Though I much prefer using headlamps, I tend to carry a flashlight along with me as a backup, and tend to use them a lot around the house, so ....

I finally caved in a bought a Fenix TK10 LED light. I really like the size and the brightness is stunning. I'll probably use the lower setting most to conserve power, but its nice to have the high power when I need to see distance.



Here is a good review:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2408701

Ken K.

I've been so thoroughly impressed with my P2D Q5 that I've been very tempted to put a TK11 R2 on order.

Yup, it is a great light!

Very nice flashlight, especially in black color.

I just ordered a Fenix P3D, which uses the same LED with a different body and circuitry. So far I'm impressed with the quality, and the combination of brightness and long runtimes is great, and ideal for surival use. I also really like that the light and several sets of spare batteries are very light. For years I really wanted a Sure-fire, but I realized with Fenix you get an even better light for a fraction of the price.

FYI, you can get CR123 batteries for $1 each at batteryjunction.com . Plus you can order them in pairs(or triples) shrink wraped as a stack, to make organization and reloading quicker.

What I am really after is something of that level of ruggedness but taking two AA cells. Any suggestions?

Actually I DID purchase the TK10 and several CR123 pairs from batteryjunction.com. The shrink-wrapping of the CR123 is a pretty cool idea.

One of the things I like about the TK10 is that the rear switch is simply an on-off button switch (you can hold in in lightly to temporarily turn it on too). I can rotate the rear of the light a bit to prevent the switch from accidently turning on in a bag/pack. The selection of high vs. low light level is done by rotating the front of the light (the capsule holding the LED).

We use a single CR123 Fenix P1B attached to our barn key - along with a Storm whistle - so that we have a tough & bright light when out in the barn (used to look for horses, barn cats, and scarey monsters hiding in the dark). The P1B is turned on/off by rotating the front of the light. The problem is that the same rotating switch is used to cycle through medium-high-low-flash-SOS settings, which is kind of a pain. Its also hard to do one-handed.

BTW, the Fenix P1B has been uber tough, goignon its second year on a VERY abused keychain. We've previously gone through several single battery Maglites that each fell apart. The P1B's paint is pretty scratched & chipped, but it still works as well as the first day we got it. I'm counting on the TK10 to be just as tough.

Ken

You might look at the Fenix LD20 or TK20.

My 'best' flashlight is a Streamlight 4AA. I am very impressed with what it can do in terms of throw and spill, but what I find universally true with the higher end LED lights is that you pay for performance with battery life.

I get, at best, 4 hours of max light before it kicks itself down to 'normal' output which is fine for most things, but a far cry from it's initial output.

That is one of the reasons I chose the 4AA, it takes 4 AA batteries and rechargables are easy to come by. I have looked at the other lights with less common batteries and those batteries cost an arm and a leg. CR123 batteries where I am at cost (much) more for disposables than Alkaline rechargeables.

If you're talking about the Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA lights I'll agree wholeheartedly. Very bright lights. We have those in our trucks. Unfortunately they can't take lithium batteries (manufacturer says not to use them).

Using the following information:
$/hr = Battery$ x BatteryCount / LifeinHrs

Fenix TK10, High 225 lux: 1.5 hrs, 2 CR123 ==> $1.33/hr
Fenix TK10, Low 60 lux: 10 hrs, 2 CR123 ==> $0.20/hr
P-Tech EOS, High 185 lux: 60 hrs, 3 AAA ==> $0.65/hr
P-Tech EOS, Medium ?? lux: 60 hrs, 3 AAA ==> $0.14/hr
P-Tech EOS, Low 18.5 lux: 60 hrs, 3 AAA ==> $0.03/hr
SL ProPoly 4AA 40 lux: 4 hrs, 4 AA ==> $0.43/hr

So long as I don't run all the time at the TK10's high level - which I don't plan to do - the CR123's are pretty cost effective.

The $ per hour is based upon the bulk cost of batteries at batteryjunction.com, excluding shipping:
Duracell Coppertop AA Alkaline: $0.43 each
Duracell Coppertop AAA Alkaline: $0.43 each
Titanium Innovations CR123 Lithium: $1.00 each

I hope its warmer where you all are - the wind chill here was -24F here this morning.

Ken K