The new little NiteCore: "EZAA" Part 2

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There is not a significant difference between the the lithium and the NiMh in terms of brightness. Nothing your naked eye can catch.

cdosrun said:
Cano, is there much difference in light output when used with 1.2v versus 1.5+v cells? If not, I would opine that the difference is in the internal resistance of the cells. One of the problems with the alkaline cells is that they have a higher internal resistance than decent NiMH and warm up more quickly for a similar *power* draw (emphasised because of the difference in voltage and voltage droop under load). A proportion of the heat is likely to be coming from the cell itself. I would have thought that the regulator would be more efficient with the higher voltage cell, so don't imagine that the additional heat is from that component.

The whole point is moot, however, if the light is brigher with the higher voltage input.

I don't have an EZAA yet but was thinking about getting one for my sister. I bought her one of the Luxeon Civictors several years ago and she still uses it. Probably time for an upgrade :candle:

Andrew
Click to expand...
 
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I have one original EZ AA and one 'revised'.

These are my luxmeter readings at 1 m (min/max) with three different batteries:

Original EZ AA:

- NiMH = 60/1900 lux
- alkaline = 80/1900 lux
- lithium = 110/1900 lux


New EZ AA: 130/1680 lux regardless of the type of battery


What they did to the original circuit appears very clearly here. 😉
 
cdosrun said:
Cano, is there much difference in light output when used with 1.2v versus 1.5+v cells? If not, I would opine that the difference is in the internal resistance of the cells. One of the problems with the alkaline cells is that they have a higher internal resistance than decent NiMH and warm up more quickly for a similar *power* draw (emphasised because of the difference in voltage and voltage droop under load). A proportion of the heat is likely to be coming from the cell itself. I would have thought that the regulator would be more efficient with the higher voltage cell, so don't imagine that the additional heat is from that component.

The whole point is moot, however, if the light is brigher with the higher voltage input.

I don't have an EZAA yet but was thinking about getting one for my sister. I bought her one of the Luxeon Civictors several years ago and she still uses it. Probably time for an upgrade :candle:

Andrew
Click to expand...

It is definitely worth the upgrade Andrew. You get a good hybrid with this light. Everyone raves about how long the runtime on the Fenix E01's are (21hrs), and how you should always have it as a backup light. Well the Nitecore EZAA gets 20hrs off of its low setting, and the beam is beautiful... compared to the E01's purplish, oval shaped beam. Don't get me wrong though, I love my Fenix E01, and it still remains in my keychain just in case, but its good to know that in a survival situation, you have a light that will last you 20hrs when you need it. And on top of that the E01 uses AAA batteries, while the EZAA uses AA batteries, and 9x out of 10, you are going to find a AA battery lying around before you find a AAA. And to top that off, the highest setting of the EZAA (130 lumens) is as bright, and if not BRIGHTER than the brightest setting on the D10 on alkalines. On 4Seven's website they say 145 lumens for 14500 batts (D10), but in reality if you are using NiMh, L91's, or Alkalines, you are getting about 120-130 lumens max.

Plus use the code CPF8 at 4Sevens website and get a good percentage off of your purchase and I believe you can have it shipped to your door for about $47. Ebay does not even go that cheap! And you have 4Sevens to back up their product incase anything goes wrong. You can't lose! :twothumbs
 
cdosrun said:
Cano, is there much difference in light output when used with 1.2v versus 1.5+v cells? If not, I would opine that the difference is in the internal resistance of the cells. One of the problems with the alkaline cells is that they have a higher internal resistance than decent NiMH and warm up more quickly for a similar *power* draw (emphasised because of the difference in voltage and voltage droop under load). A proportion of the heat is likely to be coming from the cell itself. I would have thought that the regulator would be more efficient with the higher voltage cell, so don't imagine that the additional heat is from that component.

The whole point is moot, however, if the light is brigher with the higher voltage input.

I don't have an EZAA yet but was thinking about getting one for my sister. I bought her one of the Luxeon Civictors several years ago and she still uses it. Probably time for an upgrade :candle:

Andrew
Click to expand...

Oh, btw, it is definitely the cells that are causing this heat, for sure.
 
Kilovolt said:
I have one original EZ AA and one 'revised'.

These are my luxmeter readings at 1 m (min/max) with three different batteries:

Original EZ AA:

- NiMH = 60/1900 lux
- alkaline = 80/1900 lux
- lithium = 110/1900 lux


New EZ AA: 130/1680 lux regardless of the type of battery


What they did to the original circuit appears very clearly here. 😉
Click to expand...

This is very good information to know! Thank you Kilovolt! :thumbsup:
 
CaNo said:
Oh, btw, it is definitely the cells that are causing this heat, for sure.
Click to expand...
Interesting 10min on High with NiMH is hot. Sounds like the heat with these other cells is crazy. Good thing I got them for use with eneloop power.
 
FWIW, tested my EZAA/w on high for 10 mins tail-stand, temperature reach 42C, holding in hand, temperature slowly drops to 40C, switch to low, temperature stable at 34C. Room temperature is 29C.
 
Did anyone find a cap/defuser to fit over the head? I carry mine loose in the pocket and I don't want to scratch the lens. I tried every cap I could find in the house and nothing fit.
 
EZAA Warm - my impressions:
It's easy to operate one-handed.
EZAA output on high with NiMh = LD01 on medium with 10440. They really are very close, and the beams are almost the same size.
Walking in the yard at night seems easier with the slightly bluish light from the LD01. For some reason, the warmer light from the EZAA makes me feel like I can't see as well.
Inside, however, I love the warm light. Colors seem more accurate, and there isn't the sense of flatness that you get from the bluish light.
I really like the EZAA Warm and I'm going to use it a lot.
With a Lithium primary, it only weighs slightly more than an LD01 with NiMh - very nice for pocket carry.
 
are the qc issues with the ez aa exaggerated?

I love the design of the ez aa, and was going to buy one once the initial problems with efficiency were resolved, but have held of thus far due to complaints on the ez aa thread. I can't tell, however, if these are legitimate complaints, or the overly anal complaints from the white wall hunters and flashlight enthusiasts that dont actually use their lights in the real world.

Should i wait for another manufacturer to produce a similar light, or take my chances with this one?

For the record, I own a D10, EX10, and NDI golden dragon, and am very pleased with the build quality of these lights.
 
Re: are the qc issues with the ez aa exaggerated?

qc issues? what qc issues? 😕
get the neutral white version, you'll love the tint. I do.
the heat on high is by design, i use the low mode 90% of the time, it's no problem for me.
a drop of DeOxit Gold (or use a small o-ring) at the base provides a smoother operation... a layer of teflon tape around the battery body helps too 🙂
extra lower-low mode? now that's a lucky fella... :wave:
 
Re: are the qc issues with the ez aa exaggerated?

There are a few "issues" here and there, but nothing serious at this point. I have a warm tint EZAA, it's a really nice, compact light.

I'd recommend it.
 
Re: are the qc issues with the ez aa exaggerated?

mine seems fine so far:twothumbs
 
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