Problem with 8AX?

Hi everyone, I just got a new 8AX from Arizona gun runners. It came pretty fast and I charged up the two batteries until the green light came on. Thats was about 1 hour for it to charge. I took the batteries to a camping trip and used them and noticed that they dimmed at about 20 mins of constant use. They advertise 50 mins of use. So is this what I should expect or do u think something is wrong the setup I got? Im going to charge the batteries overnight and see if it makes a difference. I guess I should call surefire?

Even though Surefire said they cycled the battery 3 times, you still need to cycle the batteries at least 3 more times before it being able to accept a full charge to last "50" minutes. That is the normal for brand new ni-cads. I had to do that for my 8AX before being able to get 40 minutes of run time. My advice is use the battery until you actually noticed a dimming in the light then charge it until the green light on the charger comes on. DO NOT use the battery until the flashlight is completely dead!! You can ruin the bulb and/or damage the battery (reverse charge in one of the cells)!!

I've got an 8nx and when I opened it, the instructions directed that the batteries were charged and to use them before charging them again. I followed those instructions and I've had no problems.

I have another question for your flashaholics. For the people that have an 8AX OR NX, how bright is it really supposed to be? It didn't seem to impress me THAT much. I brought it along on a camping trip and my friends 5 battery Mag light was a little bit dimmer but not that much. Of course for the size, its really bright. But is it supposed to be around that bright or brighter? Im sorta worried since it seems I might have gotten a bad batch of batteries.

Oh one more thing. I have a digital camera. Should I take a picture for you guys to see? If so, how many feet away and what should I shine it at??

We love photos here!
A good photo would have atleast one other beam in it for comparison. Maybe a MagLite or another SureFire model.

I've always thought of my 8NX as a gernal task light for high quality white light. The beam has a small intense spot in the centre of the main beam. I've always thought this main beam was pretty wide compared to the other Surefires I have. Of course, SureFire make a TurboHead version for longer range illumination.
I'll usually grab the M2 with P61 or G2 with P60 rather then the 8NX unless I plan to use the light for a long time.
The 8NX has saved me a fortune in batteries but it doesn't the brilliance of the higher output SureFires that I crave.
I don't have a TurboHead for the 8NX so it can't compete with the TurboHead SureFires I use so much.

Al

I posted a beam comparison pic in the SureFire bulletin. It's between a 8AX and a Stinger XT, both about 8 feet away. Just check the heading for 8AX vs. Stinger Pic.

My 8NX and 8AX flashlights, recently acquired, are VERY bright. Brighter than an 6P with the P61 lamp in it. I am very satisfied with them. The B90 battery in the 8AX leaked and corroded the flashlight, but Lagger sent me a new one immediately on learning of this.

About NiCd batteries. Slap a voltmeter on them. You will find that the B90 works at 4V. If the voltage is much lower than this, charge up the battery before using it. Even if the packaging says that the batteries are shipped charged. NiCds lose power while sitting on the shelf.

Deep cycling (fully charging, than fully discharging, then fully recharging) is GOOD for NiCds. You should probably do it once a month or so. You get a 'memory' effect if you partially discharge than recharge the batteries a lot (although this effect is rarely seen in modern batteries).

It does take three or four deep cycles before new batteries attain their full charge holding capabilities.

Hope this helps, Walt

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eynlai:
I posted a beam comparison pic in the SureFire bulletin. It's between a 8AX and a Stinger XT, both about 8 feet away. Just check the heading for 8AX vs. Stinger Pic.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here is the link: http://www.surefire.com/ubb/Forum9/HTML/000555.html


Greetings,
Velcro