Where would i find these lights?

I've got the following on my shortlist, but i can't find a few of them, and need more info on a few...

1. PT Blast. Excellent light. However, i don't think i'll order it this time, due to low runtime and no special features. Damn cheap though.
2. Dorcy 1AA 3LED - need more info. Read the review, but can't find it for sale anywhere. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
3. SL Keymate. Very very small, pretty damn bright, according to Roy. I see it uses 4x LR44s for a runtime of 96 hours at 50% brightness. I don't know if that's bright enough. (But its sooo small! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif)
4. UK 2AAA eLED - another excellent light. Would make a great gift for my sister, who has mermaid-like tendencies. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Also thinking of getting it for myself, as the clip etc would come in very handy while biking and stuff.

Right now i shall order only two of these (possibly the UK 2AAA and/or Dorcy/SL Keymate if i can find it) so i know what i'm getting into before i order more.

Thanks

Hi Mark,

You can find the Streamlight Keymate at Meridian Tactical , and plus Chris is well known to be a great guy to deal with.

And the UKE 2AAA ELed can be found at County Comm. Frank and Nick are top notch dealers as well!

Not sure about the Blast and Dorcy though... I'm sure someone else will be able to help you out soon. There's probably more other online dealers (and sponsors here) that carry the lights as well, its just that the ones I recommended above are the first that comes to mind, thats all.

Dunno about the keymate, as the batts might seem to be the only gripe about the light. But I have the UKE 2AAA (Xenon), not the LED version, and that is indeed a great and very handy light to have. Its small and bright, while waterproof and shockproof too! Best thing is that it runs on normal AAA batts, so its a big /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif for sure!!

Well, have fun shopping!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for the tip Stanley. I was going to buy the UK 2AAA at Countycomm, but the exhorbitant shipping turned me off. $ 6 for a measly 1-2oz light? No thanks!

The Keymate is available at www.pocketlights.com, and that's where i'm looking at right now. Where would i get batteries for it? www.cheapbatteries.com has them for 30c apiece in the quantity i'm willing to order. (Thinking of ordering 3 sets = 12 batts)

You're most welcome Mark! Batteries? Definitely Batterystation... Kevin's a great guy too (seems like everyone here's great!!) altho I'm not sure whether he carries the right batts for the Keymate. Check it out at www.batterystation.com, else for other CPF specials its at www.batterystation.com/cpf.htm .

Doing further research (who knew i'd shop so much for a measly flashlight!), we see that:
- The Blast doesn't have much advantage over a UK 2AAA with the xenon bulb. The UK is also smaller.
- The Dorcy is still MIA.
- The Keymate and UK eLED are looking better and better.

My cart at brightguy is currently at $ 22 with the two flashlights and a change of batts for the Keymate. I'm still waiting for someone to tell me where i could find the Dorcy because it is a very good light.

OT: I just put my Solitaire on my keychain with the included strap and am finding it kinda cool to carry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif (I know, most of the fun will wear off and it'll appear to magically grow as time progresses /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)

Also OT: I hope i'm making a good decision here - i don't want to spend all this money (almost $ 30 is a big chunk of change for me to spend on flashlights) and find out that they don't offer me any visible benefit over ordinary store-bought models, including my Solitaire. If i had the money i'd definitely go for the Inova X5T or Arc LS... then i see that the LS is about as bright as a Blast. Totally shook me, as i was so close to buying one.

[ QUOTE ]
Mark_Larson said:

OT: I just put my Solitaire on my keychain with the included strap and am finding it kinda cool to carry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif (I know, most of the fun will wear off and it'll appear to magically grow as time progresses /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)



[/ QUOTE ]

You need an Arc AAA , the solitaire just doesn't compare.

Unfortunately, it costs too much. Not to mention the Keymate is smaller and about as bright, and the UK is more versatile. (And both combined don't add up to the cost of one AAAA!)

BTW: I spent around EUR 23/- for this Solitaire two years ago. (first time in Amsterdam airport, wanted to buy something cool). No way i'm spending that much on a flashlight again. I'm just getting these two so i can gift the UK and keep the Keymate.

ANY and EVERYTHING is better than a Solit@ire!!!!

The Eled is available at Brightguy.

Mark you might want to go to the review section and look at the run time plots they tend to be different from what many manufacturers claim.The Arc has a 10yr garantie much cheaper batteries that give useable light much longer I like the keymate but in the long run they are much more expensive to use than the Arc. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Mark Larson
Welcome to CPF!
I recommend you check out Quickbeams site
http://flashlightreviews.home.att.net/index1.html
Enjoy your search.

Arc AAA too expensive?! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/whoopin.gif
I have spent over $500 on flashlights since I joined CPF, and I am just a highschool student without a job! I consider the Arc AAA quite inexpensive for the quality you get! You really should get one. It will convince you that even if a cheap flashlight is brighter than an expensive flashlight, it is not better. I would buy the Arc LS over the PT Blast anyday because I want the best quality, not just the most "bang for the buck." You might as well just buy a few quality flashlights instead of many cheap ones! You will not regret buying quality flashlights! Once, I too wouldn't spend lots of money on a flashlight, but now that I have held a quality light like the Arc LSH-P, I am hooked.

[ QUOTE ]
Mark_Larson said:
Unfortunately, it costs too much. Not to mention the Keymate is smaller and about as bright

[/ QUOTE ]

Mark,

I have both and the Keymate is impressive at first, but like many small creatures that burn brightly it has a brilliant but disappointingly brief life. IMO it fades relatively quickly, not to mention its relatively exotic and expensive batteries. The ARC doesn't start as brightly but it just keeps going..,. and going..... In a recent runtime test it devastated the CMG Sonic (excellent light for the money) which at first appeared to be serious competition. You know how manufacturers routinely inflate specs, epecially runtime? Well ARC actually does the opposite and claims "only" about 5hrs of useful life. In reality (verified by testing and many Fashaholic's personal experience) it's more like 7hrs, or even more. I'm not extolling its virtues because it is the "in" CPF light or out of "loyalty" to Peter G. Nope, it just happens to be one of the best, most useful lights anyone is producing these days. It has personally helped me out in several situations where its reliability and long burn were very important.

Also, not to be unduly morbid, we must face the fact that we are living in strange and unpredictable times. Living where I live and being close to the events of 9/11 as I was my focus in lights is on quality, reliability and bright runtime. With the AAA on my keyring and an extra AAA easily stored just about anywhere I know that whatever happens I have about 14 hours of functional reliable light in a tiny flyweight device that's always with me. In the recent blackout it was the ARC AAA that made all the difference for two friends. For a third friend on a weekend vacation in Quogue, Long Island an AAA held it all together when a freak accident caused a total blackout of the entire town on a pitch black night. I could go on and on but I've said enough.

Brightnorm

[ QUOTE ]
onelight said:
The Arc has a 10yr garantie much cheaper batteries that give useable light much longer I like the keymate but in the long run they are much more expensive to use than the Arc. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

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You are right, in some circumstances - i don't use my flashlight very much, and my Solitaire is still on its original battery and bulb /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif For my needs, i think the Keymate is better. I do understand that the AAA is a superior light, its just that i don't think its worth the premium for my needs. (Don't use flashlight much, need it around at all times, batt availability not an insurmountable problem)

[ QUOTE ]
Pi_is_blue said:
Arc AAA too expensive?! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/whoopin.gif
I have spent over $500 on flashlights since I joined CPF, and I am just a highschool student without a job!

[/ QUOTE ]
Excuse me, but it seems i'm not as rich as you are.
[ QUOTE ]
I consider the Arc AAA quite inexpensive for the quality you get! You really should get one. It will convince you that even if a cheap flashlight is brighter than an expensive flashlight, it is not better. I would buy the Arc LS over the PT Blast anyday because I want the best quality, not just the most "bang for the buck."

[/ QUOTE ]
The ultimate measure of a flashlight is how bright it is, combined with how long it lasts. If you buy an Arc LSH-P and i buy a PT Blast, which are approximately the same price and size, i'll naturally think i got the better deal. Again, i don't plan on using the flashlight much. I'm not an outdoorsy type of person. I think the Keymate is a good light for the cost and the size. [ QUOTE ]
You might as well just buy a few quality flashlights instead of many cheap ones! You will not regret buying quality flashlights! Once, I too wouldn't spend lots of money on a flashlight, but now that I have held a quality light like the Arc LSH-P, I am hooked.

[/ QUOTE ] Or maybe i won't regret spending less on cheap lights that satisfy my needs just as well as more expensive ones /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

All that said, i've been looking at the Beamshots DB, and a few things struck me...
1. The X5T is looking better and better - very bright in most tests, about as bright as Arc LS in some tests. Pity the blue is so much brighter than the white and pity the fact that CR123As are expensive and hard to obtain.
2. The Keymate, UK 2AAA (especially), and Arc AAA are too too dim in comparison to some of the other lights in the DB. I didn't expect them to be so dim, honestly.
3. I wish they had some longer-range tests - it may be virtually impossible to see the difference between two lights at a couple of meters, but the better light will outperform the inferior one at more distance. I suppose a range of 20-30 feet would be appropriate, hopefully outside. This would also expose flaws in lenses and reflectors that wouldn't be visble at a short distance. (Let's face it - at a short distance even a $ 1.00 keychain light provides plenty of light. By the same token, its hard to find a flashlight which will properly illuminate the road in front of you when you're walking in an area without streetlights and moonlight)
4. Megaray 175 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

EDIT: Seems the brightness dropping after 45 mins is really a problem with the Keymates, and the 2AAA is really kinda dim. I'm sitting on my decision for a while. I'll check out walmart and Target in the meantime.

Hey Mark_Larson
Welcome!
In regards to the Dorcy 1AA 3LED, I've heard that WalMart carries them. I have yet to see them, or an empty bin there either. I did see that they carry Dorcy's 1AAA 1LED and 2D 4LED. Unfortunately, they are now always out. Probably because all the flashaholics here keep getting them before I get to the store... hehe.
I did get one of the 1AAA models. I'm satisfied with it... at least until I can get an ArcAAA.

Well, again, welcome to CPF!

Danno

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...and pity the fact that CR123As are expensive and hard to obtain.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really true anymore. Check out Batterystation.com's CPF member prices for CR123s in the Dealers' Forum here. A buck each plus shipping.

Also Surefire.com sells their fine SF123s off their site for about $1.25 each plus shipping.

A search for CR123s on Ebay will turn up alot of fairly good deals on them. Only in an emergency would I buy a 123 in a local store. That's very unlikely since, like most of the other members here...I plan for the unexpected.

BC

If you are going to keep it in a pocket, and not use it much...

And you want to find batteries pretty easy and cheap...

You need a 1xaaa or at most a 2xaaa. This means a miserable crummy Solit@ire, a VERY nice ARC AAA, A quite decent Dorcy 1aaa 1LED light, a UK 2AAA either Xenon or LED.

You MIGHT find you could carry a 1AA light, which means CMG Infinity Ultra.

I would personally go for a LED light. There is a 99.999% chance it will light up when you want it to!

If you were to go for the Infinity, you could run a Lithium AA battery, good for upwards of !10! years of unused life, and several hours of brighter than Alkaline light.

None of these are WAY powerful blind someone lights. For that you HAVE to step up to a 2x123 light. UK 2L, PM6, SL Scorpion, SF G2 etc. (even 19.95 Brinkmann LX)

A pretty decent 2AA light is the Pelican Mitylite 2AA (there is even a Mitylite PLUS model with a clickie tailswitch). My Mitylite with Lithium batts is pretty bright and very smooth of beam due to Textured Light Module.

The cheapest are the UK lights, next LX or Mitylite, next ???

You are fooling yourself if you buy just based on cheap.

Mark most of the single 5mm leds will have close to the same initial output,excluding some of the cheapest The inova X5T uses 5 of the 5mm leds I like the X5t I have 3 of them they make a nice task light in a handy package,but in spite of what it looks like to you in the beam shots they do not put out near as much light as the 1 watt lights.Some of the more expensive lights are fully regulated(Arc LS SF L4 etc) so they maintain nearly the same output for the life of the batteries at a loss of overall run time, the unregulated(X5T keymate etc) lights start to dim gradually from the moment they are turned on but will run much longer, both have advantages some are referred to as semi regulated(Arc aaa) and fall in between.I guess expensive is a relative thing an Arc AAA cost me less than going to a college football game or dinner and a movie,I would rather have the Arc Im a flashaholic /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif To each his own.

If I may just add to your growing wish list... I just received my CMG Ultra G from County Comm yesterday, and spent almost the whole night playing with it around the house... Its ALMOST equivalent to the Arc AAA in brightness, but the batts (1xAA) are rated to run for ~10hours or so... and for the price I think its a great buy!! Its a little bigger than I expected it to be, but it still makes for a great camping/general use light with its ruggedness! Just in case you'd like to check it out... Here is the link for the Ultra G... Enjoy! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Please check my other thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif