What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz? A. Defective

I just got the LD01 yesterday and I love that it doesn't have the annoying strobe and SOS modes, but their "improved circuit" makes a very annoying buzz in the low and medium modes. What causes the buzz? Is it a known problem or is it part of the design of their new PWM?

Phredd

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

And here I thought this thread was the 'hype' caused by this little light.

I don't have one, sorry, can't comment.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

Its very easy to fix...Dont put it in your ear

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

It's called "inductor whine", and is common with many consumer electronics.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

OhhhYeahhhhh i can hear it in both mine lol neva heard a flashlight scream in pleasure b4

Marduke said:

It's called "inductor whine", and is common with many consumer electronics.

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Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

My L1D-Q5 and L2D-Q5 were terrible on turbo. In a calm forest, you heard them even held in a hand at waist level. The change to LD10 and LD20 was good, no whining anymore.

Our two LD01ss whine, but not that much, you only heyr them if you hold them near your hea. Same thing for the Liteflux LF3XT, it whines, but I can live without it.

What seems to be common to all lights : The higher the output, the louder the whining.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

Its a hit or miss.

I got 2 L2D Q5 and 1 L1D Q5, theyre all silent, my 3 L0Ds all whine a little, but you have to put them close to your ear to hear it.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

my pd30 is absolutly silent in all modes

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

No whining or noises on this end.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

So, it seems that it's very common. I do hear my LD01 at stomach level if there's no other noise. Even the slightest noise and I can't hear it. Would the stainless version insulate the sound better than the aluminum? Maybe it would be worth the trade-off of weight for silence. Unless it would also get too hot...

It's a very nice little light. I feel bad mentioning such a minor fault.

Phredd

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

Phredd said:

Would the stainless version insulate the sound better than the aluminum?

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FWIW, I have the stainless steel LD01 and to hear it at all even in a very quiet environment I have to put the end in my ear. Get a slight whine on medium, lower pitched whine on low and no sound at all on high. But at waist level I can't hear it even holding my breath.

My P1D is quieter, and it is natural aluminum. My new Sabrewolf MC-E EDC is louder, but still not audible more than an inch from my ear, and all sound disappears on high. That one is aluminum too.

I don't think the metal makes a difference. You got good ears, dude. Or maybe a loud LD01.

Randy

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

damn, i must be getting old, i can only hear that buzz when the light is nearly IN my ear and its not that audible even then. I'll check with some younger and hopefully not so aurally damaged from years in clubs and see if they notice it.

Now you've gotten me curious, i'm gonna head home after work and test ALL my lights, not that i have all that many but gonna check 'em anyway.

ok, the Lummi Raw NS 20/100 doesnt have any perceptible buzzing / whining etc at all.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

Everyone's asleep and it's quiet again. I can hear the whine very easily with the LD01 at my stomach. If I put it on my night stand as a candle, the whine is amplified and I can hear it standing three feet away.

I have an L0D which doesn't whine at all. Now if only there was a AAA with no whine and no strobe...

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

Phredd said:

I have an L0D which doesn't whine at all. Now if only there was a AAA with no whine and no strobe...

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I think it is hit or miss with the LOD too.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

Henk_Lu said:

My L1D-Q5 and L2D-Q5 were terrible on turbo. In a calm forest, you heard them even held in a hand at waist level. The change to LD10 and LD20 was good, no whining anymore.

.

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how do you compare the beamshots of your old ones vs to the new ones.

my ld10 beamshot seems blotchy where my old l2d had a uniform dark corona. maybe it's the op reflector..
it's really an ugly beamshot

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

I can definitely hear my stainless LD01 in low and medium mode near my ear. I don't hear it at waist level, but if I had a dog, s/he might hear it. I've never noticed any whine from older 1-level lights. I just stuck my old Arc AAA in my ear and don't hear a thing from it.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

paulr said:

I just stuck my old Arc AAA in my ear and don't hear a thing from it.

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LOL... only on CPF.

Paul, after getting a good chuckle out of your last sentence, I then proceeded to stick 6 different flashlights in both ears. Not all at once, of course.

So far, the only noisy light I have is the LF2X on a 10440. At 50% (stock default level 2), it's detectable within a few inches of my ears. At 15% (stock default level 1), it has to be just about right up to the ear. I have way above average hearing, and neither level is any problem whatsoever.

At some point, I'm definitely getting the LD01, and will compare.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

f22shift said:

how do you compare the beamshots of your old ones vs to the new ones.

my ld10 beamshot seems blotchy where my old l2d had a uniform dark corona. maybe it's the op reflector..
it's really an ugly beamshot

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In my eyes, the beam is much better. Stronger hotspot, while it seemed blurred on the L1D-Q5. Both were SMO. The OP on the LD20 looks also better than the SMO on the L2D-Q5. Terrific new reflectors in my eyes!

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

That's cool about the reflector!

So I take it the 100Hz PWM has been bumped up since the L0D?

My L2D Q5 is quite whiny on Turbo. IIRC it also whines quite a bit in high with 1AA tube. My Nitecore D10 is also quite whiny towards the upper end of its range, but not at max! That could just be PWM singing though... At any rate, I can hear both of them from feet away under quiet conditions.

Re: What's with the Fenix LD01 buzz?

Henk_Lu said:

In my eyes, the beam is much better. Stronger hotspot, while it seemed blurred on the L1D-Q5. Both were SMO. The OP on the LD20 looks also better than the SMO on the L2D-Q5. Terrific new reflectors in my eyes!

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I had a chance to compare the LD20 I gave away for X-mass to my L2D-Q5. Did it X-mass day. Even put the light to my ear and looked stupid. Didn't hear any buzz and my L2D does not buzz too but the S2 does (Fenix LOD type light). Both lights had about the same beam and output to my eye.