What do you desire from a AAA-size light?

[LeanBurn]

More than half my lights are AAA. I like them that much.

 

[bykfixer]

Ha! well yeah, it would be an eye opening showpiece for a very short time. The cool thing is, battery technology is moving along at a brisk pace, so who knows how much power could be loaded into a AAA size platform!? If it did happen though, the next problem is a small mass isn't much of a heatsink, so we might have to just be happy with a hundred or so lumens max.

Agreed. Heat comes into play currently. But with todays tech 50-100 regulated lumens from a triple a is plenty for a lot of uses anyway. Fuel capacity is coming along nicely as well. The ultimate lithiums and eneloops make life grand.

 

[datiLED]

For an AAA light I like simplicity and reliability. Small, twisty head UI, 3 well spaced levels and a 4000K high CRI LED (Samsung LH531D is perfect).

I prefer a reflector to an optic. Aluminum body with mild knurling (with a Ti option) and a good keyring attachment point.

 

[GarageBoy]

Triple A lights and modern LED's have become amazing compared to the light bulb version.
I carry a thrower with me every day. It has a twisty head that starts on high with a low option. High is over 100 lumens sustained that lights objects well at 50' plus. Low is around 15, a very useable amount that massively increases run time. Cool beam that identifies colors without much bias. A PK Design Lab PL2.

My 2am nature call number is a 7 lumen number, again with a twisty head. It has a warm tint that indentifies where the dogs are in my path, where the door is and stuff like that. A Sofirm C-01 with a Yuji.

I really like the Maglite solitaire in warm. 30 something lumens with a good combo of throw and spill.

My close up inspection into small cavities is an incan solitaire since only a small amount of light is best.

I have found that I prefer a twisty head on a triple a light.

Good call on the sofirm - been looking for the spiritual successor to the old arc aaa

Looking into more throwy aaa lights, surefire titan calls me

Bykfixer, you gave me one of those pk lab lights a while ago. Love the beam, wish it wasn't so long! I will definitely end up passing it on to someone who will appreciate it more! Underrated lights

 

[bykfixer]

GB, I thought the Fenix E01 was a great succesor to the ARC aaa. At first I thought it was an ARC rip off and avoided it for a couple of years. But then I received one in a package deal that had the dome scuffed and painted orange via a pumpkin color Sharpie and thought "not bad". So I bought a stock one and really liked it better, warts and all. At 2am it sends a beam down my hallway instead of all up in my 3 foot circle with a spill that ensures I don't end up crashing my toes into furniture.

The 2020 sofirn C01 has a Sophia LED and has a bit more golden tint than the slightly rosey Yuji version. It's another winner if you prefer a floody little light along the lines of the ARC aaa. The new Fenix E01 (called V2) was a winner in my book but a large slice of the audience threw rotten tomatoes at it. But it's about as small as practical for a triple a flashlight. Good combo of flood and throw. Floody like a C01 yet out throws my PL2.

I just can't get my mind wrapped around the price of a Titan. Great little light no doubt.

 

[GarageBoy]

Thanks for the tips
Yeah, the price for the titan is steep, it's my only hesitation - especially when there's so many good lights for 1/3 the price

I'm trying to figure how different the new e01 is from the e05 (which I carried for years before I switched to rcr123 lights for more power) - I save my aaa lights for indoors/at home use

I'm guessing nichia never came out with neutral high cri 5mm less like the yuji/sophia?

 

[Kitchen Panda]

I'll go first

My turn? I really like my Fenix LD02 and was very happy when it came back from repair. I think my top requirements are:
- Reliable! Turns on when needed, and *stays off* when not needed
- Button switch - preferably a tail button.
- 100-ish lumen high mode so I can check out the back yard or see the garage door from the house -not looking for hundreds of metres of throw, 10 metres is about as far as I can see any more
- Mid-range mode - I don't always need 100+ lumens, 5 lumens or less is OK for many things but for many of my purposes something in the 20-ish area is pretty necessary.
- There should be a hole in the tail that I can run some cord through to secure it to a key chain or other device. I've grown to distrust all the clever metal claws, split rings, or chains that these lights come with - nothing out-lasts a few inches of Atwood mini-cord with a good knot in it.
- Don't much care about CCT and CRI - if I'm matching paint chips, I'm going to do it under northern daylight, not with a flashlight.
- Round-ish beam shape, not too throwy, no weird shadows or big holes in the beam. (At least as good as a Maglight AAA, which I carried for years and which never failed to find my rental car at the airport; after 2001 I kept in in my office briefcase in case I had to find my way down a stairwell !)

The LD02 has a clip which I've rarely used - there if I need it, I guess, though on the LD02 it can't be reversed securely to put on a hat brim.

The LD02 can't tail stand - I can see times that would be useful, though the mission of a pocket EDC light rarely involves bouncing light off the ceiling to light a whole room.

They don't make the original LD02 any more, the current model is much longer, heavier, and includes a UV LED that I would be baffled to find uses for. I have UV-only flashlights, they stay in a drawer, not in my pocket. At least they also made it dimmer to compensate for its other defects.

The LD02 runs fine on cheap and cheerful Ikea NiMh AAAs, and also on Eneloop AAAs. I save a few AAA Everyready lithium primaries for standby purposes. I generally change the battery in the LD02 because it's battery-maintenance-day, not because it's run down.

I had a Titanium Innovations CA1 in aluminum, but the darn thing quit working after a year or two; it also had a nasty habit of either turning on in my pocket or unscrewing itself into two parts - at least I never lost the head after one of these incidents. At least I could one-hand operate the twisty head, which I suppose is compensation for self-disassembly. Guess it would cost too much in a $20 light to put in some kind of detent spring to ensure a lot more torque is needed to remove the head than just pocket friction.

I look forward to all the suggestions in this thread...my LD02 can't last forever, and I'd like to give reliable AAA keychain lights as gifts. Everyone should have one!


Bill

 

[scout24]

I'd really like the same things I want in most of my edc lights: Neutral HCRI (4-5000k), a screwed in place pocketclip, not a slip-on one, a forward clicky on the tail, programmable UI, and dual fuel capability. On a light this size, I'm good with 100-150 lumens max in the interest of runtime from 10440 or regular 1.2-1.7v cells. I just want to have it in the same place as my regular edc light and be set up and function the same way. Something the same size as the Pelican 1910 would be fine by me.

 

[bykfixer]

Backup to your backup backup, aye Scout?

Best I can tell GB the difference between an E05 and E01v2 is the size, the less aggressive knurling and the E05 tailstand ability. Some say the E05 shuts off suddenly at low voltage where the E01v2 does not.

Yeah, BB if I'm using a flashlight to compare paint chips I'm already in trouble. I just want to see if the paint chips falling from my ceiling are followed by solid objects soon or water for that matter.

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

For a keyring light --- simplicity

Out of all of my AAA lights, the one I use the most is the Maglite Solitaire. It is never in the wrong mode and always does the job.

 

[GarageBoy]

I should definitely try out a e01v2 - sounds like a nice gift idea

I like super basic aaa lights - the jet aaa light suits my needs

 

[dmattaponi]

What do I desire in a AAA flashlight?

I guess for me, the Ti3 by Thrunite.

Neutral tint.

Good balance of light outputs and runtimes.

Pocket clip

Small enough that I often carry one clipped to a shirt pocket around the house and another on my keychain. I often forget it's there.

Seems durable enough. I've had one banging around on my keychain for around 5yrs.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[parang]

I'll go first.
-Warm tint (it's going to be used around-the-house, and close-quarters; warm tint is the most pleasing and natural looking to me)
-High CRI (well, of course… why wouldn't you want high CRI?)
-Floody (I'm not expecting to use the light to light-up distant objects; it will be used at close-range distances, not a thrower by any means)
-10440 (because you get a lot more bang-for-the-buck from a 3.7+v 10440 Li-Ion than you do from a 1.4v Eneloop)

As for UI, I love Anduril, but would settle for L-M-H-T; soft clicks tail switch. Twisty UI as a second choice.

The UI is less important to me than the tint, CRI, and beam shape are.
And… your favorite AAA-sized light is what? And, why?
I haven't acquired a favorite that meets my desires, just yet, but the Folomov EDC C1 sure checks all of my boxes! And it isn't stupid expensive, either.

Something like this ^^^... but twisty, tail-standing and magnetic.

 

[340pd]

Brass Maratac hands down.

 

[DavidABQ]

I am looking for a twist head switch, flat tail so it can stand up, preferably somewhere around 70+ lumens and a floody light pattern. I would love a made in USA light, and a brass body would be nice.

I would absolutely have to come on at full power. I don't want any of this silly twist once for low, twice for medium or three times for high. I don't care about runtime and I would like to use any type of AAA battery.
The whole twisting the light multiple times to get the power level that I want is a deal killer for me. I don't want to have to program my flashlight, have it send out automated Morse code or anything else.

I just want a simple, twist the head and you get full power simplicity.

 

[whill44]

I am looking for a twist head switch, flat tail so it can stand up, preferably somewhere around 70+ lumens and a floody light pattern. I would love a made in USA light, and a brass body would be nice.

I would absolutely have to come on at full power. I don't want any of this silly twist once for low, twice for medium or three times for high. I don't care about runtime and I would like to use any type of AAA battery.
The whole twisting the light multiple times to get the power level that I want is a deal killer for me. I don't want to have to program my flashlight, have it send out automated Morse code or anything else.

I just want a simple, twist the head and you get full power simplicity.

i was about to list my preferences when I saw your post David. You hit it right on the head. I use my AAA pocket lights day and night so it needs to go to high with one twist to overcome your eyes natural adjustment in a bright environment when your trying to see a dark area.

 

[ledbetter]

Yeah, I'm kind of tired of the on off on off thing to get high as well even though the new sofirns have great leds and are a bargain. I like my old Muyshondt two level Mako and the positive about it is that it's progressive so if I want high(not very high in today's terms), you just tighten all the way. If you want low just tighten gradually until the light goes on. Another plus is it's titanium, looks great beat up, and is floody without a lens. Pricey? Yeah, and hard to find, but it's in my pocket most of the time.

 

[bykfixer]

All you've gotta do is tug on the head enough to activate a couple of times to change settings. Won't work with every twisty light but my Fenix E01v2, and E05 it does. Try it some time.

 

[SCEMan]

I have a Lumintop AAA Toolvn XPL HI 5000K that's my most used light.
Great tint, wide range of programable settings.

 

[burntoshine]

Brass Maratac hands down.

I came to say the same. I've got a copper one, too. Both are nichia. I got the copper one first. When I got the brass one, I got an extra for a friend, and he loves it.

The copper one always rides in my jeans 3rd pocket / watch pocket as one of my edc backups. The brass one, along with my spyderco dragonfly salt 2, is my indoor edc. They sit nicely in jammy pants.

My brass one has mode memory, whereas my copper one doesn't. I prefer no memory.

I really love the Maratac AAAs!