mudman cj
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have gotten a few AAA lights now, and I want to show how they compare to one another. I also have an Arc AAA P-DS, but I did not include that because I am focusing on lights that can put out a lot of light. But I have also included beamshots showing what the Extreme III and Avenger can do on low to compare their versatility. I wish I had a Fenix L0D Q5 to compare with these lights, but you have to work with what you've got. All shots used ISO 100 with no exposure correction. All lights were 1 meter from the wall. Sorry about the box that blocks the bottom of the beams. The bottoms look a lot like the tops anyway. :duh2:
First up is the Avenger on the left with Li-ion on low and the Extreme III with Li-ion on the setting that I use as my low. This low is plenty to get around the house, and is somewhere around 6% PWM on fraction (guessing here). It can be adjusted anywhere from 1% to 100%, but this shot helps to establish the fact that the Extreme III can have a much lower low than even the Avenger, which has a fairly low low compared to other lights like the Fenix (especially on Li-ion).
This next shot has the same lights (Avenger on left, Extreme III on right) also both on Li-ion, but on as high as they go. The 10440 cells measured 4.16V each just before this shot.
I was so impressed with the output of the Extreme III on Li-ion that I wanted to compare it against another EDC of mine, a QIII modded with an SSC USVOH driven at 918mA. The Extreme III is on the right again in this shot below.
Shown below is the KD SSC-U AAA (always on Nimh) on the left and the Extreme III on the right using Li-ion on high (100%). Note that I use only Eneloop AAA cells as my Nimh cells for all of these shots.
Now here is the KD SSC-U AAA again on the left compared to the Avenger on Li-ion set to high.
From this point on, all lights were loaded with Nimh cells only.
Next we have the same lights in the same positions as the previous shot, but the Avenger has been switched to Nimh (still on high).
The shot below has the KD SSC-U on the left again and the Extreme III on the right with Nimh and set to 100%.
Now the Avenger is on the left and the Extreme III is on the right, with both using Nimh on high.
And finally, the same setup as in the previous shot, but both lights are set to low. Again, the Extreme III can be set lower if desired. This is just the level I like.
In conclusion, I think these are all great lights, and each has their advantages and disadvantages.
The Extreme III is a marvel for the brightness it can achieve without risking damage to the emitter or circuitry while also being able to give an extremely low low. It does this without any PWM flicker because it uses the circuitry of the LF2 with a PWM frequency of 7800 Hz. It will run for about 1:25 on an eneloop at 50%, which is a nice amount of light. In addition to the two 'instant access' brightness levels and a third fairly accessible third level that can be quickly adjusted without entering programming mode, it also has two each of strobe and SOS modes that are also fully programmable. For example, with each strobe setting you can adjust the output level, the on time, and the off time of the strobe. This is nothing new to those already familiar with the Lightflux LF2 abilities. But this light differs from the LF2 in that it uses a beautiful HA body, a Rebel 100 emitter with a reflector that looks to have been designed specifically for a Rebel, and a tweaked circuit that is tailored to the Vf of each particular LED with a nice result - improved efficiency.
The only disadvantage I can cite for the Extreme III is its relative expense. It is a beauty to behold and use, and its versatility is unparalleled in a light this size IMHO.
The Avenger has a very simple UI that allows easy access to its well chosen levels. The low is a good level for low, though it does get a bit brighter than I would like on Li-ion. And the high still provides good runtime on Li-ion or Nimh. It can be configured in multiple ways using the included assortment of lanyards and clips, and it can also be made nearly as short as the other two AAA lights by swapping the tail clickie module for a twistie cap. I like the tail clickie personally.
The Avenger is larger and heavier than either the KD SSC-U AAA or the Extreme III (which are about the same size) and it requires some setup time or possibly a magnet to make it work with all battery types. It can be configured in multiple ways using the included assortment of lanyards and clips, and it can also be made nearly as short as the other two AAA lights by swapping the tail clickie module for a twistie cap. I like the tail clickie personally. For those considering taking it out into the elements, I feel compelled to add that I believe it has poor resistance to water.
The KD SSC-U AAA is a great value at only about $15. It gives great output on Nimh cells, but for only a short time. IIRC the runtime is about 30 minutes on Nimh and more like a gradually dimming 45 mins on alkaline. I EDC'd it for a while, but found too many occasions when it went out rather suddenly on me. That's just how Nimh cells discharge in this type of application, and it's no fault of the light; this thing is made to be bright and it sucks 'em dry. I wouldn't expect a more sophisticated regulation circuit that drops into a lower output 'moon mode' near the end of the battery life in a light at this price point and category.
So which one do I carry the most? Well, which one would you carry?
First up is the Avenger on the left with Li-ion on low and the Extreme III with Li-ion on the setting that I use as my low. This low is plenty to get around the house, and is somewhere around 6% PWM on fraction (guessing here). It can be adjusted anywhere from 1% to 100%, but this shot helps to establish the fact that the Extreme III can have a much lower low than even the Avenger, which has a fairly low low compared to other lights like the Fenix (especially on Li-ion).
This next shot has the same lights (Avenger on left, Extreme III on right) also both on Li-ion, but on as high as they go. The 10440 cells measured 4.16V each just before this shot.
I was so impressed with the output of the Extreme III on Li-ion that I wanted to compare it against another EDC of mine, a QIII modded with an SSC USVOH driven at 918mA. The Extreme III is on the right again in this shot below.
Shown below is the KD SSC-U AAA (always on Nimh) on the left and the Extreme III on the right using Li-ion on high (100%). Note that I use only Eneloop AAA cells as my Nimh cells for all of these shots.
Now here is the KD SSC-U AAA again on the left compared to the Avenger on Li-ion set to high.
From this point on, all lights were loaded with Nimh cells only.
Next we have the same lights in the same positions as the previous shot, but the Avenger has been switched to Nimh (still on high).
The shot below has the KD SSC-U on the left again and the Extreme III on the right with Nimh and set to 100%.
Now the Avenger is on the left and the Extreme III is on the right, with both using Nimh on high.
And finally, the same setup as in the previous shot, but both lights are set to low. Again, the Extreme III can be set lower if desired. This is just the level I like.
In conclusion, I think these are all great lights, and each has their advantages and disadvantages.
The Extreme III is a marvel for the brightness it can achieve without risking damage to the emitter or circuitry while also being able to give an extremely low low. It does this without any PWM flicker because it uses the circuitry of the LF2 with a PWM frequency of 7800 Hz. It will run for about 1:25 on an eneloop at 50%, which is a nice amount of light. In addition to the two 'instant access' brightness levels and a third fairly accessible third level that can be quickly adjusted without entering programming mode, it also has two each of strobe and SOS modes that are also fully programmable. For example, with each strobe setting you can adjust the output level, the on time, and the off time of the strobe. This is nothing new to those already familiar with the Lightflux LF2 abilities. But this light differs from the LF2 in that it uses a beautiful HA body, a Rebel 100 emitter with a reflector that looks to have been designed specifically for a Rebel, and a tweaked circuit that is tailored to the Vf of each particular LED with a nice result - improved efficiency.
The only disadvantage I can cite for the Extreme III is its relative expense. It is a beauty to behold and use, and its versatility is unparalleled in a light this size IMHO.
The Avenger has a very simple UI that allows easy access to its well chosen levels. The low is a good level for low, though it does get a bit brighter than I would like on Li-ion. And the high still provides good runtime on Li-ion or Nimh. It can be configured in multiple ways using the included assortment of lanyards and clips, and it can also be made nearly as short as the other two AAA lights by swapping the tail clickie module for a twistie cap. I like the tail clickie personally.
The Avenger is larger and heavier than either the KD SSC-U AAA or the Extreme III (which are about the same size) and it requires some setup time or possibly a magnet to make it work with all battery types. It can be configured in multiple ways using the included assortment of lanyards and clips, and it can also be made nearly as short as the other two AAA lights by swapping the tail clickie module for a twistie cap. I like the tail clickie personally. For those considering taking it out into the elements, I feel compelled to add that I believe it has poor resistance to water.
The KD SSC-U AAA is a great value at only about $15. It gives great output on Nimh cells, but for only a short time. IIRC the runtime is about 30 minutes on Nimh and more like a gradually dimming 45 mins on alkaline. I EDC'd it for a while, but found too many occasions when it went out rather suddenly on me. That's just how Nimh cells discharge in this type of application, and it's no fault of the light; this thing is made to be bright and it sucks 'em dry. I wouldn't expect a more sophisticated regulation circuit that drops into a lower output 'moon mode' near the end of the battery life in a light at this price point and category.
So which one do I carry the most? Well, which one would you carry?
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