Crazyeddiethefirst
Flashlight Enthusiast
EA11 Mini-Review
I have been a member of CPF for over 3 years, and was silently watching a while before that. I joined to learn and understand more about lighting, but have been a Flashaholic for several years. I give this brief history prior to my review because this year has been somewhat of an anomaly: there has been more death, injury, accidents and disasters in my personal life than ever before. However, I have had such phenomenal support from my friends on CPF, I have made it through. There is a second part to this anomaly too: I have won more contests, giveaways and promotions than ever before in my life. And it almost always seems at a low point when things are darkest that I am given a brand new flashlight for free, and in many more ways than one, the darkness goes away.
On to the business at hand. One of our vendors held a "Giveaway", and I won any Flashlight they sold up to a $50 value. Since I have been EDC'ing a Nitecore EC11 for the last couple of weeks, and been suitably impressed, I opted for the Nitecore EA11 for a few reasons:
1. A light that takes AA Alkaline, LiFeP04, NIMH and Lithium-Ion 14500 batteries with a turbo mode of 900 Lumens?This I had to see firsthand(I was very skeptical about the Lumen numbers and wanted to see for myself first hand).
2. I previously owned the Nitecore EC-1 and fell in love with it(almost felt like a Surefire E1E in my hand).
3. I had read about switch failures in the Nitecore EA4, and a few other complaints about Nitecore, but in the last two years, every Nitecore I owned had performed admirably and without failure.
The price on the
website was $54, slightly over the $50 advertised price in the contest. I emailed customer service and asked if I could just pay the difference? She wrote back and said "there is no need to do that, the light is on its way", and "if you could write a short review of the light and your impressions, we would greatly appreciate it". I replied "I would be glad to do a mini-review, but please understand that although I am very grateful for the light, my review will be an honest summation of both the good and the bad that I find in the light. Her response was "that is all we ask for". Then she gave me a code, and asked me to not post it on the site, but to offer it to anyone who sent me a PM asking for it. It knocks a hefty amount off the retail price. I apologize for the novel before the review, but I thought about what my impression would be if someone who won a light, did a glowing positive review And offered a BIG price reduction to anyone who sent me a PM asking for the discount code. Sure sounds like a bribe, but it is not. In all the emails back and forth, The vendor expressed their confidence that this light would stand tall on it's merits alone.
I received the EA11, via DHL 4 days after it was shipped. It came in the standard yellow and black Nitecore Box with the light, a Nylon holster with Velcro closure and D-ring, a nice lanyard and spare O rings as well as a reversible clip. The light is well made and type III hard anodizing with no scratches, scrapes or defects. The white lettering is fine and crisp. As others have mentioned before me, that while we want our lights to meet the standards of numerous regulatory and testing agencies, it does not all need to be printed on the light itself, including the "X'd out" trash can recycling emblem.
The manufacturers provided info:
Cree XM-L2 (U2) LED
Max Output: 900 Lumens
Integrated "Precision Digital Optics Technology" provides extreme reflectors performance.
Boasts a peak beam intensity of 9000cd and a throw distance of up to 190 meters.
Dual switch design ensures unprecedented ease of use.
Secondary Red LED provides constant/flashing illumination.
Indicates battery voltage with a red flashing LED(accurate to 0.1v).
High efficiency constant current circuit enables maximum runtime of 10 hours.
Direct access to ultra low and Turbo.
Reverse Polarity Protection.
Detachable two way anti-rolling clip.
Toughened ultra clear mineral glass with anti-reflective coating.
Constructed with aero grade aluminum alloy.
HAIII Military Grade hard anodized.
Waterproof in accordance with IPX8(two meters submersible).
Impact resistant to 1.5 meters.
Tail stand capable.
Dimensions
Length: 3.62"/ 92mm
Head Diameter: 1"/ 25.4mm
Tail Diameter: 0.79"/ 20mm
Weight: 1.87oz/ 53 Grams(W/O Battery)
Battery Options
Primary AA battery 1.5v Yes(Recommended)
Rechargeable AA battery 1.2v Yes (Recommended)
Primary AA Lithium L91 1.5v Yes
Primary LiFePO4 14500 battery 3.2v Yes
Rechargeable Li-ion battery 14500 3.7v Yes
IMR 14500 Rechargeable Li-ion battery IMR1450 3.7v Yes
Output & Runtime
IMR 14500:
Turbo 900 Lumens 30 minutes.
High 300 Lumens 45 Minutes. Medium 160 Lumens 1 Hour 30 Minutes.
Low 70 lumens 2 hours 30 minutes.
Lowest 1 Lumen 12 hours.
AA
Turbo 160 Lumens 45 Minutes.
High 90 Lumens 2 Hours 15 minutes.
Medium 40 Lumens 2 Hours 45 Minutes.
Low 17 Lumens 3 Hours 45 minutes.
Lowest 1 Lumen 10 Hours
User Interface: Two side-mounted switches. The switch closest to the LED end of the light is the "Mode" Switch. The switch beneath that is the "On-Off" switch.
Press the "On-Off Switch to turn the light on. Press the Mode switch to cycle through all 5 levels. Mode memory is present. If the light is off and the "Mode" switch is pressed, the red "night vision" light comes on. Press either switch to turn the red light off. OR with the red light on, press and hold the "mode" button to enter the red "Signal" mode. In this mode the red light will flash to serve as a signal light.
Direct access to Ultra-Low/ Turbo: from Off position press and hold the on-off switch for more than one second to access the UltraLow mode. With the light off, press and hold the Mode button for more than one second to access Turbo.
Special Modes
Strobe, Location, SOS):
With the light On, press and hold the mode button for more than one second to enter Strobe mode, then hold it again to cycle through Location and SOS Modes.
With the light off, press the mode button twice in quick succession to enter strobe mode.
Lockout/Unlock
With the light on, press and hold both On and Mode buttons simultaneously for over one second to enter Lockout mode. This will conserve battery life for over 77 days. To exit Lockout, press and hold both buttons again for over one second.
Upon entering Lockout Mode, the Red LED will flash to indicate battery voltage.
If the light will be left in a backpack or Bug out bag, it is advisable to loosen the tailcap by a half turn to lock-out the light and prevent accidentally turning it on.
Impression: there has been a lot of controversy about the low runtimes from an AA cell on the lowest setting. I have not yet been able to "real world" test the actual run times. Another question was if this light could really put out 900 Lumens on an IMR14500 cell. In comparison to multiple other lights that put out 860-940 lumens, I Believe it is does indeed put out 900 Lumens.
The beam has a pleasing color, still a cool white but without any hints of green or blue-it could almost pass for neutral. The red beam is weak, but in pitch black conditions it is adequate for the job at hand.
Pros: the light is small, lightweight, with an intuitive user interface. In all fairness, I was using the EC11for two weeks before I got the EA11, so it felt natural to use. I like that it can take any AA cell available. Using the IMR14500 it is a very impressive powerhouse. The voltage indicator is accurate and easy to use. The clip is effective, and reversible. My personal preference is always a screw on clip, but that's me.
Cons: when I tried all 5 battery types I got these results/
NIMH: all Modes functioned, and the highest setting was more than enough for anything I needed this light for.
Alkaline: all 5 modes worked fine.
LiFeP04: the light went from low to high, nothing in between. I checked the voltage and it was correct, still, in a crisis, LiFeP04 could be used.
Li-ion 14500, all 5 modes, including 900 Lumen Turbo
IMR 14500, all 5 modes including 900 Lumen Turbo.
As I reviewed Nitecore, I can see that some members have had issues with dependability Having said that, over the last couple of years I have purchased a nice
Collection of Nitecore lights and I have not had a failure yet. Some of the lights that I carried as backup lights have since become primary EDC's.
I was pleased to win this light, but truth be told it was already on my short list of lights I planned on purchasing. Thank you Gear Best for the contest and giveaway.
If anyone would like to purchase the EA11, or EC11, the vendor has given me a coupon code for a significant price reduction, just PM me and I will send it to you.
Thanks for reading my review (this was done from an iPhone) and I welcome feedback and constructive criticism that I may improve my methodologies,
Ed, still Crazy after all these years...
I have been a member of CPF for over 3 years, and was silently watching a while before that. I joined to learn and understand more about lighting, but have been a Flashaholic for several years. I give this brief history prior to my review because this year has been somewhat of an anomaly: there has been more death, injury, accidents and disasters in my personal life than ever before. However, I have had such phenomenal support from my friends on CPF, I have made it through. There is a second part to this anomaly too: I have won more contests, giveaways and promotions than ever before in my life. And it almost always seems at a low point when things are darkest that I am given a brand new flashlight for free, and in many more ways than one, the darkness goes away.
On to the business at hand. One of our vendors held a "Giveaway", and I won any Flashlight they sold up to a $50 value. Since I have been EDC'ing a Nitecore EC11 for the last couple of weeks, and been suitably impressed, I opted for the Nitecore EA11 for a few reasons:
1. A light that takes AA Alkaline, LiFeP04, NIMH and Lithium-Ion 14500 batteries with a turbo mode of 900 Lumens?This I had to see firsthand(I was very skeptical about the Lumen numbers and wanted to see for myself first hand).
2. I previously owned the Nitecore EC-1 and fell in love with it(almost felt like a Surefire E1E in my hand).
3. I had read about switch failures in the Nitecore EA4, and a few other complaints about Nitecore, but in the last two years, every Nitecore I owned had performed admirably and without failure.
The price on the
website was $54, slightly over the $50 advertised price in the contest. I emailed customer service and asked if I could just pay the difference? She wrote back and said "there is no need to do that, the light is on its way", and "if you could write a short review of the light and your impressions, we would greatly appreciate it". I replied "I would be glad to do a mini-review, but please understand that although I am very grateful for the light, my review will be an honest summation of both the good and the bad that I find in the light. Her response was "that is all we ask for". Then she gave me a code, and asked me to not post it on the site, but to offer it to anyone who sent me a PM asking for it. It knocks a hefty amount off the retail price. I apologize for the novel before the review, but I thought about what my impression would be if someone who won a light, did a glowing positive review And offered a BIG price reduction to anyone who sent me a PM asking for the discount code. Sure sounds like a bribe, but it is not. In all the emails back and forth, The vendor expressed their confidence that this light would stand tall on it's merits alone.
I received the EA11, via DHL 4 days after it was shipped. It came in the standard yellow and black Nitecore Box with the light, a Nylon holster with Velcro closure and D-ring, a nice lanyard and spare O rings as well as a reversible clip. The light is well made and type III hard anodizing with no scratches, scrapes or defects. The white lettering is fine and crisp. As others have mentioned before me, that while we want our lights to meet the standards of numerous regulatory and testing agencies, it does not all need to be printed on the light itself, including the "X'd out" trash can recycling emblem.
The manufacturers provided info:
Cree XM-L2 (U2) LED
Max Output: 900 Lumens
Integrated "Precision Digital Optics Technology" provides extreme reflectors performance.
Boasts a peak beam intensity of 9000cd and a throw distance of up to 190 meters.
Dual switch design ensures unprecedented ease of use.
Secondary Red LED provides constant/flashing illumination.
Indicates battery voltage with a red flashing LED(accurate to 0.1v).
High efficiency constant current circuit enables maximum runtime of 10 hours.
Direct access to ultra low and Turbo.
Reverse Polarity Protection.
Detachable two way anti-rolling clip.
Toughened ultra clear mineral glass with anti-reflective coating.
Constructed with aero grade aluminum alloy.
HAIII Military Grade hard anodized.
Waterproof in accordance with IPX8(two meters submersible).
Impact resistant to 1.5 meters.
Tail stand capable.
Dimensions
Length: 3.62"/ 92mm
Head Diameter: 1"/ 25.4mm
Tail Diameter: 0.79"/ 20mm
Weight: 1.87oz/ 53 Grams(W/O Battery)
Battery Options
Primary AA battery 1.5v Yes(Recommended)
Rechargeable AA battery 1.2v Yes (Recommended)
Primary AA Lithium L91 1.5v Yes
Primary LiFePO4 14500 battery 3.2v Yes
Rechargeable Li-ion battery 14500 3.7v Yes
IMR 14500 Rechargeable Li-ion battery IMR1450 3.7v Yes
Output & Runtime
IMR 14500:
Turbo 900 Lumens 30 minutes.
High 300 Lumens 45 Minutes. Medium 160 Lumens 1 Hour 30 Minutes.
Low 70 lumens 2 hours 30 minutes.
Lowest 1 Lumen 12 hours.
AA
Turbo 160 Lumens 45 Minutes.
High 90 Lumens 2 Hours 15 minutes.
Medium 40 Lumens 2 Hours 45 Minutes.
Low 17 Lumens 3 Hours 45 minutes.
Lowest 1 Lumen 10 Hours
User Interface: Two side-mounted switches. The switch closest to the LED end of the light is the "Mode" Switch. The switch beneath that is the "On-Off" switch.
Press the "On-Off Switch to turn the light on. Press the Mode switch to cycle through all 5 levels. Mode memory is present. If the light is off and the "Mode" switch is pressed, the red "night vision" light comes on. Press either switch to turn the red light off. OR with the red light on, press and hold the "mode" button to enter the red "Signal" mode. In this mode the red light will flash to serve as a signal light.
Direct access to Ultra-Low/ Turbo: from Off position press and hold the on-off switch for more than one second to access the UltraLow mode. With the light off, press and hold the Mode button for more than one second to access Turbo.
Special Modes
Strobe, Location, SOS):With the light On, press and hold the mode button for more than one second to enter Strobe mode, then hold it again to cycle through Location and SOS Modes.
With the light off, press the mode button twice in quick succession to enter strobe mode.
Lockout/Unlock
With the light on, press and hold both On and Mode buttons simultaneously for over one second to enter Lockout mode. This will conserve battery life for over 77 days. To exit Lockout, press and hold both buttons again for over one second.
Upon entering Lockout Mode, the Red LED will flash to indicate battery voltage.
If the light will be left in a backpack or Bug out bag, it is advisable to loosen the tailcap by a half turn to lock-out the light and prevent accidentally turning it on.
Impression: there has been a lot of controversy about the low runtimes from an AA cell on the lowest setting. I have not yet been able to "real world" test the actual run times. Another question was if this light could really put out 900 Lumens on an IMR14500 cell. In comparison to multiple other lights that put out 860-940 lumens, I Believe it is does indeed put out 900 Lumens.
The beam has a pleasing color, still a cool white but without any hints of green or blue-it could almost pass for neutral. The red beam is weak, but in pitch black conditions it is adequate for the job at hand.
Pros: the light is small, lightweight, with an intuitive user interface. In all fairness, I was using the EC11for two weeks before I got the EA11, so it felt natural to use. I like that it can take any AA cell available. Using the IMR14500 it is a very impressive powerhouse. The voltage indicator is accurate and easy to use. The clip is effective, and reversible. My personal preference is always a screw on clip, but that's me.
Cons: when I tried all 5 battery types I got these results/
NIMH: all Modes functioned, and the highest setting was more than enough for anything I needed this light for.
Alkaline: all 5 modes worked fine.
LiFeP04: the light went from low to high, nothing in between. I checked the voltage and it was correct, still, in a crisis, LiFeP04 could be used.
Li-ion 14500, all 5 modes, including 900 Lumen Turbo
IMR 14500, all 5 modes including 900 Lumen Turbo.
As I reviewed Nitecore, I can see that some members have had issues with dependability Having said that, over the last couple of years I have purchased a nice
Collection of Nitecore lights and I have not had a failure yet. Some of the lights that I carried as backup lights have since become primary EDC's.
I was pleased to win this light, but truth be told it was already on my short list of lights I planned on purchasing. Thank you Gear Best for the contest and giveaway.
If anyone would like to purchase the EA11, or EC11, the vendor has given me a coupon code for a significant price reduction, just PM me and I will send it to you.
Thanks for reading my review (this was done from an iPhone) and I welcome feedback and constructive criticism that I may improve my methodologies,
Ed, still Crazy after all these years...
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