#192289 - 12/31/09 05:11 PM
Re: Favorite AA or AAA Flashlights
[Re: Am_Fear_Liath_Mor]
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Geezer in Chief
Geezer
Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
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The great thing is that there are better lights available at my local home center, than were available anywhere, just ten years ago. The array of bright, small, dependable lights on the market today is a shining example of good technology, well developed.
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Geezer in Chief
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#192291 - 12/31/09 05:23 PM
Re: Favorite AA or AAA Flashlights
[Re: Am_Fear_Liath_Mor]
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Geezer
Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
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Good video by Nutnfancy. Something I did with my L2D CE was to buy the kit and change the switch to the taller Orange clicky switch (tactical??). If you wear gloves the taller switch makes the light a bit more usable.
With the Quark AA2 I've noticed the same issue; the clicky is well protected/recessed and that makes it difficult at times, but allows it to stand on end. I've got the tactical switch on order ($9).
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Better is the Enemy of Good Enough. Okay, what’s your point??
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#192294 - 12/31/09 06:19 PM
Re: Favorite AA or AAA Flashlights
[Re: Russ]
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Old Hand
Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 1013
Loc: Pacific NW, USA
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I think favorite flashlights are like favorite cars, only they're cheaper, they come out more frequently - so we're all right when it comes to our favorites. For me my favorite is whatever I've bought lately, because the technology keeps inching along and getting better and better. I have one of the CountyComm 1XAAA lights on my keychain which has been pretty good and run a couple 1XAA and 2XAA Fenix lights that are pretty good too - although one of the 1XAAs hasn't been very reliable, although that seems to be an anomaly. Fenix has a new 1XAA headlamp for ~$40 that I'm thinking of trying out.
My real favorite at the moment isn't an AA or AAA, its the solar flashlight, and my workhorse (for doing night time paperwork) is the Doug Ritter headlamp. Not sure if I'd take them to war exactly but I don't have many scenarios like that - and my backups are the CountyComm/Fenix lights. I expect in the next 5 years to see more and better flashlights like them that aren't dependent on the AA/AAA stored cell technologies. They're all good.
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#192295 - 12/31/09 06:37 PM
Re: Favorite AA or AAA Flashlights
[Re: Lono]
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Member
Registered: 05/31/06
Posts: 178
Loc: Florida
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Fenix LD01 in stainless steel. A little heavier than the aluminum version, but not too bad. 85-ish lumens from a 1xAAA keychain light is impressive. The 28 lumen default is plenty bright for most uses.
This replaced my Arc AAA-P on my keychain. Great light, but just not bright enough (10.5 lumens) in some situations. It also replaced my Fenix L1D that I kept sticking in my pocket because the Arc wasn't bright enough.
I really like a lot of the LED tactical lights like the 4sevens Quark AA Tactical, but I'd rather have something like the Fenix LD01 with me than a bigger light back in the car or back at my desk.
I now only use low self-discharge NiMH cells like the Duracell "precharged" so I can keep them topped off and know that they won't leak like an alkaline. For a stored / rarely used light, lithium cells would be a better choice.
Edited by ratbert42 (12/31/09 06:38 PM)
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#192309 - 12/31/09 11:23 PM
Re: Favorite AA or AAA Flashlights
[Re: Todd W]
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Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3241
Loc: Alberta, Canada
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Around my house and yard, I'm usually carrying one of the MiniMagLED 2AA or 3AA jobs (they're not sexy, but they keep on truckin'). Or the Cree 2AA "LightMates" that I bought dirt cheap (2 for $15) at Costco. I charge all my NiMHs off my solar panels to get that granola greenie halo effect.
When I go into the city, there's currently a Fenix L1T (1AA) on my belt, undergoing torture testing after a warranty replacement. Also a 2AAA MiniMaglite with LED conversion clipped on my jacket pocket, and a Princeton Tec Photon on my keychain. Of course, the real lights are in the car.
If I'm farther from civilization, I may switch to my 2AA/3AA LED Streamlights. Again, not sexy, but I've never had one fail: I hit the switch, I get light. That counts for me.
My newest toy: a Streamlight Stylus Pro LED 2AAA. Nice half-watt LED with good spot and spill, and light enough to clip into my shirt pocket like a pen. I already love it, after only a few hours. Testing is underway.
(Like they say on CPF: hold on to your wallet!)
Edited by dougwalkabout (12/31/09 11:24 PM)
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#192609 - 01/04/10 04:38 PM
Re: Favorite AA or AAA Flashlights
[Re: Todd W]
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Veteran
Registered: 12/12/04
Posts: 1204
Loc: Nottingham, UK
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I'm still happy with my Nitecore D10. It's a single AA, so pretty small, with variable brightness. On 2 lumens (just enough to read) it lasts over 50 hours on one Eneloop, and on 120 lumens it lasts around 1 hour. It uses alkaline, lithium or NiMH. The piston switch can be used as a twisty, or momentary on, or click-on. It's water-proof and very versatile as an every-day carry light. If I were buying today I'd consider the Preon 2, which is a 2xAAA light, long and thin. http://www.4sevens.com/
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Quality is addictive.
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