Welcome. Remember to Bookmark me or subscribe to the RSS Feed to keep getting cool stuff.

Quark Turbo Flashlights: Weapon Light Standards Set

Posted on September 03, 2010 by Ed

You can get totally ripped off when you go a buy a dedicated “weapon light.” Some guys might be able to justify a $200-500 expense on ONE gun light but I cannot. Buyer beware: pricing on such lights is ludicrous and an outgrowth of marketing hype and strategy (“hey we’re expensive because we’re cool!”). Enter the 4Sevens “Quark Turbo” flashlights (and their successors) which pretty much divide this competition asunder. That’s because these are extremely capable, lightweight, compact, tough, and relatively affordable lighting products that will impress you with their performance. The Quark 123 Turbo is my favorite (in weapon light POU): it weighs a svelt 3.6 oz and cranks out up to 230 lumens from it’s programmable UI. The AA Turbo is not far behind at 205 Lumens but is a bit longer due to AA power cell use and weighs in at about 5.5 oz with rechargeables. The 123 Turbo accepts the AW IC-protected 1600 mah 17650 rechargeable cell but a more powerful 2600mah18650 won’t fit (upgrade to a Quark 18650 body, purchased separately; battery types and technologies will also change). Both feature the programmable Quark “Tacitical” interface which allows two mode choices: tight bezel position and loose bezel positions (primary and secondary modes). The modes include: 0.2 lumen Moonlight (very useful), 4 lumen Low, 22 lumen Medium, 85 lumen high, and 230 lumen (205 lumen AA) Max, SOS, Strobe, and Beacon modes. This UI does lack ultimate versatility but offers mode memorization and greater simplicity. A downside to the regulation circuit is the presence of “pre-flash” after initial turn on and transition to low modes. I predict this will be fixed eventually. The beams “throw” well for the lights’ size and power cells: max weapon use range will be about 100 yards/meters in my testing. Beam spread at that range does occur. The XP-G R5 LED is 46% brighter and 64% more efficient than the Cree XR-E predecessor although is has more divergence that is reigned in somewhat by the mostly smooth and deep reflector. Some tinting is noted in the “cool white” LED versions but it’s transparent in use and the higher brightness levels provided by these bins are preferred for the discussed POUs. Burn times are good and again dominant any incandescent offerings (obsolete). Waterproofness was thoroughly tested and no weaknesses were revealed. With the flared emitter head, some users will prefer the ergos on the Quark Turbos which mimick traditional flashlight appearance. Cooling fins help the XP-G R5 run more efficiently and add a nice visual touch to the lights. The pocket clip is excellent. As I’ve discussed before, lighting technology will continue to march onward but these Quark Turbo offerings achieve usable 80-100 yd performance in the demanding weapon light POU. They also see resistant to weapon shock (initial testing only). I recommend simple installment on the gun’s rail with an aluminum scope ring (with plastic shims) tightened down. Actuation with the clicky switch is simple and effective and they are no wires to break and get fouled (flush tailcap options shown as well). Additionally they will serve well in the EDC, backpacking search light, walk around, and survival light applications. As of June 2010, these lights (and especially the Quark 123 Turbo) have set some benchmarks in size, weight, versatility, and performance that the overly-hyped and priced alternatives struggle to match. /////////// Nutnfancy Likeability Scales, Quark 1232 Turbo: 8.5 out of 10, Quark AA2 Turbo: 8 out of 10////////////// Music: TNPr “El Dudio” at youtube.com/user/eldudio

Duration : 0:28:29


[youtube aCO7SWPYMgE]

Discussion: 25 Comments

25 Responses to “Quark Turbo Flashlights: Weapon Light Standards Set”

  1. Bloodstryke

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    @nutnfancy What …
    @nutnfancy What kind of rings did you use to mount this flashlight? It is 1.18 inches in diameter and I haven’t seen any mounts that big.

  2. Bloodstryke

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    does anyone know of …
    does anyone know of a mount that has rings big enough for this light? The specs say this light has 1.18 inch diameter and every flashlight mount that I have found is only 1.06 inches at most.

  3. ifly269s

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Yet Another epic …
    Yet Another epic Vid! Keep up the exelent work. – 69S

  4. joeylogoo

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    excellent review. i …
    excellent review. i got ripped off at a gun show for buying a flashlight,lazer,scope pack… long story short they are all bad and i am looking for a good light. i think i will try the quark 123 turbo.

  5. Eslamizar

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Great video as …
    Great video as usual, and I really dig the music…… I am getting one of these 4sevens lights and the video helped me a lot…. thank’s dude.

  6. dannevaupptaget

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    hi there. i am …
    hi there. i am thinking of buying the 123-2 4sevens light. just wondering… you use the 17670 in the film right? ant it’s really tight. how are you thinking that a 18650 would fit? have you tested it? i’m very curious about that since it has 1ah more power.
    Thanks.

  7. jowagn

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    going to get one of …
    going to get one of these lights with my next paycheck. I check out your sight b4 i buy anything. Condor soft shell coming tomorrow. Ordered 5.11 pro pants. thanks
    Nutnfancy

  8. Cutlerylover7

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Mr.Fancy do you …
    Mr.Fancy do you think you could procure a Fenix TK12 R5 flashlight for review

  9. wmaxx3

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    lol u u …
    lol u u never saved anyone. the only thing uve done is jerked off everyday u faggot

  10. condor5x5

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Great review!
    Great review!

  11. DevenCD

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Has anyone who has …
    Has anyone who has the AA2 Turbo had the same problem with the O-ring at the tailcap end squishing out when you go to tighten down the tailcap? Also, beware of the preflash. It may be rather dissapointing to some who want to remain “stealth” while using the 0.2 lumen mode. It can also mess up your night vision pretty bad if its really dark out. Otherwise, the build quality is great, much higher than the fenixes or eagletacs that I’ve had. Beam quality is excellent. For me, its the perfect EDC.

  12. nutnfancy

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    @AgentMcgeek Dammit …
    @AgentMcgeek Dammit, I’m so sorry! — Veri

  13. AgentMcgeek

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    @nutnfancy well I’m …
    @nutnfancy well I’m not the one paying the bill so I’m powerless. I can still watch a little. I guess I’ll just have to keep them in my subscriptions and watch them when I can pay for them. Thanks for the kind words anyway.

  14. quaggg

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    great review, very …
    great review, very informative, nutnfancy please keep em commin!!!!!!!!

  15. nutnfancy

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    @AgentMcgeek That’s …
    @AgentMcgeek That’s terrible! I will miss your comments so much. I hope you can still watch occassionally… Would it do any good to switch ISPs? :( — Veri

  16. AgentMcgeek

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    I feel really …
    I feel really shitty. I watch all your videos as soon as they come out, but i’m getting charged about £50-£60 extra for all of the downloads. I can’t watch your videos hardly at all now. sorry :(

  17. peptree

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Thanks for …
    Thanks for En-Lightening us. Nice lights and great review.

    Can you do a series on tactical light usage sometime?

  18. berettaman092

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    The UI for this …
    The UI for this light sucks. Fenix`s UI is better because you can access any mode without reprogramming the light. BTW I just got the AA version today its pretty cool, cant wait for nighttime lol.

  19. richtherake

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    I saw you had that …
    I saw you had that Quark AA2 mounted on a S&W M&P 15-22 (26:33-26:56). Are we going to see a review on the 15-22? that would be shweeet.

  20. Gunfulker27

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Good to see …
    Good to see Nutnfancy on the Featured list.

  21. NiagaraTac

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    As always great …
    As always great review. Nutn, I was surprised that with all the value you give to Fenix you didn’t compare this to their TK12 R2? They have 280 lumen and are same price with a better UI.

  22. DasBulk

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Newer Fenix threads …
    Newer Fenix threads are squared. I have a PD30+ that has them.

  23. social3ngin33rin

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Is the reason the …
    Is the reason the 123 throws more lumens than the AA because of the batteries???

  24. RuNeSCaPeR133

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    I bet nutn can …
    I bet nutn can make an hour video review about maglite

  25. berettaman092

    - 3rd Sep, 10 02:09am

    Maglite for the win …
    Maglite for the win!!! jk

Leave a Reply

© 2010 Photography Poses and Other Cool Stuff. All rights reserved. Web Design Melbourne by Level 91 Web Developer Melbourne | Find us in the Aussie Local Directory | Handbags