2xAA - less popular as time has gone by?

[rayman]

For me a double AA light is just a little bit too long compared to the girth. The only place I have one is in the door compartment of my car.

 

[Lateck]

My 2AA lights are no longer my primary EDC lights. But, they are my back-up lights!
As others have said, the cells are always available and the light's form factor is easy to carry.

Lateck,

 

[bykfixer]

I love my 2aa lights and really have no idea about the popularity nor do I really care at all?

I also wish there were some side by side choices but the manufacturers are driven by? so I am not holding my breath for them either.

I like the format mostly as they fit nicely in a tool pouch pocket which is often sized for a 2aa Mini Mag and I still carry the Mag a lot this way.
The entire light is too easy to find and replace and abuse and entirely up to many of my daily use needs on a construction site to stop carrying them for example and I can loan them out and not think too much about it too!

I also prefer the AA format in general as they are so easily available and cheap to use and discard though I know that is not the popular practice of many here,please leave me alone about that!
I simply can not count on myself to have a light ready to work if I am the one to be recharging the batteries.

I love the Malkoff 2aa and the HDS is great as a light and a Club!
I also like the ET as it is so slim and easily found in NW tint too.

AA all the way for me!
Mostly.

I liked this post for some reason. It caused this user to contemplate the venerable 2aa platform in general. Then I got to looking around my home where I noticed several 2aa lights (not including the mini-mag assortment)
Icons, Rayovacs, Menards, Coasts, Streamlights, Brinkmanns, a few right angles...

Did I buy them because the package said 2aa? Probably not. It was probably because it was the right sized tool for a given application. For me I prefer the 6 volt cop light sized flashlight so the larger girth'd 2aa probably went into the decision to obtain it.

So like AV said, is it popular? Don't know, don't care. I'm just glad somebody still makes them. And acquiring 48 pretty replacement cells for about $10 helps in that decision.

Now the side by side... those used to be popular in the incan days and can still be found at the lower end of the price scale. Anybody remember those kind? About the size of an iphone 5 but thicker with a little slider button. The 'better' ones could actually lock in place.


Thanks again GarageBoy

 

[GarageBoy]

Glad you're still enjoying that haha

I actually think the size of 2aa is great for a household repair light- loan it to your plumber, it'll have decent runtime and is big enough to find

 

[wjv]

For EDC I'm usually using a 1xCR123 or a 1xAA lights as they are small and easy to carry.

I don't have many 1x18650 lights left. Only 3. But my Nx18650 (where N=2+) light collection had grown.

But the 2xAA are still great for family stuff. Camping, going out on the beach at night, exploring a cave (not serious caving) and such with the family. When the girls were younger and still did the Trick-Or-Treat thing there were had the 2xAA lights on Halloween night. Reasonable output and good run times.

 

[peterkin101]

There is of course the latest incarnation of the Maglite Pro Plus at 280 Lumens which at its pricr point here in the UK is outstanding at £25. But yes AA options are running out. Big thing had been the dramatic plunge in the cost of Lithium cells whether single use CR123 or rechargeable options like the 18650. What would have cost me over £15 for two CR123s a few years back has dropped to a third of that now. And torches like thr MagTac are no longer a nightmare if the cells run flat becauae its economical to get the CR123s in bulk. I still stick with AAs for my EDC but the financial chasm has become a crack in the pavement.

 

[Tachead]

18650s are harder to come by in a pinch, whereas AA primaries can be found all over the place? I like the idea of being able to buy a brick of AAs and be reasonably prepared for any substantial power outage - provided, of course, the light itself doesn't fail.

There just is never a "pinch" though as long as you are prepared. An 18650 holds as much energy as 4+ AA's offering incredible runtimes and can be charged hundreds of times. They can be charged from any household outlet, in your vehicle, by a portable powerbank, by a generator, by a spare car battery, by a portable or stationary solar panel, by a thermo electric generator, etc.

Quality 18650's are also quite cheap these days($5ish each) and considering their far superior capacity compared to AA's you wouldn't need many to carry you through even the longest power outages even without charging. Having just 4 for instance, at a cost of $20, would give you as much power as at least 16 AA's and would power a light at 60 lumens for almost 6 days straight without turning it off. And, they can still be charged hundreds of times after that by any of the aforementioned ways.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I keep a Klarus P2A and a JetBeam BA20 in a little plastic case with some hi-cap NiMH in the lights and some Energizer Lithium Ultimates, as well as my little Fenix P1D and some CR123As.

I don't use them much at all, but AAs are ubiquitous and easy to source in an emergency, or at least to barter for.

There are better lights out there and with either a USB solar panel, or 12vdc solar panel(s) and USB chargers and 12vdc chargers, I'm pretty much covered for EDC purposes, but I'll never ditch my 2xAA lights.

Chris

 

[Str8stroke]

I give away lots of Mag AA's. I load with Energizer Lithiums. I add a Para Cord 250 Lanyard and a generic McGizmo SS clip. This set up seems to work great for non flashlight folks. I own loads of AA lights in various formats, I too would never part with.

I think they have dwindled in desirability due to size and performance improvements over the years. Now a single AA running a 14500 can slam some lumens out.

 

[PartyPete]

People will continue to use AAs quite simply due to the sheer abundance and easy availability of them. Yes, one can order a plethora of 18650s online and be set for life, but always being prepared is easier said than done.

Like for instance, a few months back in was driving home from work, got a call from my friend - his power was out and he needed a hand. I had my Thrunite in the car, but the battery was dead. I didn't have time to charge it so I went my my AA Fenix back up and dropped by a CVS, grabbed a Lithium Energizer and headed over to his house.

Sure, I wasn't well prepared but I had something to fall back on in a pinch. Same idea with firearms, people stock a variety of calibers, not just one.

 

[Tachead]

People will continue to use AAs quite simply due to the sheer abundance and easy availability of them. Yes, one can order a plethora of 18650s online and be set for life, but always being prepared is easier said than done.

Like for instance, a few months back in was driving home from work, got a call from my friend - his power was out and he needed a hand. I had my Thrunite in the car, but the battery was dead. I didn't have time to charge it so I went my my AA Fenix back up and dropped by a CVS, grabbed a Lithium Energizer and headed over to his house.

Sure, I wasn't well prepared but I had something to fall back on in a pinch. Same idea with firearms, people stock a variety of calibers, not just one.

In the time it took you to drive to the drug store and then to his house you could have put enough of a charge into an 18650 to outlast a single AA. Which would be way more runtime then you likely needed. There are several 12V(cigarette outlet) and USB chargers capable of 1-2 amp charge rates that will charge an 18650 very fast in your car. Just keep one in your glove box. Problem solved. And/or, just keep a spare charged 18650 with your light. Again, problem solved.

 

[Mr Baz]

I still see a place for 2 x AA torches yes they are a bit longer but you have to understand how universal AA's are. In some regions it's just not that easy to get hold of Li-ion cells. Hence I think there is a need for such torches. I'm a big fan of lithium but 2 x AA torches can kick out a fairly good lumen and provide decent run times. I'd like to see a few more models available quite liked the S2A Olight I tried. 1 x AA ones again I'd like to see more of them too

 

[Lynx_Arc]

There is one advantage of AA over 18650.... safety. You can dunk AAs in bad water, damage them, short them out and not need to worry like you do with 18650 batteries. You also don't have to worry about lending/giving a AA flashlight to anyone else as they can use disposable batteries if needed don't need to get them a charger to use the light in the short term.

 

[Tachead]

There is one advantage of AA over 18650.... safety. You can dunk AAs in bad water, damage them, short them out and not need to worry like you do with 18650 batteries. You also don't have to worry about lending/giving a AA flashlight to anyone else as they can use disposable batteries if needed don't need to get them a charger to use the light in the short term.

Yeah, you just have to constantly worry about them leaking electrolyte and ruining everything you put them in lol.

A couple of months ago I bought a 24 pack of Energizer Max Powerseal AA's. A couple of weeks later I went to open them and grab a couple and one had leaked all throughout the pack ruining the whole pack. These were brand new never opened and dated many years in the future.

Imo AA and AAA's are inefficient old tech cells that should be retired. Primaries are also hugely wasteful and hard on the environment(especially if not recycled). Unfortunately I still have to use them occasionally because a few things like TV remotes aren't generally available in other cell configurations otherwise, I would never touch them again. At least LSD NiMH(Eneloop), 14500, and 10440's are easy to find these days so I don't have to ever touch another alkaline again and can be Eco friendly while not lining the pockets of battery manufacturers.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Yeah, you just have to constantly worry about them leaking electrolyte and ruining everything you put them in lol.

A couple of months ago I bought a 24 pack of Energizer Max Powerseal AA's. A couple of weeks later I went to open them and grab a couple and one had leaked all throughout the pack ruining the whole pack. These were brand new never opened and dated many years in the future.

Imo AA and AAA's are inefficient old tech cells that should be retired. Primaries are also hugely wasteful and hard on the environment(especially if not recycled). Unfortunately I still have to use them occasionally because a few things like TV remotes aren't generally available in other cell configurations otherwise, I would never touch them again. At least LSD NiMH(Eneloop), 14500, and 10440's are easy to find these days so I don't have to ever touch another alkaline again and can be Eco friendly while not lining the pockets of battery manufacturers.

Leaking is better than catching on fire and exploding, although I detest alkaleaks myself I only keep enough around for devices that either are give away (disposable) or don't play nice with nimh and are not suited for L91s.
I was never convinced that these 'leak less" cells are any better myself until I see them with a guarantee of double your money back on both leaking cells AND damage claims I figure they are just a way to sucker folks into paying more money for batteries. I needed a few AAA alkalines so I went to a dollar store and got some there instead of paying a fortune for name brands or way too much for generic alkaleaks.
I've come up with an idea for remote controls that use AAA/AA batteries.... those that you rarely use or use only a few times a day like on a fan or to access special functions not on universal remotes power them with 2032 cells instead if I can figure out a decent holder to mount them in differing remotes so I can easily change them.

 

[bykfixer]

Just acquired a 375 lumen Pelican 2360 and if that is a sign of things to come from the industry then perhaps the time for the funeral of the venerable 2aa has not arrived. I saw a 272 lumen mini mag at WalMart recently and Coast has a pretty nice floody triple in the G25 inspection light.

These are not the latest-greatest tacticool or flashion units but in the general world of consumers they should keep that niche alive a while longer.

The 2360 says 9k+ CD from a pair of double a batteries, and it runs cool so there is probably room to reach 500 (sustained) lumens at some point.

 

[nitedrive]

Just acquired a 375 lumen Pelican 2360 and if that is a sign of things to come from the industry then perhaps the time for the funeral of the venerable 2aa has not arrived. I saw a 272 lumen mini mag at WalMart recently and Coast has a pretty nice floody triple in the G25 inspection light.

These are not the latest-greatest tacticool or flashion units but in the general world of consumers they should keep that niche alive a while longer.

The 2360 says 9k+ CD from a pair of double a batteries, and it runs cool so there is probably room to reach 500 (sustained) lumens at some point.

I've been wondering about the latest 2360. I have the Pelican 2AA (3rd gen 2360) and really like it. Amazon has the 5th gen (375 lumen) version for just over $22. So I've been thinking (with 100% zero need) about getting one. However, my hesitation is the new light has almost no improvement reach but a broader beam (and likely shorter battery life). Anyway, I might have jumped but I just bought two unneeded lights...

Anyway, I like 2AA lights. They are perhaps my favorite non-rechargeable format. Single AAA is great for a pocket light. 2AA provides a great balance between easy to get batteries, nice form factor and very usable output. 2xCR123/18650 lights are typically more expensive and aren't the sort of thing I'll leave in my tool box.

Anyway, in many cases I wounder why someone would buy a light that doesn't use AA given how common they and NiMH cells are.

 

[night.hoodie]

I love my ... incandescent minimags (which I still use routinely).

Since it hasn't been specifically mentioned, and though I realize this is in the LED forum, I'd like to highlight one thing that 2xAA NiMH does that nothing else does is almost exactly match a CR123A primary in voltage and capacity. This match is especially useful in getting just the right amount of light from less-expensive-to-run secondaries. 2xAA gives just what you want and no more out of a single-mode incandescent flashlight. The output is just right for after dark with dark adapted eyes, though less useful during daylight hours with non-dark adapted eyes.

With the power and efficiency of modern LED, 1xAA LED lights provide a surprising amount of brightness and runtime, so in LED World, an extra cell to provide more voltage usually isn't absolutely necessary.

 

[MidnightDistortions]

I still see plenty of 2AA lights, well more of them are going towards AAA's now. I recently got a 410 lumen Coast HP7 that runs off 4AAA batteries.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I still see plenty of 2AA lights, well more of them are going towards AAA's now. I recently got a 410 lumen Coast HP7 that runs off 4AAA batteries.

4AAA format is just the "new" 3AAA format adding an extra battery allows for brighter lights with longer runtime with smaller size than 2C or D cell format. IMO it is a lousier choice than 3AAA as they could probably use 2AA with a boost circuit and get about the same if not better performance.