College Student Flashlight

[Sgt. LED]

1XAA Quark tactical.
Give lithium primary cells and set the 2 modes for her.
High and Low. Not moon mode, she woudnt use it.
She can learn to reprogram if she wants, it's easy.

 

[Dean N]

Once again, thanks all.

manoloco, I'll look into the Peak line some more as there are features that are appealing.

You need more than 170lm for protection in a spotty flashlight. This rules out many lights and the entire range of 1xaaa or 1xaa lights.

Yes, I'm coming to realize that.

red02, she isn't a total girly-girl. :) She is partial to somewhat larger bags anyway (preferably from a "Fair Trade" purchase), and has the pepper spray and knife, so a light would fit fine at the bottom. Also, she does have a Fenix EO5 R2 AAA on her key chain for a few hours of light.

Robin24k, I get the feeling I shouldn't ask exactly which brands to stay away from (don't want to start any wars), but I do like the security of "local" warranty service, not service that is 10,000 miles away with a language barrier. I don't much know which manufacturers are brand name vs enthusiast (except for the big consumer names), YET, but I'm working on it.

I'm open to lithium compatible, but the primary battery will most likely be alkaline. I see the power differences are significant, though. And thanks for clearing up the brightness; I'm thinking that is a good feature for my S&R lights.

BIGLOU (and tophery), the RRTO and E3P didn't make my cut due to the low maximum ouptut with a single AA. I'm suppose I am going to find that to be the case with any single AA , though, so it is not a knock on the lights. There are other potential candidates from Jetbeam, however. Again, this need to be sufficient for a defensive tool as well.

Of interesting note on Jetbeam, they have 2 web sites, jetbeamusa and jet-beam, and the product layout differ. I didn't see the E3P on the jet-beam site the first go, until I clicked "Early Products", which I though was old/discontinued models so I didn't look.

jamesmtl514, excellent point on the batteries (which kinda wipes my previous comments on output on an AA). I was thinking long term (years) usage. Now need to ponder that a bit more, though I would still want a light that can use alkalines.

davidt1, you posted a excellent, thoughtful case for you suggestion. Thanks! Again, something to ponder that I hadn't before.

Sgt. LED, actually, the Quark AA2 is on my list to consider further.


Now I have a "hype" question, and I'll use the Quark AA2 as my example. It claims certain output levels, on "2 AA batteries (included)". It also claims a voltage range of 0.9-4.2V. Now, it doesn't list what batteries are included, and two alkalines are not going to produce 4.2V, so should I extrapolate that with 2 AA alkaline batteries that the power claims will be reduced by ~ 30%?

 

[papageorgio]

Xeno e03, single aa, 3 modes and inexpensive.And it comes in 3 colors and choice of tint!

 

[robostudent5000]

I get the feeling I shouldn't ask exactly which brands to stay away from (don't want to start any wars), but I do like the security of "local" warranty service, not service that is 10,000 miles away with a language barrier. I don't much know which manufacturers are brand name vs enthusiast (except for the big consumer names), YET, but I'm working on it.

even if a light is manufactured overseas, if you get it from a good US based dealer like goinggear they'll take good care of you.

 

[Robin24k]

Dealers aren't responsible for handling warranty issues, it's between you and the manufacturer. If a product is defective on arrival, the dealer should take care of it, but problems that develop several months (or years) down the road will have to be handled by the manufacturer.

A hint with brands is to take a look at the length of the warranty. "Tools, not toys" is a phrase Streamlight puts on their packaging, and it's definately well said. An illumination tool should be built to last and have many years of warranty, if not lifetime.

 

[robostudent5000]

Dealers aren't responsible for handling warranty issues, it's between you and the manufacturer. If a product is defective on arrival, the dealer should take care of it, but problems that develop several months (or years) down the road will have to be handled by the manufacturer.

i suppose that's technically true. but many dealers that have a good rep on CPF have been known to send a replacement themselves if a light goes bad within the warranty period.

also, the length of a manufacturer's warranty says a lot more about who did their business planning than the durability of the product. i've seen many products with short or no warranties that last forever and products with life time warranties that require replacement so often that it's not worth it. it comes down to the quality of the product itself, not the length of warranty.

 

[mbw_151]

Another option that is very similiar to the Regular Quark is the Fenix LD10 (1 AA) and LD20 (2 AA). The major difference is the lack of "Moon" mode. If the head is kept screwed down, both come on in "Turbo" mode.

 

[Sway]

After years of resisting a neck light I recently discovered how useful and extremely handy this carry option can be. Get her another E05 and a nice necklace to keep it on, I use the cheap 30” ball chain you can find on eBay and trim it to length accordingly but for the fashion conscious a little more thought maybe required :)

With a neck light you can turn it on and let it hang by the chain and have both hands free for task and too walk by since the E05 puts out a nice flood. You can prop it behind your ear like a pencil for a pseudo headlamp and you can hang them from a multitude of places including a shower since they are water resistant.

Two is one, and one is none, hopefully she would have access to one of them when needed.

A nod to the 4Sevens Quark X 2xAA Tactical for it’s simple loose/tight interface and user selectable levels. The moon mode is low enough for dark adapted eyes and high is bright enough for blinding, lighting up rooms, hallways, parking areas and so on. Just teach her how to select the different levels so she can change them around till she finds the two that works best for her.

The Tactical model doesn't tail stand, so for ceiling bounce room lighting you have to set it in a cup, wedge it between chair cushions, clip it to a lamp shade, put it in a backpack pocket pointed up etc. not a big trade off for the easier to access switch. It comes with a rubber hand grip and one member suggested cutting the end off to make a switch shroud that can be left on the light and then sliding it down around the switch if you need it to tail stand, sorry I don’t recall who it was for credit.

A 1xAA ZebraLight headlamp as suggested would make a good addition also, the neutral tints are nice.

All of these lights are small, lightweight, easy to use and run on Alkaline, Lithium or rechargeable AA and AAA cells.

Hope this helps a little.

Kelly

 

[Dean N]

Not a necklace wearer, so that would be a harder sell. On the flip side, I talked to her this afternoon and she said she is definitely good for carrying a light up to 6" or so in length if that will give a worthy power increase, as long as it isn't excessive diameter (2"). Turns out her new apartment mate is a campus Community Service Officer (CSO), and discussions have already occurred regarding personal safety. Her CSO roommate really liked the 2.5# fire extinguisher defense tactic, BTW. :)

So, no problem with a 2xAA length light... though I'm still to ponder battery options. I do really like the AA option.

Does anyone have an opinion on the Thrunite Neutron Flood 2AA LED Flashlight? I simply came across it, that's all.

 

[papageorgio]

If you want something blinding in a 2 cell light, the quark aa2 turbo tactical is the ticket. The beam is super focused and you can program a 2nd level... Maybe program strobe, and medium. Or max and moonlight. I love mine, great for spotting critters too.

 

[RI Chevy]

A Solarforce L2R 2AA with an XP-G 3 mode (H-M-L) drop in. Cheap, and a good quality reliable light. Your not out a lot of money if it gets taken or lost.

 

[AMTabriz]

Nice ! was planning to get one too

 

[Dean N]

papageorgio,the Quark aa2 is high on my list of AA possibilities. I like the operation of it, and with the various mode selections this may be the light that I'll get for my CERT bags.

RI Chevy, I'm having trouble finding an XP-G 3 Mode for the 2xAA voltage. I keep coming across high voltage units. Can you direct me?

 

[papageorgio]

Yeah, I'd give the quark good consideration. Nothing wrong with the zebralights either (I have both) The problem with a zebralight is that if someone were in a panic to turn it on, you might hold the switch too long and put it into moonlight mode! Forward clicky with momentary would be best (And easier to find the switch) I just ordered a Xeno E03 also. Seems like a good light, but probably not quite bright enough to blind someone in a stressful situation.

 

[Wiggle]

I can recommend the Quark AA2 or AA, Tactical model programmed to High/Low or Max/Med. Very simple to use and I've carried my AA tactical for over a year and a half, it has never let me down.

That series will start to hit 200+ lumens on anything 2AA or better. Though the AA can still be quite bright on one good AA (esp L91), I personally run 14500s but that wouldn't be the ideal choice for her obviously.

 

[davidt1]

papageorgio,the Quark aa2 is high on my list of AA possibilities. I like the operation of it, and with the various mode selections this may be the light that I'll get for my CERT bags.

RI Chevy, I'm having trouble finding an XP-G 3 Mode for the 2xAA voltage. I keep coming across high voltage units. Can you direct me?

Are you sure you are buying this light for her and not for you? LOL. I can't you how many times I bought gifts for people based on my use, need and perceptions, not theirs'.

 

[Dean N]

davidt1, you made me think, and yeah I'm more sold on it for me, but still possibly for her. Although once on there are only two modes out of the entire selection to work with, she would have a good selection of lower powers to choose from, retaining MAX as a constant. I think she will like a rotating selector best. Pros and cons to every light. :)

 

[antikythera]

I brought two with me: an HDS Clicky 140E (my EDC light) and a Surefire C2.

The C2 has an Overready smooth steel bezel and a Solarforce 5-mode XM-L drop-in. I keep the C2 in my locked cabinet for the most part, but I swap EDCs if I know I will be outside for a while at night.

Side note: The strobe (diffused, obviously) is a big hit when hosting late-night soirées. :naughty:

I also brought my Pila IBC, 2x 16340s and 2x 17670s to feed the lights. As far as power goes, I would highly recommend lithium rechargeables. Very convenient, and most importantly, practically free. ("Free" meaning no batteries to buy while at college).

As far as a single carry light goes, I would recommend the HDS Clicky (not rotary) 200. Yes, it's expensive. It's also extremely reliable, easy to use, dead simple for emergency use (mash the tailcap -> burst mode activated), and very customizable with a low low for when you drop your pencil in a dark classroom. The downside is that it's not much of a thrower. A cheap thrower option to complement the Clicky would be a Solarforce L2P + XM-L drop-in.

Make sure you ask about UI, as I find that to be the quickest "dealbreaker" when buying lights for other people. For example, I personally find the standard "Pull it, Twist it, Bop it" Quark/Fenix UI to be very frustrating. YMMV.

 

[jabe1]

I'd agree with Sgt. LED, 1xAA Quark tactical, or even the 2xAA model. Running primarily in low mode,you'll change the batteries for her when she's home on break. I doubt she'll need turbo, but it's there with a 1/4 turn of the head.

 

[Dean N]

antikythera, the HDS Clicky 140A, is that an HDS Systems light? That's what I came up with a search.