Does my ideal EDC exist?

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druidmars

druidmars

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
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PORTUGAL
Hello CPF fellows,

Despite the research I've been doing, I can't seem to come across with the perfect EDC. Therefore, I am asking for your help/suggestions.

+I want something small enough, something like iTp A2 or A3.
+I want AA or AAA but I'm willing to compromise to RCR123
+only three modes: very low, medium and high
+clickly or twisty, doesn't matter

-From the research I've done it seems that iTp's low is a little to high for me, although it has the perfect size
-Dereelight C2H has an acceptable size but it shares the same problem of a high low with the iTp

-Ra's lights seem to solve this problem but they're expensive!
-Quarks also have a very low mode, but are a bit longer and some are known to have greenish tints and they have way too many modes, which will only complicate the walkthrough the modes

Am I forgetting anything? Your shedding some light would be very helpful.:candle:
 
If your have found your ideal light but its too expensive my best tip is dont keep buying 40 and 50 dollar lights, buy cheap buy twice, RA lights are second to none and will do everything you want and are super tough.

A few years ago I never though I would be able to afford a high end light like the Clicky but I managed to sell a lot of my cheaper lights I had bought over the years and put a little more money in I was able to buy better and less
 
Quark mini,
has Your three levels.

get the warm white model, to fight that - so say ??? - chance for green tint

PS: imho that is solved now. In the beginning the XP-G was only available in T1 tint, therefore these greenish impressions, but now the neutral white should be what is used.
 
druidmars said:
Hello CPF fellows,

Despite the research I've been doing, I can't seem to come across with the perfect EDC. Therefore, I am asking for your help/suggestions.

+I want something small enough, something like iTp A2 or A3.
+I want AA or AAA but I'm willing to compromise to RCR123
+only three modes: very low, medium and high
+clickly or twisty, doesn't matter

-From the research I've done it seems that iTp's low is a little to high for me, although it has the perfect size
-Dereelight C2H has an acceptable size but it shares the same problem of a high low with the iTp

-Ra's lights seem to solve this problem but they're expensive!
-Quarks also have a very low mode, but are a bit longer and some are known to have greenish tints and they have way too many modes, which will only complicate the walkthrough the modes

Am I forgetting anything? Your shedding some light would be very helpful.:candle:
Click to expand...

You can get that from the Akoray K-109 3 mode programmable using CR123 (or RCR123).

You can get the AA version as K-106.

Can can program the modes with a ramping feature so you can get the low as low as you want.

There's also the Photon Proton Pro with is a single AA ramping light that goes to .2 lumen and up to 100 lumens or so.
 
Last edited:
Hi Druid,

Can't help you on a perfect answer, but I thought a quick note on the Quarks MIGHT help - I just looked up the dimensions of the iTp A2 and Quark Mini AA. The Quark is 0.7mm longer than the iTp A2... so pretty much the same in length. The 123 version is even shorter.

As for the modes, low medium and high are easily accessible and although the Quark has strobe and beacon, you have to cycle through LMH three times to access them, so they're not as "in the way" as on other UIs. I also have heard of some green tints from 4Sevens, but for me it's not a deal breaker (I'm yet to get one with greenish tint though).

If you'd go for 123s, what about Surefire's T1A Titan? Slightly longer than the A2 (by 0.25 inches), it supposedly has variable output from 1 to 70 lumens. And it's a Surefire!

Good luck. :)
 
LukeW said:
Hi Druid,

Can't help you on a perfect answer, but I thought a quick note on the Quarks MIGHT help - I just looked up the dimensions of the iTp A2 and Quark Mini AA. The Quark is 0.7mm longer than the iTp A2... so pretty much the same in length. The 123 version is even shorter.

As for the modes, low medium and high are easily accessible and although the Quark has strobe and beacon, you have to cycle through LMH three times to access them, so they're not as "in the way" as on other UIs. I also have heard of some green tints from 4Sevens, but for me it's not a deal breaker (I'm yet to get one with greenish tint though).

If you'd go for 123s, what about Surefire's T1A Titan? Slightly longer than the A2 (by 0.25 inches), it supposedly has variable output from 1 to 70 lumens. And it's a Surefire!

Good luck. :)
Click to expand...
.
Surefire T1A is only £150 or so in the UK..
icon13.gif


iTP A3 is less than £15..
icon14.gif


Ten A3s or one T1A .... A difficult choice ? ... They only make five colours of A3 , so two of each I suppose ... The stainless is under £24 and the titanium is under £30 too ... Now that makes the choice even harder (for me at least).

One of each colour plus a stainless and a titanium with over £20 left ... That will do nicely !
.
 
Check out the LiteFlux lights. They may at first seem too complicated, but they can be set up to function exactly as you want. A little high priced, but not quite in the Ra class.

Geoff
 
nitecore d10 (or ex10 if the length of d10 is too much for your liking)
the SP model gives you the 3 outputs.. i think i would still prefer the old version that i have better than the sp.. i just like the ramping thing)

zebralight sc50.. waiting for my warm tint version anxiously.
 
The Lumapower Incendio sounds like exactly what you are looking for:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/incendio.html

Battery Junction offers a discount to cpf'ers as well.
I have had two of them & both were great lights. Simple UI (low, med, high) & smaller than a Fenix P2D with a great beam & well spaced levels.

It seems like a lot of your complaints about the strobe (and many others on cpf) are a bit silly. Or way past silly when you have to try to access the stobe / beacon features on many lights to annoy oneself.

If you don't like the strobe / beacon, skip it.
On lights like the Fenix, Quark (& many others) it's pretty easily avoided (unless you get a mode skipping mini).
 
4seven's Preon, aaa powered.
Nitecore Ez (2 levels, smallest, twist for low tighter for high)

How about just the iTP a3. Put a film/filter on the lens to dim it, turning 'med -low-high' into 'low - moon - medium' and you can just peal the film off for an output boost. The itpa3/martac are great little lights.
 
Save up your money and get a ra clicky! It will be worth it. About a year ago I bought the 120 edc model for 99 plus shipping. It looks just as bright as my 140 model.To this day it works as new, best beam and tint, and has all the features you need for a hundred bucks. And they have one hell of a waranty. I have since bought a gt and a ww ra clicky. They are awsome lights.
 
This is why I love this forum! Everybody is so friendly and willing to help lovecpf

gcbryan said:
You can get that from the Akoray K-109 3 mode programmable using CR123 (or RCR123).

You can get the AA version as K-106.

Can can program the modes with a ramping feature so you can get the low as low as you want.

There's also the Photon Proton Pro with is a single AA ramping light that goes to .2 lumen and up to 100 lumens or so.
Click to expand...

I confess I've never heard of these lights. Worth looking into them.

Flying Turtle said:
Check out the LiteFlux lights. They may at first seem too complicated, but they can be set up to function exactly as you want. A little high priced, but not quite in the Ra class.

Geoff
Click to expand...

Indeed they look complicated, but I read Selfbuilt's review. However, I couldn't find the output figures. :confused:

Linger said:
4seven's Preon, aaa powered.
Nitecore Ez (2 levels, smallest, twist for low tighter for high)

How about just the iTP a3. Put a film/filter on the lens to dim it, turning 'med -low-high' into 'low - moon - medium' and you can just peal the film off for an output boost. The itpa3/martac are great little lights.
Click to expand...

Although not the same thing, I believe a filter of some sort would solve the problem and I would have a nice and cheap light with the moon mode that I'm lacking. Any ideas where I can get one?

@ all the others who contributed to this thread my sincere thank you:

Incendio, Quark mini and Nitecore don't have the moon mode, only a low mode. I'm very interested in a lower low mode. Indeed, that's the reason for buying this EDC.

Someone pointed out that from all the criteria I specified, price was not there. The idea was to maximize the potential lights that would suit my needs. Surefire's price, though, is absurd. I am sorry but I cannot imagine myself spending three figures in an EDC. If it was let's say a big thrower or something, I might consider it. I don't care about a light being made of Ti. Al is fine. My mountain bike is made of Al. I've had some (GT, Kona, Santa Cruz), all Al (some anodized, some don't) and I've never had any problems with any so I don't really care about Ti. And believe me that I expect a LOT more from my mountain bike than my flashlight.

Novatac looks cool but sadly it works with 2xAA and I wan't something small with just 1battery (either AAA or AA).

So if anyone can come up with a nice suggestion for a diffuser/filter of some kind, I'll go with the A2 since I already have the A3 and like the UI and the price is so much more pleasant:whistle:

So my criteria would be:
1. very low mode & small size
2. AAA or AA powered
3. price
4. simple UI and three output levels
 
druidmars said:
I believe a filter of some sort would solve the problem and I would have a nice and cheap light with the moon mode that I'm lacking. Any ideas where I can get one?

So if anyone can come up with a nice suggestion for a diffuser/filter of some kind, I'll go with the A2 since I already have the A3 and like the UI and the price is so much more pleasant:whistle:
Click to expand...

.
I just love the A2.

If you go to the chemist/pharmacy , they have bottles and containers with plastic lids ... Even shower gel and shampoo lids might be OK ... If the lid is the white plastic variety , it would cut the light level considerably ... If the lid is a darker colour , drill a hole in the centre of the right size to give the required level of illumination.

The iTP A2 on low is only about 1.5 lumens anyway , so how low do you want to go ? ... A black cap over the lens with a 2mm hole will certainly cut out a lot of light ... Buy several caps and get drilling accordingly ! ... Choose the best.

If you want to get technical , use two polarising filters and have a variable light reduction system.

Good luck
.
 
Druidmars wrote:

Am I forgetting anything?

What are you going be using the light for and at what distance?

:confused:
 
The quark mini really does meet your requirements. It's PWM, and as far as anybody can tell, most of them are shipping with really nicely white leds these days, so the green problem isn't one you have to worry about (and 4sevens is really good about taking it back if you don't like it).

It's got 3 modes that are super easy to access, and you don't accidentally get into the more complicated flashing ones when you are actually using the flashlight.

It's tiny, and it's bright. Get it!
 
A small 3 mode light with 3 battery choices? yeah tons of em.

Quark mini or the zebralight sc30 are two I would like to own that seem to fit the bill.
 
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