Advice for AAA keychain light for staff

[Hoggy]

Unfortunately, you already shot down the suggestions of the Tank007 (SSC or Cree). They're just so small! They rival my 1xAAA Dorcys.
But I could see how they wouldn't show stains well.

Sooooo..
How about an Ultrafire A3??? It's a tad long, but is EXTREMELY light. It also has a nice and 'grippy' feel to it. It also has 2 holes in the tail for a small ring to attach to a keychain - and even with that it will still tailstand if that's important.

Check it out here ($15.71 as of this post):
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14739

It was one of the oddballs I ordered, but I'm really starting to like the feel of it quite a bit - more and more as time goes by. It seems to be quite easy to turn on despite that it's a reverse clicky - due to it's nice grippy characteristics. It also has a nice hotspot with a nice white tint and would be bright&wide enough to check for stains - yet it's not overly bright. (of course, brightness is always subjective and depends on the battery being used.)

YMMV though.

 

[BBnet3000]

I just added a Fenix E01 to my keychain a week ago, and i would recommend it. Its not as bright as most of the ones recommended here, but its bright enough for what i need it for, has a long runtime, and is very small. Its also brighter than the Gerber Infinity Ultra that i used to carry, and which was too big for my keychain.

 

[kitelights]

Another noob suggestion...would the Streamlight Nano work? I personally don't have any experience with them, but they seem to have good reviews here.

My suggestion, too. The Nano gives a respectable amount of light and is fine if used intermittently. It is the least obtrusive of all the lights that have been discussed taking up little space.

Don't be afraid of the batteries. You can buy bulk LR41 cells for a nickel a piece. If they use a light for 10-20 minutes at a time, then it's not a good choice. But if they use it in short bursts, say 30 seconds to a minute or two, you'll get reasonable service from a set of cells. They come with a clip for easy off and on a key chain, have a lifetime warranty from a respectable manufacturer and they retail for $7.95. You can get them in bulk for about $6.

 

[Super Dave]

We have a Winner!!!

The TANK007 TK-701 with Seoul Semiconductors LED wins the competition.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18630

Here's my take on the lights:
Fenix EO1: Nice form factor. Butt ugly blue beam. Output is OK. Nice size for a keychain. Seems like it's good quality and for $12.50 it's hard to knock it even though it's a knock off.

Streamlight Microstream: Very impressive little light. Excellent output, beam... and you can feel the high quality. A little too large for a keychain. I dig it.

TANK007 TK-702 Cree: Don't get this one...get the Seoul Semiconductors version. The hotspot on the cree is much smaller. The tint on the cree seems more yellow to my eyes.

TANK007 TK-701 Semiconductors: This is a bad little light for AAA and $9 shipped. I'm impressed. OK Quality on both Tanks. The next test will to see how they hold up in the work environment.

I appreciate everyone's input. I'll post updates as things progress. Aloha...

Here's a size comparison.

Here's a beam shot from left to right: Fenix EO1, Streamlight Microstream, TANK007 TK-701 SSC, Drako on high

Here's a beam shot comparison of the TANK007 TK-702 Cree (on left) and TANK007 TK-701 SSC on the right.

 

[stefanj]

I just got this:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12065
Good light, small, works fine on NiMh, Forward Clicky, Should be easy to attach to a keyring, aprox 45 Lumens output and the build is solid. About 2 hours runtime on NiMh.

 

[Kestrel]

Thanks for the comparison photos.

BTW those photos are, like, WAY too big, 1600x1200.

 

[davidt1]

Super Dave,

Thanks for the review. I bought the Tank702 before finding out there is the 701. Yeah, the 702 sucks.

I also had the E01 for a few days, but returned it because the output is too low for use when there is some ambient light. It's only good for use in total darkness.

 

[BigBluefish]

Streamlight Microstream. Less than $20, 1.5 - 3.0 hour runtime, depending on battery type. Rugged. Pocket clip. Brighter, and a much nicer beam than my other choice for a tiny light, the Fenix EO1.

 

[Kestrel]

I want to put a fairly powerful AAA, decent quality, budget light on the keychain for my housekeeping and care giver staff.

Thanks for all the advice.
I'm going to test a few out and see what I like.
I ordered the Deal Extreme Cree AAA, Streamlight Microstream, Fenix EO1.
I appreciate the help and will post a follow up.

The Microstream arrived today. It's a very slick light with plenty of output for my needs. The damn thing is brighter than my original AA Fenix.

But it's not going to work because it's too long for the keychain. Plus, it does not have a good way of hooking to a split ring besides attaching to the pocket clip.

Streamlight Microstream. Less than $20, 1.5 - 3.0 hour runtime, depending on battery type. Rugged. Pocket clip. Brighter, and a much nicer beam than my other choice for a tiny light, the Fenix EO1.

The OP tried the MS earlier in this thread and had the above issues.

 

[BigBluefish]

The OP tried the MS earlier in this thread and had the above issues.

Ah, you are correct. I believe I'd failed to notice there was a page 2, when I posted.

And I think, in retrospect, though I really like the Microstream, I have to agree with the OP's comments. Not a good choice on a keychain.

Now that I've read it, too, that Tank701 does seem to have a nice beam.

Ya learn something new, every day.

 

[ntalbot]

+1 for the Kaidomain Buckle Light V5. Here is my rave about this flashlight from another thread:

No, no, no. Forget the EO1 and the TK-701. Get the Kaidomain Buckle Light V5. Naysayers will tell you lots of horror stories about loose thread and crappy build quality. They are correct for versions 1 thru 4, BUT with version 5 Kai finally got it right. The build quality is up to Fenix standards, and it's more durable because it's thicker. I had an E01 and the tint was way too blue, really off putting. TK-701 is probably ok, but the runtime is poor. With the Buckle Light you can choose from three different runtimes--they have three different versions. I got the RT version which gets about 90 min on an NiMh. It rocks! Great tint and beam quality--very smooth beam with a nice wide spot and lots of spill. The threads are excellent. The electronics are potted in epoxy to prevent damage from drops. The anodizing is HAIII and is uniform and free of defects. I have nothing negative to say about this light. On the personal preference issues, the aluminum is thicker than most AAA lights, so it weighs a more and is thicker than most AAA lights; however, this make it more durable, so it's a personal preference thing. The different versions are the MAX, the RT and the XRT. MAX stands for max output and has the shortest runtime. XRT has the longest runtime. This is the one I got (the RT):
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=5627
Bessiebunny gives it 5 stars too.
I hope that helps,
Nick

 

[DHart]

Thanks to this thread, when I saw an array of Streamlight Microstream flashlights on display in a local shop today, I decided to bag one.

Now for me, I have no requirement for being keychain or lanyard-friendly, heck, I don't like clips either. So, from my perspective, WOW, the Microstream is an great little light, especially for the money. I'm thrilled with it.

Comparatively, all it buys me over my revered Romisen RC-C3 (my usual pocket carry) is thinness (same length) and the RC-C3 is a literal pocket rocket, far surpassing the Microstream in potency... for just a few dollars more.

But being a Flashaholic, of course I'm happy to have them both and the Microstream is really an awesome, little, shorty "pencil" light. It's modest output is perfect for many applications where sheer brightness isn't needed, wanted and in fact can even be problematic. The Microstream is just plain cool and well suited to smaller tasks!

 

[davidt1]

+1 for the Kaidomain Buckle Light V5. Here is my rave about this flashlight from another thread:

No, no, no. Forget the EO1 and the TK-701. Get the Kaidomain Buckle Light V5. Naysayers will tell you lots of horror stories about loose thread and crappy build quality. They are correct for versions 1 thru 4, BUT with version 5 Kai finally got it right. The build quality is up to Fenix standards, and it's more durable because it's thicker. I had an E01 and the tint was way too blue, really off putting. TK-701 is probably ok, but the runtime is poor. With the Buckle Light you can choose from three different runtimes--they have three different versions. I got the RT version which gets about 90 min on an NiMh. It rocks! Great tint and beam quality--very smooth beam with a nice wide spot and lots of spill. The threads are excellent. The electronics are potted in epoxy to prevent damage from drops. The anodizing is HAIII and is uniform and free of defects. I have nothing negative to say about this light. On the personal preference issues, the aluminum is thicker than most AAA lights, so it weighs a more and is thicker than most AAA lights; however, this make it more durable, so it's a personal preference thing. The different versions are the MAX, the RT and the XRT. MAX stands for max output and has the shortest runtime. XRT has the longest runtime. This is the one I got (the RT):
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=5627
Bessiebunny gives it 5 stars too.
I hope that helps,
Nick

Well, for twice the price of the Tank, it has to be better. I would buy it but it can not tail stand. This is a function I need.