Which mini torch??

Hey guys. I'm pretty much a noobie and my only edc for the last year or so has been the akoray k-106. I'm not completely addicted to flashlights (yet), but I would like to add a small bright led for keychain duty.

The mini quarks are very tempting, but I don't know if I want a AA or cr123 light. I already have 14500's and a charger for the akoray and ofcourse alkaline aa's are a dime a dozen. On the other hand, I love the stubby form of the mini 123. I've also come up with increased power and runtime as advantages for the 123 (when it comes to running primaries). Sure you can run nimh aa's for better runtime, but you are still running at less power than cr123 primaries. However, If I were to run a 14500 in an aa and a rcr123 in the 123 my impression is that they would be fairly equal. Is it worth the extra cost to venture into the world of cr123's?

Also, are there any other lights which you would recommend over the quark mini for my purposes? I've looked at the fenix pd10 but was turned off by the larger size and I've looked at nitecore ez's but was turned off by the 2 mode interface.
Sorry if I rambled. As you can see, I am quite confused about what I want/need lol.. thanks in advance.

There are quite a few options. It's hard to recommend which is the best EDC as everyone has their own description of what an EDC is. I personally use a Quark Mini 123a, EOS A1 EOS and A3. I was also thinking about picking up either an LD01 or LD10.

If you don't need the strobe and beacon functions then the ITP EOS A1 would be a good choice. It's a tad dimmer but also cheaper.

As for battery, it's totally up to you. Your choice. As for size, it's again your personal choice. No matter how much you read and people comment it'll be again your own personal preference.

I guess it was crazy to expect a magic answer that would tell me exactly which light to get. Its a very competitive market. But your comments did help me to realize that basically any namebrand LED will serve me well. I'm going with the Mini 123 for the ui and tiny size. I might also get my brother the ITP A1 you suggested. THanks guys.

zonda4life said:

I guess it was crazy to expect a magic answer that would tell me exactly which light to get. Its a very competitive market. But your comments did help me to realize that basically any namebrand LED will serve me well. I'm going with the Mini 123 for the ui and tiny size. I might also get my brother the ITP A1 you suggested. THanks guys.

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That is exactly what I did. =)

I am waiting for the Arc Ti AAA, my wife has ordered one from Father Christmas!!

"...a small bright led for keychain duty" suggests that an AAA sized light might better suit your needs. There was a time when only AA/14500 or 123 sized lights would really be bright enough for such duty, but that is no longer the case.

The Peak Eiger in AAA/10440 is a beautiful, high-performance light that will do anything you need - in style and in whatever format you prefer. Check out these body options:

I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I went with a NiteCore EZAA in neutral for my new EDC light. Indeed, it would be nice to have an extra 'medium' level, and the Quark Mini is probably brighter on the high end, but the beam pattern on the EZAA is what sold me; it projects a smaller circle of light with less difference between the hotspot and the spill, which to my mind makes it floodier than the Mini. For an EDC light that's a better choice for me. I'm more interested in beam pattern and tone than pure power right now, though sheer horsepower does have its place

I am not as up on the different options out there for "keychain" lights lately but FWW I recently have found the 12Vspotilght to be my go to super compact light of choice. it sits in your cars power socket so it's always at hand on the road.(theres a home charger too) doesn't need batteries. can be run over by a fire truck. (i didn't believe that until I saw it) it can be used underwater even. all for $20. i haven't found a light with all these characteristics for that price. my spotlight has become an integral part of my camera gear when i go on a shoot. hope this helps...

zonda4life said:

Hey guys. I'm pretty much a noobie and my only edc for the last year or so has been the akoray k-106. I'm not completely addicted to flashlights (yet), but I would like to add a small bright led for keychain duty.

The mini quarks are very tempting, but I don't know if I want a AA or cr123 light. I already have 14500's and a charger for the akoray and ofcourse alkaline aa's are a dime a dozen. On the other hand, I love the stubby form of the mini 123. I've also come up with increased power and runtime as advantages for the 123 (when it comes to running primaries). Sure you can run nimh aa's for better runtime, but you are still running at less power than cr123 primaries. However, If I were to run a 14500 in an aa and a rcr123 in the 123 my impression is that they would be fairly equal. Is it worth the extra cost to venture into the world of cr123's?

Also, are there any other lights which you would recommend over the quark mini for my purposes? I've looked at the fenix pd10 but was turned off by the larger size and I've looked at nitecore ez's but was turned off by the 2 mode interface.
Sorry if I rambled. As you can see, I am quite confused about what I want/need lol.. thanks in advance.

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Several of us have been talking about our favorite mini-light on the following post: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/248757

In a nutshell:

1) It is bright, though not as bright as a Surefire, Streamlight, or Fenix
2) It is well-made (I have pictures posted on the above linked post showing a fire engine driving over it)
3) It is cheap (~$20), not like those mentioned above
4) It uses a rechargeable (through the lighter or accessory 12V outlet) system. This saves a TON on carrying spare $$$ Lithium, etc batteries.
5) It is submersible (I use it for this purpose when doing shallow marine inspection work)
6) It arrives with accessories such as a soft rubber "grip" attached to a lanyard. This helps with another field use of mine (chart/map reading on a ship headed to a search area)
7) It has a growing inventory of new accessories (magnetic-placed mount, colored lenses, different mounting options, etc).

I've seen them for sale at L.L. Bean, Cabelas, Brookstone, and a variety of more local outdoor specialty stores. Personally, I got several in the early days (maybe 1.5 years ago) and had to order them directly from WeiguoSolutions.com. Apparently the manufacturer has recently created a site directly for their (flagship-I think?) product at www.12vspotlight.com. I usually go straight there when I am looking for new accessories for my old light and when optimistically hoping for new product lines to appear. Hope that exhaustive but enthusiastic reply helps, my 'Spot usually hides in a coat pocket for weeks at a time until I need to recharge it.

+1 :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

the 12V Spotlight! Its cheap well buld and available in all nice colors!!!

i would have to agree with toby! i run a show car and the 12VSpotlight products are easy to keep hold of and charged, dont have to look for batteries.. they have a fender friend that is a rubber magnetic base that you can slap on the car to hold the light and it doesnt scratch the paint. and with the led its bright as all dog... i been using those since around 2007 and they haven't disappointed me yet.
12Vspotlight ftw!!

For it's size, power and convenience the 12V Spotlight is my favorite. I have them in all my cars and shop.

Then what you need is a 12VSpotlight flashlight. It is inexpensive, extremely durable, submersible, and charges in a 12V cigarette car lighter or optional home adapters (Which are also dependable and durable). Just go to www.12VSpotlight.com. They are available in 10 different colors and accessories are available at very reasonable prices. I hope this helps you make a informed decision without costing hundreds of dollars.

Dances with Flashlight, I know you've been here a lot longer than me and probably know a raft more stuff about flashlights and torches than I ever will but I have to say (with respect), that the Peak Eiger as good as it may be, does look slightly generic in that photo you posted.

I live in China (so possibly it's just over) here but everywhere has hundreds nay thousands of flashlights that look like that.

I prefer something that has a bit of originality and a bit of difference to it. Whereas that picture to me just looks standard.

Dances with Flashlight said:

"...a small bright led for keychain duty" suggests that an AAA sized light might better suit your needs. There was a time when only AA/14500 or 123 sized lights would really be bright enough for such duty, but that is no longer the case.

The Peak Eiger in AAA/10440 is a beautiful, high-performance light that will do anything you need - in style and in whatever format you prefer. Check out these body options:

Click to expand...

Why would you go with anything BUT a Spotlight.
My taxi yellow torch is ALWAYS charging in the car, ready whenever I might need it. They've got an attachment for your keyring as well, and a bunch of other stuff.
Not to mention it looks SEXY as hell.:twothumbs

If it helps at all, my pocket EDC is usually my Nitecore EX10 R2 and my backup is the Fenix LD01 on my keys. I i usually have a bigger light in my bag not today though as i took it out to charge batteries and do routine cleaning, relubrication etc and forgot to put it back in).

If you already have a AA light, why not go either smaller (CR123/RCR123/AAA) or bigger (18650/2xCR1233/RCR123)

MarkyC said:

Dances with Flashlight, I know you've been here a lot longer than me and probably know a raft more stuff about flashlights and torches than I ever will but I have to say (with respect), that the Peak Eiger as good as it may be, does look slightly generic in that photo you posted.

I live in China (so possibly it's just over) here but everywhere has hundreds nay thousands of flashlights that look like that.

I prefer something that has a bit of originality and a bit of difference to it. Whereas that picture to me just looks standard.

Click to expand...

Check out Photonfanatic's range of lights for unique lights in a small form factor.

Originally Posted by zonda4life:
I'm going with the Mini 123 for the ui and tiny size. I might also get my brother the ITP A1 you suggested.

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I bought the MiNi 123 and then the MiNi AA. If you like your EDC shorter and stubbier, then the MiNi 123 is the one. If you like your EDC a bit longer, but thinner, then the MiNi AA is the smallest AA version led flashlight I've seen. The new iTP A2 is about the same; but has the Q5 led and doesn't have strobe or SOS capability.

The versatility of the MiNi AA is that it will take AA NiMH batteries as well as li-ion ones. On li-ion 14500s, it is about as bright as the MiNi 123. I prefer the longer, but thinner, form factor. I also own an iTP EOS A3 which holds AAA or 10440 batteries. I like it quite a bit and it is pretty amazingly bright on li-ions. It's also shorter and thinner. They're all good flashlights, IMHO. I was prepared to not EDC the MiNi AA, but found out that it fits in my front pants pocket just fine with very little bulge. You can also get strobe and SOS by cycling quickly through the modes, just as in the 123 version of the MiNi. It's there if you want, but hidden most of the time.