Noctigon on Ivan: Thinking

Your 1st Enthusiast Flashlight: Noctigon DM11

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 11:36:18 -0700

If you’re considering getting a Noctigon DM11 as your first enthusiast flashlight, here are some notes and thoughts that can help you with your purchase.

The original Noctigon DM11 was notorious for its “cheese grater” knurling seen here, but is now offered with a less aggressive grip.

General thoughts

If you’re looking for a good light to use for lighting things up from a distance, perhaps for pointing at objects on a nearby hill, the DM11 can be a good light for you.
In my opinion, the DM11 has a great “wow” factor that can impress people with how far a modern flashlight’s beam can reach. It’s not the most insane thrower, but it will likely turn some heads for folks who’ve never seen what a good thower can do.
The colored LED options are fun choices for using the DM11 at a party or to be easily found in a crowd of people.
I don’t think the DM11 is a good light for using everyday as it’s a bit big for carrying in your pants. If you’re looking for a more all-around general purpose light, consider perhaps the great Emisar D4V2 or Emisar D4K.

Where to buy

You can buy the Noctigon DM11 directly from Hank or from the US reseller JHawaii808. If this is your first enthusiast flashlight, you likely won’t have a battery charger or the unprotected flat-top 21700 lithium ion battery that’s needed for the light. You’ll likely need to end up purchasing these separately.

Scribble: Noctigon KR1

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:42:01 -0700

Scribble: Noctigon KR1 by Ivan Tse is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Scribble: Noctigon DM11

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 19:08:01 -0700

Scribble: Noctigon DM11 by Ivan Tse is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Hanklights: Emisar & Noctigon Flashlights by Hank Wang

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 11:27:18 -0700

On flashlight enthusiast communities like r/flashlight and Budget Light Forum, you may sometimes come upon discussions about flashlights made by someone named Hank or lights being referred to as Hanklights. When you search around, though, you may not find any flashlights branded as Hanklights but instead see a lot of mentions of Emisar and Noctigon.

Hank is the mastermind behind the flashlight brands Emisar and Noctigon sold from the website intl-outdoor.com (and noctigon.com). Because these flashlights span across multiple brands, it is easier to refer to them together as Hanklights.

NorCal Flashlight Meetup, January 2023

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 20:24:18 -0700

Let’s geek out about flashlights!

Are you a flashlight enthusiast in the NorCal/SF Bay area and want to meet fellow folks to share the love of lumens with?

Come join us for our first NorCal Flashlight Meetup!

Date: January 21, 2023
Location: Sausalito, CA
Free goodies thanks to Spicy 3D Prints!

You don’t have to be a hard core flashlight enthusiast to attend. Heck, I’m pretty sure most folks know a lot more than I do. All are welcome!

Luminus SBT90.2: High-Power LED Emitter for Pocket Throwers

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 13:13:18 -0400

I got my hands on an SBT90.2 in the Emisar D1V2 kind of on a whim. I didn’t know too much about this emitter other than that it was large, expensive, and could throw out massive amounts of lumens.

I already had a few Noctigon KR1’s that I was happy with as pocket throwers in various colors, so I wanted something a bit different if I was going to get another small thrower. With the D1V2, I decided to go for max wow-factor of photon blasting lumens with the SBT90.2.

Noctigon KR4: New Boost Driver

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 11:47:18 -0700

The Noctigon KR4 has a new driver in town: the boost (12V) driver. There’s a new option on the KR4 product page which lets you select this new driver for an additional price.

The boost driver upgrade is available for the quad version of XP-L HI, SST-20, Osram W1/W2, Nichia 219B R9080 versions, each LED receives 2A current. The driver is not compatible with Nichia E21A, Nichia E17A, and mule versions of the flashlight. Please be noted that the boost driver version does not mean higher output than the regular version, it is a more efficient driver(90-95%).

Hanklight Order #6: December 2021, Merry Dual-channel

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 17:35:18 -0700

Order date	December 14, 2021
Shipped	December 21, 2021
Delivered	December 29, 2021
Hanklights	2

Emisar DT8, Grey, Dual-channel E21A 2000K/5000K

Dipping my toes into both a dual-channel light and the DT8. I got this with the intention of using it at home and possibly as a semi-permanent light in my closet. I wanted this light to be floody, and I’d been jealous of how warm my wife’s light was, so I got one channel with the ultra warm E21A 2000K.

Hanklight Order #5: November 2021, I'm on an Ultra Light Beam

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 17:35:18 -0700

Order date	November 12, 2021
Shipped	November 16, 2021
Delivered	November 29, 2021
Hanklights	1
Accessories	1

Noctigon KR4, Cyan, 3W UV Mule

A friend who works at a local bar asked me what the best UV (Ultra-violet) light would be. While I still don’t have the right answer to that, I was curious what a UV light could do. I hadn’t gotten my hands on a KR4 yet, so I thought this would be a good excuse to handle both itches at once. The KR4 has more premium feel to the body than the D4V2, so I can see why Hank charges a little more for it.

Hanklight Order #4: October 2021, Green and Gold

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:35:18 -0700

Order date	October 17, 2021
Shipped	October 20, 2021
Delivered	November 2, 2021
Hanklights	3

Emisar D4V2, Grey, XP-L HI 4000K

After having explored the SST-20 and 219B from my previous orders, I was curious of what other emitters would look like. To compare, I got a D4V2 with an XP-L HI with the same CRT as my SST-20 at 4000K. It would be a great way of seeing what a difference higher CRI makes with colors. I also wanted the chance to check out the grey anodizing as well as the cyan button.

Hanklight Order #2: February 2021, The Little Thrower

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 17:35:18 -0700

Order date	February 28, 2021
Shipped	March 5, 2021
Delivered	March 14, 2021
Hanklights	1

Noctigon KR1, Cyan, W1 6000K

I wanted to see what a light with high candela would be like. I went back and forth between the W1 and W2 emitters but ultimately went with the pencil thin beam of the W1. I later ended up getting a KR1 W1 Green which I enjoyed a lot more.