All Coleman lights are 3AAA??? Why?

LEDrock · Mar 24, 2011

Why are all Colemans now 3AAA?

I used to have my eye on getting one of the Coleman lights at Walmart when they started having them with Cree LEDs. The one I liked the most was the 2AA version that put out 115 lumens for $25. I had been waiting for it to go on sale, but have noticed that for about the past entire year, Coleman has nothing but 3AAA lights now. Even that 115 lumen light I liked is now 3AAA, and for the same price as before.

I thought 3AAA was a lousy configuration for a light! The AAA battery is also less cost effective than AA because you pay the same amount for them, but get less capacity. Also, a 3AAA light has 8 contact points instead of 3 which is what a 2AA has, so more chances of problems there. So if this design is less popular, why are they now the exclusive configuration of Coleman?

Imon · Mar 24, 2011

I think it has to do with the forward voltage of the CREE LEDs being more accommodating to 3AAA cells rather than 2AA cells.
http://www.lumensreview.com/emitter_index/emitter index.htm
I'm not a fan of the 3AAA format either plus you always have one or two AAA cells left over if the amount your have isn't a multiple of 3.

LEDrock · Mar 24, 2011

Imon said:
I think it has to do with the forward voltage of the CREE LEDs being more accommodating to 3AAA cells rather than 2AA cells.
http://www.lumensreview.com/emitter_index/emitter index.htm
I'm not a fan of the 3AAA format either plus you always have one or two AAA cells left over if the amount your have isn't a multiple of 3.

Well, personally I hate them because of that stupid and flimsily made battery carrier. I've had those break on other lights which made the light useless unless I borrowed a carrier from a similar light (assuming I owned another one).

Imon · Mar 24, 2011

Well I didn't articulate my primary reason for not liking AAAs but it's because they have a lower electrical charge rating than AAs (1200 vs 2500 mAh) plus its typically been my experience that you have less rechargeable options with a AAA.

LEDrock · Mar 24, 2011

Imon said:
Well I didn't articulate my primary reason for not liking AAAs but it's because they have a lower electrical charge rating than AAs (1200 vs 2500 mAh) plus its typically been my experience that you have less rechargeable options with a AAA.

I should probably clarify too that I don't hate ALL AAA lights. Just the 3AAA ones. I have a couple River Rock 2AAA that I think are great, which is why I have 2.

Phaserburn · Mar 24, 2011

I dislike 3AAA, but if you're making Walmart lights, there are 2 advantages - 1. Use a resistor instead of a circuit, save money on something most people wouldn't understand or care about anyway and 2. Yes AAs have more capacity, but much of it is wasted because of the need to boost the forward voltage to the 3.4V or whatever drive level is desired by the manufacturer for that light. This mitigates the lower capacity of AAAs to a certain extent. Another benefit is a slightly stubbier but shorter light, which people apparantly like.

Having said that, I hate 3AAA lights, as most good CPF'ers would!

cave dave · Mar 24, 2011

Since the 3AAA light aren't regulated they can advertise a really long runtime on the package.

Phaserburn · Mar 24, 2011

cave dave said:
Since the 3AAA light aren't regulated they can advertise a really long runtime on the package.

Good point.

AaronG · Mar 24, 2011

phaserburn and cave dave have some good points.

Basically 3AAA format is good for making bottom of the line POS lights with no real control circuit. You overdrive the light like crazy at first to get the high lumen number and then output rapidly drops to a lousy output for lots of hours!

papajoe · Mar 25, 2011

You fellas have hit the nail on the head . . . . . it's money ! I was fortunate to have bought two of the Walmart Coleman Max's a year ago with the 2x CR2 format for $24 each. What a sweet little light. They have performed flawlessly, good quality, good run times. But, now I think they're gone forever.

IMHO, the 3X AAA format is the pits. Joe

LEDrock · Mar 25, 2011

papajoe said:
You fellas have hit the nail on the head . . . . . it's money ! I was fortunate to have bought two of the Walmart Coleman Max's a year ago with the 2x CR2 format for $24 each. What a sweet little light. They have performed flawlessly, good quality, good run times. But, now I think they're gone forever.

IMHO, the 3X AAA format is the pits. Joe

On top of that, they're not even coming out with new stuff, at least not at Walmart. I used to go to the flashlight isle there every week to see if something new was stocked, and now all I see are those 3AAA Colemans. The ones I had my eye on for awhile are gone.

Online, I see new stuff all the time. At Walmart, well I think they gave up on new things.

Lynx_Arc · Mar 25, 2011

Although some 3AAA lights have linear regulators (smart resistors) I don't much care for them myself as popping batteries in and out of carriers is something you need to turn on another light to do so. Coleman has non 3AAA lights but they are either 4x5mm or use 6AAs. If you want a 1 or 2AA light go to target they carry energizer lights that are supposed to be decent.

LEDrock · Mar 25, 2011

Lynx_Arc said:
Although some 3AAA lights have linear regulators (smart resistors).....QUOTE]

Based on this, I'd like to ask something that's still pretty much on the subject. There is one Coleman light I thought might be interesting. Of course, it uses 3AAA, but it's package claims that the light is 10 lumens and runs for 58 hours. This would be pretty nice in an extended power outage or disaster. The light costs $12.88. Do these figures sound valid, or exaggerated, or at least not entirely accurate?

Lynx_Arc · Mar 25, 2011

LEDrock said:
Lynx_Arc said:

Although some 3AAA lights have linear regulators (smart resistors).....QUOTE]

Based on this, I'd like to ask something that's still pretty much on the subject. There is one Coleman light I thought might be interesting. Of course, it uses 3AAA, but it's package claims that the light is 10 lumens and runs for 58 hours. This would be pretty nice in an extended power outage or disaster. The light costs $12.88. Do these figures sound valid, or exaggerated, or at least not entirely accurate?

Click to expand...

Sounds valid to me, but running for 58 hours could mean that after 40 hours it is around 3 lumens or less. I have a few 3AAAs with luxeons in them but since I got 2AA lights I rarely use them due to the stupid carriers and 2AAs have about 4200mah vs 3AAAs have 2400mah (rayovac hybrid LSD). So a light that "claims" 58 hours would run similarly for about 80 or so off two batteries.

jabe1 · Mar 25, 2011

I wonder how those 22430 lithium ions would do in one of these.

srfreddy · Mar 25, 2011

jabe1 said:
I wonder how those 22430 lithium ions would do in one of these.

The ones on the marketplace? Genius, really....

onetrickpony · Mar 25, 2011

srfreddy said:
The ones on the marketplace? Genius, really....

That IS genius!!!!! I have like 4 3xAAA lights that have been in the parts drawer forever now, or floating around the house as kids toys with old batteries so they can have a flashlight "like daddy's". This could be the beginning of a whole new life for some of those lights!

Can anyone point me to the spot to buy them?

onetrickpony · Mar 25, 2011

onetrickpony said:
That IS genius!!!!! I have like 4 3xAAA lights that have been in the parts drawer forever now, or floating around the house as kids toys with old batteries so they can have a flashlight "like daddy's". This could be the beginning of a whole new life for some of those lights!

Can anyone point me to the spot to buy them?

Nevermind, decided not to be lazy, found them.

All Coleman lights are 3AAA??? Why?

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