3-AA Recommendations?

Before I found this forum, I bought a Streamlight "Titanium" 51016 for about. A nice size (8 3/4") and a beautiful FL, but I was very disappointed when I got it to read that the lumens dropped rapidly -- by over 50% after 4 hours and by 90% after 16 hours. I didn't know about power regulation technology.

What would be a good 3-AA FL to replace this unit?

Should have looked before I leaped.

First: Using recharchable NiMH (e.g. eneloops) in your light will improve the output curve quite a bit. You save money and get a better output.
Second: You need to be way more specific aobut what you want/need. Brightness? Throw? Runtime? Use? Does it have to be 3 AA or anything else?....

drmaxx said:

First: Using recharchable NiMH (e.g. eneloops) in your light will improve the output curve quite a bit. You save money and get a better output.
Second: You need to be way more specific aobut what you want/need. Brightness? Throw? Runtime? Use? Does it have to be 3 AA or anything else?....

Click to expand...

I like the size (nearly 9") and, before I learned that LED flashlights could be flame-throwers, I thought its 95 lumens max was pretty good. I'd think a FL using 3-AAs would have a terrific runtime. This would be for a general purpose FL for the home.

There are very few quality modern lights that use 3x AA. I don't know of any off the top of my head as a matter of fact.
Most lights that run from 3 cells are running the LED direct drive, and just as you've experienced have a pretty bad fall off, especially with alkaline cells.
The best you can get right now will be a 2x AA light. A couple manufacturers make them... Jetbeam, Olight, Fenix.

arent the AA adapters on the romisens stackable? one AA adapter converts a cr123 light into 2 AA.. add a second adapter and you just might need a longer spring or a short dummy cell, but it would be close.

and shiningbeam has the nice cree q5 lights. 3AA would be as bright as the rcr123's.

It makes no sense to have a 3AA light. If you're concerned about runtime just carry extra batteries. Why would you want a longer form factor just to store extra batteries in the flashlight?

Else go with the li-on rechargeables that may have even better run time.

But I just don't see the practicality of a 3aa light.

Led Lenser Hokus Focus uses 3xAA (side by side) and seems like a nice light, especially if you have it modded with a Seoul P4 oo:

Doesn't LED Lenser Hokus Focus uses AAA?

My bad... yes it does.

For some reason 3-AA lights are not that common. 2-AA is more the norm. I don't think you are going to get a whole lot more than ~100 highly regulated Lumens at 4-5 hours from 2XAA cells in series. Its just not possible, with the currently available components and cell capacities. Someone else can elaborate in detail on Emitter current draw, cell capacity and DC-DC circuit efficiency. LED emitters basically are not THAT efficient, and AA cells just don't have the capacity.... yet

Emitter designers seem to be placing more emphasis on Lumen output, than efficiency. With the latest multi-die emitters from Cree and Seoul. So its safe to say that single die emitter capacities will be stuck at this plateau for some time. Unless, newer BIN releases proove to be significantly more efficient (which hasn't been the case with the recent BIN releases).

So anyhow... Welcome to the forum!!:welcome:

I have been pleasantly surprised by my shiningbeam RC-N3-Q5. Its around the 100L ball-park and will hum along with good regulation for 3.5 hours with my OLD 1700 Mah NiMh cells. 4+ hours of flat regulated output should be easily within reach with higher capacity cells.

Thanks for the responses. The new Streamlight 3-AA is such a handsome unit, I was really disappointed how the output dives -- probably just old technology. I guess LEDs are now at a point where you don't need 3 AAs to drive them.