Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip (New EZ123 tip as well)

I just received my Nitecore EZ CR2 when I got home last night. When I unscrewed it to insert a battery I was impressed with how smooth it was. Then I turned it on and off many times and there was an intermittent roughness that it took a few minutes to figure out.

Turns out the foam around the upper contact grips the battery, turning it as you turn the light off and on. I put a very, very minute amount of Super Lube on the bottom of the battery and now its smooth as silk.

Just thought some poor soul might be having mysterious roughness issues that are easy to fix.


I have to say that I like the UI of this light. Just twist the head further to get to bright. I think I like this way better than turning the light off and on to get to the modes. Its easier to just keep turning the light with one hand in the same direction to change modes. Was going to order the Quark Mini 123, but have decided instead to get the EZ 123. I will miss the super low, low, but not that much.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

Thanks for the tip, Batman!

I was wondering why it wasn't smooth, even though without the battery, the head spins smoothly. After the lube, the whole thing's buttery smooth, like my firefly III.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

Mine does that too, thanks.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

That's good to know for when/if I get a EZCR2 (it's just a matter of if I get the money before they don't sell em anymore). Any chance you'd be able to get a size comparison against something like a Mag solitaire?

~Brian

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

I am glad someone got some use out of this tip.

Do you guys know if this could be part of the roughness problems on the preon? Don't know how those work.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

...this is why the foam works best at the bottom of the battery tube on most twisites--it keeps the battery from rotating when the head is twisted.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

NutSAK said:

...this is why the foam works best at the bottom of the battery tube on most twisites--it keeps the battery from rotating when the head is twisted.

Click to expand...

Is that fairly easy to accomplish, or are there any unforeseen complications to doing this to an EZ series light?

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

If you put the foam on the botton in an EZ series light I believe you'll effectively end up with a one stage light as the pressure to condense the foam will likely exceed the pressure of the "low" level spring and only make contact when you're on high.

The EZ lights are very compact and a neat design but the foam ring is both too high and too dense - not only does it rotate the battery but it can make access to high require too much pressure. I've trimmed the foam ring in mine rather significantly where it prevents rattle but is much, much easier to twist to high.

Having looked at it compared to say the CR2 Ion/Muyschondt design (which has a similar two stage UI and foam ring at the head) and I believe the issue is the foam density - it just doesn't compress very far compared to rings in other lights.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

Gatsby said:

The EZ lights are very compact and a neat design but the foam ring is both too high and too dense - not only does it rotate the battery but it can make access to high require too much pressure. I've trimmed the foam ring in mine rather significantly where it prevents rattle but is much, much easier to twist to high.

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My EZ 123 was rotating the battery & very very hard to turn on Hi. Turns out it had a foam ring 2x as thick as the one from my EZ cr2. So I took a hobby knife & cut 1/2 thickness off the ring. Wola, works like a champ.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

Gatsby said:

If you put the foam on the botton in an EZ series light I believe you'll effectively end up with a one stage light as the pressure to condense the foam will likely exceed the pressure of the "low" level spring and only make contact when you're on high.

Click to expand...

EZAA reversable single mode high mod.

I have not confirmed this on the CR2 or CR123 models myself.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

batmanacw said:

I am glad someone got some use out of this tip.

Do you guys know if this could be part of the roughness problems on the preon? Don't know how those work.

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No, I don't think so since there is no foam in a preon and there is a spring at the bottom. Are you talking about the Ti version ? If yes, I guess it is due to the nature of titanium, almost all titanium thread are gritty. IMHO, the best lube for Ti thread remain Krytox...

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

Maybe I'll just leave mine alone since I haven't thought of the action being particularly bad or anything.

Sometimes I guess we just want to fiddle around with our lights even if there's nothing wrong! :naughty:

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

kaichu dento said:

Maybe I'll just leave mine alone since I haven't thought of the action being particularly bad or anything.

Sometimes I guess we just want to fiddle around with our lights even if there's nothing wrong! :naughty:

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Leave it alone? Yea, right!


Its a free mod that makes the action very, very, very smooth. Just go really, really light on the lube and you can always clean it off later if you don't like it. :thumbsup:

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

batmanacw said:

Leave it alone? Yea, right!


Its a free mod that makes the action very, very, very smooth. Just go really, really light on the lube and you can always clean it off later if you don't like it. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Now there you go again, egging me on into fiddling around with it when it isn't even broke! :laughing:

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

kaichu dento said:

Now there you go again, egging me on into fiddling around with it when it isn't even broke! :laughing:

Click to expand...

:twothumbs

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

I just received mine today and was wondering about that little bit of grittiness. I'll have to give it a try.

Otherwise, I'm quite impressed with it and even more impressed with 4sevens' shipping. I ordered it Sunday night and it arrived this morning.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

Cyo said:

I just received mine today and was wondering about that little bit of grittiness. I'll have to give it a try.

Otherwise, I'm quite impressed with it and even more impressed with 4sevens' shipping. I ordered it Sunday night and it arrived this morning.

Click to expand...

I just got my EZ 123 and it was smoother than the CR2 version. I still put a extremely small amount of lube on the bottom of the battery and it smoothed it up even more. These are great lights for the extremely low price they are available for right now. This one cost me around $26 if I remember correctly. The CR2 cost $20.80.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

I used a drop of DeoxIT GOLD on the cell bottom to free up the twisty action.

Re: Quick nitecore EZ CR2 tip

I just got my EZ123 and I am having hard time going in to high mode. It is impossible to do that action with one hand. Also the twisting motion from low to high is more than a full turn. Few things have to happen but I am reluctant to tackle it myself.

- Reduction in the spring travel or raising of the solder blob is necessary to decrease the amount of twist from low to high
- The foam density and/or foam thickness needs to be cut down to decrease the amount of force necessary for twisting motion

I do not want to do irreversible modification to this light, so both of the above options are out. I bunched a small ball of aluminum wrap and made a disc which sits on the tiny spring wedged between the foam donut hole. This cuts down on the foam compression (simulates higher battery positive terminal).

I am still not thrilled with that work-around as it is still extremely difficult to operate this light. What is the probability that even if I were to exchange it, I will have the similar problem with the replacement?

- Vikas