Sane keylight

MrNaz · Jul 24, 2006

I'm looking for a keychain light that's nice and easy. It has to be durable and high quality (my keys get bashed around a lot). It also has to be sane. This means no cycling through 2,837 modes every time I push the button.

That means you, Photon Microlight and Inova keylights! I just want to push it and get light. End of story. No cycling through strobes, dim modes, flashing SOSes and satelite uplinks to download the latest service pack for the light's internal operating system. I just want light. What happened to on/off? It's a bloody keylight. If I needed heaps of survival features I'd buy a survival flashlight. If I was in a survival situation and all I had was a Photon Microlight then I have bigger worries then flashing out SOS with a stupid little keychain.

OK now that I have that off my chest, does anyone know of a good, solid, bright light that I can put on my keychain and rely on when I've lost a $1 coin under the driver's seat in the car or if I'm trying to find the keyhole of a door I'm not familiar with?

Omega Man · Jul 24, 2006

Arc, or any of the Peak lights.
I was against button cells too, until I was given a brand new Photon Freedom Doug Ritter model. Now I prefer that on my keys. And that model does have all the bells and whistles you can't stand, but they need to be activated with some effort on your part. Otherwise it just goes on and off with a button press, and you'll never know they're there (until you need them I guess).

Today I got a Peak Matterhorn Ultra 1 LED from BST, and I like it. It's ALOT smaller than every picture I've ever seen makes it out to be, and it's brighter than the Photon Freedom.
You'd probably be happy with an Arc, or Peak. And lucky you, they have subforums dedicated just to them here!

diggdug13 · Jul 24, 2006

Hello and welcome to CPF

With your requirements I would suggest *either* ARC AAA-P 40.00 USD / or the PEAK Matterhorn Ultra Power (snow LED) 35.00 USD.

both of them are extremely overbuilt, can be used with one hand, and made for keychains.

Doug

BIGIRON · Jul 24, 2006

Photon II. My favorite. Squeeze on/off and lock on/off slider. But you can't get a covert.

RebelRAM · Jul 24, 2006

I second the Photon II. When I bought mine I could have bought the Photon Freedom, but decided the II better fit my needs. I didn't need all those modes either. The Photon II now stays in my BOB along with my red Inova keychain light.

As for my EDC keychain light, I carry a Gerber Sonic mainly because I use it quite a bit and also because it uses one AAA so I can find spare batteries for it very easily as opposed to the coin cells. And even though things get beat up quite a bit in my pockets with my keys, the Sonic is holding up very well, I don't need Type III hard anodize. I did get the silver one though so that scratches don't show up as bad.

jsr · Jul 24, 2006

I like my SL KeyMate. Looks very nice (like a mini-flashlight instead of a metal tube) and is plenty bright. Twist the head for on/off, that's it. You didn't mention battery preference tho and the KeyMate uses 4x LR44/AG13 button cells. Don't know if you're opposed to that. But it's well built, silver hides the scratches, and always works.

There's also the new Fenix E1. Decently bright and flat regulated output for 2+hrs I believe. $26. HAIII finish also. Twists on/off. Looks nice.

I got my KeyMate for <$10 including the Nichia CS I modded it with, so it's hard for me to justify a high cost for a keychain light.

carrot · Jul 24, 2006

Photon II or maybe a Fenix E1.

lukus · Jul 24, 2006

Third that on the Photon II. Simple, cheap, and durable enough to be on my keyring for over 3 years and 2 battery changes and still going strong. My wife managed to break some little Inova and an off brand before I got her a Photon II. Over 2 years and I just changed batteries in it.

cave dave · Jul 24, 2006

I currently have a Photon2 on my keychain. In the winter I switch to an ArcAAA. I have been a CPF member since 2001 and have lots of lights, If I thought there was something better I assure you I would have it. The Photon2 has proven to be dead reliable for over 5 years. The whiz bang coin lights have a tendancy to turn themselves on and be dead when you need them.

For $12 its at the vary least its a good place to start. Don't be tempted by the $1 knockoffs unless you can live with higher probablility of failure and accidental activation.

Randy Shackleford · Jul 24, 2006

photon clones work well form me:

LED BriCK · Jul 24, 2006

If you're willing to cycle through modes once, the Inova microlight can be set for press for on, let go for off. In fact, I think it comes that way by default and you have to set it up for 2-stage + SOS only if you want that capability.

MrNaz · Jul 25, 2006

http://fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=94

Fenix E1 for $25? Bargain! I think this will be a better light than the Arc AAA-P, as they appear to have similar build qualities, similar output and similar size. However, IMHO the ability to stand a flashlight on its tailcap is a highly underrated feature, and I can't understnad how manufacturers don't just do that 100% of the time. What's the drawback?

Anyways, I think I'm set for a Fenix E1. I'm going to buy a Fenix P1 anyway, as a glove box emergency light.

I already have a Photon Microlight II. Yes, it rocks, but I thought they'd been discontinued in favour of the Microlight III? If not then good times are to be had, and I want to buy several and attach them to everything including the baby.

Marlite · Jul 25, 2006

MrNaz said:
I'm looking for a keychain light that's nice and easy. It has to be durable and high quality (my keys get bashed around a lot). It also has to be sane. This means no cycling through 2,837 modes every time I push the button.

Mr Naz

Best for you requirements is the AAA Arc Clone so many CPF'rs are impressed with. The clone will give 13 hrs and 12 min. of runtime from AAA Alkalines as reported by Chevrofreak in his good runtime-review on 08-25-02005. Thats almost double the Arc's run-time!
LedZepplin repair/review/mod of theArc AAA Clone 01/24/2006 also 1st class! "The Dealers-Group Buy" has many reviews too!
See Le Box aka Todd Langvardt excellent vendor, who just concluded a 3rd sold out consecutive group buy for 1500 total in 2 mos. Many were modded and they were the one of the bargains of the year @ 2 for $10.00 and 5 for $20.00 US. The Classic Arc is $39.00 or so. Try BST or Miller Mods for 3/4 W power mod model. Sanest price around!
Same styling as an Arc AAA in Stainless steel but, lighter, brighter and smaller! One hand turn on. Love it, my backup to JetBeam I AA EDC. Works great with pen clip and is for cap mountingheadlamp, impervious to scratches!

Ask Tod to run another group buy and I'll reorder for the third time. Buy ten keep 5 and 5 for gift giving. 13 hr runtime is great for kids! What's not to like?

Enjoy, Marlite

MrNaz · Aug 1, 2006

Marlite said:
MrNaz said:

I'm looking for a keychain light that's nice and easy. It has to be durable and high quality (my keys get bashed around a lot). It also has to be sane. This means no cycling through 2,837 modes every time I push the button.

Mr Naz

Best for you requirements is the AAA Arc Clone so many CPF'rs are impressed with. The clone will give 13 hrs and 12 min. of runtime from AAA Alkalines as reported by Chevrofreak in his good runtime-review on 08-25-02005. Thats almost double the Arc's run-time!
LedZepplin repair/review/mod of theArc AAA Clone 01/24/2006 also 1st class! "The Dealers-Group Buy" has many reviews too!
See Le Box aka Todd Langvardt excellent vendor, who just concluded a 3rd sold out consecutive group buy for 1500 total in 2 mos. Many were modded and they were the one of the bargains of the year @ 2 for $10.00 and 5 for $20.00 US. The Classic Arc is $39.00 or so. Try BST or Miller Mods for 3/4 W power mod model. Sanest price around!
Same styling as an Arc AAA in Stainless steel but, lighter, brighter and smaller! One hand turn on. Love it, my backup to JetBeam I AA EDC. Works great with pen clip and is for cap mountingheadlamp, impervious to scratches!

Ask Tod to run another group buy and I'll reorder for the third time. Buy ten keep 5 and 5 for gift giving. 13 hr runtime is great for kids! What's not to like?

Enjoy, Marlite

Click to expand...

5 for $20 for a good quality Mag Solitaire replacement? Count me in for $100 worth. How do group buys get organised here?

smokinbasser · Aug 1, 2006

I'll join in with the other photon II advocates, I have had mine on my key ring going on 8 or 9 years now and am still on the original battery, squeeze for momentary and slide the extremely tiny switch to lock the light on. My clones from countycomm are only missing the slide switch to mimic the photons. Difference being I can buy 18 of countycomm clones for the price of one photon II.

europium · Sep 9, 2006

Another alternative to the Arc-AAA(P) is the just-released Fenix E0:

Review thread: http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=131894

Sales thread: http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=132071

Kiessling · Sep 9, 2006

MrNaz ... I like your philosophy about user interfaces!!! :thumbsup:

Now ... I have used a JIL light for over a year on a keychain. It is a CR2 light with a 1hour+ runtime and is quite bright and relatively small.
This means it was bright enough to easily overcome some light pollution AND it sported a runtime that was sufficient for my needs, although YMMV with runtime needs.
IMHO the 5mm AAA-cell lights just do not cut it for situations where you have light pollution or need a little more oomph, they are pure emergency lights. IMHO again.
I will not go back to the dim route ...

bernie

Mike Painter · Sep 9, 2006

MrNaz said:
OK now that I have that off my chest, does anyone know of a good, solid, bright light that I can put on my keychain and rely on when I've lost a $1 coin under the driver's seat in the car or if I'm trying to find the keyhole of a door I'm not familiar with?

Buy a couple dozen of these at $0.99 each. On/Off and a little slide to keep them on iff you want. Very bright.
They look like the original Photons which did just what you want but these are much brighter.

You only need one per keychain. Give the rest away to your friends and co-workers.

vic303 · Sep 9, 2006

Photon II.

The-David · Sep 9, 2006

MrNaz said:
No cycling through strobes, dim modes, flashing SOSes and satelite uplinks to download the latest service pack for the light's internal operating system.

:laughing:
Well sounds like what you want is just the cheepey keychain ligths that have been upgraded with a birgher LED (lighthound.com). Depending on how much $$ you want to spend and size of your keys. A Arc AAA (though I dont have one) seems like a good way to go. The fenix L1P would be good to.

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