Advice on EDC light

[bryaninperson]

Found this forum just in time and I am already hooked. What light would you recommend for a every day carry light. I plan on carrying it in my pocket. Must be under $100. Also if you have an idea tell me the advantages to the light. Thanks.

 

[jumpstat]

Welcome to CPF!

First of all what are u looking for? Led or incan?
What is the need?
Would you be using primary batteries or prefer rechargeables?
Let us know so that it is easier to recommend to you.....

You would be better of getting a light that suits your needs rather than the other way round..

 

[nerdgineer]

Jumpstat is actually quite correct, it depends on what your needs are. Nonetheless, I'm going to ignore all that...:devil:...and just give you my picks out of many, many choices.

If you're impatient and want something solid and soonest, then: this or this. Don't forget CPF8 code for 8% discount. If you're..uh..thrifty...and can wait 3-4 weeks, then this (latest hot deal, also sold here) or this (my personal cheap favorite).

Welcome and have fun...

 

[Flying Turtle]

Everyone's different about how big a light they can stand for pocket carry. Personally I don't want anything larger than a 1AAA light rattling around in a pocket. If the light has a clip, then a 1AA is fine. Some lights using CR123 batteries are quite small, but fatter, and might be okay for you in a pocket. And then there's the question of output.

Check out the reviews and some manufactures sites. You'll get plenty of more specific advice if we know your preferences. Just about any particular light has been talked about here.

And, welcome to CPF!

Geoff

 

[bryaninperson]

I want LED and non rechargeable bats. I'm not really sure if I want the CR123 batteries or the AAA. I like the size of the Fenix AAA that was suggested, but which light is better in performance? AAA or CR123 lights?

 

[Oddjob]

CR123 will give you better performance over an alkaline AAA. Rechargeable NiMH AAA perform well but will give you shorter runtimes (and you do not want rechargeables). If you have large hands or are prone to mispalcing small items then you may be better off with a CR123 light. Something from Fenix like a P2D might be good.

 

[Marduke]

CR123 will give you better performance over an alkaline AAA. Rechargeable NiMH AAA perform well but will give you shorter runtimes (and you do not want rechargeables). If you have large hands or are prone to mispalcing small items then you may be better off with a CR123 light. Something from Fenix like a P2D might be good.

Just to clarify, AAA NiMH rechargables will give BETTER runtime and brightness than AAA alkaline. Comparing AAA and CR123 is a different story (kinda like apples and oranges too)

Any bright light that run on AAA's or AA's are best used with a modern NiMH rechargeable, such as Eneloop's, or Energizer e2 lithium.

The expense of CR123 cells is also enough that you should probably be looking for rechargeable there also.

 

[Raptor#]

CR123, by a large margin. Just compare the Fenix P1D (1x CR123) to the Fenix L0D (1x AAA). 80 lumens & 2 hours vs 50 lumens & 1 hour.

Personally I like the P3D. Sits next to my mobile phone in my pants, its just about as long (Sony-Ericsson 750i). I should warn you though - it tends to slightly scratch the mobile up. Not much, and only on the side where the flashlight sits, but its still visible.
Personally I don't care much about this, but if you want me to send you a picture of it, let me know.

Oh and... why no rechargeable batterys?
Imho thats just shooting yourself in the foot, especially with the AAA. With todays modern Eneloops and Li-Ion batterys, the only reason I could see for not using rechargeables is the slightly higher running time with regular Lithiums instead of Li-Ions (as a rule of tumb, Li-Ions tend to have about 2/3 the energy stored of regular Lithiums... but with Li-Ions you can have a full battery every time you leave the house - not so with regular lithiums unless you're planning to go through ALOT of batterys).

 

[fishx65]

I've been carrying the DX 1aa sku1995 in my pocket for about 11 months now and it has never failed me. It seems to be passing my durability test pretty well. I've even dropped it on concrete a few times. Maybe get 6 or 7 of these for $100.00 just in case you lose some!

 

[Marduke]

double post deleted

 

[Stainz]

A great buy in a 1-AA cell light, a bit larger than those Fenix lights, is the current 'Inova 2.0W X1'. It is fairly bright - and very hungry, flattening an alkaline AA in <2hr. Of course, it has a few good points - it's widely available - try 'Target' and 'Academy Sports' stores in your area - it's available in silver or black - it's relatively affordable ($20) - and it's, gasp, made in the USA!

All that said, I got a Fenix '4 in 1' set from the Fenix Store Monday - ~$67 inc s/h. It's a CR123 P2D Q5 Premium light with a spare P1D AA battery tube and switch, as well as a holster, diffuser, lanyards, and boot & o-ring spares. Just the light, with discount, would be ~$55, so it's a deal - and you can decide whether or not you like AAs or CR123s. The P1D is slightly larger in OD than the Inova X1, and a tad shorter - essentially the same size.

Stainz

 

[Gunner12]

The L0D-CE Q4 might be best if you want something that you can carry around easily.

For anything AA and CR123 sized, I prefer a clickie switch so I'd suggest either the Lumapower LM31, LM33, Olight T10, Olight T15, Fenix L1D-CE Q5, or P2D-CE Q5 (powerpack?). Of course, you will have different preferences.

:welcome:

 

[bryaninperson]

I am leaning towards the Fenix L1D CE Q5 as my EDC choice. Does this sound like a good choice and is there in other brands that compare to this light that I might want to consider.

 

[cv3po]

Another vote for LOD Q4. I'd use NiMH rechargeables tho.................carry some energizer lithium L92's: http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/l92.pdf
for backup if you want but for daily use stick with the NiMH's.

 

[Chrontius]

BatteryJunction has a good deal on the new Inova T1 series. If you've seen an X5, they're about the same size, maybe a little shorter. Current models produce about a hundred lumens, claim five hours of useful light (five hours at a hundred lumens may be pushing it a bit...) and eat two 123a lithium batteries. I've had good experience with older Inova products, but I'm venturing into Surefires after stumbling on a very good deal (okay, and I want to own a Malkoff LED upgrade). I'll probably end up owning either a T1 or T2, to go next to my X5 (second revision; flat sides, pre Nichia bulbs) and XO (1.4 watt Luxeon K2 that just isn't quite as impressive as it used to be).

Here's the link - just under $50 with an MSRP of just under $70.

I also ended up buying a Jetbeam C-LE v2 as my first purchase as a CPF member. Not really any brighter than the Inova, but it happily eats rechargeable AAs, gets decent runtime (but when it goes it goes from full brightness to dead fast!) and is generally floodier. It's also smaller, comfortable to hold in your mouth when you need both hands without worry of breaking a tooth, and has the upshot of a low beam when you don't need to fry your retinas. Probably better EDC than the XO 1.4, actually.