Fenix E11 - Little brightness difference between two modes.

Hello. I just received my E11 yesterday. When I turn the bezel to select high mode, I notice very little difference from low, maybe about 5-10 lumens. It should be 115 lumens which should appear much brighter than the low mode. I used Ni-Mh batteries that charged all night and even cleaned the contacts with alcohol as per the instructions. Is this is a known issue with this light? Should I buy some new batteries or send it back to Fenix? Thanks.

OK, so I bought some new Duracell alkalines and the brightness difference is much more noticeable with them instead of the NiMH.

I have 1.25V 2000 mah batteries by a company called Digital Concepts. These are about 7 years old, so maybe they're just worn out or outdated. They always worked great in my L0D. (AAA by the same company)

When I first turn on the light with a NiMH installed, it runs fine on low, but there is no difference on high. After letting it run for a few seconds, there is about a 10-20 lumen increase between modes. I let it run for several minutes on low and switched again, but it was still only a slight increase.

Should I just invest in some new batteries? Also, would I need a new charger? I just have a standard AA/AAA charger from Digital Concepts.

Thanks in advance for your help.

The high and low modes on my E11 are very close in output (according to my eyes) and I run AA Sanyo Eneloops NiMH. I have the 105 lumen model, with the low output being rated at about 30 lumens. It's the same thing with my E21, high and low modes are very close in appearance. Some people like a lower low mode, including myself. However, I like the fact that the low is still plenty bright and the runtimes are increased by a considerable amount.

I also have the older model and the low & high are visually different, but not that much. I mean, you see it changes, but the difference won't make you say: WOOOW. : )

Yes absolutely dump those 7 y.o. NiMh no-name batts and get some Eneloops.

I also never understood the Fenix E series having such bright low modes..

BattleToads said:

When I turn the bezel to select high mode, I notice very little difference from low, maybe about 5-10 lumens.

Click to expand...

flashlight chronic said:

The high and low modes on my E11 are very close in output (according to my eyes) and I run AA Sanyo Eneloops NiMH.

Click to expand...

reppans said:

I also never understood the Fenix E series having such bright low modes..

Click to expand...

Well that settles it.

Fenix, either choose one or split the difference between the two levels & make the e11 a (TAISLTANDING) single mode like the e01 & e05 etc. At any output.

The jump from 40 to 105 lumens won't look like more than double as we don't perceive increases in brightness linearly. It should probably look like something between adding 50% and doubling output.

Ni-mh cells are already lower running voltage than other chemistries so you could do with newer/decent ones to get the most out of even regulated lights. Eneloops are probably the best bet, they should charge on any ni-mh AA charger, but if it's also 7 years old it's unlikely to a good one but probably just timer based and will damage the cells over time. I'd recommend looking for a good delta-V termination based one, the Panasonic BQ-392 is a good example and it can be had for around $10 shipped (from fasttech).