With 2013 LED technology- who has switched back to AAs for their flashlights?

You're missing my argument a bit. My argument was more against low voltage AA batteries, not the 14500 size. The OP is talking about moving back to standard AA lights. 1.2-1.5 volt 14mm wide, 50mm long sized batteries.

I'm saying, why. Just run lithiums in whatever size pleases you. 18650 is by far the highest energy dense size, but if that is too big for EDC (Though they make some very small 18650 lights these days ) 14500 lithiums are great, as are CR123. http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/images/upload/Image/DSCF4276.JPG

Image tags removed see Rule #3 Do not Hot Link images. Please host on an image site, Imageshack or similar and repost – Thanks Norm


I just don't see the need to run these.

reppans said:

Your analysis is missing some pertinent info.
- 1.5V Energizer L91s and Titanium Innovations 3V CRAA/14505 are both lithium primaries with the same watt hrs (4.5) of energy as a CR123s.
- RCR123/16340s claiming 750mah is a marketing misnomer, their capacity is more like 550-600 (per HKJs battery reviews). Also you should compare this cell to 14500s, which do have 750 mah, and are an option for us "AA" light users.

As a camper and a bit of a SHTF prepper, for me, runtime is king and that includes the ability to cannibalize batts from my other devices (all my camping/travel/emergency gadgets are Eneloop based), buy cells in any gas station, and scavenge common household batts. With the piece of tinfoil I EDC in my wallet, in a pinch, I can power my wide-voltage 1x"AA" light using AAAAs from a 9V, AAAs, AAs, CR123s, 18650s, etc. Course, the other big priority for me is that I can use my flashlight cell to power another device like my 2xAA cellphone charger, and the same tinfoil will let me use my 3v CRAAs in my other 2-cell, and 14500s in my other 3-4 cell, devices.

Lots of options with wide-voltage 1xAA lights.... love them.

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As to you norm, my argument again was that, you could get your 100 lumens for far longer run time. Take the 4sevens Quark AA vs 123. The 'High' on both is 85 lumens, but you get 2.7 hours on the 123 vs 1.5 hours on the AA. Imagine the AA format with a 14500 will be the same/longer.

So again, why run AA (NiMH or Alk)?

Norm said:

I'm not in the group you describe, I find the 100+ lumens I get from my EDC running on 1 Eneloop gives me plenty of light and an hour and a half runtime on high or almost 40 hours on medium. I live in a small rural town and if I'm venturing out of town I carry a larger light. A 100 lumens is far more than the EDC had access to when I started this Journey.

I have plenty of brighter lights to choose from but I don't feel the need to EDC more than a 100 lumens and a 1 AA light is small enough not to be noticed in my pocket.

Norm

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I have the DQG mini 18650 and it is a good budget light. Gets very hot quickly on high and it is not water resistant.

Every light is a compromise. Throw vs. flood. Size vs. runtime. Price/availability vs. quality/materials. Even with these compromises considered, I believe the advances in led technology have given AA lights (and AAA lights) greater viability. When I started this journey, AA lights were not players. I believe they are now.

I do have an AA light that does not take li-ions, can be operated with one hand, has a Nichia 219 emitter, a few trits and is waterproof:

twl said:

After my first alka-leak, I swore off that rotten technology.
Alkaline is the worst of all possible worlds.

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I have a bunch of alkaline AA batteries that I bought before squiring all of my enloops. I've been using them, but I only have them in the two flashlights that I currently edc. I store ALL of my other flashlights empty and just put in batteries as needed.

This allows me to check the status of the edc's batteries several times a week. I gave my wife and girls some AAA & AA mini flash lights (Sunwayman & Thrunite) and I spent the extra for the e95s since I know they won't check the batteries regularly.

Nothing wrong with alkalines as long as you don't pop them in a light and then let them sit for months.

Empty the lights that you are not using REGARDLESS of the battery type.

Regarding the OP's question.

I actually have been buying more AA lights lately. ITP A2 eos, Zebra SC52w (which I returned), Fenix LD10. Currently I'm looking at the Sunwayman V11R with an AA adapter tube.

Some of the newer AA lights make my E11 look like an antique!

My best single aa thrower is a cheap sipik68 with a dedomed xp-e. Ok on a aa, really comes to life with a 14500 :)

I never joined the cr122a club because I was a poor student in law school. I had a stream light task light that was expensive to feed, so when I ordered my first fenix single AA light I was thrilled. Sure, it was only 120 lumens, but that was about as bright as my stream light was with 2 cr123As...

then I discovered the quark line, and purchased a quark tactical single AA mostly for the long runtime on moonlight with a single AA cell. Perfect for long backpacking trips and for emergencies when you don't want to blow through cells.

i remember when foursevens released the quark turbo 2AA, and bought one. The amount of light from that light really impressed me and covered all my needs at that time.

then I started reading this forum, and ordered three 14500s and took the single AA body from my original quark tactical single AA and put that body with the quark turbo head, and created this light, which was at the time my dream all around light. It would do 200+ lumens with the rechargeable 14500 in a small package, and when I was out of 14500s I could tuna single AA with the turbo head and still get close to 130 lumens. It became the perfect emergency light, especially because it had the long-running moonlight mode, and the great reflector of the turbo head was awesome. If I wanted extra light with the AAs, I could just Lego in the 2AA body and get the same output I was getting with my 14500s.



then I bought a TK40, and had my first 500+ lumens light and it ran on 4 or 8 AAs, and by that time I had about 30 eneloop cells at my house and a few good chargers. Still have the TK40 and use it often. It's the light kept in the kitchen used by the family, set on medium, ready to provide a wall of light if needed.




now, I'm balanced and using li-ion a tad more. M really enjoying my new quark turboX with burst mode. I either have it powered by a 14500 in a AA body for EDC use, or a 17670 for when I know I'm going to use the light more than just intermittently because the turboX eats the 14500s pretty quick. I have the original 2AA quark turbo head paired with a cr123a body loaded with RCR123s li-ions for the extra-small pocket rocket, and really, the easy light to hold with my lips when that is needed cause its small and light...

here are my 3 every day carry lights, and I am waiting for my EA8 to arrive, so I think that AA lights will be balanced equally in my collection with li-ion lights. I won't be using cr123a primaries in the future, now that I have about ten rcr123as in my battery rotation.

LightOnAHill said:

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What brand/model of light is this? :confused:

wjv said:

What brand/model of light is this? :confused:

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4sevens preon

Etsu said:

Well, that kind of heavy-handed moderation is what drives some people to other sites. (I'd mention one, but it's probably against some rule... sigh.) I suppose there's some rational for it, but it does make things look too policed.

However, this is by far the best site for flashlight information, so at least it hasn't hurt that part. And aside from some recent site hacks, the information is readily available. (Except for discount codes... :fail:)

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Discount codes are a benefit of being a CPF member, I'm aware they are copied elsewhere, it's not a secret society, they are directly available to anyone who cares to join. There's some rational, lots of club and societies have benefits for their members this is no different, how is that heavy handed?

If you want to discuss the matter further please do so via PM and we won't disrupt this thread any further.

bluemax_1 said:

Discount thread? Where might that be? CPF Marketplace?


Max

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"CPF Specials" webpages/dealers

Norm

anethema said:

As to you norm, my argument again was that, you could get your 100 lumens for far longer run time. Take the 4sevens Quark AA vs 123. The 'High' on both is 85 lumens, but you get 2.7 hours on the 123 vs 1.5 hours on the AA. Imagine the AA format with a 14500 will be the same/longer.

So again, why run AA (NiMH or Alk)?

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My reasoning was in post #60.

Norm said:

I find the 100+ lumens I get from my EDC running on 1 Eneloop gives me plenty of light and an hour and a half runtime on high or almost 40 hours on medium.

Norm

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To add, I have other family members who EDC the same light and I'm far more comfortable with them EDCing a Light using Ni-mh, I see no advantage for my use in using Li-ion.

Norm

wjv said:

Nothing wrong with alkalines as long as you don't pop them in a light and then let them sit for months.

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This is exactly how most lights, and for that matter most electronic devices, are kept, unless they are being placed in long term storage. When someone needs a light that is kept in the house or car, they probably do not want to have to hunt for batteries for it.

For better or worse, I have a decent supply of alkalines in my home as well as my office. However, within the past few days, I have discarded 2 mini-Maglights which contained leaking alkalines, and came close to losing a scientific calculator to leaking alkalines. Incandescent Maglights are inexpensive, so the loss of the lights was no big deal. However after almost losing a calculator with a replacement cost of about $150, I am more than ready to move away from alkalines as my current supply is depleted, if not before.

The fact that the M31LL 219 gets over an hour on a single eneloop has ensured that I will always have some AA lights around, well, that and the the current run of QTC Peaks.

But standardizing, no.

I like that my emergency ham radios and phone chargers run on AA's and it's a tempting thought, but the sheer energy density of the 18650 and that particular form factor is just way too appealing. For my camping needs, I could not imagine being without my Wildcat or Malkoff converted M6, etc.

And, as much as I hate to admit it, for EDC... I tend to like to have sheer lumens when needed and have just not gotten that from a AA light yet- So my EDC combo tends to be a AAA along with a honking 18650 on tap.

Still, I do love this particular rig:

Thanks for the link Norm! Don't know how I missed that thread this entire time.


Max

I just dropped a dime for the Sunwayman D40A so I guess I'm officially back to "AA" based lights <grin>.
In truth I never really left them because I standardized all my camping gear on "AA" batteries years ago so that I could swap if needed.

However, I do keep CR123 based lights in my vehicles simply because of shelf life and how well they handle temperature swings (especially winter cold)

It is one of my fond hopes that the protected 18650 cell becomes more mainstream. I know a lot of camping gear that would perform far better with that as a power source, especially my beloved portable fan!

anethema said:

You're missing my argument a bit. My argument was more against low voltage AA batteries, not the 14500 size. The OP is talking about moving back to standard AA lights. 1.2-1.5 volt 14mm wide, 50mm long sized batteries.

So again, why run AA (NiMH or Alk)?

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The OP "remembered" a few posts later.... ;-)

GarageBoy said:

Come to think about it, 14500/AA lights are perfect for me

Li Ion- for the previously unthinkable light levels AND takes regular AAs as a back up/loaner light duty

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The ubiquitous nature of AA cells and devices make them a compelling option. I've standardized on the AA format for emergency, utility, and off grid use and keep a variety of alkaline/lithium/NiMh/14500 cells and charging systems around. Most of my car, camping, and utility lights are in AA format as a result.

But for EDC and special purpose use I still have more CR123/RCR123/16340/18650 lights than AA lights. While there are a number of AA format lights (in 14500 format at least) that perform as well or better than equivalent 123 format lights, that's not the norm yet. So I keep a variety of 123 variants around too for powering EDC or more special purpose lights.

For me the Zebralight SC52 was the first conventional AA light I found adequate for my EDC. And I am not yet aware of any others I'd carry with conventional AAs although there are a number that I'd use with 14500s. And I really like some of the convertibles that can do 123 or AA for their versatility. I'm looking forward to eventually settling on a single format for most of my lights but I'm still not there yet.

Speaking of AA batteries, I was out with my brother and a couple of friends yesterday. And we decided to go hang out in a spot out in the woods where we've hung out for years. He grabbed his trusty old 3D Mag that he's had for years. Alot of the time, I'll grab my somewhat more beat-up looking 3D Mag, which now houses a Malkoff XM-L2. But he KNOWS that light is alot brighter than his. So instead, I decided to go simple. I grabbed my L3 Illuminations L10, along with a case with three extra batteries. This light is certainly no powerhouse - maybe on a par with the ubiquitous SK68. However, mine has the XP-G2 rather than the Nichia 219. So it puts out a solid 120 lumens. This is not very bright compared to most lights today. But it's enough to get the job done the vast majority of the time.


In any case, I think what surprised ALL of us was just how impressive that cheap, little L10 was compared to my friend's 3D Mag. Although 120 lumens is considered weak these days, it EASILY put to shame the dim, orange light my friend was getting from his Mag (which probably was underperforming more than it had to due to weak alkalines). Given the fact that it wasn't very long ago that the 3D Mag seemed like a pretty bright light, it REALLY gave me a renewed respect for the little L10 (and 1AA lights in general). Back in the days that I hiked in the Sierra at night with 3D and 4D Mags, I would have LOVED to have a light as powerful as the L10.


It also made me think back to looking at lights at Fry's back around 2005. I recall getting all excited to see a light that put out as much as 80-100 lumens. Excited to the point that I almost bought the light. But the thing that brought me 'back to Earth' was seeing that it took CR123 batteries. The LAST thing I wanted was a light that took expensive, oddball batteries that you couldn't get just anywhere. So I would simply pass. But when I think back at that, I REALLY appreciate how a cheap light such as the L10 produces MORE lumens than those older lights, and can do it for around 1:15-1:40 (depending on the cells) with just a single, common AA battery. Gotta love progress!

I went from Surefire G2 running 2 CR123 batteries to a Quark AA2 Turbo primarily because of the cost of CR123 in UK stores. They are currently £8.50 ($13.50 USD) for one!

I had an AA charger and some rechargables already so was set with the AA2 Turbo...

Then came the Nitecore EA4 - Massive output on only 4 AAs. Its a great torch but the spill is massive and I like throw, also the lowest mode is 65 lumens, blinding when in-doors at night... So I upgraded yesterday to a TK75L2. I thought about the EA8 and it seemed the 'sensible' thing to go all out

A low of 18 lumens (25 I think with the new version) Big throw, big spill, reasonably small in physical side. On a downside it runs on 4 18650s which cost a pretty penny for the charger and 4 cells (Fenix ARB-L2 2600 mAh 18650) I based the battery choice on this thread - http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?348959-Batteries-for-Fenix-TK-75/page2
Not sure the mAh rating being 2600 instead of 3100 / 3400 makes too much of a difference. I would rather stick to fenix batteries in a fenix torch and have higher power for shorter runtime, then fade quickly

PS, I live in a city centre and dont really have much need for lights at all. Used for camping, festivals and maybe a bit of night skiing once a year. But mainly because I love how simple torches are but complected when you know about them. To my mates they are either bright or not so bright and turn on or off :)

My latest AA acquisitions:

Four lights (L-R) Fenix LD10, ITP A2 eos, EagleTac D25A (NW), L3 Illumination L10 (NW)


LD10 - 3L, A2 - 1.5L, D25A - 0.5L, L10 - 0.09L

LD10 - 100L, A2 - 80L, D25A - 110L, L10 - 80L

Hotspots
LD10 - 100L, A2 - 80L, D25A - 110L, L10 - 80L

White Box Test LD10 - 3L

White Box Test A2 - 1.5L

White Box Test D25A - 0.5L

White Box Test L10 - 0.09L


The only additional comment I'd have is that the photo make the EagleTac look a LOT greener that it really is. In real life it looks more of a yellow-beige. It seems like when you use the auto white balancing and try to take a photo of multiple lights, it brings out the worst tint in all of the light! :(

The White Box test gives a truer rendition of the actual beam colors.

I'm a bit stuck inbetween like some. I use the LD20/22 a lot and love that it's on AA, but I also used to own an Olight M30 on 18650. Recently I lost that light though and it was my only one on those batteries. Today I got an TK41 which is on AA again, but I'm also eyeing the TK75.
As a general rule I prefer the longer runtime and higher power of the 18650 but I wouldn't want to be without any AA light, simply because I already have a lot of those batteries and it's the common standard.

I have almost completely transitioned to AAs, with two exceptions: my KT4 Surefire Lego that is mounted to a rifle, and a FiveMega-bodied 6P with a 3x Nichia high-CRI drop-in module, both 18650. There are no more primary-powered lights in this house, because I gave away all my CR123A lights and batteries. I have two Foursevens lights that use AAs, a Nitecore, a Zebralight 1st-gen headlamp (my whole family still uses them), there's a PrincetonTec Apex, an Inova, a modded 1D mag and a Fenix TK41... All AA. Honestly with the reliability, performance, and ubiquity of Eneloops (they power everything in my house except the smoke detectors) I have very little reason besides idle amusement to consider other power sources.

Honestly, my Fousevens Mini AA (tops out at just over 100 lumens for a bit over an hour) can handle 95% of the lighting tasks I need done - the others are gravy. If I could just get one with a neutral temperature and high CRI I'd call it the perfect light. The high CRI version I have is way too warm for my tastes but still capable.


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