HesNot
Enlightened
I just received my TNC keylux AA and wanted to share my initial impressions. I received a 200ma keylux AA in natural HA finish. The HA is as good as any I've seen on Surefire or Arc products. The knurling is also very nice, somewhere in between an Arc (not aggressive) and Surefire (very aggressive).
It is longer than an Infinity Ultra and about the same width - shorter than an Inova X1 and overall surprisingly small. I tend to be willing to trade slim for length so it is slightly longer than an Arc 4 or LSHP with clickie but much slimmer.
The machining and fit/finish are simply impeccable - absolutely on par with the best that I've experienced from Surefire or Arc. No rattles anywhere, nice o rings at all threaded points and just "tight". The twist on head has just the right amount of resistance to make one handed operation a breeze without the risk of inadvertent activation.
The beam is a nice white with a very slight blue tint when compared to my ultra white Madmax Lite LuxIII (which is to be expected) but easily on par with an LSHP or Arc4+. The reflector produces a very nice hotspot with useful sidespill, very similar in shape to the Arc 4+. I tend to trade a bit of brightness for runtime (hence my MMLite) and the beam is significantly brighter (and of course much whiter) than an Arc AAA - which isn't really a fair comparison but for those who question how bright the 200ma version is and think it isn't better than a AAA there really isn't a comparison. Not surprisingly it is - to my eye - around 65-70% of my MMLite - but by comparison it is much brighter than I thought it would be and compares pretty favorably given it is half the size and has similar runtime (according to the mfg).
I am trying to consolidate toward AA lights and this is slated to become my EDC carry light. I wear a suit so size matters and up until now I've only been comfortable carrying an Arc AAA every day/all day (the LSHP and Arc4 are just a little too fat and heavy to keep in a suit trouser pocket). For that role - I believe it is about ideal. Lightweight with NiMH loaded (lighter than an Inova X1 with alkalines) and a very nice useful beam with decent runtime, all in a very convenient and small package. Definitely a winner and I hope Chris keeps making these things because right now - short of a LEDASAP or other lux mod for a solitaire or peak light there isn't much that fills this nich.
It is longer than an Infinity Ultra and about the same width - shorter than an Inova X1 and overall surprisingly small. I tend to be willing to trade slim for length so it is slightly longer than an Arc 4 or LSHP with clickie but much slimmer.
The machining and fit/finish are simply impeccable - absolutely on par with the best that I've experienced from Surefire or Arc. No rattles anywhere, nice o rings at all threaded points and just "tight". The twist on head has just the right amount of resistance to make one handed operation a breeze without the risk of inadvertent activation.
The beam is a nice white with a very slight blue tint when compared to my ultra white Madmax Lite LuxIII (which is to be expected) but easily on par with an LSHP or Arc4+. The reflector produces a very nice hotspot with useful sidespill, very similar in shape to the Arc 4+. I tend to trade a bit of brightness for runtime (hence my MMLite) and the beam is significantly brighter (and of course much whiter) than an Arc AAA - which isn't really a fair comparison but for those who question how bright the 200ma version is and think it isn't better than a AAA there really isn't a comparison. Not surprisingly it is - to my eye - around 65-70% of my MMLite - but by comparison it is much brighter than I thought it would be and compares pretty favorably given it is half the size and has similar runtime (according to the mfg).
I am trying to consolidate toward AA lights and this is slated to become my EDC carry light. I wear a suit so size matters and up until now I've only been comfortable carrying an Arc AAA every day/all day (the LSHP and Arc4 are just a little too fat and heavy to keep in a suit trouser pocket). For that role - I believe it is about ideal. Lightweight with NiMH loaded (lighter than an Inova X1 with alkalines) and a very nice useful beam with decent runtime, all in a very convenient and small package. Definitely a winner and I hope Chris keeps making these things because right now - short of a LEDASAP or other lux mod for a solitaire or peak light there isn't much that fills this nich.
