The perfect AA light what do you want?

[alibaba]

How did I know that it would be Orcinus who would make a post disputing my comment? Amazing how some people become predictable.
My point was that if a flashlight is used at different levels and the battery is used up, that in order to get an ACCURATE reading of the state of the battery and present it in terms of percentage that the MCU would need to measure the voltage and current being used at that moment. I guess it wasn't that obvious.

BTW you are incorrect. As the battery's voltage changes over time so will the current in order to maintain a regulated output to the emitter. That is what the current regulation is doing. regardless of, if you change the brightness or not the voltage will change and in turn so will the current.
The load is not fixed. Sorry.

My other point was that if you want a dedicated visual of the battery's state, ala surefire's new lights representation of the state of the battery, it would require Hardware in the form of leds lcd and a circuit and power to drive them, or some other visual representation (all of which adds cost to the light unlike the "soft" version used in the Lf5XT) of the voltage or battery's state of depletion. The LX5XT is not a hardware representation of the voltage but a soft representation since it is shown in flashes representing digits, not dedicated hardware . Making it in effect a software voltage meter. It doesn't represent the level of the battery just the voltage.

Anyway I am running out of energy just trying to keep up with your every comment to my comments usually trying to dispute what I am saying. Why not just quit while you are ahead...or are you? I will tell you what I think this is what you want to hear. You win I give up. You win.
I guess we will all just have to wait for the next installment of Orcinus newby wisdom.
Yaesumofo

EDITED as per mod request

changed my mind. Yae, you're still a big, spoiled baby. I'll see y'all in about a week.............

 

[spgrk]

I'd like a single mode light (or simple dual mode, like the Fenix L1T) with an SSC P4 emitter. MTE make one, SKU 1995 from DX, but it has build quality issues and doesn't come with hard anodising. Clicky or twisty would be OK. It's ridiculous that there is so much choice in Cree lights and so little choice in SSC equivalents, with their much nicer, smoother, floodier beam output. There isn't much choice in Luxeon K2 or Rebel AA lights either.

 

[maxray]

It would be a shame to spoil this fantastic thread with some lame drama...

I don't have much to offer here except reinforcement about the pocket clip and simple UI (a la my Novatac)...I do not own a AA light yet, as I havent seen an easily accessible light that I like enough - the D10 sure seems to come close, though. It seems like a lot of other AA lights (like the Fenix's) are all just too close in size to my P2D (too big for EDC for me.) The D10 is a little smaller, but not sure how well it will "disappear" in my pocket to my current liking.

 

[alibaba]

It would be a shame to spoil this fantastic thread with some lame drama...

I don't have much to offer here except reinforcement about the pocket clip and simple UI (a la my Novatac)...I do not own a AA light yet, as I havent seen an easily accessible light that I like enough - the D10 sure seems to come close, though. It seems like a lot of other AA lights (like the Fenix's) are all just too close in size to my P2D (too big for EDC for me.) The D10 is a little smaller, but not sure how well it will "disappear" in my pocket to my current liking.

I've actually found a really decent clip: http://img389.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf1039km9.jpg for my D10 that came off of an Energizer 1W Luxeon 1-AA torch available for $16 at target. The Energizer light,by itself, is pretty decent with around 25 lumens, a beautiful beam, creamy Luxeon tint and forward clicky. I would have paid the price just for the clip (and it grips my D10 very well) but now have a very nice loaner/beater light for around the house as well. I also now have my (mostly) perfect AA light!

EDIT: thanks TOTC for recommending the clip! :wave:

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

A floody Fenix AA with the UI of the RA Twisty made as small as possible with knurling.

 

[Dreamer]

Hmm.. this would be my perfect AA light :

- switch and aggressive knurling of Smart PD D10.
- the thread of Jet 1 Pro, it's called square threading right?
- size, shape & strike bezel like the Nitecore NDI.
- the 2 way pocket clip and programming like the Jet 1 Pro IBS
- 7075? material and HAIII
- LF5XT beam
- able to tail stand
- sapphire window
- minimum markings(pls. no Strong Light, + - etc). I think the NDI is very nice without all those silly markings.

 

[climberkid]

Dreamer i think you have it perfect right there.

 

[Jaygnar]

D10 with variable focus.

 

[roguesw]

I would like a 2 AA light in a side by side configuration like the Spy 007 in titanium.
2 batteries in a side by side configuration saves space as well as increases run time.
I like the idea of a rotary switch to adjust light levels. I also like a rear switch for
momentary on.
I dont have a preferance for SOS or Strobe or Blink.
I would like the head to be upgradeable either using optics or reflectors so I can change preference for flood or spot. I guess it needs a deep head to house deep reflector.
I would prefer the head be not bigger than 27 mm head design.
An easily accessible emitter area for future upgrades as well as driver area for future upgrades.
And most of all, i want it in Titanium.

 

[Peter Atwood]

A real pocket clip the SCREWS onto the light, not some POS that clips on.

 

[climberkid]

haha are you challenging yourself peter? DO IT!!!!

i completely agree though. something that screws on flush with the end of the tailcap....or close at least.

 

[alibaba]

A real pocket clip the SCREWS onto the light, not some POS that clips on.

Whoa, easy there killa! I assume you're refering to the clip that I mentioned and all that I can say is that it works very well. Is it as sturdy as one that is secured in some way? Obviously not. Will it work well for most folks? Yes it will. Give one a try, you can always return the light if you don't like it. You might just be surprised..................

BTW, I was planning on using some epoxy on mine and decided it wasn't needed but you could always go that route...................

 

[maxray]

A real pocket clip the SCREWS onto the light, not some POS that clips on.

TOTALLY. I just got a new L0D Q4 and I cannot stand the pocket clip on it - I would prefer one that is FASTENED to the light.

 

[alibaba]

TOTALLY. I just got a new L0D Q4 and I cannot stand the pocket clip on it - I would prefer one that is FASTENED to the light.

Yeah, that one did suck badly IMO. Between the smooth body and the flat edges/sharp peaks the clip doesn't have much to grab onto. The clip I have on my D10, by comparison, feels like it's a part of the light. I went to adjust it a bit and it just wouldn't move so I left it where it was. The knurling really does let this clip stick like glue. Just my experience, it's not like I'm selling these things y'all

 

[DM51]

alibaba, please read Rule #4 and edit your post #81. Your comment is unacceptable.

Edit: Your amendment to post #81 was not the one that was required. And it will be much longer than just the single week you were expecting until we see you again...

 

[Blindasabat]

I's start with the excellent form factor Proton and make a few changes:
1) Get rid of the low frequency PWM. higher freq would be OK.
2) Smooth out the beam and give me a small range of adjustment between pure spot with an optic and mild flood
3) Implement two directional adjustment (hunting) in brightness ramping.
4) Put the Red LED behind an optic - I don't really care if it has a bad beam as long as it has some spot. And make it's actication more out of the way. I want the option to activate low white first since that is how I use my Photon Rex most often.
5) Warm tint (at least as an option). This is more amnd more important to me. If Cree, then at least WH tint.
6) Dark clip for lower profile carry on the edge of my dress pants pocket.
7) improve the switch some, but not critical.

I like the clip of the Proton. It is sturdy and clips on. Screws would make it bigger.

A real pocket clip the SCREWS onto the light, not some POS that clips on.

 

[Gatsby]

Some interesting stuff here and some surprising consensus. Even points of diverse opinions could be made flexible by design in limited instances. For example, the strike bezel versus crenelated or plain could easily (if not necessarily inexpensively) be solved with a screw in bezel like the Novatac lights - pick what you like. I don't need a sharp bezel and that is a deal breaker for me but it doesn't have to be. Even knurling could be a function of multiple tubes/bodies - much like Peak already provides but do so not just in battery configurations but knurling as well. There is some limit to this as a complete "lego" light would require a lot of tooling, etc.. and make it not that practical, but certainly the bezel, and perhaps the tube (although a moderate Peak/Arc style knurling could be a decent compromise between Surefire cut your leg and Fenix smooth as a baby's bottom).

I've lobbied for some time for a Novatac UI in a AA form body - and I like the look and feel of the D10 as much as anything - much preferring that to the more angular LF5XT approach. And I still like that basic goal.

I ran a poll some time ago about the number of modes and 2-3 seemed to be the biggest winners. 3 modes seems usable to most and if you're going to bother with multiple modes it seems helpful to be able to program them. While there is some support for the ramping feature it seems more folks want selectable levels but not necessarily infinite variability. FWIW the Novatac strikes a decent balance allowing easy reprogramming of any level more or less on the fly (unlike the LF5XT). Memory/Force primary seems like a good option to allow user choice in this other area of contention.

From what I've learned about the LF5XT it seems a bit cumbersome so I'd personally rather have the Novatac UI in the D10 body.

But you know -if the D10 had a removable bezel (doesn't the EX10 have this already?) so people could choose, an attachment point option (removable and screwed in) and if it remembered the medium user set level, it would be close enough for me. It already has direct access to an acceptably low low, to max and if you could double click like the Novatac to toggle back to the medium level, triple to the lowest (like Novatac) and click press to high, with a toggle back to the user set level, that would be a great light. Add that in the user set mode you could press to ramp up, press again to ramp down and those who like variable settings would be happy. Have one option added to choose memory mode or it always turns on in the user set level and you'd pretty much have a winner. They came pretty close and I don't know that you have to have all the bells and whistles of the LF5XT to be a winner.

 

[orcinus]

I ran a poll some time ago about the number of modes and 2-3 seemed to be the biggest winners. 3 modes seems usable to most and if you're going to bother with multiple modes it seems helpful to be able to program them.

The 3-mode estimate is dead on. At least IMHO. But i'd like to suggest a twist to it.

I've come to use only 3 modes in most everyday use on my LF5XT (50%, 25%, 1%), but i use the 100% shortcut a lot! And i've kept two additional modes active - one for the sole purpose of having an extremely slow, 1% output locator beacon assigned to it (ala Novatac), and another that i sometimes use for in situ customization (if i decide i'll temporarily need a constant 100%, or a quicker double-flash beacon or anything similar).

So i think a perfect AA EDC light should have three "main" modes with a few additional ones in a "hidden bank" of sorts, that i could switch to with a dedicated shortcut, but keep out of the way most of the time. An easily accessible temporary 100% is a must too, of course.

 

[mega_lumens]

Maybe what I want is out there, but I wish to see a single stage or maybe even 2 stage AA that could run on Alkalines for 40+hours.

I have that "old" Fenix L1P and I still love it, but wish it would have massive runtime improvements, for disaster light use.

 

[Gatsby]

Maybe what I want is out there, but I wish to see a single stage or maybe even 2 stage AA that could run on Alkalines for 40+hours.

I have that "old" Fenix L1P and I still love it, but wish it would have massive runtime improvements, for disaster light use.

Search out a Liteflux LF5 - not the new version. It is a two stage programmable twisty and you can program level one to a very low low - IIRC Selfbuilt did a runtime test and it ran for something like 14 days on the lowest setting. Can't remember if that was an alkaline or a lithium AA but it was still impressive.