Jr. Luxeon replacement?

I'm looking for a flashlight to replace my Jr. Luxeon. Essentially, I want something that is approximately the same form factor, but brighter, and with at least two output levels.

Right now the Fenix L2T is at the top of my list. Any others to look at?

What do you mean by "same form factor"? You mean you want a different light that is the same size as the Jr. Luxeon/Mini Maglite? If so, you don't really have much choices. Best bet is Fenix.

If you're willing to sacrifice size, then consider the UK 4AA eLED Zoom:
http://www.brightguy.com/products/UK_4AA_ZOOM_eLED.php

Flashlightreviews.com's review:
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/uk_zoom.htm

Why? Because it's lightweight, bright (uses a 2-watt LED), beam is adjustable, uses 4AA batteries, has two output modes (one high and one low), shockproof, waterproof up to 10-feet, and made in the U.S.A.

The UK 4AA Zoom electronic LED (eLED) flashlight has all the features that make it a tremendous work light. The 2-watt LED lasts for thousands of hours and maintains constant brightness for over 80% of the battery life. Unlike conventional flashlights, the solid state LED will not break when dropped. As a result, you save real money on the cost of lamp replacements. A twist of the bezel zooms the flashlight between an intense narrow beam and a broad illuminating beam using the unique Projection Optics design. By clicking the switch rapidly one can switch between full power to the LED and less power for extending the burn time. The fully accessorized UK 4AA Zoom flashlight can be mounted on a hard hat or fire helmet or carried in your pocket or tool box. A necessity for confined space workers, utilities, municipalities, firefighters, safety inspectors, etc. UL and CSA Class I Div 2 rated for use in hazardous locations.

UK 4AA ZOOM switching into low mode:
- Press once for high; when on high, press twice rapidly for low
- From the off position, press 3 times rapidly for low

Features of UK 4AA Zoom eLED flashlight:
- Focusable beam,
- Single high-intensity 2-watt LED lasts for thousands of hours and will not break when dropped.
- Unique eLED circuitry maintains constant brightness for 80% of alkaline battery life
- Rubber sheath molded over bezel to reduce glare and improve impact resistance (passes 6 ft drop to concrete test)
- Push-button thumb switch switches light between ON/OFF and high/low intensity with continuous or momentary action
- New easy loading drop-in battery compartment for quick reload of batteries
- Hydrogen scrubber catalyst, polarized battery contacts and 0-psi vent minimize explosive risk from leaking batteries
- Tough, electrically non-conductive, non-corroding ABS and polycarbonate plastic construction.
- Mounts on all work helmets with accessory mounting clips
- Waterproof to 10 feet
- Safety rated Class 1 Div 2
- Limited lifetime warranty from Underwater Kinetics
- Made in the USA

Click to expand...

-lightUup

I used Jr. Lux for 2 years.

I thought it was a great lite, but nothing compared to MniMag 3W. Put a glass lense in it and it's super nice.

Actually, cannot go wrong with any 2AA light on the market.

Almost all of them are Chinese and cost pennies to manufacture. I have a hard time swallowing the idea of paying $20-40 for one. I mean, they literally cost under $1 to manufacture -- the rest is markup for profit, transportation, taxes, storage, etc. etc. etc. Just because you are getting a $40 light, does not mean you are getting a $40 quality light. Just like when you buy a $1 drink at fast food, you are getting 3 cents of drink and the rest of overhead. Anyone familiar with business should understand this.

Find something on Ebay, and cheap.

MM LED is nice. Its biggest problem is it's regulated and doesn't drain the cells as far as it should. SL Jr. Lux does on the other hand, and becomes slowly dimmer and will work on cells which MM rejects.

Also, consider upgrading a regular MM with Nite-Ize. (I did this conversion for a friend) While it's considerably dimmer than Lux in StreamLight and certainly not in the same league as 3W, the run time is incredible. My chief concern with the original SL Lux was poor run time. They are bright all right, but I could never get more than about 1 hour out of them. I think you can get 10 hrs from MM Nite-Ize. It doesn't have any throw whatsoever, but is very floody and bright enough. In the flood category, they do really well, better than MM LED. They are also the most compact AA available as far as I know.

Of course you can spend big $$$ and upgrade a MM to a real LED... TerraLux, but it's not cost-effective.

I wonder why I hear nothing about Gerber 2AA lites. They are also "China's finest" and in the same price range as MM.

Also had Dorcy 3 5mm LED lights, almost the same thing as Nite-Ize, maybe better. Got one at Advance Auto some years ago. Flood, not spot. Not brighter than your SL.

With dual modes, you restrict yourself severely.

Myself, I carry MM 3W LED most of them time. I can use the throw.

etc said:

Almost all of them are Chinese and cost pennies to manufacture. I have a hard time swallowing the idea of paying $20-40 for one. I mean, they literally cost under $1 to manufacture -- the rest is markup for profit, transportation, taxes, storage, etc. etc. etc. Just because you are getting a $40 light, does not mean you are getting a $40 quality light. Just like when you buy a $1 drink at fast food, you are getting 3 cents of drink and the rest of overhead. Anyone familiar with business should understand this.

Click to expand...

So is anything and everything you purchase, wine, beer, cloth, and etc. What's your point? :huh2:

lightUup said:

What do you mean by "same form factor"? You mean you want a different light that is the same size as the Jr. Luxeon/Mini Maglite? If so, you don't really have much choices. Best bet is Fenix.

If you're willing to sacrifice size, then consider the UK 4AA eLED Zoom:
http://www.brightguy.com/products/UK_4AA_ZOOM_eLED.php

Flashlightreviews.com's review:
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/uk_zoom.htm

Why? Because it's lightweight, bright (uses a 2-watt LED), beam is adjustable, uses 4AA batteries, has two output modes (one high and one low), shockproof, waterproof up to 10-feet, and made in the U.S.A.


-lightUup

Click to expand...

Essentially, I want something that is still easily pocketable [2x AA], but with a higher output and preferably two brightness levels. Runtime is not really a concern as long as I have two brightness levels to choose from. Optimally the higher output level would be an upgrade from what I have with the Jr. Luxeon.

It's hard to find a *bad* light unless you go for the cheapest of the cheap but even then it might prove to be a great lite.

If you want a really nice lite, build it yourself or have someone build it for you.
This is where I find myself. I did a couple of drop-in modules but want to attempt a real mod on a couple of lites.

Off the shelf choices are severely limited. Getting better and will get better still... but I want a lite that no one else has on this planet. Or the universe. Think about it. A unique LED configuration and lumens and run time in the entire Cosmos.

I have an array of lites, most of them I like but none truly appease me. The really expensive ones are geared towards super high lumens but the run time suffers. I want reasonable brightness and great run time.