My latest flashlight: Sona FL309T 8 LEDS, 3 AAA, Titanium Colored, Aluminum Body.

I am pretty surprised how much light this flashlight puts out.

I also like how the body if designed not to roll around.

Looks like a pefect self defense flashlight.

Use it as a hammer instead :twothumbs color and texture almost same as stainless steel.

beamshots? hows the flood on it? I've been looking for a budget light with a little flood to it. Looks like a nice light that you dont have to worry about since its only 7 bucks

I've said it before and I'll say it again: 3AAA-carrier lights are not a good idea. AAAs are just too weedy for that draw. And the LEDs are almost always direct-driven and highly overdriven, so they won't last long.

You could mod it with a 18650 cell (or a 18500 if a 18650 doesn't fit) and an appropriate resistor; this would make it a far better light.

You might want to check this link...https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/109928&highlight=dirt

Not sure if that was intended for me, but if it was, I have some experience with 3AAA lights. I actually reviewed one some time ago, and found it decent considering it costs a whole two bucks.

But really, if you aren't going for the cheapest light you can possibly get that you don't have to rescue from the city dump, 3AAA configurations are not a very wise design choice.

It is totally brighter then my DORCY 1 AAA flashlight.

I have a question that I hope you don't mind answering and don't find offensive.

When are you going to buy a high powered LED light(preferably current gen LED)? Many decent-good ones are under $20 and are brighter then the 8 LED light you have now.

The 8 LED light probably has 8 overdriven 5mm LEDs, which is supposed to be brighter then 1 5mm LED. Also compare the size and batteries.

But you are yourself, so as long as you like the light.

Fallingwater said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: 3AAA-carrier lights are not a good idea. AAAs are just too weedy for that draw. And the LEDs are almost always direct-driven and highly overdriven, so they won't last long.

You could mod it with a 18650 cell (or a 18500 if a 18650 doesn't fit) and an appropriate resistor; this would make it a far better light.

Click to expand...

Maybe you can explain 120 hour battery with 3xAAA in 7736TS?

The point I'm trying to make is:
Yes, it is brighter, but it almost certainly achieves such brightness by brutally overdriving the LEDs. I do not expect there to be any resistance inbetween the battery carrier and the LEDs; cheap 3AAA lights are commonly unresistored.

Don't be surprised if the LEDs start dying after a few hours.

klas1 said:

Maybe you can explain 120 hour battery with 3xAAA in 7736TS?

Click to expand...

I do not know this particular light, but I sure can explain it. The LED(s) are simply underdriven. No way the 773etc will have the same brightness as the supercheap direct-driven models.

Note that if you're sufficiently electronically inclined it's possible to add a resistor of the appropriate value in series with any supercheap 3AAA's contacts, so as to get its LEDs to stop praying for a quick death and improve battery life. It will be rather less bright though.

klas1 said:

Maybe you can explain 120 hour battery with 3xAAA in 7736TS?

Click to expand...

Easy, false advertising.

Fallingwater said:

The LED(s) are simply underdriven. No way the 773etc will have the same brightness as the supercheap direct-driven models.

Click to expand...

are u sure about that?

I suggest you to try it. I've tried bunch of cheap LED lights and none of them would match the brightness to 7736TS

klas1 said:

are u sure about that?

I suggest you to try it. I've tried bunch of cheap LED lights and none of them would match the brightness to 7736TS

Click to expand...

I am absolutely positive. Real runtime is MUCH shorter. Coast has a very long history of manufacturing fictional specs, both brightness and especially runtime.

At 120 hours, expect your light to be giving off around 1 lumen. Time to 50% is only 1-1.5 hours, not 120.

Sorry, but you got scammed.

At 120 hours, the light might still be producing light, but it would be useful at all. It has no regulation(which means it dims as the battery died) and Coast has a different definition of runtime(probably until the LED won't light up).

What were the other LED lights? If they used 5MM LEDs, of course they won't match up. I'd be willing to bet that this light is brighter then your Coast though(but is is larger too, and requires different batteries, though you can buy the whole set with batteries and charger for under $50 shipped).

Gunner12 said:

At 120 hours, the light might still be producing light, but it would be useful at all. It has no regulation(which means it dims as the battery died) and Coast has a different definition of runtime(probably until the LED won't light up).

What were the other LED lights? If they used 5MM LEDs, of course they won't match up. I'd be willing to bet that this light is brighter then your Coast though(but is is larger too, and requires different batteries, though you can buy the whole set with batteries and charger for under $50 shipped).

Click to expand...

I didn't mean to hijack this thread... sorry...

but the light you are suggesting is what you pay is what you get. It's bigger, doesn't use AA or AAA batteries which I prefer, not to mention there is no battery life rating... oh and build quality is so-so...

I got bored testing Coast 7736TS battery at 24 hours, it was still at full brightness, even if I get only half rated at full brightness it's still pretty amazing...

klas1 said:

I didn't mean to hijack this thread... sorry...

but the light you are suggesting is what you pay is what you get. It's bigger, doesn't use AA or AAA batteries which I prefer, not to mention there is no battery life rating... oh and build quality is so-so...

I got bored testing Coast 7736TS battery at 24 hours, it was still at full brightness, even if I get only half rated at full brightness it's still pretty amazing...

Click to expand...

Try using a light meter. I guarantee it was only full brightness for 1-2 hours, tops. It is electronically impossible to run that level of light for that long on two D cells, let alone 3xAAA.

You would not notice a drop in output until the light is 50% dimmer or less.

What batteries are you using?

As for the other light. It was just supposed to be an example of higher performance at a lower price. There are other lights of better quality around the same pruice range too(the light has pretty good quality and feel for the price).

I got one of these lights.... looks exactly like it many years ago. I made the mistake of using nimh in it and slowly cooked the LEDs and replaced and cooked another 4-5 of them before I read a thread about the horrible overdrive using rechargables. I then replaced the 8 LEDs with some 19000mcd ones and wired a resistor in the tailcap and drive the LEDs at about 22ma on a fresh charge. The light lasts 3 times as long as before but now over the years the threads have worn out to where It wants to fall apart... it is made of cheap pot metal I think.... not even aluminum. I know a place I can buy more of these but for $5-$6 I would say save up for a luxeon or buy an Xnova instead.

klas1 said:

are u sure about that?

Click to expand...

Of course not. I did say I don't know this specific light.

But when driving many LEDs, or a single high-flux one, from weedy AAA cells you either have low output or short battery life.
With LED and battery technology at the current state, having both high output and long battery life from such a light is impossible. There just ain't enough milliamp-hours and/or low enough internal resistance in those AAAs to make it feasible.

This is why people buy multilevel lights running on beefy 18650 cells.

So who do you think is right, Coast or the laws of physics?

Reviews

Dorcy AAA - 21,600 mcd (note this is gen 1, you probably have a gen 3 or 4)
http://safeco2.home.att.net/dorcy1.htm

8 LED - 100,200 mcd
http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/fourth/10klm.htm

Some other popular lights for reference:

AAA lights:

Arc AAA-P DS - 89,500mcd
http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/eleventh/arcaaads.htm

Fenix L0P - 125,100mcd
http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/fifth/fenixl0p.htm
The Led Museum does not have a review of the L0D CE but that is roughly 2X brighter than the L0P and the current L0D Q4 about 2.6X brighter.

A 2 AA light:

Fenix L2D - 135,400mcd (low) to 905,000mcd (high)
This has the same head as the P2D, popular because the CR123A battery makes it 2-1/2 inches shorter.