Looking for a light for my wife

I bought a Fenix LD20 for my wife.. she likes the lite.. but would like something a little shorter. She is a Deputy and when sitting the light digs into her side. I would prefer a AA lite.. but it needs to be about 3 inches long. 150-200+ lumens and simple to operate..It could be a little thinker than the LD20 if needed. I want it to be good quality.. cant have her in possible danger, and the light fails to operate.

On a side note.. what batterys do you guys like.. I have some 2200Mha Aa but they seem to go dead in the flashlight even when used infrequently. Is there a good brand, or Mha rating you guys recomend? also what charging procedure do you use? I think I damaged these batterys by using a 15 min quick charger on them.

Thanks for your help

hello kens --

Welcome to CandlePowerForums !

:welcome:


I'll give you some Valuable Advice.

Listen carefully . . . .


Best AA rechargeable batteries -- Sanyo Eneloops


Best battery charger for them -- Maha MH-C9000


Hope this is helpful.


_

kens97sto171 said:

I bought a Fenix LD20 for my wife.. she likes the lite.. but would like something a little shorter. She is a Deputy and when sitting the light digs into her side. I would prefer a AA lite.. but it needs to be about 3 inches long. 150-200+ lumens and simple to operate..It could be a little thinker than the LD20 if needed. I want it to be good quality.. cant have her in possible danger, and the light fails to operate.

On a side note.. what batterys do you guys like.. I have some 2200Mha Aa but they seem to go dead in the flashlight even when used infrequently. Is there a good brand, or Mha rating you guys recomend? also what charging procedure do you use? I think I damaged these batterys by using a 15 min quick charger on them.

Thanks for your help

Click to expand...

Alright, here's my advice if you want the best single AA light:
1.Nitecore D10 (ramping or SP)
2.4Sevens MiNi AA
3.4Sevens quark AA

To my knowledge, these are the most popular standard 1AA lights on this forum (besides the H501, which is not a standard light) according to https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/279454 .
All of those lights can take 14500 size rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for a brightness boost (basically an AA sized battery with a different chemical mixture).

If you end up wanting a shorter, thicker CR123 type light, I recommend the HDS ra clicky line. They are the highest rated flashlights on this forum (see above thread). They are very reliable and very feature rich. The 4Sevens quark AA listed above can also take a CR123 battery with the proper body tube.

The sanyo eneloop is the best rechargeable low-voltage AA sized battery, and the AW protected 14500 is the best rechargeable lithium AA sized battery.

kens97sto171 said:

On a side note.. what batterys do you guys like.. I have some 2200Mha Aa but they seem to go dead in the flashlight even when used infrequently.

Click to expand...

As others have said, Sanyo Eneloop 2000mAh AA cells paired with a Maha C9000 charger make an excellent system. Eneloops are available inexpensively at Costco.

Or if you can get the Duracell 2000 mAh "Pre-charged" rechargeable cells with the *white top*, marked "Made in Japan" -- those are Sanyo Eneloops made for Duracell.

Few things in life can be recommended almost categorically every time -- Eneloops can be.

PS: Your 2200 mAh cells are either suffering from self-discharge (normal NiMH cells suffer from this) or haven't been cared for well by whatever charger you are using. If by chance you have one of those 15 minute chargers - please chuck it out / recycle it. Those chargers are guaranteed to shorten the lifespan of *any* brand of cell.

PSPS: Regarding good lights... If your wife likes the Fenix LD20 and finds the user interface is ok (presses on the tail cap give you low-med-high-SOS / twist bezel shut for full power/strobe) then why not just pick up a Fenix LD10 R4? (Review of the LD10 and LD20) You'll get an hour on turbo, nearly two hours on "high", off a single good quality AA rechargeable.

And if you do want to look around at other lights, good luck! There are so many great single AA lights, it can become your full time job for a while to sift through them. Our local police and fire departments outfit their members with SureFire - kinda like buying IBM long ago, you can't really go wrong with that choice. You'll be generally be looking at CR123 cells if that's the case.

PSPSPS: I disagree that a 14500 is basically an AA with a different chemistry. While strictly speaking all of that is true, we should never trivialize the safety requirements for using lithium ion cells. If you are new to the whole battery game and are enticed by the benefits of rechargeable lithium-ion cells, be sure you read up on how to look after your li-ion cells properly. They aren't "fire and forget" in any way near the same manner NiMH cells are. Li-ion can deliver great benefits but in using them you've got to be aware of the pitfalls in order to use them safely. Fortunately there is a ton of great information here on CPF and many knowledgeable folks to help you along whatever path you choose to follow.

Check out the Jetbeam Jet-I Pro V.3
It's crazy on a 14500!!!
:welcome:




Barry

Im looking at the new zebralight SC51 it will be available in the next couple of weeks.

Such an impressive light. Much hype on this forum about it.

I also own an LD20. From what ive read its going be very impressive/

:welcome:

I have reviewed many of the suggestions already posted (and likely many of the recommendations to come - check out the master link in my sig for a list of reviews.

If your wife likes the LD20 interface, there's nothing wrong in simply going for the 1xAA LD10. The new LD10-R4 is almost as bright as the LD20 (R4 or Q5) on standard NiMH. If you really want something at least as bright as the LD20 on standard 1xAA, the new Zebralight SC51 is something to consider.

To most people in the real world, absolute lumens output matters a lot less than other characteristics of the light. I would suggest you pay close attention to things like user interface, beam pattern, runtime, etc. in making your choice.

And I second Burgess comments - Sanyo Eneloops (or the re-badged Duracell equivalent) and the Maha charger are the way to go. :thumbsup:

selfbuilt said:

And I second Burgess comments - Sanyo Eneloops (or the re-badged Duracell equivalent) and the Maha charger are the way to go. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

And, if you're not familiar with how to care for and charge li-ion cells, make sure to read up on them before you try using them. They can be safe if used and cared for properly, but they are a rare beast for most people, and if you don't take the time to read up on them, familiarize yourself with their advantages and disadvantages, you could end up buying yourself a whole lotta hurt if you don't take the time to know what you're doing first.

Might I recommend the Malkoff Valiant Little Twisty 2xAA with a Malkoff M31L or M31LL in it. They are smaller then a mini-mag. Nothing but the best!


http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/malkoff-valiant-little-twisty-2xaa-p-90.html

My .02 FWIW YMMV

The 4sevens Quark AA Tactical could work for her.

The two easily available modes can be set to what is useful and IIRC you can get 2AA or 1CR123 body for the light as well for more battery options.