Led Lenser p14

jama12uk · Jan 14, 2010

Hey all,

This is my 1st post so please bear with me. Im looking into ourchasing the new led lenser p14 200 lumens model. I have read that there are three light level settings and you hold the button in for maximum?? Please can you tell me, is the 200 lumens only produced when you hold the switch in for max/ turbo or is 200 lumens on the regular high setting? Please can you advise.

Many Thanks

AnAppleSnail · Jan 14, 2010

In future, use searches please. It's a 2-level light (Low, High) with an optional turbo where you must hold the button in. This is likely to help avoid overheating by pumping heat into your hand.

LeifUK · Jan 14, 2010

Here is a P7 review that might be relevant for you:

http://translate.google.com/transla...t.php?p=504265&postcount=13&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en

I doubt the P14 behaves much differently.

jama12uk · Jan 14, 2010

AnAppleSnail said:
In future, use searches please. It's a 2-level light (Low, High) with an optional turbo where you must hold the button in. This is likely to help avoid overheating by pumping heat into your hand.

That wan't my question.

My question is: Is 200 lumens the high or the turbo setting?

Hitthespot · Jan 14, 2010

Yes you must hold the button for maximum brightness. However there is only a slight difference between high and turbo.

Welcome to CPF.

Bill

Egsise · Jan 14, 2010

jama12uk said:
Please can you tell me, is the 200 lumens only produced when you hold the switch in for max/ turbo or is 200 lumens on the regular high setting? Please can you advise.

200 lumens is the turbo.

JaguarDave-in-Oz · Jan 14, 2010

Fair bit of discussion on P7 and P14 on this review

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=215039

hyperloop · Jan 14, 2010

jama12uk said:
That wan't my question.

My question is: Is 200 lumens the high or the turbo setting?

Hi, i own the P14 and i can confirm two things:-

1. 200 lumens is the turbo setting

2. the difference between high and turbo is just slightly different.

I am running my P14 on eneloops (yes, i know its not approved but its my choice :D ) so i am not sure if there is a difference because of the lower voltage of NiMHs as compared to alkalines.

JaguarDave-in-Oz · Jan 14, 2010

hyperloop said:
Hi, i own the P14 and i can confirm ......... the difference between high and turbo is just slightly different.

I am running my P14 on eneloops (yes, i know its not approved but its my choice :D ) so i am not sure if there is a difference because of the lower voltage of NiMHs as compared to alkalines.

I used to think that about my P7 until one night where using the high setting I could only just see a fox at the end of useable the range of the torch in my sheep paddock. When I flashed it to turbo the fox became much clearer so whilst my eye doesn't perceive a great difference in normal use there really was a "great" difference at longer range (the fox probably didn't think it was so great though when the bullet hit him).

I used to use mine solely on alkies but now use eneloops and can't perceive a differnce in brightness between the two batteries. No scientifc testing here though.

hyperloop · Jan 15, 2010

JaguarDave-in-Oz said:
I used to think that about my P7 until one night where using the high setting I could only just see a fox at the end of useable the range of the torch in my sheep paddock. When I flashed it to turbo the fox became much clearer so whilst my eye doesn't perceive a great difference in normal use there really was a "great" difference at longer range (the fox probably didn't think it was so great though when the bullet hit him).

I used to use mine solely on alkies but now use eneloops and can't perceive a differnce in brightness between the two batteries. No scientifc testing here though.

+1 the difference might become more apparent at distance

Swedpat · Jan 15, 2010

hyperloop said:
Hi, i own the P14 and i can confirm two things:-

1. 200 lumens is the turbo setting

2. the difference between high and turbo is just slightly different.

I am running my P14 on eneloops (yes, i know its not approved but its my choice :D ) so i am not sure if there is a difference because of the lower voltage of NiMHs as compared to alkalines.

Hi,

I also have a P14. Interesting that you use it with NiMh cells, which I also usually prefer, but have alkalines to this light. Ledlenser claims that NiMh cells are harmful, but I have hard to understand why they should be.
I guess that the initial brightness will be slightly higher with alkalines, but NiMh will win in the long run and provide a longer runtime with a more flat curve. NiMh have lower voltage than alkalines only in the beginning, and have higher voltage after a while. Maybe I will try P14 will NiMH-cells.

Regards, Patric

JaguarDave-in-Oz · Jan 15, 2010

Swedpat said:
I guess that the initial brightness will be slightly higher with alkalines, but NiMh will win in the long run and provide a longer runtime with a more flat curve. NiMh have lower voltage than alkalines only in the beginning, and have higher voltage after a while.

Given the way that the alkaline voltage sags under load it may be that the NiMH holds just as much voltage in early stage too. I've tried them both out and just can't see a difference.

PerttiK · Jan 15, 2010

I've got an older lenser v2, luxeon something I think.
Uses 3xAAA, gets quite hot with nimh's, and burns brighter, and runtime isn't something to brag about.
With alkalines gets somewhat warm, definetly not hot.

JaguarDave-in-Oz · Jan 15, 2010

PerttiK said:
I've got an older lenser v2,......Uses 3xAAA, gets quite hot with nimh's, ....................With alkalines gets somewhat warm, definetly not hot.

Perhaps thos eearleir models get hotter quicker, my P7 doesn;t seem to get overly hot on high for long periods.

Led Lenser don't say it in their manuals but basically what you say is what was described on a few threads here some time back as being the reason LedLenser don't recommend NiMH. Supposedly the voltage of alkalines drops fast enough that the lights won't get too hot. According to those on here the NiMH keeps the voltage up for much longer and the lights get hotter which might shorten the life of the LED.

I guess to a company that lifetime guaranteses their product that might be a way of preventing claims owing to shorter LED lifepans but since most of these companies claim fifty thousand hours life (and LedLenser says a hundred thousand to fifty percent brightness) then even if by some stretch of the imagination my 4 x AAA eneloops and Imedions cut my P7's LED's life by a drastic 75% it would still work longer than I'd ever be able to use it.

Egsise · Jan 16, 2010

JaguarDave-in-Oz said:
Perhaps thos eearleir models get hotter quicker, my P7 doesn;t seem to get overly hot on high for long periods.

Led Lenser don't say it in their manuals but basically what you say is what was described on a few threads here some time back as being the reason LedLenser don't recommend NiMH. Supposedly the voltage of alkalines drops fast enough that the lights won't get too hot. According to those on here the NiMH keeps the voltage up for much longer and the lights get hotter which might shorten the life of the LED.

I guess to a company that lifetime guaranteses their product that might be a way of preventing claims owing to shorter LED lifepans but since most of these companies claim fifty thousand hours life (and LedLenser says a hundred thousand to fifty percent brightness) then even if by some stretch of the imagination my 4 x AAA eneloops and Imedions cut my P7's LED's life by a drastic 75% it would still work longer than I'd ever be able to use it.

This issue has been discussed a lot in here.
The reason why LL P7 does not get hot is that it is designed that way.
Light of that size and lumens gets hot, period. If the light does not get hot....
A: The output is not 150-200 lumens.
B: The heat is not transferred away from the led.

LL says not to use NiMH or lithium batteries in P7 and P14 models.
Why? Because NiMH and lithium cells have a lot smaller internal resistance than alkaline cells.
Using NiMH or lithium cells the light puts out more lumens for longer time than than with alkalines.
More lumens, more heat, A or B?

Many people do use NiMH's in their Led Lensers without problems, just don't say that you have used them when you have warranty issues. :rolleyes:

Some reading:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=219121
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=201547
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=213261
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=253231
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=215039

Swedpat · Jan 16, 2010

JaguarDave-in-Oz said:
Given the way that the alkaline voltage sags under load it may be that the NiMH holds just as much voltage in early stage too. I've tried them both out and just can't see a difference.

I wonder if it is a difference but maybe not very big? I have found that the only way to really know small brightness differences is using a lightmeter.
A diminishing of 20-30% can be hard to notice when it's gradually, and 10% is barely noticable even in a side-by-side comparison. If you would try with a lightmeter and ceiling bounce test under the same conditions you can compare even small differences.

Regards, Patric

JaguarDave-in-Oz · Jan 16, 2010

Swedpat said:
I wonder if it is a difference but maybe not very big?

I'm sure that's likely true.

Swedpat said:
I have found that the only way to really know small brightness differences is using a lightmeter.

I'm not so high tech. The only way I can measure a difference in light output betwen th ebattery sets is to see how many yards further away or less I can see an object clearly in my paddock. Since that mirrors the way I use my torch in real life it's a definitive test for me and any change in output from one battery set to another that makes so little difference that the distance doesn't change is effectively no difference as far as I'm concerned. Of course that test doesn't apply to any one else but me.

JaguarDave-in-Oz · Jan 16, 2010

Egsise said:
This issue has been discussed a lot in here.
The reason why LL P7 does not get hot is that it is designed that way.

Whoever tested that must have a different Led Lenser to me, my P7 gets hottish (not "quite hot" though) and I'm sure it was designed that way. Doesn't really seem to be that much different in "hotness" between it and my Quark Turbo AA2 though. I trtied to get that hot the other day (to help break the seal) and alls it did was become "warm". My P5 used to get "quite hot". My p17 doesn't get past warm, big torch body to share all that LED heat through, as is the P7 really.

Egsise said:
Light of that size and lumens gets hot, period. If the light does not get hot....
A: The output is not 150-200 lumens.
B: The heat is not transferred away from the led.

I guess neither of these apply to my particular Led Lenser P7 since it A: Does get hot (but not TOO hot) and B: outshines other torches I have that have supposedly more lumens than 150 (though I'm happy to admit that it might just be all those luxes doing the work instead of the lumens).

Egsise · Jan 16, 2010

JaguarDave-in-Oz said:
Whoever tested that must have a different Led Lenser to me, my P7 gets hot and I'm sure it was designed that way.

JaguarDave-in-Oz said:
Perhaps thos eearleir models get hotter quicker, my P7 doesn;t seem to get overly hot on high for long periods

What?

And you are right about lux vs lumens, LL P7 perhaps not outshines, but outthrows other ~150 lumen lights.
My Fenix TK20(~150lumens) outthrows my MG PLI ww(~300lumens), its all about beam shape.

JaguarDave-in-Oz · Jan 16, 2010

Egsise said:
Quote:Originally Posted by JaguarDave-in-Oz
Whoever tested that must have a different Led Lenser to me, my P7 gets hot and I'm sure it was designed that way.

Quote:Originally Posted by JaguarDave-in-Oz
Perhaps thos eearleir models get hotter quicker, my P7 doesn;t seem to get overly hot on high for long periods

What?

I thought I was quite clear there. My P7 does not get overly hot. I never said it does not get hot at all. It's all a matter of degree (perhaps literally too). As a comparative, my Nightcore D10 gets what I'd call "overly hot".

Egsise said:
and you are right about lux vs lumens, LL P7 perhaps not outshines, but outthrows other ~150 lumen lights.
My Fenix TK20(~150lumens) outthrows my MG PLI ww(~300lumens), its all about beam shape.

My TK20 won't out throw my P7 though. Nor wil my Quark AA2 Turbo. The ol P7 must be doing something right.

Yes, I'm sure the fact that the beam is concentrated is the reason why the P7 can stand well in the face of much more "powerful" company.

Led Lenser p14

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