AAA Light for Key Chain Carry

Hey guys...

Looking for a new light for my key chain. It will be replacing an Arc AAA that I've been carrying for around 10 years or so. I've been debating on whether I should replace it or not since it's been such a durable, trustworthy light but today's tech seems to offer more versatility and bang for the buck so I'm thinking it's time to upgrade.

I've narrowed my choices down to the following lights based on reviews and other recommendations that I've read here on CPF:

1. Fenix LD01
2. Olight i3 EOS
3. SWM R02A
4. Quark Preon P0

AAA form factor is best for me and I don't need more than 2-3 modes max with a good UI. Durability is a must and I prefer "twisty" for these smaller lights. Also, I would like that the finish hold up well over time since it will be attached to my key ring. Don't be afraid to recommend something that's not on my list that I may have not considered as long as it meets the general criteria I posted. To simplify things, let's keep a price range of around $30 max, but don't hesitate to recommend something a little more expensive than that.

I have the Olight i3 EOS which is a nice light but I also have the Tank007 E09 which is cheaper and brighter. I would recomend the E09 over the i3.

The misses has a gold eos


70lm with a better clip

i have an i3s 80lm with a crap key chain,if do decide on it,bin the chain and use something else or YOU WILL LOOSE IT.Other than that its excellent,cheap.
Down side with any cheaper key chain lights is the chip............unless get a ti or stainless then it will happen




Feed it an AAA eneloop and it will make the led a happy one

Those are the cheap end,excellent value ones for me,obv can get better but again depends on budget

The i3s is getting changed soon for a DQG ti fed on a 10180 cell,its small...........very small and comes with a trit too

I keychain the dqg aaa more than the preon p0. A mm longer han the p0. But got knurling, tir optic, and 6/60 lm low/hi mode. Both the p0 and dqg is way smaller than the arc, but not as solid.

The magnet on the p0 is annoying if you got magnetic stuff on your keychain. Heat kills magnets. 10 sek with a lighter can solve the magnet issue permanently

I have an Olight i3s and it's a pretty nifty light with moonlight, medium and 80LM high, plus a strobe. It's got a nice beam with a large spill and weighs next to nothing. I've run mine on a protected LiMn 3.7v cell and while it works fine, it gets very hot in only a couple of minutes, so not really practical.

Run it on a Eneloop Gen. 2 and you get decent runtimes. I use the pocket clip and that works well.

At ~$20 shipped, it's not a lot and it comes in neat colors, if that floats your boat.

I looked up the Tank007 09 and those look pretty nice and they're a bit cheaper if you go to FastTech and order, at about $14 shipped.

Chris

jorn said:

I keychain the dqg aaa more than the preon p0. A mm longer han the p0. But got knurling, tir optic, and 6/60 lm low/hi mode. Both the p0 and dqg is way smaller than the arc, but not as solid.

The magnet on the p0 is annoying if you got magnetic stuff on your keychain. Heat kills magnets. 10 sek with a lighter can solve the magnet issue permanently

Click to expand...

jorn,
Have you carried that dqg very long? Has it been reliable? Do I need to be aware of anything in partiuclar?
I got mine just after Christmas, and the threads were damaged, my replacement should arrive tomorrow. I really like the NW tint, and the output is very useful, even the low (which surprised me a bit.)

Check out countycomm, and look at the Maratac AAA in SS. I think it's right up your alley.

I know this exceeds your budget, but a McGiz Sapphire would be something you could keep and be proud of for years, plus add a touch of luxury, not to mention flawless reliability from the most prolific maker ever!

please don't be mad at me, I just wanted to suggest an alternative, good or bad, to the other lesser priced, but still excellent lights.

Just a thought...

Now that I think of it, I don't have a sapphire! Better put that on my short list.

Nevertheless, good luck!

second the maratac rev3 AAA, about the best i can think of in this category

A lot depends on how you will use the light and what you like. The PO is all flood. The Tank007 E09 has relatively more throw than the others. The OLight i3S is very light, but replace the key chain attachment - that little triangle fails - and I prefer SS or copper for key chain duty. I have a Maratac copper AAA modded by Vinh (XP-G2 N) and it is a blast on a li-ion 10440. The DQG AAA's tir provides a nice beam and mine has been reliable. The Dereelight DA3 is an interesting light - a very floody beam, but a greenish tint. The tint isn't great for white wall hunting, but is fine for real use. The Spark SK7 is a simple 2-mode light (not shown). The L3 Illumination L08 is available with either the Nichia 219 or XP-G2 and is good value (I have the L10 and like it a lot). Peak Eigers are above your budget, but they are great. Built like a bank vault and will run on any type of cell. The Lumintop Worm and Tool are also very nice. There are a lot of choices in AAA format and the XP-G2 emitter is, IMHO, good choice because of tint and relative efficiency.

Have had no problems at all with the latest dqg. Been on the keys for maby a year. I usually rotate the dqg ti and tain p0 on my keys. Maratac is nice and small, but huge compared with the dqg and p0. The dqg and p0 is its own class. As big as a 10220 light.

yoyoman said:

<snip> The DQG AAA's tir provides a nice beam and mine has been reliable.

Click to expand...

jorn said:

Have had no problems at all with the latest dqg. Been on the keys for maby a year. I usually rotate the dqg ti and tain p0 on my keys. Maratac is nice and small, but huge compared with the dqg and p0. The dqg and p0 is its own class. As big as a 10220 light.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the responses. I am surprised at how much I really like that little light. I am looking forward to getting one with smooth threads.

Dave D said:

I have the Olight i3 EOS which is a nice light but I also have the Tank007 E09 which is cheaper and brighter. I would recomend the E09 over the i3.

Click to expand...

The Tank007 E09 is not one that I had considered; I'm adding it to my list. Thanks for the recommendation!

jorn said:

I keychain the dqg aaa more than the preon p0. A mm longer han the p0. But got knurling, tir optic, and 6/60 lm low/hi mode. Both the p0 and dqg is way smaller than the arc, but not as solid.

The magnet on the p0 is annoying if you got magnetic stuff on your keychain. Heat kills magnets. 10 sek with a lighter can solve the magnet issue permanently

Click to expand...

Not a big fan of the magnet. Didn't even realize the p0 came with one. That DQG looks nice, though.

ChrisGarrett said:

I have an Olight i3s and it's a pretty nifty light with moonlight, medium and 80LM high, plus a strobe. It's got a nice beam with a large spill and weighs next to nothing. I've run mine on a protected LiMn 3.7v cell and while it works fine, it gets very hot in only a couple of minutes, so not really practical.

Run it on a Eneloop Gen. 2 and you get decent runtimes. I use the pocket clip and that works well.

At ~$20 shipped, it's not a lot and it comes in neat colors, if that floats your boat.

I looked up the Tank007 09 and those look pretty nice and they're a bit cheaper if you go to FastTech and order, at about $14 shipped.

Chris

Click to expand...

I'm kind of partial to the Olight as I already own a S15. Thanks for your input!

jabe1 said:

Check out countycomm, and look at the Maratac AAA in SS. I think it's right up your alley.

Click to expand...

Nice light! Seems like most of the ones on their site are either discontinued or out of stock though. That or I'm looking at the wrong ones. Thanks for chiming in!

RedLed said:

I know this exceeds your budget, but a McGiz Sapphire would be something you could keep and be proud of for years, plus add a touch of luxury, not to mention flawless reliability from the most prolific maker ever!

please don't be mad at me, I just wanted to suggest an alternative, good or bad, to the other lesser priced, but still excellent lights.

Just a thought...

Now that I think of it, I don't have a sapphire! Better put that on my short list.

Nevertheless, good luck!

Click to expand...

Not mad at all. I only put the $30 price range down because that seems to be about the average price point for most of the lights in this class that I've looked at so far (plus that was what I paid for my Arc). I'm definitely going to look at the Sapphire. I don't mind paying more for quality (Buy once, cry once). Thanks for taking the time to reply!

ven said:

The misses has a gold eos


70lm with a better clip

i have an i3s 80lm with a crap key chain,if do decide on it,bin the chain and use something else or YOU WILL LOOSE IT.Other than that its excellent,cheap.
Down side with any cheaper key chain lights is the chip............unless get a ti or stainless then it will happen




Feed it an AAA eneloop and it will make the led a happy one

Those are the cheap end,excellent value ones for me,obv can get better but again depends on budget

The i3s is getting changed soon for a DQG ti fed on a 10180 cell,its small...........very small and comes with a trit too

Click to expand...

That key chain attachment does look kind of "flismy"...How is the finish holding up on yours? I've heard that the finish on the i3s doesn't hold up well in the pocket, especially with other items. I'm taking a real hard look at that DQG. Very nice.

yoyoman said:

A lot depends on how you will use the light and what you like. The PO is all flood. The Tank007 E09 has relatively more throw than the others. The OLight i3S is very light, but replace the key chain attachment - that little triangle fails - and I prefer SS or copper for key chain duty. I have a Maratac copper AAA modded by Vinh (XP-G2 N) and it is a blast on a li-ion 10440. The DQG AAA's tir provides a nice beam and mine has been reliable. The Dereelight DA3 is an interesting light - a very floody beam, but a greenish tint. The tint isn't great for white wall hunting, but is fine for real use. The Spark SK7 is a simple 2-mode light (not shown). The L3 Illumination L08 is available with either the Nichia 219 or XP-G2 and is good value (I have the L10 and like it a lot). Peak Eigers are above your budget, but they are great. Built like a bank vault and will run on any type of cell. The Lumintop Worm and Tool are also very nice. There are a lot of choices in AAA format and the XP-G2 emitter is, IMHO, good choice because of tint and relative efficiency.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the detailed reply! A lot of information there to think about. Just did a quick look-up of the Peak Eiger and I really like it; I had forgotten all about Peak. When I bought my Arc, it had come down to it and the Peak Matterhorn but I had decided on the Arc in the end.

I second the Peak Eiger. Great light and dang durable. They currently have a limited production copper run that is a little more expensive but looks pretty cool.

I have a gold-colored, iTP version of that Olight model. Decent, but far from durable. The Olight version is basically the very same model except it lacks the lanyard post and has a more secure attachment for the clip.

Considering the light you're used to, the Fenix LD01 has the durability you need.

yoyoman said:

A lot depends on how you will use the light and what you like. The PO is all flood. The Tank007 E09 has relatively more throw than the others. The OLight i3S is very light, but replace the key chain attachment - that little triangle fails -

Click to expand...

Hi... I bought an Olight i3S EOS last week and have read about people having the triangle fail. To me the triangle looks pretty sturdy considering there's a small tube covering the joint. Is this tube new or will the triangle fail even with the small tube present?

Here's a macro photo showing the small tube covering the triangle joint...



Brgds... /BlueSwede

PS. I like the i3S a lot... I like that it starts in medium mode when turning it on.

Dadof6 said:

I second the Peak Eiger. Great light and dang durable. They currently have a limited production copper run that is a little more expensive but looks pretty cool.

Click to expand...

I like the Eiger, but I'll have to pass on the copper version

Monocrom said:

I have a gold-colored, iTP version of that Olight model. Decent, but far from durable. The Olight version is basically the very same model except it lacks the lanyard post and has a more secure attachment for the clip.

Considering the light you're used to, the Fenix LD01 has the durability you need.

Click to expand...

Appreciate your input! :thanks:

BlueSwede, Make sure the ends of triangle are in the tube - try to tighten it with pliers. Also, some models came with a tiny lobster claw that attached to the triangle. Many people replaced the triangle with a split ring just to be safe. Mine didn't come with the tiny lobster claw and I tightened the triangle to make it more secure.