Impulse Purchase, Any Good?

[jamesbeat]

I found this light on ebay and bought it on impulse:

Well, it wasn't entirely on impulse, I have read some good things about Saik lights, I just couldn't find anything about this particular model, the SA-105.

Here are the specs:

• Bulb Type: Cree Q3 LED
• Battery: 1 x AA
• Voltage: 1.2-1.5V
• Mode: one-mode
• Material: Aluminum alloy
• Size: 96 x 19mm / 3.8 x 0.7in(H x Dia.)

The auction also included the following sage advice:

NOTE:

• Please do not put it directly to people's eyes for the powerful light is harmful and it will make you blind temporarily, especially for the kid
• The price of this flashlight dose not includes the battery and the charger
• Strongly suggest you use the protected battery for it can really protect your battery well and extend your battery life as well as avoid the over-charging and over-discharging of your battery
• We are not responsible for the broken of the battery and charger for your users' wrong using methods
• Please never over-charger or over-discharge the batteries, which means when the brightness of the flashlight is going down clearly but not totally dark, it is the time to charger it, or the battery will be over-discharged and it will be broken or shortcircuit when you charge it the next time

I paid $7.74, so if the light isn't great it's not the end of the world.
I just wanted a nice small single mode 1AA flashlight for edc.

Any thoughts/opinions on this light?

 

[jamesbeat]

Found a better spec list, this time from DealExtreme:

Brand: SAiK Model: SA-105 Emitter Brand/Type: Cree Emitter BIN: Q3-WC Color BIN: White Total Emitters: 1 Battery Configurations: 1 x AA battery Voltage Input: 0.6~1.5V, 1.5V Max. Switch Type: Clicky/Clickie Switch Location: Tail-cap Modes: 1 Mode Memory: - Mode Arrangement: - Circuitry: Digital Regulated 500mA Current Output Brightness: 130 lumens maximum brightness (manufacturer rated) Runtime: 50 minutes (manufacturer rated) Lens: Coated Glass Lens Reflector: Plastic Smooth/SMO Reflector Carrying Clip: - Carrying Strap: Strap Included

Looks pretty good, but I'd love to hear some opinions from people who have real life experience of this light...

 

[LoM]

Its an OK light. Nothing great, but that is what you get for such a low budget light. Nevertheless is much better than those cheap Chinese flashlights with generic led. Dont owned that particularly model, but had similar ones with same emitter from other brands.

Price its a little (2 USD) below average (assuming shipping costs included) so its a good deal and will impress non-flashaolic users.

 

[jamesbeat]

I wouldn't class myself as a flashaholic (yet...) but I wanted something half-decent for pocket carry.
As long as the build quality is reasonable, I guess I have got a good 'beginner' light.
I don't really need it for any specific purpose, just a usable flashlight to throw in my pocket.

I bought one of those 9 LED 3AAA drugstore lights, which was good enough to make me realise that a flashlight is a useful thing to have on my person.
This light is intended as an inexpensive upgrade that's a bit smaller and brighter.

 

[palimpsest]

As long as the build quality is reasonable, I guess I have got a good 'beginner' light.
I don't really need it for any specific purpose, just a usable flashlight to throw in my pocket.

Then finally you found the answer to your own question.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

next step: keep an eye out for eneloops on sale :devil:

 

[jamesbeat]

next step: keep an eye out for eneloops on sale :devil:

Oh no
See, you said "next step", not "last step".
As a natural 'tinkerer', getting better batteries will probably only be the next step, and after that will come the tinkering...

I have the unsettling feeling that, despite trying to kid myself, there's no way I'm going to buy one flashlight and be done with it

I should have recognized the early signs of flashaholism.
And so it begins...