The issue here is runtime, with a AA light you get a whole lot more runtime that with a AAA light, I would say carry the E05 light but have it as a backup and carry a AA light as a primary light. Personally, I carry the ArmyTek (as mentioned above, tough, totally waterproof, as proven by my 2 year old who smashed the light and dunked it in the pool) and the NiteCore TUBE.
Continuous issues with 1 AA style lights.
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The issue here is runtime, with a AA light you get a whole lot more runtime that with a AAA light, I would say carry the E05 light but have it as a backup and carry a AA light as a primary light. Personally, I carry the ArmyTek (as mentioned above, tough, totally waterproof, as proven by my 2 year old who smashed the light and dunked it in the pool) and the NiteCore TUBE.
1DaveN
Enlightened
ven
Flashaholic
Haha that's the argument I used when I switched from 1xAA to 1xCR123A
:laughing: Then to 18650
Meanwhile my solitaire works just fine with it's original 5 year old battery.
It's all about perspective.
It's all about perspective.
Another update on the Protac EMS. I just received a brand new one from Streamlight. I must say that their customer service is pretty nop totch...
However, the light I received exhibits the same tail cap issue where if it's loosened just a tad, the light goes off. So that's certainly a design flaw on this light. Another issue is that this new replacement light has an off-center LED, and has tons of artifacts in the light that my old one didn't have... Also, on the low setting, the light briefly flickers to a higher setting first. It's strange, but it has a split-second of HIGH, then to low beam... kinda annoying.
At this point, I am done with Streamlight products. This little EMS is going in the bottom of my garage tool bag...
However, the light I received exhibits the same tail cap issue where if it's loosened just a tad, the light goes off. So that's certainly a design flaw on this light. Another issue is that this new replacement light has an off-center LED, and has tons of artifacts in the light that my old one didn't have... Also, on the low setting, the light briefly flickers to a higher setting first. It's strange, but it has a split-second of HIGH, then to low beam... kinda annoying.
At this point, I am done with Streamlight products. This little EMS is going in the bottom of my garage tool bag...
The EMS light is a specialty light.
It's useful to light up stuff in general. Yet to the discering hobbyist the beam seems...well, ameture-ish.
Streamlight designed it to have 3 distint amounts of light from the same emitter.
Say you're observing a football player who got his bell rung. The center beam on low is designed to cause distinct pupil reaction while the second ring throws subdued light to the other eye while being dim enough to not cause pupil reaction. There is a purposeful shadow between
^^ note the shadow and subdue'd beam next.
This allows the EMS tech to compare when checking for a concusion...
The offset emitter is part of the magic. Once one gets accustomed they rotate the light one way or the other to tweak the lighting based on persons head size...little kids faces have far less gap between the eyeballs than say...a 6'5" pro athelete.
^^ note the shadow causing ring around the emitter.
^^ no ring in other lights.
I am not an EMS tech, but I studied this particular light before buying it. It's a niche light.
I have kids who play sandlot football, ride skateboards etc and occasionaly get their bell rung. I've watched EMS folks use pen lights and figured what-thuh-heck, add it to the collection...
Regarding the circuit disruption, a dab of pipe thread tape or plumbers putty will cause the tail cap to stay put. Perhaps a 'fatter' o-ring...
I just cinch mine down nice n tight and it stays put.
Or it can be used like a tac switch.
I do that with my TL 2 LED light sometimes.
Maybe one day I'll contact a propeller head at Streamlight and enquire why some lights become inoperative when the cap is loosened while others do not.
Sometimes ya just gotta crawl into the mind of an engineer and ask "what were you thinking man?"
That's one of the main reason I dig the modern flashlight and focus many times on niche lights.
Too many companies focus on MORE MORE MORE these days. More light, more bright, more power!!! But it's what sells, so why not right?
Even Streamlight plays that game with some lights. Afterall, they were the first to build a light that exceeded a million candle power by building a 5 million candle power light for NASA in the 1970's!!!
These days they also play the game of niche lighting and have been rewarded by selling millions of specialty flashlights to folks who have a particular need where peoples lives are at stake.
It's useful to light up stuff in general. Yet to the discering hobbyist the beam seems...well, ameture-ish.
Streamlight designed it to have 3 distint amounts of light from the same emitter.
Say you're observing a football player who got his bell rung. The center beam on low is designed to cause distinct pupil reaction while the second ring throws subdued light to the other eye while being dim enough to not cause pupil reaction. There is a purposeful shadow between
^^ note the shadow and subdue'd beam next.
This allows the EMS tech to compare when checking for a concusion...
The offset emitter is part of the magic. Once one gets accustomed they rotate the light one way or the other to tweak the lighting based on persons head size...little kids faces have far less gap between the eyeballs than say...a 6'5" pro athelete.
^^ note the shadow causing ring around the emitter.
^^ no ring in other lights.
I am not an EMS tech, but I studied this particular light before buying it. It's a niche light.
I have kids who play sandlot football, ride skateboards etc and occasionaly get their bell rung. I've watched EMS folks use pen lights and figured what-thuh-heck, add it to the collection...
Regarding the circuit disruption, a dab of pipe thread tape or plumbers putty will cause the tail cap to stay put. Perhaps a 'fatter' o-ring...
I just cinch mine down nice n tight and it stays put.
Or it can be used like a tac switch.
I do that with my TL 2 LED light sometimes.
Maybe one day I'll contact a propeller head at Streamlight and enquire why some lights become inoperative when the cap is loosened while others do not.
Sometimes ya just gotta crawl into the mind of an engineer and ask "what were you thinking man?"
That's one of the main reason I dig the modern flashlight and focus many times on niche lights.
Too many companies focus on MORE MORE MORE these days. More light, more bright, more power!!! But it's what sells, so why not right?
Even Streamlight plays that game with some lights. Afterall, they were the first to build a light that exceeded a million candle power by building a 5 million candle power light for NASA in the 1970's!!!
These days they also play the game of niche lighting and have been rewarded by selling millions of specialty flashlights to folks who have a particular need where peoples lives are at stake.
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I can't imagine this has anything to do with battery type, but more to do with the individual designs. Just buy a Sipik 68 for $5-6 on DX, they are very decent for the price, and on some versions you can use a 14500 Li-ion cell and get twice the output. I also have an E05, and it's a great light, but I don't use it much since I got a Nitecore Tube on my car keys--much lighter and rechargeable via micro USB. It sells for about $10-12, and I think it's great value for your money.
JNewell
Flashlight Enthusiast
I realize this is an 8-year old thread...but it comes up near the top of a Google search for Streamlight 1AA tailcap, so here goes.
The first thing I have to say is wow, 8 years and Streamlight still can't get this right?
The next thing is that at least on the one I just received the problem is definitely the tailcap. And stranger still, my light/tailcap is 100% if I remove the o-ring. I would swear that there's no difference in how far down the tailcap screws onto the body with or without the o-ring, but there must be some difference, even if it's 0.0005" or something like that. Contact is intermittent with the o-ring and 100% without it.
As a freebie, the circuitry in this light is pretty unforgiving in terms of increasing the brightness of the beam. If you don't tap the tailcap quite quickly, it will not advance. Not a flaw, but different from nearly every light I've ever used.
The first thing I have to say is wow, 8 years and Streamlight still can't get this right?
The next thing is that at least on the one I just received the problem is definitely the tailcap. And stranger still, my light/tailcap is 100% if I remove the o-ring. I would swear that there's no difference in how far down the tailcap screws onto the body with or without the o-ring, but there must be some difference, even if it's 0.0005" or something like that. Contact is intermittent with the o-ring and 100% without it.
As a freebie, the circuitry in this light is pretty unforgiving in terms of increasing the brightness of the beam. If you don't tap the tailcap quite quickly, it will not advance. Not a flaw, but different from nearly every light I've ever used.
Add a small ring of foil at the o'ring.
There's a bare spot on the barrel and a bare spot on the tailcap that need to touch each other for the circuit to work. A very very slight amount of tailcap loosen breaks the contact. By adding a ring of foil on the tailcap threads increases the contact area.
There's a bare spot on the barrel and a bare spot on the tailcap that need to touch each other for the circuit to work. A very very slight amount of tailcap loosen breaks the contact. By adding a ring of foil on the tailcap threads increases the contact area.
letschat7
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have a Led Lenser P something or other 1xAA light that works flawlessly.
vadimax
Flashlight Enthusiast
Few times? Already a bad commercialMay be a easy fix. Typically Dirty threads, or dirty/faulty switch.
Clean threads, on body and cap with alcohol and your wifes toothbrush.
Problem still there? Bypass the switch with a paper clip. If light works fine, this will let you know the switch needs to be cleaned or replaced. Streamlight is good about mailing you a new one out free. They have done that for me a few times.
:welcome:
vadimax
Flashlight Enthusiast
ArmyTek has a steady reputation to be a nice looking can of worms. And they have a lot of russian in their business. People, business model, etc.
letschat7
Flashlight Enthusiast
I like how they brag that they were made in EU but it was a smart business move to outsource to China.
Kitchen Panda
Enlightened
I've had a Quark 1x AA since 2010 and at worst it's needed the threads wiped down to get it running properly again. I don't think that's inherent to the 1xAA format, it's just the nature of aluminum to oxidize. Sure makes for some hard-to-remove stains on some of my t-shirts, though.
aznsx
Flashlight Enthusiast
If you'll do this, I can all but guarantee you'll never look back. I have, and I won't.
Use just a couple of drops of DeOxit D100 on a swab on those threads and any Al electrical contact point.
Kitchen Panda
Enlightened
My T-shirts will thank you!
aznsx
Flashlight Enthusiast
Just to clarify: I see my comments were specifying the 'Al' parts, but D100 is magic for all materials / plating where electrical connections are concerned. I focused on Al just because it's often involved in flashlight connections (sadly), and because Al oxidizes so rapidly. If it's an electrical /electronic contact / connection, switch, potentiometer, ....the D100's FM.
Kitchen Panda
Enlightened
We had a kit of various Caig Labs products at my former employer, a steel mill...the electronics/instrument shop guys got great milage out of this stuff. My 2 ml tube should be here Friday! (Alarmingly easy to spend money at Jeff's store...)
Got Lumens?
Flashlight Enthusiast
Always used DeOxit Red for Aluminum and DeOxit Gold for gold plated connection surfaces.
A side note, The legacy 47's Quark MKI's had correctable connection issue between the aluminum retaining ring on the tailcaps and the gold plated switch ring. Many times the aluminum retaining ring needed to have oxidation removed using sand paper to correct the issue. Once coated with DeOxit the problem did not return.
A side note, The legacy 47's Quark MKI's had correctable connection issue between the aluminum retaining ring on the tailcaps and the gold plated switch ring. Many times the aluminum retaining ring needed to have oxidation removed using sand paper to correct the issue. Once coated with DeOxit the problem did not return.
