The Perfect AA

[Thetasigma]

Why?

Peak lights are durable, but the QTC in its current implementation is not smooth but jumpy and gets worse with wear. Still, not a bad light if you can overlook that.

 

[lion504]

Kinda outside the box, but the Thrunite TH20 in neutral is my favorite, currently available, infinitely variable, AA light. Ramping and uses AA in all flavors, 14500, NIMH,alki-leak. Versatile and very durable. I added a deep carry clip with neo-magnets to increase its useability. Easily adjustable to point light in any direction and clips nicely to a polo shirt button plaket or shirt pocket,etc. Not hard to upgrade led and very D10-ish to me, although it's a e-switch and not a piston drive. Again, just food for thought, there isn't a lot of ramping AA lights available at the present time.

Thanks Nightshade. I hadn't considered this because it's a "headlamp." I agree that it checks most of the boxes on my list. Thrunite doesn't seem to provide much specifics on the LED, but, like you said, modding should take care of that. Can you provide a close up on your clip? Is that a GITD clicky cover? Wish there was a more "traditional" form factor.

 

[lion504]

If you're willing to go with a longer light and wait a bit to save some extra dough, an HDS Rotary with 2xAA tube might suit you.

Thanks, the HDS 2xAA is way too long for my EDC purposes.

 

[nightshade]

@Tip and Ring- yes its Home Depot heatshrink encasing neo-mags from K&J magnetics, they sell all sizes and shapes. I don't remember the exact size offhand. I lifted the idea from CPF members Davidt1 and Overclocker, in the ZL mods thread, IIRC.

@lion504- I can post pics this weekend when I'm back home. The pic above is from my phones storage. The disc is just GITD stair tape disc. And, it's a deep carry clip from Mountain Electronics. Less than $1.25 each. I used heatshrink on the clip ends, where it contacts the light. Makes it pretty darn solid, once rotated to a desired position. While I'm sure this is far from the perfect AA, it's currently available. It's ugly, but it really suprised me how practical and versatile this setup is. Easy to remove and use the dedicated headband again too. So, even if you don't like the clip setup you are still left with a pretty durable and affordable headlamp.
I asked a Thrunite rep why this UI isn't available in a " standard " light. His answer was while the headlamp is selling well, there are no requests and/or market demand for it in other models.

 

[lion504]

I asked a Thrunite rep why this UI isn't available in a " standard " light. His answer was while the headlamp is selling well, there are no requests and/or market demand for it in other models.

Surprising. Perhaps we could help identify the market demand.

I just purchased a TH20. Maybe pocket carrying a headlamp and using it "sideways" isn't so strange afterall...

 

[nightshade]

Surprising. Perhaps we could help identify the market demand.

It never hurts to ask
As much as I loved the D10 design, the more recent ramping designs of Emisar and Thrunite are superior, IMO. I currently carry a JB RRT-01, but there are certain rare occasions where that magnet design works against me. I've yet to see anything adjust as smoothly as a tuned rotary light though. And I can control the speed of the transition as well.

 

[lion504]

What if we remove the ramping requirement and instead ask for direct access to 2 or more user programmable modes. Which lights would meet this list?
-e-switch;
-AA/14500;
-direct access to 2 or more user programmable modes;
-hidden special modes;
-traditional out-the-front format;
-quality/hi cri beam;
-still in production.

Thanks.

 

[nightshade]

Surprising. Perhaps we could help identify the market demand.

I just purchased a TH20. Maybe pocket carrying a headlamp and using it "sideways" isn't so strange afterall...

Hope you like it, just got back home and looked. That clip is NOT the Mountain Electronics clip, but a Quark/4-7's deep carry clip. The ME clip is far less secure. Sorry, but aging and modding many lights has its effects.

 

[Mgizler]

Peak lights are durable, but the QTC in its current implementation is not smooth but jumpy and gets worse with wear. Still, not a bad light if you can overlook that.

I have had quite a few peak lights and currently have a brass ultra. I find that with li-ions is is very jumpy. But with a standard AAA it is very smooth and will cleanly ramp from the lowest low to high with out a miss