Nitecore SENS AA - when flashlights get smart
So, the task for a long time was to buy an EDC ( Everyday carry ) flashlight. When choosing, I identified three main criteria: work on AA batteries, relatively compact dimensions, basic dust and moisture protection and, of course, should be a feature! As a result, the choice fell on the lantern from the now popular category " smart devices " - Nitecore SENS AA. Where the very feature is the ability to change the brightness of the glow depending on the angle of inclination relative to the surface of the earth.
The device comes in a small yellow-black box, each side of which indicates to us the use of "that very magic technology» ADT (Active Dimming Technology).
Inside - a standard for most lamps set from the device itself, instructions, a pair of rings (spare sealing and metal), instructions (Chinese, English) and warranty card.
The lamp itself is made of black anodized aluminum. Build quality at the highest level. Nothing creaks and does not play. The manufacturer declared the possibility of immersion in water to a depth of 2 meters and resistance to falls from a height of 1.5 meters.
Physical dimensions: length - 81 mm, diameter of the “head” - 19.8 mm, diameter of the body - 17.5 mm. Turns on the lamp by turning the head. Initially, the thread is “dry” and it is quite problematic to turn on the lamp with one hand, so I smeared it with LITOL-24. It is desirable, of course, to use specialized lubricants for flashlights (LITOL can degrade the sealing ring if it is made of rubber), but then decide for yourself, I used what was at hand.
The weight of the incomplete flashlight is 26 grams (note, the NiMH battery has a weight of ~ 30 grams). Given only 2 keys on the bundle - the pocket does not delay.
Structurally, the lamp consists of 2 parts: the "head" and the battery pack. Threaded connection (fine), for protection against moisture and dust there is a silicone sealing ring.
At the bottom of the battery pack is a spring-loaded contact, which supposedly should prevent the battery from dangling inside the case. As if not so, the fact is that the battery compartment of Nitecore SENS AA is made with a "margin" in diameter and in the off state the battery rattles very nasty inside it. You can fix this bloop, for example, by wrapping a battery with a piece of paper.
The head unit, despite its compact dimensions, contains all the electronics and the actual element of the lamp itself - an LED with an integrated lens (TIR optics). In our case, this is CREE XP-G (R5), where XP-G is the LED model, and R5 means the hue that the diode shines on. So R5 is a cool white shade. The lens is made of acrylic and slightly recessed into the body.
At the back of the “head”, protection against reverse polarity is set up — a black rubber gasket that, in the event of improper installation of the battery, will not allow it to touch the power supply and close the circuit. Here are 4 pins for flashing and debugging the microcontroller that controls the device.
By the end of the second week of operation, anodizing was erased at the point of contact between the lamp and the mounting ring. The remainder of the case did not suffer any changes after a month of use.
Unfortunately, you cannot use 14500 Li-ion batteries with this lamp (in fact, 3.2V LiFePO4 is possible, but not recommended). But I took this flashlight specifically for AA, since I have good stocks of nickel-metal hydride batteries of this size.
There are four modes of operation and they are activated depending on the position of the lamp relative to the ground. Turning on the flashlight in a vertical position (head up) will activate the "smart" mode. In reality, the change in brightness is more obvious, especially when the lamp is head down.
There are also 3 fixed modes: LOW, MID, HIGH.
"For those who are in the subject" conducted measurements of the current consumed in different modes. Just in case, every time I took 3 measurements, respectively, the table shows the average figure. I didn’t make the intentional tests of autonomy, just at the end of each month I put the battery in charge - that's enough.
LOW mode is activated by turning on the lamp in the vertical-down position. According to the manufacturer in this mode, the brightness is set at 6 lumens, and the battery life will be 60 hours (when using a 1.2-V battery, 1.2 V 2500 mAh).
To activate the next mode (MID), the device must be turned on at a 45 degree angle to the ground. According to the passport in this mode, the brightness is set at 20 lumens, and the approximate operating time will be 12 hours.
Well, the last, the brightest mode (HIGH). It is activated by turning on the lamp parallel to the earth (in fact, it is better to raise the degrees by 10, otherwise the lamp does not shine at full power). The instructions indicate that in HIGH mode, the lamp will work for 2 hours at a luminous flux brightness of 120 lumens.
Excellent performance for such a baby, but do not forget that when using the "smart" mode, you need to consider the current consumption of the control electronics (even if it is scanty). What the last one is to figure out, unfortunately, was not possible. The printed circuit board is glued to the head unit with some kind of compound, so an attempt at preparation can turn into very sad consequences for the flashlight.
Results
Nitecore SENS AA - a great device for the role of everyday flashlight, which can be used as a key player. The price in Chinese online stores is at $ 25 (you can buy, for example, here ), in the CIS, the price is on average $ 5 higher, but in this case, if it breaks, you will simply replace the flashlight with a new one (if the purchase was made from an authorized distributor).
')
Advantages and disadvantages
Dust and moisture protection
Compact size
Excellent light performance
"Smart" mode (really use - great feature)
Tear down anodizing in the area of ​​attachment for keys
Initially tight head stroke
In general, the EDC topic is very extensive and no less interesting in comparison with electronic gadgets. Therefore, below is a survey of whether the audience has a desire to read more on this topic.
PS HIbrayuzer DIHALT quite recently gave birth to the most elegant treatise on lanterns . Chewed all aspects of the work of such lamps and varieties thereof. I advise you to read.
I remind you that you can subscribe in order not to miss new reviews and articles
on the company’s page (“subscribe” button), or on your favorite social network: 
Vkontakte , in 
Google + , in 
Twitter
The device comes in a small yellow-black box, each side of which indicates to us the use of "that very magic technology» ADT (Active Dimming Technology).
Inside - a standard for most lamps set from the device itself, instructions, a pair of rings (spare sealing and metal), instructions (Chinese, English) and warranty card.
The lamp itself is made of black anodized aluminum. Build quality at the highest level. Nothing creaks and does not play. The manufacturer declared the possibility of immersion in water to a depth of 2 meters and resistance to falls from a height of 1.5 meters.
Physical dimensions: length - 81 mm, diameter of the “head” - 19.8 mm, diameter of the body - 17.5 mm. Turns on the lamp by turning the head. Initially, the thread is “dry” and it is quite problematic to turn on the lamp with one hand, so I smeared it with LITOL-24. It is desirable, of course, to use specialized lubricants for flashlights (LITOL can degrade the sealing ring if it is made of rubber), but then decide for yourself, I used what was at hand.
The weight of the incomplete flashlight is 26 grams (note, the NiMH battery has a weight of ~ 30 grams). Given only 2 keys on the bundle - the pocket does not delay.
Structurally, the lamp consists of 2 parts: the "head" and the battery pack. Threaded connection (fine), for protection against moisture and dust there is a silicone sealing ring.
At the bottom of the battery pack is a spring-loaded contact, which supposedly should prevent the battery from dangling inside the case. As if not so, the fact is that the battery compartment of Nitecore SENS AA is made with a "margin" in diameter and in the off state the battery rattles very nasty inside it. You can fix this bloop, for example, by wrapping a battery with a piece of paper.
The head unit, despite its compact dimensions, contains all the electronics and the actual element of the lamp itself - an LED with an integrated lens (TIR optics). In our case, this is CREE XP-G (R5), where XP-G is the LED model, and R5 means the hue that the diode shines on. So R5 is a cool white shade. The lens is made of acrylic and slightly recessed into the body.
At the back of the “head”, protection against reverse polarity is set up — a black rubber gasket that, in the event of improper installation of the battery, will not allow it to touch the power supply and close the circuit. Here are 4 pins for flashing and debugging the microcontroller that controls the device.
By the end of the second week of operation, anodizing was erased at the point of contact between the lamp and the mounting ring. The remainder of the case did not suffer any changes after a month of use.
Unfortunately, you cannot use 14500 Li-ion batteries with this lamp (in fact, 3.2V LiFePO4 is possible, but not recommended). But I took this flashlight specifically for AA, since I have good stocks of nickel-metal hydride batteries of this size.
There are four modes of operation and they are activated depending on the position of the lamp relative to the ground. Turning on the flashlight in a vertical position (head up) will activate the "smart" mode. In reality, the change in brightness is more obvious, especially when the lamp is head down.
There are also 3 fixed modes: LOW, MID, HIGH.
"For those who are in the subject" conducted measurements of the current consumed in different modes. Just in case, every time I took 3 measurements, respectively, the table shows the average figure. I didn’t make the intentional tests of autonomy, just at the end of each month I put the battery in charge - that's enough.
| Mode | Current consumption, mA |
|---|---|
| LOW | 100 |
| MID | 200 |
| HIGH | 1000 |
To activate the next mode (MID), the device must be turned on at a 45 degree angle to the ground. According to the passport in this mode, the brightness is set at 20 lumens, and the approximate operating time will be 12 hours.
Well, the last, the brightest mode (HIGH). It is activated by turning on the lamp parallel to the earth (in fact, it is better to raise the degrees by 10, otherwise the lamp does not shine at full power). The instructions indicate that in HIGH mode, the lamp will work for 2 hours at a luminous flux brightness of 120 lumens.
Excellent performance for such a baby, but do not forget that when using the "smart" mode, you need to consider the current consumption of the control electronics (even if it is scanty). What the last one is to figure out, unfortunately, was not possible. The printed circuit board is glued to the head unit with some kind of compound, so an attempt at preparation can turn into very sad consequences for the flashlight.
Results
Nitecore SENS AA - a great device for the role of everyday flashlight, which can be used as a key player. The price in Chinese online stores is at $ 25 (you can buy, for example, here ), in the CIS, the price is on average $ 5 higher, but in this case, if it breaks, you will simply replace the flashlight with a new one (if the purchase was made from an authorized distributor).')
Advantages and disadvantages
Dust and moisture protection Compact size Excellent light performance "Smart" mode (really use - great feature) Tear down anodizing in the area of ​​attachment for keys Initially tight head strokeIn general, the EDC topic is very extensive and no less interesting in comparison with electronic gadgets. Therefore, below is a survey of whether the audience has a desire to read more on this topic.
PS HIbrayuzer DIHALT quite recently gave birth to the most elegant treatise on lanterns . Chewed all aspects of the work of such lamps and varieties thereof. I advise you to read.
I remind you that you can subscribe in order not to miss new reviews and articles
on the company’s page (“subscribe” button), or on your favorite social network: Vkontakte , in Google + , in TwitterSource: https://habr.com/ru/post/213485/
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