Better Peak 1AAA 1 LED or 3 LED?????

which one is brighter? the Peak Solutions Matterhorn 1AAA, the 1 LED or the 3 LED version????????

I can venture a guess. If both lights provide the LEDs with the same amount of current, then the 3 LED should be brighter since LEDs are more efficient when under driven. Better to run spread 100mA (hypothetical) across 3 LEDs than thru 1.

I ordered the 1 led matterhorn version from pocketlights.com Still waiting for it. I want to know if i should order the 3led one as well =( damn flashaholicism....MUST HAVE BOTH...

From the PEAK site:

Matterhorn 1LED:
Candle Power: 14 to 18cp
Battery Life: 8 hours 50% 12 hours total

Matterhorn 3LED:
Candle Power: 42 to 54cp
Battery Life: 3 hours 50% ( 7 hours to 50% of 1 LED ) 10 hours total

IMHO, a single AAA LED peak light is about half as bright as an ARC-AAA. I have the Peak 1AA 3 LED model as well, and while it's brighter than my ARC-AAA, it has VERY little spill light, compared to the ARC-AAA. The recessed LED's project a much tighter beam than the ARC-AAA, which provides much useful spill light from it's reflector, as well as it's more open single LED.

In short, I don't like either Peak light, compared to an ARC-AAA. The 3 LED Peak light would be more useful in an outdoor setting, perhaps, where it's significanly better throw would be an advantage over the ARC-AAA. But outdoors, I simply use a much brighter light than what my 3 LED 1AA Peak produces.

So in this case, my advice, for what it's worth, is if you have an ARC-AAA, and you EDC another brighter light, don't get either Peak light. You may be dissapointed, as I was. YMMV, of course. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

I think TRC summed it up well. I really like my brass Peak 3 LED Matterhorn, but I still carry my Arc AAA. It could be my imagination, but it seems like the Peak's output drops much more rapidly than the Arc. It starts out a good bit brighter (2x), but soon is about equal to the Arc. In fairness to Peak, I might carry the aluminum one, but the brass is too heavy in the pocket. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the 1 LED Peak.

Geoff

I do not own an Arc-aaa. My Flashaholicism only caught on about a few months ago and by that time Arc was out of business. As of right now I EDC a Dorcy 1AAA. Wish i looked on the damn website before I ordered, oh well I guess Ill just order the 3 LED version as well

I changed out my Arc AAA-P for the Peak AAA 3-LED light. It works better for my use which is sneaking around the house in the darkness without waking the wife and kids.

If it is pitch black, the Peak does throw out a very wide, very dim spill light... just enough to see to your sides without waking the family. The Arc will throw a wide beam which is not what I need. I wonder what it will do with lithium AAA batteries?

For the power hungry, Peak is coming out with AAA/AA versions using Luxeon LEDs (according to the postings a few months back) Those are the lights that will be given to my family members upcoming move to Turkey.

I have both the 1 LED AAA and the 3 LED AAA Peak high power w/snow leds. The 3 LED is brighter (by 3 times? well,maybe twice).

I'm not really wild about either of their beams for my purpose (but the brass case is great). I was looking for more of a flood beam for "close up" use...inside computer cases....still looking.

JB

What about the 5 LED head?

Any other details re: upcoming Peak Luxeons?

Thanks.

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GarageBoy said:
What about the 5 LED head?

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I also have a 5 LED AA Peak with snow LEDs. From my limited experience, the more LEDs the light has, the brighter and slightly wider beam it has.
JB

JB, how does output (throw and flood) on your Peak compare to an Infinity Ultra/Ultra G? Sizewise, I seem to recall they're about the same diameter and ~ .5 " longer. Also, easy to turn on one-handed?

Thanks, AF

I have a snow 1LED hipower and a RGB 3LED, both AAA. The one LED does have significantly better spill due to the "reflector" and not just straight holes the LED's sit in. My main complaint about this light is that the regulation was noticeably insufficient. With a fresh bat, the Peak was decently bright, but with a more used one, it was dysmally dim. When I put that same used bat in an Arc it was still way brighter. I got my Peak back when the snows first came out- don't know if they've improved the circuit since then.