Does the Quark Preon work for keychain use?

[combinatorix]

Hey all,

I'm looking for a LED flashlight to replace the fenix E01 on my keychain. The Preon 1 fits the bill perfectly in a couple respects, but I have a few concerns. Does anyone use the Preon on their keychain? Does the keychain attachment work well, and how does the smooth anodizing hold up? I'm worried the Preon, with it's smooth body, won't look so good after a few weeks getting battered on the keychain, and it doesn't have any knurling to mask the chips.

It seems a lot around here favor the ITP EOS A3- the only issue is I'd prefer a L-M-H activation mode - is there anything similar that fits the bill?

Thanks!

 

[PeaceOfMind]

You could also consider the Quark MiNi for your keychain if you want something knurled. Despite using a AA it's not that much larger. Plus you get more runtime from the larger cell, and the same UI.

I have a Preon but don't use it on my keychain. However I wonder if the fact that it's smooth may help the anno. Anno tends to be most vulnerable and delicate on sharp edges such as on knurling. It's generally harder to damage the anno on a smooth surface. So I wonder if the smooth Preon may actually be a bit more resistant to chipping than average? Just speculating...

Also you could get the Ti Preon or maybe the Titanium Innovations Illuminati and just occasionally polish out the scratches if they bother you. That way you won't have any chipped knurling concerns.

 

[Paul_in_Maryland]

I don't know the answer, but my daughter just began medical school. I gave her a Preon warm for looking down throats...and an ITP A2 (1xAA) for her keyring.

 

[mcnair55]

The Preon to me I agree looks to nice and smooth to use for a key light.The A3 believe it or not suits me better in the m-l-h,as the low is very low and the medium is ideal for lighting your way,great light and I have the A1 as well and the mode is l-m-h on that one.

I strongly endorse either or the A2 which is the AA cell,for the money fantastic value and little pocket rockets.

 

[JeffInChi]

Why the switch from the E01 to the preon?

 

[mcnair55]

Why the switch from the E01 to the preon?

Perhaps an excuse to buy a new light

 

[maskman]

+1 for the Illumina Ti and Quark Mini AA for L-M-H choices. On a positive note for the smoothness of the Preon, it would offer less wear on pockets than knurling. Just a thought worth considering.

 

[Jay R]

Just to set it straight, it's the 4sevens Preon range or the 4sevens Quark range. No such thing as a Quark Preon.

 

[GadgetGeek]

I retired a CMG Infinity that was on my keychain for over five years. Looks like it went through hell but it has never missed a beat. I replaced it with a Preon 1 a month ago. Surprisingly it still looks new and zero scratches. The aluminum used on the Preon is much harder than my old Infinity. Its a fine keychain light in my opinion. I like mine a lot and if it gets beat up it will only add "character"...

 

[Monocrom]

There is a keychain attachment for the Preon I. It replaces the pocket clip.

 

[kaptain_zero]

Well, I've carried the Preon 1 in black on my keys and an E01 in natural. The Preon is fine on the keys but I prefer it set up as a twisty instead of a clicky as the clicky adds to the length and is pretty easy to activate in your pocket.

As for the finish, well... I carried the Preon for 2 weeks but I got tired of wiping off brass rubbings as I carry 2 rather large key rings in my pocket at work and the anodizing, being aluminum oxide aka sand paper grit, was quite capable of removing small amounts of brass from my keys whilst being jostled around in my pocket (I'm a letter carrier and put in about 10 miles of walking per day).

So, it's a nice light, bright enough for sure, but in the end, my E01 stays clean, is rock solid reliable and bright enough for me. If it ever gets beat up to the point that it won't work anymore, I've got 2 new spares on the shelf here! :naughty:

The Preon now does backup duty... if I suspect I might need a flashlight, it gets dropped in the pocket on it's own, to back up the E01.... but the E01 is *ALWAYS* in my pocket, ready to go.

Regards

Christian

 

[combinatorix]

Why the switch from the E01 to the preon?

Would be nice to have a light with a little more power, and not quite as blue an output.

Illuminati seems to be an attractive option, it looks a little trinkety to me, but I might be able to get used to it. I would do a Mini AA, but looking at the measurements it seems like it's got a good amount of beef over an AAA light still.


Has anyone seen this version of the ITP: http://www.batteryjunction.com/itp-a2-flashlight-ss.html
I noticed it said the modes go LMH - is this correct?

 

[Link Archer VI]

That light you linked to is an iTP A2 -- it takes AAs, and is identical in size to the Quark Mini AA. So, probably not what you want. But yes, it is L-M-H sequence.

 

[combinatorix]

That light you linked to is an iTP A2 -- it takes AAs, and is identical in size to the Quark Mini AA. So, probably not what you want. But yes, it is L-M-H sequence.

Ah, whoops - makes sense now

 

[fishhead]

I've had a yellow Preon 1 on my keychain for a couple of months now and it's doing fine. There's a tiny gash from begin dropped on asphalt once but otherwise there are no scratches or dents to the finish.

 

[combinatorix]

Does anyone know where i can find a side-by-side pic of a quark mini vs. an AAA light? I'm sure there's one somewhere on this site , but I'm not sure where to start.

 

[moldyoldy]

I carry a Preon 1xAAA on my keychain for months now with no general abrasion. The only obvious wear down to bare aluminium is the outside edge of the head - a thin line of aluminium around the head is visible, but not that obvious.

 

[damn_hammer]

I have a Ti Preon I that's been on my keychain since December. I prefer the clicky tailcap, and the microscratches I've come to like alot, so no periodic buffing needed. The clip and small split ring are from a Surefire Z33 lanyard system.

Originally out of the box:


Eight months on keychain:

 

[Jekyll & Hyde]

I prefer it set up as a twisty instead of a clicky as the clicky adds to the length and is pretty easy to activate in your pocket.

J: Have you noticed that you can Click the Preon (Clicky model) on, then Twist it off. Then you can keep it in your pocket that way.

H: Later when you want the light back on, just Twist it back on (starts up in "Low" as per normal).

J&H

 

[Sammy_boy]

I've got the ITP EOS A3 on my keychain, only been there a couple of days but so far no damage to it, and it's surprisingly bright for a little AAA light. I've no experience of the Quarks yet (though got a 2ndhand 123 S2 Tactical on the way from the States) but would recomment the little ITP. Easy to change modes too, easier to twist than my Fenix LD01SS which I find slightly stiff and fiddly.