I have eneloop batteries and I'm trying to find a good flashlight to use with them. I have aaa and aa batteries. Purchased from Costco as they had some nice looking one with a cree led bulb but they ended out being very bad flashlights with them turning off randomly. So now I'm on the search again. I need one for regular use and I also work on cars at times.
Looking for a led flashlight to use with eneloops
- Thread starter dc5itr329
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
what is more important before any one can recommend a light is that you set out your needs a bit more precisely. What's the budget? From $9.99 upwards? How durable must it be? etc etc etc. I highly recommend that you go fill out this checklist, cut and paste it here (click edit on your 1st post and paste it there).
Then let the recommendations roll in.
However for AAA lights off the top of my head there is the ITP available at shiningbeam.com, Fenix E01, LOD, LD01 available from 4sevens.com, maratac (can't recall off hand where it's available), and Liteflux (check CPF marketplace). There is a very nice roundup of AAA lights that you can take a look at too.
Then let the recommendations roll in.
However for AAA lights off the top of my head there is the ITP available at shiningbeam.com, Fenix E01, LOD, LD01 available from 4sevens.com, maratac (can't recall off hand where it's available), and Liteflux (check CPF marketplace). There is a very nice roundup of AAA lights that you can take a look at too.
bill_n_opus
Enlightened
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2006
- Messages
- 365
If you work on cars at times and can benefit from having two hands free ... perhaps you should consider a headlamp like a Zebralight? They have AA models ...
Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?
I'm actually looking for something I can use that is not heavy and still sturdy. I'm going to be using it to work on vehicles repairing and detailing.
0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?
__X__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
____I am in North America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in South America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Europe. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in the Middle East. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Africa. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Asia, Japan or Micronesia. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Australia. More precisely I am in _______________.
1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____I only want to pay $1-10.
____I can spend $15-30.
____I could spend $40-60.
__X__I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!
2) Format:
_X___I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a portable spotlight.
3) Length:
____I don't care.
____1-2 inches. (Keychain sized)
__X__2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
___X_4-9 inches. (Holster carry)
4) Width:
__X__I don't care.
____I prefer a long narrow light.
____I prefer a short wide light.
5) What batteries do you want to use? Alkaline batteries are easier to find and less expensive but don't pack as much stored energy and are don't work well in cold temperatures. Lithium batteries have long shelf life (10+ years, great for stored emergency lights) and are not as affected by cold but must be kept dry and are more expensive. Rechargeable start expensive, but if used frequently pay off quickly.
____I want common Alkaline batteries. (AA, AAA, C, D)
____I want lithium batteries. (coin cells, CR123, AAA, AA...)
_X___I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use)
I want to use my eneloops or a rechargeable system
6) How much light do you want? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
____I want to read a map, or find a light switch, in a dark room. (5-10 lumens)
____I want to walk around a generally paved area. (15-20 lumens)
____I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
__X__I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
__X__I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)
7) Throw vs Flood: Which do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.
Throw (distance)----------------------|--------X--------------Flood/close-up
8) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims (like some LED lights). but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries.
____20 min. (I want the brightest light for brief periods)
__X__60-240 min. (1-2 hours)
____240-360 min. (4-6 hours)
____360+ min. (More than 6 hours)
9) Durability: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
____Not Important (A "night-stand" light.)
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood.)
__X__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box.)
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Self-defense, Survival.)
8) Switch Type:
____I don't care.
____I want a sliding switch. (Stays on until slid back.)
__X__I want a "clickie" switch. (Stays on until pressed again.)
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)
9) Switch Location:
____I don't care.
_X___I want a push or sliding switch on the body near the head.
_X___I want a push switch on the back end of the body.
____I want a rotating head switch.
____I want a rotating end-cap switch.
____I want a remote control.
10) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.
____A simple on-off is fine for me.
__X__I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a strobe mode. (blinks to show location.)
____I want a tactical strobe. (Flashes rapidly to disorient an opponent.)
11) Is it important whether the body is metal or plastic/composite?
__X__I don't care.
____I want a metal-bodied light.
____I want a plastic/composite light.
12) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).
____Red (night vision preserving) filter
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________)
____Waterproof – how deep: _____________
____Non-reflective/dark finish (stealthy/hard to find)
____Polished silver or brightly colored finish (for easy locating)
____Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Built-in second (or spare) lamp or filament
____Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
I'm actually looking for something I can use that is not heavy and still sturdy. I'm going to be using it to work on vehicles repairing and detailing.
0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?
__X__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
____I am in North America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in South America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Europe. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in the Middle East. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Africa. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Asia, Japan or Micronesia. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Australia. More precisely I am in _______________.
1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____I only want to pay $1-10.
____I can spend $15-30.
____I could spend $40-60.
__X__I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!
2) Format:
_X___I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a portable spotlight.
3) Length:
____I don't care.
____1-2 inches. (Keychain sized)
__X__2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
___X_4-9 inches. (Holster carry)
4) Width:
__X__I don't care.
____I prefer a long narrow light.
____I prefer a short wide light.
5) What batteries do you want to use? Alkaline batteries are easier to find and less expensive but don't pack as much stored energy and are don't work well in cold temperatures. Lithium batteries have long shelf life (10+ years, great for stored emergency lights) and are not as affected by cold but must be kept dry and are more expensive. Rechargeable start expensive, but if used frequently pay off quickly.
____I want common Alkaline batteries. (AA, AAA, C, D)
____I want lithium batteries. (coin cells, CR123, AAA, AA...)
_X___I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use)
I want to use my eneloops or a rechargeable system
6) How much light do you want? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
____I want to read a map, or find a light switch, in a dark room. (5-10 lumens)
____I want to walk around a generally paved area. (15-20 lumens)
____I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
__X__I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
__X__I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)
7) Throw vs Flood: Which do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.
Throw (distance)----------------------|--------X--------------Flood/close-up
8) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims (like some LED lights). but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries.
____20 min. (I want the brightest light for brief periods)
__X__60-240 min. (1-2 hours)
____240-360 min. (4-6 hours)
____360+ min. (More than 6 hours)
9) Durability: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
____Not Important (A "night-stand" light.)
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood.)
__X__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box.)
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Self-defense, Survival.)
8) Switch Type:
____I don't care.
____I want a sliding switch. (Stays on until slid back.)
__X__I want a "clickie" switch. (Stays on until pressed again.)
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)
9) Switch Location:
____I don't care.
_X___I want a push or sliding switch on the body near the head.
_X___I want a push switch on the back end of the body.
____I want a rotating head switch.
____I want a rotating end-cap switch.
____I want a remote control.
10) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.
____A simple on-off is fine for me.
__X__I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a strobe mode. (blinks to show location.)
____I want a tactical strobe. (Flashes rapidly to disorient an opponent.)
11) Is it important whether the body is metal or plastic/composite?
__X__I don't care.
____I want a metal-bodied light.
____I want a plastic/composite light.
12) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).
____Red (night vision preserving) filter
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________)
____Waterproof – how deep: _____________
____Non-reflective/dark finish (stealthy/hard to find)
____Polished silver or brightly colored finish (for easy locating)
____Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Built-in second (or spare) lamp or filament
____Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
TorchBoy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Buckley
Newly Enlightened
dc5itr329,
If I were to purchase a new torch based on your criteria, I would probably go with the Fenix TK20. However, before you pull the trigger, I recommend you peruse Selfbuilt's excellent review of 2*AA lights here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214890
If I were to purchase a new torch based on your criteria, I would probably go with the Fenix TK20. However, before you pull the trigger, I recommend you peruse Selfbuilt's excellent review of 2*AA lights here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/214890
Quark lights fit everything you want.
Nitecore lights have at least 3 good alternatives for you.
A really good first choice for you would be the Nitecore D10. I am running eneloops as well (same Costco ones) and my first run intothe higher end lights was the D10.
Works very well, has an excellent and clean flood, light but not cheap feeling at all.
(2) real modes availble with the ability to pick any level inbetween if you want to (although I tend to just use the lowest and highest mode).
Nitecore lights have at least 3 good alternatives for you.
A really good first choice for you would be the Nitecore D10. I am running eneloops as well (same Costco ones) and my first run intothe higher end lights was the D10.
Works very well, has an excellent and clean flood, light but not cheap feeling at all.
(2) real modes availble with the ability to pick any level inbetween if you want to (although I tend to just use the lowest and highest mode).
alpg88
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2005
- Messages
- 5,331
if moding mags is not what you looking for, than fenix tk40, pbly the brightest aa light sold.
if you are into modding (maglite is the best host, plus there are tonns of accesories for mags) than you're only limited by your imagination.
if you are into modding (maglite is the best host, plus there are tonns of accesories for mags) than you're only limited by your imagination.
Gunner12
Flashaholic
There are a good number of lights that fit into your requirements. Check out Fenix, Quark, Jetbeam, Olight, Eagletac, iTP, Liteflux, and Nitecore.
Maybe a warm white light would be better for you then a cool white one.
I'd say go for the Quark, Liteflux, or Nitecore.
:welcome:
Maybe a warm white light would be better for you then a cool white one.
I'd say go for the Quark, Liteflux, or Nitecore.
:welcome:
More flood than throw, AA, sturdy, 2 modes.....
Sounds like an eagletac P10A2 to me.
I have the warm white version, and I love it. Great multi purpose light, with a wider spot and plenty of spill.
For a AAA light, I am going to have to vote for the ITP/maratac. 3 good modes, and the reversible pocket clip makes it into a very nice hat mounted headlamp.
Sounds like an eagletac P10A2 to me.
I have the warm white version, and I love it. Great multi purpose light, with a wider spot and plenty of spill.
For a AAA light, I am going to have to vote for the ITP/maratac. 3 good modes, and the reversible pocket clip makes it into a very nice hat mounted headlamp.
jblackwood
Enlightened
I agree with all the comments above. Get yourself the D10, and buy it from 4sevens (code cpf8 for an 8% discount). I see you like floodier lights, try and get the GDP version. It's smoother than the Q5 and R2, they have distinct hot spots. Don't forget a clip, either. You'll like the light with Eneloops, they really make a difference over output with alkaline primaries.
Last edited:
jblackwood
Enlightened
Some people have reported incidents with the piston drive on the D10. I've bought four, owned two myself. I exchanged one so I've had first hand experience with 5 total. I've experienced just a little increased pressure on ONE of my D10's. You'll love it.
If you're really worried about the flicker issue (on the D10, it's covered by the seller's warranty) which really may be a problem with the piston drive, then just go with the Quarks. They're larger, thicker, and stick out of your pocket if you're concerned with that.
Gunner12
Flashaholic
What kind of LED light did you use before? Some of the cheap 5mm LED lights driver their LEDs to the breaking point, when they flicker and burn out. If it's a good light and it's flickering, more often then not, it's a dirty contact. As for shutting of randomly, that might happen with a protected Li-ion or if the flashlight's circuit has a voltage protection which shuts off when the battery voltage gets too low. When a driver drops out of regulation, it could drop a good amount of output since the battery isn't able to supply enough current, but it should still be providing some light.
Backpacker Light
Enlightened
At least you were wise enough to put the horse before the cart,
and you actually purchased the high quality (Eneloop) batteries first, before you bought your light!
and you actually purchased the high quality (Eneloop) batteries first, before you bought your light!
+1 on TK20, ordered mine from 4sevens and waiting for it to arrive, after their price reduction and using the CPF8 code, it came to $48.90 (which i felt was a steal)
lol, seeing as i already own a LED Lenser P5, i wouldnt be getting that anyway, also, OP needs 2 modes not 1.
There is another light and it really resembles a P5 but again, one mode only, i'm probably going to order one of these just to see how it is and if its 1/2 way decent, might get a few of these as gifts.
They had cree led bulbs in them. I think it was battery voltage because i replaced them and they lasted not so long again and eventually turned off.
Gunner12
Flashaholic
It could also be a bad circuit, presuming the light has one, bad contacts, construction of the light itself, or the switch. Could be the battery voltage, but if you look at the runtime charts, most of the lights around here don't fluctuate much during their runtime.
