4xAA with adjustable brightness?

Hey all

I need help! I'm looking for a new primary flashlight, but after looking online for a while, am not sure what to get... It will be used for a multitude of purposes - I only want a single light to do everything hah. Including camping, night walks, searching, etc. SO has to be pretty powerful when needed!

I'm thinking a 4xAA (Eneloops) would be best for me, as I don't want to invest in a new battery technology and chargers, etc. But I'm not 100% sold on this - if there was another flashlight that was perfect, I'd consider a different battery type. I'm thinking 4xAA because I don't think 2xAA would be bright enough.

Second to that, it needs to have good adjustable brightness. I particularly like the idea of "infinitely adjustable ring" sort of stuff. But even though, to me, this sounds like a super useful feature, I notice there aren't many products with this sort of interface.

I'm very fussy, so the interface will be very important to me. Ideally I'd like the on/off and the power level controls to be separate - and I hate the idea of holding buttons to choose brightness levels... seems overly cumbersome and time consuming, when you just want what you want.

No limit on price, within reason.

My old light just crapped itself (it was never very good) and I need a great new one now!

Thank you!

The Nitecore EA45S might be a good choice for you. it use Cree XP-L HI led and dual side switches, unibody construction and it's throw 400 meters of beam distance

That looks pretty good - I'm not sure about the interface, though. I wish there was one like that with a more user-friendly brightness selection method?

Welcome to the forum!

Take a look at the eagletac SX30A4. It has a 2 button UI that allows the light be turmed on in either min or max mode and then once on one of the switches beomes a mode switch and the other switch becomes an on/off switch. That may sound confusing but it really is simple.

http://eagletac.com/html/sx30a4/specs.html

ThruNite TN4A

LeanBurn said:

ThruNite TN4A

Click to expand...

Seconded. But defo use eneloops, runtime on normal AA's is abysmal!!!

NightCabbage said:

That looks pretty good - I'm not sure about the interface, though. I wish there was one like that with a more user-friendly brightness selection method?

Click to expand...

You're spot on - and there aren't many, that I've seen. There are several ring (infinite) models out there. I have SRT7 and it's quite good, if you wanted to go li-ion. (There's isn't anything to get into really, quality chargers start at only $20. This then opens up a world of selection, not to mention much better energy density.) But yes, most flashlight companies are completely clueless when it comes to UI. For example Nitecore has many 2-button or 2-stage switches and while they're trying to improve at least, it's NEVER logically or consistently executed - both huge problems. They're just now trying a +/- arrangement for the two buttons as though that required a decade of R&D - wouldn't that have been the FIRST thing that came to mind?

Anyway...... Programmability would solve a lot of this but that doesn't exist to any significant degree either. It's all quite ridiculous where we're currently at, IMO.

BTW I have the Nitecore EA45S which fits your description. It's a good light but the 2 buttons aren't very good. For example, something as simple as making them physically different by touch, isn't done. As I say, clueless.

Thanks for the replies!

Beckler - glad someone else feels my pain haha. Yes, I last checked for flashlights in I think 2012, and they were just starting to bring magnetic rings for infinite variable brightness. Seems like that idea is now LESS common for some reason.
I was thinking "in a few years I'll bet the interfaces will be much better"... 5 years later and they're the same lol. I have seen one or two lights with +/- buttons, but sadly they don't fit my other requirements.

ThruNite TN4A - sadly only has one button - I think this would drive me insane haha

Nitecore EA45S - probably the top of my list at the moment...

Not sure what the differences are between that and the Nitecore EA41 - other than the shape/size/battery configuration. Though the website says that (on full power) the EA41 has a battery life of 1 hour 45 mins, and the EA45S only has 45 mins. That seems like a massive difference, considering they're both 4xAA 1000 lumen flashlights...?

Eagtac SX30A4 seems pretty good too - not sure how to choose between that and the 2 Nitecore models?

Other research has revealed...

Fenix LD41 - seems ok too maybe?

JETBeam SRA40 - same sort of thing...

Sunwayman M40A - has a ring interface to select modes, seems interesting...

How do you pick one lol
Can anyone help me eliminate any from the list that are bad?
And maybe point out the better models?

This is pretty fun though, I love flashlights haha

-EDIT-
Omg the IMALENT SA04 has a touch screen interface <3
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...2-RGB-4xAA-Touch-Screen)-Review-RUNTIME-VIDEO
Ah but it looks like they've messed it up a bit with the whole cool/warm & red/green/blue LED thing Oh well, maybe in the future lol

I doubt any of those are bad (not sure tho) just different. EA41 and EA45S have different LEDs - you can read up on the difference in those two. The other major thing to look at is the cd rating - so you'll note EA45S has more throw. Decide whether you want more floody or spot type beam and that will shorten your list.

Thrunite TN4A or Fenix LD41/E41.

I don't know if it would suit your needs, but I just got a Maglite ML300L. It uses 3x D batteries, but I got some NiMH cells at Harbor Freight and it seems to like them. They're 2500 mAh for $6 a pair.

It makes as much as 625 lumens, but it will run for 117 hours with alkaline on Eco mode, which is 58 lumens. I find that eco mode is plenty of light for doing any sort of walking around or camping task.

The interface might not suit you. Here's how it works. If you press the button once, then it comes on in high mode. If you double click it, then it comes on in high and steps down to medium. If you tripple click it, then it comes on high, steps to medium, and steps to eco. If you're using it in high and you want to go to eco, then you tripple click. If you're in medium and you want to go to high you single click. There's a thread about C/D cell lights that posts some run time graphs. Basically the 625 lumens starts to deteriorate right from the start. The medium setting, that they call low, is 143 lumens for 77 hours.

The TN4A interface is very nice and intuitive. Even though it's one button it is well thought out. From off its just long press for ML, click for on (last mode) or triple click for turbo. And then press and hold for mode selection and it scrolls from lowest to highest. Double tap from any more for turbo and another double tap takes you to strobe.

My TN4A (which I love) goes through a set of Duracells in 15 minutes or less. And that in short bursts. In one go it might burn through them quicker. It definitely needs eneloops.