Surefire T1A Titan or?

Hey all,

Looking for a bright LED to keep in my pockets to accompany my small sebenza for every day use. I have a tiny keychain light, but I'm looking for something that is reliable, ultra bright, tiny, with as long of a battery life as possible. I don't use a flashlight every day, but I want to have something in my pocket for emergencies etc. I have a eGear pico light on my keychain, but it's kind of wimpy.

The Titan looks to fit the bill, but it's even more expensive than my Saint Minimus and G2 combined.

Is there anything else I should be looking at, or is the T1a the only such light that uses a 123a?

Thanks!


-Freq

You've read up on the main T1A thread, right? LOTS of good info here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/230576

I don't know if the T1A is as tiny as you'd want, but its potential runtime is extraordinary on its lowest setting.

Recently I've taken to carry a (considerably smaller) ARC-AAA as well as my T1A and it's a great pair IMO. Between these two lights, I think I'm reasonably well covered. (During the daytime that is - I carry more when I'm out at night.)

The thing is, I always carry my main EDC (the T1A in this case) in a pocket by itself, but there are very few lights that fit comfortably in the (much smaller) change pocket of my Levi's. I found that the T1A is too large for that pocket, so I tried an ARC-AAA and it's perfect for that. Depending on the situation, I use either of these lights on an as-needed basis.

If price was no object, I'd carry a Drake/Draco instead of the Arc-AAA, but I'm happy with the ARC for basic duties. In either case, I'd still carry my SF T1A though.

Yeah I've read the main thread.

Any other recommendations, if I only want to carry one light?


-Freq

freq18hz said:

Any other recommendations, if I only want to carry one light?

Click to expand...

One light? Crazy talk!

The T1A is a great 'only light' IMO, but it's always great to have a reliable backup, therefore maybe the Arc-AAA or Drake/Draco. :shrug:

Not sure what other good 'only light' candidates are out there that are as small as what you're looking for, there is a huge variety of AAA lights - from what I gather, the programmable LF2FX could provide enough of a low to provide good runtimes.

Sorry but I don't know a lot about what other possibilities there are in this form factor. :thinking:

I should stress Im looking for a c123a light.

-Freq

I don't have a Sebenza -- my most expensive knife is a Doug Ritter Mini-Griptilian.

However I do have a T1A -- it's a great light. It's a quality light and has a nice smooth beam and intuitive UI.

But the T1A beam design is quite floody. It's really not a general purpose beam. It's great for looking in a glove box or closet, but not for looking across your yard, even a small one.

My favorite small pocket light is the much less expensive Quark Mini 123. It's smaller and brighter than the T1A, runs on the same CR123A cell, has a simple twist UI with no intrusive strobe or SOS mode, and is just $39. You can get a titanium version for just $69: http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=297_355&products_id=2045

I like the Mini 123 because it's so small and light, yet has a balanced beam pattern (not too throwey or floody), and is very bright.

Overall my favorite light is probably the Ra Clicky but it's a little large for pocket carry: http://ralights.com/

If someone would make a miniaturized Ra Clicky I'd pay good money for it.

freq18hz said:

I should stress Im looking for a c123a light.

Click to expand...

Ah sorry, I missed that earlier - I was hung up on "ultra tiny" from your initial post, which means, way smaller than CR123's these days. My apologies.

actually it looks like I wrote the wrong thing. I edited it now. Looking for something bright, small, and reliable.

Can anyone jot down a list, or is the t1a tighten the top of the pile? This light will likely see very minimal use. I just want it to work when I need it, which will likely be infrequently.


-Freq

Ra/HDS?
-considered on par with Surefire in terms of reliablity
-about 200 for the 170lm version

I'm into AAs, but I hear the HDS Clicky calling.

joema said:

If someone would make a miniaturized Ra Clicky I'd pay good money for it.

Click to expand...

Have you seen the LiteFlux LF3XT? It's no Clicky, but it's similar.


OP, here's a short list of some lights 3 inches and under: 4Sevens Mini123, Muyshondt Nautilus (discontinued), and NiteCore EX10. I'm sure there are others that I haven't thought of. There are not many lights that match the T1A in overall quality and reliability, but the Muyshondt is/was one of them.

Since you've read through the T1A master thread, I'll assume you are aware of the complaints regarding its beam color, shape, etc. Just remember that the beam is pretty floody, so the light's useful range is not all that far. And 70 lumens is not what many would consider "bright", although it is more than sufficient for most tasks.

FYI, I've seen LNIB T1A's on the CPF MP for as little as $150

anyone got a direct link to this RA flashlight you are talking about?

The quark mini 123 looks cool. Hrmm....

http://www.hdslights.com/ and https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/280533

I have a Mini123, which I think is a very good light for the price. It's very small and the beam pattern is excellent IMO. But the $39 Mini simply can't touch a Surefire, HDS/Ra, Muyshondt, etc. when it comes to quality.

cm_mtb said:

I have a Mini123, which I think is a very good light for the price. It's very small and the beam pattern is excellent IMO. But the $39 Mini simply can't touch a Surefire, HDS/Ra, Muyshondt, etc. when it comes to quality.

Click to expand...

Can you elaborate? What kind of differences am I going to notice between a SF Titan and the mini 123? Anyone got any side by side comparison pics? The design of the T1a looks slick, but I'm hesitant to spend $240 on a pocketable flashlight. I've already got a SF Minimus and G2L in my hiking pack.


-Freq

While I do own a Surefire, I don't have a T1A. Like I said, I do like the Mini 123; it is one of my EDC's. My main issue with the Mini is the loose/sloppy threads. This can be quite annoying with a twisty UI. Do a search and you'll find many posts regarding this issue. Based on the T1A beamshots I've seen, though, the Mini 123 probably has a nicer beam.

ETA: Maybe this thread can help?

I just got my t1a and gotta say that unless you're specifically looking to buy one.. Don't drop 230$ on it. As a general use thing.. I think a quark mini cr123 or a cr2 is a great all rounder thats a lot smaller than the t1a.. Brighter and a better thrower

Quite honestly though.. If I were looking for an edc that's a small.. Yet not so small you might have trouble gripping it size... I'd get the quark 123 (not mini) its almost the same size as the t1a and it's quite a bit brighter.. And the lower cost will mean you're not going to want to baby it

Crenshaw

Crenshaw said:

I just got my t1a and gotta say that unless you're specifically looking to buy one.. Don't drop 230$ on it. As a general use thing.. I think a quark mini cr123 or a cr2 is a great all rounder thats a lot smaller than the t1a.. Brighter and a better thrower

Quite honestly though.. If I were looking for an edc that's a small.. Yet not so small you might have trouble gripping it size... I'd get the quark 123 (not mini) its almost the same size as the t1a and it's quite a bit brighter.. And the lower cost will mean you're not going to want to baby it

Crenshaw

Click to expand...

What makes you say that about the t1a?

-Freq

Is it true we get a CPF discount on 4sevens?

+1 for the Clicky.

I've been EDCing it front left jeans pocket with a somewhat large phone (in a pouch) for a few months now, and despite the light seeming large, isn't actually all that noticeable.

If you want, FWIW, it even fits into the watch pocket of jeans, but that gets somewhat uncomfortable when sitting...

freq18hz said:

Is it true we get a CPF discount on 4sevens?

Click to expand...

Yes the code is cpf8.

Anyway, I always carry the HDS/Ra clicky in my back pants pocket with the bezel down clip. A very nice & robust light, in fact I had stopped carrying my Surefire as EDC ever since I started buying HDS lights. My backup light is either another HDS clicky or in most cases a Quark MiNi AA or MiNi 123.