Novatac quality in a single AA light?

LEDBE
gunga

gunga

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 29, 2006
Messages
8,089
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
I saw another thread that prompts this question.

Is there an AA light of similar quality and features of a Novatac (with a similar price range)?

I'm looking for the usual seoul or cree emitter, multi-level, solid construction with good knurling. SOmething fairly bomb-proof and reliable?

Programable would be nice but not deal killer, same with 14500 support.

I was looking int TNC lights but they seem more costly and I don't see the canister option I'm looking for. Will keep investigating those however.

Any other suggestions? A compact size (like the TNC Keylux) would be good too.

I like my Novatac a lot, but would like something in a 1 AA size.

Is this available?

:confused:
 
Hey FC.

Maybe, could work.

Do you think it's "Novatac" quality tho? I may be looking for something more "knurled and knarly".

I'm not a big fan of mode memory or the 5 light settings (with no low - low).

Could work if it was tough and grippy.

I don't mind my Fenix (yes I know, Fenix who) but I'm looking for a lower low, more reliable, solid construction, grippier knurling. Liteflux LF5 has a billion functions, but I don't like the twisty that much and I've experienced some switching issues (they were solved after I figured out how to tighten the retaining ring in the switch, but I would rather a simpler clicky switch).

Olight is a maybe, but I may want something a bit tougher. I could be wrong and it could be real tough, just unsure I want to buy ANOTHER light to check the grippyness, modes etc...


:sick2:


KNowing CPF, I may end up with one of these before long...

:p

BTW, it would be awesome if whatever light had some lense holder so I could use your 10 layer diffuser material as a flood filter (I still love it on my modded minimag).
 
Just an idea...you could look into the LumaPower M3 Transformer. If I'm not mistaken, it comes with (3) battery tubes: 1XAA, 2XAA and 1XCR123. It's built like a tank, and all the battery options (incl. LIon rechargeables) make it pretty versatile. I think there's a turbo head available as well...

PJD
 
He he he.

I had one! I didn't like 3 levels of resistor driven levels. Medium was too close to high, low mode was quite poor runtime on 14500/CR123 due to the resistor and not very low (but quite good on the low-low with normal AA).

I guess I wanted something a little less bulky and little more advanced than a couple of resistors for the $.

Output on regular AA was not so great on high.

ALso, did not like the 2 stage rear clicky/rotating bezel interface and feel.

Good point about the ruggedness tho. I'd forgotten about that!
 
Well it certainly does not meet all your criteria, and it's not SF or NT quality, but... the build is actually really good.

The JetBeam CL-E v2. The natural HAIII I got was great, the light is well built and the anodizing seems heavy. The UI still bugs me, but is has a nice low-low which I really like. The mode-memory works well if you use it a lot in a single mode, otherwise you have to cycle through the strobe and SOS possibly to get to the one you want. It's not the brightest on high, but I have other lights for that.

I like the build, I like the low-low. I like the mode-when I'm sticking to one level for a period of time; good task light.
 
That's a pretty good suggestion. The Jetbeam is certainly knurled enough and is nice and compact. I'm not a fan of the memory mode, but the clicky makes it much better.

I actually have a Jetbeam C-LE V1.2. It's good, but I'm a little worried based on Jtebeam reliablility problems. I've had problems with both C-LE and Jet-u, tho jetbeam fixed both problems (took a month+ to get replacements, ugh). I'm a little wary of Jetbeam reliability.

To make things a bit clearer, let me list the 1 AA lights I've tried and owned. I stilll own several, but I'm just seeking something just a bit better (hence the Novatac-ish quality level).

- Inova X1 (gen2)
- Fenix L1D CE
- Jetbeam C-LE (v1.0, V1.2)
- Lumapower M3
- Lumapower LM302 (Lux, modded to seoul)
- Liteflux LF5
- Fenix L1T
- Rexlight 2.0

So yeah, I've tried a few. Many are good, some are great. I'm just looking for awesome.

:D

PS: I think my favorite is the Fenix. Great efficiency, and long runing, usable low mode. UI is not bad, starts on low.

The complaints are the usual: grippier, tougher finish, lower low and medium, skippable strobe/SOS, reliability, high mode could be higher (maybe?), no 14500 support (not too important, just nice).

Tactical clicky is not a big deal for me.
 
While I don't own one, I think the best AA light you can buy is the Maxlight by ARCMania. This one is a little more expensive than Novatac though.
 
The Jet 1 - MKII.R looks interesting from BugOutGear. Don't know if it has enough knurling for you.
 
I think the Fenix L1+ is their best AA light. Its pricey though.
 
either use the jetbeam mkIIx or the new mkIIr, i have it an in the advanced mode you can go as low as 5% light and it is good for night usage. With the memory function in mkIIr you would always start of in low if you have it set to low before you turn it off so it would not come in high and kill your night adapted vision.
 
How do find the UI on those? I guess they're not out yet so hard to say.

I just know that many have complained about the confusing Jetbeam Mk2-x UI.

Is this one any better?
 
The UI's are the main reason I dont like the Jetbeam's and the Fenix Lxxx.
 
I was actually thinking that my perfect EDC light would be an HDS/Novatac style light on a CR2 body that also had a AA body in which you could use regular AA or 14500 cells. The Peak Pacific and the Liteflux LF4/LF5 both have the same head with different bodies (although you can't buy them separately with the Liteflux). Clicky, knurling, etc...

Really - in a AA format I don't think there is anything that has the clicky, the UI and the quality of the Novatac/HDS lights. I think the Liteflux UI is the best thing that isn't a Novatac/HDS or Flupic based light (and the flupic while versatile has it's disadvantages). The quality is pretty solid as well but not quite HDS level and of course no clicky.

I think your best bet for that level of quality, anodizing, machining, etc.. is a TNC Keylux AA with the Flupic head. I think around $160ish for that configuration. No clicky but the quality is top notch, truly top shelf machining and superb quality to match most anything on the market. And the flupic interface takes some getting used to but in Mode 1 you have a nice 3 level light with user selected levels - you can't ask for a more simple or versatile arrangement. Other options are available but like HDS/Novatac and Liteflux for that matter you can set it and forget it.
 
You really want a AA Novatac, don't you? :D Heh, anyway, out of all the lights listed so far, I personally think that the only 2 that meet your quality requirement are the TNC Keylux AA and ArcMania's Maxlite. Incidentally, they are also the only 2 not made in China lights. Don't get me wrong, I've got my share of Fenixes, but for quality build, machining, and anodizing, those 2 are what I'd consider quality lights. Of course they also have the price tag to match. Unfortunately for you, the Maxlite was only a single mode light. I think it was the Maxlite II or Maxlite Extreme that had a multi-mode driver, I don't remember which, but good luck finding any of those. Oh yeah, and they're kinda big, but it will run on any type of AA sized cell. They were all limited run lights which you may find on BST from time to time.

I think Gatsby has the best suggestion so far, which is a TNC Keylux AA w/FluPIC. This configuration however will require that you use a 14500 Li-ion though because the FluPIC is a LDO driver. You can't use a alkaline/NiMH/Lithium cell. It gives you almost everything you wanted, except the clicky part.

I think the main reason no one has made a light like you described is because of the lack of energy density of the lowly AA cell (excluding the Li-ion). It's much easier to design and make a highly efficient driver to boost 3.0V to 3.xxV of a single LED than it is to make one to boost from 1.2/1.5/1.7V to 3.xV. Also, I'd probably buy one too if someone made a light exactly as you described. :nana:
 
An L91 lithium AA cell has about the same energy density as a CR123A; a high capacity NiMH has maybe 2/3 that much and an Eneloop, maybe half. So there's just not a good reason there aren't more high quality 1aa lights around. 2aaa is an interesting alternative.
 
Am also looking for a high quality 1xAA flashlight with the Seoul emitter, so far the only one I liked is this one: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=172676, but does not appear that it will be available :(.

Maybe HDS will be out with one 1xAA flashlight, but so far it is really nut much to choose from in the same quality as the Novatac, and/or in that price range two, though the closest is when Novatac releases the 2xAA battery tube, I know 2xAA is not the same as 1xAA, but still to be able to use normal AA batteries on a Novatac will be pretty nice :).
 
Hey Avro.

Yeah, I want a Novatac AA! :nana:


I don't get it, HOw come Fenix, Jetbeam, Liteflux, and other companies seem to be able to produce mulit-mode, high output AA drivers (Sometimes with 14500 support) but no-one else can?

I think the TNC may be the best choice for me too, Maxlight is too extreme for me, so I'm trolling the B/S/T threads to see if I can find one. Still, so far only 1 mode with normal AA.

:confused:


So any one want to ship me a TNC at a fair price?

:whistle:

I'll have to wait and perhaps build my own multi-mode canister at a later date.



AvroArrow said:
You really want a AA Novatac, don't you? :D Heh, anyway, out of all the lights listed so far, I personally think that the only 2 that meet your quality requirement are the TNC Keylux AA and ArcMania's Maxlite.

I think Gatsby has the best suggestion so far, which is a TNC Keylux AA w/FluPIC. This configuration however will require that you use a 14500 Li-ion though because the FluPIC is a LDO driver. You can't use a alkaline/NiMH/Lithium cell. It gives you almost everything you wanted, except the clicky part.

I think the main reason no one has made a light like you described is because of the lack of energy density of the lowly AA cell (excluding the Li-ion). It's much easier to design and make a highly efficient driver to boost 3.0V to 3.xxV of a single LED than it is to make one to boost from 1.2/1.5/1.7V to 3.xV. Also, I'd probably buy one too if someone made a light exactly as you described. :nana:
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Top