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Packaging
Light comes packed in a cardboard display box. Light itself is held in a plastic clamshell.

Contents
1x EagleTac P10C
1x Elastic nylon holster
1x Wrist strap
1x Spare rubber switch cap
2x Spare rubber o-rings

Construction

EagleTac is a new company which manufactures good quality and high output lights. You may notice some design similarities to other brands such as Fenix and Olights, however they do introduce some nice additions. The head has a stainless steel bezel. It isn't adhered to the head and can be easily unscrewed and replaced if needed. Or it could also allow for various lens attachments in the future such as color filters and beam diffusers. The lens is advertised as being multi-coated glass providing up to 99% light transmission out the front. The reflector used looks very nice with a consistent textured surface and well polished coating. The LED sitting at the bottom is practically perfectly aligned with the reflector upon visual inspection which is nice. Externally, the head has 6 flat faces machined all around covering most of the surface. These also act as an anti-roll feature when the clip it detached. At the rear end of the head is a ring of subtle striped knurling. Looking from the rear you'll see the electrical contact to the battery. A physical reverse polarity protection system in implemented in the P10C so you don't have to worry about accidentally damaging its electronics. Do note that this also means that you will not be able to use the older style flat-topped 16340 cells. Type 3 anodizing is well finished throughout the head with no flaws to be found. Overall the head feels very solid and well made.

The battery tube on the P10C is pretty short in comparison to its head and tail cap. It has a thin band of striped knurling about 0.5cm wide running around the middle, though for the case of a light this size, you'll probably rely more on the head and tail cap for grip. There are also 2 flat faces on either sides which have some branding text printed on. The detachable clip fits towards the front end of the battery tube and slots in nicely into a recessed slot. This slot also has an additional alignment feature which prevents the clip from sliding rotationally around the battery tube. As you can see from the image to the right, the clip allows for either head-up or head-down carry. Threads on either ends are well-cut, they mate well with both the head and tail cap respectively. The threads towards the front are uncoated as required to activate the low output mode, while threads at the rear end are coated. This allows the light to be effectively locked out when the tail cap is slightly loosened. As with the head, anodized coating is well done, no complaints here. Do take note that the detachable clip does fit tightly around the battery tube, as such, repeated removal and attachment of the clip will cause the anodized coating to scratch off. When attached, I did notice the clip rattles a little against the battery tube. The tail cap houses a forward push button which allows for momentary activation. Also since all mode changes are controlled via head twists, you can use this light for morse code or other signaling purposes without issues. The switching mechanism is stiff and has an average amount of travel before engaging to the constant on position. When clicked, tactile feedback is positive with an audible click. The spring used for the "-" contact is gold-coated for better electrical contact. On its exterior, the switch cap also has 6 flat faces machined all around providing a good enough grip during battery changes. Due to the small size of the light and clip position, I personally found removing the head a much easier when replacing batteries. The rubber switch cap has a checkered textured knurling and sits recessed inside the tail cap which allows the light to tail stand on flat surfaces. There are 2 shallow scallops machined right on the rear lip of the tail cap which makes pressing of the switch more comfortable. Finally there're 2 small holes for lanyard attachments.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary.


Output

The EagleTac P10C provides a pretty straight forward user interface, especially when compared to all the multi-mode and variable brightness ramping modes of some recent lights. This will be a welcomed addition to some who just want a light that works without confusing the general user. With the head tightened the light is in Hi mode, advertised at 220 lumens. Loosened puts it into Lo mode, advertised at 60 lumens. The P10C will accept both 3V CR123 and 3.7V 16340 cells.

Beam profile is nice, both hotspot and spill beam are smooth with no major artifacts other than the slight dark ring around the hotspot. This is common among most XR-E based lights. However the dark ring here isn't as bad as I've seen in some others. Right outside the hotspot is a medium sized corona which transitions into the spill beam. My sample has a very nice neutral white color temperature. Even when comparing the Lo and Hi output levels, there is very little tint shift. No worries of getting a blue/violet hue at high output levels thanks to the well-designed and effective heat sinking in the head. As you can see from the runtime graphs below, regulation is maintained well but runtime is extremely short on Hi mode which is disappointing.


Conclusion

The Good - Fit and finish is excellent with nice touches such as the stainless steel bezel and scalloped tail cap. Surprisingly bright on Hi level for a light this size. Simple user interface with nice variation of Hi and Lo brightness levels.

The Bad - Very short runtime on the Hi level. Clip rattles slightly against the battery tube.

The Relative - Neutral white beam color tint. Uses a forward push button. Is able to tail stand. Convenient detachable clip.


Comments

Gallery (in order of assembly)

Head (front view)

Head (side view).

Head (rear view).

Battery tube (front view).

Battery tube (side view).

Battery tube (rear view).

Tail cap (front view).

Tail cap (side view).

Tail cap (rear view).


EagleTac P10C
September 03, 2008
Overall
7.8

Construction
    8.0
Output
    8.5
Value
    7.0

Availability
EagleTac.com
Beam Profile
Medium Spot
Coating
Type 3 Anodizing
Cost
$69
Dimensions
9.4cm long
2.6cm at widest Ø
Lens
Multi-Coated Glass
Light Source
Cree XR-E
Output
1x 16340 750mAh AW Protected
Hi Spot 5020 Lux
Hi Spill 176 Lux
Lo Spot 1451 Lux
Lo Spill 51 Lux
1x CR123 1500mAh e²
Hi Spot 5100 Lux
Hi Spill 178 Lux
Lo Spot 1352 Lux
Lo Spill 47 Lux
Power
1x 16340
1x CR123
Reflector
Textured Aluminum
Runtime
1x 16340 750mAh AW Protected
Hi 00:29 to 50%
Lo 02:47 to 50%
1x CR123 1500mAh e²
Hi 00:27 to 50%
Lo 07:53 to 50%
Switch
Forward Push Button
Weight
67.6g
84.1g with e² CR123
85.4g with AW Protected 16340