What's the toughest 1xAA LED light that's over 100 lumens?

[yalskey]

I already own a couple of Ultra Infinity-M's and I like how extra tough and way over-built they are... you just can't break them.

While I do appreciate the modest amount of light the Ultra Infinity produces, and see value in it, I was hoping for a 2 or 3 mode single AA flashlight with a bit more punch.

Here's what I would like:
1. Built like a tank... very solid and durable. (Ultra Infinity style)
2. LED outputting at least 100+ lumens in a high mode.
3. 1 or 2 other modes (low and medium... or just a low low)
4. Uses a single AA battery. I want to use Energizer L91 AA lithiums.

I know there has got to be lights out there that fit this bill. Help me out guys!!! Thanks in advance.

 

[Tremendo]

Nitecore Defender. Mine's been very tough, very bright, 2 mode with 1 fully adjustable, and my favorite 1xAA (L91) light.

 

[yalskey]

Nitecore Defender. Mine's been very tough, very bright, 2 mode with 1 fully adjustable, and my favorite 1xAA (L91) light.

I already own that one. I'm not impressed at all with it. I can't really figure out the UI. I thought I figured it out one time, but with all my other flashlights having different UI's, it's hard to remember it. It's much dimmer then my P2D, even though my p2d is rated at 180 lumens vs. the Nitecore Defender is advertised at 190. It's at least two notches dimmer to my eye. Nothing about it impresses me in the least. Plus it tends to flicker randomly and dim and brighten as if it's having power surges or something... even when I'm not touching it. I've tried different batteries too.

Anyways, that's getting a bit off topic. Plus, it's not nearly has bomb-proof as I'd like it to be... needs less complex UI and more bulky tank-ness.

 

[Crenshaw]

The only real failure point of an NDI so far is the switch. Are your contacts clean? did you ensure you tightened the head properly? that usually gets the flickering. The P2D is a very different light. you wanted AA right? and it isnt that complicated a UI, its just twisting the head, much simpler then a novatac, watch WadeF's video on youtube, and it will be crystal..

Crenshaw

 

[yalskey]

The only real failure point of an NDI so far is the switch. Are your contacts clean? did you ensure you tightened the head properly? that usually gets the flickering. The P2D is a very different light. you wanted AA right? and it isnt that complicated a UI, its just twisting the head, much simpler then a novatac, watch WadeF's video on youtube, and it will be crystal..

Crenshaw

Contacts clean??? I've only used the thing like 3 times.... it's virtually fresh from the factory. How could my contacts get dirty? As far as tightening the head properly... as you know, tightening and loosening the head is a normal part of using this light, so I've had it tight and loose. Still flaky output jumps and spikes and dips.

I watched the WadeF video on youtube like you suggested... thanks, that helped a LOT!!!

yeah, the P2D is a different light alright. I know it uses 123A batteries instead of AA, but still, somebody is seriously lying here. Either fenix is lying about the 180 emitter lumens on the P2D, and it's actually a lot MORE, or Nitecore is lying about the 190 lumens (emitter or out-the-front I don't know, but I would assume it's emitter lumens).

I take my P2D outside at night and compare it to my nitecore defender... yo man, the thing is probably a 70% as bright as my P2D. Plus the beam (I shot it on a white house next door to me) was washed out with little hot spot, whereas the P2D had a bright hot spot that was like 30% brighter by my eye. Now, my Tiablo A9 kicked both of those light's butts, but hey, that's a different ballpark all together.

I'm glad I got the UI down now, but that mediocre output and the wavy brightness is killing this light for me.

Sorry to take this thread off topic, but nobody has really answered my original post yet.

 

[Marduke]

Contacts clean??? I've only used the thing like 3 times.... it's virtually fresh from the factory. How could my contacts get dirty? As far as tightening the head properly... as you know, tightening and loosening the head is a normal part of using this light, so I've had it tight and loose. Still flaky output jumps and spikes and dips.

I watched the WadeF video on youtube like you suggested... thanks, that helped a LOT!!!

yeah, the P2D is a different light alright. I know it uses 123A batteries instead of AA, but still, somebody is seriously lying here. Either fenix is lying about the 180 emitter lumens on the P2D, and it's actually a lot MORE, or Nitecore is lying about the 190 lumens (emitter or out-the-front I don't know, but I would assume it's emitter lumens).

I take my P2D outside at night and compare it to my nitecore defender... yo man, the thing is probably a 70% as bright as my P2D. Plus the beam (I shot it on a white house next door to me) was washed out with little hot spot, whereas the P2D had a bright hot spot that was like 30% brighter by my eye. Now, my Tiablo A9 kicked both of those light's butts, but hey, that's a different ballpark all together.

I'm glad I got the UI down now, but that mediocre output and the wavy brightness is killing this light for me.

Sorry to take this thread off topic, but nobody has really answered my original post yet.

New lights direct from the factory need cleaned most of all, no matter the brand (NiteCore, Fenix, Surefire, no exceptions). Wipe everything down with alcohol swabs and see what a difference it makes. Also, make sure there is no lube on the threads on the top of the body.

Things to clean throughly with alcohol swabs include:
PCB positive contact
PCB negative contact ring
threads on inside of head
threads on outside of top of body
edge of back of body
retaining ring in tailcap


Only then, tighten the head all the way down and see what happens.

 

[Crenshaw]

the UI is actually pretty simple isnt it... and tightening the head, its a fair point, but i meant when youre having it in turbo mode, make sure its tightned properly.

What Marduke said. There arent many bright yet touch AA lights on the market now. the NDI is one of them, already mentioned, and the other one i know of is the fenix L1D and L1T

but yeah, like i said, you cant really compare the P2D and NDI very fairly together. Like i said earlier, your looking for the best AA right? its a slim market....

If it still continues being un reliable etc, i suggest sending it back to Edgetac for a check up. You dont use it much right? so you wont miss it (like i do) in the time its gone..and when it gets back, you'd never know, maybe this one has a bad emitter...

and i suggest lubing it up somewhat before tightening anything too much, or you coudl cause galling. Regular Silicon lube is fine.

and, i would expect nothing less of the A9, hello fellow A9 owner!...:thumbsup:

as for output levels, edgetac may have slightly over reated thier lumens,but accordingly, the NDI is 130 torch lumens. Its brighter then my P1D on med (90ish lumens) when ceiling bouncing.


Crenshaw

 

[LightJaguar]

The Nitecore DI's lumens was actually revised and I think they are now advertised as having 130 Lumens out the front. I'm not sure if their website was updated but I know I read it somewhere in the market place. Hopefully someone has a suggestion for the original question because I'm going to be losing my DI to the wife pretty soon :mecry:

 

[mrmakochan]

Have you considered the Olight T15 Q5 edition?

This review says its similar to build and feel to a CMG Inifinity:
http://www.lightreviews.info/olight_t15_2008/review.html

$49.95 at batteyjunction
http://batteryjunction.com/t15-specialedition-olight.html

 

[mossyoak]

if you like the p2d then why dont you get a l1d?

 

[yalskey]

Why don't I get a L1D??? Because I already own one!

It's just not heavy duty tank-like enough for me.

Thanks for the Olight recommendation. I'll check it out. Doesn't look too super heavy duty however, but still a bit more robust then a Fenix.

I'm going to probably check into getting my NDI fixed. I just tried it again to test out the UI that I now understand (thanks WadeF), and it won't even turn on. I checked all the contacts and they are lube free and shiny clean. I'm going to try just a standard fresh AA when I get home and see what that does.

I'm glad to see they revised their lumens spec... it's NO WAY 190 lumens... (even emitter lumens).

Does the Olight T15 have double O-rings on both ends?

 

[Crenshaw]

i just got mine back, youll like the new versions..

I think theres isnt as much a market for a high powered AA light cos they think " we might as well make it smaller, cos AAAs are 1.5v too..."

Crenshaw

 

[Cydonia]

I think a lot of us are looking for a super tough AA light with 100+ lumens. :shrug: You'll have to do what I recently did... bite the CR12...er... bullet and get back into CR123A lights. It seems that only in that battery type of light will you get the true mega tough quality. I think it's kind of pathetic but there you go :ironic:

 

[WadeF]

Well, the NDI is pretty tough, and it is over 100 lumens (even if it falls short of the original 180-190 advertised lumens). I had my NDI fail to turn on as well, and I soon realized it was simply due to a battery with low voltage. I thought my NiMH was fully charged, but it was reading very low on my multi-meter. So you have to make sure you have a good battery in it.

Even if the contacts look clean, clean them anyway. I always go over a new flashlight. There is no excuse to not clean and maintain a light, no matter how clean you may think it is. I would wipe everything down with alcohol like Marduke suggested, and then treat all the contact points with DeoxIT. A little effort can result in a product being much more reliable with improved performance, which makes it much more enjoyable to use.

Not sure what other AA lights meet this criteria, other than Fenix. Fenix lights make not look or feel like tanks, but they are plenty tough. Just look into some of the abuse tests people have done on the P3D, and other stories about Fenix lights going through tough situations.

With the Chinese coming out with so many new styles of flashlights, it maybe only a matter of time before we see some tank like AA's.

 

[Gunner12]

Humm, maybe a custom creation?

Would you like a light with half inch wall thickness, twistie, and with everything that can be filled with epoxy filled with epoxy(as in the reflector cavity too)? That would pretty much as tough as anyone can make it.

I can't think of one that would literally be bomb proof and 100+ lumen.

 

[GPB]

how tough does a pocket mini-light have to be ?? As long as you can drop it once in a while without killing it, that ought to be fine. If the light in your pocket gets run over by a car, subjected to the pressure of a bomb-blast or the heat from a welder's torch.....you're dead...who cares if the light still works ?!?!?!

 

[Marduke]

how tough does a pocket mini-light have to be ?? As long as you can drop it once in a while without killing it, that ought to be fine. If the light in your pocket gets run over by a car, subjected to the pressure of a bomb-blast or the heat from a welder's torch.....you're dead...who cares if the light still works ?!?!?!

What if you and your light accidentally fall into a press?

 

[Abumustafa]

i just got mine back, youll like the new versions..

I think theres isnt as much a market for a high powered AA light cos they think " we might as well make it smaller, cos AAAs are 1.5v too..."

Crenshaw

Crenshaw what do you mean the new version of the NDI, is there a difference Between the first batch an the new batch getting ready :tinfoil:

list the difference's for us all please

Looks like gona have to upgrade :nana:

 

[T4R06]

again and again and again.... JetPro R2

Here's what I would like:
1. Built like a tank... very solid and durable. (Ultra Infinity style)
it is built like a tank
2. LED outputting at least 100+ lumens in a high mode.
more than 100 lumens
3. 1 or 2 other modes (low and medium... or just a low low)
sorry, more modes than low and medium
4. Uses a single AA battery. I want to use Energizer L91 AA lithiums.
excellent on AA battery

 

[Tremendo]

Hey Yalskey,

I was the 1st to mention the Nitecore (Post #2). Just got home from a ranch (earlier post from my cell phone) using lights quite often. I also have 2 P2D-P100's that are great. I hand picked them from about 10 P2D-P100's to get the best beam. My Nitecore has the same overall output, no less, with a little less throw, but a slightly larger spot. Either I got a killer Nitecore, or you've got one with issues. Mine has been solid and I trust it as I do all my surefires. Oh yeah, and for a 1xAA, it's the best one I've found .

Good luck!