Small keychain edc emergency light

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lauriek

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Jun 5, 2009
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I don't always carry a light at the moment but I do want to. I find even an AA torch too big to edc (and I have a tiny one - 4sevens quark mini aa neutral). So I do often carry it but not always so I'd like an emergency backup on my keyring which I do always have with me...

So I'm in the market for a tiny, lightweight (preferably Ti but not essential) light. At the moment I've been very tempted by the 4sevens Ti CR2 (not sure if that's the full name but I suspect you lot know what I mean!), but I cannot find one for sale anywhere.

I'd like it to be very bright for the size and preferably have at least two modes, a full on turbo go for it mode and a more sensible <20 lumen mode for more life.

Thoughts as to an alternative to the unavailable 4S-CR2? Or ideas where I might be able to get one?

ETA I'm not hugely keen on AAA lights. Also I haven't found a really tiny CR123 light, mostly they aren't much shorter than the smaller AA units and they're wider. If a really small one existed I would certainly consider that...
 
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Muyshondt Aeon. CR2, two modes, 10 and 114. Rock solid build. Beautiful beam. There was a Ti version ($299) but it's no longer available. The one you can still get is HAIII.
 
If you are willing to consider Li-Ion powered torches, there are a few good options .... I usually carry a Peak 10180 Eiger, but there are some other makers of custom or semi-custom lights that also run on 10180s.
 
I have a Klarus Mi10 on my keys....very small, like a AAA, yet very bright - it has 3 brightness levels - 2, 20 and 80 lumens - very nice beam, IPX-8 rated, and long runtime considering the size, and its regulated, so the light out put stays the same to the end, instead of getting dimmer with use, etc.

Its VERY handy.

:D
 
When I hear "emergency backup" I think very durable and the ability to last a very long time. I think one of the AAA or sub AAA peaks in QTC is a good suggestion. Tough as nails, super bright if you need it but with the ability to run on ultra firely mode in a pinch

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Cool, some stuff I've never even heard of, thanks chaps!

GeoBruin I think you're bang-on the requirements, ideally I'd like to buy a great quality little torch which I can leave on my keychain for a year or two with barely any use, then suddenly need and find it works perfectly. Ability to run ultra finely also sounds like a fantastic idea.

Do these modern li-ion batteries meet that kind of requirement or should I only be looking at non rechargeable for this kind of scenario?
 
lauriek said:
GeoBruin I think you're bang-on the requirements, ideally I'd like to buy a great quality little torch which I can leave on my keychain for a year or two with barely any use, then suddenly need and find it works perfectly. Ability to run ultra finely also sounds like a fantastic idea.

Do these modern li-ion batteries meet that kind of requirement or should I only be looking at non rechargeable for this kind of scenario?
Click to expand...
AAA alkalines will leak if left in a light for too long.
I find Li-ions (especially the protected types) to last a lot less than claimed before recharging.

For AAA you need Energizer lithium.
For lithium stick with non rechargeables.

If you use Li-ion or AAA Eneloops charge every 6 months or so. Change clocks to summer/standard time, replace battery in smoke detector, charge your batteries.

Why not AAA? A Preon is identical to your MiNi performance wise except size and runtime.
While a lithium battery at 3V can produce more light than a 1AA battery at 1.5V, the purpose of an emergency light is to get you home, not kill the battery before you get home. I would forget about ultra brightness and go for runtime.

An AAA battery torch is not much longer than your keys.
Quark Mini AA top (too long, too fat, too HEAVY for keychain).
Arc AAA middle (Millermodded to give me 3 hours at ~20 lumens, there is a ~70 lumen high mode but I will try not to use it unless absolutely necessary).
Keys bottom.
AA-AAA-keys.jpg


The Fenix E05 is shorter than my Arc by about 5 mm. 27 lumens for 2 hours 50 mins.
 
lauriek said:
Cool, some stuff I've never even heard of, thanks chaps!

GeoBruin I think you're bang-on the requirements, ideally I'd like to buy a great quality little torch which I can leave on my keychain for a year or two with barely any use, then suddenly need and find it works perfectly. Ability to run ultra finely also sounds like a fantastic idea.

Do these modern li-ion batteries meet that kind of requirement or should I only be looking at non rechargeable for this kind of scenario?
Click to expand...

If you can accept the size of a (small, but not tiny) AAA torch, I think that running on L92 lithium primaries may best suit your scenario above. The Peak Eiger AAA is available in aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and (limited edition) titanium in "10440" (AAA) battery tubes.

You can also purchase the smaller Eiger tubes (10180, 10280), and larger Eiger tubes for that matter (2xAAA), which will also interchange with the sealed head/LE assembly.

I agree with LEDninja that rechargeable Li-Ion are best for regular use with frequent monitoring and charging. Lithium (non-rechargeable) primaries are much better for infrequent use, such as for storage and backup purposes.

And alkalines leak - :sick2:
 
I think that running on L92 lithium primaries may best suit your scenario above.
Click to expand...

Is that the same thing as the Energizer lithium AAA previously mentioned?

I thought I wanted primary cells and because of the whole leakage issue I was thinking of Lithiums as compared to Alkalines, I'd just forgotten about the Alkaline shaped Lithium powered Energizers!

I'll definitely have a look into these Eigers, thanks for the tips guys!
 
That Torpedo does look like a very interesting little torch! So it can run of an AAA or one of those funky rechargeable jobbies - for my purpose I think I've established I need to run on Li primaries so I would use an Energizer Li AAA for this.

The one thing I can't see is the price, and this could be because (a) I was trying to scan through a tonne of information in a short space of time, or (b) you custom light guys just don't care about price! ;) I know I didn't mention price in the first post but I do have limits... Would love to know what this is going to cost, and wondering with all that interest how quickly I'd be able to get one once they come into production!
 
Forgive me for mentioning Peaks again but I just have invested in one and am excited about receiving one :)

I would add to the other points that the Peak Eigers come in 10280 size (2/3 AAA) as well as 10180 (1/3 AAA) size. With QTC they are infinitely variable.

The issue with these cells is you need a dedicated low-power Li-Ion charger to recharge, but there is plenty information on these boards to make that easy :)
 
I'm afraid I'm not up to date on these fancy batteries! These 10280/10180 are Li-ion rechargeables yes? Are primaries available in either of these sizes? From a quick google it appears they are all rechargeable. Which is a shame as for this particular purpose I think the one thing I've established is that I need to run this little torch on lithium primaries...

I have to say I'm tempted by that Torpedo though! I think in AAA configuration it's a tad big for this purpose, and in small configuration it appears to be Li-ion only, so I don't think it's going to work for me for this particular requirement. I will likely buy one for the collection anyway, looks like a sweet little light, 500 lumens, that's crazy from such a small thing!
 
LEDninja I'd be very interested to know what the weight of those two torches in your picture is each with an Energizer lithium AA/AAA as appropriate, I don't suppose you have that info? I'm not completely convinced that an AAA unit is going to be light enough for me to be comfortable with it on my keys.

I like the look of those Peaks but I would only be able to use the AAA one in this scenario, and I think it looks a bit long for that. The smaller ones seem to rely on rechargeable li-ion cells, which aren't going to do it for this emergency light scenario.

So I'm tending towards the Aeon at the moment. Just wish it was a bit cheaper. I discovered the Non Ti version of the 4sevens Ti CR2 unit I started off talking about, so at the moment I'm weighing up whether the Aeon can possibly be built well enough to justify the additional cost $129 vs $39 for the 4sevens unit. Does anyone have any comments on the comparable build quality of these two lights?

To save another comment later can anyone tell me what the smallest available single cr123 light is?

Many thanks for the help so far guys, much appreciated!
 
The Aeon is worth the extra. It's more on par with a custom-made light. Very well-built. And a beautiful beam. Takes forever to drain one CR2 primary, too. I can't imagine you'll be disappointed. For the money, 4Sevens, etc are fine, but it's really like comparing apples and oranges. You do get what you pay for.
 
The Aeon and Steve Ku's DD's look awesome, if you can find 'em and have the scratch.
I don't mind AA or CR123 carry, so I don't feel a need for such an exclusive mini light, but I can see the appeal.

If not, the 47's aluminum Mini CR2's are on their site, GG, and probably others.
Personally, for keychain, I'd go for a AAA light, and drop in an L92 lithium primary. They tend to be slightly longer than the CR2 lights, but slimmer.
The ones I have, in order of price, are the Thrunite Ti, Maratac AAA, Fenix LD01, and 47's Preon.
All are multi-mode, and plenty bright on Hi for emergency duty. The Ti is a bargain, the Maratac is available in several different materials (think Cu,) the Fenix is a tank, and the Preon comes in different colors and materials, and can be equipped with a clicky (though I don't think it'll hook to your keys.)
There are others - Klarus is highly rated, and also available in different materials.

I can't comment on the Aeon or Quark CR2, other than to say the Quarks are highly recommended starter and EDC lights, while the Aeon is a top-notch custom.
The smallest CR123 lights I know of are Lumapower's Incendio (clicky) and 47's Quark Mini 123 (twisty.) There may be others, but these are tiny - and good!

Best of luck
 
I know you said you weren't a fan of AAA lights but if you reconsider you should really take a look at the Titanium Innovations Illuminati, I got one myself and for a AAA light it is tiny and a beast of a light.
 
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