What is a good new 1xAA EDC?

I realise this has probably been asked a million times, and I apologise in advance for not taking the time to read through all the other posts, but as it turns out, I'm in a hurry…

I wasn't planning to buy a new torch anytime soon as I've just got back from an overseas holiday, but turns out my mate is going for a night bushwalk up a mountain in a few weeks which I'll probably go on, so I've decided I'd like a new torch by then, because I lost my old torch.

I had a Fenix L1D (and several earlier Fenix which I have given away now), which I accidentally left behind in Africa.

So my question is, what is the best torch to get in the $100 or less kind of price range? Are the Fenix ones still good?

Basically, I want a new EDC – I want the brightest torch I can get… but which also has a long-lasting mode… and that runs on a single AA battery (I already have to carry a stack of AA's for camera flash, it's not worth carrying extra LiON's unless there's a really, really good reason why I should). What are people buying that fits that criteria now?

I got a Xeon E03 a week ago and have been using as an EDC light since.

I am very happy with it. It runs fine on primary or rechargeable batteries, is wicked bright on Lions, costs about $30, and was shipped to me in two days from Tactical HID.

There are several recent threads here about this light.

Cool thanks, I'll have to check it out.

One other thing I thought of too: Extra points given it if is focusable... I never really understood why everything prior to LED torches was usually focusable (Maglite etc.) then hardly any LED torches are...

thei said:

So my question is, what is the best torch to get in the $100 or less kind of price range? ... that runs on a single AA battery...

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Sunwayman M10A or V10A depending on whether you favor longer runtime or continuosly variable output.

Nap.

Focusing is cool but involves too many bad tradeoffs (size, cooling path for LED, fragility) that make it a poor choice when top reliability or function is required. Just my opinion.

thei said:

I never really understood why everything prior to LED torches was usually focusable (Maglite etc.) then hardly any LED torches are...

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Those lights were having rather dim bulbs (20-30 lumens) so the only way to make them usable at longer distances was to focus all the available light in a narrow beam. Which made them very annoying to use at short distance, so the option to defocus was provided.

Today you can get 100+ lumens just from a single AA battery, so you can provide for a balanced beam that covers a large distance range (you can have both the narrow central beam and the spill around it at same time).

For comparison, contemporary led lights of the size of a 2D Maglite can produce 800+ lumens.

Nap.

I think the Zebralight SC51 is worth a look, 200 lumens with a AA NimH and it's small great for EDC.


http://www.zebralight.com/SC51-Flashlight-AA-200Lm_p_43.html

i really like my Xeno E03, especially the warm tint, and it's a good buy, but it's not near the brightest 1xAA light you can find.

the Zebralight SC51 is probably the brightest 1xAA light you can find in terms of overall output.

if you want another Fenix, the LD10 is supposed to be pretty solid and is marked down to near Xeno prices at some places right now including Amazon.

*Edit (7/23)* looks like the LD10's are back to regular price. that lasted like three days.

jhc37013 said:

I think the Zebralight SC51 is worth a look, 200 lumens with a AA NimH and it's small great for EDC.


http://www.zebralight.com/SC51-Flashlight-AA-200Lm_p_43.html

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second that, or the H51 (headlamp model). brightest single AA light running a nimh or any 1.5v battery.

also has a very low mode, along with a bunch of other well spaced modes.
also available in neutral tint.

If you're buying a light for hiking I'd buy the H51w. If you want a handheld EDC to use on a hike once I'd look at the SC51w.

It might be worth your while to go to shining beam's website. Romisen makes a focusable LED light and shining beam has them modify them with different LEDs they are very inexpensive but very simple rugged and relaible.

robostudent5000 said:

i really like my Xeno E03, especially the warm tint, and it's a good buy, but it's not near the brightest 1xAA light you can find.

the Zebralight SC51 is probably the brightest 1xAA light you can find in terms of overall output.

if you want another Fenix, the LD10 is supposed to be pretty solid and is marked down to near Xeno prices at some places right now including Amazon.

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Have you tried your Xeno with a 14500?

Lightdadark said:

Have you tried your Xeno with a 14500?

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yes i have. but the OP was asking specifically for the brightest light on a AA.

robostudent5000 said:

yes i have. but the OP was asking specifically for the brightest light on a AA.

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The OP also stated "unless there's a really, really good reason" regarding Li-ions. I'm going to go ahead and say the T4 warm Xeno on a 14500 qualifies.

Lightdadark said:

The OP also stated "unless there's a really, really good reason" regarding Li-ions. I'm going to go ahead and say the T4 warm Xeno on a 14500 qualifies.

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but he also want's a "long-lasting mode". that's why i wouldn't recommend the Xeno E03 + 14500 combo. the low mode with the 14500 is ridiculously bright and the runtime regrettably brief.

Have you tried your Xeno [xm-l] with a crAA, 14505 (cr123 in AA form factor)?
That should be about 330, 300, 270 lumens (cool, neutral, warm-white) on high mode, and it isn't so much voltage that your low mode is too bright and runtime too short.

Would the JetBeam BA10 & Klarus P1A be closer to what you are looking for? (both are forward click, two mode KISS design, $40 USD price range)

Skip the SC51, get two Xeno E03's instead and you'll have one for your friend to borrow when you impress him with it.

Nah...I'll still recommend the zebralight SC51. It has the most efficient circuit that is optimized to run on Nimh AA. Just like it's bigger brother SC600 which is optimized to run on a single 18650 only. If you need wider voltage, then probably you need to look at others.

Hi, 4Sevens Quark Mini AA is a great EDC light, I recieved mine a couple of week ago and I am very happy with it.

robostudent5000 said:

but he also want's a "long-lasting mode". that's why i wouldn't recommend the Xeno E03 + 14500 combo. the low mode with the 14500 is ridiculously bright and the runtime regrettably brief.

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Small, long lasting, insanely bright -- pick any two.

I recommend the ThruNite Neutron 1A, which is available in both cool and neutral and runs on either alkaline, nimh, or li-ion. It offers insanely bright, briefly, or moonlight, forever, or anything in between. My favorite EDC lights are all Neutrons.