Who wants a cheap AAA Cree/Seoul light?

[infection0]

I've been looking for a while for a cheap AAA Cree or Seoul light. 1 or 2 modes is fine, more than that is excessive, especially for a little EDC, though I can live with more. Are any manufacturers making small AAA lights with Cree/Seoul that are affordable? The LOD-CE is far out of my price range. I can only hope KD/DX find some way to get them.

Edit many months later:

W-W-W-WOOT!!
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6121

 

[Marcus Aurelius]

:buddies:I hear ya man.

 

[Carabidae]

I'm waiting for that too, looking at an L0D ce, but don't want to scuff it up or lose it. I've had instanses where my quick release keychain gave out so a cheapo clone might be nice, but then again, seeing a worn l0d-ce kind of gives it character, and if you do lose a l0d it shouldnt break the bank. If times are tough, do as I do, you could just brown bag it for a couple weeks. Sometimes, I think when buying for lunch, what flashlights I could be getting from kai or dx or what upgrades am I giving up. Lots of tough choices out there.

 

[sawlight]

I started a thread in custom about this, been looking for the exact same thing! Two modes, no strobe, no sos, no programing, around 10 lumens on high with a 10 hour run time!!! AHHHHHHHHH, to dream!!!

 

[SEMIJim]

The L0D CE isn't too expensive for me, but I don't care for twisty's. I'd also like a small multi-level light like that for my wife, and PWM won't suit her. (She's exceedingly sensitive to flickering.)

A small 1xAAA light with a clicky and a couple levels, the lowest being just bright enough for book reading and moving-about with night-adapted vision, and the higher level at whatever's possible with a one-hour run-time would be about perfect, I think. Needs to have a nice white beam, particularly no blue or purple cast. Since it would make a great EDC light, HAIII and an AR glass lens would both be big pluses. After that: Light OP aluminum reflector, tail-standing capability and being dunkable would all be good (pretty much in that order of importance, IMO).

 

[sawlight]

I agree, the Fenix is not out of line price wise, I just don't want all the "bells and whistles".
I have seen the modded arc's, but I think $150 for an EDC, which I wil EDC, is a little steep!

 

[SEMIJim]

I started a thread in custom about this, been looking for the exact same thing! Two modes, no strobe, no sos, no programing, around 10 lumens on high with a 10 hour run time!!! AHHHHHHHHH, to dream!!!

Don't you mean 10 lumens on low?

 

[gunga]

Sign me up. I have an LOD CE, but I think these are a bit costly for keychain use (I use a cover tho).

 

[sawlight]

Don't you mean 10 lumens on low?

No, I think 10 is good for a keychain light, it's to get you out of a jam/bright enough to get the job done if you didn't bring a bigger one. I really want the run times!!!

Link to the thread I started:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=160623

 

[LightScene]

Since I already have 2 pocketable CR123 lights, I won't spend much for a AAA, but I will probably buy a cheap one that works well when they become available. The Semilar from Kaidomain is quite SIMILAR to a P1, and it begins to blur the size differences between CR123 and AAA . The L0P is a good 1/4 inch longer than the Semilar. So it's not like one is way bigger than the other one.

I'm also interested in a cheap 3 x AAA with a Cree.

 

[infection0]

I e-mailed Kaidomain and Dealextreme with this request. If they reply, I'll show em this thread

 

[r0b0r]

I've been tossing up the idea of getting an Ultrafire 1xAAA Lux (from DX) and modding it with a Seoul. Then drill out the end of the body tube and fit some kind of pushbutton clicky.

Currently unemployed though

Got an Ultrafire C2 and a few (CPF) PAL Lights on the way... those are probably going to be the last toys until I get myself a new job. Currently a bit down, need motivation (running out of money... when it's gone that's the worst motivation!)

 

[nerdgineer]

Back in the old pre-Cree Luxeon days, when manufacturers had had about 18 months to chase Fenix's state-of-the-art 1xAAA designs, no one was able to come out with one which could beat Fenix in the cost vs. performance tradeoff. There were cheaper lights - usually 1x5mm LED designs - which came nowhere close to the L0P/E1/E0 for output or run time or both. There were lights which had comparable features (like the Huntlight FT-A3) for more money than the Fenixes, and there was the Ultrafire 1AAA clone which cost less but had much reduced battery efficiency and fewer features (no AR, no HA, etc.) compared to the L0D. Basically, nothing ever beat the Fenixes except other Fenixes.

Remember, this was after almost 2 years of smart, agile Chinese competitors trying to catch up with Fenix. Given that history, I don't see the manufacturer out there that's going to be able to match, never mind beat, the Fenix 1AAA CE lights.

I'd like a cheaper and better light, too (in 1xAAA lights, in 1xAA lights, in LCTVs, in a Honda Civic killers, and everywhere else) but I'm not expecting one soon.

 

[r0b0r]

I really do *not* like the interface of the L0D-CE

Multimode twisties **** ME OFF!

Even multitap clickies irritate me - I'm so glad the Fenix L1D has the "turn head for turbo\low" function.

With a pushbutton on the L0D there'd still be that damn mode progression... not a fan!

In an Ideal world, an L1D scaled down to AAA size would be perfect for me - but with a slight UI adjustment. Turbo and Strobe available when the heads screwed down - Low (~10) and Lower (~1) when it's unscrewed.

That would be perfect for moi

 

[nanotech17]

You can buy this - http://fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_49&products_id=94
and replace the emitter with this - http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=1340

Total = $31 + shipping after fenix 8% rebate :naughty:
and you can get a beautiful Cree E1

 

[Snow]

I like the simple ARC style keychain light. 1 stage twisty with not too much light but tons of runtime.

 

[r0b0r]

Snow, the E0 is great - sufficient output for the majority of tasks and 12hrs regulated runtime on AAA alkaline\nimh. 16+ on lithium (1.6v)

Cheap too, compared to the ARC.

I had an E0 die on me and it was repaired under warranty (even though I dismembered it and complained on here!). It appeared that at some stage in its life the LED had been pushed backwards and crushed the inductor.

As they have a *very* low failure rate I continue to use and recommend the E0.
Great useful light, not expensive

(They're pretty slim on the "wow!" factor unless ofcourse the other party is geeky enough to appreciate über runtime)

 

[tostada]

I'd love to see an L0D-CE that had the interface and tail clicky of the L1D / L2D / P2D / P3D, but I'd settle for just an E1 with a Cree and H3 anodizing.

I feel exactly the same as r0b0r. I really wouldn't mind a single-mode twistie that much, but the multimode ones are ridiculous.

Can't someone just make a AAA Cree tail-clicky with:

low = 6 hour runtime at 12 lumens
max = 20 min. runtime at 100 lumens

how hard would it be?

 

[2xTrinity]

I'd love to see an L0D-CE that had the interface and tail clicky of the L1D / L2D / P2D / P3D, but I'd settle for just an E1 with a Cree and H3 anodizing.

I feel exactly the same as r0b0r. I really wouldn't mind a single-mode twistie that much, but the multimode ones are ridiculous.

Can't someone just make a AAA Cree tail-clicky with:

low = 6 hour runtime at 12 lumens
max = 20 min. runtime at 100 lumens

how hard would it be?

That would have to be running LiIon. No way a 1.5V cell will be able to emit 100 lumens from existing LEDs. However, a 300mAh LiIon drawing 600mA high, 50mA low should just about match the specs you're looking for.

IMHO the thing I like about AAA sized lights is that they're so thin, I woudn't mind them being longer, like a pen light. If someone made the following at a reasonable price, I would buy it:

a 2xAAA tube for L0D CE with a built-in clip, and clicky. 2xNiMH will deliver similar performance to the 10440 LiIon cell, but with much longer runtime, as the cells have more capacity, there are two of them, and there's less strain on each of them.

 

[r0b0r]

how hard would it be?

No idea

The Millermod ARC Cree circuitry seems well suited. Details here http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=134812

Ie: from off, tighten head and it will turn on low, tighten further and you get high!
That would mate so perfectly with a nice solid *forward* clicky on the end... so what if length is increased?

A nice clip... and it'd be just golden

I wonder if Peak make an AAA body which would cater to our needs?