Nite Ize IQ Switch

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know about my experiences with the Nite Ize IQ switch.

Even though the three brightness settings may be useful for some applications, the time the switch can be pressed to proceed down one brightness level is too long: If you need the light to look at something for less than two seconds (or just want to flash it), you cannot turn it off in less than two seconds; instead, the light will cycle through a bunch of brightness and flasher modes.

Physically, this switch is built rather solidly, has a recessed button so that it won't turn on when it's just flying around in your pockets or a holster. The threading fits smoothly and the gold plated contacts look nice, but one of the gold contact rings doesn't actually touch the flashlight. It is there just for optical purposes, from what i can tell.

When adjusting the focus of the light and the light gets turned off on the head on accident for the shortest amount of time, the IQ switch turns off. I solved that problem by putting (lots) of teflon tape in the head threading, and then twisting the head so that the light is in the best possible focus. This destroys the maglite's signature focus ability, but makes the light more reliable and easier to use.

The switch worked the way it should for about two weeks, and then the flashing mode started to function only occasionally. After another hour of use, the switch refused to turn on at all at times. If the light had been on shortly before, switched off, and one then attempted to turn it on again, it wouldn't light up. Waiting a few seconds solved that problem. After another hour of use, the light refused to turn off again. The only way to solve that is to unscrew the tailcap.

Maybe i just got a bad switch, but i hope to be able to help others with this information.

PS: This is my first mini review. Please go easy on me in case i did something wrong here.

Hey Gerhard,

Nice review, sounds like you either got a bad switch or these are not very good in general.

What drop in are you using in your MM? Did the switch affect maximum brightness? Or runtime?

Incidentally, does anybody know if these IQ switches will fit any torch which accepts Kroll clickies?? ARC LS for instance?

Great stuff,

Be lucky...

I recently purchased this switch for use at my job. Worked for about two weeks then totally failed. I purchased another one in hopes that my first was just a rare bad switch. After reading this, I'm glad the new switch is still in it's package. I'll be returning mine for a refund. (Wow! First day on this site and it already saved me money and frustration!!)

Nyctophiliac, the brightness was not affected (not noticeably at least). The switch broke before I could actually test the runtime, but I think there wasn't much of a change in the runtime, since the brightness stayed about the same.

I also had another Nite Ize switch before that, the "simply clicky" that came with the three LED drop in. The quality of the switch was just like the quality of the drop in it came with itself: sub par. The clickie broke after less than a month.

I was using the the Nite Ize "1 Watt" (it can't be one watt, since the LED drop in only uses 600 mA at the battey end). Right now I am using a 5D incan maglite, because i can't use the light without the switch, since i have teflon tape in the beam adjuster threads.

I don't know what a "Kroll Clicky" is, or I just don't know what it's referring to.

12RPilot, I am actually thinking about no longer investing any money in the maglite, and getting something a bit better instead. I am looking at the E2e or the L1 currently. The only problem is that i can't find either of these lights for under 100 dollars.

I have been using the Nite Ize switch together with the Nite Ize 1 Watt drop-in and I have had no serious problems. Once, I had to clean the battery contact spring on the switch. [I used a pencil eraser.] I've been using this combination for several months.

I wrote them an email on Monday, and a replacement switch was in the mail today (Saturday).

They didn't even want me to send the damaged switch back, but just sent me a replacement.

Great customer service from NiteIze. "Respect".

Maybe I just happened to have gotten a bad switch the first time around. Who knows.

I've had one on my office desk MM w/the 1w dropin since they first appeared. No problems and it's used several times a day

I do remember an earlier review that indicated there was considerable power loss thru the switch.

I do like the switch but I'd like to lose the finder flash. I know you can turn the bezel in, but then you have to turn it back out to use the switch.

I have one of these switches. Had it now for nearly a year. No problems to report here. Mine is on a single cell MM using a Li-Ion 14500 and some sort of sandwich (forgotten which sandwich). Works great.

cheers,

zwf

My wife uses the IQ switch with the 1W LED module in a hot pink MM. Its been there since they came out at walmart. Its worked perfectly every since.

No problems with mine either after about 5 months.
On mine, if you don't want the flasher you can turn the head tight and then turn it back out ready to go. The flasher won't start up again til the IQ switch is pressed.
I agree about the time delay in the UI being aggravating but I have the opposite problem. I'm usually needing to go dimmer after the light has been on for some time. The next click is then OFF rather than stepping down.
I have been impressed with the UI on the Safe-Light Ultrabrite. If the light is on, pressing and holding for a second turns the light either OFF or back to Very Dim, (whatever you had it set to before). A click and release at any time Cycles Levels (Moderate, Bright, Strobe, OFF or Dim). Changing between OFF and Very Dim is also done with a 1 second click and hold when you are in either of those modes.

I have two IQ switches and both work fine. Yes, they drop the total output, but then again my MM's are not "turbo" lights anyway. Overall I like them, even though I consider them a "lower" quality product, but they are still "ok".

I generally don't like to over criticize "decent" products. The IQ switch is an affordable UI for one of, if not the most popular lights in the world. It could be better......but would probably cost much more as a result.

picked up a mini-mag and iq switch for my son. Went back next day and got the 1watt led. w/o led it was pretty pathetic, with led it is a tad too bright for his application - perhaps I should have tried to find a .5watt led. but it will due till it is destroyed.

He really likes it, so it is a good combination - at least for him.

That sounds like a good combination. With the IQ switch your son can dial back on the brightness.

Geoff

If you want to "FLASH" the light or look at something for just a second...

Just push in the switch and hold it. If you hold it in for greater than about 1/2 second then when you release it it will turn off.

I have one that failed. I guess I should send an e-mail to Nite-Ize.

wwglen

ps. I really like the user interface as it is a sudo tactical clicky when used that above way.

Sorry to bump an old thread, but it seemed the most appropriate.

I just acquired a Nite Ize IQ Switch and I'm having an odd problem. I have it on a MM AA light with a Nite Ize LRB2 LED dropin. I'm using 2 Sanyo Eneloop batteries, that are realatively fresh. They measure at just above 1.30v each.

Neither of the strobe modes will work with the above configuration. If I change out the LRB2 to a regular Mag incan bulb, the strobe works fine. If I leave the LRB2 in and switch to 2 alkalines that currently test at about 1.43v each, the strobe works fine. But the combo of an LRB2 and a lower voltage doesn't seem to work.

Is this normal for a Nite Ize IQ switch, or is this unit defective?

Send an email to Nite Ize tech support asking the same questions. I'm sure that they will take care of you.

My cousin bought one of these and it was defective right out of the package. Returned it for another and it works, sometimes. Very unreliable. I guess nite ize is ok for the normal flashlight user on a budget but for anyone serious I usually recommend avoiding their products, they are definitely of low quality.

I have heard similar comments from others about the unreliability of the Nite Ize IQ Switch. I would also contact Nite Ize about a warranty replacement.

I wonder if it's a case of just cramming too much stuff in that tiny tailcap. It doesn't seem to follow the K.I.S.S. principle.

I did send an email to Nite Ize customer support(after I posted my first message). It was a very detailed message describing the problem. I got a response back after just a few hours(which was good), but the answer seemed rather clueless. The support person basically said "I suspect your 1.3v batteries are too weak. You should install some better batteries." I'm using new Eneloops.

I did explain that they were NiMH batteries in the original message. But I sent back a reply explaining that 1.) 1.3v is actually on the high side for NiMH batteries, 2.) Many people use NiMH batteries with LED modules in MiniMags, and 3.) There's *nothing* in any of Nite Ize's literature, either on their webpage or on the package, that says "cannot use NiMH batteries". My reply was sent late today. We'll see what comes back from them tomorrow.

Oh, I forgot to add, there's another problem. The little red "locator" LED in the tailcap doesn't work properly. With the LRB2 and the Eneloops installed, it only blinks when the main light is on, when the light is off, there are no flashes from the red LED.

If I install the regular MiniMag incan bulb, I get an intermitant bright flash from the LED, whether I'm using NiMH or Alkaline cells. If I put the LRB2 back in, and leave alkalines in, I get flashes from the red LED, but they are very dim, maybe 1/10th the light I get when the incan bulb is installed.