Need help with EDC solution

I've been lurking around this forum for awhile. I'm hoping the vast collective wisdom I've observed here can help me make a decision about what to do for EDC. My priorities (in order of importance) are as follows:

(1) Size - If it didn't matter I'd carry my SL Lite Box and be done with it. Usually carry in the pocket of suit pants or slacks, so it has to be small. Diameter is as important as length so I'm pretty sure it has to be AAA.

(2) Durability / bulb life. I'm currently carrying a Mag Solitare for the size, but I want to switch to an LED so I don't have to worry about the bulb in the middle of a flood or something.

(3) Light output - More is always better.

(3)Form factor - I know I could carry a Photon or similiar key chain light, but for some reason that doesn't appeal to me. It needs to look like a flash light.

(4) Price - Can't break the bank but I also realize you usually get what you pay for. I'm hoping to keep the cost under $40.00

I've sort of settled on 3 possible solutions: The Arc AAA premium, the Peak Matterhorn 3 LED, or Tonyb's "Microlux" conversion for the Solitaire (if he's still selling them). Anybody out there have any opinion about what they think will best meet my needs?

Xnova 5LED single AA clone! It's my EDC. Disposible price. Very light.

Arc AAA fits what you are describing

leadfoot

Or the Dorcy 1AAA.

Answer: Dorcy 1 AAA. I have both the Dorcy and the ARC AAA and they both put out the same amount of light. The ARC stays on my key chain for emergency backup and so I will always have a flashlight on me. The Dorcy rides loose in a front pocket and I use it many times a day. I love the Dorcy's momentary button tail switch. The Dorcy is available today from Wal-mart for $6 or from Target for about $8. You will find the Dorcy puts out about the same amount of light as your Solitare but the battery will last much longer and the bulb will never blow. It also has a white light compared to the yellow looking Solitare. I must, however, warn you. You are in the very early stages of becoming addicted. If you proceed any further you may not be able to go back to your former life. For example, I can no longer go out of the house without at least 3 flashlights on me. Proceed at your own risk, and welcome to the club.

ARC AAA. Much better quality than the Dorcy AAA (I own three of each), and looks much better. Light output is close to equal, possible edge towards the Dorcy, but for beam quality the ARC wins. ARC is smaller too.

-Keith

Inova X1, on special for about $15.00 us,
Takes only one A battery and is well made
with a glass magnifier lens. Long throw beam
an is regulated.

AAA is a good size, but my experience has been that 5mm LEDs put out too little light to be of much use except in a total blackout or at very short range. I use 5mm LED products a lot at night, but that's more ENC than EDC. You wrote "EDC". Luxeon Star lights are IMO the choice for daytime carry. They put out enough light to brighten up dark closets, poke above ceilings, etc. I have found the Arc LS line small and light enough for suit pocket carry. The Arc4 is as large as I would EDC. The Fire~Fly Rev2, when it arrives next week or so, will probably become my favorite EDC.

The $40 limit is the problem. The Longbow Micra is probably the least expensive high quality & fairly small Luxeon Star light. About $75, 3.2" x 1", 2.9 oz. w/ battery. Same size as the Arc4. I don't have a Longbow, but it sounds like a good EDC choice for you. I EDCed an Arc AAA for about a year and rarely used it. Then I started EDCing an Arc LS. Presto - almost daily use. Gotta go Luxeon! There is one time that I reach for my AAA during the day...when going to the movies or theater. Perfect tool for reading programs and finding dropped items around the seat without annoying other people.

Everyones needs are different. I replaced my Mag solitaire with a SL keymate and have been very happy. Not alot of throw, but it beats the pants off the solitaire.
Good Luck
LR

ARC AAA. Either standard or premium.

I carry an Arc AAA in my front pants pocket and never know it's there - great form factor, reliable, long run time, VERY water proof. Sure, I'd love a brighter Luxeon mod that small, but will have to wait until I can afford one. EDC an AAA light and carry a brighter light, too, when you anticipate needing one. The larger, brighter light can be carried on a belt holster and won't be in your way or bulking up a pocket.

as usual, excellent advice from my fellow CPF'ers!

to add to what Jayflash stated, the ARC aaa is beautiful, pretty bright and very small.

if you need brighter, you could easily afford a PT blast or rage. they are relatively small, and amazingly bright.

i consider my rage to be like a "poor man's surefire", since it uses a xenon bulb and 6 volts.
it is pretty slim, and i know i could easily carry one in a coat pocket. but yes, it is an incan.

i know where you are coming from--i still havent settled on an EDC. for now, it is an arc aaa!

Bob

Hey DB,welcome to CPF and why dontcha stay awhile!

I'd go with the Arc AAA, small and tough. The Dorcy is nice, but not as rugged, and your budget isn't limited to $10. I EDC an Arc AAA on my keychain, the anodize is all wearing off, but it still works like day 1.

If you could go up a little, the tnc N cell would be smaller and brighter. And up some more for an Arc LSH or Longbow Micra. What the heck, triple your budget and get a Firefly v2.

welcome again,
daloosh

I find the Arc AAA plenty bright enough for most EDC situations. That means it's bright enough to walk around in the dark with, read with, search for something inside my bag, that kind of thing. I.e. it's enough to see detail for close-up tasks and enough to see large outlines (not bump into things) at medium range. Most EDC situations don't need a long range light. Occasionally a brighter light is useful to see detail at medium range, like for finding your keys that are somewhere in a dark room.

I like the PT Blast as a small cheap moderately bright light for when a 5mm LED isn't enough. It's about as bright as the typical 1W Luxeon and is lightweight and waterproof. It uses two AAA's and is more EDC'able than a bigger light. However, being incandescent, it's vulnerable to unexpected bulb failure, and since it uses a combined bulb/reflector assembly, carrying a spare bulb isn't so easy. It would be nicer if it used a Minimag-like bi-pin bulb with a spare inside the light, but it's ok as it is, especially if you have another light (5mm LED) to back it up with.

You could just get an Arc4 and call it a day. but again its a bit out of your price range. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Another option would be the Ultra-G. A bit larger than the Arc AAA, but it runs alot longer.

As far as discrete lights for front-pocket carry in slacks or khakis, AAA is about the largest form-factor that I can get away with.

The Dorcy AAA has an unbeatable price/performance ratio, but certainly isn't as well-built as an Arc. The LED is severely overdriven in a Dorcy, so don't expect the oft-quoted "100,000 hours" LED life (not that the phosphor will last anywhere near that long even when driven at spec).

The LED is also pretty severely overdriven in the Arc, unless you get a Luxeon-modded version.

If the LED is driven hard in the ARC and Dorcy, then it must be driven a LOT harder in the Ultra-G as my Ultra-G seems to put out considerably more total light than any of them. Since white 5mm LED life falls off fast with increasing current (~ 2000 hrs to 50% at 50 mA, 1000 hrs at 70 mA, 500 hrs at 90 mA, see here ), does anyone know the actual current through the Ultra-G? I thought the Dorcy 1xAAA ran about 60 mA.

Even though there may be some brighter options, I don't think you will be disappointed with the Arc AAA. The brightness is very useful for almost any task and you are still getting great runtime. And the overall size cannot be beat unless you go to a battery smaller than a AAA.

One hint for making pocket carry as discrete as possible: If you can keep the flashlight vertical in your pocket, that makes it less noticeable to you and others. There are several ways to do that. Some carry it along the side of their wallet. Some use safety pins to make a narrow sub-pocket within a front pocket. There are probably other methods, too.

Plenty of good suggestions, probably the Arc aaa is the most satisfying option, though I'm not familiar with the "Microlux" mod you mentioned. I also want to recommend CMG's Sonic as another inexpensive option in this category. Get a silver one to hide all the scratches and dings from your keys though. Here's a review:
CMG Sonic review

Arc AAA review

Hope that helps.