Eternalight Elite Max arrived today!!

charliek

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Aug 28, 2003
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Bergen county NJ, USA
I had so enjoyed my Ergo Xray, I just had to "step up" to the top of the line, and man, am I glad that I did!

My First impressions: Very well made- switches operate flawlessly. Fit and finish are absolutely first class.

Fired it up next to my Ergo Xray- yes, it(Elite Max) is brighter.. by a good margin. I tested it against my Streamlight Propolymer 7-LED and they hit the same reading on my meter (solar cell+panel meter)

There are some very nice enhancements to functionality as well. When in timer mode, the internal LED blips once per second letting me know it's in timer mode.
The Dimmable settings are improved as well- I get 5 clicks that reduce the power to all 4 leds, the 6th drops it to 3 LEDs, and the 7th to two (the CENTER two!) 8-11 are 1 LED and it toggles down the line to the last one, then just when I thought it would go back to full- it also uses the internal case LED!

Flash and strobe seem to have little changes- but "Dazzle" appears to run at a higher clock rate than the Ergo Xray- a nice improvement. S.O.S. appears about the same as the Ergo. The new "pulse mode" is great- on the Ergo it was a momentary only mode- the Elite Max Pulses a blast of light followed by dimming and an internal case blip, then back to the blast of light- really cool.

The internal case blip once every 2 seconds can be toggled on and off, or made to run a steady bright glow- and a "momentary mode" is available at any time by pressing one button when the unit is off. Great for those times when you might misplace it in the dark!

Just when you think you've seen it all- there are the programmable settings. You have the ability to turn the regulation on and off. You can change the light to a more "simple" operation- if you want to disable all the modes except On, Off and 3 brightness levels (full, Medium, and 1 LED low). You can also turn off the timer function if you want to go straight to "dimmable" mode.

But my favorite of all is "bright memory" - Set the brightness of the light and it remembers that mode next time you turn it on!! Timer mode and dimmable are in the pre-set brightness. Toggle this setting off, and the light always comes on bull blast.

The controls are easy to learn and well thought out- you're never more than a few button pushes from exactly where you want the light set.

This light is a winner

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif
 

RonM

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NJ, USA
I'm a configuration nut, so I love my EliteMax. One thing I noticed was that strobe in the Max was much dimmer than the ErgoMarine. With the Max, output drops a lot when switching from flash to strobe. Is yours that way too?
 

charliek

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Aug 28, 2003
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Bergen county NJ, USA
I don't know about the marine, but ti seems very similar to the Ergo Xray... yes, the strobe is dimmer than flash... but I've never seen the output of the marine.
 

The_LED_Museum

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I just compared the strobe modes of my EliteMax, Ergo Marine, and Ergo X-ray. Looks like the EliteMax does have a slightly (but noticeably) dimmer strobe mode than the other two, but it's not an awful and horrible strobe mode, don't get me wrong here. It's just not quite as bright as the strobe modes in the other two eternaLights I compared it with.

I don't have a handy way to measure the brightness of a strobing or flashing light source, so please don't ask.
 

snook

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Nov 22, 2002
Messages
35
Location
NY
Thanks for the review!

The Elite Max comes with a magnet on it, correct?

If so, can it be (relatively) easy to remove? I want to use the light around some sensitive electronics.


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charliek

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Joined
Aug 28, 2003
Messages
735
Location
Bergen county NJ, USA
[ QUOTE ]
snook said:
Thanks for the review!
The Elite Max comes with a magnet on it, correct?
If so, can it be (relatively) easy to remove? I want to use the light around some sensitive electronics.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was concerned about that too... but the magnet comes in the box loose- I chose not to attach it for the very same reasons.


Oops.. I shoulf have read the whole thread before I replied. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 

SilverFox

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Jan 19, 2003
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Location
Bellingham WA
Hello Charlie,

I did a very simple mod to the Elite Max (and X Ray). I took the night beacon LED and bent it so it is now pointed through the case between two of the other LED's. In very dim light, night beacon shining through the case now produces a small, but usable, blue beam of light.

While camping I find that I just leave the night beacon on and if I get up I just grab the light and go. No need to turn it on.

I thought it was a pretty nifty idea.

Tom
 

The_LED_Museum

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I was going to say the same thing about the magnet - that it's in the box and it's up to the user to decide whether to affix the magnet or not...but I see I already got beaten to it.

But I'll say it anyway...the magnet is in the box and it's up to the user to decide whether or not to affix it to the flashlight. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

MrEternaLight

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Sep 21, 2001
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Just thought I'd let you guys know, the strobe is not necessarily "dimmer". It's "faster". It will run up to 1500 hz so the exposure time is much shorter. If you hold down the adjust button as it speeds up, you'll notice it become much brighter as the frequency increases. Glas you like the light!
 

RonM

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Nov 10, 2000
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NJ, USA
Shorter exposure time to allow a faster strobe. Makes sense to me. Not thinking about the rate, I figured it simply had a shorter exposure time to better freeze the action.

I also noticed that the rate of the emergency signaling Pulse mode can be adjusted with the Adjust button, despite the manual saying this button has no effect. I was able to slow it down substantially, providing long pauses in the cycle. Anyone else's Max do that?

(these things are just too much fun to play with!)
 

The_LED_Museum

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I just confirmed that the duty cycle of the LEDs in strobe mode is smaller (shorter "on" time per flash) than the Ergo Marine I tested the EliteMax against. The bottom line is that you'll see better "stop action" effects with the EliteMax than with other eternaLight models. Not that the other eternaLights are bad - don't get me wrong here - they aren't. Just that the EliteMax has a smaller duty cycle in strobe mode than the others.
 

flashfan

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Aug 2, 2001
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This light is starting to sound better and better--I'll have to move it up on my flashlight "priority" list.
 

charliek

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Aug 28, 2003
Messages
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Location
Bergen county NJ, USA
[ QUOTE ]
MrEternaLight said:
Just thought I'd let you guys know, the strobe is not necessarily "dimmer". It's "faster". It will run up to 1500 hz so the exposure time is much shorter. If you hold down the adjust button as it speeds up, you'll notice it become much brighter as the frequency increases. Glas you like the light!

[/ QUOTE ]

You know- I had a small fan here- I used the strobe on the Ergo Xray and couldn't *quite* freeze it.... it came close... but no cigar. The Elite Max on the other hand had no trouble at all- as a matter of fact it froze it a few clicks into the settings... I think it's *much* faster.

Am I right in the assumption that the Elite MAx runs at a higher clock rate?.. everything seems to be pretty peppy.

Like it? That's the understatement of the year. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

charliek

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Aug 28, 2003
Messages
735
Location
Bergen county NJ, USA
[ QUOTE ]
RonM said:
I was able to slow it down substantially, providing long pauses in the cycle. Anyone else's Max do that? (these things are just too much fun to play with!)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes- mine does too! Cool... and I thought I had explored it thoroughly too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

MichiganMan

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Aug 31, 2002
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589
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Saginaw, MI, USA
Ok, here's a fresh crowd to ask opinions on the blink in the Timing mode.

I remember when MrEternaLight was first developing the EliteMax and soliciting opinions on what to incorporate. (A good thing BTW) I imagine that someone complained about how they would be happily using their X-Ray Ergo, beaming along, never ever imagining that they were in Timer mode until...BAM! their whole world came crashing down as one of the LED's extinguished! Woe upon woe, if only there was only some way, somehow, to be warned that they were in Timer mode and avoid this anguish. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif

So because of this loose lipped whiner we're all to be Eternally assaulted with this &$*(#@! irritating BLINK whenever we turn on our otherwise flawless Elite Max's!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Ok, I vented, I'm better now. BTW before anyone throws it out, I already know that I can set the light to skip Timer mode (made up my mind on that feature after it sat ON in my coat pocket for around four hours one morning) and that (last I heard) Tech Assc. can adjust the blink rate to something I probably won't notice if I can ever bear to part with it to mail it in. I just wanted to know, anyone else dislike this "feature"?

BTW #2, don't let this post fool you. Every true Flashaholic should have at least one Eternalight, and the EliteMax with its regulation, brightness, and Polycarbonate brass reinforced screwhole case is the best of the bunch if you can afford it. Eternalights aren't designed as "Throw" lights, (but then you didn't really by a 5mm Nichia LED light for throw did you?) What they do is take every other advantage of LED lights and makes them work for you like no other light can.
 

charliek

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Joined
Aug 28, 2003
Messages
735
Location
Bergen county NJ, USA
[ QUOTE ]
MichiganMan said:So because of this loose lipped whiner we're all to be Eternally assaulted with this &$*(#@! irritating BLINK whenever we turn on our otherwise flawless Elite Max's!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

One of the other lights I love is my Streamlight Twintask 2L- it always seems I have to click it at least twice to get to the mode I want- so I with the Eternalight, I got into the habit to making a "two click turn on" when I use it. So on is no longer just "power"... it is a quick two-click to "Power+mode". When I click this way I don't even see the internal blink.
 

MichiganMan

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Aug 31, 2002
Messages
589
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Saginaw, MI, USA
That's actually what I've gotten into the habit of doing as well. Someday I'll send it in to get the modification. I found it a little surprising, given the Eternalights re-programability, that the blink could only be slowed down, not eliminated.
 

Kiessling

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Nov 26, 2002
Messages
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Old World
EliteMax absolutely rocks. IMHO it is one of the best lighting tools out there.

BUT ... the horrible BUT ... mine came with the magnet already installed. Not that this was important, I just like to disagree ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
bernhard
 

snook

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Nov 22, 2002
Messages
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Location
NY
Thanks everyone for the info about the magnet.

I have three Eternalights, and now I'm thinking about picking up a fourth! (a Max this time)

I posted this in another thread a few days ago:

"My Eternalights turned out to be the BEST lights for me to use during last year's NYC/Northeast blackout. This was a real example of awesome runtime and great features winning out over brightness/throw.

I found that if I just pointed one at the ceiling, balanced on its end, it would light up the entire room. I didn't have to worry about battery life at all, I just notched the brightness down one setting for insurance. Plus, the little blue locator beacon was incredibly comforting if I set the light down somewhere."


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