The Quark lights thread! (Part 5)

[bcwang]

A power supply can give a more stable voltage, but what voltage is correct for batteries? Fully charged NiMH is more like 1.4 volt each.
The best would be a curve of current draw with different voltage, but it is a lot of work for a 5 mode light and next problem is that I have not found a good way to get a stable low ohmic connection from the power supply to the flashlight.

Another thing that could be done instead. With a power supply you could vary the voltage and see the current draw at different voltages. Then you could see if the circuit is more efficient at particular voltages or just higher vs lower voltages. It would be nice if the circuit was the same efficiency throughout it's voltage range but I kind of doubt it. This is of course assuming the brightness doesn't vary with the voltage which I would hope it does not since it's supposed to be constant current at the output side.

According to selfbuilds review it does not last 1.3 hours, only 1:05 hour and it starts with a slightly higher output on fresh batteries.

Does this mean slightly higher voltage gives slightly brighter output even though this is supposed to be a current regulated flashlight? Or is it simply from starting with a cool emitter it's brighter and then it drops as it heats up to a steady temp?

 

[KuKu427]

Just an update.
4Sevens has upgraded shipping on my package from Global Priority to Express Mail International!!!
:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs

 

[Toohotruk]

...Also with the clicky, it seems sometimes when changing between modes (half pressing) that it won't change every time, somtimes will blink but stay on the same mode.
Not sure if this is me or the clicky (does it require a certain distance/pressure before changing)?...

One thing I've noticed with both my Fenix and my Quark lights, is if you half press and then let off too quickly when trying to get to the next mode, it will stay at the same brightness. Just hold the button down a hair longer and it should change modes for you.

 

[Shimmy]

One thing I've noticed with both my Fenix and my Quark lights, is if you half press and then let off too quickly when trying to get to the next mode, it will stay at the same brightness. Just hold the button down a hair longer and it should change modes for you.

I just tried doing that, seems to be the more consistent way about it.
Quick taps just blink.

Also found another problem...
Sometimes when half pressing it turns off.
No click so I am not actually turning it off, just a half press.
Another half press and it comes back on.
So I might be pressing it too far too quick?

On another note, I would have been quite happy with just the 4 modes of brightness (.2, 3.5, 18, 70), not only is the 170 not a lot visually different and chews up batts far quicker.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235171
Looking at the AA2 on there, it is more or less about the same I am seeing.

 

[burntoshine]

Strange, based on the specs the quark AA will last 4 times longer than the D10 in moon mode so it's definitely using less power. Are you comparing them side by side or based on memory? Everytime I use moon mode on the quark my eyes are already adapted and it seems much brighter than I'd normally think. Using it in normal lighting conditions it looks like the light isn't even on. So it is very relative to conditions.

...side by side.

honestly, to me they look to be the same brightness. both using eneloops.

...just my personal observation.

 

[DHart]

Just an update.
4Sevens has upgraded shipping on my package from Global Priority to Express Mail International!!!
:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs

KuKu... just wanted to say that as a Liteflux dealer and as a member of this forum, you're contributions have been fantastic... it's great to have you as a fellow member of this forum!

 

[Darkspark]

So, i noticed that someone had mentioned battery rattle in their 123^2. Is that common? I thought i had decided on a 123^2, but i would buy the 123 instead if it didn't have battery rattle. I don't really want to have to stuff garbage in the tube of my new light to keep it from sounding like a tambourine.😕 Is the single cell version better in this regard?
...and yeah, i can live with the pre-flash.🙂

 

[Linger]

the batteries do fit loose in my quark too. Both eneloops and AW 14500's.

Eneloop - high and max (bezel turn away) look almost identical. 14500 - max really picks up the intensity. The beam configuration is great. I want to hate it, because it is so wide and floody, but the thing is, I don't. It's got enough of a power range that when I want to the spill beam brighter I just kick up the output.
But I digress - output, and max specifically. I'm actually very happy running the quark on an eneloop. It's nice with max a twist away. I find max eneloop totally sufficient. sure, I like the option of higher power, but as a 'standby' or BOB light the quark is remarkably bright for a single AA.

Pull to tighten -any comments on 'pulling' the bezel towards the tail to change modes? Instead of turning I can sqeeze the light with my fingers and change modes. I don't know if this is a good idea though, so it's not a habit.

 

[xenonk]

Pull to tighten -any comments on 'pulling' the bezel towards the tail to change modes? Instead of turning I can sqeeze the light with my fingers and change modes. I don't know if this is a good idea though, so it's not a habit.

You could put the threads under stress, which would wear them out faster. I do a head pinch for momentary on with some of my cheap-o AAA lights, but they're beaters; I'm not terribly worried about their thread longevity.

 

[gbelleh]

I just got my Quark AA warm tint today. I've only gotten to play with it briefly on my lunch break, but so far it's great.

I'm still pretty new to modern LED lights, but I've acquired a few lights over the past month or so (including a Fenix LD20 and TK11, JetBeam Jet I v3 and a couple Maratac AAAs). The QAA seems to be the most versatile of the bunch.

After reading the posts here, I was expecting the moonlight to be dimmer than it is. It actually seems like a very useable level, and after comparing it to some of my other lights' lows, the QAA is in fact quite a bit lower than these.

The warm tint looks great! Very similar in color to my old Surefire E2e. The QAA has a very nice beam with a wider spill on low than my JetBeam or Fenix LD20. It should be great for night dog walks.

The light operates as it should with an Alkaline, Eneloop or 14500, and the quality looks top notch. The clicky seems to work very well and isn't difficult to press, or operate at all. Turbo output is appropriately brighter than high, and mine does have the preflash (but it doesn't concern me at all). The pocket clip is nice and strong, and stays put better than the JetBeam or Maratac.

It's clipped in my pocket right now. It looks like this will be my new EDC (along with the Maratac AAA on the keychain). I really like this light so far.

 

[Henk_Lu]

So, i noticed that someone had mentioned battery rattle in their 123^2. Is that common? I thought i had decided on a 123^2, but i would buy the 123 instead if it didn't have battery rattle. I don't really want to have to stuff garbage in the tube of my new light to keep it from sounding like a tambourine.😕 Is the single cell version better in this regard?
...and yeah, i can live with the pre-flash.🙂

That must have been me...

I put a piece of paper around the cells and there's silence, unless you shake the light quite violently. I used the 47s cells that came with the light, another cell may be a bit larger. This phenomenon is common to 3 x CR123A lights, if they can take an 18650 it's guaranteed. But, that shouldn't bother you too much, there are no tambourines and you needn't stuff garbage in your light.

 

[wapkil]

Does this mean slightly higher voltage gives slightly brighter output even though this is supposed to be a current regulated flashlight? Or is it simply from starting with a cool emitter it's brighter and then it drops as it heats up to a steady temp?

I believe it means that the higher voltage gives higher output. As I wrote, an Eneloop could not last 1 hour with the measured initial current draw (2.3A). The current was measured in a different light than the runtime but I believe that it is almost certain that the current gets lower with lower voltage. Which means lower power and lower output.

 

[DHart]

So, i noticed that someone had mentioned battery rattle in their 123^2. Is that common? I thought i had decided on a 123^2, but i would buy the 123 instead if it didn't have battery rattle. I don't really want to have to stuff garbage in the tube of my new light to keep it from sounding like a tambourine.😕 Is the single cell version better in this regard?
...and yeah, i can live with the pre-flash.🙂

Best solution to battery rattle is:
RCR123 in the 123,
14500 in the AA, and
17670 in the 123x2! 😉

Li-ions rule!

 

[uplite]

Hi all, first post on CPF, and I'm gonna use it to share some Quark love. 🙂

Got a Q123-5A-tactical last week. It obliterated my Maglites, trounced a friend's 18V Dewalt worklight, and replaced my old VectorLite 1.5M candlepower monster for all purposes.

So I ordered another, QAA-5A-regular, to swap and try different parts. 🙂

Likes -- Fit & finish are top notch. The neutral (Q3-5A) LEDs are awesome...not yellow like my maglites...not washed-out like my Petzl headlamps. Strobe mode is a super party trick, and probably a great defensive weapon. The finger-sleeve is brilliant!!

Suggestions -- Hide the SOS and Beacon modes behind a multi-twist UI, out of the main sequence. Offer a "no packaging" option online for whoever wants...I feel bad that I just threw away that super-fancy package. For the lanyard, a thinner, black cord would be nice. Actually, just me, I'd prefer a good wrist strap. Also please consider selling a simple headstrap (like the nite-ize, but petzl quality), with elastic loops to hold the 123 or AA quarks at different angles.

As a product designer in a past life, I ~deeply~ appreciate the thoughtfulness and passion that went into this little gem. 3 cheers, and 5 stars, for 4Sevens! 🙂 Thanks-

-Jeff

 

[burntoshine]

Re: The Quark lights pre-flash

PRE-FLASH: I've mentioned this several times, but it is continuously brought up. My regular Quark AA does not do the pre-flash if it has been off for more than 25 or 30 seconds. It does do the pre-flash if I turn it off and then only wait a few seconds for the memory to reset back to moonmode, then turn back on.

I'm curious to see if it is the same in all Quarks. Someone responded when i brought it up before and mentioned that it was some residual energy causing it somehow and it dissipates after a little bit and so does not do the pre-flash. I nailed it down to right about 25 seconds for my Quark AA using an eneloop. I wonder if using different batteries would make a difference. Try it.

 

[gbelleh]

Re: The Quark lights pre-flash

I just tried turning on my AA after it had been off for over an hour, and it still pre flashed the same as when it's off for a few seconds. It seems to do it exactly the same no matter how long it's been off or what mode it was in previously. (I only tried this with a 14500 so far). I'll try it some more later tonight.

 

[burntoshine]

Re: The Quark lights pre-flash

I just tried turning on my AA after it had been off for over an hour, and it still pre flashed the same as when it's off for a few seconds. It seems to do it exactly the same no matter how long it's been off or what mode it was in previously. (I only tried this with a 14500 so far). I'll try it some more later tonight.

dang! that's weird. mine's completely consistent and hasn't strayed from what i reported at all. maybe the batteries do have something to do with it...
:thinking:

 

[bcwang]

I believe it means that the higher voltage gives higher output. As I wrote, an Eneloop could not last 1 hour with the measured initial current draw (2.3A). The current was measured in a different light than the runtime but I believe that it is almost certain that the current gets lower with lower voltage. Which means lower power and lower output.

Actually I'm pretty sure in the general voltage range of usage, the current draw goes up as the voltage in the battery drops to maintain constant power to keep constant brightness. That's how it maintains flat regulation.

Looking at self-built's review, with nimh it is very flat until it drops off at the end. This is why it's surprising that there would be an initial brightness spike at the beginning since the lights are supposed to be fully regulated when operated at the proper voltage range.

 

[wapkil]

Actually I'm pretty sure in the general voltage range of usage, the current draw goes up as the voltage in the battery drops to maintain constant power to keep constant brightness. That's how it maintains flat regulation.

Looking at self-built's review, with nimh it is very flat until it drops off at the end. This is why it's surprising that there would be an initial brightness spike at the beginning since the lights are supposed to be fully regulated when operated at the proper voltage range.

You are right of course that for most of the runtime the driver will keep the power constant. I was writing only about the initial part where the output drops. If HKJ's and Shimmy's measurements are correct, and there is no reason to doubt it, at the beginning of the runtime the light consumes around 2.7W-3.0W. There is no way an Eneloop could supply this power for one hour so I think that it has to drop, together with the brightness.

EDIT: To be clear, I was writing what happens to a single Eneloop in there. There are two so the power supplied to the driver is twice as high but for the above reasoning it was easier for me to look at a single battery. The conclusion is identical when looking at both of them.

The easiest way to check would be to simply measure the current with different voltages but unfortunately I don't have any Quark to do it.

BTW, I just saw that the question about Quark voltages in the Marketplace is yours so maybe David will explain it.

 

[flatline]

I finally got some 14500s to play with. The Max is noticeably brighter than High now (not that I ever use it on Max...medium seems to be the highest useful level indoors...and my bedtime is currently before the sun goes down...).

The other thing I noticed is that my preflash seems brighter than when I use alkalines or NiMh. Still not bothersome, though.