Has Quark "pwned" Fenix & NiteCore ?!

Haven't checked in for a while but with Christmas coming, I naturally needed to get myself some presents for being good all year !!

After scanning through the Forum ...... am I correct in thinking the new Quarks have stolen the Gold Medal in this price range ?? :thinking:

in my opinion...yes...but everyone has their own opinions, i think quark's dedication to the newest LEDs and latest and greatest UIs has put them in the lead. He watches these fora like a hawk and responds to trends very well ie: the titanium quarks at a reasonable price, everyone wanted the new XPG and everyone has always loved titanium but most couldn't afford it...Quark remedied both. Again, many will disagree, but i love them!

They appear to be very good lights. However, I just bought 3 Nitecores instead of the Quark. For me it all came down to the clip. The Nitecore's put the clip on the end....where it belongs. I also prefer the piston design and the UI. The Tactical Quark UI seems like it might be superior, but then, no candle mode. If they ever change things up a bit I'll probably get one.

I bought a Quark 123 tactical, not knowing that I could only quickly access two levels of brightness quickly. I gave it away since having only two modes was not terribly impressive for me.

I just bought 3 nitecore lights last month and will be purchasing one more next weekend. The UI is awesome on these lights. What I am spending my money on should say everything.

Quarks are very good quality lights and I will own another one soon. Probably a regular 123. Maybe I will wait for a new Led to pull the trigger.

Fenix maybe, NiteCore not so much. I think their offerings are much different from the 4sevens line, especially with their EZ and PD series. I don't think 4sevens would step into that territory, but we can only hope.

Perfectionist said:

Haven't checked in for a while but with Christmas coming, I naturally needed to get myself some presents for being good all year !!

After scanning through the Forum ...... am I correct in thinking the new Quarks have stolen the Gold Medal in this price range ?? :thinking:

Click to expand...

Indeed the Quarks are a very good deal for the money since they include a nice holster, lanyard, finger grip AND clip. But the UI with the loosening and tightening of the bezel can be a problem in dirty environments (so I have heard). The clip position is not the best in my opinion (and Brasso's), the Nitecore D10 for instance has a much better clip placement and design.

Pwned? NO but some thunder was stolen from Fenix and Nitecore. I hope Nitecore fires back with some new UI and XPG lights soon. Although the new SP's from nitecore has a pretty good UI already. I like my good ole variable brightness D10 just fine.

I own a Nitecore D10, Fenix L1D/L2D Q5 and now a Quark AA2 Turbo and have some thoughts.

As always, it depends on what you like and your needs. To me, my EDC remains the D10 because I LOVE the piston drive! It is also smaller than the Quark AA so that has to gain a point or two.

I use a L1D RB100 and L2D Q5 as bicycle lights. Taking note of selfbuilt's reviews of both lights, the Fenix L2D or L20 has a longer runtime than the Quarks at about the same brightness. The Quark does look better as Fenix tried modern day fugly when doing the L2D series. If runtime is important to you, the L20 will run longer on max output but that target is moving. I'm interested in what Fenix does with the XP-G to make it different from the Quark (I'll bet you the Quark and Fenix have the same parents!)

I've had my Quark AA2 Turbo for 22 hours now and have some thoughts. A very tough, heavy duty and bright 2AA light with better throw than the L2D due to the large reflector. The smooth reflector can throw but it does add a little "donut" ish part to the beam. Not a big deal for me since it is used for cycling outdoors, indoors it might bother you more. The tactical UI with head tight/loose for the two modes you pre-program is nice. I run max/medium on mine and it works well. The thing is larger and does have some weight to it. The manual says 3.6 ounces (102.2 grams) with the L2D Q5 being 2.1 ounces (60.7 grams)

Fenix better come out with their XP-Gs quickly to counter Quark, that is the battle ground. Nitecore has the piston drive and I will get an XP-G version to replace my ringier Q5 XR-E light. When you look inside the head of the Nitecore and then look at the Fenix/Quark, I just like the stronger/thicker brass contacts of the Nitecore better.

Quark might be ahead of Fenix right now but Nitecore is a different animal. The D10 and EZAA are in their own class but David will be introducing more lights for the next month.

One thing that is really cool no matter what of the 3 brands you choose, you can get them in one place with free shipping and a CPF discount

I don't like being limited to 2 or 3 levels of brightness.

I reload, and before seating the bullets, you need to do a visual inspection inside the casings to make sure they all have powder and the same amount. I use my EX 10 and double click it up to the highest level. Now there is a terrible glare, so I just ramp down until the glare disappears, and now it is at the perfect level.

I think the UI has me spoiled.

4Sevens Quark AAW build quality is not good as Fenix LD10.
Fenix LD10 does not support 14500 Li-ion and there is no low low.

I have both and I must say that both have they moments.

Because of the (unreliable)Nitecore piston drive I haven't even considered it.

I am still looking for THE 1xAA flashlight.

ironhorse said:

I don't like being limited to 2 or 3 levels of brightness.

I reload, and before seating the bullets, you need to do a visual inspection inside the casings to make sure they all have powder and the same amount. I use my EX 10 and double click it up to the highest level. Now there is a terrible glare, so I just ramp down until the glare disappears, and now it is at the perfect level.

I think the UI has me spoiled.

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OMG, you use VERY accurate scale for powder, not a flashlight for gods sake.
You should never ever say something like that, someone might actually use that method.:shakehead

Egsise said:

OMG, you use VERY accurate scale for powder, not a flashlight for gods sake.
You should never ever say something like that, someone might actually use that method.:shakehead

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It is a double check after weighing and or measuring the charges to make sure all of the cases are charged and none have been double charged.

Who do you think makes Quarks?

Egsise said:

OMG, you use VERY accurate scale for powder, not a flashlight for gods sake.
You should never ever say something like that, someone might actually use that method.:shakehead

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Seriously. It drives me nuts when someone automatically assumes someone is an idiot. Especially when they don't know what they are talking about.

Visual inspection is a great way to check for double charged cases. Most powders take up a lot of room in the case. A double charge would stand out easily. That is what he is looking for. Not to check the charge weight.

batmanacw said:

Seriously. It drives me nuts when someone automatically assumes someone is an idiot. Especially when they don't know what they are talking about.

Visual inspection is a great way to check for double charged cases. Most powders take up a lot of room in the case. A double charge would stand out easily. That is what he is looking for. Not to check the charge weight.

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Sorry I did'nt know that it would be possible to double charge, if I double charge my cases they get filled to the top.
Perhaps it would be wiser to use faster or slower powder to fill the case almost full?
I mean, almost full cases are far more accurate and reliable than those that are filled only half way or less.

Dan FO said:

Who do you think makes Quarks?

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David has already stated that they aren't made by Fenix, if that's what you were hinting at.
Norm

Ajay said:

Indeed the Quarks are a very good deal for the money since they include a nice holster, lanyard, finger grip AND clip. But the UI with the loosening and tightening of the bezel can be a problem in dirty environments (so I have heard). The clip position is not the best in my opinion (and Brasso's), the Nitecore D10 for instance has a much better clip placement and design.

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• Changing modes by turning the head is a PITA, so the regular is the best to get but who wants a reverse clicky?
• The clip is solid but not close enough to the end of the body
• The parts included are great
• The price is great
• The diameter is slimmer than my Ra so it gets carried more.

Egsise said:

Sorry I did'nt know that it would be possible to double charge, if I double charge my cases they get filled to the top.
Perhaps it would be wiser to use faster or slower powder to fill the case almost full?
I mean, almost full cases are far more accurate and reliable than those that are filled only half way or less.

Click to expand...

The bulk of the powder does not have much to do with the burn rate or characteristics. I use varget for my .223 with 68 or 75 grn OTM bullets and it nearly fills the case, but there are lots of variations.

I visually inspect for missed charges and obvious problems as well.

I'm selling a Ti Quark off in favor of keeping my D10 as my EDC light. So in my case, no. :candle:

Quark sure got some customers from Fenix & Nitecore but at least Nitecore is actually quite different, so it all depend on your needs and preference.
The whole Quark Lego design is good for people like to play and switch between different configurations, batteries, and that make the Quark a little cheaper. They have latest LED, lots of accessories, and some people like the "lower low".
But they are not my favorite, because I want my flashlight solely in AA batteries, while Quark's shared head make the Quark AA not very good looking. And the driver came from fenix so have the preflash. Some people said that's for efficiency to avoid parasite drain, and you can put it on pants before you turn it on, but I'll never make comprise like that if I have better alternatives.
Besides, none of the regular or tactical UI appeals me. I don't want to scroll several modes before I reach the mode I want, and even you can choose any mode you want in 2 presets, how can that 2 preset enough? You always ends up reprogramming. It's same with Jetbeam IBS. It's fun that you can program any modes you want and you have more modes than tactical Quark. But still, imagine you need some mode you didn't program before, you still need to reprogram, and I don't think that is a easy and quick job in a hurry.
So far, I think Nitecore D10 SP have a very good UI, you have memorized brightness, you have SOS/strobe tucked away and immediately accessible AT THE SAME TIME. Zebralight H501 have a good UI too, you can get certain mode in one action.

What "unreliable" of piston drive are you referring to? I think the design do need lots of factor to be right to work, so they not very fail safe, but with proper care, a working unit in normal environment should be fine. For me, the smooth feel of operating worth the price.

Maybe your NEXT AA could be one of the new Zebralight? I'm waiting for them.

Egsise said:

4Sevens Quark AAW build quality is not good as Fenix LD10.
Fenix LD10 does not support 14500 Li-ion and there is no low low.

I have both and I must say that both have they moments.

Because of the (unreliable)Nitecore piston drive I haven't even considered it.

I am still looking for THE 1xAA flashlight.

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