Best flat regulated 1W AA <$40?

datiLED

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Hi All,

What 1W 1-AA (or 1-AAA) light, under $40 has the flattest regulation? I want a bright light, but a constant level of brightness is much more important to me than overall output.

I have seen threads about the L1P being a good choice, but wanted some input specifically on the flat regulation.

BTW, I will be using quality alkalines most of the time.

Thanks,

Derek
 

flame2000

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1W 1AA........seems like Nuwai X1 have the best runtime and regulation for a stock light. But the lens is plastic.

The other choice probably a L2P head on a L1P body.
 

Frank Maddix

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flame2000 said:
1W 1AA........seems like Nuwai X1 have the best runtime and regulation for a stock light. But the lens is plastic.

The other choice probably a L2P head on a L1P body.
Yes, it works fine. You could then use a 14500 if you're not worried about the warranty. I use Lithium AAs, nice flat regulation.
 

Illum

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flame2000 said:
1W 1AA........seems like Nuwai X1 have the best runtime and regulation for a stock light. But the lens is plastic.

The other choice probably a L2P head on a L1P body.

aside from the L2P, which has been discontinued for sometime now. I would probably say fenix E1
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_e1.htm

the e1 does not use the luxeon I watt but instead uses the nichia 1 watt, im not quite sure which one you want.

Flame2000's suggestion of the X1 might be the luxeon option

Getting a flat regulation 1 watt there are many possibilities, but under the criteria of a single alkaline driven light the luxeon is essentially underdriven and due to the internal resistance nature of alkalines when the regulator unit attempts to draw current, its pretty tough for a single cell light to remain flat.:grin2::ohgeez:

however, I wish not to overextend my expertise in this area since I have insufficiencies in the field and experience. Im sure someone will chime in:grin2:
 
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datiLED

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Thanks for the information, guys!

I like the run time graphs of both the Nuwai X-1 and the Fenix E1, but the flatness of the Fenix E1 is what I was really looking for. Steady output for 1 hour. (And I don't care for the plastic lens of the Nuwai.) I would gladly upgrade to Lithium AA'a for better performance, too.

I think that I need to spend some more time at Flashlightreviews.com. There is a lot of great information there that will help me with future purchases.

Derek
 

selfbuilt

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Good choice with the E1. If you want brighter, there's also the high mode of the LiteFlux 1AA/2AA that's extremely well regulated. The new $20 2-stage Lumapower 301 looks to be very well regulated too (look in the Dealer's forum here for threads), but I haven't seen that confirmed by independent tests yet.
 

datiLED

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selfbuilt said:
Good choice with the E1. If you want brighter, there's also the high mode of the LiteFlux 1AA/2AA that's extremely well regulated. The new $20 2-stage Lumapower 301 looks to be very well regulated too (look in the Dealer's forum here for threads), but I haven't seen that confirmed by independent tests yet.

I have not seen the LiteFlux lights. I will have to search for them.

That Lumapower 301 had my attention earlier, but I want to see some independant reviews and run times, too. It would be a great deal at $20, shipped.

The other light that has my attention right now is the Fenix Civictor. So basically, I have narrowed my search.

Thanks to everyone for their input. You have been most helpful.

Derek
 

Flying Turtle

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I use my E1 alot around the house on NiMHs. Probably getting at least 1 hour runtime. Not sure if it's considered to be a 1 watt or 0.5 watt. It compares pretty closely to the River Rock 0.5 watt 2 AAA in brightness. Maybe it's a very underdriven 1 watt.

Geoff
 

datiLED

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OK, now I have my list made. I have them in order based on what I percieve to be the best value, based on my needs.

Fenix Civictor - $27 shipped
Lumapower LM301 - $20 shipped
Fenix L1P - $32.26 shipped (15% discount applied)
Fenix E1 - $23.99 shipped

However, I am tempted to get the L1P since it is discontinued. I believe that the other lights are still in production, which will allow me to get them at will, as finances allow.

I am going to do some more digging to see how these lights compare to each other in construction and features. I prefer a natural finish, but if the price is right, I can deal with any color, really.

What have I gotten myself into?

Derek
 

carrot

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The L1P is one of my favorite lights, probably because it is my first Fenix, and also because I modified it to have a bezel-down pocket clip, which greatly aids in drawing the light, prevents it from rolling on tables, and it's already really beat up so I have confidence in its reliability and don't care about dents and scratches. (My other favorites, the Surefire A2 and E1L, are also getting pretty banged up.) I'd say I have about as much confidence in my trusty little Fenix L1P as with my Surefire E1L, whose clickie tailcap already failed on me once. (Whereas the L1P has never failed for me. Ever.)



However, the Civictor V1 is as bright as it for a bit less money, uses the same circuitry, and is a bit smaller so it's more comfortable to pocket carry. And the L1T is brighter.

And the E1... well, everyone needs a pocket keychain light, right?
 

Lobo

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Carrot, is your L1t brighter than your L1p and Civictor? At flashlightsreview both L1p and Civictor got higher readings than L1t, which I always thought was a little weird since it's a Luxeon III compared to Civictors and L1ps Luxeon I.
 

carrot

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My L1T is visibly brighter than the L1P and Civictor, but I don't think the difference is enough to affect performance much.
 

Frank Maddix

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glire said:
Not to forget the Inova X1! Reasonable regulation, tough, slight blue cast (which aids discrimination of objects IMHO). I think the LED must be sub-1W (probably a Nichia) which should help on the current draw aspect.
 

HARDMETAL

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a new model aaax1 tm322xe1 ,very bright .
size:lenght-7.5cm(3')
diameter-1.3cm(1/2')
 

datiLED

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HARDMETAL said:
a new model aaax1 tm322xe1 ,very bright .
size:lenght-7.5cm(3')
diameter-1.3cm(1/2')

HARDMETAL,

I can't find any information on the light that you mentioned. Can you please post a link? How well regulated is this light, and what kind of run times?

Thanks,

Derek
 
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