Monday, April 14, 2014

DQG Spy 10180 – Quick Review


DQG Spy 10180 – Quick Review






Additonal Photos:
 

Pros

Smallest 10180 that I've found – weights next to nothing
Simple UI – tighten for low, tighten further for high
No PWM – at least none that I can notice
Floody beam useful for close quarters
Good knurling
Tritium on the tail
Can tail-stand easily


Knurling


Cons

Minor issue – a few sharp edges at the tail, near the grooves for the split ring
Need to take a little care when changing batteries, I find it it relatively easily to cross-thread the threads.
Beam is pure flood with no hotspot – brightness fades off quite quickly with distance
Tritium seems quite exposed – I'd be a little worried it might break with keychain duty. I might try and encase it with some Norland 61, if I get a chance.
Difficult to operate one handed, as it's so small

Tritium feels a little exposed.  Some sharp edges at the tail end.

Wide pure flood beam



Versus the Quantum DD

-The DQG spy is significantly smaller and lighter than the Quantum DD.
-In terms of usability, I prefer the DQG Spy over the Quantum DD. I find with the QTC in the Quantum DD, you have to tighten it with a fair bit of force to get it to max brightness. The lack of decent knurling, compounds this issue further, as it's harder to get good finger support to tighten the light firmly.
-The tritium you can install into the Quantum DD, is longer in length. And since it is larger, it's also potentially brighter. Also, you can install two pieces of tritium in the Quantum DD without affecting tail-standing ability. With the DQG Spy, if you install a second rod of tritium, you potentially lose the split ring attachment.
-I feel the Quantum DD has a more modern futuristic look. I feel the DQG spy is more utilitarian in appearance.
-DQG has a wider and a “pure flood” beam. My version of the Quantum DD, is still a fairly floody beam but has a slight hotspot in the centre.
-Quantum DD comes with a charger. You have you source your own charger with the DQG Spy.

Size comparison: Modamag Drake, Quantum DD, DQG Spy, Streamlight Nano, Egear Pico Lite



Other thoughts:

There is also a brass version that is available for even cheaper! The DQG Fairy. Basically, it has the same 'guts' as the DQG Spy, but with a different exterior. Personally, I feel it looks rather plain, so I'm going to give this one a miss.

On my wish list, I'd like to see a version with a reflector or a more focused TIR optic. This will make the flashlight a little more longer, but I'd be happy to accept the trade off. The floody beam is actually quite useful for keychain duties, where it's mostly used to illuminate objects at close quarters. But realistically do we need a keychain light to blast 120 lumens, but only lasts for >10mins at this level? The reason why we (or at least I) have have such an overpowered keychain light is the blast the socks off the “unilluminated”, with their piddly 5-15 lumen button cell light/mag solitaire/iphone LED. A more collimated beam with a brighter hot spot, looks more impressive than a floody beam, particularly if your lighting up an object more than a few metres away.

Ideally, my perfect 10180 flashlight, would be something like the Modamag Drake, but without the PWM, a better looking exterior and an updated LED emitter .

Added to my current keychain duties

Everyone loves a knife and light combo right?  With the Spyderco Bug.



Specifications for DQG spy (taken from a sales page):

Dimension: 27mmx12.5mm
Netweight: 6 gram
Material: Titanium Alloy
Emitter: CREE XP-G2 R5 1A CW / 4C NW
Battery: 10180 Li-ion  (included)
Mode: Low (20mA)>High  (300mA)
Brightness: 200Lumens on High;  10Lumens on Low
(Editors note: According to some reviews High mode is actually only around 120 lumens)
Runtime: 10-15 minutes on High ; 4-5 hours on Low
Switch: Head Rotate switch; Tighten for on; Loose for Off
Come With Yellow / Orange 1.6x5mm Trit on the tail
This light can install 2 pcs of trit on the tail


Links:

Where to buy:


Other reviews/threads:

Friday, April 11, 2014

DQG Spy 10180 Photos!

Hi, yes, it has been a while since my last post!

I've just received a new 10180 keychain flashlight; the DQG Spy 10180!  This thing is an amazingly small beast!  Smaller than any other 10180 flashlight around.

I thought I'd share some photos, first up.  Hope to get some thoughts up about it in the near future.

Where to buy:
http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1987


This thing is puny!  It's smaller than my tritium fob... I think this means I need to find a new and smaller tritium fob!