1x AA Flashlights

U

UnknownVT

Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
2,575
I've long been enthusiastic about flashlights that could use a single (alkaline) AA battery.

With the event of the LED this has become reality - firstly with modest but eminently practical personal task lights like the now legendary CMG Infinity Ultra and its desirable variant the CMG Ultra-G.

Recently single AA lights have taken a relatively significant step up.....

One fairly cheaply, with some ties still with the older technology - but still a noticable step up - the 8LED 1AA "Xnova" (read about it via this link - with lots of comparison beamshots and discussion) - it's great for $5.49 flashlight....

EDC_home8.jpg


The other is perhaps a little more significant - a single AA battery 1 watt Luxeon light that I just got from a GroupBuy over at CandlePowerForum (CPF)

Fenix L1 v2.5 (Non-Premium)

FenixL1.jpg


For a single AA battery light (using only a plain Alkaline AA) it compared very favorably with other well known Luxeon lights using multiple cells or even lithium cells -

vs. Nuwai Q3 (3 watt Luxeon on fresh lithium CR123)
FenixL1_Q3.jpg
FenixL1_Q3_2U.jpg


The Fenix L1 v2.5 acquits itself well for an under $30 light - that runs on a single ordinary alkaline AA battery.......

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
That's definitely bright! You mentioned you got it from 4sevens...is he building these or importing them?
 
Peter Atwood wrote: "from 4sevens...is he building these or importing them?"

CPF member 4sevens imported them direct from Fenix lights as what eventually turned out to be a huge CPF GroupBuy.

see this thread link -

GROUPB: Fenix L1 and L1P - **CLOSED** (4) (
multipage.gif
1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page )

it's on the 4th thread - because CPF used to close threads when they reach or exceed 200 posts.

details of the v2.5 **MAJOR UPDATE**

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
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oh "X"nova i was thinking inova and i hadnt ever seen an inova like that lol was wondering WTF?

actually havent heard of xnova either, looks pretty cool for $6 though.
 
Steven Andrews said:
I like my Arc AA.
Click to expand...

Not to take anything away from the Arc AA - which by any account is a fabulous light.

But it is, along with the original ArcAAA and the CMG Ultra-G, based on a single 5mm Nichia white LED - very efficient and bright for what it is.

BUT both the 1 AA lights I wrote about are several magnitudes brighter than any single 5mm Nichia white LED light - that's why I posted.

The "Xnova" 8 has 8 white LEDs, and Fenix L1 v2.5 is based on the Luxeon I 1watt LED and advertized at 38 lumens....

Just to illustrate the difference - I don't have an Arc AA - but I do have an ArcAAA and 2x Ultra-G which are both similar in brightness characteristic as the Arc AA -
I used an Ultra-G 1x AA to compare -
Xnova8UltraG2U.jpg
FenixL1_UltraG2U.jpg


The way I take comparative beamshots gives an advantage to the dimmer light - as the distance from the white surface is only about 9". If the lights were about 6 feet or more away the "Xnova" 8 and Fenix L1 would both show much brighter than the single LED Ultra-G - with the Fenix L1 showing even better once the distance is increased to 9 feet or more.

But the Arc AA (ArcAAA and Ultra-G) are still very, very good task lights.

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
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I use my Arc AA as a close-up task light and to see where I am walking.
It is bright enough for that.
It excels on ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuntime!
 
Steven Andrews said:
I use my Arc AA as a close-up task light and to see where I am walking.
It is bright enough for that.
It excels on ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuntime!
Click to expand...

Quite right.

Brighter does NOT always = better

That's why I EDC a Dorcy 1AAA - it is bright enough to help most other people
- but too bright for my own close tasks.

I actually use a dim Yellow Photon2 for my own close tasks, so as not to hurt any dark adaption I've acquired (not true scotopic nightvision).

Right Amount of Light?

Dorcy 1AAA Outdoors (
multipage.gif
1 2 )

The point of the original post was just to talk about LED lights starting to perform even better than previously - by quite a noticable magnitude.

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
My favorite AA light is still the TNC. I have several and they are all nice but the first round of 200ma were the best IMO. Design wise I think they are perfect and the beam is wonderful.
 
The Fenix is a very nice light. I received mine yesterday, still playing with it, but so far I am very pleased with it. 2 hrs of bright light, with I think 2 more hours of useable light after that. Very bright, and throws very well for a 1 AA light. I'm impressed with it.



Blades
 
unknownvt, can you compare the xnova5x and 8x with the nuwai .5 watt aaa units?
My mom really likes the infinity ultra because the size is easy to hold for those night trips to the bathroom and for guiding her way to the front door with it get's dark. The Arc aaa was too small to hold and operate.
 
TiberiusBkirk said:
compare the xnova5x and 8x with the nuwai .5 watt aaa
Click to expand...
Don't have a Nuwai 1/2 watt.

Comparison beamshot between "Xnova" 8 and 5 was already in the thread -

8LED 1AA "Xnova"

Reproduced for your convenience here -
Xnova8N5.jpg
Xnova8N5_2U.jpg



TiberiusBkirk said:
My mom really likes the infinity ultra because the size is easy to hold for those night trips to the bathroom and for guiding her way to the front door with it get's dark. The Arc aaa was too small to hold and operate.
Click to expand...

Yep 1x AA lights are small enough to be relatively comfortable ride in the pocket - but large enough to be pretty comfortable in use in the hand.

The Ultra is a great light - I used to EDC Ultra-G - that's how much I liked it.

The older generation of single white Nichia LED lights like the ArcAAA, Ultra(-G) and Dorcy 1AAA all seem to produce a really practial amount of light for most relatively close tasks.

These newer lights I'm posting about are a significant step up in brightness - which might (or might NOT) be necessary for EDC purposes....
(YMMV - there are plenty of people who EDC Xenon/Lithium SureFires that are yet another magnitude up in brightness)

eg: for my away from home EDC it is still the Dorcy 1 AAA (1LED) -
but while at home where pocket space is not at a premium and I can grab any other light and/or easily change batteries -
the "Xnova" 8 was my at home EDC -
the Fenix L1 (being new) is now in my pocket at home......

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
Urban situation, get something brighter, mainly because you gotta over come the light that's already there
 
GarageBoy said:
Urban situation, get something brighter, mainly because you gotta over come the light that's already there
Click to expand...

Although there are situations when that is valid, it mostly isn't (at least for me) exactly because of your "the light that's already there" - if there's light already there I can mostly see - I need a flashlight where there is no (or low) light -
bearing in mind that something like a single Nichia white LED at about 3" away is the equivalent intensity as the Summer afternoon clear bright sunlight in the southern USA (which is dazzlingly bright) - little pocket lights like the Arc AA, Dorcy 1AAA etc. are still eminently useful.

Just how Bright are our Flashlights? Compared to..

However I do understand some uses where a flashlight is needed even in bright conditions such as daylight(!) - to see into shadow areas - this is where the brighter lights do have an advantage.

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
Can't beat the X1 Inova for a quick "critter light" in pitch dark. I have never seen a concentrate spot like that before. I am impressed with it.
 
RLR said:
Can't beat the X1 Inova for a quick "critter light" in pitch dark. I have never seen a concentrate spot like that before. I am impressed with it.
Click to expand...


Me too. :thumbup:
 
RLR said:
Can't beat the X1 Inova for a quick "critter light" in pitch dark. I have never seen a concentrate spot like that before. I am impressed with it.
Click to expand...

try a surefire M3 if ya wanna see concentrate,
 
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