What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell light

[pahl]

It seems as if the 2 AA cell flashlight is a preaty common flashlight that can be bought in just about any store.

What do you think is the best stock, off the shelf, no mods two AA cell flashlight?

Is it the mini maglite?

 

[CM]

Buy the Arc LSH-P and a 2AA TSP. The 2AA TSP is on special for $9.95. I use both power packs. 123 for EDC, and 2AA for everything else.

CM

 

[charliek]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

I love my Streamlight 4AA LED propolymer. This light gets a lot of use at my house... the Streamlight 3AA Twin Task is a great light as well. Versatile.... well made.

Both these lights are under $30.

 

[Rothrandir]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

i'd have to say the arc hsl-p with 2aa pak also.

 

[Zeppert]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

charliek said:
I love my Streamlight 4AA LED propolymer. This light gets a lot of use at my house... the Streamlight 3AA Twin Task is a great light as well.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif two AA cell light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif

 

[charliek]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

TWO AA..... oops.... I saw AA and I just went nuts.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

 

[Zeppert]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

(On a side note)
charliek, I agree the Streamlight 4AA Led is a great light. My 12 year old has one and he uses it when we go camping. You can do anything to it and it keeps going strong.

 

[charliek]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

I'm looking around my light shelf and I can't find a single 2AA light I could say is "great"..... Of course I don't own the ARC with the 2 AA adapter.. (too pricey for me right now)

As a matter of fact, the only 2AA light that I use at all is the CMG reactor..... if it wasn't for the squirly switch it may be listed as a great 2AA light....

 

[Double_A]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

There is none. Unless you consider the ARC LS with 2AA battery pack.

I strongly agree with the others that mentioned 4-aa lights. The increase in light output and selection is so great it is remarkable.

Streamlight
Princeton
Underwater kinetics

All make really good 4AA lights so good I would not consider a 2AA light. Having 6V give a whole new expanded range of lamps for manufacturers to work with.

Personally I like the Underwater Kinetics Mini-Q40. The mini Q40 is the size of two mini-mag bodys side by side with a slightly larger head off to one side. It is a dive light, slim fits in a pocket just like any mini-mag.

GregR

 

[BlindedByTheLite]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

my top 2AA lights..

1. Arc LS with AA conversion..
2. any of the sandwiches that you swap into a Minimag.. ***** (BadBoy, MadMax, NewBeam, IT White etc)
3. Brinkmann Rebel
4. Bison Sportslight xenon


***** i don't consider these mods really.. i might be wrong in not doing so but all you have to do is swap parts..

-Ryan

 

[illumiGeek]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

For 2AA, check out the the Princeton Tec Tec20 (also available as the "Aqua Flare" with a removable glow cone instead of a black rubber bezel).

It's small (side by side batteries), light weight, dive rated waterproof to 500' and has a nice orange peel textured reflector with pretty tight focus. Oh, and it uses PR lamps so it's easy to change its performance.

The stock lamp is reasonably bright with good run time. Swap it for a GH88 lamp from www.reflectalite.com and it's bright as hell with less run time (about an hour with NiMh).

Aloha, iG

 

[PhotonBoy]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

A Dorcy 4LED 2AA light might do the trick, being inexpensive. It would work well as a toolbox light or a car emergency light. (I prefer the 3LED 1AA light, however.)

Craig has pix and a review here:

http://safeco2.home.att.net/dorcy3.htm

 

[PhotonBoy]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

How about the Streamlight Wow! It's got two AA cells and 3.5 hour battery life with an incandescent. Serves as a handheld flashlight and a headlight (convertible).

Pix:
http://www.websoft-solutions.net/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=StrmWOW

Review:
http://www.gearreview.com/streamlight.asp

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

The best has to be the ARC-LSHP with 2xAA pack.

 

[pedalinbob]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

not to hijack the thread, but: Illumageek, is the GH88 a PR base? it shows as a MR11 bulb.

on topic: ummm, i agree with what has been stated above!

Bob

 

[JJHitt]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

[ QUOTE ]
charliek said:
Of course I don't own the ARC with the 2 AA adapter.. (too pricey for me right now)


[/ QUOTE ]

My Arc LSL=P with the 2AA pack is my best, cant go anywhere without it, light. Not only is it bright, but most of the afftermarket dod-dads for the Mini-Mag (like the Nite-Ize products) fit it just fine.

But I dont think of it or anything that is mailorder only as "stock".

I personally like the Brinkman LongLife, but it's drawbacks make it a hard light to recommend.

I'd say change the specs and go with a 4AA ProPoly.

 

[illumiGeek]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

[ QUOTE ]
pedalinbob said:
not to hijack the thread, but: Illumageek, is the GH88 a PR base? it shows as a MR11 bulb.

on topic: ummm, i agree with what has been stated above!

Bob

[/ QUOTE ]It's PR base. I ordered a couple of them and they are very nice in the PT20.

Look here:

http://www.reflectalite.com/halogenpage.html

Should be the first lamp on the page.

It drives very bright and pretty white from NiMh batteries. Throw in a pair of Energizer Lithiums and it's even brighter!

The hot spot from the PT20 is pretty uniform, though slightly out of round. And there are 2 large rings due to the lamp's sharply angled shoulder and a nipple at the tip. In spite of the textured reflector, the focus is pretty tight and provides lots of throw with plenty of spill to light up the immediate vicinity.

Compared to my Legend LX, the 20's hot spot is a bit wider than the LX's tightest focus and nearly as bright, but the edge cut-off is much sharper, and the spill is not as smooth (due to the above mentioned rings). The LX has a bit more throw and spill, but it weighs more, and is much more expensive to feed (2x123 Lithium vs 2AA). Oh, and the PT20's bulb doesn't fall out when you drop it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif I was going to post some pics, but my free host won't let me log in for some reason.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif Guess I'll throw it up on the pay host...

Here is my Yellow PT20 compared to an AA battery, the Legend LX (6V Lithium) and a crappy Mini-Mag 2AA:

And here's a quick and dirty beam shot:
Mini-Mag, PT20 (w/GH88), Legend LX

The GH88 lamp really turns the mild mannered PT20 into a fire breathing beasty that can give much more expensive lights a run for their money. Pretty impressive for a <$15 light and a $6 bulb.

 

[Klaus]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

ARC LS with 2AA pack - no doubt about that

Klaus

 

[dougmccoy]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

illumigeek,

I resent the statement'crappy Mini-MaglightAA' I agree the unmodified MM is pretty awful but once it has an Opalec of other LED conversion made to it it actu7ally is a good light. If you can find a better or longer lived aluminum light bulit to the same standard as the MM please let me know? I think the beams of a MM or indeed any Maglite is the weakest part of the light but the engineering and materials it is made from take an awful lot of beating!

Doug

 

[KDC]

Re: What is the best stock (no mods) two AA cell l

No question that "best" for build quality, light output, ruggedness and reliability, the Arc LSH-P with 2xAA tailpack is unmatched.

However, adding an Opalec newbeam to that brand M 2xAA light is a very acceptable thing to do too.

My favorite is running NiMH rechargable AA batteries in my Arc LSH-P.