BUILD THE PERFECT AAA - USA MADE EDC - PICK 6!

A fresh look @ the AAA form factor.

We will build the ULTIMATE - USA MADE - AAA LIGHT. You may list 6 requirements for your AAA dream light.

You may add notes below the list.

Example:

You can "double up" on a number if they go together. You do not need to list USA Made, this is a given.

The "6" is to make the information more streamlined and have a common format.


1) Potted electronics / front & back springs.

2) Waterproof / double o'rings / square threads.

3) Modified smaller ( trimmed ) McClicky switch with a stainless steel button - solid tail standing & lanyard hole.

4) Supports Lithium Primary / Alkaline / eneloops & li-ion.

5) Single mode: 30 Lumens.

6) "Chunky" aluminum solid walls / double the thickness of your average import AAA / Aggressive knurling.

Not much to add to my "top 6". Keep it under $75.00?

1. High CRi Nichia 219A/B/C
2. Good quality deep carry clip.
3. Alternative material (Ti/Brass/copper/Stainless).
4. Flexible circuit with programmable levels? Or at least 3-4 well spaced levels. moonlight to 100 lumens level. No memory mode.
5. Small and slim.
6. A 1.5x6mm trit slot.

1. Clicky
2. 2 mode (low - 5 to 10 lumens and high - 100% [~100 lumens?])
3. Ideal interface: Head tight for high, head loose for low. Acceptable interface: always comes on low, no memory
4. XP-G2 available in a variety of tints
5. Input voltage .7 - 4.2
6. Aluminum HA

NICE. Thank you guys for your input.

Let me change one of mine. .6 a trit slot for 1.5x6mm trit. If it's Nichia or neutral I won't mod it anyways.

gunga said:

Let me change one of mine. .6 a trit slot for 1.5x6mm trit. If it's Nichia or neutral I won't mod it anyways.

Click to expand...

Already changed mine too, you can just go back and edit it.

Six steps to a Forrest Chump thread life cycle:
1. Big idea
2. Opens thread, all types of replies welcome!
3. Gets lots of replies, establishes more rules
4. Too many replies & directions to manage
5. Requests thread closure
6. Repeat.


Okay guess I'm in for round two (thousand)...
:twothumbs

-tighten-for-off head twist switch only
-springs, no foam pad "battery crushers"
-single mode mediumish-high output
-smooth threaded, knurled aluminum head & tail standing body
-ultra limited one-time production run then gone forever, priced at $200 minimum (I don't want every joe candlepack around here carrying one too)
-it would also come with a very exclusive but vocal group of fellow supporters who would have my back any time a noob tries to question my light, its price, or the guy who made it, on the Internet.

Sectioned body that can virtually endless lego combinations. And of course flexible driver to handle said battery combos
1 AAA, 2AAA, 10280, 10180, 10440

SCREWED removable clip that has both tail & head mount options for bezel up or down carry options (Or just a deep 2 way clip)

Tail stand with removable magnet

I will think of more.


EDIT: Please call it Tactical! So I can put a POLICE sticker on it! One final note, make sure it has V54 on it. ha!

1. Small, if it is an AAA light the size should reflect that.
2. Clicky
3. Low mode, High Mode. Probably rotate the head like in GeoBruin post.
4. Sturdy clip. Preferably screwed into the light.
5. Use 10440 or regular AAA batteries.

leon2245 said:

Six steps to a Forrest Chump thread life cycle:
1. Big idea
2. Opens thread, all types of replies welcome!
3. Gets lots of replies, establishes more rules
4. Too many replies & directions to manage
5. Requests thread closure
6. Repeat.


Okay guess I'm in for round two (thousand)...
:twothumbs

-tighten-for-off head twist switch only
-springs, no foam pad "battery crushers"
-single mode mediumish-high output
-smooth threaded, knurled aluminum head & tail standing body
-ultra limited one-time production run then gone forever, priced at $200 minimum (I don't want every joe candlepack around here carrying one too)
-it would also come with a very exclusive but vocal group of fellow supporters who would have my back any time a noob tries to question my light, it's price, or the guy who made it, on the Internet.

Click to expand...

I ultimately wanted the AAA not brand specific but moved forward with it as I thought we might have a shot and it would peak interest. I requested the thread closed for the reasons you stated ( it was too scrambled ) and Elzetta basically said "nah.." Personally I was never dead set on Elzetta. I used it more of a launching point of attributes I find appealing.

Pretend I was building a light and people had mixed opinions. If I was a light builder, I would want to gauge the interest and the commonly requested features in the most orderly way possible while streamlining the information in a comprehensive format. Thus this thread. A refined version of the former.

1. Compact size and made of durable materials (sapphire glass, stainless steel with moderate grooving - a flashlight shouldn't scratch other items or wear out holes to pockets)
2. A good keychain attachment point
3. Durable, reliable and efficient high quality electronics
4. Low to high with good (significant) mode spacing, always start on lowlow/moonlight
5. High cri neutral white with smooth semi-floodish beam
6. Easy to operate, hard to turn on by accident in a pocket, bag etc (with no need to perform any extra gimmicks like loosening something)

+1: The original post is pro made in USA (the same mindset as in the now closed Elzetta thread), so, I'd like to add that my light doesn't need to be made in USA. My list would be the same in a 'build the perfect AAA - no country specified' thread. That said, I do prefer USA to many other flashlight manufacturing countries as long as it doesn't cost too much extra.

1. 10440 li-ion compatible
2. small and slim
3. multiple modes including moonlight and FET turbo.
4. Tailcap electronic switch (like Liteflux LF2XT)
5. HA III aluminum with full knurling and tailstand capability
6. Neutral or High-CRI tint - either 5000K XPL HI or Nichia 219C on direct copper star

leon2245 said:

Six steps to a Forrest Chump thread life cycle:
1. Big idea
2. Opens thread, all types of replies welcome!
3. Gets lots of replies, establishes more rules
4. Too many replies & directions to manage
5. Requests thread closure
6. Repeat.


Okay guess I'm in for round two (thousand)...
:twothumbs

-tighten-for-off head twist switch only
-springs, no foam pad "battery crushers"
-single mode mediumish-high output
-smooth threaded, knurled aluminum head & tail standing body
-ultra limited one-time production run then gone forever, priced at $200 minimum (I don't want every joe candlepack around here carrying one too)
-it would also come with a very exclusive but vocal group of fellow supporters who would have my back any time a noob tries to question my light, its price, or the guy who made it, on the Internet.

Click to expand...

Lol! :laughing:

1. Nice beam profile - I have too many AAA lights that have artifacts, rings and other problems. Not for white wall hunting, but for use.
2. Very robust - thick walls, springs at both ends, potted and good o-ring seals.
3. Clicky - I like the idea of a modified McClicky. Lanyard holes and tail standing.
4. Efficient driver - either 1 mode or LMH and no memory
5. Neutral tint is nice but I'll take cool white (as long as it is not angry blue, purple or green)
6. I'll compromise size for robustness as long as it is reasonable. I don't want a heavy duty AAA light that is as big as a robust CR123 light (e.g. Malkoff MDC). The size of Pelican 1910 is about the limit.

And please don't call it tactical.

1. 80-100 lumen high, but USABLE low modes. Firefly or moonlight, 5 lumen, 40 lumen, 100 lumen, in that order
2. Good pocket clip (think promethus-light type clip)
3. (Forget the color options) I want a rubber bite sleeve. I want this to be hands free as much as possible, so waterproof, shrouded tail cap, and a rubber bite cover so I can throw it in my mouth without grinding teeth on metal.
4. Quality tail cap, possibly with tail stand capability
5. Small and slim. can fit into pen pockets with ease
6. Water proof for most outdoor activities

1. twisty but with the light off when fully thightend.
2. switchable drop in with led choice and driver
3. robust (body, keychain attachement and electronics)
4. trit slot
5. waterproof
6. custom knurling ?

I've given this some thought in the past:

1) HDS construction (Potted electronics, 2x battery springs, double O-rings, Acme threads, over discharge and reverse polarity protection, constant power regulation).

2) Osram Oslon Square 4500K 96CRI with frosted flood TIR, red GITD O-ring and gasket.

3) Non-battery-crushing QTC twisty.

4) Efficient boost driver to support AAA primaries and NiMH. 10440 would be nice, but not at the expense of runtime/efficiency with primaries and NiMH.

5) DLC (over nickel?) coated pentagonal cross section headstanding Copper head with integral heat sink and external fins drilled for 5 red trits.

6) DLC coated pentagonal cross section tailstanding Ti body with integral foldover clip (like the wvaltakis2 Ra clip) and neodymium magnet tail.

I stole Gunga's and tweaked it/added a clicky

1. High CRi Nichia 219A/B/C
2. Good quality deep carry clip.
3. Alternative material (Ti/Brass/copper/Stainless). *I would love Ti
4. Flexible circuit with programmable levels? Or at least 3-4 well spaced levels. moonlight to 100 lumens level. No memory mode. *MOONLIGHT is a must for my dream AAA.
5. Forward clicky switch.
6. A 1.5x6mm trit slot.

Good job.