Peak AAA 1 LED Standard vs. Gerber Infinity Ultra

Moe

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I am thinking about purchasing some smaller key-chain lights.

Its either Peak Matterhorn 1 LED Standard (!) or Gerber Infinity Ultra.

Which of the above mentioned is brighter? Which has longer runtime?
Does anyone have them both and can enlight me some? :D

I think the Peak is a little longer, while the gerber is not so slim, however the size factor is not so important for me...
 

joema

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According to flashlightreviews.com, the Peak Matterhorn puts out about twice the light of the Gerber Infinity Ultra:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/peakled_matterhorn_ultsnow.htm
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/gerber_infinityultra.htm

Runtime on both is pretty long; Gerber says 25 hr but it wasn't tested.

The Arc III-P is a little more expensive, but puts out even more light:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/arc_aaa-p.htm

The Gerber uses type II anodizing and will eventually get scratched up in your pocket. The Peak and Arc use type III which is more resistent to scratches.

One of the brightest truly small lights is the Peak Caribbean. However it's significantly more expensive:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/peakled_caribbean.htm
 

zespectre

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I just did a runtime on the Gerber Infinity Ultra.

Please note the disclaimer that I ran this with NiMH rechargables. I plan on running it again with regular alkalines soon.

Anyway the GIU gave me roughly 8.5 hrs of solid light, then a fast dip to 50% at 9 hours and a similar fast dip to "moonlight" mode at 10 hours. At that point I terminated the test as I consider the moonlight mode pretty damn useless.
 

Moe

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Thanks for the info!

The Carribean is on top of my wishlist, but not what i am looking for right now.
I think i will give the Matterhorn 1 LED a try. Output should be quite useful in total darkness.

Is the GIU better or worse than the CMG IU?

What exactly is the difference between Peaks Standard - High Power - Ultra Power. Do they have different LEDs or the same LEDs but differently driven?
 

paulr

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I thought the Peak "standard" was lower than the "high" (they don't seem to even offer the "standard" any more) and the "high" was around 20 mA.

The "high" (I have two of them) is quite a bit dimmer than the CMG Infinity Ultra, but it has an extremely long sloping discharge curve. It's still generating a feeble amount of light at 100 hours. The CIU supposedly runs for around 20 hours on an alkaline.

You do know that the CMG and Gerber Ultras are 1AA lights, not AAA, so they are much bigger and you're not comparing similar lights. CMG/Gerber's 1AAA light is called the Sonic.

In my opinion the CIU is a nicer light than the new-style GIU, just in terms of its construction quality. I don't know if its electronics are any different.

There is also the Gerber Sonic which is a 1AAA. It's nowhere near as nice as the Peak or Arc but it's perfectly functional and costs a lot less.

You can also consider the UK 2AAA eLED which is highly waterproof and about the same size and weight as an Infinity Ultra.
 

Moe

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Thanks again!

I knew i was comparing lights which use 2 different types of batteries and therefore have a different form factor, but as i have written before, the size is not so important. In my opinion they are both still very pocketable.

I will go for the Peak then, i guess. :)
 

paulr

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If you want a 1AA light, Peak makes some nice ones (Kilimanjaro and Kino Bay), and Arc is supposedly bringing back the Arc AA.

If you get a Peak Matterhorn, I'd suggest an ultra power version, and of these I prefer the 3LED version. The Arc AAA-P v4 is a more efficient light and arguably better than the Peak, but the Peak has nicer beam color which some people prefer.

Finally, if "pocketable" is all you need, you can consider 1x123 lights like the Firefly.
 

Moe

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I have a Kino Bay already. And some other small and bright lights.
And an E1L on order... :D

I am really only looking for a tiny light with one 5mm LED and in this case i prefer looooong runtime over maximal possible brightness.
Its just meant to be a second backup, or to use it in total darkness, when you don't want to ruin your night vision with a LuxIII light.

What you have written about the Matterhorn HP 1 LED sounds just perfect for my needs. Thanks again. :)
 
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