Everyday AA flashlight that is bright and LED

DimBeam

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 21, 2004
Messages
220
Location
CT
I have dozens of flashlights and keep coming back to my Mini-Mag AA because of size and use of AA batteries. Is there a Flashlight out there under $30 that is LED and uses AA"s which can throw out enough light to take a walk at night?
 
streamlight jr 2AA (luxeon star) around $30
streamlight 4AA 7 led around $25
underwater kinetics 4AA eled (luxpen star) around $20
Dorcy 2AA 4 led light around $15

These are all good led lights.
Check out Brightguy.com and compare some lights and prices.
 
Ive got the Dorcy 2AA and bought it to replace my Stock Mini-Mag. Its not as bright as a luxeon but has great runtime and can use alks and lithium batt's.

You may want to buy one of each: lux and 5mmled light.
 
I keep coming back to the Opalec Newbeam modded MiniMag.
I have a Surefire G2 and E2E/KL4, a Badboy400Q3L minimag mod, an Inretech minimag mod, UK lights, Streamlights, a QIII, an Inova X5, Arc AAA and AA's but my favourite light is the Opalec Newbeamed MM. The shape and size are just right and it is easy to get pouches, parts and accessories.
The long runtime, lithium battery friendliness and low battery indicator are great features.
The Newbeam is bright enough to take a walk in the dark - if it is dark...surrounding light pollution can make the Opalec's output seem dim. In proper darkness the light comes into its own. It has a nice broad flood to enable you to see what you are doing and where you are going.
However ,it is not the light to choose if you want to see "what's going on over there"
 
Try the "UK 4AA eLED w/Switch (AS2)" which BrightGuy.com has it on special for $20. This just blows away the mini-Mag. It has nice medium spot, with a very nice spill. Great for walking as you do not have to move the light from side to side. It needs 4 AAs and is none focusable, but you don't need it. It is regulated, where it keeps the same bright intensity for over 10 hours. Ask around and you can't go wrong. It is very waterproof. It uses a 1 watt Lexon (high brightness LED)...

If you want lights with better capabilities, you need to move to the 123 battery varieties, where they cost much more for regulated lights. If you do decide to move to 123 battery lights, a better light would be the Streamlight Twin-Task 2L. Although not a regulated light, it uses 3 LEDs. With it's reflector and the fairly regulated output of the 123 batteries, it provides a great beam of light. Pretty much like the UK 4AA eLED. The added trick to this light is that it has another lamp built in, where you click this guy into high brightness mode, the Xenon bulb fires up to give you a very bright and wide swat of light. The low power give you well over 12 hours of light using the 3 LEDs, and the high power Xenon filament lamp gives you over 2 hours of usable light. This light is priced about $30, and the trick to buying 123 batteries is to not get them over the counter. Buy them at BrightGuy.com as you can get the Streamlight's for around $1.50 each, or from SureFire for about the same price...

Once you touch these puppies, you might just very well use the mini-Mags as doorstops. Very bad spot beams, with even worse wide angle beams. We use the above UK and Streamlight torches for many extended walks and hikes here in Hawaii. Use the UK for rough hikes as it does not show scratches too badly. Save the Streamlight for walks around the neighborhood and house, as this is a looker...
 
[ QUOTE ]
WarrenI said:
Try the "UK 4AA eLED w/Switch (AS2)" which BrightGuy.com has it on special for $20. This just blows away the mini-Mag. It has nice medium spot, with a very nice spill. Great for walking as you do not have to move the light from side to side. It needs 4 AAs and is none focusable, but you don't need it. It is regulated, where it keeps the same bright intensity for over 10 hours. Ask around and you can't go wrong. It is very waterproof. It uses a 1 watt Lexon (high brightness LED)...

[/ QUOTE ]

I just got my eLED - I like the Streamlight Jr Lux much better. Better beam, better brightness, whiter LED, nicer switch, etc. Doesn't have the runtime, but overall a much nice light, imho. Worth the extra money over the eLED.

Mike
 
Now that i think about it the Elektrolumens XM-3 might just be your ticket. From what i remember, it takes liths and alks and is brighter than any 5mm leds and has better runtime than a SL Luxeon Jr.
 
Yeah, it does take both. I have lithiums in both of mine. They do make it noticeably brither also. I gave one to my Grandfather for his toolbox. He always goes for it when he needs a flashlight. He used to only use incandescent lights with the nasty yellow beam. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sick2.gif

The XM-3 is a great light! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif
 
I just got the XM-3 and love it! I don't care much for the clip but that can be removed. Otherwise, great light! I think it's going to replace my stinger on my duty belt.
 
I removed the clip and the lanyard. Besides, I'm sure the lanyard would have been cut by the sharp edge of the XM-3 since the lanyard was so thin.
 
You know, i was almost going to buy the SL luxeon but was bothered by the lux lottery, it could not take lithiums, runtime was short.....on and on etc.

Its not a bad light, its just that i was not too thrilled about all of its shortcomings (my opinion).
 
MikeLip; Thanks for the info on the Streamlight Jr Lux. You maybe right and it's funny that I was kind of looking at this too. I am very fond of most Streamlights. Just got my Streamlight 2L LED 3W Luxeon Task-Light and I love it. Great for spotting things 200+ feet away. Can't recommend it here as it cost much more than $30 ($70) and it needs to be moved from side to side when using as a walking light. It is really a spot light, but what a perfect image of a spot. I never seen anything this perfect in a spot. Not even with SFs...
 
[ QUOTE ]
WarrenI said:
MikeLip; Thanks for the info on the Streamlight Jr Lux. You maybe right and it's funny that I was kind of looking at this too. I am very fond of most Streamlights. Just got my Streamlight 2L LED 3W Luxeon Task-Light and I love it. Great for spotting things 200+ feet away. Can't recommend it here as it cost much more than $30 ($70) and it needs to be moved from side to side when using as a walking light. It is really a spot light, but what a perfect image of a spot. I never seen anything this perfect in a spot. Not even with SFs...

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't tried the SL 2L 3 watt (yet!), but if you say it's good, it must be /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. With all this positive talk about the XM-3, I'm gonna have to get me one of those!

Mike
 
Just to throw more gasoline on the fire...

I EDC a V1 of the Lambda LUXIII Drop In Pill, in a rather beat looking minim*g and with a Kroll Switch.

It's the first sandwich (of only 3 so far) to offer a WHITE beam (other two were 1W Madmax+ with purpleish tints) and a Reflector! (MM uses an Optic).

The waiting list for V3 of the Lambda has perhaps 200 people on it now, and will be QUITE lengthy!

But my understanding is that there is now a LUXIII pill at the Shoppe, and if it uses a reflector I recommend it as much as the Lambda!

It's probably WAY cheaper to go ahead and get the SL JR Luxeon... my only worry would be about possible tint problems...

Incidently, my Lambda light will run +- 2hrs on 2100mAh NimH and will defocus to a soft flood.

I have lots of lights, including TT2L (w/kroll), G2 w/KL3 "Chop"ed w/3W Led, Dorcy 2AA 4LED, Minim*g with Madmax+, Minim*g w/Opalec and lots and LOTS of others......

But I ALWAYS go back to the Lambda!!!

Incidently, the beat up blue Minim*g that carries my Lambda belonged to a now deceased US Army Ranger. So I carry it with a LOT of pride!!!
 

Latest posts

Top