So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA ?

This seem's like a very likely and maybe lucrative light.
There are many mod's for ARC AAA's and solitaire LS's, and with what i read from CPF member's with better understanding then me, LS's are getting better, and more efficent, do you think HDS, SF, SL, or mcgizmo will do a Arc AAA sized LS AAA?
I know runtime is gonna be low, but with lith AAA's and ASAP's and andryw's rechargeable offering's, does anyone else see a market? one off's and custom's are cool, but i mean a full on light on sale 24/7. say you? VDG

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

When 1W LEDs fall in price enough that you can sell the entire light for $19.95 or less. I'll bet it'll happen by 2006 and it will be sold by a Chinese manufacturer.

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

I don't think you'll ever see a "production" light in that combination, at least not that's targeted at the masses. The runtime is far too short for it to be a viable consumer item.

I'd be happy just to have a AAA light (5mm LED) as good as the Arc AAA available for $20-25.

Peter

Would run time be tolerable using the new L92 lithium AAA? Supposedly much better run times than alkalines. Several 1w lights run on a single CR123.

David

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

TNC N-Cell has an AAA body available

is TNC is the first production AAA luxeon available?

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

Just for the record, my LED_ASAP modded ARC AAA is set at 400 mA and it runs for over 1.5 hours with an NiMH battery. I don't know how the output compares to the higher biased LS lights (like the 750 mA) but it is very usable light that obviously completely blows away the original ARC AAA and the single HP Peak lights.

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

These AAA and AA flashlights look nice! I found them while browsing, but no one seems to carry them.
--------------------
Free E.T.

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

Peak LED is supposed to release LS lights in 2005,maybe a 1 AAA will be among them.But don't expect them to perform like the custom modded stuff.

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

What is your definition of "production"?
Maybe Dorcy could bring one out that sells 50,000 units per year, but the LS LED would have to cost less than $1 US.

Arc made the AAA, but they never managed to break into mass retailers or even produce enough lights to regularly fill their open orders. Was that a "production" light?

If your defintion of "production" is the Mag Solitaire or the Photon Microlight (or it's PT clone) the answer I predict is "never" because of cost.
Just my two cents.---Marc

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

[ QUOTE ]
LitFuse said:
I don't think you'll ever see a "production" light in that combination, at least not that's targeted at the masses. The runtime is far too short for it to be a viable consumer item.

[/ QUOTE ]

this_is_nascar has posted some runtime graphs for his Arc AAA modded by LED_ASAP with a Lux3 (I believe it was a TX1J bin, set to draw 200mA from the battery). He gets over 5 hours of runtime with a lithium AAA (just a bit longer than you'd get with a stock Arc AAA and an alkaline battery). The runtime to 50% brightness with an alkaline battery was about 2.5 hours (with a couple more hours in moon mode).

Here's his runtime graph comparing a stock Arc AAA to the LED_ASAP mod, using alkaline and lithium AAA batteries:



And here's the original thread I "borrowed" the graph from:

Now Testing Energizer E2 AAA Lithiums

I have one of these mods, set to draw about 500 mA from the battery. It is plenty bright, but it's a flood rather than a spot. It won't impress anybody who wants a retina-scorching spot that throws 100 yards. However, it's an excellent close-range (30 feet or less) illuminator.

I think an inexpensive Luxeon AA or AAA light would be quite appealing to non-flashaholics. My wife doesn't understand flashaholism, but she was very impressed by the Luxeon Arc AAA mod on her keychain.

At the current levels used by these small lights, there shouldn't be much difference in brightness between cheap Lux Is and more expensive Lux IIIs, though the Lux IIIs have better tint. Judging from the other mass-produced Luxeon products out there, I suspect that a line of consumer-grade production Lux I keychain lights will have a relatively high proportion of greenies.

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

[ QUOTE ]
MicroE said:
What is your definition of "production"?
Maybe Dorcy could bring one out that sells 50,000 units per year, but the LS LED would have to cost less than $1 US.

Arc made the AAA, but they never managed to break into mass retailers or even produce enough lights to regularly fill their open orders. Was that a "production" light?

If your defintion of "production" is the Mag Solitaire or the Photon Microlight (or it's PT clone) the answer I predict is "never" because of cost.
Just my two cents.---Marc

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, and I should explain in this little world of CPF
production I feel really mean's, a company the size of arc or even mcgizmo/aleph, is something that is "obtainable" by anyone from sandwich shop to some other small to medium retailer's on an on going basis. In the "real world" boy's even surfire is pretty unknown, if you don't read gun or outdoor or LEO magizine's/quarterly's.
I know my frustration at not being able to purchase some of the light's that have a limited run like a lionheart or fire fly2 etc because of not being aware of them before on CPF till i got into "highend light's", or the vacum of cash i have had after my gallbladder blowing up.
So i would consider a small cottage company comparable to peak, HDS, Mcgizmo,(TNC I don't know about, they look like a flashlight company, though they seem to be out of any small light I want for some time)as production as a CPFer see's it. And if many were willing to pay 35$ for a ARC AAA, i can see a Co willing/finding a way to make a ARC AAA size LS that's well thought out and produced, for 59.00 or less, would seem to be a major "want" on this board. VDG

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

my micro illuminator never fails to impress
my friends - untill I tell them how much it cost me

it works great with lithium aaa's

It is on my key ring so I edc it.

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

[ QUOTE ]
markdi said:
my micro illuminator never fails to impress
my friends - untill I tell them how much it cost me

it works great with lithium aaa's

It is on my key ring so I edc it.

[/ QUOTE ]

and what is a micro illuminator? VDG

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

What if you run it at low output levels, like 5-6 lumens? Could you get maybe an hour regulated runtime on just 1 AAA cell using a Lux I?

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

[ QUOTE ]
cratz2 said:
Just for the record, my LED_ASAP modded ARC AAA is set at 400 mA and it runs for over 1.5 hours with an NiMH battery. I don't know how the output compares to the higher biased LS lights (like the 750 mA) but it is very usable light that obviously completely blows away the original ARC AAA and the single HP Peak lights.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Hookd_On_Photons said:
[ QUOTE ]
LitFuse said:
I don't think you'll ever see a "production" light in that combination, at least not that's targeted at the masses. The runtime is far too short for it to be a viable consumer item.

[/ QUOTE ]

this_is_nascar has posted some runtime graphs for his Arc AAA modded by LED_ASAP with a Lux3 (I believe it was a TX1J bin, set to draw 200mA from the battery). He gets over 5 hours of runtime with a lithium AAA (just a bit longer than you'd get with a stock Arc AAA and an alkaline battery). The runtime to 50% brightness with an alkaline battery was about 2.5 hours (with a couple more hours in moon mode).

Here's his runtime graph comparing a stock Arc AAA to the LED_ASAP mod, using alkaline and lithium AAA batteries:



And here's the original thread I "borrowed" the graph from:

Now Testing Energizer E2 AAA Lithiums

I have one of these mods, set to draw about 500 mA from the battery. It is plenty bright, but it's a flood rather than a spot. It won't impress anybody who wants a retina-scorching spot that throws 100 yards. However, it's an excellent close-range (30 feet or less) illuminator.

I think an inexpensive Luxeon AA or AAA light would be quite appealing to non-flashaholics. My wife doesn't understand flashaholism, but she was very impressed by the Luxeon Arc AAA mod on her keychain.

At the current levels used by these small lights, there shouldn't be much difference in brightness between cheap Lux Is and more expensive Lux IIIs, though the Lux IIIs have better tint. Judging from the other mass-produced Luxeon products out there, I suspect that a line of consumer-grade production Lux I keychain lights will have a relatively high proportion of greenies.

[/ QUOTE ]

I stand corrected, I didn't realize that this was possible. Hopefully, this will teach me not to make bold proclamations about subjects that I don't have first hand experience with. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Peter

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

FYI-VDG;
I have two AAA micro-illuminators. They are 1/2 Watt Luxeon (Q3J) lights with clicky/lockout tailswitch. On an ordinary alkaline, they'll go at least an hour, and have a great spot-putting out about 10-12 lumens. The use a mini sandwich with a nice reflector and mineral crystal lens.

You can find them on B/S/T from time to time and you can expect to pay 40-$50 for a nice one. They are based on a silver mini-Brinkmann.
-Now my favorite pocket light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

The Micro Illuminator is a nice little light but it's not a keychain light like the Arc AAA. It looks about like a shrunken down 2aaa Minimag.

The Peak 3led AAA light might be an almost-substitute for an LS AAA, especially with the new "snow" leds. I wish they'd adjust the head geometry a little bit to let more spill light out.

With an LS AAA you either have to use a focusing optic (e.g. acrylic ball) which makes the head look a little weird, or else not use one, in which case you get a flood beam. I like flood beams but most CPF'ers seem to want a light with a narrower beam with maximum throw.

Re: So,, Who is going to make a production LS AAA

The Micro Illuminator runs for 2 hours to 50%
output on 1 aaa alkaline cell.