Best AA flashlight Option

[SHOman]

Awesome. I am making my list and checking it twice. I am looking quite extensively at the lights that have been suggested and I am liking what I see.

It is nice to have a compact and powerful light for identifying people or vehicles approaching our position or that are around the area when we are not near or in our vehicles. It is also great to have a compact light when doing vehicle and building serches. It is also nice to have a good all purpose light for doing regular everyday things. Yes the mini mags are fine for alot of regular stuff but just dont have the convience of one handed operation and are not quite powerful enough.

Bumping up the price we need to spend for an adequate light is possable and looks like it is going to be a requirement. I am seeing alot of lights that look like they will indeed fit our needs.

I do think I may be getting sucked in by this Flashaholics thing. Now I want to get a couple of each and pass them around to the guys and see what they think about them or better yet just check them all out myself. Unfortunately I do not have the funds for that and my wife would probably get very upset at me for purchasing 10 different flashlights. Yes even though I am thousands of miles away she still keeps track.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and information. I am very interested in the differences in lights out there. I am also learning quite a bit about them.

SHOman

 

[pec50]

I use several flashlights in severe duty use as a firefighter and would also recommend the the Streamlight Propoly Luxeon. In addition to all that has been mentioned, the light is easy to handle with gloves. And, it will provide a relatively focused beam that will provide the throw you wish as well as provide some ability to cut haze.

 

[strat1080]

Well I disagree, sure the Minimag LED may offer similar power initially but Fenix lights have excellent regulation so they will maintain that power output, while the Minimag seems to plumment immediately. By the way the quote you are referring mentioned the L2T not the L2S. There is no doubt that the L2T is more powerful than the Minimag LED, while being smaller and having a low output mode. Its also regulated so it will maintain that same exact power output for a while and not lose 25% of its power in the first 30min. like the Minimag LED. That to me means its more powerful. In the real world, the regulated Fenix lights will be perceived as being more powerful, unless you have a habit of changing out batteries after a mere 30min. of use. Sure the Minimag LED can project farther but the difference in projection between the Minimag LED and the L2T is about the same as the output difference. Look at the size difference. I think the L2T does a pretty darn good job at projecting a beam considering the size of the reflector assembly and the light and general.

I disagree.
The Minimag 2AA LED outpowers the Fenix L2S according to the review. L2T has more total output, but the 2AA Minimag LED can project further.

Fenix L2S review

output: 24.20
throw:27.44

Minimag LED 2AA review
output: 27.30
throw: 35.77

Fenix L2T review
output: 31.5
throw: 31.6

QUOTE]

 

[SilverFox]

Hello SHOman,

Welcome to CPF, and thanks for your service to our nation.

You can get an idea of the beam performance of a light by going to the Flashlight Reviews web site and going to the output vs throw section. Doug has made it so you can click on the top headings and sort by manufacturer, or throw, or total output.

You mentioned that you have a G2 ( with the P60 stock lamp I assume ). Looking up the throw of that you find that it is good for just over 59 meters. What that means is that since light falls off with the square of distance, you can take a reading at 1 meter (Lux) and by taking the square root of that reading you get the distance ( in meters ) where the intensity drops to 1 Lux. Keep in mind that 1 Lux is not going to blind anyone, but it is roughly 10X the amount of light of a full moon.

If you have some time you can have someone stand 60 meters away and report back to you how "blinding" the beam is. You can also see how well they are lit up.

Converting from metric to English units, one candle power is a little more than 10 Lux. You can then move the person to 60 feet and run the same observations.

The overall output generally indicates the amount and brightness of the spill light. SureFire beams include a generous amount of spill, whereas the Coast Frogman has almost no spill. There is a lot of information there and you can get a pretty good idea of what to expect from a light by studying it.

In general, incremental increases are harder to appreciate. On the other hand, if you have a light that throws 60 meters ( or feet ) and get one that doubles that, it is very noticeable.

Tom

 

[Handlobraesing]

Well I disagree, sure the Minimag LED may offer similar power initially but Fenix lights have excellent regulation so they will maintain that power output, while the Minimag seems to plumment immediately. By the way the quote you are referring mentioned the L2T not the L2S.

:huh2: I did too. Both the L2T and the L2S are mentioned in clear view.

There is no doubt that the L2T is more powerful than the Minimag LED, while being smaller and having a low output mode. Its also regulated so it will maintain that same exact power output for a while and not lose 25% of its power in the first 30min. like the Minimag LED. That to me means its more powerful. In the real world, the regulated Fenix lights will be perceived as being more powerful, unless you have a habit of changing out batteries after a mere 30min.

In real world, perceived brightness difference is smaller than the real light difference(i.e. if you halve the output, perceived output is 70% b/c of square law).

Sure the Minimag LED can project farther but the difference in projection between the Minimag LED and the L2T is about the same as the output difference. Look at the size difference. I think the L2T does a pretty darn good job at projecting a beam considering the size of the reflector assembly and the light and general.

When I looked at OPs requests, ability to project as far as possible was the top priority, so unless the size drawback of the Minimag LED exceeds the projection ability drawback of Fenix, Mag may very well be the more suitable product.

 

[SHOman]

I have decided to order these three lights from FifthUnit.com, I wanted to go with an acceptable locost hi performance unit to start off with. These lights look compact enough and seem to have most of the performance requirements that we need. The low cost is a major factor.

This like I said is a trial if we do not like them we will move to a different option. We like the fenix lights and are considering those if the need arises.

Upon attempting to order the Fifthunit.com website states that it does ship to APO AE addresses but have been having trouble with the ordering / shipping address portion of the ordering process. Have sent several E-Mails to the company but have not receives any reply in over a week since the last E-Mail was sent.

will probably try to have the items shipped to my stateside address and forwarded by my wife. If anyone has any information or contact with the FIFthUnit.com website (Someone had mentioned them earlier in the post) and can help I Would appreciate it quite alot.

SVEPA
6W Ultrafire Flashlight
$22.99 / pieces

YNKA
Ultrafire 3W CR2 2AA Flashlight
$17.25 / pieces

PANNA
Ultrafire 3W Flashlight
$16.25 / pieces


I am curious about how these inexpensive apparent high performers are gonna handle our workload.

Thanks A Bunch.

SHOman

 

[MarNav1]

I would say +1 for Streamlight Propoly 4AA also. Plus it come's in black as well.

 

[Brody]

If you want to possibly blind someone temporarily with an AA based light, you might also want to consider the Princeton Tec Surge. You can get it on Amazon for about $20. While it is bigger than the other lights listed, it is also brighter. It uses 8AA batteries, and can light up things more than 200 feet away.

 

[SHOman]

Ok I have received the following lights from www.fifthunit.com and plan on using them extensively over the next couple of weeks. I will post pictures and complete reviews of what I think about these lights. So far they work like a charm and are adequate for our needs.

SVEPA
6W Ultrafire Flashlight
$22.99 / pieces

YNKA
Ultrafire 3W CR2 2AA Flashlight
$17.25 / pieces

PANNA
Ultrafire 3W Flashlight
$16.25 / pieces

Thanks a bunch.

 

[Gnufsh]

I would really like to hear your impression of the UltraFire 601A (PANNA).

 

[Randy555]

Hi Shoman,

Please give us an update as to which light works best for your application.

Cheers,
Randy

 

[SEMIJim]

Hi SHOman,

First of all, I'd like to thank you and your colleagues for your service to our country!

Next, a disclaimer: I'm a newbie at this flashlight thing, and really don't much yet know one from the other from a performance POV.

That being said: I noted that you said y'all already had 2AA MiniMags. Perhaps these upgrades: TerraLUX MiniStar2 EXTREME 5W LED for Mini Maglite® 2AA Flashlights - TLE-5K2 and TCS-1 TerraLUX Tailcap Switch for the AA Mini Mag to your existing MiniMags might be a solution? Together, it's a bit over your price range, tho. And, as I said, I can't speak to the performance of the completed package, as compared to the other suggestions you've received.

 

[TORCH_BOY]

Welcome, The Fenix AA Flashlights are great, compact but pack a powerful punch
also good value for money

 

[SHOman]

Ok I have been using the lights for a bout a month now.

I like them all. It seems though that the YNKA is the best one for now. Only reason for that is that I can not find a holster that will fit the SVEPA properly. I was able to buy a holster at the PX that looked like it would work, but when running the flashlight falls completely through. Given my location there aren't alot of choices when it comes to these types of items. Thankfully I didn't loose the flashlight. Right now It is carried in my cargo pocket. The 3W YNKA fits into my old Mini Mag holster fine without the lanyard attached.

I have yet to replace a set of batteries in any of the lights. Probably because I am not using any one light exclusively and carry all three of them all the time. I do use the YKNA most and have found that the level of light output even now is adequate for most everyday purposes.

All of these lights seem to be durable enough to withstand a fair amount of abuse. I have droped them a number of times with no adverse effects other than slight dinging of the finish. If I did have a complaint that would be it. The finish on the SVEPA could be a bit better. It seems to chip off in the event it gets droped on a hard surface.

All lights have Glass lenses. I have immeadiately noticed a difference between the lenses and the effect that they have on light quality and output. The mini mag plastic lens is damaged quite easily and affects the light quite alot.

The PANNA doesnt get quite as much use as the others due to the fact that it does not have a clicky switch and is not quite as powerful as the other two. As I mentioned the switch is a main factor in these flashlights. Other than that it is Quite compact and powerful for its size.

The beam on the PANNA is the narrowest but the least powerful. The beam on the YKNA is right in the sweet spot. A good amount of Spot beam to illuminate a specific area and enough spill beam to see the surroundingins. The SVEPA is a powerful light that has plenty of flood and will illuminate up to 100 feet or so. I have not measured exactly the distances but for our needs these lights work flawlessly. Now all I have to do is find a holster for the SVEPA.

I know this sounds all disjointed but I hope these reviews are helpful. I have not been able to log back into the FIFTH UNIT website since Ordering the lights. Seems they are going through a website redevlopement.

Thanks for all your help and input on this subject. I plan on checking out some of the other lights when I get back home. I Have taken pictures of all the parts of the lights but have been unable to upload them. Though it is a good thing we have internet access I am not complaining.

I plan on trying out some Rechargable AA batteries at some point. I may order a charger and some batteries in the future. I am not sure but it seems that the light output may be a bit brighter with Rechargable batteries. At least that is what it seems from what I have been reading. Please correct me if I am wrong.

SHOman

 

[zx7dave]

ShoMan - Your Motor Sergeant or Supply Sergeant can order almost all the Surefire light and replacement/sustainment parts through the ULLS-G. The NSN listing is on the SureFire web page. If overall cost is too much for the CDR to approve then try the UltraFire or SuperFire lights that use the same batteries. The lithium batteries are available through the HMCC or HazMat place where you get paint and stuff. If you can get the SureFires through the Supply then order the LED versions so you don't have to worry about bulbs burning out. Good luck.

 

[FlashCrazy]

ShoMan, Fifthunit is now Dealextreme.com

Kyle and Kai, who used to run Fifthunit, split up into two different websites. The other site is Kaidomain.com. Dealextreme generally has cheaper prices, but Kaidomain doesn't charge shipping. Usually they're close in price overall.

Keep up the good work over there! :goodjob:

 

[SHOman]

zx7dave,

Thanks for your help and advice. I understand that supply can get pretty much anything. I am trying to address your comments properly without giving the wrong impression and getting too off topic. Basically to put it simply, it is easier to go out and purchase items ourselves than it is to deal with our unit's supply chain. I have never had so many issues with soldiers trying to get stuff from supply before. It takes longer to receive items ordered through supply than it does to order them ourselves.

I had origionally hoped to be on a differerent mission that would put me in more of a combat arms roll. Unfortunately my command didn't want me performing my old MOS (11B) because they needed me to work in my current MOS (25S). The justification for ordering such lights is not there. Non combat arms units are lower on the priority list for such items.

FlashCrazy

Thanks for that info. That helps out alot. I'll check that site out. I did enjoy doing business with them. I ordered my lights just before Christmas and received them about 3 weeks later. Shipping could have been a bit faster (The holidays most definately affected that) and I thought that the Items could have been packaged a bit better but they arrived in one piece and in working condition. Given that they were shipped from Hong Kong and had to travel through the US APO AE system and Back to Iraq I can't complain too much. The price was right and the lights are operating great so far.

SHOman

 

[Vickers]

Hey SHOman,

I just received a YNKA light yesterday, and I am very impressed with it. BTW, the price has dropped to $15.40 on them:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1087

If you want a slightly smaller light (but still pretty doggone bright) try the $12.40 1AA VIPPA:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.927

It has a glow-in-the-dark tailcap clickie.

Regards,

ex-SSgt. Vickers