Avoiding 3AA & 3AAA Lights

[Led_Blind]

removed how many times can you say the same thing .... D'oh

 

[ace0001a]

Wow, that's alot of hate...oh well people are entitled to their opinions. I don't mind 3AAA configurations. As long they remain affordable, I can't see them going away anytime soon. :rock:

 

[CLHC]

I too don't really understand the 3AA/3AAA concept. Though the Coleman MicroPacker LED Lantern and my Tikka XP takes 3 of these types of batteries. . .What do I do with the spare, since I use rechargeables? :huh:

 

[TORCH_BOY]

I've had some bad 3AAA like the ones found on ebay, and I have one that I like
it's my Coast LED Lenser Hocus Focus

 

[Patriot]

3AAA lights just bug me out for some reason. I don't mind 3AA and 4AA lights as long as the batteries aren't stacked. I think 3AA and 4AA is a great configuration for compact LED lanterns.

 

[Lee1959]

I personally do not generalize much of anything, instead I prefer to look at each item on its own merits. And I keep at least one (usually more) single and multiple cell light in each of AAA, AA, 123, C, D (C and D I only have multiple cell lights) because one never knows what batteries you may find, where, when and under what circumstances.

And yes, I have several 3 AAA lights that I find perfectly satisfactory, and no I do not compare them to AA or 123 lights, but use them for what they are, not what they are not.

 

[cutlerylover]

Why do they sell the dogs in packs of ten and buns in packs of 8???

lol, marketing...I guess a logn tiem ago the bun people gave some $ to the hot dog people to do that so that when you buy hotsdogs you gotta buy 2 packs of buns instead of 1...cruel, horrible, sneaky, unfair....but still smart idea to make more money, lol...I dont give in to it though, I just end up giving the 2 extra hotdogs to my 2 dogs...

 

[ace0001a]

I personally do not generalize much of anything, instead I prefer to look at each item on its own merits. And I keep at least one (usually more) single and multiple cell light in each of AAA, AA, 123, C, D (C and D I only have multiple cell lights) because one never knows what batteries you may find, where, when and under what circumstances.

And yes, I have several 3 AAA lights that I find perfectly satisfactory, and no I do not compare them to AA or 123 lights, but use them for what they are, not what they are not.

Well put Lee1959, I couldn't agree you more...

 

[Raptor#]

Almost all of the 3xAAA lights I've seen have carriers, and are direct drive. 1 AA has about the same capacity as 3 AAAs, so no advantage there, and those carriers make the lights even thicker than the batteries. The only good thing about these lights is that they be easily made to accommodate Li-ions; I have some that will take an 18500. Price is not really an issue; you can't tell me there aren't similarly cheap lights that run on 1AA (think Kai and DX).

Well, yeah.. there are similary cheap lights with 1AA, but of course direct drive from 1xAA isn't going to be as bright as direct drive from 3xAAA.
So, at a pricepoint of arround 2-5$ the 3xAAA lights are hard to beat.

18500's would be possible.
But to be honest, i don't want to use Li-Ions in lights that i bought only to have something cheap but bright to borrow my neighbours. Too risky, too expensive.

 

[Lite_me]

My 7438 LED Lenser (Hocus Focus) 3AAA flashlight is one of my favorite lights. I also have 3 of the Sam's Club 3AAA Elements and I really like them too. I don't mind the carrier, and I love the size & shape.
I have many lights. These are just different. They have their purpose. I like 'em. For those who don't, that's ok. But you are limiting yourselves.

 

[paulr]

3aaa has worked nicely in some headlamps: nice and flat, and avoids the need for step-up or complex regulator circuits (resistive direct drive). I like my Princeton Tec Aurora though I'd like a 1AA light with a boost converter that's otherwise comparable. I also like my 3AA Tek-Tite Trek 4, which is butt-simple, highly waterproof, almost nothing can go wrong with it. I think that such 3AA designs are the logical replacement for the old-fashioned 2D household PR2 light. Nothing stops them from being sold in the 2-3 dollar range like 2D lights are around 1 dollar (led's still cost more than bulbs). I agree that those 3AAA cylindrical lights are pretty unattractive but that's partly because of their cheap construction and clumsy design. A well-made flat one could be quite nice.

 

[cobb]

Seriously, I just feel its shotty design to use 3 cells and a resistor vs a regulator or chip. Id rather have 4 vs 3 cells and a chip for more run time since a 3 cell light is already too long or big in diameter to use in a standard holster of any type or pocket.

 

[paulr]

A 3 cell AAA light with the cells side by side can be very flat and pocketable. A 3AAA light (like a minimag but longer), if it substitutes for something like a 2D incan, doesn't necessarily aim to be pocketable and it not fitting in a pocket just isn't a major issue.

 

[firefly99]

In general, I try to avoid devices that use odd numbers of cells.

 

[MikeSalt]

At the strict budget end, I found the 3xAAA LED flashlight to be the best, even though it has a battery carrier.

It cost 50 pence, which is less than a $1!

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/1935990&postcount=10

 

[ringzero]

I also like my 3AA Tek-Tite Trek 4, which is butt-simple, highly waterproof, almost nothing can go wrong with it. I think that such 3AA designs are the logical replacement for the old-fashioned 2D household PR2 light. Nothing stops them from being sold in the 2-3 dollar range like 2D lights are around 1 dollar (led's still cost more than bulbs). I agree that those 3AAA cylindrical lights are pretty unattractive but that's partly because of their cheap construction and clumsy design. A well-made flat one could be quite nice.

I'd gladly buy a waterproof, metal, 3AAA in-line light with Cree emitter. No electronics and no multi-levels. Just a series resitor to limit current to something reasonable. Add a twisty tailcap switch with momentary button for reliability. (Or, use a twisty head switch for an overall shorter light.)

I'd pay a lot for a waterproof, plastic, flat 3AAA side-by-side light with Cree emitter. No electronics. Two resistor-limited current levels controlled by a clicky button switch on the head.

No one will build ultra-simple, ultra-reliable lights like these. They're too busy building 1AAA keychain lights with PWM multi-levels, SOS, Strobe, GPS, programability, etc.


.

 

[Bror Jace]

I think these lights have their place.

Because they are direct drive or use a cheap resistor, they can be made very economically. That makes them fun to buy and give away. Women really like them ... especially in different colors. If the light isn't going to be used often, or for extended periods, that's fine.

One of my favorite lights is the 21 LED Ice Cream II lights ... the ones I have have nice, white 5mm LEDs ... and are very bright for the first 15-20 minutes.

And I like the barrel size of lights that use 3AA or 3AAA cells in a triangle arrangement. I don't even mine the caddies/carriers ... except that they are often made so cheaply.

Anyway, I'd rather buy and give away lights costing $3-$12 then to buy some over-engineered light costing $50 or more ... especially for a chick who won't appreciate a serious, precision-crafted instrument.

If I was giving a light to a police officer buddy, I'd get something totally different. That's OK, there's plenty of those out there too.

That's something to like about flashlights ... they encompass everything from keychain lights to hand held spotlights capable of landing commercial aircraft. Plenty of variety for people to like certain niches of lights.

 

[knot]

So I have a crappy 3AAA Lenser road kill. At least it works, was free, is the brightest light I've ever owned, and it got me here.

 

[Daekar]

I bought a 3AAA from radio shack the other day for work (we needed a light that didn't have crappy beam characteristics) and it works great, pretty bright - was a "Lumamax" - couldn't find it online, but it's pretty good. If I had known I might be able to mod it to take a Cree or SSC P4 and use 18500s, I might've bought another. I like the little battery cartridge things - they're cool, even if they do contribute to circuit resistance.

 

[LiteTheWay]

I don't mind 3 x AAA but I agree about the carriers being a hassle. Point about AAA is that MANY gadgets use them these days and I have lots of them too.