14500 Compatible lights that stand out
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archimedes
Flashaholic
energythoughts
Newly Enlightened
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- Sep 16, 2011
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Right now from my "inventory" I would say the ThruNite 1A. It can handle AA or 14500. With the 14500 it is crazy bright on it's highest setting but still retains the low modes (where my Fenix LD10 does not).. and out of all of my lights this is the only light that I have that goes lower than 1 lumen. perfect for checking on the kids or not waking up the wife at night. It has a nice floody beam with the XM-L, and it has better/aggressive knurling than most of my other lights. So with a 14500 is has the widest range of output of any light I have. Yes this light has some mechanical imperfections.. slightly wobble in the head when it's slightly loose for low modes... the tail cap feels a little squishy, my AW 14500's need a tiny dab of aluminum foil on the positive to make it work in the 1A (not sure if other battery brands work fine though). I don't have the level of trust with the 1A around water like I do with my LD10. it's rated the same but for some reason I'm not sure the 1A would really survive a lot of water.
So yes the mechanical stuff sounds scary.. but the output intensity, brightness levels & beam pattern is so nice it allows me to overlook the flaws.
My friend ordered the Jetbeam RRT0 XM-L. This looks very promising... solving all of the ThruNite issues. We'll be testing his with a 14500... I'll soon find out if it will be replacing my 1A 🙂
So yes the mechanical stuff sounds scary.. but the output intensity, brightness levels & beam pattern is so nice it allows me to overlook the flaws.
My friend ordered the Jetbeam RRT0 XM-L. This looks very promising... solving all of the ThruNite issues. We'll be testing his with a 14500... I'll soon find out if it will be replacing my 1A 🙂
roadkill1109
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2011
- Messages
- 2,309
4Sevens Quark X AA.
B0wz3r
Flashlight Enthusiast
Your Xeno is going to be a cannon with a 14500... I have a black E03 with a neutral T5 and it screams. Keep in mind that the E03 is not regulated, so it will get steadily dimmer as the charge in the cell depletes.
Quark AA is a good choice, but if you've already got a neutral light and you like it, you may very well not like the cool tint of the Quarks. They are also very inconsistent in their tints; you never know what you're going to get. You really do play the "tint lottery" with their lights.
Thrunite Neutrons are supposed to be screaming bright on 14500, but they've had some significant quality issues... do a search for 'wobbly head' and you'll find a lot of reports from members here complaining that the threads between the head and body are loose, and there have been several reports of a UI bug in them as well.
The Spark SL5's can run on 14500 and are nice lights. Well made, choice of XML or XPG emitters in cool or neutral in both emitters. They're about the same brightness in either neutral or cool. If you want a more throwy light, get one with the XPG, if you want floodier, get one with the XML.
There are several other brands that make nice 1xAA lights, but most uses cool emitters instead of neutrals, and I'm a tint snob, so I don't pay a lot of attention to cool tint lights. I only buy neutral or high CRI lights anymore. YMMV though of course.
Quark AA is a good choice, but if you've already got a neutral light and you like it, you may very well not like the cool tint of the Quarks. They are also very inconsistent in their tints; you never know what you're going to get. You really do play the "tint lottery" with their lights.
Thrunite Neutrons are supposed to be screaming bright on 14500, but they've had some significant quality issues... do a search for 'wobbly head' and you'll find a lot of reports from members here complaining that the threads between the head and body are loose, and there have been several reports of a UI bug in them as well.
The Spark SL5's can run on 14500 and are nice lights. Well made, choice of XML or XPG emitters in cool or neutral in both emitters. They're about the same brightness in either neutral or cool. If you want a more throwy light, get one with the XPG, if you want floodier, get one with the XML.
There are several other brands that make nice 1xAA lights, but most uses cool emitters instead of neutrals, and I'm a tint snob, so I don't pay a lot of attention to cool tint lights. I only buy neutral or high CRI lights anymore. YMMV though of course.
energythoughts
Newly Enlightened
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- Sep 16, 2011
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Will 4Sevens have a Quark X AA soon? thought they only had the AA-2. Don't think you can run two 14500's in that 🙂
Do the 4Sevens still have the pre-flash on the low modes? I used my friends AA-2 for a bit and the pre-flash kind of shifted my interest away from 4Sevens. A single AA XM-L Quark that will run a 14500 and still have the moonlight mode without pre-flash would be pretty nice I would think.
Don't laugh, but my faves are a coupla AKOray K-106 lights I own; compact, rugged, they kick *** on lithium-ion, and are cheap enough that I don't mind lending them out.
I also have a Quark AA Tactical that out-throws the AKOrays, and has a refreshingly simple UI, but of course costs as much as both of the cheaper lights.
But my "preciousssss" is the JETbeam RRT-0 with the AA adapter, which is never more than arm's length away. There are smaller 1xAA lights, but the slightly larger reflector gives a GRATE balace of throw and spill. It also offers excellent flexibility in power: 14500 or 16340 for maximum performance, CR123A or Energizer 91 cells for HTSHTF, or common alkaline AA cells as a last resort. The only way it could be more versatile is if it took unleaded gasoline.
Dances with Flashlight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Absolutely love my Peak El Capitans:
Brass Keychain & HA/SS Momentary
Brass Keychain & HA/SS Momentary
Dances with Flashlight
Flashlight Enthusiast
High build quality and the fact you can have the light the way you want it: materials (Brass, SS, HAIII, or a combination of these); function (twisty, or twisty plus momentary, AND advanced QTC pill for variable output); choice of medium or narrow optics; and fully potted head with heat-transferring epoxy for heat management and shock resistance. Made in the USA.
archimedes
Flashaholic
I completely agree with DWF. It's more than just features, though (for me, at least). It's hard to describe, but there is a "functional aesthetic" about certain tools that is just satisfying. Dunno if that makes much sense, but there it is .... :duh2: - :thinking:
ElectronGuru
Flashaholic
Most US made lights have a certain feel, an experience. Peak, who provides this feel, makes some of the few in this (and smaller) formats.
kaichu dento
Flashaholic
Not recommended by 4Sevens, but there are a lot of happy MiNi AA owners running them on 14500 and it's my present go-to light for the last couple of weeks now.
Kilovolt
Flashlight Enthusiast
In my Lumapower TRUST 1 I use 14500 cells and they are officially approved by the manufacturer.
Cheapskate
Enlightened
The Sunwayman V10A has a substantial max output on a 14500, yet does not loose the ability to go ultra low. I use 14500s in my quark mini AA and it is crazy bright on max for such a tiny light. Not that you can use it for long on max due to rapid heat rise, but i often find I only want max for short periods anyway.
Try the ElCapitan, or the Logan with the 17500 body. You'll be pleasantly surprised! I own both, and it's a hard choice every morning as to which gets clipped to my pocket.
No frills (disco modes, finning, etc), and they feel like real quality tools that will keep working as long as the battery has juice.
No frills (disco modes, finning, etc), and they feel like real quality tools that will keep working as long as the battery has juice.
OneBigDay
Enlightened
I did some beamshots in this thread that shows a handful of 14500 lights.
I have also picked up a Sunwayman V10A since I posted that thread and it runs great on 14500. V10R Ti with extender and V10A are going to have exactly the same output and beam profile on 14500. I would definitely recommend the V10A if variable output is appealing. The Dereelight C2H with AA extender is a host that has been around for a while but is a great light too.
Other 14500 lights that I have had my eye on are:
The Peak Mach 3 (I think this is basically a smooth titanium El Captain). I am waiting until they offer these with QTC.
Spark SL5 looks really cool too. I love the style of this one with side clicky.
Have fun and good luck.
I have also picked up a Sunwayman V10A since I posted that thread and it runs great on 14500. V10R Ti with extender and V10A are going to have exactly the same output and beam profile on 14500. I would definitely recommend the V10A if variable output is appealing. The Dereelight C2H with AA extender is a host that has been around for a while but is a great light too.
Other 14500 lights that I have had my eye on are:
The Peak Mach 3 (I think this is basically a smooth titanium El Captain). I am waiting until they offer these with QTC.
Spark SL5 looks really cool too. I love the style of this one with side clicky.
Have fun and good luck.
OneBigDay
That is an amazing thread you put together there. Coincidentally I am getting my 14500's in the mail today, and I can't wait to put one in my Xeno XM-L.
There is so much good information in your thread, I just sat there staring for 10 minutes. 🙂 The differences between the Xeno XP-G and XM-L I found interesting, and even before I got to the pictures I knew the Zebralight SC51 would DOMINATE the 1 x AA format. Could you imagine what Zebralight could do with a 14500 compatible light? Sort of like a mini SC600.
Thanks guys for articulating what makes Peak special. The fact that they're made in America and built to last is nice. Their website is a little... strange though.
That is an amazing thread you put together there. Coincidentally I am getting my 14500's in the mail today, and I can't wait to put one in my Xeno XM-L.
There is so much good information in your thread, I just sat there staring for 10 minutes. 🙂 The differences between the Xeno XP-G and XM-L I found interesting, and even before I got to the pictures I knew the Zebralight SC51 would DOMINATE the 1 x AA format. Could you imagine what Zebralight could do with a 14500 compatible light? Sort of like a mini SC600.
Thanks guys for articulating what makes Peak special. The fact that they're made in America and built to last is nice. Their website is a little... strange though.
