NightTime
Newly Enlightened
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- Dec 3, 2008
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- 152
How many AA do you manage to put into the HM23 headband ? It's a multi-purpose headlamp, not a multi AA headlamp.You are ignoring the OP's parameters-- ONE(1) AA or AAA!
Longest runtime for budget single AA or AAA led light on low setting to be used in tornado shelter
- Thread starter enolaniaga
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IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
@NightTime:
My bad, I was looking at the ones you listed under runtimes. Still, the HM23 price on Amazon that I quickly found was $35, not exactly cheap, and inexpensive was one parameter the OP gave.
But you are correct, it is a single cell light. I WAS WRONG. I'M SORRY. 🥺
Dave_H
Flashlight Enthusiast
Old post regarding solar garden spotlight using 18500 cell (but not AA or AAA). I just got one and they are great for the price but can hardly imagine people running around holding and pointing them...LOL.
Dave
Dave_H
Flashlight Enthusiast
Coast G22 looks like a nice 1xAAA light, saw them OTC locally for $15. Home Depot, Lowes and other big stores here sell Coast.
Light has high/low settings 100/43 lumens, appears to be pretty rugged.
I have (more than) enough lights so did not get one, imagine that. Someone out there probably does so could comment further on this light, and Coast brand overall.
Last trip to HD I did not see any 1xAA or 1xAAA in-store of any brand.
Dave
Light has high/low settings 100/43 lumens, appears to be pretty rugged.
I have (more than) enough lights so did not get one, imagine that. Someone out there probably does so could comment further on this light, and Coast brand overall.
Last trip to HD I did not see any 1xAA or 1xAAA in-store of any brand.
Dave
I know this thread is over a year old already but others may be reading it looking for information.
I will avoid the requirement for a single AA or AAA light in this post and stick to general information based on personal experiences.
1- You want a light that is simple to operate and that you have experience with. In an emergency your heart will be racing, adrenaline will be flowing and a million thoughts will be going through your head. I have witnessed "trained" personnel forget the simplest tasks when they are thrown new equipment. I have seen a police officer trying to press the tailcap on a maglite to turn it on while under heavy stress. You want something you can turn on without having to think about that will run for a period of time before you regain your faculties and think about switching modes. For this reason I recommend a light with one obvious switch. Remember you may not be the first one in the shelter. It could be your significant other or possibly even children who get to the light first.
2- If your storing the light you want something that will use primary lithium cells. Generally this means AA, AAA or CR123 lights. You also much make sure you light of choice will handle lithium cells without burning out the LED's
3- You want a light for each person in your shelter. Holding a flashlight in a dark emergency situation provides a great deal of calming relief. Similar to sitting next to a fire or a young child holding their blanket. If one light goes out that individual will get nervous and spread fear among the group. This is especially true with children. You could also have company when disaster strikes. If heaven forbid someone needs immediate medical attention you will want an abundance of light. Trust me on this one, there is no such thing as too much light when applying a dressing. (unless it aimed in you eyes)
4- Add some quality chemlights. Any time we were setting up a base camp these were often the first lights deployed. Why? Simply because they provide some light to work by and they can not be turned off. Lets face it, flashlights die, generators die. People trip over cords unplugging them. But a chemlight stays lit for a period of time. They are also cheap. One light at around $3 will provide a great sense of security in an emergency. In the event of a gas leak they are intrinsically safe. With a landyard they are also great signalling devices. These are perfect to give to a child if no flashlights are available as well. Once the tornado has passed you may still be without power for several days. Chemlights are simple cheap insurance. If you really want to get into it USAR even has a manual dedicated to their use.
5- Long run times usually equal lower light output. This is fine if you enter the shelter at night when your eyes are adjusted to low light conditions. However if you must take cover in during the day and you suddenly go from bright to dark, a dim light will be useless until your eyes adjust. For this situation you will want a brighter light. This greatly varies the run time on multi mode lights. Running the light on constant high mode might only give you an hour before the light shuts off.
6- Some lights have memory features which cause an internal battery drain. These lights are often the most useless when it comes to an emergency because the cells will be drained or low when you need them. For this reason I recommend at least one simple on/off light.
Lastly when ever the company I worked for sold disaster kits we would include the Pelican 3310 ELS. The reason being it could be mounted in a specific location, the light itself glows in the dark so it can be easily found and it is simple to operate. Though it technically is not specifically rated to use lithium AA cells we never had one fail for those reasons. There is no memory so no internal battery drains when the light is not in use. A simple high (8H) -low(40H)- strobe (40H) all controlled by a single button. It is also easy to use while wearing gloves.
The only downside was the glowing the dark body tended to crack where the reflector was pushed in. I would not consider this light to be submersible for that reason but it was a very reliable light. I still have a few of them kicking around that get used often.
I will avoid the requirement for a single AA or AAA light in this post and stick to general information based on personal experiences.
1- You want a light that is simple to operate and that you have experience with. In an emergency your heart will be racing, adrenaline will be flowing and a million thoughts will be going through your head. I have witnessed "trained" personnel forget the simplest tasks when they are thrown new equipment. I have seen a police officer trying to press the tailcap on a maglite to turn it on while under heavy stress. You want something you can turn on without having to think about that will run for a period of time before you regain your faculties and think about switching modes. For this reason I recommend a light with one obvious switch. Remember you may not be the first one in the shelter. It could be your significant other or possibly even children who get to the light first.
2- If your storing the light you want something that will use primary lithium cells. Generally this means AA, AAA or CR123 lights. You also much make sure you light of choice will handle lithium cells without burning out the LED's
3- You want a light for each person in your shelter. Holding a flashlight in a dark emergency situation provides a great deal of calming relief. Similar to sitting next to a fire or a young child holding their blanket. If one light goes out that individual will get nervous and spread fear among the group. This is especially true with children. You could also have company when disaster strikes. If heaven forbid someone needs immediate medical attention you will want an abundance of light. Trust me on this one, there is no such thing as too much light when applying a dressing. (unless it aimed in you eyes)
4- Add some quality chemlights. Any time we were setting up a base camp these were often the first lights deployed. Why? Simply because they provide some light to work by and they can not be turned off. Lets face it, flashlights die, generators die. People trip over cords unplugging them. But a chemlight stays lit for a period of time. They are also cheap. One light at around $3 will provide a great sense of security in an emergency. In the event of a gas leak they are intrinsically safe. With a landyard they are also great signalling devices. These are perfect to give to a child if no flashlights are available as well. Once the tornado has passed you may still be without power for several days. Chemlights are simple cheap insurance. If you really want to get into it USAR even has a manual dedicated to their use.
5- Long run times usually equal lower light output. This is fine if you enter the shelter at night when your eyes are adjusted to low light conditions. However if you must take cover in during the day and you suddenly go from bright to dark, a dim light will be useless until your eyes adjust. For this situation you will want a brighter light. This greatly varies the run time on multi mode lights. Running the light on constant high mode might only give you an hour before the light shuts off.
6- Some lights have memory features which cause an internal battery drain. These lights are often the most useless when it comes to an emergency because the cells will be drained or low when you need them. For this reason I recommend at least one simple on/off light.
Lastly when ever the company I worked for sold disaster kits we would include the Pelican 3310 ELS. The reason being it could be mounted in a specific location, the light itself glows in the dark so it can be easily found and it is simple to operate. Though it technically is not specifically rated to use lithium AA cells we never had one fail for those reasons. There is no memory so no internal battery drains when the light is not in use. A simple high (8H) -low(40H)- strobe (40H) all controlled by a single button. It is also easy to use while wearing gloves.
The only downside was the glowing the dark body tended to crack where the reflector was pushed in. I would not consider this light to be submersible for that reason but it was a very reliable light. I still have a few of them kicking around that get used often.
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have lived all of my life (60+ years) in tornado alley (Kansas) and I have some things to say about tornado sheltering.
1. Sheltering in the Great Plains is different than in the deep South states of the USA. Here in Kansas, we have a relatively flat open area to visually spot and RADAR detect funnels and tornadoes, vs in the South, they have lots of trees, hills and valleys that make spotting visually and with RADAR much more difficult.
2. Due to the differences in detection, in Kansas our warnings are fairly early, and so we can get to shelter quickly and consequently, we have few casualties, plus the fact that the Great Plains states are less densely populated than the area East of the Mississippi River.
3. Storm fronts usually go through an area rather quickly, so it has been my impression that tornado warnings generally don't last more than an hour. Sometimes you have continuous storms all night, at which point you will want to settle down for the night in your shelter and sleep, if you can. In Kansas, the prime time for tornadoes is about 4 p.m.--9 p.m. Before 4 p.m. the heat that fuels the T-storms has not built up sufficiently, and after 9 p.m. the atmosphere begins to cool and the storms lose the heat to fuel them. That is "generally speaking", but you can have a tornado at any hour.
3. What I'm building up to here, is that generally you will not need to spend a whole lot of time in a tornado shelter, so extremely long term lighting is generally not going to be needed. Again, that is "generally speaking", and as they say, your mileage may vary. As mentioned above, you may have T-storms all night, so adequate preparation for that should be made. If I lived in the South part of the USA, I would definitely want sleeping preparations in my shelter, as the early warning in those states is inadequate. In the Southern states, if severe weather was forecast for my location, once it started, I would go to the shelter and stay there until it had passed completely.
4. Okay, so let's say that you are in your shelter when a tornado hits your home. After it passes, you may be able to extricate on your own. At that point you will want a headlamp and a hand light, both with lots of lumens and floody, so that you can see to get out and avoid danger. If you cannot self-extricate, you will have to stay put until Search & Rescue gets you out. In that case, you will want some long lasting light, NON-FLAME BASED! The last thing you need is a fire in your shelter when you cannot get out! This is the scenario when Chemlights might come into play. Ideally, you will have something along the line of the 4D cell Maglite ML300L that can last for days on fresh batteries. Keep it stored in the shelter with the batteries out of it, and only put them in when you enter the shelter. When the warning expires, take the cells out for the next time. Have an extra set stored in the shelter in case the first set leak.
1. Sheltering in the Great Plains is different than in the deep South states of the USA. Here in Kansas, we have a relatively flat open area to visually spot and RADAR detect funnels and tornadoes, vs in the South, they have lots of trees, hills and valleys that make spotting visually and with RADAR much more difficult.
2. Due to the differences in detection, in Kansas our warnings are fairly early, and so we can get to shelter quickly and consequently, we have few casualties, plus the fact that the Great Plains states are less densely populated than the area East of the Mississippi River.
3. Storm fronts usually go through an area rather quickly, so it has been my impression that tornado warnings generally don't last more than an hour. Sometimes you have continuous storms all night, at which point you will want to settle down for the night in your shelter and sleep, if you can. In Kansas, the prime time for tornadoes is about 4 p.m.--9 p.m. Before 4 p.m. the heat that fuels the T-storms has not built up sufficiently, and after 9 p.m. the atmosphere begins to cool and the storms lose the heat to fuel them. That is "generally speaking", but you can have a tornado at any hour.
3. What I'm building up to here, is that generally you will not need to spend a whole lot of time in a tornado shelter, so extremely long term lighting is generally not going to be needed. Again, that is "generally speaking", and as they say, your mileage may vary. As mentioned above, you may have T-storms all night, so adequate preparation for that should be made. If I lived in the South part of the USA, I would definitely want sleeping preparations in my shelter, as the early warning in those states is inadequate. In the Southern states, if severe weather was forecast for my location, once it started, I would go to the shelter and stay there until it had passed completely.
4. Okay, so let's say that you are in your shelter when a tornado hits your home. After it passes, you may be able to extricate on your own. At that point you will want a headlamp and a hand light, both with lots of lumens and floody, so that you can see to get out and avoid danger. If you cannot self-extricate, you will have to stay put until Search & Rescue gets you out. In that case, you will want some long lasting light, NON-FLAME BASED! The last thing you need is a fire in your shelter when you cannot get out! This is the scenario when Chemlights might come into play. Ideally, you will have something along the line of the 4D cell Maglite ML300L that can last for days on fresh batteries. Keep it stored in the shelter with the batteries out of it, and only put them in when you enter the shelter. When the warning expires, take the cells out for the next time. Have an extra set stored in the shelter in case the first set leak.
I love the G22 - it's, in my humble opinion, the best light Coast offers. It's not without a few flaws, but it's freaking marvelous at the price. I ended up buying an armful and gifting them to co-workers.
My only real quibble is that the "low" mode is basically useless. Drop it down to 5ish lumens, or remove it entirely.
That said, I wouldn't use it as a long-running emergency light. The Fenix E01 is still my emergency go-to for the single AAA flashlight category.
In agreement with @IMA SOL MAN 's comments, If looking for a long duration light, I would put a 3D lantern in the shelter. One with a 100 lumens setting will run for days, and nights if necessary. Since I have spare 18650 lights lying around, under my bed, in my closet, and in my dresser, I'd put one or two in the shelter too. Because, why not?
A power bank would be a good idea too, to recharge cell phones, assuming that one will have a signal. They of course will be used for entertainment, and information. Perhaps in getting help to extricate oneself. I have a couple FRS walkie talkies that will take AA batteries, that I never use. I guess it would be a good idea to put one or two in the shelter with aa lithiums. They may be helpful if someone is nearby searching.
A power bank would be a good idea too, to recharge cell phones, assuming that one will have a signal. They of course will be used for entertainment, and information. Perhaps in getting help to extricate oneself. I have a couple FRS walkie talkies that will take AA batteries, that I never use. I guess it would be a good idea to put one or two in the shelter with aa lithiums. They may be helpful if someone is nearby searching.
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
@Poppy If your place gets hit, Search & Rescue WILL come looking for you. The victim's job is just to stay alive until they locate and extricate you. Making noise and having radio/cell phone comms will expedite that.
Dave_H
Flashlight Enthusiast
Ottawa Ontario is not Ottawa Kansas, nevertheless in recent years my area has suffered increasing number of "weather events" including tornadoes and ice storms, some of which have caused devastating localized damage. Power outages can last days, in some cases longer. Shelters here are fairly rare. Nevertheless a lot of the lighting specifics here apply. I have been relatively fortunate, even in a built-up area with power lines still above ground i.e. not underground as with newer installations.
Not all effective standby lights will be single-cell, but I will continue to report these as I find them.
I use some older Radio Shack 1D LED lanterns which put out a fairly low light, but can hold up for 10's of hours. I also run some 3D, 4D and 4C lanterns which have no low setting, but run for extended time at lower output on weaker batteries (many nights as nightlight in areas like stairwells where ac is not convenient).
Dave
Dave_H
Flashlight Enthusiast
You are right, reducing brightness by only about half is not going to help long runtime. Not sure of the chances of modding something like this, probably not great especially if it uses PWM. Anyway I might pick one up if they go on sale (talk about cheap, er, thrifty).
For battery economy AA is better than AAA if it matters. Smaller size of AAA is not too important to me if the light fits well in a pocket.
Dave
Dave_H
Flashlight Enthusiast
Don't get me wrong, in an emergency use what you have on hand, including suitable solar lights which can be grabbed and taken inside. This one probably won't hold up longer than 8-10 hours at most, even on a full charge (assuming that it got one). Also, use of more commonly available cells is better, unless you're big on 18500's.
Dave
A single AAA might not be as efficient as a single AA, but if a headlamp and an emergency light both use the same battery type, your logistics and flexibility options are improved.
That said, the Fenix E12 is one of the few single AA battery lights commonly available on the market.
I ordered some L3 Illumination flashlights in AA from SB Flashlights - if they show up, they'll make a good AA emergency light.
I have been very impressed with this $40 light. You don't find many AA lights that get down to 0.055 lumen.
ThruNite Archer 1A V3
Output & Run-time: Firefly: 0.055 lumen (408 hours); Low: 17 lumen (22 hours); Medium: 75 lumen (5 hours); High: 180 lumen (115 minutes); Strobe: 180 lumen (3.5 hours)
ThruNite Archer 1A V3
Output & Run-time: Firefly: 0.055 lumen (408 hours); Low: 17 lumen (22 hours); Medium: 75 lumen (5 hours); High: 180 lumen (115 minutes); Strobe: 180 lumen (3.5 hours)
turbodog
Flashaholic
If the OP is really concerned about long running lights for tornado shelter... that has implications.
More tornado-spawning weather events are over in 15-30 mins. If you're in there for long enough to need a long-running light... it probably means 1) you took a direct hit 2) the house/trees collapsed and 3) you are trapped.
My main concern then would be water, cooling, and rescue.
For those w/ a shelter, call your local fire dept and register it. That way they know to dig under the rubble and look for you.
In my shelter, I've got
(12) bottles of water
5 gal bucket w/ trash bags and TP
(turn it upside down and it's stool/seat)
(insert trash bag and it's a stool catcher)
(2) 4d battery fans capable of exchanging air with the outside
(8) spare d batts
(2) 123-based lights
(1) tripwire light that triggers when you walk/run into the shelter
crank weather radio, radio, led light combo unit
Since the shelter's exposed to ambient temps, which are HOT in my area, I swap out water & batteries yearly.
Spray for spiders/etc a couple times a year.
More tornado-spawning weather events are over in 15-30 mins. If you're in there for long enough to need a long-running light... it probably means 1) you took a direct hit 2) the house/trees collapsed and 3) you are trapped.
My main concern then would be water, cooling, and rescue.
For those w/ a shelter, call your local fire dept and register it. That way they know to dig under the rubble and look for you.
In my shelter, I've got
(12) bottles of water
5 gal bucket w/ trash bags and TP
(turn it upside down and it's stool/seat)
(insert trash bag and it's a stool catcher)
(2) 4d battery fans capable of exchanging air with the outside
(8) spare d batts
(2) 123-based lights
(1) tripwire light that triggers when you walk/run into the shelter
crank weather radio, radio, led light combo unit
Since the shelter's exposed to ambient temps, which are HOT in my area, I swap out water & batteries yearly.
Spray for spiders/etc a couple times a year.
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
My thinking, as a father of two, now grown up, is that perhaps this light isn't to be a primary shelter light, but something for the kids to have in the shelter, kind of as a security blanket. One cell because that is all that is required, and because kids may leave it on and run down the battery--no need to run down more batteries at a time than necessary.
Dave_H
Flashlight Enthusiast
Thread would not be complete without mentioning this ultra-low cost 1xAA mini-flashlight/ worklight from Dollar Tree ($1.25, Canada $1.50); if they still carry them, and they are in stock, not so much recently here.
Not super bright, lumens not spec'ed, but good around the house such as getting up in the night. Three position slide switch, weighs about 2 oz. Long runtime, can't be specific, but runs cell down to 1v or lower at reduced brightness, which can be useful. Works fine with NiMH. Not waterproof, but light and fairly durable. For the cost, can keep several on hand.
Not much to see inside, uses one of those little boost ICs which are used in solar garden lighting,.
Dave
Not super bright, lumens not spec'ed, but good around the house such as getting up in the night. Three position slide switch, weighs about 2 oz. Long runtime, can't be specific, but runs cell down to 1v or lower at reduced brightness, which can be useful. Works fine with NiMH. Not waterproof, but light and fairly durable. For the cost, can keep several on hand.
Not much to see inside, uses one of those little boost ICs which are used in solar garden lighting,.
Dave
Flying Turtle
Flashaholic
I've got a couple of those lights, Dave. Like you said, they are pretty good battery vampires. I haven't seen them lately in our Dollar Tree's either. I save old AA batteries to use in those very lights.
Geoff
Geoff
Dave_H
Flashlight Enthusiast
Good to hear Geoff, I was hoping not to be the only one using this fun little light. Actually
I have not seen them for at least a year or so, in different DT's here; hoping they return
to grab a few more.
Dave
Dave
I have not seen them for at least a year or so, in different DT's here; hoping they return
to grab a few more.
Dave
Dave
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