the TK10 was a switch failure about 1 year in, and the supplier shipped me a new switch the very next day, no questions asked. In addition I brought 2 extra "backup" switches, for "just in case"
Fortunately I have not needed to use one yet.
Anyway, as per the below thread, a couple of weeks ago I decided to look for a new EDC:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=273064
My reasons for wanting a new EDC where:
-The protruding switch of the TK10 was getting accidentally turned on in my pocket from time to time
-There was no "low" mode really, not one that would give me 30+ hours of runtime anyway
-I like a throwy EDC, and the TK10 is not particularly throwy
-The Q5 emitter is still good, but I wanted to give the new XPG a go
Anyway, I ended up deciding on the Quark Turbo, and then adding the tail cap with the recessed switch. Instead of buying a tail cap, I thought, "hey, why not buy a Quark RGB" while i'm on the job. Because of the shenanigans that can be had with 2x RGB's (red + blue strobe, he he) I decided to get 2. So I placed an order with 4 sevens.
Today they have shown up.
Below they are pictured, along with my old EDC (note, in the pics I have already swapped the tail cap, the Quark Turbo actually comes with a protruding switch)
Left - Right in all front facing photos (reverse for the backwards one):
Fenix TK10, Quark RGB, Quark Turbo, Quark RGB
Of course I have not had the Quarks long enough yet to know about the reliability of them but anyway, here are my first impressions:
When I first saw them, I thought someone had played a horrible prank on me and sent me AA versions!! They where just soo much thinner and smaller than I was expecting (I am used to my big old TK10). They are MUCH lighter than my old TK10 too
Fit and finish feels good, threads are good, I pulled the pocket clip off my Turbo because I dont use pocket clips, but if I did want to clip it to my pocket the clip would definitely do the job.
I was worried I was going to have to scrounge around to find some batteries, but.. BATTERIES ARE INCLUDED
(it really made my day, not often do you get batteries included with things).For EDC I will be running it off rechargeable anyway but I brought a bunch of lithiums with the torches, so i plan to "waste" the ones that came in the packaging for "testing" purposes
Anyway, that was my first impressions, now on to the "good" and "bad" of the torches, for my use/preference, and compared to my expectations.
Fenix TK10
Good
-Has been riding in my pocket for 2 years now, and its still going, and the finish has held up surprisingly well
-Very simple to use (2 modes, twist change)
-Inspires confidence when you hold it (its a big old chunk of aluminum thats for sure, it feels pretty much indestructible in hand)
-To me, with my experience of torches when I got it, it was VERY bright
-You can buy a mount to attach it to bicycle (which is what I did, and what it will still be used for, even though it has "retired" from EDC duty)
Bad
-Protruding tail switch gets turned on in my pocket occasionally
-Emitter slightly out of date now
-Had a failed tail clicky, but the service for replacement was excellent. Cost of spares is also reasonable.
Quark RGB's
Good
-Although there are artifacts and rings in the beam, due to the nature of the emitter, it is a good floody light, great for close up work with no hotspot
-It changes color !
-If you have 2 you will be able to play tricks on your mates (responsibly of course)
-Fit and finish on mine are all good
-Much brighter than I was expecting actually
-The way the UI works (except for the small complaint in the bad section) is great. Makes it fairly easy to get to whatever mode you want.
Bad
-When you turn it off and turn it back on again within 4 seconds it changes to the next output type which is a bit annoying. I would prefer it to remember the mode after more like... 1 second.
-If i pull the thing out of my pocket in the dark, i get a bit muddled up about what end is the switch and try and press the glass lol. Familiarity with the torch will solve this though, as the checkering is different at each end. I just need to remember what end is what
(and hope i'm not wearing gloves)Quark Turbo
Good
-Beam tint on my example is warmer (and preferable) to my TK10
-Definitely throws further than my TK10, although, in a ceiling bounce test cant really tell the difference in max outputs. I wasnt really expecting a noticeable difference anyway
-Lighter and more pocket-able than my TK10 (its much smaller than I was expecting it to be)
-Now that I have swapped the tail cap for a recessed one from an RGB, I wont have any accidental pocket turn ons
(although, there is a drawback, mentioned in the bad section)-I LOVE the UI, it would have to be the perfect UI for an EDC, 2 modes, easy to operate, just like my TK10, however I can get into programming mode and pick from a whole bunch of others if the situation dictates I need it.
For EDC purposes I think I am going to set the primary mode to SOS and the backup mode to strobe (just joking guys!
). At the moment I have the primary as Max mode (of course), still toying with what I should have as secondary, strobe, moonlight, low... too many choicesBad
-Now that I have swapped the tail cap for the recessed clicky, I have lost momentary on, which is a real bummer
. I wish there was a way I could get the recessed clicky but with the momentary on function. If anyone knows if its possible to dismantle the tailcap somehow and swap the components I would love to hear from you!-I would prefer the glass to be recessed a bit more, with a slightly more pronounced bezel just to keep the glass that little bit safer, not necessarily to the same extent as the TK10, but somewhere in the middle.
All of the Quarks
Bad
I would rather save $2 or whatever it costs, and not have that hand grip come with it. I really dont know of many people that would use it...
The other accessories are good though (especially the batteries, did I mention before they come with batteries!
)Summary
Thats about it for now, in general I would say that I am happy with my purchases. I would be happier if my clicky was the other way around... so if your reading 4Sevens, please make me a recessed clicky with momentary on!
. With that it would be pretty much perfect.
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