Cheapest HA3 lights?

I really like type 3 hard anodizing for its extreme toughness. That got me to thinking... I haven't really seen a rundown of HA3 lights based on their PRICING. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

So in the interest of helping a flashaholic find the best deals on HA3 lights, what are the least expensive ones out there? The more info, links, etc., the better. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

CMG Ultra-G and Sonic-G are $14.50 to CPF members at Countycomm.

Arc AAA is in the low $20's depending on when and where you buy.

i think you can buy HA3 bodies from some of the popular websites, if you ever want them to toy around with.
(tadgear maybe?)

Besides the previously mentioned Ultra-G, Sonic-G and ARC-AAA (and AA), there are a few more under $100. The ones that immediately come to mind are the Inova X5T-HA from CountyComm for $40, the Surefire E1e and E2e ($60-80), and the C2 which is usually around $100 or a little less in HA-III. The ARC LSH can also be had for $100 from ARC.

-Keith

Amazing how quickly the price for the HA3 field rises past $100 once you get beyond the "little lights" like Arc AAA, CMG Infinity Ultra-G, etc. IMHO there's a real opportunity for someone to introduce a HA3 light (complete light, not just a battery tube) in the $50 price range, give or take a little. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

I'd like to see someone make a knockoff E2E for $49, including thread compatibility with the real E2E attachments. That would be something!

Why is HA3 such a big deal? It's just a buzzword. It won't protect sharp points on knurling from wear. The knurled HA3 Fireflies are showing wear. It's not so important for corrosion protection. Thousands of non-HA3 M*g lights have been in service for years and their finish is shot, but they still work fine. The Arc AA and AAA have deliberate gaps in the HA3 in the most critical part of the light, i.e. the bare aluminum reflector behind the LED, and the light's integrity doesn't seem impaired and nobody complains. Maybe HA3 makes the finish last longer in general and is worth paying a little extra for, but it's not that big a deal IMO.

I think HA-III is mainly for cosmetics, meaning that it will keep the flashlight looking better for longer. The HA-III coating will still rub off on the sharp edges of the knurling over time, but it will take a lot longer to do so than if the light was HA-I or HA-II coated. After carrying an ARC-AAA in my pocket for a year with keys, it still looks as good as it did when it was new. I used to do that with Maglite Solitaires and I'd be lucky if the finish lasted a few months before the light started to look bad. If appearances aren't a priority at all, then HA-III probably isn't as important to you. Also, when putting a split ring on the tailcap of a Maglite, it invariably scratches through the surface. I've R&R'ed split rings numerous times on my ARC LSH-P, and there are no scratches visible at all.

-Keith

I know from firsthand experience that HA3 does make a difference. I've dropped various HA3 lights, bumped 'em, put 'em in pockets with keys, and the like... and in almost every case the lights show no signs of damage. Meanwhile, pretty much EVERY time I drop a MiniMag on concrete or even gravel, the concrete takes a chunk of aluminum out of the light. From what I understand of the respective processes, an HA3 finish is much, MUCH harder than HA2. It's also more expensive, yes, but if an Ultra-G can sell for $15 or so with a boost circuit and HA3 finish, I see no reason that a 2x123 incandescent light couldn't be made with HA3 finish and sell somewhere in the vicinity of $50.

I also know that mil spec calls for HA3 only... HA2 isn't acceptable. They don't specify this to be elitist, they do so because the HA3 finish offers desirable characteristics, such as much improved resistance to abrasion through bumps and scrapes.

So the question remains, why is there such a gap between the Arc AAA and Ultra-G and the SureFire executive series, and even higher? Seems like pricing goes from the (very roughly) $20 ballpark immediately to $70, $100 and more. Where are the $50 HA3 lights?

Last year SF E1e's were available for as little as $55 and E2e's for as little as $65-70 (new E2e's can still be had on ebay for around $70), and the HA C2 for $80. That provides a light at almost every price point:

$15 - Sonic-g and Ultra-G
$25 - ARC AAA
$40 - X5T-HA
$55 - E1e
$70 - E2e
$80 - C2-HA
$100 - ARC LSH

-Keith

Keith, that's a pretty nice little quickie list you made. Of course, the SureFire prices have gone up since then, leaving a gap. And it's still a fairly sparse list; after all, a similar list for plastic lights or even HA2 lights would have several lights at each price point, not just one! I'm not saying that to take anything away from your list, though. I really appreciate it.

Maybe the general sparcity of HA3 lights is largely because the general public doesn't even know what HA3 is, or what its benefits are? A competently-run business probably wouldn't be very interested in putting HA3 on their lights when it cost them more and didn't give them any marketing advantage with Joe Q. Public, who's perfectly happy to buy a big shiny HA2 red or blue flashlight with that $20 bill in his pocket.

Meanwhile, those who can appreciate HA3 (not counting us crazed flashaholics) are usually the same parties that can afford to spend the big bucks on a flashlight. I understand that. Just wish it could be different.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

Are there tougher finishes than HA III? Does HA IV exist?

Titanium Nitride is harder than HA-III, and it looks cool too.

HA is type III anodizing if i'm not mistaken. there's no such thing as HA II or HA I. just type II and type I. i'm just being anal with the terminologies /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
paulr said:
It won't protect sharp points on knurling from wear. The knurled HA3 Fireflies are showing wear. The Arc AA and AAA have deliberate gaps in the HA3 in the most critical part of the light, i.e. the bare aluminum reflector behind the LED,

[/ QUOTE ]

HA changes the hardness to 60-70 on Rockwell C. A quality knife is 59-63 Rockwell. So yes brittle Sharp points like on the firefly breaks off easier. All sharp surfaces will wear faster HA or not. Just check out the key ring hole on Arc AAA for wear.

HA properly done will be .002 thick and penatrates the surface of the aluminum making it non-conductive.

The greenish yellow coloring you see on threads and inside the flashlight is from a dip that give minimal corrosion protection. You don't want HA on the threads and other batt. contact points.

The cheapest flashlight I've seen with HA is the infinity ultr gov model ($15). I have a blue ultra that is not HA.

Thanks,
CY