Looking for a small flashlight

[Sniping]

Hey guys,
I'm looking to buy a pretty compact flashlight. I want this for general use at night but I also want to be able to attach it to my bike, which is why I want a smaller one if possible. I'm just looking for overall value here, a flashlight that is good for various reasons. The only real requirements I have is that it's compact enough that I can attach it to my bicycle and I would like to have it power off AA batteries because that's the cheapest option for me. The only flashlight I've been looking at is the Nitecore SRT3 for $70 on massdrop, I have no idea how good it is though.

Thanks!

 

[RetroTechie]

Welcome to CPF, Sniping! :wave:

I'm using an S10-L2 Baton (RCR123 powered since last week) for the exact same purpose. As a bicycle light, I can choose between low (5~10 lumens or so) which is doable but very much on the dim side, and medium (~85 lumens) which is fine but depletes batteries just a little too quickly for my taste. A higher low or a mode in between would be perfect, but alas, 'no cigar'. :(

Checking the manual for the SRT3, I see it has infinite variable brightness setting. So you shouldn't have above problem with that. Most other specs/features look fine too, so for this purpose, you could certainly do worse than the SRT3.

That said: there's many good, small AA lights out there. So it might pay to look around some more! (and/or wait for suggestions in this thread)

 

[reppans]

Bicycling at speed is one of the few uses where I think you should move up from a single AA to a 2xAA for both more lumens and/or more runtime at those higher lumen levels. You could consider the 3x/4x AAs in compact beer can formats, but you'll lose the EDC pocket-ability.


Take a look at the versatile Fourseven Quarks which you can run on 1xAA (for EDC pocket-ability) and 2xAA (for bicycling output and runtime) battery tubes, the unused tubes make nice spare battery containers too. My favorite is the Pro UI with XML head (more flood and lumens) and I use mine as two mode for bicycling - either 25 or 115 lumens (depending upon ambient light) for the slower speed flats and uphills, and then 300+ lms Max for the fast downhill runs - just alternately using loose and tight bezel. It even has pseudo- momentary high-beam flasher function that's useful getting approaching cars to dip their high beams for you. Foursevens is a bit on the expensive side, but your getting one of the best warranties and US-based CS.


Lastly, you should consider getting Eneloops and a charger (maybe $15?) that will last longer than hundreds (thousands?) of Alks while performing better too.

 

[jimboutilier]

Bicycling at speed is one of the few uses where I think you should move up from a single AA to a 2xAA for both more lumens and/or more runtime at those higher lumen levels. You could consider the 3x/4x AAs in compact beer can formats, but you'll lose the EDC pocket-ability.


Take a look at the versatile Fourseven Quarks which you can run on 1xAA (for EDC pocket-ability) and 2xAA (for bicycling output and runtime) battery tubes, the unused tubes make nice spare battery containers too. My favorite is the Pro UI with XML head (more flood and lumens) and I use mine as two mode for bicycling - either 25 or 115 lumens (depending upon ambient light) for the slower speed flats and uphills, and then 300+ lms Max for the fast downhill runs - just alternately using loose and tight bezel. It even has pseudo- momentary high-beam flasher function that's useful getting approaching cars to dip their high beams for you. Foursevens is a bit on the expensive side, but your getting one of the best warranties and US-based CS.


Lastly, you should consider getting Eneloops and a charger (maybe $15?) that will last longer than hundreds (thousands?) of Alks while performing better too.

What he said. Look at a Quark Pro QP2A-X. It's small enough for jacket pocket or backpack EDC. Add a single AA body to your order if you want front pocket EDC. The extra tube comes with end caps that turns it or any other Quark tube into a nice battery carrier.

Alternatively look look at some 18650 lights like a Niteye Eye15 but thats a whole other class of battery to get into.

 

[TEEJ]

If you bicycle often enough or for long enough rides, rechargeables make a lot more sense than buying and throwing away and buying more AA's, etc...for evAH.

:D


Also, as you want it SMALLER, for ANY given form factor, a lithium ion powered light can be brighter and run longer than an alkaline powered version.

So, for perspective, I have small AAA powered lights, and, if I use an Alkaline AAA, I might get 60 lumens, but, if use a rechargeable li-ion AAA (10440) it jumps to more like 300 lumens, in the same light. AA versions can jump to 600 lumens, and so forth, and that's for ONE battery.

So, if you use an AAA light that had equivalent output, it would need MANY batteries, and thus have to be much larger.

So, using rechargeables, in the long run, is CHEAPER than using "cheap disposables", and, for whatever size light you are OK with, the rechargeable version will be brighter/run longer.


Food for thought.

 

[Sniping]

Well, I went ahead and looked at some non-AA options. If I were to buy 18650 batteries, would it be safe for me to buy a pack of TrustFire 2400 mAh rechargeables off ebay? They're sold out on Dealextreme right now and I have no idea when they'll stock up again.

Thanks!

 

[TEEJ]

Well, I went ahead and looked at some non-AA options. If I were to buy 18650 batteries, would it be safe for me to buy a pack of TrustFire 2400 mAh rechargeables off ebay? They're sold out on Dealextreme right now and I have no idea when they'll stock up again.

Thanks!

As a rule of thumb, don't buy any batteries ending in _____fire.

They tend to be of very varied QA/QC.

The 2400 mah rating alone is a red flag.

The real ones tend to be 2600, 2900, 3100, or 3400 mah. There are none over 3400 mah, not real at least.

If you go to the CPF Marketplace for example, there's a CPF Discount code section, and, if you enter it, any lights, cells, etc, you buy, you can get at a discounted rate.

There's a sub-forum there for cells, with Wonderlight's AW cell section being a good place to look for example.

 

[jimboutilier]

Well, I went ahead and looked at some non-AA options. If I were to buy 18650 batteries, would it be safe for me to buy a pack of TrustFire 2400 mAh rechargeables off ebay? They're sold out on Dealextreme right now and I have no idea when they'll stock up again.

Thanks!

LiIon rechargables can be somewhat dangerous if not of good quality or not used or charged carefully with the potential result being fire or explosion. The problem with an unknown brand or source is you don't know what you are getting - it might be a good deal or it might not.

The AW branded cells are known and trusted. Take a look over in the dealers corner for trusted sources. Often there are cells branded from the major flashlight manufacturers that tend to be good reliable cells (EagleTac, Zebralight, Nitecore etc). Panasonic based cells are also usually good.

Some lights are fussy about the length or diameter of the battery and some may work with flat top cells while others may be ok with low button tops and others may need high button tops. Depending on battery chemistry you may need to use protected cells or a light may be safe with unprotected cells. Not all 18650s are the same in these respects and the manufacturers are not always good about exact specifications. So unless you are sure of a particular cell working in a particular light, ordering one or two to try from a source with a good return policy is often a good idea.

You will want good quality cells, a good quality charger, and a light appropriate to the cell. Often a light that takes 18650 will also take 2xCR123 or vice versa but not always. It's a good option to look for in this class of light as you can mostly use economical rechargable 18650 but in a pinch can use more readaly available and longer shelf life CR123s.

There are lots of great 18650 lights. You might look at EagleTac D25LC2, Niteye Eye15, and Zebralight SC600 II L2.

 

[Sniping]

As a rule of thumb, don't buy any batteries ending in _____fire.

They tend to be of very varied QA/QC.

The 2400 mah rating alone is a red flag.

The real ones tend to be 2600, 2900, 3100, or 3400 mah. There are none over 3400 mah, not real at least.

If you go to the CPF Marketplace for example, there's a CPF Discount code section, and, if you enter it, any lights, cells, etc, you buy, you can get at a discounted rate.

There's a sub-forum there for cells, with Wonderlight's AW cell section being a good place to look for example.

Hmmm...I can't seem to find this discount code section. Do I have to be a member of the marketplace to get access to that?

 

[FlashKat]

Yes you need to sign up in the CPF marketplace.
Here is the link to the dealer discount code.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?181841-quot-CPF-Specials-quot-webpages-dealers

Hmmm...I can't seem to find this discount code section. Do I have to be a member of the marketplace to get access to that?