"Best" LED light for keychain...

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grndslm

Newly Enlightened
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Jul 8, 2008
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Maybe not even necessarily for a keychain... but my buddy is looking for something VERY compact.

I've actually seen one of those typical keychain lights that was ridiculously bright [think they got it from RadioShack], and I'm sure you guys know of something that would even put that to shame.

More compact, the better. Fenex E01 seems perfectly reasonable to me. Anything else that should be considered?

But, basically... anything that takes more than 1 - AAA battery is too much.
 
I can second the Fenex E01. I just got mine a few weeks back.
Bullet proof (though I actually havn't shot it yet ;)), water immersible and tiny, with a powerful light and super long runtime.
Its size means you can easily carry it with you. I was just at someone's house the other night when the power blew and you guessed it - no candles - but Fenex E01 to the rescue. It wasn't a case of simply flicking the tripped fuse back on, there was a faulty appliance in the house, so we had to go room to room and unplug everything till the power stayed on. Without the E01 in my pocket it would have been real hard work blundering around in the pitch blackness. I highly recommend this or similar small lights to anyone.
 
was.lost.but.now.found said:
ITP EOS A3 is less than $10 more than the E01 and puts out 6x the lumens.
Click to expand...

But at a run time of only 55 minutes on high. There are always trade offs, that's why there are so many lights and so many people choosing different ones. :D

But, both appear to be good lights.... and thus it comes down to what's important, simplicity or flexibility.

Personally, I keep my EDC keychain light as simple as I can... a second EDC can have more complexity but I need one light I can rely on, and for me, that's the EO1 at the moment.

Regards

Christian
 
Fenix E01 is designed for runtime. It's not even close to being bright as Hell.

Inexpensive, bright, small = iTP EOS A3 all the way.

The keychain attachment is crap though. Just use a pair of pliers to take it off, snap off the clip, put a small split-ring into the post that sticks out the top of the light; and then attach to a keyring.
 
Have a look at the Photon product line. They have the Photon Freedom, X-micro, Rex(Rechargeable) and proton(AA). The keychain lights are very small and have the same emitter as the e01 but are the size of a quarter. Also they are really cheap at battery junction. The first two are less than ten bucks and the third is 17bucks and the last is 39bucks. They have an awesome warranty and the best customer service. Also the first two you will not even know they are on your keychain.

Hope this helps....
 
I'd say Fenix E01 for the runtime and i have a Fenix LD01 for other uses, just wish that the LD01 started off in low instead of Med-Low-High but that's just a small quibble.

ITP lights look great too but i don't own any as the 2 lights i have serve my needs.
 
** nevermind ** - I missed your AAA requirement on first read.
 
Last edited:
like hyperloop said.
i got a fenix ld01 in ss for my key chain.tough light!!
for better runtime,but less brightness go for the e01
 
Another vote for the ITP A1 - (in stainless) :knight:
*edit* ah spacetime changed his post. AA requirement you say? Ah well, carry on.
 
I'm very happy with my EOS A3 Upgrade, and it's even a little smaller than the Fenix E01. I have a stainless steel model (not so great) and my wife has a purple aluminum one (excellent).

The SS model is too slippery and heavy, and the head rotates much harder than the aluminum model. Build quality on both models is excellent, with O-ring seals, glass lens, and good threads. Be sure to note that the anodizing on the colored models is not as durable as the type 3 anodizing on the black and "natural" models, but is still quite good.

In terms of output, it's superb. 3 well spaced modes, with a VERY bright high, a good 3 hour runtime medium, and a nice low mode. The beam is a good compromise between flood and spot (it would still be considered floody though), and it's nice and smooth.

Check out my time lapse beam shot videos below. Make sure to watch in HD as large as you can (full screen is best) so you can see the details. The vids are short and load quickly. If you aren't familiar with newer LED tech, you might be VERY surprised at how a 1xAAA keychain light will stack up against the old faithful maglites.

EOS A3 vs Maglite 3D, MiniMag, and Solitaire
The EOS is using medium mode, and the photos were shot at 1/2 sec (so 4 times as bright as the video below)

EOS A3 vs EagleTac T20C2 (1st gen warm tint) vs Maglite MagCharger vs NiteCore D10
The EOS is using high mode, and the photos were shot at 1/8 sec (4 times less bright than the video above).

The one complaint I have about the EOS is the pocket clip. If it's important for your buddy's use, I've found a simple, effective solution to its weak design that I describe in this thread. Gotta love JB weld...
 
Yeah the ITP A3 pretty much seems like the way to go these days. It would be nice though if they put an xp-g in it. I really think it works great in a keychain light, usually gives a nice floody beam great for close up tasks. Or maybe we'll see an aluminum illuminati at some point.
 
Of course 'best' is a darn fool request... I know my answer is right but so to do those posting different suggestions...

iTP A3 starts in Medium, twist puts it in low, last twist for high. So it has the potential for ridiculous run-time. It also the potential for great output. I have the titanium version (powered by 10440 for +1.1A draw in a light smaller than my flanges).
The iTP A3 is an excellent culmination of led tech.
 
+1 on the ITP A3. No need to worry on runtime, even non flashaholics will have no trouble since it starts in medium mode (4hrs).:thumbsup:
 
Ian2381 said:
+1 on the ITP A3. No need to worry on runtime, even non flashaholics will have no trouble since it starts in medium mode (4hrs).:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

For AAA-keychain, +1!
Small, light, cheap, puts more than enough light out for its size :hitit:
 
Quark Mini CR2. Less bulletproof than the E01 but good enough, very bright, and good interface. Also, it's available in a good range of tints.
It's shorter but fatter, though, so it might not fit your size requirements.
 
grndslm said:
Maybe not even necessarily for a keychain... but my buddy is looking for something VERY compact.

I've actually seen one of those typical keychain lights that was ridiculously bright [think they got it from RadioShack], and I'm sure you guys know of something that would even put that to shame.

More compact, the better. Fenex E01 seems perfectly reasonable to me. Anything else that should be considered?

But, basically... anything that takes more than 1 - AAA battery is too much.
Click to expand...
If it is for a keyring . I would suggest the iTP A3 titanium as it is lighter than the stainless one ... I have both fitted to my keyrings and I think they are the ideal small torch.

If it is not for a keyring , I would suggest an iTP A2 which is 9mm longer and 3.5mm thicker ... Better runtime and not a lot bigger ... I also use these as everyday carry torches ... The stainless A2 is a bit heavier but so pretty and shiny.

I also have an iTP A1 but it seems a bit chunky (or dumpy) but is still a nice torch ... It is only 59.8mm long and 20.4mm wide ... So it is shorter and thicker than the others ... You will have to consider which form-factor suits you best ... The A2 is my favourite model , particularly in the stainless.
.
 
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