Which would you get? Quark Mini AA or Maratac AA?

[Jute]

I'm looking at getting either the Quark AA Mini or Maratac AA as my first EDC light. I've read all the reviews, props to selfbuilt, ti-force and HKJ :twothumbs, seen the beam shots and runtimes. I am also well aware of the differences between the two lights, multi-modes with hidden modes vs L-M-H only.

I know 47s is pretty up front with the specs for output and runtimes. But does anyone have any input regarding Maratac's 100 hour runtime on low (1.5lm) mode? Also does this light have the 'whine' that has been mentioned on the Mini? That 'whine' is what's currently holding me back from pulling the trigger on the Quark.

Any insight on either of these two lights would greatly be appreciated. Thanx.

 

[davidt1]

Keep in mind that you need to twist 5 times to go to the last mode which is the "high" mode on these lights. When you are outside where there is ambient light, you will need to use the high mode to see clearly. Twisting five times to get to the "high" mode when you need to see something quickly is time-consuming and annoying. I know because I have a Maratac AAA.

 

[TeeBee]

I'm going to be receiving my Maratac AA this Wednesday (according to UPS). I'll be able to give you my initial impressions of that light. But beyond that, someone should chime in on long term usage information about the two suspect lights.

 

[HarveyRich]

Originally posted by Davidt1:

Keep in mind that you need to twist 5 times to go to the last mode which is the "high" mode on these lights. When you are outside where there is ambient light, you will need to use the high mode to see clearly. Twisting five times to get to the "high" mode when you need to see something quickly is time-consuming and annoying. I know because I have a Maratac AAA.

I'm not sure I understand. I have the itP A3 EOS, which I understand is essentially the same as the Maratac AAA, although not the same as the Maratac AA, which is what the OP wanted to know about. The iTP, however, only requires three twists to get to high. There's l m h or m l h, depending upon how old the model is. The MiNi AA, which I also have has a hidden mode which can be reached by cycling through two regular modes first. If you don't do that then there are three twists to high also.

I think the output on the MiNi AA is slightly higher because it uses an XP-G R5. If you wait a week or so, you can get 7% higher output too because the XP-G S2 will be out, although in a limited run, according to 4 Sevens--although at a slightly higher price. They're both good quality lights. See the 4 Sevens websight for the new S2 leds.

 

[shark_za]

He is counting 5 , left-right-left-right-left

Its 3x modes, 5x movements.

The point being that a daytime EDC used for checking things when there is a lot of ambient light should have a quicker access to a useful mode.

The A3 starts in Medium and because of this its a great handy EDC for me.

 

[HarveyRich]

OK; I get it. However, this is the same for both lights, right? The main difference is that the Maratac AA starts on M while the MiNi AA starts on L. It doesn't seem that big a deal to me. All 3 mode twisties are require at least 3 "movements" as you say, or 5 "movements" if the starting point is L. It hardly seems like much to twist a couple of times back and forth to get to high. I would go with the one with the most light, which is the Mini AA S2. However, it is more expensive and you don't need to drive a Ferrari when you can only go 65 on the freeway (bad metaphor admittedly, which would lead one to the Maratac or iTP if that's all you need).

I use my 3A itP with 10440 li-ion batteries. Thus, the start point (M) is really the same light as for high with alkalines or NiMH batteries.

 

[DaveTheDude]

I have both the 4/7 Mini AA (several, in fact), and a Maratac AA. Both support a 14500 li-ion cell. (You can run either all day on the medium power setting, but watch for heat buildup in the emitters on high.)

4Sevens' offers free shipping, and a choice of emitter tint (cool, neutral, warm). David's operaton has a reputation in the CPF community for excellent customer service, and his lights have a generous warranty.

Maratac's shipping fees are somewhere in the $8-10 range. Maratac however offers its AA in aluminum (natural and black), polished steel, and solid copper bodies. (The polished copper version might be better at heat dissipation on the high output setting).

Either choice will provide you with sufficient light for your purposes.

 

[MojaveMoon07]

Twisting five times to get to the "high" mode when you need to see something quickly is time-consuming and annoying. I know because I have a Maratac AAA.

I have a Fenix L0D. From the 'off' position, it takes me on average about 2.5 seconds to proceed from 'off' -> 'med' -> 'low' -> 'high'.

I had an opportunity to borrow a family member's Quark AA MiNi. During my walks at night in various ambient lighting conditions and even while carrying a grocery bag in the hand with which I was carrying the MiNi, it took me on average about 2.5 seconds to proceed from 'off' -> 'low' -> 'med' -> 'high'

Is your Maratac AAA maybe in need of lubricating ? Or maybe it needs a different lubricant than the one you previously tried ? Also, I think I've seen people mention that they've substituted the factory supplied o-ring with a smaller o-ring for their particular twisty to make the twisting effort easier while at the same time sacrificing some of the water-resistance.

Also, my experiences with the Fenix L0D, Fenix E01, and Quark MiNi AA informed me that each brand and model of twisty appears to require varying amounts of effort to twist the light. I might be mistaken, but it feels like your negative experience with that particular Maratac AAA has affected your expectation of what other brands of twistys would be like to operate.

 

[davidt1]

My Maratac is buttery smooth. It does not matter how many seconds it takes to get to high. It's still plain silly to twist ,twist, twist, twist and twist to get to high. You are in effect creating a mini strobe to get to high. For those who hate strobe modes, that's pretty funny. It's all good, if you folks are happy with that. Me, I am just spoiled by the one-click access to high or low of my H501 UI.

 

[fisk-king]

I love my mini aa neut., especially the beam (xp-e). AAA batteries can also be used as well.

 

[PCC]

I'm looking at getting either the Quark AA Mini or Maratac AA as my first EDC light. I've read all the reviews, props to selfbuilt, ti-force and HKJ :twothumbs, seen the beam shots and runtimes. I am also well aware of the differences between the two lights, multi-modes with hidden modes vs L-M-H only.

I know 47s is pretty up front with the specs for output and runtimes. But does anyone have any input regarding Maratac's 100 hour runtime on low (1.5lm) mode? Also does this light have the 'whine' that has been mentioned on the Mini? That 'whine' is what's currently holding me back from pulling the trigger on the Quark.

Any insight on either of these two lights would greatly be appreciated. Thanx.

From what I can tell, they're very similar to each other. The MiNi costs more and you only get the hidden flashy modes for the extra money. The Maratac has a clip that the MiNi doesn't. The Maratac has an XP-E while the MiNi has an XP-G. What does that mean to me? The Maratac can be clipped to a pocket and has a smaller hotspot. The MiNi cannot be clipped onto a pocket, has a larger hotspot, and can be used to annoy your coworkers if you want to play that game with it. Oh, yeah, your pocket will be a bit lighter if you buy the MiNi, too, by about $13. I have no regrets buying the MiNi AA despite this.

 

[JWRitchie76]

I've had both and I actually prefer the Maratac. The SS versions are great lights. One thing I hate about the mini Quarks is their tendency to "skip" or jump modes while twisting. This was happening with my Maratac as well but less frequently. Actually I would recommend the Maratac SS AAA over both. That light never skips modes and the threads are about perfect on the 3 I've owned (2 SS and 1 AL). I think maybe the mode skipping on the AA lights is due to the larger bodies and maybe the thread tolerances are harder to attain as opposed to the AAA light?

 

[recDNA]

Maratac definitely, although I prefer something with a clicky anyway.

 

[Jute]

I decided upon getting the Mini AA Neutral White (for now). Sizewise they are pretty much a wash anyway. I would rather have a clicky but to start I'll just play with this one and go from there. My biggest concern is the 'whine' others have complained about.

Gonna order some stuff from CountyComm anyway so will pick up the Maratac at that time. David's reputation on here was a big factor for me. I also bought a Quark AA Tactical, Turbo head and flat Turbo tail cap. Figured if I'm going to do it mind as well do it right. I'll post back once I receive everything and let you guys know my thoughts on the lights. Thanks again.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

I am currently EDCing the Maratac AA (Nat III). Great build quality for the price. Well thought out. I must be sympatico with Countycomm -- in looking over my records I've placed an order with them every other month this year. Lights, soft goods and tiny, hard to find doo-dahs -- I love their stuff.

 

[Woods Walker]

Somehow I think all roads go to iTP/Olight anyhow so it may come down to personal preference. I don't have the Maratac but have played around with an iTP A2 (gifted away) and own a Mini AA and iTP AAA. I don't mind the UI however this is just me. None of the lights I used within this class skip modes and the threads are good. I prefer my Quark Mini XP-E Q3-5A to the others simply because the gear item had the features which worked best for me.