led replacement bulb vs led flashlight

Hi, I needed to register myself again because I forgot the pwd, the original email, not the user (conejo). This is only my sixth theme, but I often read this forum and flashlightreviews, both very interesting. Your posts sometimes are difficult for me because of my poor english level (non academic specially), so I apologize if my question has been dealed in previous posts and I hope you can help me.

Finally I bought a xenon flashlight 220 lumens for long range ... and now I am interested in choose one of the following options:
- a Terralux TL5 or TL10 for my maglite (AA or AAA, I do not remember and it is at the country home)
- a EverLed replament bulb for any of my old 2 or 3 cells flashlights.
- Any cheap flashlight with regulation circuitry and as maximum lumens as possible (Inova, costco, Fenix ...?) with only one or two AA or AAA batteries.


thanks, i hope your comments

The thing I like about an EverLed is you can try it in different lights to get the results (size, beam shape, throw and form factor) you want.

I read good (not great) stuff about the Terralux items.

My EDC light is my favorite. A Minim*g with a LUXIII and a reflector. Mine is a Lambda pill but I understand the Sandwiche Shoppe has something quite similar.

I can speak on the Everled with some authority. I have one Lowdome Teal Everled that does not work well in a smooth reflector. But I have a Highdome White Everled that is quite happy in a 2D M*g with 3C power. However just as with a Xenon bulb, focus must be pretty much left at tight.

Compared Side-by-Side with a Dorcy Metal Gear 3D, the Everled has as tight a spot with a more blueish tint, but the Dorcy has GREAT spill light. The Everled has good spill. As a side note, the Dorcy was cheaper too!

Good luck in your quest! It took me a while to find the good stuff!

TLE-5 $30 1 watt luxeon. Get the newer Lamberton, the reviews on the older side emitters are mixed. Reflector for AA minimag only.
TLE-10 $20 1/2 watt rigel. Beam pattern is more annoying than the beamshots at flashlight reviews or LED museum would indicate. The yellow corona around the white center hotspot makes this a 2 colour light making the reading of labels and other detailled work stressful on the eyes. I put a piece of textured plastic between the lens and reflector and got a warm white flood. Reflectors for both AA & AAA minimags.
Everled $40. Versatile but expensive. Again get the Lamberton. CPF posts indicate it focuses better than the side emitter.

For the price of the above, you can buy complete lights. The reflectors are usually matched to the LEDs giving at least an acceptable beam pattern.

For 2AA There is the new 4 hour regulated Streamlight jr at Brightguy. Dorcy, Nuwai, River Rock and others also make them. See what is available locally.

For 1AA the Fenix is probably your best bet.
The new Xnova 1AA 8LED from Lighthound is slightly brighter than the TLE-10. Or maybe it is just whiter. There is a loose tailcap problem. And 1 CPFer reported his unit died in the rain. But it is under $6.

For 4AAA check out the PT attitude.

I am not aware of any production 2AAA light that is bright.

If you have a charger that can charge 3 batteries (not just 2 or 4) the possibilities go up There is a lot more of those as no boost circuit is necessary.

Finally consider stealing the bulb from a flashlight to put in another. Sears has a Craftsman 3AAA i watt tool light with the Luxeon in a PR base bulb for $15. Some CPFers have been buying it on sale in the last 2 weeks and putting the bulb in 3D mags. Do NOT think this bulb will work in a 2 cell flashlight.

Thanks.

Where can i get information and purchasing Lamberton?

And where Xnova less than 6$? Is it a mistake? The cheaper Inova that I have found is 40$ or more.

LEDninja said:

I am not aware of any production 2AAA light that is bright.

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Great summary of the light options there LEDninja!

The only point I disagree with is there being no 2AAA bright lights. I find the River Rock 2AAA decently bright. Granted, my definition of bright not be the same as yours...

jkuo13 said:

Great summary of the light options there LEDninja!

The only point I disagree with is there being no 2AAA bright lights. I find the River Rock 2AAA decently bright. Granted, my definition of bright not be the same as yours...

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River rock is not available in Canada so I do not know much about it. Now you jogged my memory, there are a number of 2AAA 1/2 watt around such as the Nuwai TM-311H.

what LEDninja said!!!

I bought the TLE-5 lamberton for a AA Minmag and it improved it a great deal with a very nice beam. but, you can buy complete lights for the same if not cheaper as LEDninja pointed out.

I also bought the TLE-10 for a AAA minimag and the beam although much brighter than the stock incan is, well, a bit on the ugly side IMO. A lot of blue with the yellow rings. I wouldn't buy it again. YMMV but I doubt it.


hope this helps.

LEDninja said: "...For the price of the above, you can buy complete lights. The reflectors are usually matched to the LEDs giving at least an acceptable beam pattern...I am not aware of any production 2AAA light that is bright..."

Ditto the above. The low end LED Mag upgrades (e.g, Quadstar) don't produce much light. The higher end upgrades (e.g, MaxStar2) produce substantial output but cost more than a brand new flashlight.

One caveat is the Nite-Ize Minimag LED upgrade. It's very inexpensive ($5) produces output roughly equal to the stock light, but much longer running time.

A brand new Streamlight Propoly Lux 4AA is about $23 here: http://www.fox-intl.com/item.asp?id=338 and in many ways it's better than an upgraded 3D Mag. Smaller, lighter, excellent throw, decent run time.

If you want a big Mag-style LED light, the LEDBeam is just $29, has lots of output, excellent throw and free shipping (at least in the US):

http://www.ledbeam.com/

Somewhat more expensive but in the same size category is the Elektrolumens Blaster 3P:

http://elektrolumens.com/Blaster-3P/BL-3P.html

As already stated the Fenix, etc. are excellent smaller lights.

OK, thanks.

- I am going to wait for the fenix review
- Streamlight ProPoly lux 4aa seems to be a good choice. Is it possible to use NiMH batteries? (Only alkalines are recommended)
I am going to buy one of them, perhaps both.

At ledmuseum Ledxtreme predator & inova t4 seems to be better lux measures than at FLreviews. Am I wrong? Why?

In the future ...
- TL5 for upgrading my maglite (firstly I need to check if my mmag is aa or aaa, but I need firstly to recover my broken honda to go to the country house). I think it is a pity not to upgrade the mmag.
- Everled could be a good choice for an C or D flashlight that I have got in my honda, it is a non brand flashlight, from a old spanish flying company used by their mechanics and it is very good.
- Ledbeam ... perhaps i will buy one in the future, it is cheap and big and one of the throwests .

lagarto308 said:

...Streamlight ProPoly lux 4aa seems to be a good choice....Is it possible to use NiMH batteries?...

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It's been tested by users with both NiMH and e2 lithium cells. See run time plots of each battery type in this thread:

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=94482&highlight=propoly+4aa+runtime+plots

Are there lithium AA & AAA cells rechargeables?

No they aren't rechargeable. If you want rechargeable in the Propoly Lux 4AA, use AA NiMH batteries.

At least around here, the Sears 1W is now selling for $20.

I plan to buy an EVERled for my mag 6c, and my only regret was giving up some reach, but this high dome version might address that problem.

Has anyone ever reviewed the high dome version of the EVERled?

I'm wondering just how much volume the high dome gives up, in exchange for a longer throw.