Eagletac d25a clicky / 14500 question...

Hi folks!

I just had a Eagletac D25a clicky (XM-L2 U2) delivered from goingear.com and I got a couple of 3.7 volt Eagletac 14500's (750mah) with it.

I charged up the 14500's and they absolutely outshine my Eneloops by a longshot.

One thing I noticed is that with the Eneloope, I have low, medium and high modes with the twisty loosened up a bit, and then both turbo and strobe when the cap is tightened. The turbo (with cap tightened) is clearly a higher output than with the cap looser, in just high mode.

However, with the 14500 battery, the turbo mode is identical to the high.

I bought the XM-L2 U2 model specifically thinking that I would get an extra turbo boost in direct drive with the 14500's, up to a reported (manufacturer) 750 lumens. So, are both my "high" and "turbo" mode putting out direct drive turbo @ 750 lumens or so, or is my light not functioning correctly, because with the 14500, both "high" and "turbo" are the same thing.

Thanks for any input! I like the light - it's super bright and compact for a AA/14500, but I want to make sure I got what (I thought) I paid for.

Burns

Ah - another thing I just noticed. My order says, "EagleTac D25A Clicky XM-L2 U2 1 x AA 200 LED 141 ANSI Lumen Flashlight"

The box says "176 LED Lumen, 122 OTF Lumen" and "CREE XM-L U2" but then has a STICKER that reads "New LED, CREE XM-L2 U2, 15% brighter". Those are two different LED's, yes? Confusion sets in...

Looks like a something is wrong here.

The D25As only partially support 14500s - my N219 also has the same output on high and turbo/max, and all the lower modes shift up, if I recall ~5x (and you lose moonlight). There are only a handful of lights that use both boost and buck drivers and fully support both Eneloops and 14500s (ie, all lower modes retained at spec, only max doubles).

My D25A Ti 2014 does the same with 14500's, moonlight mode is also gone.

The D25C Ti 2014 with RCR123's does keep moonlight but there is a massive shift to midd.

Hope this helps

burns said:

Looks like a something is wrong here.

Click to expand...

Yep, doesn't sound too good. Maybe your dealer messed up the emitter and lumens, so i'd return the shipment and get a FREE replacement with the correct merchandise.

Anyway, with 14500 you can't produce more than 4 distinct brightness lebels: Lo1/Lo2 - Med - Hi (=Turbo). That's correct. You may also check the contributions and measurements in the general thread. It is true that neither Lo1 nor Lo2 are as dim as your moon

reppans said:

The D25As only partially support 14500s - my N219 also has the same output on high and turbo/max, and all the lower modes shift up, if I recall ~5x (and you lose moonlight). There are only a handful of lights that use both boost and buck drivers and fully support both Eneloops and 14500s (ie, all lower modes retained at spec, only max doubles).

Click to expand...

Hi Reppans

Could you please list the handful lights that use both boost and buck drivers and thus fully support both Eneloops and 14500s

thanks

burns said:

Ah - another thing I just noticed. My order says, "EagleTac D25A Clicky XM-L2 U2 1 x AA 200 LED 141 ANSI Lumen Flashlight"

The box says "176 LED Lumen, 122 OTF Lumen" and "CREE XM-L U2" but then has a STICKER that reads "New LED, CREE XM-L2 U2, 15% brighter". Those are two different LED's, yes? Confusion sets in...

Looks like a something is wrong here.

Click to expand...

I think this is fine... IIRC, ET uses stickers to show updated emitters until the boxes run out - I think my N219 came in an XPG marked box with a N219 sticker. Anyways, you can tell by looking at the emitter - an XML1 uses a green die (square piece that the LED/dome sit on) while the XML2 uses a silver die.

Sivy said:

Hi Reppans

Could you please list the handful lights that use both boost and buck drivers and thus fully support both Eneloops and 14500s

thanks

Click to expand...

Olight S15, Zebralight 52-series, Foursevens Quark-series (low voltage heads), Peak El Capitan/Logan QTC, and although I don't any due to low lumen inefficiency, the infinitely variable magnetic ring lights from (SWM, NC, JB, NE) w/extension tubes.

reppans said:

I think this is fine... IIRC, ET uses stickers to show updated emitters until the boxes run out - I think my N219 came in an XPG marked box with a N219 sticker. Anyways, you can tell by looking at the emitter - an XML1 uses a green die (square piece that the LED/dome sit on) while the XML2 uses a silver die.



Olight S15, Zebralight 52-series, Foursevens Quark-series (low voltage heads), Peak El Capitan/Logan QTC, and although I don't any due to low lumen inefficiency, the infinitely variable magnetic ring lights from (SWM, NC, JB, NE) w/extension tubes.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input - you have some good info there but kindly clarify one thing...

My emitter uses a silver die, I think. Which makes it a XML2, according to your description.

All of this being said, can I assume that I am in fact getting 750 (at least, according to ET's measurements), when on Turbo, even though it is the same as when on High?

"Hello ET customer support!


I just purchased a Eagletac D25a clicky (XM-L2 U2), which I believe is supposed to provide approx. 750 lumens on "Turbo" with 14500 batteries (I'm using ET 3.7 V 750 mah 14500's), according to your literature.


My question is, my output on "Turbo" is the SAME as my output on "High". Whereas, when using a AA battery, Turbo is different than High.


Additionally, your literature states, "Turbo boost technology
1) Turbo boost technology is activated every time you turn on at turbo output setting. It offers 20% more power to the LED for the first 200 seconds at turbo mode."


I ran the light on Turbo (which is the same as my High) for 4 minutes (240 seconds). There was no step down from full power after 200 seconds.


So, something is wrong either with your literature, or perhaps I was not give the light that I ordered (seller was goinggear.com.


Kindly let me know if you have input on this.


Michael"

The 750 ET mentions is LED lumens... you can knock off a third to approximate ANSI out the front, so call it around 500 lumens. My '12 XML1 in NW measured 400 out the front for me, so if you add ~ 10% for CW and 15% for the XML2, you're pretty close to the 500.

Any update on this?

I just picked up a D25a Clicky but I haven't got any 14500s currently available (waiting on the postman).

You need a fully charged, healthy, high quality cell to see a difference between high and turbo with these in my experience. High is already stupid bright though. Love the ET D series all around. :thumbsup:

A couple of folks over at BLF have mentioned that their D25As no longer operated on ~1.5v cells after using 14500s. Maybe a fried boost driver or something - I don't know. I only run 14500s in lights that fully support them - ie retains its lower modes at spec. Yes, the 2014 D25A does retain some lower modes, but they aren't what they used to be (on ~1.5v).

reppans said:

A couple of folks over at BLF have mentioned that their D25As no longer operated on ~1.5v cells after using 14500s. Maybe a fried boost driver or something - I don't know. I only run 14500s in lights that fully support them - ie retains its lower modes at spec. Yes, the 2014 D25A does retain some lower modes, but they aren't what they used to be (on ~1.5v).

Click to expand...

Well my new 14500s should arrive within a few days.

If my D25a Clicky does stop working after running 14500s, I'll be contacting Eagletac about a replacement or refund (since they state it supports 14500s).

reppans said:

A couple of folks over at BLF have mentioned that their D25As no longer operated on ~1.5v cells after using 14500s. Maybe a fried boost driver or something - I don't know. I only run 14500s in lights that fully support them - ie retains its lower modes at spec. Yes, the 2014 D25A does retain some lower modes, but they aren't what they used to be (on ~1.5v).

Click to expand...

I had my SWM V10R stop working on primaries, but still worked fine on 16340s. I sent it back to Battery Junction and they ended up sending me the V11R, after SWM couldn't repair it. I really only use li-ions in my lights, save for my Olight i3s and L3 L10, which just get too hot on high to be useful.

I just tested my V11R, D25C Ti and M11R and they all work on a 3.08v CR123A.

Chris

Just got my D25A Ti. Already own a D25Cvn Ti. I really like the D25Cvn and wanted a AA version. I chose unmodded for this one. Wanted to try to keep the stated run times.

I noticed that with the D25Cvn, even with moonlight mode selected, the RCR123 will drain overnight. No where near the stated run times. I suspect the D25A will do the same with 14500's. I will test it with both 14500 and Enveloop AA's.

Max output for both the stock D25C and D25A, per Eagletac customer support, is 900 lumens. I know the vn modded ones are more. Not sure how much more though.

With 14500 you lose moonlight and high/turbo are the same. It has been a while but I feel like they even mention this in the manual. As far as your LED, Eagletac uses stickers to show if there is a difference between what is in the light and what is printed on the box. Eagletac offers a lot of emitter choices and in addition they have to contend with updating LEDs. The neutral white versions have a sticker on the box that shows they are neutral as opposed to the printing on the box, for example. Your light is operating the same as all the other D25A I have possessed.

I just checked and Eagletac does state that with 14500 medium mode becomes the high mode. Also, I should clarify that you don't technically lose moonlight mode but that it becomes much brighter with 14500. It is almost the same as the low mode without much discernible difference.