Very difficult NOT to love AAA's these days.

jorn said:

my lf2xt said yesterday. Then when i was about to open it, the tweezers slipped and the driver got loose :shakehead Got so sad i had to put it aside... going to take a closer look at it today. hope it is a easy fix....

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Hi jorn, I've wrecked several LF2XT pills. There are several talented modders here that can fix these unicorns and make them better than new.

jon_slider said:

fwiw Lumapower LM21 modes on primary AAA LMH 3-60-100
weight with Eneloop 33 grams
according to this http://budgetlightforum.com/node/25787 the Lumapower LM21 uses PWM.. and reviews say the switch is terrible.. ymmv
I do not know the CRI of the LM21..


by contrast, the Lumintop Tool does NOT use PWM in the present versions, AND is available in High CRI Nichia 219b.. Im a huge fan of the Lumintop Tool,

I prefer twisty AAA, they are smaller and weigh less, for example, the Olight i3s is just 24 grams with eneloop, has no PWM, but also no High CRI

lots of choices, depends on priorities, if you want High CRI or not, if you tolerate PWM or not, if you want clicky or twisty.. if you want copper or are fine with Aluminum.. etc

My personal favorite light is a lego of a Copper Maratac body, with a Nichia Worm head. This combo gives me twisty, copper, noPWM, yes High CRI, and MLH modes that I find most practical for edc.. fwiw, the Tool will also lego with the Maratac..

I also like that I can attach the tail of my light to a magnet, (the magnet is actually a pair of them attached above and below the visor map band, not to the light)
tailhang from a magnet not an option with a clickie..

sizes left to right, AAA Maratac, AAA TiTool, AAA CuTool, L11c AA

note Maratac wont tailstand with clip in hat position, as pictured I ground down the tip
also fwiw, the Tool and Maratac pocket clips are interchangeable
note the Tool and Maratac heads are interchangeable only in Copper or Aluminum, not the TiTool

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Great post on these AAA's, thanks.

Hi all,

I too recently received (after a 23 day wait) my LUMINTOP TOOL. Man, it is a sweeeet little AAA Clicky/three modes light. I keep the TOOL in a (dedicated) right pocket of my Flight Jacket. I also recently purchase an OLIGHT I3E AAA as I couldn't resist 90 lumens for a Sawbuck. I carry the I3E in the outside on left side ARM (little zip/Pen pocket) of said Flight Jacket. I however continue to carry a 1XAA Fenix in the INSIDE pocket of my Flight Jacket. Ummmm, I guess I like having lights handy. In addition, I purchased (for the wife) a FENIX E01 in Electric Purple. Pretty cool looking light!

Pray tell, is there a Flashlight (1XAAA /prefer Clicky) that has three/four modes, the most important:

a true MOONLIGHT/FIREFLY/SUB LUM mode for real extended run times ?

Thanks.

SixCats!

SixCats! said:

is there a Flashlight (1XAAA …) four modes,
...
a true MOONLIGHT/FIREFLY/SUB LUM mode

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these are all twisties
L2 Illumination offers a great 4 mode imo, L08 the low is 0.09, pick of the litter, 4 modes and available with high CRI Nichia

Thrunites have very low lows, 3 modes, plus strobe: Ti3 aluminum, TiS stainless, Ti Titanium (not recommended, terrible threads and terrible tint), the low is 0.04, no high CRI, yes Neutral white available

Olight i3s, the low is 0.5 Cool white only, no High CRI

you could lego your way to a Tool clicky body with a thrunite Ti3 head, but no high CRI option
both the Tool and Ti3 are available in matching black alum their pics are links




the two on the right are stock Ti Titanium and L08, the two on the left have LED swaps
left to right, Olight i3s, Maratac, Thrunite Ti Titanium, L3 illumination L08

Hiro Protagonist said:

Good to see you back F250XLT! It's still my favorite light.

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Thanks, Hiro!

I probably should have kept one, such a great little light.

jon_slider said:

you could lego your way to a Tool clicky body with a thrunite Ti3 head, but no high CRI option
both the Tool and Ti3 are available in matching black alum

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Why didn't I think to try that?!?!?! :hairpull:

As it happens, just yesterday I ordered a new three-mode Tool (with both clicky and flat magnetic tailcaps), which means I can use the clicky body of my older one with my Ti3 head! Or throw the flat tailcap on once I get it, if I change my mind and wanna go back to twisty.

Behold the ThruTop TiTool!! (or is it LumiNite Too3?)



Legos *are* fun!

My AAA's

Most of mine, I have a few ancient ones in a drawer, and a Klarus MiX6 on my keychain.



L to R: DQG Tiny II, Maratac AAA rev 1, Thrunite Ti HI, LumiNite Too3 (Lumintop Tool v1 head on Thrunite Ti3 body), UltraTac K18, ThruTop TiTool (Thrunite Ti3 head on Lumintop Tool clicky body), Thorfire PF03, Lumapower EDC LM21, Streamlight Microstream, SingFire 348, Spotlight Shifter 1AAA, FourSevens Preon 2 "tuxedo" (also have Preon 1 body, black of course). All but DQG and Preon 2 on Efest IMR 10440; Ti HI and Thorfire on LiFePO4. Preon runs like a champ on 1x10440.

Gryffin said:

Behold the ThruTop

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Masterful! a Clicky AAA with firefly and strobe.. thanks for the photo!

Here is a Nichia lego in copper, but, no firefly, and no strobe
MaraTool and ReyaTac ;-)

Thank you Jon for the excellent information.

Regards,
SixCats!

kaichu dento said:

Too bad you couldn't have bought more. :thumbsup:

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Hiro Protagonist said:

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TONS of Triple A porn here!

Wanted to see if folks would start posting their AAA legos. I know the Tool body is a popular light to use to give some of our twisty lights a new life as a clicky, but what other AAA bodies and heads can we lego together? Personally I'm looking for other clicky bodies that will work with different heads. This one is a TOOL body with a Preon P1 Gen 2 head. Anyone have other clickies like an LD02 to see what heads will work with it? image by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr

My AAA Legos are various combos between a Maratac, Tool, Worm, Thrunite Ti

WormAtac


ToolAtac


MaraTool

My first copper light! Copper Worm modded to a Nichia 219b 4000k with a Reylight driver by our very own Gunga. Impressed with the build quality of this light. Excellent threads, smooth with zero play, feels very solid all around. Top it off with the Nichia and the Reylight l-m-h mode spacing and I'm happy. The second I got the light I popped in a battery to test it out, and then immediately popped the battery right back out and started to force a patina. I do not do shiny and I'm impatient so I put it in a tupperware container with some vinegar and salt. Quick and dirty but I like it. Threw on a paracord lanyard and took it to the backyard to a take some pictures. FullSizeRender by Six Pound Cat, on FlickrFullSizeRender by Six Pound Cat, on FlickrFullSizeRender by Six Pound Cat, on FlickrIMG_5443 by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr

gurdygurds said:

Nichia 219b 4000k with a Reylight driver by our very own Gunga.

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Outstanding! The ReyLight Driver w Nichia is definitely the Cat's Meow!
Congratulations.. I like your patina too..
Enjoy!

gunga put a ReyLight Driver in a Maratac for me, w a 3000k XPG.. I highly recommend the Driver and CRI upgrades he does.

here it is on the right, a step warmer than my ReyLight w N219b


let me put that 3000k in perspective with a Cool White and a CuWorm w Nichia included

I don't get the aaa love. They are kind of too big for a keychain these days, and have no advantage over a aa in any application.

cancow said:

I don't get the aaa love. They are kind of too big for a keychain these days, and have no advantage over a aa in any application.

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IMO, AA have no real advantage to 18650. They are almost the same same size, so when I can carry something as large as an AA light, I can carry an 18650. When an AA is to big I carry a 2xAAA, which is 9-6 Monday-Friday. I love AA around the house because in an emergency I can use the most common battery, but that's the extent of AA's usefulness IMO.