EDC & Keyring Choices

[tardis]

Hello All,

This is my first post and it's great to be here !

I'm interested in getting 2 lights. One for the keyring and one for compact, short burst, general EDC use.

I already have 2 Photon II's, Solitaire, Mini-mag and a 4D mag-lite. Whilst they are decent lights, especially the Photons!, I believe there are probably much better products on the market today. I have been considering the following lights and I'd appreciate it if you could tell me if I'm going in the right direction.

Keyring
- Inova X5T
- Arc AAA or AAA LE or LS (what is the difference between these 3 ?)

EDC
- Surefire E2e Executive Elite HA
- Surefire 6P
Any distinct disadvantages/advantages to either of these ?

I'd appreciate any comments or further suggestions you have on this.

Thanks in advance
Tardis

 

[Rothrandir]

welcome to the board!

for short bursts, photon will do just fine.

but if you want a better keychaing light the arc aaa is the answer. (as a member of this forum you will need one anyway

)

the difference:
arc aaa-small, single aaa battery-great for keychain
inova-not small, med brightness-not good for keychain
arc ls-smaller but not as small as the aaa, highest brightness out of the three-decent for keychain

the ls will still fit oh a keyring, but the aaa will fit better, i suggest you get an aaa for your keyring, and an ls for your pocket.

first of all, for an edc, let me tell you one light will not be enough

e2e is a great one (one of my edc's), the problem is the high running cost, it is also good to have another light that is cheaper to run and has longer batt life.

for this, i would recommend something led based. the first choice, due to it's small size and great durability, is an arc ls. good runtime, a little cheaper to feed, if is about a third as bright as the e2e with fresh batts.

another choice is the inova, less expensive to begin with, but bigger and not as bright.

other good options include the surefire e2e+kl1 or the e1e with kl1. (the kl1 is a led bezel that fits onto one of the e-series surefire lights)

if your heart is set on either the e2e or the 6p, i would recommend the e2e...it is smaller.

i carry:
arc aaa
surefire e2e
jimbo modified brinkmann 3aa ls mod
nightbuster 7x
*and i will be carrying another light within a month, but that is hardly available

*

have i confused you yet?

 

[V8TOYTRUCK]

EDC the E2e, its smaller, and has all the light you need. I like the HA finish a lot more as well. The 6P finish is plain, like all other flashlights. Its a SF, make it look different!

As for Keyring, ARC AAA is the choise, LE has better tint, but some people cannot tell the difference. The Inova X5-T is way too big IMO to carry on the keys.

ARC + KL1/E1e is what I carry on my body. Maybe an E2e in a V82 holster if my girlfriend gives it back.

 

[V8TOYTRUCK]

I wouldn't worry about battery prices anymore.

*note: check out Surefire's new battery prices*

 

[Kiu]

6P is too bulk for me to treat it as EDC
E2e-HA more slim will fit me. Also E2e has pocket clip, pyrex len,HA...compare to 6P.
LS, E1e/KL1 is most favourite too.
I dont think X5T can be my keyring. It's size is exactly same as E2e..

 

[Charles Bradshaw]

I would think that the X5T is too big for a keyring.

The LS uses a Luxeon Star LED, while the AAA/LE uses a Nichia LED (think standard LED on this for shape and size). Output of LS is equal to about 15 Arc AAAs, in one LED.

The Arc LS is more suited to EDC than keyring, while the AAA is perfect for keyring carry.

 

[Quickbeam]

X5T -

Way too big for a keyring - get an Arc AAA!

 

[logicnerd411]

On prices:

Arc AAA = $25
Arc LS = $140 for firsts, $60 for seconds (currently not available)
Inova X5 = $40
E2e = $70
E1e = $55 (the smaller version of the E2e except it uses one 123 battery)
KL1 = $50 (used for replacing your Surefire E1e/E2e bezel to use the Luxeon Star)

And I highly recommend a mod for you MiniM^g. Get the MadMax from dat2zip ($30) and it drops in to your existing M^g. Get it here:

http://home.attbi.com/~theledguy/cpf_store/cpf_store.htm

 

[logical]

I agree with the Arc aaa for the keyring...it's a hands down choice.

I agree with the Surefire E2e as a great pocket carry light as long as you aren't in dress pants.

I'd also suggest:

Give the solitaire to a child of your choice...they are a toy. (warning: not for small children, small parts are a choking hazard)

Look into the info on here about the drop-in led upgrades for the other mags you already own.

 

[tardis]

Thank you all so far for the very informative and interesting replies. It's good to have you guys around. From what I've read so far, I'm thinking Arc AAA and E2e. For starters anyway

Thanks again.

 

[StoneDog]

Right now I EDC an Arc AAA on my keychain and carry a mini-mag with a BadBoy 500 sandwich in my back pocket next to my wallet. It's more than enough light for me.

The Inova is a fine light for pocket or jacket carry but is far too big for a keychain. It would do for the bigger EDC light but if you have the money go for the slim and powerful E2e or the longer running e1e/KL1 combo or Arc LS.

Everyone's needs are slightly different but I have yet to need a far reaching light (e2e) during my day-to-day activities. However, my powerful little mini-mag w/ LS drop-in (BB500) has proven incredibly useful and I would expect either the Arc LS or e1e with KL1 head would provide the same level of light in a nice small package.

My "final answer" would be Arc AAA and either an rc LS or an e1e/KL1.

Jon

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

I recently got an Inova X5T which is my everyday carry light (for now), but it is way too big for a keychain light. I am anxiously waiting for my Arc AAA to arrive.

 

[TrevorNasko]

Arc AAA is a must and so is an e2 (not e2e- the non elite is the best.)

 

[ab]

Here are a couple of recommendations:

Keychain: ARC AAA - I love mine.

EDC possibility A: Surefire L1 is certainly nice. Regulated LS based, two-stage brightness, LOTC, etc. Excellent light - I love mine.

EDC possibility B: Mr. Bulk Mini-LGI. Great light runs on common AAA batteries. Another excellent light - I love mine.

A.

 

[webley445]

Take all suggestions but keep in mind that in the end it is you and your personal experiences and preferences that will be the deciding factor. One of the fun aspects of all this is that you will get to experiment and try different lights/combo of lights to perfect your personal EDC. For me the Photon suits the bill, I have an Arc AAA, but it stays clipped to the driver's visor in my car. Figure out what you want ot start out spending and go from there trying things out. Good luck.