Xeno E03 - almost a review

Not really a review, but still I would find this post better fit in the reviews section, so please MODs move it there if you wish. For further information on what really matters please check the review by Selfbuilt (I love your reviews dude!).

Xeno E03 is a really interesting 1xAA powered flashlight. It is available in three tints (cool, neutral and warm) and three anodization colours (black, warm blue and red), plus it supports 14500 lithium-ion batteries, making it very versatile.

A big plus: the Xeno E03 is the only flashlight I know of sporting neutral-white XP-G led in R5 efficiency class!

Regulation seems very good and the driver is current-regulated, which to me is a plus because the flashlight has no "flickering" or "whine" problems, typical of PWM regulation.

The flashlight has three levels, more than enough to cover the majority of needs in my opinion. Levels come in MEDIUM-LOW-HIGH order and there's no mode memory, so there shouldn't be parasitic drain due to that feature.
Feed the E03 a 14500 battery and see it morph into a light cannon: it's really bright on 14500, but it lacks a real LOW setting that way.

Here it is:


Tailstanding:


An in-hand picture to better understand its dimensions, which are standard for the category of 1xAA lights but not ma non compact by any mean. The E03 is longer than a Nitecore D10 but this is good actually, as the light beam doesn't get partially obscured by the palm of the hand:
img]http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae78/kikychen/Xeno%20E03/Xeno_E03_in-hand.jpg[/img]

As you can see XENO lights feature finger grips: some might not like them, but I find they are placed where they need to be, which toghether with the aggressive knurling gives for a very secure and comfortable grip. I like those finger grips, plus they show the generous thickness of the tube.

The E03 features a somewhat standard OP reflector, which gives a very useful and smooth beam, perfect for all-around and EDC purposes:


I bet many of you will like the following feature… the E03 sports double o-ring for excellent water-proofness:


The supplied accessories setup is fairly standard, but considering the very low price tag I'd say it's more than enough. There's a lanyard, replacement o-rings (2, of course) and we even find a replacement switch (not to mention the light comes in a very nice aluminium case):


The light is easy to be taken apart, which makes cleaning or modding trouble-free (sorry for the crappy picture here):


So here is my modding suggestion, some might find it useful: some of you may have a sweet spot for "NOHS" (no hot spot) optics... PUN INTENDED! :naughty: Well you can morph the E03 in a NOHS flashlight just by removing the reflector. You can do it easily by unscrewing the stainless steel bezel which holds the lens, GITD ring and reflector by pressure. Simply unscrew the bezel and tap the light upside down on the tail, the stuff will come down and you will have access to the pill. I would like to mention the E03 also features both front ring and switch cover in GITD rubber, so it is easy to spot the flashlight in complete darknes. Below are some pictures of before and after the mod.

Standard beam (with reflector):


Standard beam again (with reflector) on LOW mode, to better see the beam pattern:


NOHS beam (reflector removed):


Coupling the very good colour rendition of the WARM tint with this "NOHS-like" mod makes for a very good medical-use light, just ideal to light wounds on skin for example. I will get one more just to keep in the medical kit.

This very good flashlight only lacks a feature to be considered near-perfect (perfection is not of this world): it misses a clip for deep pocket carry… too bad! Also, a LOW-MEDIUM-HIGH mode sequence would have been preferable maybe, but I also found out that the majority of situations in which I needed to use the flashlight asked for medium mode brightness: all in all, the mode sequence on the E03 ain't bad, and it fortunately lacks the annoying "disco" modes!

In the end, I'd also like to point out this flashlight comes for very little money, which makes buying one (or a few) an obliged choice.

Excellent review! Thanks.

Chenko, thanks for that great review....been on the fence for another AA light!

Question, though... on your Mod (sans reflector), how much of a hit did the 'throw' take?

Rej said:

Chenko, thanks for that great review....been on the fence for another AA light!

Question, though... on your Mod (sans reflector), how much of a hit did the 'throw' take?

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Hmm... I'd say "critical hit" :laughing:
Really, the beam after reflector removal is very much for "specific use", also a lot of light is lost inside the tube as it is non-reflective and black, don't expect it to throw at all. It's really great for short range tough.

Looks like a nice choice for those of us who want a solid, basic 3-mode light.

Is this thread going to be moved to the reviews section or should I ask a mod?

Nice review chenko. I like the finger grip detailing and the fact you can remove the reflector and light engine - looks like a great little light.

As you are in Europe, where did you get this from?

Thanks for the review Chenko, I picked up a Xeno G42 and it's a great light so I'm not surprised the E03 is a solid light too! I'll have to pick one up when Tacticalhid (over in the Market Place) gets more in stock.

nice write up

Typically, dual O-rings does not promote additional water resistance. Under normal maintenance and lubrication, dual O-rings allows the tailcap to rotate under water without significant water entry.

Very nice review & pictures. Thanks for your sharing information.

You have a warm white.

It's a nice EDC light and I have a neutral white.

Great pics and almost review :twothumbs

Following your modding suggestion I tried unscrewing the bezel on mine but it's not budging Did you have to use any special tools?

Very nice 'summary'!

I got my Eo3 a couple of days ago, and I've been having fun with it ever since. It's now giving my SC50w+ a run as my primary EDC. I don't like the lack of a true low-low on the EO3, and the difference between M and H on 14500 is barely noticeable, but overall it's a great little light.

I now EDC it along with my ZL as they complement one another quite well.

I was messing around with my EO3 the other morning, using it to illuminate my basement while trying to track down the reason my dryer tripped the breaker. It was tailstanding on the washer and it fell over for no reason that I could discern. Needing the ceiling bounce, I set it back up, and it fell over immediately. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Turns out the switch-cap had bulged out to a dome shape, the little light gets pretty warm when left on high. I unscrewed the tail, thinking that I'd get a hiss of some sort, but I had to nearly remove the cap before I got a "pop!" when the cap cleared the second o-ring. I'd say this light is water-tight even with the tail unscrewed a bit for lockout. It's an impressive chunk of equipment for ~33 bucks.

B0wz3r said:

Very nice 'summary'!

I got my Eo3 a couple of days ago, and I've been having fun with it ever since. It's now giving my SC50w+ a run as my primary EDC. I don't like the lack of a true low-low on the EO3, and the difference between M and H on 14500 is barely noticeable, but overall it's a great little light.

I now EDC it along with my ZL as they complement one another quite well.

Click to expand...

I too believe Zebralight SC50+ and SC51 to be superior in about every aspect. Xeno are anyway very good lights, and I like their simplicity. Plus, they are cheap and what's not to like about that!

bromley said:

Great pics and almost review :twothumbs

Following your modding suggestion I tried unscrewing the bezel on mine but it's not budging Did you have to use any special tools?

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I hope you got my MP. Easiest way is to use its traffic wand diffuser (it's dented and thus is also a bezel removal tool), otherwise grip the bezel from the front of the light (not the side) on a rubber surface, or your palm. Some E03 are screwed tighter than other, but all come loose if you adopt the right tecnhique. Good luck!

chenko said:

I too believe Zebralight SC50+ and SC51 to be superior in about every aspect. Xeno are anyway very good lights, and I like their simplicity. Plus, they are cheap and what's not to like about that!

Click to expand...

Yep, the Xenos are indeed nice little lights. I want to get a second one in red with a warm tint emitter. Haven't had any warm lights before, so it should be interesting.

I'm running a 14500 in my E03 now and I use it as a backup when I need a really bright light, since it's such a cannon with a li-ion cell. I still use my SC50w+ as my primary EDC as it has more settings and a true moon mode. It's also more ergonomic and smaller, so it fits that role very well.

XM-L version was a bit of a disappointment to me, it was good but no way the "wow" I expected. I believe that XM-L led is somewhat under-powered in a 1xAA format, unless you do some magic trick such as Zebralight does with its drivers, but you'd have a short runtime and much heat to manage on max, probably; couple that with the lack of throw of such a large led in the small OP reflector of the E03 and you will have the impression of a dimmer light than the previous XP-G model, even if flux bin says the opposite. My personal favourite is the warm XP-E version, it is a pleasure to shed warm light in the dark with it, it is the "weaker" model but plenty bright anyway and reaches further than all of the other versions.

great pictures, thanks!

I cant complain at this price but I would prefer a ui with memory or L-M-H format. Way too bright on initial turn on in medium power imo. Works well with fenix clip though.

L-M-H would have been preferred, indeed. I can live with M-L-H anyway, as MED is the level I need most of the times fortunately, so it's ok having it on first press. I learned to perform a very quick double press to have the E03 sort of "start with LOW with a preflash", or I can use other tricks not to shed too bright a beam in the dark (like covering the head with a hand before switching to LOW level, but yeah, L-M-H would be absolutely great to have.