Need new keychain EDC (AAA or AA)

Hi,

I've been carrying a Mag Solitaire modded with a 3W Luxeon on my keychain for a while now, but I think it is slowly dying. It flickers a lot and as you twist to turn the light on, it comes on, goes off, comes, on etc as you twist the head.

Sooooo.... I'm looking for a light to replace it. I'd prefer AAA but really wouldn't mind going to AA if need be. My main criteria, in no particular order, are:

1) Output - looking for throw more than anything

2) Runtime - don't care about runtime; would rather have more throw/output than runtime

3) Power - very happy to run on lithium AAA / AA if it helps with just a little bit more output

4) Build - looking for a well built, quality light

5) Size - the smaller the better. Obviously, I appreciate that a AA is going to be slightly larger that a AAA. But I wouldn't want to go a huge amount bigger than a Solitaire

I hope someone out there has some advice and guidance that they can offer to me.

Many thanks,

Face

Hmmm...After you go through the flickering, does it eventually stay on? Maybe you just need to clean the contacts or add a tiny blob of solder to extend it.

as far as I'm aware of nothing comes close to an ARC AAA-P for size, brightness, toughness...

if someone knows of something better please let me know!

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

I know you said AA/AAA, but if you REALLY want big output and throw in the smallest possible size, there's the RAW Jr, aka Wee Raw.

The entire light is slightly larger than a CR123A battery, yet it produces at least 80 lumens for about 15 min. It also has a low power setting to run several hours.

A keychain version will be available. He's getting ready to take orders now. See these threads for pictures:

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=93610
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=93891

I too vote for the Arc AAA.

best regards

Face said:

5) Size - the smaller the better. Obviously, I appreciate that a AA is going to be slightly larger that a AAA. But I wouldn't want to go a huge amount bigger than a Solitaire

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I'd say that any AA light will be more than "slightly larger" than a AAA one. An AA light can be small, relatively speaking, but I haven't yet seen one that I could tollerate on my keychain- they are more suited for pocket carry. So if you must have it for your keychain, I third the notion of the Arc AAA. It's bright, but as it is only a 5mm LED without a real reflector, you're not going to be throwing all that far with it.

If you would like to step up one in battery size, I highly recommend the Fenix L1P, which IMO, is the first "consumer priced" production light that can competently utilize a single AA battery to power a luxeon emitter. The output from the Fenix will totally obliterate any single 5mm light out there.

The only other possiblity (right now), as others have mentioned, is to use a "weird" battery light. The Peak Carribean is one of the smallest and brightest CR123 lights out there. The Jil 1.3 is an even smaller light using a CR2 battery.

I can recommend an ARC AAA as well.

Peak or ARC. some of the new peaks look keychain friendly. lux with a AA body and a AAA coming. VDG

ArcAAA rev4 Premium. The output is amazing for a single 5mm LED. just as good as some lights that have 3-5 leds!

Another nice EDC light (not nessasarly keychain) is the Fenix L1P. Very awesome light!

My lithium AAA power Peak Snow29 3 LED Matterhorn has plenty of punch. The dark horse is the Luxeon version of the coming soon Peak AAA.

TNC makes a single AA light that pushes the Luxeon at 350mA but it will cost you some $$$. Fenix L1P with Battery Station lithium AA batteries (1.92V open cell voltage!)

I am happy with my Snow29 Matterhorn... until the Luxeon version comes out (you did not think I would stop buying lights?!)

I'd wait for the Peak AAA Luxeon model.

I have two Lux3 modded Arc AAAs. They put out a lot more light than the old Arc AAA premiums. I don't have a rev4 Arc AAA premium for comparison, but it's a fairly sure bet that the Luxeons are significantly brighter.

If you don't mind pocket carry, the Fenix L1 is a good choice. It's a bit too large for comfortable keychain carry.

I prefer to have a keychain light, because that's the only kind of light I know I'll be carrying every single time I leave the house. In fact, I have *two* keychain lights - a d'mo Lux 3 modded Arc AAA for bright flood, and a FireFli (the super-small hearing aid battery light) as a backup for low-level lighting with extended runtime.

You might want to check out the Inova X1 at Target. It's not a Luxeon, but it focuses the light to a concentrated spot. It yields surprisingly good throw for a single AA light running a 5mm LED, but there's very little spill. I find that most small lights are used at close range, so the X1 might actually concentrate the spot a bit *too* much for some uses.

The Inova X1 has nearly no sidespill at all but it's a great light for
doing things like navgating your hostel room at night without
blinding them with a Nuwai Q3, (or a SF E2e for that matter)
It's one of the most bulletproof lights i've run into and DAMN it's
bright for a 5MM LED platform, easily modded to and regulated
That's my 0.02c
PS. A Nuwai Q3 might be what you're after, it uses a CR123 but damn
it's bright like :wow: good luck, and don't buy too many lights :naughty:

Personally, I'm going to hold off on any major LED light purchases until Lumileds releases the K2. I realize the specs might be overstated, but the prospect of 60 lumens at 350mA is very exciting. There will be a whole lotta upgrade modding going on if it isn't vaporware.

BTW, have you checked the interior of your light, as Trashman suggested? I had a similar flickering problem with a Lux-3 modded Arc AAA (though it wasn't as bad as you're describing), and it just turned out to be a dirty negative contact.

Read this thread for some tips. After all, the internals of the Arc AAA and Mag Solitaire can't be all that different, can they? *Ducks to avoid thrown objects from Arc-o-philes and Mag-o-phobes*

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=93135

I like my Arc AAA, but I may get a Fenix at some point.

Hookd_On_Photons said:

Personally, I'm going to hold off on any major LED light purchases until Lumileds releases the K2. I realize the specs might be overstated, but the prospect of 60 lumens at 350mA is very exciting.

Click to expand...

I agree. The K2 will produce 60 lumens at 1 watt.

That means an Arc III-size K2 light powered by one e2 lithium AAA would produce 60 lumens for 1.2 hours.

Or a tiny Orb RAW-size K2 light powered by a CR2 would produce 60 lumens for nearly 2.5 hours.

Or a 1x CR123A K2 light (e.g. K2 version of HDC EDC, Peak Caribbean, Nuwai Q3) would produce 60 lumens for 4.5 hours.

http://www.lumileds.com/lightfair2005/Luxeon_K2_Lightfair.pdf
http://data.energizer.com/

I woud love to see a lux with a rotory switch off >low> med> high. on the backend with a lug end not much bigger then the ARC AAA, twist it to get your level. I have seen switch's like this very small that would work.
This would give back some battery time and still blast when you need it.
You would grip the lug wing to turn It would work, I have seen a similar switch on a piece of music gear small or smaller then a AAA batt tube. HDS would be a perfect to build this, since Henry seems to have a talent in matching a great LED to good runtime.VDG

Wow,

Thanks for all the replies.

Sound like it could be worth my while waiting for either the new AAA Peak Luxeon of something using a K2. Does anyone have any ballpark timescale as to when these might become available?

I can survive with my modded Solitaire for the time being - it's just annoying that it switches on and off while you turn it on and try to focus it (as much as you can focus a Solitaire, anyway ) Don't think there's much I can do to "fix" it - the spring in the tailcap is certainly long enough and hasn't become compressed.

Once again, many thanks for taking the time and effort to offer your advice.

Face

joema said:

That means an Arc III-size K2 light powered by one e2 lithium AAA would produce 60 lumens for 1.2 hours.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure something that small could provide adequate cooling.

I used to own a TNC AAA/N with an underdriven 1w Luxeon. It never got hot, but the reflector size was such it was very much a "flood" light a la Surefire L4. I compared it to my old Arc AAA LE shining it across my yard outdoors, and despite 3x the output the throw wasn't really much better than the Arc's. Go figure.

Beautiful white beam, though. I'll be very impressed if the K2 lives up to spec. But I think any Luxeon in a AAA formfactor will likely end up being underdriven (due to heat) and be a flood beam due to the reflector size.

My soli mod is a 26K or nichia CS 5mm's in a DD with a 10k or 6.6K ohm resistor running off a 3.7(4.2)V l ion last's forever, and is brighter and equal or better throw then my beloved new ARC AAA-P's. this with stock reflectors. I have a modded reflector that really throws with a great spill.

It's not as small, or tuff as my arc's or peaks but it's a reliable setup and cheap:
$5 host
$2 or so for LED's
9 bucks for a batt and charger.
few cents for a resistor

And as long as you don't scratch up the reflector it's seems taylor made for a 5mm LED. VDG