1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket??

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif
OK - I am looking at replacing my SF E1 as my EDC and I have received a number of very good suggestions for my new EDC light and making it an LED and I would like to keep it small. I wear a suit everyday and having something heavy in my pockets is not the best thing. SO - I thought I would replace the E1 (old style - whole different story about GREAT SF customer service) with a newer smaller LED.

I have heard about the Arcs (WAY too many to keep up with - HELP!) and the Fire~Fly and another one - the Longbow Micra. If you had a limited budget (everything is relative) and wanted the brightest 1x123 LED - what would be your top 3 choices in order of overall ease of use, size, brightness and price (not in that order?)

Thank you for ya'll's help and if someone could also provide some size comparison pics that would be great. One last thing - any "one stop shop" comparisons for all the Arcs? Thanks guys!

David

PS: I will have an Inova X5 and a used E1 to put towards trades if you would suggest that. If not, what is the going price for a LNIB Inova X5 (silver) with custom Kydex belt sheath (multi-position) going for these days?

DPS

Go with the ARC, it is the most versatile and does not weigh much.

But that's just it - WHICH Arc should I get? There are too many for me to keep them all staright - it's like looking at Benchmade KNives for the first time -SO MANY LETTERS AND NUMBERS! ARGH - thanks for the suggestion though..

DPS

ARC4. This comes from the person I think has spent more on single 123 lights on this board.

LongBow Micra /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You just can't presently beat the size/runtime/brightness of the Arc 4. The multi-level brightness switching is great... not to mention all the other options. I set mine up the first day I got it and now just use it as is and it works great (rev 1 Arc 4+).

You could always put a SureFire KL4 head on your E1 body. That will give you small and bright.

If you want the smallest, go with the Fire~Fly. Depending on which module is installed you could have very bright with 40-50 minute runtime, or quite bright and 2 hours runtime. The Arc LSH-S or LSH-P are a little bit bigger than the Fire~Fly and have the convenience of a click on/off tailcap. LSH-P is brighter than the LSH-S but more expensive. It'd be cheaper to mod an LSH-S or buy a modded LSH-S to get a light brighter than the LSH-P with longer runtime. If you get a twistie tailcap for the Arc LS it will actually make it shorter than the Fire~Fly but it will be fatter which I think counts more in your pockets.

I personally EDC a Fire~Fly on my keyring with the 2-stage switch installed. Twist for low brightness, twist some more for high brightness.

I haven't seen either the Arc 4 or Longbow Micra so can't comment on them.

It sounds like you use this light professionally, are you an LEO?

I also would recommend the ARC4+


If I knew that I might need to use a flashlight on a daily basis, there is no question, that I would be carrying the ARC4+.

It is probably, one of the most expensive options available, but for every day use, it is almost a no brainer.

Now, the FireFly is also a nice light. I have a version 1, and love it. I keep it on my keychain. I cannot wait to get my version 2.

The difference between the FireFly and the ARC4+, would be, if you might need a light occaionally, the Firefly would be a (slightly) more ecomical choice (they are still expensive!)
If you might need to use your light DAILY, then the ARC4+ is the way to go.

Actually, if you needed to use the light daily, I would carry the ARC4+ in my pocket, and put the FireFly and a ARC AAA Turquoise on my keychain.

You do NOT want to be without a light, when you need a light!

Why 3? Well, the FireFly would be a good, bright, backup to the ARC4+, if you did not have time to change the battery, and the ARC AAA turquoise, give 5-6 hours of light, from one AAA battery, and is the brightest of all the ARC AAA lights.

I vote for the Fire~Fly! I carry mine in a homemade belt pouch or in my left front pocket.



MiniMag, Fire~Fly, CNC 123, SF E1/KL-1

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

PM sent about E1

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

Firefly is really the only one you can carry in a suit without looking funny. Maybe you can get one with aluminum rather than copper.

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

Where do you order the Firefly, and what is the lumen output and run time?

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

Hey Free,

Take a look at these threads: Firefly 2nd run
and Firefly discussion

Sproles,

Looks like the FFv2 is going to be fantastic, and the small form factor will lend itself to dressy carry better. I love my Arc4+, but it's a kinda wide and long, so it's like a big lead weight in the inside breast pocket of a jacket. And as Greymage suggests, having the aluminum will cut down on weight a little.

However, if you are sold on Arcs, or want a more commercial light, the Arc4+v2 is the way to go. You must take into account your use and requirements for EDC, too, I think someone above asked if you are LEO.

cheers
daloosh

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

I wish you guys would include websites in your threads. Being a newbie, it takes a bit of searching to look into all the makes/models ya'll refer to. WHERE CAN I FIND/BUY THE "FIREFLY"?

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

As much as I like the Arc4, it is not very comfortable lying loose at the bottom of a pair of suit pants or even Dockers. That's why I carry mine in the Arc belt-mounted pouch. I've tried to carry the FireFly loose in the pocket and it's size is just right, but it too heavy in my opinion.

David, I can certainly understand where you're coming from. I'm in the same type of office environment you're describing. Have you considered something along the lines of an Arc-AAA or even a Lux-III modded Arc-AAA or modded Mag Solitaire? What's great is they run on standard AAA cells which are easier to find when needed and can always be canabilized from some other piece of gear when needed. Think about your everyday lighting needs. For the past couple of years, I've always carried an Arc-LSH and then switched to the Arc4 when it became available. Now, I'm analyzing my usage pattens and have found that I hardly ever need the sort of power. Next week, I will be trying a new combo, in that, I'll carry the Lux-III modded Arc-AAA and Lux-III modded Solitaire only. I'm thinking that I will find that it covers over 95% of my needs and will make for a much lighter load.

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

The important thing here is just to make certain that you spend more than you planned to

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hahaha.gif[ QUOTE ]
Byron Walter said:
The important thing here is just to make certain that you spend more than you planned to

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't found that to be a problem, unfortunately /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

[ QUOTE ]
mrfox0246 said:
I wish you guys would include websites in your threads. Being a newbie, it takes a bit of searching to look into all the makes/models ya'll refer to. WHERE CAN I FIND/BUY THE "FIREFLY"?

[/ QUOTE ]
Look in the post just above yours for info...

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

I've been very happy with my Longbow Micra so far. Very. I don't own an Arc4 though...

Re: 1x123 LEDs...which one should go in my pocket?

I also have a Longbow Micra, and am very happy with it. The FireFly sounds interesting, but not having a web site or a readily available product rules it out for me. I absolutely will not use PayPal /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/xyxgun.gif