Do you like that nitecore piston drive lights don't make a clicky noise

I really don't understand why nitecore lights are so popular. To me I like the clicky noise, like on fenix lights, unlike nitecore lights. It gives me instant gratification when I turn the light on. I just wanted to know the practical purposes of the piston drive. Please, share your Ideas.

There are literally THOUSANDS of posts in half a dozen threads on the various merits of the PD system. There is even a video on it. I recommend reading the introduction thread series and you will fully understand.

Also, only the EX10, D10, and D20 use the PD system. NiteCore's other lights use traditional clicky switches.

I don't own a Nitecore, but my Arc6 is piston-drive, so I'm going to make a comment anyway.

My instant gratification comes when the light turns on, which is ostensibly the point of having the light in the first place. The noise does nothing useful.

There's no switch to break. Of course, if a clicking noise is more important...

Zatoichi said:

There's no switch to break. Of course, if a clicking noise is more important...

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With AW RCR123s my Nitecore EX10 makes a clicking noise while my D10 in 14500s does not.

Hugh

thanks a lot. I'm kind of a newbie. The only light I own is the fenix L2D. Money is knd of tight for me. Once again thanks.

After some research, I think I am a big fan of the PD system. I'm learning new things everyday. The system seems much nicer then the clicky button. Thanks a lot.:twothumbs

I like it because of the reliability issue and it just looks good to me!! Awesome lights imo!!

It does have a good fit and finish.

Don't get the wrong idea, the PD is a wicked idea but not the be all and end all. Fenix aren't inferior just because they use clickies. My D10 is used more than my P2D mostly because it has better grip, which to me is more important than PD vs clicky.

Zatoichi said:

Don't get the wrong idea, the PD is a wicked idea but not the be all and end all. Fenix aren't inferior just because they use clickies. My D10 is used more than my P2D mostly because it has better grip, which to me is more important than PD vs clicky.

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I am still a big fan of fenix. Just the PD system looks interesting now. My fave flashlight is still my fenix L2D Q5 cree LED flashlight. I also agree that the D10's grip is very nice. Or at least it looks nice on the pictures of the light. I'm still a newbie. I'm just getting the hang of things.

powernoodle said:

I don't like the piston, but thats just a person preference thing. I like constant-on without having to turn the head.

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Well, I do have constant on without turning the head. I don't have momentary on without loosening it though.

my 2 cents...

a loud 'click' noise is really annoying when it comes to lights... why would u need to hear when u turn on your light??? doesn't the light coming out the front end let u know you turned the light on???

a silent switch is by far more useful...

as you can tell... i'm a HUGE fan of the PD system... and frankly... every light should use it... the only thing i don't like (but due to the nature of the PD system...) is the minimal battery drain even when the light is off... and is not locked out... but that's a small price to pay for a silent switch...

KraZy

I suppose, to each their own...

Clicky is a switch. Like all other switches, it is designed to give indication of ON/OFF either by feel or by noise, or lights in some cases. I doubt that it was designed so that users will "like" the noise or the feel, but some of us do of course. The noise and the feel just happens to be a biproduct of the connection being made (or not being made), the mechanism which allows for contacts to remain in "contact" or not.

Typically, we think of light switches on a wall to be "on" when the switch is up. You would know the switch is on even if the light didn't come on. In this sense, SmartPD is not the most ideal "switch" per se.

BUT!!! I LOVE my D10 because it simply works for a flash light!

euroken said:

I suppose, to each their own...
Typically, we think of light switches on a wall to be "on" when the switch is up. You would know the switch is on even if the light didn't come on. In this sense, SmartPD is not the most ideal "switch" per se.

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In Aus, lights switches are on when down and off when up. Just to confuse things a bit.:nana:

James...

No I hate it, I dont like the way they feel or work. You asked:twothumbs

jimmy1970 said:

In Aus, lights switches are on when down and off when up. Just to confuse things a bit.:nana:

James...

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If you have two switches for the same light in separate locations, you could turn it on flipping it up or down.... :nana:

Anyways, I really like the silent action of my EX10. The piston is a bit stiffer and could tire out your finger if you turn it on/off or hold it down to ramp it alot, but in actual use, it's not too bad. But I personally enjoy the easy push of the piston and the fact that it turns on w/o any clicky sound. Especially useful when I have to sneak up and blind the baddies!

Try using a D20 some time if you think that a piston design is inherently quiet. Off the shelf they can be very loud, likely due to pressure differentials at the o-ring. They also lose the ability to be "feather touch" once you need to move that much mass around to operate the switch, as you are moving both batteries and the piston in this case.

656nm said:

Try using a D20 some time if you think that a piston design is inherently quiet. Off the shelf they can be very loud, likely due to pressure differentials at the o-ring. They also lose the ability to be "feather touch" once you need to move that much mass around to operate the switch, as you are moving both batteries and the piston in this case.

Click to expand...

That's pretty interesting.