A few questions regarding a new Nitecore D11

I have just ordered my first piston-drive light, a Nitecore D11 with Cree XP-G R5 LED, and I have a few questions:

I was wondering if there is any additional maintenance that needs to be done for a piston-drive light.

Will this light perform well with a protected AW 14500? Are there any concerns running for extended periods of time on high on one of these li-ions?

:thanks:

I own a D11 and am quite happy with it. The piston drive doesn't require any special maintenance but an occasional lubing of the O-ring that's located at the top of the piston will help ensure smooth operation. I use an Ultrafire 14500 cell and find it works well. Noticeably brighter than a primary AA and no heat issues that I've noticed although I've never operated the light in high mode for long periods.

rich297 said:

no heat issues that I've noticed although I've never operated the light in high mode for long periods.

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I do not use any of my lights on high for very long but I am glad to hear that you have not had any heat issues. Thanks for the information. Does anyone know if this light will LEGO with any other brands?

Moving this to the LED Flashlights forum.

Bill

When i use 14500 on Maximum mode, my d11 it got hot very quick +/- around 5 - 7 minute.

Just a note, temperature where i live is between 26 - 28 degree Celsius, maybe if you live in lower temperature it might be won't get hot quickly.

My piston drive will not work with a protected AW 14500 cell. Are you running an unprotected cell?

campingnut said:

My piston drive will not work with a protected AW 14500 cell. Are you running an unprotected cell?

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I'm using a 14500 Ultrafire protected cell (900mAh) in my D11. I use the same battery in a JHanko D10. It works fine with either light.

rich297 said:

I'm using a 14500 Ultrafire protected cell (900mAh) in my D11. I use the same battery in a JHanko D10. It works fine with either light.

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Do you know offhand if the Ultafire's are shorter than the AW cells?

campingnut said:

Do you know offhand if the Ultafire's are shorter than the AW cells?

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Sorry, I don't. The problem with these rechargeable cells is that they are not all the same length. There may be as many as a dozen different cells sold as the same size (ie. 16340,14500,18650, etc) yet the actual length varies plus or minus 2 or 3mm. This can result in compatability problems with certain lights. I believe piston drive lights may be less forgiving of cell size variations because of their relatively short travel distance compared to a clicky switch. If your battery is a bit too long, that could prevent the end of the piston from making contact with the metal spring-loaded disk surrounding the light engine.

Have you compared the length of the AW to a primary alkaline cell? My Ultrafire appears to be the same length as a Duracell alkaline.

rich297 said:

Have you compared the length of the AW to a primary alkaline cell? My Ultrafire appears to be the same length as a Duracell alkaline.

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The protected AW 14500 measures 51.3mm and the Eneloop measures 50mm. I guess the increased length of 1.3mm makes all the difference.

campingnut said:

The protected AW 14500 measures 51.3mm and the Eneloop measures 50mm. I guess the increased length of 1.3mm makes all the difference.

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That's a bummer. I only bought the Ultrafire because the AW was out-of-stock at Lighthound at the time.

campingnut said:

My piston drive will not work with a protected AW 14500 cell. Are you running an unprotected cell?

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The AW 14500 should work fine if you shorten the piston spring. Try visiting this CPF link and start reading at post #221, that's where the meat and potatoes begin. Yes, your emitter will generate more heat using the 14500. If you're going to run it on high for an extended period of time grip the D11 in a manner so your hand absorbs the heat. If you should happen to run the light long enough to make your hand uncomfortable it's time to turn the light down or off so it can cool.

Thanks for the link. :thanks: I will have to see if I get brave enough to try the spring mod. I wonder if I can get a new spring if it goes bad...