the best edc torch to meet my needs?

kenobibale

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
1
hi guys, im new to the forum and have been carrying a small euorhike led torch in my pocket for the last 4 years and its finally bit the dust, the rechargeable battery i had in it leaked and now i cant get the battery out, so im looking for a new torch.
the main things im looking for is tailcap switch, single AA, momentary optional, and cost effective and reliable, no more £50.

the two main lights im looking at is the fenix ld10 and the nitecore d10 sp.
i like the fenix because you can replace/upgrade the body to an ld20 and there are plenty of accessories for them, what i dont like is you essentially need 2 hands to operate the switching between modes turbo and normal. can anyone tell me if you have to cycle thru the different settings before you can turn it off?
also the end of the emitter isnt flat, im not sure how to describe it but the four raised areas look like they could eventually put holes in pockets.

now onto the nitecore d10 sp
i saw 4sevens video on the nitcore and loved the idea of all the different levels you could have but thought it a tad irritating to have to cycle thru all those combinations, thats where the sp version caught my eye, it seems very easy to operate and can all be done with one hand, now i know some people dont agree with the sos and strobe functions on some lights but what appeals to me about the d10 sp is that they are there if your need them without being in the way and without programming you simply dont select them if you dont want to, just turn the light on and turn the light off.
and there are 3 settings low medium and high to choose from and it remebers your last setting plus a digital lockout is very handy. also i have heard of some problems with the early d10's are these problems atill an issue?

these are simply 2 torches that i have heard about the most especially on these forums but im looking to see if there are alternatives or which of the two are the best, my last torch turned on and off thats it, so all these features are not necessary but they are better to have and not need i guess, so feel free to chime in here and offer any tips,

key points im looking for...
tailcap
single AA
momentary (optional)
any additonial features are welcomed so long as you dont have to cycle through them just to turn your light off

thanks people
 

Marduke

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 19, 2007
Messages
10,110
Location
Huntsville, AL
You may want to consider the regular D10 (not SP). The UI is MUCH simplier to use.

Also check out the Quark AA.
 

deranged_coder

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
860
Location
Silicon Valley, CA, USA
:welcome:

the main things im looking for is tailcap switch, single AA, momentary optional, and cost effective and reliable, no more £50.

I would suggest you start off your research by reading the following thread: 1xAA Round-up Review - Part IV - RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, & more!

the two main lights im looking at is the fenix ld10 and the nitecore d10 sp.
i like the fenix because you can replace/upgrade the body to an ld20 and there are plenty of accessories for them, what i dont like is you essentially need 2 hands to operate the switching between modes turbo and normal. can anyone tell me if you have to cycle thru the different settings before you can turn it off?
also the end of the emitter isnt flat, im not sure how to describe it but the four raised areas look like they could eventually put holes in pockets.

The LD10 is a good light, easy to upgrade with the 2xAA battery tube for more output and runtime. You do not have to cycle through all of the settings to turn it off. Just click the light off and that is it. Regarding the crenellations on the bezel, I suppose they could wear holes in your pockets but from my own personal experience I have yet to have a pocket destroyed because of bezel crenellations. Aggressive knurling on the body of a flashlight is a different story. ;)

now onto the nitecore d10 sp
i saw 4sevens video on the nitcore and loved the idea of all the different levels you could have but thought it a tad irritating to have to cycle thru all those combinations, thats where the sp version caught my eye, it seems very easy to operate and can all be done with one hand, now i know some people dont agree with the sos and strobe functions on some lights but what appeals to me about the d10 sp is that they are there if your need them without being in the way and without programming you simply dont select them if you dont want to, just turn the light on and turn the light off.
and there are 3 settings low medium and high to choose from and it remebers your last setting plus a digital lockout is very handy. also i have heard of some problems with the early d10's are these problems atill an issue?

Go with the standard NiteCore D10 (non-SP) if the other functions are of no interest to you. Click once to turn it on, click to turn it off. Click twice to go straight to lowest setting, click and press to go straight to highest setting. Hold to ramp the light. It may seem confusing just reading it but in practice it is very easy to learn. It took me maybe a minute to figure out how to access everything on the D10 and it remains a favorite light of mine.

I have no experience with the D10 SP version because I do not own one. The standard D10 user interface is in my humble opinion extremely simple to learn. And the D10 does everything I need with nothing I do not need in a basic EDC light.

I do not think you can go wrong with either the Fenix LD10 or the NiteCore D10. Having said that, if you want other options, you can look into offerings from JetBeam, EagleTac, the Quark series from 4Sevens, the Rogue 1 from ICON and many others.
 

Gunner12

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
10,063
Location
Bay Area, CA
Most of the lights seem more complex on paper then in use.

Also, most of the lights change modes based in the driver. When the driver detects a quick off-on sequence from on, then it switched to the next mode. If you clicke the light to off, it is off no matter what mode it was in.

The crenelations in the Fenix lights aren't that aggressive, they probably won't put holes in your pocket. Something like this could easily put holes in your pocket.

I'd suggest the normal D10 because it you can easily change the output with one hand.

:welcome:
 

jdb

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
41
Location
Paris
key points im looking for...
tailcap single AA
momentary (optional)
any additonial features are welcomed so long as you dont have to cycle through them just to turn your light off
well, actually, in other words, you ask if there is another SmartPD D10 SP somewhere ?...


I don't think so, it's unique...:)
 
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