aaa flashlight brightness

What makes the fenix lod1 able to output so many lumens? Is it just the efficiency of the led or its ability to be overdriven or a combo of both?

The Cree in the LD01 is actually rather underdriven compared to what it is capable of.

What makes a light the brightness it is (talking about LED) is simply a matter of what current the circuit is designed to give to it.

I for one am shocked at the Lumen rates for some of these AAA lights. Just a few years ago I would have not believed it.

Howdy wattson and welcome to CPF,
Be sure and check out the CPF Welcome Mat:
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=172991

Lot's of great info for a budding flashaholic!

I'm pretty thrilled with my LD01 SS. Looks a bit brighter than my LOD Q4, and the LD01 SS I got has a great tint, unlike my LOD Q4 which is pretty cool (blueish).

In a year or two maybe we'll all have AAA lights that do 200 lumens out the front off a 1.2/1.5 AAA. The LD01 can do around 200 lumens with a 10440 3.7v cell put in it, but I'd worry about doing this with the LD01 SS since stainless steel doesn't heat sink as well as aluminum.

I find the LD01 SS with a Energizer 1.5v lithium to be plenty bright. At 80 lumens (I believe Fenix is now quoting out the front lumens) it's pretty potent.

I think two main things make it bright. The efficient high power LED(the LED specified up to 1 amp and can be driven over that, the driver is probably supplying 0.3 amp at most) and the boost circuit.

There is at least 1 driver that can provide 800 mA to the LED from a 1.2v source, that should give 140-160 lumen out the front, with a runtime of a bit more then 10 minutes on a good rechargeable battery.

:welcome:

WadeF said:

I'm pretty thrilled with my LD01 SS. Looks a bit brighter than my LOD Q4, and the LD01 SS I got has a great tint, unlike my LOD Q4 which is pretty cool (blueish).

In a year or two maybe we'll all have AAA lights that do 200 lumens out the front off a 1.2/1.5 AAA. The LD01 can do around 200 lumens with a 10440 3.7v cell put in it, but I'd worry about doing this with the LD01 SS since stainless steel doesn't heat sink as well as aluminum.

I find the LD01 SS with a Energizer 1.5v lithium to be plenty bright. At 80 lumens (I believe Fenix is now quoting out the front lumens) it's pretty potent.

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I can't afford those lithiums (which I agree are the best way to go, especially in the aluminum body since they are so light) so I ordered some 10440s. I plan to run it on medium except for the occasional 200 lumen blast, just for grins.
I think the LD01 SS is awesome. My tint is also very white.

If anyone here hasn't tried Energizer lithium in their LD01 yet... DO IT NOW!!! It rocks, and gives unbelievable runtimes. 1 single Lithium lasted me a month, total usage time is more than 30 minutes always in high, and i still measure 1.72V and 1.5V after 1 minute.

I stopped using the 14400 as they loose the charge in about 1 week and runtime is worst than an alkaline.

Is the light brighter with the lithiums.

Woods Walker said:

Is the light brighter with the lithiums.

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I would say about 20%.

Looks like a LD01 fueled with liuthiums is in my future. But is there room in my life for another 1XAAA light. Guessing there is.

After having owned and given away a few treasured L01's, I ordered a LD01 SS yesterday. Now I'm really excited and looking forward to getting it.

How is that polished finish holding up? I was thinking maybe I should make it a satin finish with a scotchbrite pad? Although my current L01-CE looks like it's been through a war.

The single AAA cell LED light is my favorite configuration! That's saying a lot since I've been collecting and using flashlights for 45 years. I've got just about everything I could ever want. The only other flashlight I'm lusting for is the Unobtainium U2B.

But the single AAA cell LED lights are what I've been searching for since I was a kid a small bright, multi-level EDC flashlight. The only thing I could ask for is a continuously variable Spectral emitter. Wouldn't it be cool to turn a ring and have the LD01 go from IR to UV!

got a good link to a good price on the energizer bunnies u are referring to?

madi05

Woods Walker said:

Is the light brighter with the lithiums.

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richardcpf said:

I would say about 20%.

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Woods Walker said:

Looks like a LD01 fueled with liuthiums is in my future. But is there room in my life for another 1XAAA light. Guessing there is.

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Alkaline batteries are not recommended for the light on high.

With Energizer 1.7V batteries it is brighter but not enough to notice a difference in actual use.

I would consider LSD NiMH. Eneloop or any of the pre-charged NiMH.

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If you really want to find out how bright a AAA size light can be drop a 3.7V 10440 Li-on into a SPARE LD01.
It will void your warranty, and not recommended for normal use. The battery, LED and circuit board are all running well beyond spec. While the L0P, L0P SE, L0D, L0D CE seem to survive the encounter there are now reports of lights dying in the last year (that is why I do not recommend doing it with your primary light). But it is a great way to find out how bright an AAA sized light can be.
There are a few AAA lights that are designed for the 10440 so get one of those instead if you want to go with Li-ons.

Double_A said:

...the single AAA cell LED lights are what I've been searching for...a small bright, multi-level EDC flashlight. The only thing I could ask for is a continuously variable Spectral emitter. Wouldn't it be cool to turn a ring and have the LD01 go from IR to UV!

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I'll second that! Flashlights of the future! If that were even possible I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Looks like right now the best someone could do is mod a light with 1 IR, 1UVA, 1UVC and 1 650nm (or whatever your prefered spectrum of visible light) on separate switches. But I highly doubt anyone's going to be doing that with a 1xAAA anytime soon. (Hey, if you're reading this right now, and you think, "Hey, I could do that!" please PM me. I really believe there is a HUGE market for these kinds of lights both now and in the future. And I'm interested in getting in on ground floor designs/production for them)

If you like, you can check out my short thread, in which I was enquiring about the possibility of a continuously variable spectral emitter, after having seen an extremely technical and quite lengthy article about "tuneable wavelength LEDs". According to the responses I got, in short, it is not possible. At least not for right now.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2819810#post2819810

Double_A said:

The only thing I could ask for is a continuously variable Spectral emitter. Wouldn't it be cool to turn a ring and have the LD01 go from IR to UV!

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Dang it, that would be a dream come true if it happens !! :twothumbs

Just havng Multi Levels is so last year !!

Power_of_the_Sun said:

I'll second that! Flashlights of the future! If that were even possible I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

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Me first !!

Looks like right now the best someone could do is mod a light with 1 IR, 1UVA, 1UVC and 1 650nm (or whatever your prefered spectrum of visible light) on separate switches.

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I'd love it if LRI did this with the Proton !!

But I highly doubt anyone's going to be doing that with a 1xAAA anytime soon.

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Hell, 1xAA then !!

(Hey, if you're reading this right now, and you think, "Hey, I could do that!" please PM me. I really believe there is a HUGE market for these kinds of lights both now and in the future. And I'm interested in getting in on ground floor designs/production for them)

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Do it Dude ..... if you make it, they will come !!

If you like, you can check out my short thread, in which I was enquiring about the possibility of a continuously variable spectral emitter, after having seen an extremely technical and quite lengthy article about "tuneable wavelength LEDs". According to the responses I got, in short, it is not possible. At least not for right now.

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Dang it !!

However, where there's a will there's a way !!

Double_A said:

How is that polished finish holding up? I was thinking maybe I should make it a satin finish with a scotchbrite pad? Although my current L01-CE looks like it's been through a war.

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I am very impresssed with how well my LD01 SS is holding up. I have carried it on my key ring since I received it a couple months ago. I just looked at it. Still looks great. By now the anodized version would have been completely scratched up in my pocket.

S.S. is the only way to go for a key chain light IMHO.

Bill

WadeF said:

believe Fenix is now quoting out the front lumens

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i can't believe this is true for all fenix lights ...

I ordered a ld01 SS for 41$ shipped with free batteries on Monday...Couldn't pass that deal up! They still have more..If you want the link lemme know.