Preon... I just want to crow about this cool little light

[DHart]

I wrote this in a post in another thread, but thought perhaps some members might find this more accessible as it's own PREON thread. And I hope other Preon owners will chime in.

I love the 18650 lights, the 14500 lights, the 16340 lights and have a bunch of each of them. But when it comes down to EDC, I really don't want much size nor weight, especially when I'm wearing slacks or suit pants. So I set out on a quest to find something really small but very potent and versatile. As a result of that quest I ordered a Mini123 and a Preon 1. At first, I thought the MiNi123 was more captivating. But in VERY short order, the Preon stole my interest, in fact it has captivated me ever since I first got it.

The Preon 1 with clicky tailcap and 10440 li-ion is now my EDC (although I often add other larger lights when appropriate) and I doubt that will be changing any time soon.

I've gotten more enjoyment out of this little Preon 1 with a clicky on a 10440 than any new light I've gotten in quite a while. The output is simply stunning on high and is wonderfully useable on low and medium. Beautiful broad beam and the sheer illumination is still fantastic, despite the breadth of the beam!

I see no reason not to use a 10440 if you like to have that stunning output blast on high available when you want it. The rest of the time low and medium meet most needs quite well. The clicky makes the three modes so easy and quick to use... I can't imagine using this light with the twist tailcap... though it is always available if ever needed, as a backup, should the clicky tailcap fail. And the amazing thing about the clicky... even though it protrudes from the tailcap for extra easy use, you can STILL tail-stand the little bugger!

I'm playing with and constantly using my Preon while the many wonderful other lights I also have are playing second fiddle 99% of the time. I just bought another Preon 1 (with clicky tailcap, of course) for my wife and a Preon 2 body for times when only AAA alkaline is available and I still want a strong punch on high, or I just want the longer runtimes from two cells. I prefer the Preon 1 form factor generally, though.

I also found that the gold Preon 1 I bought for my wife is .2 EV brighter on high than my red Preon (which already matched the brilliant output of a Malkoff M60 in my ceiling bounce measurement test). That puts the measured output of her Preon 1 on 10440 AHEAD of the Malkoff M60 by about .2 EV (that's 20% brighter!). Not that 20% brighter is super noticible to the human eye, but it is a noteworthy increase.

So, thinking about some mix and match fun, I asked my wife she would mind swapping her gold head for my read head... she was fine with that (not being as output obsessed as I) so now we each have two-toned Preons... red/gold & gold/red. These little lights (in the great tradition of Quark lights) are just freakin fantastic in their qualities and lego-ability. They are very potent, very stylish, quite practical, versatile, beautiful, and just plain FUN.

A bow :bow: to David at 4Sevens for devising the Preon line. I became a major fan of these from the moment I opened the package. :thumbsup:

I'm trying to resist the urge to have "the complete set" in all colors. :sick2: (David, you were brilliant to offer the light in an array of wonderful colors... just entices we addicts to buy them all. )

The only pic I have of my Preon is with the knife that is my EDC and a pistol that I carry when I leave the house. Note the tapered shape of the Preon body... it is an elegant, perhaps "sexy" light indeed. Here it is:



Over sized image changed to link

Image size now reduced... is this OK?

 

[HIDblue]

Interesting post and really outstanding photo. :thumbsup: I've been eye-balling the Preon line ever since it came out, but my only drawback was that the Preon 1 operated on a twisty UI which killed it for me since I'm not a fan of twisties.

So, couple questions for ya:

• How and where did you get a clicky tailcap for the Preon 1?
• How's the Preon 1 on 10440s (run-time)?
• Does it get toasty quick on max output on 10440s?
• How's the tint on the beam?

And sorry to stray off-topic, but what kind of barrel is that on your Glock 30? Nice blade btw. I'm a huge Spyderco fan, but don't have that model yet.

 

[don.gwapo]

Got the same set up with you bro. Mine too is red with clicky and aw 10440 and the clip. I did get the clicky together with it coz i'm not a fan of twisty.

 

[Tuikku]

I also have been using Preon 1 with clicky and 10440 as a "better EDC".
Just like OP told, with slim clothes or such, when you don´t want your pockets to be full of stuff.

I like that wide beam it gives and great amount of light.

The drawbacks are IMO: clicky is quite sticky if you don´t press it straight down. Also when using as twisty, it is far more harder to operate than my indoors-use Fenix-L0D. iTP A3 is also far more softer to twist.

To HIDblue:

I bought my Preon as a kit.
It included head, Preon1 and Preon2 bodies, flat tailcap and clicky tailcap.
Also clips and ring for lanyard.

 

[HIDblue]

I bought my Preon as a kit.
It included head, Preon1 and Preon2 bodies, flat tailcap and clicky tailcap.
Also clips and ring for lanyard.

Thanks Tuikku. Where'd you buy the kit like that? 4Sevens? And did you just buy the separate parts rather than one whole Preon?

 

[DHart]

Interesting post and really outstanding photo. :thumbsup: I've been eye-balling the Preon line ever since it came out, but my only drawback was that the Preon 1 operated on a twisty UI which killed it for me since I'm not a fan of twisties.

So, couple questions for ya:

• How and where did you get a clicky tailcap for the Preon 1?
• How's the Preon 1 on 10440s (run-time)?
• Does it get toasty quick on max output on 10440s?
• How's the tint on the beam?

And sorry to stray off-topic, but what kind of barrel is that on your Glock 30? Nice blade btw. I'm a huge Spyderco fan, but don't have that model yet.

HIDBlue.... these three pieces of equipment represent, to me, pinnacle choices in each of their respective areas. Each is in company with the best of class.

PREON 1 CLICKY
Yeah, I would never operate this light as a twisty because I don't have to. But it's nice that IF the clicky ever failed, the light could then be operated as a twisty if needed until a new switch was obtained. Nice! Best way to use the clicky is to press on the center of the button to power on and then just bump the edge of the button each time you want to change modes. The light WILL tail stand with the clicky tail cap!

PREON 1 PARTS
You can buy all the Preon parts, in all the colors, as separate accessories on the 4Sevens website. Nice!

PREON RUNTIME
I don't know about the runtime because I've never timed it and I recharge frequently anyway, because it's wise to top off li-ions before they drain down too far. I just top the cell off every other day or so. Just takes a few minutes.

PREON HEAT using 10440 LI-ION
When I use the light it's almost always for just a few moments at a time, and on high, with li-ion powering, that does not present any heat problem. It would be very unwise to leave the light unattended on high with a li-ion, however. On those occasions where I may want to run the light for a prolonged period of time with the li-ion, I use low, if that's enough light for the task, or on medium which is plenty of light for any indoor task and many outdoor tasks. Medium is bright enough such that you only need to go to high when you really want to rock. And it's a wonderfully powerful light on 10440 on high. Just hold your hand around the bezel to bleed off some heat and don't run it too long on high. Choose an Eneloop if you want to run it a lot on high. Free lumens. No concerns with heat.

PREON LEGO & POWERING
If I were to go on a trip with the light, I'd probably take the Preon 1 & 2 bodies and run it with two lithium primaries - to be refueled with locally acquired AAA alkalines if necessary. With two cells in the Preon 2 body you get quite a bit of output, though not as much as running the Preon 1 body with a 10440. My preferred set-up is with a single 10440 and clicky tailcap, but it's great to have the flexibility to run it so many different ways, if you've got a Preon 2 body available for use when desired. Runs on one 10440 li-ion, one or two AAA size Eneloops, one or two AAA size NiMH, one or two AAA lithium primary, one or two AAA alkaline (if necessary). Sweet!

PREON BEAM & TINT
The beam is broad, soft, and quite brilliant. The tint is white, I'd put it somewhere between neutral and cool. A very nice tint indeed. Not cold, not warm... just a cool neutral.

GLOCK 30
The barrel on my G30 is the stock barrel, but I polished the crown because I like the way it accentuates the size of that big, fat .45 acp bore! Purely an aesthetic move on my part. I have quite a number of pistols and a handful of Glocks and the G30 is probably my favorite Glock model... I think it's a perfect big bore carry gun. Soft shooting, stone reliable, amazingly accurate, 11 round capacity, and big bore .45 potency. Easy to carry IWB for me with a HighNoon Holsters Mister Softy... it's like not wearing a holster at all... fabulous.

SPYDERCO G10 UKPK
As for the UKPK, before I received mine, I wasn't so sure I'd like a non-locking folder but this has turned out to be, perhaps, my VERY favorite EDC knife (and I've got some goodies)! That's saying a lot. This is an exceptional knife. It has a very strong detent to stay open, but not an actual lock, per se. And your first finger in the choil keeps the blade from cutting you once the strong detent is overcome to allow the blade to close! So it's very safe that way! This makes it especially easy to open and close for frequent use during the day opening boxes, cutting tape or string, slicing fruit, whatever... etc. FFG (full flat grind) S30V steel blade (knife steel doesn't get much better than that) and G10 scales. The G10 UKPK is one of Spyderco's finest knives in my opinion. Strong, low profile wire clip runs to the edge of the handle to allow DEEP pocket carry... SWEET. Perfect size. Great feel in the hand. And sharper than a razor from the factory. A Class A pocket knife that I give my highest recommendation for!

 

[don.gwapo]

Tuikku,

Just take off the rubber boot inside the clicky. That's the one causing the sticky. Mine never went sticky since I took it off.

 

[Tuikku]

Thanks Tuikku. Where'd you buy the kit like that? 4Sevens? And did you just buy the separate parts rather than one whole Preon?

I bought the whole kit used here from CPF, black and in good condition for EDC purposes. About the tint: I would say, that with iTP this has the least cold tint of my lights. Not green, not blue at all. Cannot say if it is even warmish because I don´t own any "real" warm tinted LED´s.

Too bad it seems now, that Preon is getting used very little by me

 

[HIDblue]

HIDBlue.... these three pieces of equipment represent, to me, pinnacle choices in each of their respective areas. Each is in company with the best of class.

PREON 1 CLICKY
Yeah, I would never operate this light as a twisty because I don't have to. But it's nice that IF the clicky ever failed, the light could then be operated as a twisty if needed until a new switch was obtained. Nice! Best way to use the clicky is to press on the center of the button to power on and then just bump the edge of the button each time you want to change modes. The light WILL tail stand with the clicky tail cap!

PREON 1 PARTS
You can buy all the Preon parts, in all the colors, as separate accessories on the 4Sevens website. Nice!

PREON RUNTIME
I don't know about the runtime because I've never timed it and I recharge frequently anyway, because it's wise to top off li-ions before they drain down too far. I just top the cell off every other day or so. Just takes a few minutes.

PREON HEAT using 10440 LI-ION
When I use the light it's almost always for just a few moments at a time, and on high, with li-ion powering, that does not present any heat problem. It would be very unwise to leave the light unattended on high with a li-ion, however. On those occasions where I may want to run the light for a prolonged period of time with the li-ion, I use low, if that's enough light for the task, or on medium which is plenty of light for any indoor task and many outdoor tasks. Medium is bright enough such that you only need to go to high when you really want to rock. And it's a wonderfully powerful light on 10440 on high. Just hold your hand around the bezel to bleed off some heat and don't run it too long on high. Choose an Eneloop if you want to run it a lot on high. Free lumens. No concerns with heat.

PREON LEGO & POWERING
If I were to go on a trip with the light, I'd probably take the Preon 1 & 2 bodies and run it with two lithium primaries - to be refueled with locally acquired AAA alkalines if necessary. With two cells in the Preon 2 body you get quite a bit of output, though not as much as running the Preon 1 body with a 10440. My preferred set-up is with a single 10440 and clicky tailcap, but it's great to have the flexibility to run it so many different ways, if you've got a Preon 2 body available for use when desired. Runs on one 10440 li-ion, one or two AAA size Eneloops, one or two AAA size NiMH, one or two AAA lithium primary, one or two AAA alkaline (if necessary). Sweet!

PREON BEAM & TINT
The beam is broad, soft, and quite brilliant. The tint is white, I'd put it somewhere between neutral and cool. A very nice tint indeed. Not cold, not warm... just a cool neutral.

GLOCK 30
The barrel on my G30 is the stock barrel, but I polished the crown because I like the way it accentuates the size of that big, fat .45 acp bore! Purely an aesthetic move on my part. I have quite a number of pistols and a handful of Glocks and the G30 is probably my favorite Glock model... I think it's a perfect big bore carry gun. Soft shooting, stone reliable, amazingly accurate, 11 round capacity, and big bore .45 potency. Easy to carry IWB for me with a HighNoon Holsters Mister Softy... it's like not wearing a holster at all... fabulous.

SPYDERCO G10 UKPK
As for the UKPK, before I received mine, I wasn't so sure I'd like a non-locking folder but this has turned out to be, perhaps, my VERY favorite EDC knife (and I've got some goodies)! That's saying a lot. This is an exceptional knife. It has a very strong detent to stay open, but not an actual lock, per se. And your first finger in the choil keeps the blade from cutting you once the strong detent is overcome to allow the blade to close! So it's very safe that way! This makes it especially easy to open and close for frequent use during the day opening boxes, cutting tape or string, slicing fruit, whatever... etc. FFG (full flat grind) S30V steel blade (knife steel doesn't get much better than that) and G10 scales. The G10 UKPK is one of Spyderco's finest knives in my opinion. Strong, low profile wire clip runs to the edge of the handle to allow DEEP pocket carry... SWEET. Perfect size. Great feel in the hand. And sharper than a razor from the factory. A Class A pocket knife that I give my highest recommendation for!

Wow! Thanks a bunch for detailed response DHart. :thumbsup: Looks like the Preon 1 will be putting another dent in the 'ol wallet. September has not been a good month in the restraint department (already bought a JB E3S and BK135A), but what the hell, you can't take it with you.

I've been looking for a light that I can comfortably carry while wearing business attire that wouldn't weigh down my pockets, and it looks like the Preon 1 fits the bill. The lego-ability is also a huge plus in my book. Honestly, I never even gave AAA lights a serious look, thinking they weren't bright enough and never imagining they would be offered with a clicky.

And you're right, the polished barrel on your G30 does make it stand out from the crowd. Nice touch.

Thanks a bunch for all the info, it really helped out quite a bit.

 

[pepekraft]

And the amazing thing about the clicky... even though it protrudes from the tailcap for extra easy use, you can STILL tail-stand the little bugger!

The clicky tailcap has changed in newer preon runs, and if tailstanding is important this would be something to check out. I don't know where 4sevens is on the stock of old clickies - I imagine it would vary by color.

Pics and discussions here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=280066

 

[Kindle]

The clicky tailcap has changed in newer preon runs, and if tailstanding is important this would be something to check out.

Thanks for bringing attention to that.

Now I might have to order a new clicky for my preon.

 

[EZO]

PREON HEAT using 10440 LI-ION
And it's a wonderfully powerful light on 10440 on high. Just hold your hand around the bezel to bleed off some heat and don't run it too long on high.

Hey DHart,

You are a definitely a major "agent provocateur", my good man. Thanks to your shameless evangelism about the Preon I, I am now seriously considering the purchase of one (along with a clicky and 10440, of course) even though that was not what I intended when I first peeked in the door of this and the other thread you launched on this subject. Perhaps I should have just continued on my merry way down the hallway but the atmosphere was just too friendly and inviting so I marched right in. Actually I'm glad I did. I think I like the black one. That's the one Batman would choose, right?

Just one question though. Would you be able to quantify to some approximate degree (sorry, no pun intended) what "don't run it too long on high" means? Are we talking minutes or seconds?

 

[dclawyer]

Dhart

You have tempted me as well. Do you think it is worth the extra money for the Titanium version? The weight is listed as the same.

 

[EZO]

Dhart

Do you think it is worth the extra money for the Titanium version?

The titanium version sure looks sweet but it seems even more slippery than the slightly textured colored versions. In my experience very smooth bodied flashlights, especially small ones have a tendency to slip through your fingers when you are least expecting it. I find this particularly true when you are pressing on a tail clicky and your hands are just a little oily or sweaty, say, when your are poking around under the hood of a car during unexpected mechanical trouble. Just my thinking on this.

 

[dclawyer]

Thanks Don. I think I will get the black with the clickyY Not sure about the rechargeable battery. I think I will be happy using normal AAAs.

 

[Beamhead]

I love my tuxedo Preon 2.

 

[DHart]

Hey DHart,

You are a definitely a major "agent provocateur", my good man. Thanks to your shameless evangelism about the Preon I, I am now seriously considering the purchase of one (along with a clicky and 10440, of course) even though that was not what I intended when I first peeked in the door of this and the other thread you launched on this subject. Perhaps I should have just continued on my merry way down the hallway but the atmosphere was just too friendly and inviting so I marched right in. Actually I'm glad I did. I think I like the black one. That's the one Batman would choose, right?

Just one question though. Would you be able to quantify to some approximate degree (sorry, no pun intended) what "don't run it too long on high" means? Are we talking minutes or seconds?

EZO... "shamless evangelism" is exactly what it should be called. Of course, I get nothing from 4Sevens for doing this. I do this purely because (and I'm sure you can tell) I am REALLY impressed with this line of lights and I'm just enjoying the heck out of them... and I wanted to share my enthusiasm with folks who I think would really enjoy the benefits and fun the Preon line has to offer.

As a test, I inserted a freshly charged 10440 and ran the Preon on HIGH for 3 minutes continuously, while holding the flashlight in my hand, fingers around the head area. The light got warm but never even approached feeling too hot... I could touch the head of the light to my lips with no sensation of too much warmth at all. :thumbsup:

For the record, this type of light is purely a "convenience" light, as I like to call them. You carry them everywhere because they are so small, so lightweight, and so convenient. They are used for the little occasional lighting tasks you may need once or twice or three times (or more) during the day or evening around the house or work. They are not lights you would choose for intensive, long-duration tasks that are much more demanding. Most of us don't need lights to meet intensive demands all that often in a typical day or evening, so our needs can very easily be met with "convenience" lights, like the Preon. And that's why we have our bigger lights and our small lights. Amazing thing is that this tiny light puts out illumination that matches a great many lights two, three, four times its size. It just won't run as long because it's powering cell is much smaller. But it's many times more "convenient"!

I never have had the need to run a "convenience" light for such a long time on high, but this shows that it certainly can be done with a 10440 li-ion without heat becoming an issue. Certainly, my fingers wicked off some heat while holding the light. If the light had not been held in the hand, it certainly would have gotten hotter. How hot? I don't know. I would not use the light on high with a 10440 freestanding. In ceiling bounce mode, I'd use low or medium and have no qualms running it indefinitely on 10440 at those levels. And with any powering source other than my favorite 10440 (Eneloop, NiMh, Lithium primary, alkaline) you can run the light on high any which way from Sunday until your cell(s) are dead gone without heat being an issue.

 

[DHart]

Dhart

You have tempted me as well. Do you think it is worth the extra money for the Titanium version? The weight is listed as the same.

Hey dc... ya know, I've never been tempted enough to buy a titanium version, considering the extra cost and the potential for issues with galling etc. that some folks have complained about. Honestly, for me, I'm just not motivated to do so and see no need to spend the extra money. The standard versions are awesome, work great, save a little money, and that's fine for me. I've heard some grumblings here and there about some issues with titanium and for me, I just don't need to go there. Of course if titanium flips your switch, I say definitely go for it. If you're happy, that's all that matters!

Thanks Don. I think I will get the black with the clickyY Not sure about the rechargeable battery. I think I will be happy using normal AAAs.

I should mention that this is a light you will be VERY tempted to play with. A LOT. I don't recommend alkaline batteries except as a last resort because they perform so poorly and have greater potential to leak and ruin your light. At the very least I would recommend you run lithium primary cells. But with a primary cell, every time you use the light, it's power source gets weaker and weaker... then has to be discarded/recycled and replaced. Over and over and over.

Best, easiest, renewable power source bet for a light you will use daily is a Eneloop. And you can start every day off with a fully charged power source this way, not with a primary cell that is depleted more and more and more and more every time you use it.

And if you want mind boggling output , go with 10440 li-ion. Just get educated on the use and charging protocols of li-ion chemistry cells because that's REALLY IMPORTANT with such a potent power source. There's nothing like the wonders of li-ion, but it's a power source that commands respect and knowledge. You can learn all you need to know about use and charging li-ions in this forum. Go to the batteries folder and get schooled up! :thumbsup:

 

[EZO]

DHart,

Thanks for your very helpful and insightful reply, as always. I appreciate your going to the trouble of actually performing a test. I've been concerned that pushing the emitter like this with a 10440 could damage it in the long run but I now have the impression that it should be just fine.

 

[Tuikku]

Tuikku,

Just take off the rubber boot inside the clicky. That's the one causing the sticky. Mine never went sticky since I took it off.

Hmmm, maybe I will try that :thinking:
Thanks!

Could it also be, that my O-ring is a bit swollen from wrong lubrication? (bought it used)
Could well cause that twisty -part to be harder. Gotta change that O-ring too and see if it helps :thinking: