Nitecore IFE2 vs Fenix TA21

The runtime figures just does not add up for me. I only have the TA21 so I can't test it myself.



On 4sevens the runtime on the TA21 is 215 hours on 4 lumens for a 2400 mah 18650.

The IFE2 ''only'' manages 168 hours, but thats at only 0.003 lumens. Not particularly very efficient..



But looking at their full power runtimes, its both 2 hours with the IFE2 putting out 120 lumens more than the TA21. Ie over 50% more light.



How is this possible?



Also is it true that the TA21 does not have a parrasitic drain, but the IFE2 is badly affected? Can the IFE2 tailstand?

lightseeker2009 said:

The runtime figures just does not add up for me. I only have the TA21 so I can't test it myself.



On 4sevens the runtime on the TA21 is 215 hours on 4 lumens for a 2400 mah 18650.

The IFE2 ''only'' manages 168 hours, but thats at only 0.003 lumens. Not particularly very efficient..



But looking at their full power runtimes, its both 2 hours with the IFE2 putting out 120 lumens more than the TA21. Ie over 50% more light.



How is this possible?



Also is it true that the TA21 does not have a parrasitic drain, but the IFE2 is badly affected? Can the IFE2 tailstand?

Click to expand...

hey first the ta21 isnt a 4sevens brand flashlight,it is fenix.also the ta21 can run up to 170hrs on 4lms as their official fenix website says.

http://www.fenixlight.com/viewnproduct.asp?id=45

also the IFE2 is rated at 345lms but i seen beamshots compared to the fenix pd31 which are very simiral to brightness(fenix pd31 is rated at 304lms)so probably they use different methods of measuring their lumens!(OTF,ANSI and more)

the Nitecore IFE2 cant tail stand as its reverse click switch sticks out.i dont know about the parrasitic drain on the ta21.

but i hope i helped you!

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/images/icons/grinser2.gif

AndreasFenix said:

the Nitecore IFE2 cant tail stand as its reverse click switch sticks out.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/images/icons/grinser2.gif

Click to expand...

IFE2 has a forward clicky tailswitch, and with a boot swap (generic GITD-type) can tailstand...

The driver has a particularly large overhead when the light is on. ~11mA. Which would be completely unacceptable in a light that didnt use a clicky to disconnect the battery when it was off. So regardless of if the ring is in the "off" position, just out of it by a tad, or even a little bit above minimum, the light it still drawing 11mA, Hence the "low" runtime for the ultra-low setting.

Also, if youre trying to change the switch, the retaining ring is left hand threaded (turn right to loosen). And one more caveat, they arent as bright with 18650s as they are with 2x 123 cells, they increase in brightness till Vin is ~4.4-4.5v or so. Which could possibly explain the IFE vs PD31 comparison if the IFE was using an 18650.

I cast some replacement glow in the dark centering pieces, so I have a glow-mod in mine now, and after using it on high, the blue GITD casts a beam on par with the low, but more floody since its in a ring around the emitter, and the green is even brighter. I was suprised to see the GITD actually casting a beam after I did it.

As mentioned above - once you go below approximately 12 ma current draw (which is a few lumen output) you can get lower output but the driver still consumes 12 ma. Not an issue to me to be able to go so low. The driver is actually pretty decent as far as efficiency above that. So basically you gain no battery life going below a few lumen output (in the sub 5 lumen range). But have decent efficiency above the supper low output.