What's wrong with this picture of AA lights?

[FsTop]

Here is an image of five single-AA lights, all of which have nice UI and awesome specs:
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/selfbuilt/IBS-1.jpg

What, IMHO, is wrong with all of them is that they are simply FAT!

Each of these lights is 20-21mm in diameter, holding a battery that is only 14mm diameter. The ARC AA was 18mm using the same battery. These lights are FAT and HEAVY!

What are they FAT? Apparently simply to make room for the machined flats where they put the logo. Certainly, a wall thickness of more than 1.5mm is superfluous for strength, and that leaves cosmetics.

I'd be a lot more impressed if these firms told their machinists to get it together, and made 18mm lights identical in all other respects. The resulting lights would be a LOT more pocketable as an EDC or keychain light.

So please, when you communicate with Jetbeam, for example, ask them to make a slender single-AA EDC - it would be a great sales feature, and the Jet-1 IBS is a fantastic EDC for the price, if only it fit my pants pockets better...

 

[frank777]

I couldn't agree more.... seems like MOST of the manufactures out there make their lights way bigger than they need to be.

 

[kramer5150]

I disagree. I have a thin walled AA light (about 1mm thickness), dropped it once from waist high on the bezel and it dented. Not a ding or gouge mind you... it flattened and caved inward from the impact. Its a $6 junk-light so I don't mind. However if it were a $50 EDC like some of the ones in that pic, I'd be a upset at the lack of durability. I would think some of those lights are meant for rugged use and impact beyond waist-high drops.

Are your pants so tight that you can't spare 2mm of wall thickness on the flashlight ?? Thats kind of scarry.

 

[Bearcat]

You got that right. If the AA lights were as proportionate as the Fenix LOD or EO lights are to a AAA battery, then the AA lights would be a lot smaller. I don't think I said that correctly.

 

[matrixshaman]

You need bigger pockets


I think they are plenty small and prefer a little extra 'armor' on lights so they can stand some abuse better.

 

[FsTop]

The ARC lights manage superior durability without adding more than 2mm total to the diameter of the battery.

BTW, we are talking about 3mm wasted - 21mm vs. 18. That's an eighth of an inch, and that's enough to make a considerable difference in pocketability.

BTW, Fenix does the same stupid thing on their AAA lights - theirs are 2mm fatter than the ARC barrel. Clearly strength isn't the issue, as the large milled flats weaken the barrel to the point where it could be damaged by dropping.

These milled-flat FAT designs are particularly foolish on keychain AAA or AA lights, where size is one of the most important criteria, and the light weight makes damage from a drop unlikely.

 

[jirik_cz]

These lights use high power LEDs, which may produce a lot of heat. I'm afraid that in a flashlight with thick tubes and less material there will be problems with cooling.

 

[selfbuilt]

LOL, never thought one of my reviews would generated a thickness controversy.

Since the pic in question is from my own MkII IBS review, I guess I can repost it here:

FYI, I just measured those body tubes, and most were in the 18.5-19.5mm range. What is actually 20-21mm (or more) were the heads of the lights.

That suggests to me manufacturers are looking to incorporate bigger reflectors, or need more space for the circuity on these multi-stage 1AA lights. The wider bodies are probably just going along for the ride in part, to keep the heads from looking too large ...

 

[Abumustafa]

LOL, never thought one of my reviews would generated a thickness controversy.

Since the pic in question is from my own MkII IBS review, I guess I can repost it here:

FYI, I just measured those body tubes, and most were in the 18.5-19.5mm range. What is actually 20-21mm (or more) were the heads of the lights.

That suggests to me manufacturers are looking to incorporate bigger reflectors, or need more space for the circuity on these multi-stage 1AA lights. The wider bodies are probably just going along for the ride in part, to keep the heads from looking too large ...

Yes i Agree it is the heads that make the lights look bulky but never the less they are perfect for EDC!

Every average man has sumhtin in in his pants thats like 4-5 cm width so i dnt think 2 cm is gona make much of a difference

Fstop You should start to wear baggy clothes just my 2 cents :laughing: :nana:

 

[xcel730]

Personally, I like the diamter around 20mm. It's a bit more difficult for me to hold if it's too thin. For me, 25mm is the point where it gets too fat.

 

[Crenshaw]

If pocket weight/size is a concern, just carry an LOD, or LF2X, or similar AAA form factor light. Anything else usually goes on the belt for me.

Crenshaw

 

[arty]

I have a Peak Pacific with a pocket AA body - it is about 18mm at the body tube, and not much more - perhaps 19 mm at the head.
It is a sturdy light in brass, and much lighter in HA.
It has only 1 brightness, but it always works fine.
It is under 3.3" long.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

I agree, those are some fat *******s.

 

[lumenal]

Whats fat for you may be slim to me...and vice-versa.

Another case of : Different strokes, for different folks.

 

[BigBluefish]

Every average man has sumhtin in in his pants thats like 4-5 cm width so i dnt think 2 cm is gona make much of a difference

* * *
Personally, I like the diamter around 20mm. It's a bit more difficult for me to hold if it's too thin. For me, 25mm is the point where it gets too fat.

* * *

Another case of : Different strokes, for different folks.

C'mon now, boys, this is a family forum.

But I do feel compelled to point out that this may be the one place on the 'net where a whole bunch of guys will not only be bragging that theirs is the smallest, but that all the others will be impressed. :devil:

 

[FsTop]

...thats like 4-5 cm width so i dnt think 2 cm is gona make much of a difference

Actually 2cm would make a REALLY BIG difference - maybe you were thinking 2mm?

I've tried all the AAA lights - for me, the ARC AAA is the perfect EDC keychain size, albeit inadequate as a primary light. Brightness and battery life may still wind up being enough to tip the scales toward the (FAT) Jet-1 for me, but it could be more svelte...

In any case, jeans do not have a lot of extra room in the pockets unless you wear them halfway to your knees, like the ganger-banger wanna-bes......

 

[Patriot]

I never noticed them as being fat. The NDI seemed fairly slim to me actually. Besides didn't selfbuilt measure them and say they were between 18.5 and 19.5. That doesn't seem too wide at the body.

 

[FsTop]

The Jet - 1 measures 21mm at the head and the surface remaining between the flutes and flats.

The largest diameter is what counts in your pocket, and at 21mm the Jet-1 tube is 7mm fatter than the AA battery it contains, which is ridiculous for a light designed for pocket carry.

The minimum measurement across the flats tells you roughly how fat the tube actually needs to be for strength = 18-19mm diameter would be plenty. Anything beyond that is just dead weight and excess metal.

These lights need to go on a reducing diet...

 

[Marduke]

Once thing that drives the size of these lights is the circuitry and the emitter. So far everyone is comparing to the Arc AAA and AA, which use a VERY small 5mm LED, and circuitry to match. Their inefficient boost circuit takes up little space. High power LED's like the Cree just barely fit in a AAA light the size of the LOD. The efficient circuit boards with modes are also usually on the large size. I highly suspect that's one reason the LOD is the only Fenix light left which uses PWM instead of constant current control. There simply isn't the room for it...


So, do you want efficiency, regulation, and modes, or the smallest possible size?

 

[FsTop]

I stand corrected...

Received in a note today. I apparently mis-measured.

Outside diameter of tailcap is 19mm, battery tube is recessed in slightly at 16mm and the outside diameter of the head is 19mm. If it were any thinner it would probably be to fragile. Wall thickness of battery tube is approx 1mm.

Regards,
Flavio
BugoutGearUSA.com

I still wish the tube and tailcap were down around 17mm. Oh well, close enough, I guess...