Three AAA light

I have a Maglite XL200 which is a perfect size for me but the beam has more flood and not enough throw for my tastes. There must be several brands of lights using three AAA batteries and in the same 5" x 1" size but I am not that knowledgeable about lights I know Coast makes one that is that size and 200 lumen s but I don't know about the throw. Any suggestions?

Are you sure you want a 3xAAA light? Tiny cells like those are a really crappy energy source for such powerful LEDs, they'll either give you awful runtimes (for regulated lights) or the light's output will fall very quickly (for unregulated ones).

Mag XL50 throws better, but seriously I would step up to some real batteries even AA. I don't know much about small throwy lights but AA eneloops and CR123's will put out a lot more light reliably.

I've found that some 3 AAA lights run on one 18500 cell. More run time!

HotWire said:

I've found that some 3 AAA lights run on one 18500 cell. More run time!

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Those that are too short can usually be drilled on the switch side and fit a 18650 anyway. But if you want to use a 18650, it's much better to get a suitably sized light in the first place...

The Romisen RC-W4 seem very well built and has good throw for the size.
Unfortunately available from that unmentionable website out of Hong Kong.

Note:
This is an old torch and the LED bin varies from P4 to Q3.

dennis07921 said:

I have a Maglite XL200 which is a perfect size for me but the beam has more flood and not enough throw for my tastes. There must be several brands of lights using three AAA batteries and in the same 5" x 1" size but I am not that knowledgeable about lights I know Coast makes one that is that size and 200 lumen s but I don't know about the throw. Any suggestions?

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I haven't looked at a AAA light recently. But go to GoingGear. Their website will let you filter out what how many batteries by size or type. Every time someone posts their desire to buy a AAA or AA powered light someone has to reflexively tell a poster that the power supplied by these batteries are crap. They should try to help out the person by answering their question. I had recently bought a Olight S35 which uses 3 AA. The diameter is a bit more than what you specified but the light has worked well for me. I bought this light because my headlamp and bicycle light use that size. I don't want to lug around different batteries with me.

The AA may be the way to go, 380 lumens is great.

Solarforce L2i uses 3 AAA batteries. If you put an XR-E or XP-G drop-in inside, it provides good throw. The host is a very good host that feels great in your hand and has good balance.

I am on a list to be notified when the 3 x AAA Solarforce is back in stock, I hear they have good lights.

The Olight S35 is only 5" x 1.6 so that may be a good option also, as the Solarforce is about the same size.

The Olight S35 is only 5" x 1.6 so that may be a good option also, as the Solarforce is about the same size.

ScaryFatKidGT said:

Mag XL50 throws better, but seriously I would step up to some real batteries even AA. I don't know much about small throwy lights but AA eneloops and CR123's will put out a lot more light reliably.

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I really don't understand the knock on aaa in the right application. I'm sure someone will enlighten me though. As i stated in another post i get 2900+ mah with the aaa.

Keith

I think you may be getting confused. No AAA has 2.9Ah of capacity - that's a stretch even for AAs. And if you mean using three cells, 3AAA lights put them in series, not in parallel - you get three times the voltage, but the capacity is still the piddling 800mAh, if that, of a single AAA.

We don't like 3AAA lights with powerful LEDs because they draw too much current for that battery setup. 3AAA carrier lights are essentially a cheap way to make a flashlight that'll surprise Joe Average with its output for just long enough to convince him to buy it, without the manufacturer having to bother with things like switchmode driver circuits. At the draw of a high-flux LED the AAAs will sag way below their initial voltage very soon indeed; the flashlight will still make visible light for a long time, but it'll be much dimmer than in the beginning.

This behaviour is very similar to that of keychain lights powered by two CR2016s; however, while there's a good reason why those work like that, in this case it's just to sell cheaply built stuff to people who don't know any better.

A proper flashlight with (more or less) the size of a 3AAA would have a voltage booster (or a full regulator) and run from a single C cell. That would be a much better product.