best key chain light?

chucklehead

chucklehead

Joined
Jul 10, 2004
Messages
195
i've been putting it off and putting it off, just to see if i relly need a keychain
light (i.e. Spyderco Photon Light), and i have finaly decided i do need one.

is there a light that is head & shoulders above the rest?
or
are they all pretty much the same?

:confused:
 
IME the best out there for color selection, brightness, and versatility is the Photon 2. Gives you intermittent or constant-on option although you need a tiny Phillips screwdriver to change batteries. I had 2 Photon 3s, 1 garbage--failed right out of the package--and 1 that worked. I've also heard about many more that failed, so I don't know (or care) about the Photon Freedom.

IMO the Inova and ASP versions suck--needlessly bulky, limited color selection, and IIRC, no constant-on ability. Don't have experience with other brands so I can't say as to that.

If you don't need the constant-on option, the County Comm "Super Tough" ( http://countycomm.com/super Tough LED.htm ) is excellent. You'll still need a tiny Phillips to change the battery, but for $20 you get 20 of them. They range from as bright as a NIB P2 to even brighter. Haven't run my car over one but the one I carry has proven plenty tough. No color selection, but OWOH. County Comm also has bargain basement constant-on LEDs with color selection, but again you can't buy fewer than 20 of them ( http://countycomm.com/light10.htm ).
 
I have a whole collection of Photo Freedom Lights. This particular brand has gone thru a very productive evolution, starting with their Photo I. They have continued to improve on them, and even though the market has been flooded with micro LED lights, they have kept one step ahead of the rest (IMHO).

They come in 7-8 colors, and the white version is actually very bright. Typically, the green LEDs are the brightest. The Freedom Version also comes with a very elegently designed removeable clip.

http://www.photonlight.com/products/freedom_micro/

photon.jpg
 
Up until not too long ago, I would have said Arc AAA. It really is the premium keychain light. Beats the crap out of the photon and inova mini lights, in my opinion. Sure, the Arc is bigger, but it's also considerably brighter than the photon/inova, and it's a snap to change the battery.

Unfortunately, Arc went out of business, so the AAA is a hard item to come by these days. If you happen to find one, my advice would be to grab it.
 
The CountyComm.com 20 keychain lights for $20.00 is a very good buy. Then maybe look at the redesigned Gerber Sonic (AAA battery), it's supposedly not too bad and can be had for $15.00 or so.
 
I think the best on the market right now is the Photon Freedom. I had bad luck with several Photon IIIs, like a lot of people, but LRI seems to have gotten it right with the Freedom. The Photon II is also still an excellent light.

I also own an Arc AAA, and it is easily the best light in its class, but I prefer something smaller and lighter for my actual keychain. A Photon will never be noticed until you need it and it will hanlde 98% of your lighting needs.

--Bob Q
 
The Photon lights are great. I've used a Photon 3 for a few years and like it a lot. I did have to return a 3 once that didn't work out of the box, but the company sent me a new one. The Freedom is very cool too.

I carry an Arc AAA on my keychain, though it's a little long. It's a nice flashlight, but the prices have become pretty ridiculous lately. The premium version sometimes sells for over $100. :eek: That's insane.

There was a good thread at CPF recently about modifying the Streamlight Keymate by replacing the LED. The mod is really easy to do. (Though I admit I kind of messed mine up. I might get another Keymate and try it again.) I put a 5mm white THC3 LED in mine. It makes for a shockingly bright little keychain flashlight, but the runtime is very short.
 
Since the Photon Freedom Micro Light has already been mentioned, why not also look at the Photon X-Light. I bought these for my mother and sister. They are both satisfied with the lights.
 
Nathan S said:
Up until not too long ago, I would have said Arc AAA. It really is the premium keychain light. Beats the crap out of the photon and inova mini lights, in my opinion. Sure, the Arc is bigger, but it's also considerably brighter than the photon/inova, and it's a snap to change the battery.
Click to expand...

I've never owned or handled an Arc but this seems to be the general consensus. Have to wonder why no one's come up with a mass-market retrofit for the Mag-Lite Solitaire, which is lighter and has easy battery change, yet is reasonably priced, still made, and has a reasonable weight for a keychain light.
 
Ah yeap Photon. I have had a Photon (I think it's a 2) on my keyring for about two years now , its still works and hasnt busted despite how much I toss my keys around. Mine is green colored.
 
I've been carrying the Inova Microlight for about 3 months. So far, I like it. It has both the squeeze and constant on switches.

Paul
 
Been carrying the Inova Microlights for a few months now. Great little light. Enough to light up a totally dark room and get around it. When i changed the batteries it became even brighter.

It's cheap and it feels quite solid for what it is.
 
I was lucky enough to grab a Peak Ultra Power 3 LED Sno white right before they stopped production. Fantastic little light and MUCH brighter and better color than any other AAA light I've seen.....Except maybe the TNC N cell light converted to AAA. Just got the conversion tube the other day. I think it's the only semi production AAA luxeon flashlight with reflector out there. Awesome little light, pricey but awesome. :) The other problem with the TNC is it is just little big to be a true keychain light IMO.
 
1. Mini-Mag. Too long and heavy for keychain carry. Not too bright.

2. Princeton Tec Pulsar II. Right size, right price. Fairly bright but I had problems with the on/off switch.

3. ASP Sapphire (blue LED). I got this one for free from a co-worker. No constant "on" but brighter than the Pulsar, nice big even blue light. Still on my car keys.

4. Streamlight Keymate (green LED). Pretty bright. Lightweight but feels sturdy. I like that it comes with a pocket clip, it lives in the left cargo pocket.

5. Innova. On my wifes keychain. She seems to like it better than the Pulsar II it replaced. About as bright as the Pulsar but the on/off switch works.
 
I'd like to slide slightly away from the topic here for a moment and ask a question.

It seems that you can now get a light in every colour of the visible spectrum and, for all I know, a few outside of it. What is the purpose of the different colours? If you have different coloured lights could you tell me what you use them for. Thanks.
 
They are generally used to avoid knackering your night vision, and to avoid being seen from a distance, if thats a concern.
 
Temper said:
They are generally used to avoid knackering your night vision, and to avoid being seen from a distance, if thats a concern.
Click to expand...
Oh, OK, I was sort of hoping for a more interesting explanation, like maybe you use them to signal alien spaceships or something..... :)


(I'm feeling in a very strange mood today ...)
 
gajinoz said:
I'd like to slide slightly away from the topic here for a moment and ask a question.

It seems that you can now get a light in every colour of the visible spectrum and, for all I know, a few outside of it. What is the purpose of the different colours? If you have different coloured lights could you tell me what you use them for. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Here's my collection of colors:

Blue/green or turquoise: This shade is compatible with night vision devices/goggles (NVD/Gs). The NVDs can not detect this color spectum, so an enemy equiped with NVDs will not be able to pluck out your light like a 2 million candle power search light. Also, as a pilot who routinly flies Nap of the Earth in the dead of night with the aid of NVGs, a small light in this spectrum is neccessary for in-cockpit illumination of maps, charts, freq cards, etc. It will not overpower and shut down your goggles.

Blue and Green: Same as above, but not as good. Also, blood shows up well with blue spectrum lights. This is popular with hunters for tracking wounded prey at night.

Red: This spectrum is least damaging to "scotopic vision" or "night vision." There are two types of light recepters in the eye: Rods and Cones. Cones are used for "photopic vision" (day time) and have the best resolution. Rods are used during low light, and at night. They produce the chemical rhodopsin, which is wash out by full spectrum light. Rod cells are least sensitive to red spectrum light, thus it presevers night vision. With the exception of NVD use, red light is also the most difficult spectrum for the naked eye to "lock on too", making it desirable for avoiding detection at night. There are no rod cells in the center of the retina, so a red light is virtually invisible at night when directly looked at. Red light at any appreciable range is only detectable at night with "off-center" viewing techniques.

Infa Red, Red and Orange also has the detrimental effect of wiping out night vision decives. NVDs are most sensitive to red light. Even more so than white light. A man smoking a cigarette looks like a bon fire from miles away under NVDs. Infra Red is also used to illuminate things for night vision devices. The "Night Shot" feature of your Sony handycam included a small IR light for illumination (Look close, and you will find the little IR LED). The Helicopter I fly has an IR spotlight that will illuminate HUGE chunks of terrain that I can see with the aid of NVDs, but the light is invisible to an unaided observer.
 
If you can find one, I'd highly recommend the Arc AAA. Of course, they did go out of business and those Arcs are hard to come by and at a little higher prices than before.
aws-nat.jpg

Other than the Arc, I'd highly recommend the Photon II as the best keychain light. ;)
 
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