Decent 3x AAA flashlight?

[edro]

dunno which dx.com model you're referring to, but i haven't had any problems with the 8 sk68 type lights i have. i have some 14500 batteries on the way too, and i'm curious how much brighter they get.

If a AA light can handle 14500s, it can more than double the output.
It depends on the control circuitry, but most I have seen scale the current linearly with the voltage.

3.7v/1.5v=2.5x the output

 

[uhohs]

We're talking about the rc-g2, right?

ah, ok.

 

[fatpat268]

If a AA light can handle 14500s, it can more than double the output.
It depends on the control circuitry, but most I have seen scale the current linearly with the voltage.

3.7v/1.5v=2.5x the output

The problem with 14500s for me is their ridiculously low capacity. I believe most of them are around 900mah, roughly equivalent of a AAA (at a higher voltage though). So if I'm going with a lithium cell, it has to be an 18500 at ~3000mah.

 

[edro]

I just checked some notes.

I have a UniqueFire S10 that takes 1 AA or 14500.
I measured the current at the tail cap with both.
AA = 1.56v, .30A
14500 = 4.12v, 1.75A

Cree XR-E @ .30A = 89 lm
Cree XR-E @ 1.75A = 418 lm
(Based on XR-E datasheet)

So, in this flashlight, a 14500 is 4.7 times as bright!

 

[JEDI]

whats the runtime on the sk68 on niMH aa? 14500s?

 

[Muse]

Flashlight tech is accelerating so quickly that you can get a couple year old model for pretty cheap.

A lot of the high end lights are 500+ lumens, when a 200 lumen (true lumens from a reputable mfg) light is plenty for most applications.
200 lumens is a ton brighter than traditional Maglights we have used for years.

I almost never use my Maglights anymore. I have a couple of 2x AA Maglights.

Around 5 years ago I spotted a deal at Costco (think I was tipped off in a thread) for Luxeon flashlights in a two pack and I drove to several Costcos on the same day and bought 6 two-packs in all. I think they were closing out on them and I spent close to $100 on the bunch. I've got those 12 flashlights stashed all over the house and one in my car. They are pretty primitive compared to what they have now, evidently, judging from all the threads/reviews I'm seeing since starting this thread a few days ago. Those Luxeons use 2x AA's, and around 1/2 of mine have Eneloops in them. They give off decent light, the battery life is just OK. Each light is different, it's odd. Some are rather cool, others have a much warmer cast, more red and yellow in the beam. The patterns aren't exactly consistent either. The beam is not very narrow or regular, but it's light. One doesn't much care what the beam looks like, just that it illuminates what you want to see. They are OK for illuminating up to maybe 25 feet. I kind of think that once I have an EDC (mine shipped yesterday) I may not use those Luxeons much. They're heavy (thick aluminum!), 6.91 oz with batteries, cold in the hand... I have wrapped a few of them to alleviate that. However, they've kept on working, although one did stop working I managed to get it working again. I do hate a flashlight that's finicky, or stops working, of course. I've had to toss a few. I will never again buy a flashlight that uses D batteries, I figure. I still have a few including a couple that use 4 D cells, have flourescent bulbs, they are designed for emergencies, i.e. the big earthquake that's due here.

 

[shortylickens]

I still keep our old maglites around the house for backups. When we burn up the bulbs I have some projects for those hollow metal tubes.

 

[T2urtle]

I still keep our old maglites around the house for backups. When we burn up the bulbs I have some projects for those hollow metal tubes.

Pipe bomb? Lol


I have like 5 2xAA maglites. Some with led conversions. All pretty much useless now. Light output is poor. Battery life stinks. My phone led is so much better.

 

[Muse]

I still keep our old maglites around the house for backups. When we burn up the bulbs I have some projects for those hollow metal tubes.

I discovered a use for mine this morning (before sunrise) -- the light's remarkably warm, so it's good to take out in the dark to pick tomatoes. The object is to find the really red ones and they show up way better with a warm toned light. I've now got it tucked next to my back door.

ShortyL, it may give you a little satisfaction to know I not only ordered the flashlight you recommended the most highly (ITP A3 EOS), but piggybacked on the same Amazon order the 12 movie Andi Sidaris movie collection you recommended in the what movies have you seen lately thread. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Keeper]

I discovered a use for mine this morning (before sunrise) -- the light's remarkably warm, so it's good to take out in the dark to pick tomatoes. The object is to find the really red ones and they show up way better with a warm toned light. I've now got it tucked next to my back door.

ShortyL, it may give you a little satisfaction to know I not only ordered the flashlight you recommended the most highly (ITP A3 EOS), but piggybacked on the same Amazon order the 12 movie Andi Sidaris movie collection you recommended in the what movies have you seen lately thread. Thanks for the ideas!

Telephone men and electricians wont use LED. There are certain colors you cant differenetiate with LED.
With the recent storm here, Sandy, I used those FREE HF to death. We had NO power for 12 days. Everyone who came in, got one. This was peeing... Grabbing a soda, walking the dog, never an issue. Click walk.
To be honest, I have had one run out af battery, I scraped it . Never replaced the battery. Never even thought of it.
I feel a tad ashamed LOL......

Great, ashamed and FLASHLIGHT envy......

 

[edro]

Telephone men and electricians wont use LED. There are certain colors you cant differenetiate with LED.
With the recent storm here, Sandy, I used those FREE HF to death. We had NO power for 12 days. Everyone who came in, got one. This was peeing... Grabbing a soda, walking the dog, never an issue. Click walk.
To be honest, I have had one run out af battery, I scraped it . Never replaced the battery. Never even thought of it.
I feel a tad ashamed LOL......
Great, ashamed and FLASHLIGHT envy......

You just need an LED with warmer color temperature and higher CRI.
Cheap MFGs use 6000K+ color temperature (cheapest and brightest) and the CRI is low.

 

[shortylickens]

I discovered a use for mine this morning (before sunrise) -- the light's remarkably warm, so it's good to take out in the dark to pick tomatoes. The object is to find the really red ones and they show up way better with a warm toned light. I've now got it tucked next to my back door.

ShortyL, it may give you a little satisfaction to know I not only ordered the flashlight you recommended the most highly (ITP A3 EOS), but piggybacked on the same Amazon order the 12 movie Andi Sidaris movie collection you recommended in the what movies have you seen lately thread. Thanks for the ideas!

Enjoy the bimbos.

Also, if color temp is important for tasks, consider a multicolor flashlight.

http://www.amazon.com/Color-shine-Mu...dp/B000PKR8YQ/

Pretty much the entire rainbow, you just have to play with it.

 

[The_Dude8]

We're talking about the rc-g2, right?

nope, the rc-g2 and sk68 are not the same lights.

 

[wirednuts]

another thing about AAA flashlights is they normally have a battery holder you must put the cells in- which is just another part that can break or get lost.

i havent had any problems with dx flashlights. i dont buy the $2 ones though... theyre all the $24+ ones. they have a new $60 one that looks to be well over 2000 lumen real output on a single led. i want that. i did buy a cheap ($25 after 50% off) AAx2 light from newegg once, and that was ok for a few months then it would intermittently flicker. it got so annoying that i finally threw it at a concrete wall as hard as i could. i got more enjoyment out of doing that then i did actually using the flashlight.

 

[CZroe]

another thing about AAA flashlights is they normally have a battery holder you must put the cells in- which is just another part that can break or get lost.

i havent had any problems with dx flashlights. i dont buy the $2 ones though... theyre all the $24+ ones. they have a new $60 one that looks to be well over 2000 lumen real output on a single led. i want that. i did buy a cheap ($25 after 50% off) AAx2 light from newegg once, and that was ok for a few months then it would intermittently flicker. it got so annoying that i finally threw it at a concrete wall as hard as i could. i got more enjoyment out of doing that then i did actually using the flashlight.

Yep, and it's usually the size of the C or D battery that it should have taken in the first place, though I'd prefer single AA.

 

[fatpat268]

nope, the rc-g2 and sk68 are not the same lights.

I know.

uhohs was responding to a post by edro who commented on the rc-g2. There he was comparing the sk68.

Btw, if anyone have the rc-g2, they won't run on 14500s. You'll get a bright flash, but it'll immediately turn back off. Doesn't seem to harm the led though.

 

[AgentUnknown]

Surefire flashlights will do the trick. Well worth the money.

 

[Muse]

My ITP A3 EOS Upgrade 1 AAA arrived this afternoon and I couldn't be happier with it. I immediately removed the chain and clip ring, reversed the clip, dropped in a just-charged Eneloop. The light levels are perfection, the twist on/off easily done one handed, particularly when it's on the bill of my baseball cap. On the brightest setting it is remarkably brighter than my Luxeons, my Cateye and Halogen bike lights and has a far more pleasing throw pattern and spectrum cast. On the low setting, it's great on the bill of my cap for reading the newspaper. I'll be doing some work in the attic over the next few days and will have hands-free light far more comfortably than with my bike headlamp, plus the light output is adjustable.

It came with two spare O rings. Is it possible to get more if needed? How long do the O rings last? My local Ace hardware has lots of O rings, maybe they have this size.

 

[Muse]

Telephone men and electricians wont use LED. There are certain colors you cant differenetiate with LED.
With the recent storm here, Sandy, I used those FREE HF to death. We had NO power for 12 days. Everyone who came in, got one. This was peeing... Grabbing a soda, walking the dog, never an issue. Click walk.
To be honest, I have had one run out af battery, I scraped it . Never replaced the battery. Never even thought of it.
I feel a tad ashamed LOL......

Great, ashamed and FLASHLIGHT envy......

When I awoke from my first night's sleep after receiving my new iTP A3 EOS mini-flash I realized that these puppies are very much phallic symbols. Yeah, my dreams confirmed it!

For the time being, I'm not scrapping my FREE HF crapolas. They are hanging from big magnets. BTW, the iTP A3 EOS is not aluminum, it's SS, anodized, and does hang from a magnet if so desired. The magnetic attraction is not intense, but sufficient to defeat gravity.

The iTP, with its clip reversed, on high (or even medium) makes a pretty adequate headlamp clipped to a baseball cap, I've determined. Done it a few times already. It's brighter than my dedicated Coast 3x AAA LED headlamp!!!

The only thing I can think of that would make this even better would be a beam width adjustment feature so it would work better for reading the newspaper (again, on bill of cap, on low, it really helps in some light). It works OK, but a wider throw would be better for this service. I love this thing.