Need a deliberately dim AA or AAA flashlight

I work in an optics lab. Most of the experiments are done in partial darkness; however, a flashlight is useful for reading instruments, making adjustments to wiring and power supplies, avoiding forgotten kickstools, etc.

For the most part we've been using various off-the-shelf minimag-style flashlights, either true maglights or lights with similar form (craftsman makes one with a side switch). The problem is that these flashlights are of poor quality. Granted, we drop them a lot, but after only a couple of months they are reduced to operating only when jiggled and slapped.

Remembering that I came across the forum a year ago, I thought I'd ask for help. The challenge is that the light can't be too bright -- if it is much brighter than a standard (partially discharged) mini mag light, it will start to interfere with our partially dark-adapted vision, or at the least be annoying.

What I'm looking for:
1. Can run on AA or AAA NiMH rechargables (our lab has seemingly standarized on AAs for our lighting).
2. Durable (resistant to falls; water resistance is unimportant.)
3. Can be operated one handed (preference). If a twisty, should be twistable with one hand.
4. Battery life at least long enough for on and off use at work.
5. Not blindingly bright (used mostly for close work).
6. Preferably inexpensive.

Based on the recent AA flashlight thread, it seems like a Gerber (cmg) Infinity Ultra might work. My concern is: Will this light be too bright? Is it appropriate for close-range work? I don't want to blind myself every time I turn it on. And can I turn the light on and off with one hand?

Thanks for your help.

The Infinity Ultra would probably be fine. However, if you want something a bit dimmer, its predecessor, the Infinity Tasklight, might be perfect. I use mine (Tasklight) as a bedtime reading light---bright enough to read (in total darkness) but not so bright as to disturb my sleeping wife. You can still find them at a few places on the web. If you don't see them, post here or PM me and I'll send you some links.

Hello there Kaglan!

Why not try getting the TLE-5 LED drop-in replacement from LED-Replacement here:

http://led-replacement.com/

Or you can simply buy the NiteIze with the three LEDs and they would work fine for your applications.

The Gerber Infinity Ultra is "appropriate for close-range work" I feel since to me, they're not too terribly bright but "soft" to my eyes's opinion. Yes it's easy to manipulate with one hand and you can adjust the tail switch to act a momentary on/off light.

The first two can/should run with the Energizer Lithiums and don't see any reason why it will not work with NiMHs.

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

Sounds like you need a red light like astronomers use so as to not ruin dark adaption. You could use a regular light and cover the lens with a red filter or red cellophane would even do the trick.

The 12-LED Ghost would probably work well. If that's too bright, there's also the Dorcy 1-AA.

Try Dorcy 1AAA, it's <$6 from walmart. If it's still too bright, just partialy block it with your finger.

SF L1 on low is quite dim does not trigger light with sensors. But on high it will cause the light with sensor to switch off. It should meet most of your requirement except that it use CR123 battery instead of AA or AAA.

I had one of the first generation lights this company made....around 2000.
It was quite nice and had a long run time, expecially on low power.

I ended up taking it apart trying to figure out how it worked so I could build one.
It was made quite well.

It does most of what you want but uses 9 volt battery.

You might want to consider a 9 volt recharagable.


http://flashlightsunlimited.com/rigel.htm


If you like it...you can shop around to find better price. I bought mine direct from mfg I think. It has been a long time.

fenix L1P? Its a $40 light of good quality. It may be a little bright for what you want... Hmm... You know maybe one of those photon freedoms would be just the right light for you. Check out the review here: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/lri_freedommax.htm

The Infinity and every other light like it is way too bright for what you're describing. You want an actual dimmable light, maybe one with a red led. Try the Rigel Systems Skylite series which are used by astronomers. If you do get an Infinity, go for the red led version.

Sounds like you want an early CMG Infinity (before the Ultra models) which can still be found for $10, like here (look halfway down the page).

Deliberately dim AAA light? How about a M@g Solitaire ^_^

I have a Gerber Recon, and find it pretty useful; the large head makes it easy to manipulate, and if you turn it 1/4 past "on", you can push the end cap and it acts like a momentary clickie... you also get red, green, blue, and white all from one light!

There is a Ghetto fix available:

You could do what we used to do as kids to watch the partial solar eclipses: You can get pretty much any flashlight, take out the lens and 'drift' it over a candle several times. That will smoke the lens. The more you do it, the darker it'll be.

You want to drift it over the candle quick enough that you won't pose any heat problems to the lens. You can hold it with tweezers to keep your fingers off of the carbonization.

You can practice on plastic coke bottles to get the feel of it. It's easy as pie as long as you have circumspection.

Using this technique, you can adapt darn near any flashlight to work this way. You could then get a nicer flashlight and 'dumb it down' so that it would be dimmer than its true potential.

Otherwise, I'll agree with other posters to get flashlight that has available filters and use those to preserve night vision. But in that case, I'd advise getting a better one.

I like one poster's suggestion of using a the Nite Ize conversion, because the flashlights you already have might work well with them. It would be worth a try, because if the lights still won't work, then you can return the Nite Ize and look for alternatives.

As a matter of fact, you might explore the use of headband lights to keep the durability issue at a minimum (harder to drop, might be a bother to wear, though) and you might even explore the possibility of the 'light on a wire' type lights like reading lights. I got one recently that was quite nice for it's price (free).

HTH!

Inova X1? not bright at all but can light up what your working on without disturbing others

it has almost no sidespill

You should try to get the Infinity without the 'Ultra'. If you do get the Ultra (from batterystation) and it is too bright, you may want to put a 'lens' of Scotch satin tape over the top of the light to disperse the beam and make the beam pattern a flood instead of a medium spot.

The only problem you may have with the infinity is the one handed operation requirement. If that poses a hugh problem, then the Dorcy AAA light (the one without the convexed lens) may be a better option.

I'm thinking something with a dimming feature, but not too expensive would be great for your purposes... The Photon Freedom Micro would be perfect - it can be dimmed so there's extremely little light, but quickly amped up when you need more. Except that it uses 2 CR2016 coin cells instead of AA or AAA. Very durable little keychain light. Can get it for under $20 with free shipping from Photonlight.com. Or you can get it from Amondotech.com (same price) and get 10 'free' CR2016s along with it ($6 shipping).

I'd say go with the Infinity Ultra with a red led. Not very bright, won't mess up your night vision, tough, looooong battery life, handy pocket clip, and I have no problems twisting mine on with one hand.

The first thing that popped to mind was Rigel Systems Skylite or Starlite but if memory serves they are 9volt only.

Mini Maglights with the nite ize inserts and then the red filter kit might also do the job pretty inexpensively.

Harbor Freight has a pair of 1XAA and 2XAA that uses a 10mm led and is particularly dim. Kind of flimsy too. but I did knock them around a bit and they still are working.

Hi,
At the risk of offending some folks on CPF, the Fenix L1P is definitely too bright, and the Infinity Ultra models are too bright. The older CMG Infinity is a lot more like it, but the twisty is not ideal.

The Rigel Systems Skylite or Starlite (http://www.rigelsys.com) is a much better choice for your use. Depending on which model you buy they have White, Red, Green, IR and combination lights. I'd recommend the Skylite DG with 2 white and 2 Red LEDs. The thumbwheel control gives you dim-able light in either color, with a center-detent off position. The DG means DayGlo Green case, which is a lot easier to find in a dark lab than a black case.

A bit of red light not enough, just wheel the thumbwheel back the other direction and you have white light, with brightness control. Much easier than any twisty.

Remember folks, this is their workplace, not a short stint with a light for a walk, or to read in their tent. Same soapbox I get on about using a truly DIM light in a night-time cockpit. Most lights are too damn bright for those particular environments. Don't over-lumen your recommendations.

Kenski