Air Force... I need something pracrical

[Gringoing2010]

Well hey everyone, I am an airman in the worlds greatest air force and i work on electronics, computer, telephones and a little bit of radios. I am looking for a light that is practical something small I can either put on a belt or clip to my cargo pocket and use anytime of the day or night. So far I have seen to lights that I really like, 1. LED Lenser P5 and 2. Jetbeam Jet I pro 3.0 ex. The reason I like these two lights is cause they use AA batteries and I can grab batteries whenever I may need them. I have been kind of straying away from the streamlights and surefires just because of the strange battery types. If anyone could explain to me why they are better than AAs let me know I'm always willing to be educated. Also what do you all think about these two lights I want something REALLY bright. So any help suggestions or tips post please thanks for your time :wave:

 

[jtblue]

Hey buddy, welcome the CPF!

To make things easier for both you and the CPFers, try and fill out this checklist as best you can http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=96884 as this list will help select the right light for your needs.

I'm not too familiar with either two of these lights however generally speaking CPFers avoid the LED Lenser brand as better deals can be had at the equivalent price point (not including the high end Led Lensers).

From my personal experience, CR123A batteries are the "bees knees" in batteries as they can be bought cheaply online, are tiny, hassle free (just know how to treat them right) and the flashlights that use them can be of miniscule size while offering considerable output.

Some extra information if you haven't read it already:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=231299
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=234520

Good luck with your search.
Jeremy

 

[jellydonut]

Lithium primary batteries (non-rechargeable lithium batteries) are more reliable in cold and hot conditions, have a longer shelf life and will not leak, unlike alkaline batteries. Alkaline batteries have a relatively short shelf life and could fail you at the worst, or in non-critical applications, most annoying and egregious moments. Wouldn't you like to have a light that *works* no matter what, even during the winter or summer in extreme temperature conditions? :nana:

However, lithium primary batteries are no longer exclusive to the CR123 form factor. Energizer make 'AA Ultimate Lithiums' that work in most AA lights.

You could have a look at the E2L AA Outdoorsman from Surefire.

The Sunwayman M20A light is a very appealing light, it is one I am tempted to buy myself. Takes two AAs and has a selector ring for selecting output. (there's a single AA version too, with lower output) You could look that up, our friendly CPF dealer BatteryJunction carries Sunwayman. Not too expensive either, since they're Chinese they cost much less than Surefires etc.

 

[purelite]

I may be way off base here but if you work on electronics and such and find yourself peaking into dark casings/compartments and such full of wires and god knows what else, you may want to consider a AA light with a Neutral tint emitter. It will render the colors of all those wires alot more accurately . I just got my 1st Neutral emitter light after not understanding all the hype and now I understand for certain applications its great!!

 

[BarryG]

I EDC my Jet I Pro V.3 a couple of times a week and love it. You can get it for $56 after your CPF discount and now you can get it with a warm tint!



Barry

 

[papajoe]

First off, thank you for your service.

You are probably a candidate for two lights, rather than one. As a previous person said, battery failures seems to happen at the WRONG time.
With that said I'd start with a Preon 2. It uses two AAAs, pen-sized, three levels (starts low level - which is good for your work), ample light for short distances.
The selection of your second light could be predicated on the perofrmance of the Preon 2

My $0.25. Good Luck and thanks again.

Joe

 

[StarHalo]

When I saw the title of the thread, I immediately thought "Jet I PRO", you've obviously done your homework. It uses any kind of AA battery available anywhere, it's small and pockets well, it has enough throw that you can use it for walkarounds, but you can also turn it down enough to use it for close-up work, the interface lets you set whatever levels you want, etc. Good choice!

 

[matt4270]

Quark mini aa neutral

 

[bansuri]

No matter what you decide on, look here before buying!

 

[monanoke]

Fenix MC-10
https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=1900

 

[Glock27]

Check out the ZebraLights.
Either the H501W or SC50w might suit your needs.

http://www.zebralight.com/SC50w-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_27.html

http://www.zebralight.com/H501w-Neutral-White-w-new-UI_p_13.html

G27

 

[TMedina]

A lot of it depends on how you intend to hold the light - for close quarters repair, if you're holding the light in your mouth, you might look at the Fenix E05. A three hour run time on a AAA battery with a nice, wide spill.

Another AAA offering that might be of interest is the Streamlight Stylus Pro and the Streamlight Microstream. Run time on the Micro is only 1.5 hours, but it's got an excellent throw for such a tiny light.

You might also find it worth your while to look at headlamps - next forum over.

The Fenix E10 is a single AA light, solid regulation for three hours.

Next step up would be the E21, runs on two AA primaries and has two modes, medium and high. It's longer and thinner, so holding it in your mouth is not a good idea.

As for Surefires - I love them and if you ever get deployed, I'd highly recommend one, but they are not, by and large, useful for the kind of work you're describing.

In response to your question about the Surefire battery, the CR123, it has certain advantages over akalines - better performance in cold weather, little to no leaking and higher output for the size. Each CR123 is 3 volts - the average AA battery is 1.5 volts.

-Trevor

 

[AaronG]

Fenix makes some awesome lights

I've got a Fenix LD10 and it's great. Multiple brightness settings and supposedly the best efficiency in the business. The colour of the R4 version seems very neutral to me. It will take disposable AA or rechargable NiMH. Sanyo Eneloops seem very popular although I haven't tried them. Disposables are convenient but alkaline batteries just don't have the power to show a good lights true potential. Picking a light that will take either gives you maximum versatility.

For a AAA light I've been dreaming about a 4 sevens Preon Revo in stainless steel. It's small enough to fit on a keychain and should still produce more than enough light for your uses.

I considered a Jetbeam but I didn't like the beam shots I saw in the online reviews. Fenix seems to beat Jetbeam in runtime too.