# It's back on! Scout24 has added a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge



## run4jc (Feb 13, 2015)

*3/19/2015 - Scout24 has added another player! HERE

3/11/2015 - Final Results of Rayovac test HERE

3/8/2015 - "Tumbler of Death" test complete HERE

3/6/2015 - "Late entrant added HERE"

Test is all done. Final results HERE*

I really don’t know where this is going – or where it will end up. All the talk about the E01 sparked interest in other 5mm LED lights. Scout24 and I have talked about it quite a bit.

So I decided to pick up 1 of each of the true competitors. What’s a competitor? 5mm LED, AAA battery, 1 level twisty, $10-15. Thought about adding the Thrunite Ti (I have some unopened 2 level 3/60 lumen versions) but honestly don’t think a Ti would survive the kind of abuse these may see. Plus a run time comparison would not be apples to apples, and the output/beam/etc. is different with the XPE emitter behind a true reflector.

Thought about adding the Nitecore Tube but I doubt it would survive any of the torture tests. Ordered a cheap Rayovac “Value Bright” AAA for $4.99, but, alas, it was backordered. 

So here’s the line up:

Sunwayman R01A – price paid: $12.80
Klarus Mi02 – price paid: $11.95
Nitecore T0 – price paid: $11.90
Fenix E01 (new) - price paid: $9.85 (after discount)

Incidentally, the Fenix is the only one of the four to include a battery. Cerealand got around 37 hours (I believe) out of the included cell on his E01.

The Nitecore and the Klarus both came in a small box – the Sunwayman and the Fenix both came in a blister pack. All 4 lights included a split ring and an o-ring as well as rudimentary instructions. And as already mentioned, the Fenix came with a battery.





I installed identical batteries in each one and weighed them - the weights in grams/ounces:


LightGramsOuncesSunwayman R01A26.917Klarus Mi0225.882Nitecore T0341.2Fenix E0125.882



The Sunwayman seems to have Acme type threads...maybe overkill on a key ring light? The Klarus and the Fenix have similar deep threads. The Nitecore has a stainless head and very shallow threads....I have to wonder about how robust this set up is...shallow threads with stainless coupling to aluminum. Time will tell. 

I've come to really appreciate the hex treatment on the head of the Sunwayman - makes it easy to grip and operate one handed and it seems to have the smoothest out of the box threads. Also nice that it doesn't roll away when placed on a flat surface.





The Nitecore and the Sunwayman have similar tails/split ring holes. Neither will tail stand under any circumstances. The Klarus will certainly tail stand without a split ring installed. The Fenix has the best tail set up (IMHO) because it is set up to allow tail standing even with a split ring attached. YMMV.





My initial impressions - you'll see the initial outputs below, but they all have the typical purple spot out to varying shades in the spill. The Klarus and the Nitecore have the beams that are the 'least offensive' to me.

These 4 photos give you an idea of the (un-modified) beams to one another (L-R - Sunwayman, Klarus, Nitecore, Fenix)

















Run time tests come first – I started with 4 batteries from the same batch of USA made Duracells – expiration date 2018 – that lasted around 42 hours in another E01. At 14:45 minutes the Sunwayman and Klarus had already given up. I’m actually not certain how long they lasted since they were both showing their ‘low battery indicators’ when I got up at 4:30 in the morning after the test started the previous night. The Klarus and the Fenix were still chugging along nicely – measurements are shown in the table below.





Since I didn’t measure the voltage of the batteries before beginning the run time test, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to start over – this time with a fresher batch of Chinese made Duracells – expiration date 2020. The voltage of each cell is shown in the table. The table will be updated with run times, voltages, etc., as each light finally gives it up.





As of the writing of this text, the Klarus and the Fenix are still chugging along with the Klarus at .22 lumen and the Fenix at .72 – both providing enough light to navigate a dark room

After the run time tests are completed, fresh batteries will be installed and the abuse will begin. My belief is that scout24’s abuse of an E01 set the bar very high – kudos to scout for taking that one for the team. These 4 lights probably won’t see that level of abuse, but they will be abused beyond what might happen in “real life.” We’ll see what happens.

I’ll start with a little bit different method. A 20% discount coupon for Harbor Freight was more than I could resist – decided to pick up a rock tumbler and some ceramic abrasive media (see photos). Maybe this will simulate a great deal of pocket wear with keys, coins, etc., in a “slightly accelerated” way… 

















So stay tuned! Updates will be posted after the Klarus and the Fenix finally give up. There will be some abuse beyond the rock tumbler as well. this crazy curiosity has cost around $100 so far so hopefully it will be useful to my sisters and brothers in the CPF community.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 13, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Well it appears that the Fenix may have to surrender the run time crown - it died after 27:58 minutes with the same type battery with equal starting voltage (as shown above). Meter showed .297V remaining in the battery. I let it rest for a few minutes to see if it would come back to life, but no - it's done.

Little Klarus is still chugging along happily. I quickly checked the battery and it still shows .859V - it may be running for a while yet! So the Sunwayman and the Nitecore are not 'battery vampires'...they have their own low battery indicators with the Nitecore flashing and the Sunwayman ramping high to low then off....high/low/off. But the Fenix did drain the cell nicely. Now we'll see just how long the Klarus lasts.

I realize there is an inconsistency in the brightness level on the chart below, but remember - the lights were off overnight so they 'recovered'. But the Klarus has been on for 2 hours and 30 minutes and still is brighter than it was last night.

I am impressed with the Klarus. But the Fenix body on the Klarus head and it's almost perfect...




Update: I let the Fenix (and the Nitecore and SWM) batteries recover for a while and the lights did come back on. The Fenix ran another 3 hours and the Nitecore and SWM both ran another couple. I'm not adjusting the run time, though, because the Klarus has run without the need to recover. In fact, it's still chugging along after 33 hours at .31 lumen.

Another update: At 36 hours the Klarus is still chugging along with a still usable .07 lumen..enough to light the 'target' in the middle of the night, guys.... Battery is still at .65V. Opinion based on observation - this light seems to somehow more gradually drain the battery. The Fenix, Sunwayman and Nitecore all will pull their batteries down to the point that the light shuts off. Let the batteries rest and the lights will start operating again, although not for long. I got an additional 3 hours out of the Fenix and 2 additional out of the SWM and Nitecore. But again, the drain seems more drastic.

As a side note, I managed 42 hours out of an E01 using that method - run until dead, stop the timer, let the battery recover, start it up again (and the timer.) I think it initially shut down at around 33 hours, but it was also using a US made Duracell. I've heard that the Chinese made Duracells don't last as long...don't know if that's true and am not making commentary, but what is happening is undeniable.

So I'm going to let the Klarus run to 40 hours (if it makes it, which I think it will) then call it. It has clearly 'won' the run time test...and it has turned my head. The little E01 has a competitor for run time / battery vampire!


----------



## run4jc (Feb 13, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Well I got tired of waiting - at 39:20 I called it. The Klarus was still producing .02 lumen of light - enough to navigate a dark bathroom (see photo)





Impressive. I think the Klarus would have run longer. It had .62V left in the battery - miserly vampire sipping the juice from that AAA! Here's the final table showing all, remembering that the other 3 would 'rejuvenate' after a bit of time turned off, but then quickly drain the battery down to the point that the light wouldn't function. In terms of battery utilization, my unscientific rankings are as follows - 1-Klarus; 2-Fenix; 3-Sunwayman; 4-Nitecore. The SWM and Nitecore both have low voltage indicators then they just shut off. Fenix and the Klarus just drain the batteries until there's not enough there to light the LED.




So now the torture begins! All 4 lights have entered the rock tumbler - the drum half full of those nasty looking 1 inch ceramic angle cut tri-star polishing media chunks. I was asked for video - here you go - this is the start. Went in around 6:40 PM Central Time. I'll let 'em run until early tomorrow afternoon - maybe 18-20 hours, then extract them and hope for the best. After that the abuse will continue next week as time allows.

(You might want to skip from the 18 second mark to around 1:20)



Stay tuned!


----------



## scout24 (Feb 13, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I've been waiting for this thread! Talk about taking one for the team... Always enjoy how well presented these threads are, Dan. Looking forward to seeing how harsh the ceramics are on those poor lights.


----------



## gurdygurds (Feb 13, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

That Klarus looks a full-on E01 copy-cat no??


----------



## nbp (Feb 13, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*


----------



## mcnair55 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

I am so excited can hardly wait.


----------



## Swede74 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Thank you for doing this. I would love to see a video (with sound) of the :rock: tumbler in action. +1, anyone?


----------



## Kilovolt (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Very promising, thanks for sharing!


----------



## kj2 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Thanks for do this all


----------



## rickypanecatyl (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Wow - thanks for all the work you put into this. I'm really curious what the rock tumbler does!


----------



## run4jc (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



gurdygurds said:


> That Klarus looks a full-on E01 copy-cat no??


Agreed...with the exception of the tail. It's the only one so far that is staying with the E01 for run time. I suspended the run time test overnight (can't monitor them when sleeping  ) but restarted this morning first thing. 26 hours and counting. This is what they looked like at 25:30 last night:

(Klarus left - Fenix right - then the 2 'little engines that couldn't' 






mcnair55 said:


> I am so excited can hardly wait.


And I know we eagerly anticipate all of the positive contributions you'll make to this thread... 



Swede74 said:


> Thank you for doing this. I would love to see a video (with sound) of the :rock: tumbler in action. +1, anyone?



Only to happy to oblige. That's what one of the reserved posts is for. 

Funny - I am the staff flashlight writer for TheFirearmBlog.com and have a cool ASP Triad rechargeable that I need to write up, but this is more fun.


----------



## Grijon (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

run4jc, you are awesome, the OP is stellar, and your response above is excellent. Thank you for doing this!


----------



## run4jc (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

@Grijon - thank you for the kind words. It's my pleasure and it makes me happy that you all are enjoying reading the thread. I just updated post #2 - we may have a run time winner declared! I'll let it continue to run before the rock tumbler test begins...:devil:


----------



## CelticCross74 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

am paying attention to this one...


----------



## JerryM (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

This has been very interesting. I did not realize the others existed, and that anything would beat the E01.
Jerry


----------



## ryukin2000 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Thanks for the cool tests. I did a run time test with an E01 and coast mini tac and was surprised the coast ran longer by a full day. Usable light too. 84 hours to 108.It also uses nichia emitter. E01 is still better edc. Coast is clicky. Way longer. Not potted or water proof and it worked intermittently until I fiddled with pcb board. Unreliable light.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



ryukin2000 said:


> Thanks for the cool tests. I did a run time test with an E01 and coast mini tac and was surprised the coast ran longer by a full day. Usable light too. 84 hours to 108.It also uses nichia emitter. E01 is still better edc. Coast is clicky. Way longer. Not potted or water proof and it worked intermittently until I fiddled with pcb board. Unreliable light.



Wow. What kind of battery lasted that long? Was that the previous version of the E01 or this newer one?


----------



## ryukin2000 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



run4jc said:


> Wow. What kind of battery lasted that long? Was that the previous version of the E01 or this newer one?



It was regular energizer alkaline. And older E01.


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



run4jc said:


> decided to pick up a rock tumbler and some ceramic abrasive media (see photos). Maybe this will simulate a great deal of pocket wear with keys, coins, etc., in a “slightly accelerated” way…



Freaking LOL! :goodjob:lovecpf


----------



## JerryM (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

I just started a run time with my E01 that is several years old and using an EBL 1100 battery. Will post how it comes out. My Fenix LD 01 with the EBL and low mode ran 21 hr 19min.

Jerry


----------



## Noctiluco (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Very interested in this thread, thank you very much for the effort, run4jc.

Anyones has idea why it is so different runtime and performance in SWM and Nitecore regarding the Klarus and Fenix? Perhaps they don't have PWM? Perhaps less efficient leds? the drivers?


----------



## run4jc (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



Noctiluco said:


> Very interested in this thread, thank you very much for the effort, run4jc.
> 
> Anyones has idea why it is so different runtime and performance in SWM and Nitecore regarding the Klarus and Fenix? Perhaps they don't have PWM? Perhaps less efficient leds? the drivers?



Thank you Noctiluco - I don't know the technical reason, but in post two I offer a bit of commentary on the way the lights seem to drain the batteries. The Fenix will drop out of regulation and slowly dim until it 'dies.' The Nitecore starts blinking when the battery is almost exhausted.....the Sunwayman begins a high-low ramp/off sequence until it finally dies. Interesting (to me, at least) that the Klarus starts out about 40% brighter than the new Fenix - 18 lumen versus 13, yet still runs longer. Scout24 suggested that perhaps it's an even newer and more efficient LED and that seems logical. That said, the board/head/LED/reflector all look virtually identical to the Fenix - the SWM and the Nitecore are both notably different.

It's just fascinating to me what you get for these bargain prices. Of course some think that they are overpriced, but I disagree. And the Fenix - the most well-known - is the least expensive of all.

Hang in there, folks. The rock tumbler is next, then on to freezing/heating/abrupt contact with concrete abuse! :devil:


----------



## netprince (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Great thread. Looking forward to more testing.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



netprince said:


> Great thread. Looking forward to more testing.



Thanks, netprince! Check post #3 - the run time is over and the tumbling has begun!


----------



## Swede74 (Feb 14, 2015)

run4jc said:


> Check post #3 - the run time is over and the tumbling has begun!


Thanks for taking the time to post the video. I'm really looking forward to seeing what a no doubt horrible night in the tumbler will do to those innocent little lights.


----------



## 5S8Zh5 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*


----------



## Guy1017 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



5S8Zh5 said:


>



+1


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



5S8Zh5 said:


>






Guy1017 said:


> +1




+2  Who's in for pizza?


----------



## scout24 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Those poor lights... Dan breaking out the heavy guns!!! :rock: :wow:


----------



## lampeDépêche (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

A Rock tumbler??? This is just cruel! Can we report you to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Flashlights?

I know they don't fit in to your category (because XPG instead of 5mm) but I get days and days out of the 4Sevens Atom AAA. I stick it on a metal surface on the bathroom mirror with a fresh Eneloop in it, and don't turn it off for five or six days. Still gives a nice glow to the whole bathroom.

I ran some runtime tests on the Atom AA and got over 10 days with an Eneloop AA. The AAA has only 1/3 the capacity, but the lumen output is lower on the Atom AAA.

So if you are looking for a AAA run-time champ, with all emitters in the running....


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



lampeDépêche said:


> I know they don't fit in to your category (because XPG instead of 5mm) but I get days and days out of the 4Sevens Atom AAA. I stick it on a metal surface on the bathroom mirror with a fresh Eneloop in it, and don't turn it off for five or six days. Still gives a nice glow to the whole bathroom.



Yes, but will it blend? That's the obvious "next-level." I'm betting on early Surefires not to blend. Anyone else in on the pool?

This is a "breaking stuff" thread! LOVE IT!


----------



## blah9 (Feb 14, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

What an awesome thread! Thank you for all your effort!


----------



## gunga (Feb 15, 2015)

*5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Awesome thread! These little 5mm lights often don't get a lot of attention. It's pretty cool seeing how tough and long lasting they are!


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## run4jc (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

This morning - 5 AM - couldn't resist. Had to look. In the first photo you see the little guys all unceremoniously dumped onto the top of the cooler that is serving as the work surface for the tumbler. Much to my dismay, the head of the Sunwayman had COME OFF in the tumbler! DUST EVERYWHERE! The battery (these are the OLD batteries that were in the lights for the run time tests - and no, the lights are not on in the tumbler - so ostensibly the batteries have recovered) was unrecognizable - dust inside the battery tube, all over the head, the battery contact on the head. I thought, "well, this one is done." Sorry that I didn't get a better photo....but if you look closely you can see the battery, head,and tube and the battery doesn't look like a battery. 





Guess what. With nothing more than a puff of air from me to remove just a bit of dust, I dropped the battery in the tube, installed the head, and voila, the SWM came back to life! They ALL work just fine this morning. Incidentally, I commented earlier how easily the SWM head turns - didn't think it was THIS easy, though!





Who knows how much anno has been removed...I'll have to wash them when the test is over (another 8-10 hours - when I get home from church) to know for sure. One thing is immediately evident: that nice stainless head on the Nitecore has definitely been "stone washed". :devil:





My respect for these little guys grows. And there's more to come...


----------



## 5S8Zh5 (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



more_vampires said:


> Yes, but will it blend? That's the obvious "next-level."



_The California Humane Society has filed a criminal complaint against a man they say is keeping tropical fish in a moving blender. The man admits it is true but says he has never turned the blender above Mix. The Humane Society claims he’s had it up to Whip and Puree several times.

- _George Carlin


----------



## kj2 (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Most anodizing has been removed, where it has knurling. Wonder why the smooth parts on the body are relatively fine. They do look good though


----------



## mcnair55 (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



run4jc said:


> Agreed...with the exception of the tail. It's the only one so far that is staying with the E01 for run time. I suspended the run time test overnight (can't monitor them when sleeping  ) but restarted this morning first thing. 26 hours and counting. This is what they looked like at 25:30 last night:
> 
> (Klarus left - Fenix right - then the 2 'little engines that couldn't'
> 
> ...




You should never assume chappy and wait,personally the thread is of great interest to me.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



mcnair55 said:


> You should never assume chappy and wait,personally the thread is of great interest to me.



No worries, chappy. No assumptions made and I am patient...some things are predictable, some are not.

I am genuinely pleased that you find the thread interesting. :thumbsup:


----------



## scout24 (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

You're a madman...  Can't believe they all still work! My money would have been on the T0 head coming off, it's got way less thread than the SWM... Maybe the hex didn't help. Waiting for more!!!


----------



## nfetterly (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



more_vampires said:


> Yes, but will it blend?



okay I am reading this BC (before coffee), "will it blend", I thought about the light mixing until I finally got it. This is a great thread. Subscribed.


----------



## Phlogiston (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Don't forget the DIY EMP test: 60 seconds in the microwave at full power. 

http://youtu.be/n6y3T1hwnrQ 

This procedure is also very good for testing flashlights with a hidden Fire-On-A-Stick mode. 

On a more serious note, I'm very impressed that the Sunwayman light still works after falling open inside a rock tumbler!


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Glorious! Permanently bookmarked!


----------



## run4jc (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



Phlogiston said:


> Don't forget the DIY EMP test: 60 seconds in the microwave at full power.
> 
> http://youtu.be/n6y3T1hwnrQ
> 
> ...



Thanks - the microwave test is awesome, but I'm gonna pass on that one! Well, we have updates. The Rock Tumbler Torture Test is over. Would you want to spend 20 hours constantly bumping into 1 inch triangular ceramic media? Along with 3 other flashlights?






The Sunwayman didn't make it. I think perhaps the ease with which the head turns - great in daily use - allowed the head to come off too easily in the tumbler and alas, something important was ground away. But I seriously doubt that the lights would encounter anything even close to this! And it did survive the first time the head came off....

Here's a video of the unveiling!



Here are a number of photos after the 'clean up.' (A more thorough clean up will happen shortly in the dishwasher... :devil

The battery that fell out of the Sunwayman..







Here's the Sunwayman - multiple views













Here's the Klarus - more and more impressed with this little light.





Good view of the 'reflector' - talk about the 'treatment!'





The Fenix - continues to be the "cockroach of flashlights"

















And the Nitecore T0 - I suppose you can say that the stainless head has been thoroughly stone washed!!

















And finally, the gang. Do you suppose they feel a sense of camaraderie? Do you suppose they miss their brother, the Sunwayman? After all, they've been through a lot together!







Bwahahahahahaha!! On to the dishwasher! Then the freezer! Then the oven! Then the brick wall tests! Who will survive?! (Can you tell that I'm having just a bit too much fun with this?)


----------



## nbp (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

These videos are great Dan! The lowly 5mm lights seem to still fill a real position in our collections; indestructible backups for disaster and survival preparedness!


----------



## Mr Floppy (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



run4jc said:


> Interesting (to me, at least) that the Klarus starts out about 40% brighter than the new Fenix - 18 lumen versus 13, yet still runs longer



You can get the same effect with a coil based joule thief. I have made joule thieves that last longer than the E01. In fact, I have the board for a mag solitaire drop-in and that is a coil based joule thief which lasts longer than the E01. The difference is that it doesn't have that long flat regulation that you get with the E01 but once it drops under 1V, there is a long long tail until the battery hits about 0.3V.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 15, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

^Thanks Mr. Floppy! I have several joule thieves around the house but none in the form you speak of. I had an E01 take a battery down to .297V - it's awesome when they can extract that much juice from the ubiquitous AAA.

Time for an update. The 3 "surviving" lights have been shackled together for the remaining tests. After a good scrub in soapy water they look pretty good...





But into the dishwasher for even more of a scrub





They survived a full cycle with no problem - in fact, they emerged even cleaner





So now it's time for them to hang out with Ben and Jerry overnight - or maybe even longer. Maybe until I get home from work tomorrow. I puffed air into the bezel to blow out any remaining drops of water from the dishwasher...but clearly all three of them (and the now defunct Sunwayman) have potted electronics.





So we'll catch up tomorrow evening after they emerge from the freezer and spend some time warming up in the oven . The weather is gonna be lousy here tomorrow so the brick wall test (the final test) will probably have to wait until Tuesday.

Thanks, all, for your interest and your comments! lovecpf

EDIT - after about an hour in the freezer, the Nitecore is not putting out any light...the Klarus is dimmed significantly....and the Fenix is as bright as it was when it went into the freezer. Maybe the Nitecore and Klarus will recover when they 'thaw', but I know that the Fenix survived a night in the snow in sub-freezing temps with Scout24 up in New York. Hmmm. The 'cockroach of flashlights' is surging here in the home stretch.


----------



## AMD64Blondie (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

This is painful to watch.I think I hear my Arc AAA whimpering from inside my backpack,"Don't hurt me..."


----------



## ForrestChump (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

I want the Klarus to win, I like an underdog.


----------



## gunga (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Great tests! Btw, the Sunwayman is not potted. I modded one before. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## run4jc (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



ForrestChump said:


> I want the Klarus to win, I like an underdog.





gunga said:


> Great tests! Btw, the Sunwayman is not potted. I modded one before.
> Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums



Gunga - thanks for the info. I may dissect the little guy and see if I can perform an 'autopsy' of sorts... 

ForrestChump - at least in the freezer test you are getting your wish. The Klarus is the only one that is still lit after 10.5 hours in the freezer. At 12 hours they'll come out and assume room temperature while I am at work. When I get home, IF they are all producing light again I'll give 'em the "hot car in summer" test and put them in the oven for a few hours at 200-225.


----------



## Toohotruk (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

I LOVE torture tests!!! :naughty:

Thanks for biting the bullet on these poor lights.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Freezer test over. After 12 hours the Klarus was the only light still lit while in the freezer - took them out and they were showing (by the time I got around to measuring ) around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. 





Then after about 5 minutes, the Fenix 'woke up...' 





The after about another minute, the Nitecore 'woke up', too





Checked voltages - 

The Nitecore was clearly shut down most of the night - battery showing 1.315V
Fenix shut down for a while - battery at .9
Klarus stayed on the entire time - battery at .84

When I get home from work I'll check the batteries again (assuming all the lights are on) and put them in a 200 degree oven for an hour. Then it's off to the brick wall test - and that'll be it. I've spent FAR too much time with this little experiment, but it sure has been fun.


----------



## subwoofer (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Excellent results.

The way I read that, the Klarus driver will function on a lower cell voltage than the rest. While in the freezer the cells voltage must have dropped enough for the other two to shut down, yet the Klarus kept going.

I'd be interested to see if after a E01 runtime test, can that cell be put into the Klarus, and still give light?


----------



## scout24 (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Crazy that they're still going! :bow: Thanks for keeping us updated, Dan.


----------



## TEEJ (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

LOL

NICE!

Looking forward to the rest of your torture testing!


----------



## kj2 (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Still going, wauw!


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Advantage: Klarus.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Well they went into the toaster oven at 200 degrees about 15 minutes ago. So far, so good


----------



## subwoofer (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



run4jc said:


> Well they went into the toaster oven at 200 degrees about 15 minutes ago. So far, so good



When I saw that in my email updates I thought you had them at 200 Celsius!! OK, hot enough though.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



subwoofer said:


> When I saw that in my email updates I thought you had them at 200 Celsius!! OK, hot enough though.



Whoa! No melted flashlights, please!

Oven baking now complete, and I'm happy to report that all 3 remaining contenders survived with no issues. They all stayed on throughout their unpleasant ordeal. Some photos and finally another nerdy, geeky video of the 'extraction.' 

Oven was set for 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour:








Actual temp in the oven was 210




As I type this, YouTube is still processing the video but it should be live soon - probably by the time you are reading this (and thanks to all of you who have followed this thread!)



So now the final test will take place. Nowhere near as abusive as scout24's torture of HUNDREDS of tosses against brick and time sitting under the wheel of a large truck, but hopefully enough to satisfy my sick curiosity about how much "drop, kick, throw" abuse they can take. Should be posted soon! Will close out my comments with a subjective rating of all of them. 

@subwoofer - if I can find the battery that drained to under .3V I'll use it - if not, when the current Fenix/battery combo dies I'll try that battery in the Klarus. Stay tuned!


----------



## scout24 (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

 I'm thinking you could have cooked this popcorn for me with a side of flashlights!!! . Hang in there little lights!


----------



## gunga (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

I remember a test where a person dropped/threw an Arc AAA and Fenix E01 off a tall building. You could try that. Just make sure not to hit anyone!


----------



## run4jc (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Well, we have a winner. Since I bought the lights and conducted the test, I am allowed some subjectivity.  BUT, the ratings you'll see at the end are mostly OBJECTIVE.

The final test was the brick wall / concrete floor test. Spoiler alert - the Sunwayman didn't get to play because the rock tumbler killed it....the Klarus and the Fenix survived, but on toss #9 (IIRC) the Nitecore expired. There were a few close calls with lights sputtering and your reviewer getting excited, but it was simply due to heads loosening. 

If you have nothing better to do, here's a 5 minute video account of the abuse:



So what do they look like when it's all said and done?
Nitecore's (dead) battery had 1.117V left
Klarus .831V (and still running)
Fenix .992

Here are photos of the players after the tests are all completed - and scroll to the end to see my final ratings

Fenix




Klarus




Nitecore




Klarus




Fenix




Finally, all 4 of the original players




So who is the winner? Please review my ratings below - they reveal why I determined:

Fenix #1
Klarus #2
Nitecore #3
Sunwayman #4





This was a lot of work, but it was a labor of love. One thing is for certain, I would be confident going into any tough situation with either the Fenix or the Klarus, but the Fenix is $2 cheaper and comes with a battery. And although in this particular test the Klarus outlasted it, I've seen another Fenix (same version) last 42 hours on a battery allowing some 'off time' for the battery to recover. 

Thanks for your interest!


----------



## gunga (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Very very cool. This is a real great test of these lights to determine the best cockroach light! You should make a medal by attaching the light to a live (large) roach or something (yech!).

Now can you throw them off a building to see how they do?


----------



## kj2 (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Great challenge and thank you for doing it all


----------



## run4jc (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



gunga said:


> Very very cool. This is a real great test of these lights to determine the best cockroach light! You should make a medal by attaching the light to a live (large) roach or something (yech!).
> 
> Now can you throw them off a building to see how they do?



LOL. Mike,thanks for the kind words, but I think I'm done. Don't know how many hours have gone into this - and about $100 including the lights and the tumbler/media (which, of course, I can use for other stuff), but it was a blast. 

I will carry the Klarus and Fenix lights proudly, just like Greg carried the survivor of his original torture test for so long. If these little guys (and the batteries) can take this, then they can take about anything.

One curious note - the Fenix has a tendency to develop internal pressure after really extended run times. The first one I tested for run time did it -so much pressure that the head was hard to remove and there was a pronounced "pfffft" when I did remove it. This second one did it as well after the oven test.

So someone else, please, do the 'drop off the building test'! I'm done!!

lovecpf


----------



## Mr Floppy (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



run4jc said:


> One curious note - the Fenix has a tendency to develop internal pressure after really extended run times. The first one I tested for run time did it -so much pressure that the head was hard to remove and there was a pronounced "pfffft" when I did remove it. This second one did it as well after the oven test.



That suggests to me that the fenix has a better seal. I'm sure that with all the heating and cooling, the battery would be abused to the point of venting. 

Submersion test at pressure anyone?


----------



## Tac Gunner (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Reinforces why I am now only buying Fenix lights, they are built like tanks. Thanks for the test, really enjoyed it. If I could afford it I would do one comparing 2AA lights from the big names, Fenix, Olight, Eagletac, Klarus, Nitecore, Sunwayman, Thrunite and Armytek but that would be almost 200 bucks.


----------



## Toohotruk (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Good job on a cool test! :thumbsup:


----------



## scout24 (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

You talked me into it- the Klarus is going to be one of my next purchases. Good to see the 7 year old cockroach design hold it's own against these whippersnappers though!


----------



## nbp (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Fantastic thread, very fun. I'm almost inclined to buy a couple of the other contestants to compliment my E01s. Some very handy and hardy little lights! Thanks for doing this.


----------



## Rossymeister (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Awesome thread!


----------



## Flying Turtle (Feb 16, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Great thread. Thank you.

Geoff


----------



## Derek Dean (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I'm constantly amazed at what lengths our members will go to in their pursuit of the most rugged EDC. run4jc, my hat's off to you. Well done!


----------



## bigfoot (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Awesome thread, thanks for all the hard work and documentation!!


----------



## LightWalker (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Thank you run4jc for your contribution, the results are very interesting, the Klarus not only looks like the E01 but has similar build quality and performance at close to the same cost, I may have to get one of them some time in the near future.


----------



## yoyoman (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Thank you run4jc - a very interesting and entertaining thread. Decided I needed some cockroaches and ordered the Fenix E01 and Klarus MI02.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Thank you all for the kind comments. Many have done such tests and threads...I continue to tip my hat to Greg (scout24) for his tests of the E01. He set the bar very high, especially with his extended abuse tests - hundreds of throws at concrete, bricks and the like, plus multiple times running over the light with a big truck!

I thought the 'tests' were done but this has to be added. Just before the 'dishwasher test', fresh US made Duracell batteries (exp 2018) were installed in the surviving test lights - the Fenix, Klarus and Nitecore. this was approximately 6:30 PM CST on Sunday. As you know, these batteries have seen some major abuse - an hour in the dishwasher probably had no effect on the batteries, but 12 hours in a freezer then an hour in a 200 degree F oven certainly did. Then 25 hard impacts against brick didn't help, either.

The photos don't do justice, but the tops and bottoms of the batteries are caved in, and there is a little pin hole that looks suspiciously like a 'vent.'







I decided to let the lights run after the 'test' was over. So this morning I was met with this:




The Klarus is still on, but the Fenix had died. I gave it a few minutes to recover and it fired back up, but for only 5 minutes or so (maybe less). Voltage at .395...Klarus voltage at .865. And subwoofer, no, the battery from the Fenix won't light the Klarus. 

But we have to think about this further - the Klarus has been running constantly. Although I don't know for how long, but the Fenix actually shut off for a while in the freezer. Could have been an hour - could have been 4 hours - who knows - but it did shut off while the Klarus ran all night. 

And the Klarus still has over .8V left. So I'm going to let it run until it dies - working from home today so I can keep an eye on it - and let's see just how long this battery vampire can go on this seriously abused AAA cell. Still, not shabby at all for the Fenix - I know it had to have run at least 30 hours on that frozen, baked and beaten cell!


----------



## nfetterly (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

When you are done you can sell the losers on Fleabay....

Great work!! I will probably pick up a Klarus....


----------



## run4jc (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



nfetterly said:


> When you are done you can sell the losers on Fleabay....



Oh, no....all competitors will go into the "Hall of Fame..." although the Klarus may see some time on my key ring. I have a good supply of E01s, but am gonna pick up a few Klarus, too. Power failure event battery vampires for sure.

Oh, the Fenix came back to life for 18 minutes. Took the battery down to .309...Klarus going strong with battery at .806. this could take a while!

EDIT - update - Fenix came back to life for an additional 36 minutes (now 54 added to the estimated 30 hours run time. Battery at .294. Going to let it recover for a while and see just how low it will go. Klarus still going strong - battery at .790. Clearly the Klarus is more efficient but the Fenix is more of a vampire.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I know this seems like a shameless bump - not my intent. I simply need to report some cool data on the Fenix and the Klarus. I decided to try to drain the AAA cell as far as possible by giving it time to recover then turning the light back on....it's amazing to me how many times you can do this.

I've decided "enough is enough." The Fenix ran a cumulative total of an additional 2 hours 10 minutes on the 'dead' battery. When I removed it this last time my meter showed .205V remaining in the Duracell. I MAY try one more time, but it seems to me that it's time to call it 'finished.' Total estimated run time for the Fenix throughout all these abusive tests was just over 32 hours. That's an impressive "battery vampire" if you ask me. By the way, the Klarus won't run off this exhausted battery either.

But the Klarus has never stopped. It has been on CONSTANTLY - (remember, it never went off when in the freezer like the Nitecore and Fenix both did) for 42 hours now. And the battery is showing .76V.

Much longer run times have been reported by others so this is not intended to represent a 'new high' in run times, but it is impressive (at least to me) how long this light is running on such little power - ESPECIALLY considering the fact that the run time included some abusive treatment - dishwasher cycle (with hot water), freezer overnight (12 hours total), 200 degree oven for an hour then 25 hard impacts against brick and concrete.

So for amazing draining - down to scary levels - it's the Fenix. It's yet to be known how low the Klarus will take the battery down, but for extended run time with minimal battery drain, the Klarus is almost joule thief-like in it's behavior.


----------



## ForrestChump (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Which has a better beam after all this the Klarus or Fenix?


----------



## run4jc (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



ForrestChump said:


> Which has a better beam after all this the Klarus or Fenix?



Fair question - subjective answer, but in my opinion the Klarus. It's a bit warmer although it still has that annoying purplish tint to the center spot. This photo:






was taken before the rock tumbler (which softened the beams a bit.) Sunwayman, Klarus, Nitecore, Fenix. The Nitecore had a nice 'warmish' tint to it, too, but it didn't survive the test!

44 hours now - Klarus is still putting out a nice little quantity of light.


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> ...was taken before the rock tumbler (which softened the beams a bit.)



Lol!  Softened like a meat tenderizer mallet.


----------



## Lumineux (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Amazing (and brutal) trial for those little lamps. An inspiration for future reviews


----------



## Mr Floppy (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> But the Klarus has never stopped. It has been on CONSTANTLY - (remember, it never went off when in the freezer like the Nitecore and Fenix both did) for 42 hours now. And the battery is showing .76V.



Well that will rule out the zetex380. That one needs 0.8V to start. Saying that, there are a number of these cheap Chinese lights with chips like zetex380 in that it has an inductor and three pins that will fire up on 0.6-0.7V.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Mr Floppy said:


> Well that will rule out the zetex380. That one needs 0.8V to start. Saying that, there are a number of these cheap Chinese lights with chips like zetex380 in that it has an inductor and three pins that will fire up on 0.6-0.7V.



Way beyond my knowledge, but thanks for the info! 

Update...48 hours now and the battery is showing .699V. My hope was to be around when it died so that the final run time could be reported...may turn it off over night and suspend the run time tally. Haven't measured the light in my sphere lately, but it's bound to be around a lumen and plenty useful for night time navigation.

I ordered 5 of these Klarus lights today along with some more Energizer Ultimate Lithium cells. Over prepared? Maybe...but then again, can we ever be over prepared? Some day we'll talk about my generators, solar panels, etc....



UPDATE - 50 hours now, .68 left on the battery.


----------



## Tacti'cool' (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

This was epic! Good to know that a happy $15 5mm can take such massive abuse and keep going. Thank you for this test.


----------



## Mr Floppy (Feb 17, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> Way beyond my knowledge, but thanks for the info!



Hah! Sorry with all the mumbo jumbo. 

Basically was trying to say that expect the minimum voltage to be around 0.6V - 0.7V. That is minimum voltage required for current to start flowing for a silicon transistor. I think the E01 manages to go lower as it uses a transformer somewhere in the circuit. 

I think I may have to get a Klarus just to take apart. Have you got a logging light meter?


----------



## Toohotruk (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

You know, there is one test that could be done by somebody with a lot of time on their hands, that I personally have never seen done...I've always wondered how durable the pos contact on the head is, it looks like it's just the thin copper leaf on the circuit board and I've always wondered how well it would hold up to lots of twisting the head on and off. You would think it would eventually wear out that contact and maybe even the neg contacts on the head. I imagine it would take a lot of twisting before the battery damages that contact, but I don't know if anybody has ever done any long term testing for that. :shrug:


----------



## ForrestChump (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> I ordered 5 of these Klarus lights today along with some more Energizer Ultimate Lithium cells.



Im glad we have a contender ( Sucessor? ) for the E01. I have had a few, a couple finiky, a couple with loose LEDs. They just haven't been my favorite.

Klarus puts out some good stuff on a consistent basis. Also please send me one, Im broke.


----------



## gunga (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Hmmm. Where's a good place to pick up the Klarus?


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## run4jc (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Mr Floppy said:


> Hah! Sorry with all the mumbo jumbo.
> 
> Basically was trying to say that expect the minimum voltage to be around 0.6V - 0.7V. That is minimum voltage required for current to start flowing for a silicon transistor. I think the E01 manages to go lower as it uses a transformer somewhere in the circuit.
> 
> I think I may have to get a Klarus just to take apart. Have you got a logging light meter?



No worries! I enjoy learning and your explanation makes perfect sense - especially now, because just now the light finally quit. It was a glow when I got up this morning and happily I was able to watch it finally go dark. Voltage reading? .584V. Funny - the Fenix has been off for a while and happily fires up (although it typically lasts for a couple of minutes.)

So your theory seems spot on, and my 'ratings' remain. Fenix is the battery vampire but the Klarus is the run time champ and logically it seems more efficient. Final run time was *57 hours and 40 minutes*. Lest we forget, that was with all of the abuse thrown at it.

I do not have a logging meter - I use this meter in my home made sphere. I've had this sphere a long time and it has proven to be quite consistent and accurate

So I'm glad it's finally 'over.' I'm gonna happily carry this little Klarus for a while, then swap off and carry the Fenix. Sure, there are plenty of brand new shiny ones already here and 5 new Klarus on the way here, but these two have earned carry time. Scout24 carried his tortured E01 proudly (and still is, I think) for quite some time and I totally get that. 

As already said, these 2 little lights "earned" being carried, used, abused and enjoyed!


----------



## run4jc (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



gunga said:


> Hmmm. Where's a good place to pick up the Klarus?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums



Of course there are probably multiple sources, but I bought mine from Battery Junction. Amazon has them also being sold for a 3rd party seller. I'll bet that many of the dealers we are all familiar with have them.


----------



## N_N_R (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Awesome! Thanks for all the experiments and... entertainment, lol! Holy Light! My love for the tiny AAA lights has just grown stronger  

I used to have that Sunwayman before... I got it shortly after I had got my first E01 ever. Well... the E01 had kinda spoiled me already and I got rid of the Sunwaman. It couldn't tailstand and it felt kinda cheaper... and was a tiny bit longer... 

Anyway, you've just proved that there's no tougher thing in the world than an E01.

And yeah, the NiteCore TUbe wouldn't have survived all that, I think. Someone suggested it as a much cheaper competitor of the E01, but... it looks like it has a plastic body and this very fact rules it out immediately, I think.


----------



## turbodog (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

You are supposed to put water in a rock tumbler. 

I tumbled some stones for about a week, dry. They came out covered in dust, but barely smoothed. Put them back in, wet. They were smoother in 24 hours than a week (dry) had done.


----------



## thedoc007 (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



turbodog said:


> You are supposed to put water in a rock tumbler.
> 
> I tumbled some stones for about a week, dry. They came out covered in dust, but barely smoothed. Put them back in, wet. They were smoother in 24 hours than a week (dry) had done.



Thanks for the info, but for the purposes of this test, I don't see how it matters. The point was not to polish the lights...it was just to see if they could handle the abuse.

Great thread run4jc!


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

...like taping them to the bottom of the soles of your shoes?


----------



## run4jc (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



turbodog said:


> You are supposed to put water in a rock tumbler.
> 
> I tumbled some stones for about a week, dry. They came out covered in dust, but barely smoothed. Put them back in, wet. They were smoother in 24 hours than a week (dry) had done.



Yeah, I'm aware. You typically use a different media, too. This media was designed to remove burrs from small parts, etc., and less for polishing. 



thedoc007 said:


> Thanks for the info, but for the purposes of this test, I don't see how it matters. The point was not to polish the lights...it was just to see if they could handle the abuse.
> 
> Great thread run4jc!



Thank you doc! You are correct, the point was to just abuse them, not polish them. Although the water might have added an interesting twist....hmmm...but I suppose the dishwasher tested their 'water tightness'.



more_vampires said:


> ...like taping them to the bottom of the soles of your shoes?



Now THERE'S an idea! But I'm done...passing the torch to someone else....


----------



## turbodog (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I've got some media like you showed, but I got it 'used'. Always wondered if it came that way, or if the vibratory machine made it that way after enough time.


----------



## ForrestChump (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

:hahaha:



more_vampires said:


> ...like taping them to the bottom of the soles of your shoes?



As I said in the other thread. WE NEED A BOTTLE ROCKET TEST.... one on each side should give enough lift.......:devil:


----------



## Burgess (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Great thread here !


lovecpf



Need to try one of those
" Paint-Can-Shaker " machines,
for a heavy duty durability test !


:twothumbs


----------



## run4jc (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Burgess said:


> Need to try one of those
> " Paint-Can-Shaker " machines,
> for a heavy duty durability test !



I actually talked to scout24 about that before the tests started. Priced one on Amazon.... wondered how my local paint store or hardware store would react if I came in and asked. Ultimately the tumbler had to substitute because of price and availability! But I like the way you think!


----------



## scout24 (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

"Passing the torch..."


----------



## Haesslich (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



gunga said:


> Hmmm. Where's a good place to pick up the Klarus?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums



In Canada, The Cutting Edge out of Calgary is probably the closest dealer to you that I know stocks Klarus lights. I think I saw the Mi02 the last time I was in there in November.


----------



## KDM (Feb 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Thanks run4jc and scout24 for the informative and entertaining testing of the limits of these lights. I have a suggestion for the round two title, 'AAA Light Weight Smackdown'. Great job guys, hats off to you.


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 19, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



KDM said:


> Thanks run4jc and scout24 for the informative and entertaining testing of the limits of these lights. I have a suggestion for the round two title, 'AAA Light Weight Smackdown'. Great job guys, hats off to you.



Laaaaaaaaaadies and Gentlemeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!
Tonight's main event, the AAA light weight world title match, sponsored by CPF!
Let's get readyyyyyyyyyyyyy to rumble!


----------



## jorn (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Nice test... but.. why did you not include the mcgizmo sapphire or the mako flood in the test ? :devil: I think one of them might come out on top hehe :devil:


----------



## KDM (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I thought the same thing jorn, I think they're accepting donations.


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> Fenix is the battery vampire but the Klarus is the run time champ and logically it seems more efficient. Final run time was *57 hours and 40 minutes*. Lest we forget, that was with all of the abuse thrown at it.




....wait a minute! Get the Fenix AND the Klarus, when the Klarus stops running, put it in the Fenix! Yea, that's the ticket!


----------



## run4jc (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



jorn said:


> Nice test... but.. why did you not include the mcgizmo sapphire or the mako flood in the test ? :devil: I think one of them might come out on top hehe :devil:



I think perhaps you didn't read the qualifications, which included "5mm LED, AAA battery, 1 level twisty, _*$10-15..."
*_


KDM said:


> I thought the same thing jorn, I think they're accepting donations.



By all means! If you want to send the equivalent value of a sapphire or mako I'll be happy (or I know scout24 will) to put them through the paces....after all, what's another few hours added on to the ones we've already donated to the cause! :nana:



more_vampires said:


> ....wait a minute! Get the Fenix AND the Klarus, when the Klarus stops running, put it in the Fenix! Yea, that's the ticket!



I wasn't gonna report this...and I'm hesitating to do so now, BUT, logical or not, I tried that. Took the .585V battery out of the Klarus and put it in the Fenix. Nothing. Makes no sense, I know, but it's fact.


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> I wasn't gonna report this...and I'm hesitating to do so now, BUT, logical or not, I tried that. Took the .585V battery out of the Klarus and put it in the Fenix. Nothing. Makes no sense, I know, but it's fact.



Sadness and disappointment! You mean Fenix and Klarus cannot share blood dolls?  Maybe they're not vampires at all.


----------



## Phlogiston (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> more_vampires said:
> 
> 
> > ....wait a minute! Get the Fenix AND the Klarus, when the Klarus stops running, put it in the Fenix! Yea, that's the ticket!
> ...



Sometimes a circuit needs more power to start up than it needs to maintain a steady state. For example, if the driver circuit needs to charge a capacitor to start, there will be a significantly higher inrush current at startup before the circuit settles down. A severely depleted cell might not be able to sustain that, despite still being able to sustain the circuit's steady-state requirements (if only the light could reach that state without the initial inrush). 

The Klarus-depleted cell might work if you gave it a few hours of recovery time, then put it in the Fenix. 

However, it's also possible that this particular cell hit the same degree of discharge at 0.585V as the Fenix's cell did at the lower voltage. Small variations in chemistry make a big difference to cells in the extreme-discharge regime. This would mean that the Klarus and Fenix lights were actually more closely equivalent to each other in the battery vampire stakes, although the Klarus would remain the more efficient light. 

If you were curious, you could try new cells in both lights and see whether the end of run voltage was still substantially lower in the Fenix the second time round, which would point towards the startup power explanation. If the voltage turned out to be wildly variable from cell to cell in the same light, that would point to the cell variation explanation.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Phlogiston said:


> The Klarus-depleted cell might work if you gave it a few hours of recovery time, then put it in the Fenix.
> 
> However, it's also possible that this particular cell hit the same degree of discharge at 0.585V as the Fenix's cell did at the lower voltage. Small variations in chemistry make a big difference to cells in the extreme-discharge regime. This would mean that the Klarus and Fenix lights were actually more closely equivalent to each other in the battery vampire stakes, although the Klarus would remain the more efficient light.
> .



Yeah, they both start back up after enough recovery time - BUT - the depleted Fenix battery will start the Fenix up at around .3. I think your "same degree of discharge..." theory is the most logical.

But lest we lose sight of the fact, the Klarus almost doubled the Fenix in run time even though the ending voltage was over twice the ending voltage of the Fenix. Others have recorded longer run times, but I have not. And this was with recovery time for the Fenix but no recovery - constant light output - for the Klarus.

Either way, these "old design, overpriced, out of date for 2015 and outdated lights" (not my words - a paraphrase of someone else) are still, IMHO, incredibly useful and worth having around. I am proudly swapping off key ring carry every couple of days between the Klarus and the Fenix. In normal use it may be more than a year before the battery needs replacing in either one.

I mean geez - $10 or $11, survived all kinds of torture (although some can't imagine why we care about their ability to survive the torture), LONG run times, 'enough' light for most situations, and proven reliability.

Personally, I don't care if they are outdated designs. The darn things work - period.


----------



## Hiro Protagonist (Feb 21, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> Personally, I don't care if they are outdated designs. The darn things work - period.



I'm a fan of programmable AAA lights for EDC use, but my AAA key chain lights are simple, durable, and reliable. I normally switch between an Arc AAA and a Mako Flood. 

I just added an E01 into the rotation because of this awesome thread and scout's E01 winter torture thread. Thanks again!
:thumbsup:


----------



## Mr Floppy (Feb 23, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Well, I've just sent my first email to Klarus asking them to make an AA version of mi02. Chances may not be great but after years of asking Fenix to make one, it's worth a shot. The two lights are like peas in a pod so I suspect they may come out of the same factory. Hopefully should Klarus decide to make one that is tough and simple like the mi02. 

Just a question, are the heads interchangeable on the mi02 and E01?


----------



## run4jc (Feb 23, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Mr Floppy said:


> Just a question, are the heads interchangeable on the mi02 and E01?


Affirmative


----------



## gurdygurds (Feb 23, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Cool! I actually like the base of the Klarus better. It's more like the old e05. Seems more stable than an e01 is. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## PoliceScannerMan (Feb 23, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

How did I miss this thread until now?! Nice work Dan, GREAT read!!!


----------



## Mr Floppy (Feb 23, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> Affirmative


Thanks man! That is great


gurdygurds said:


> Cool! I actually like the base of the Klarus better. It's more like the old e05. Seems more stable than an e01 is.



That was my thinking too except they could cut a notch in for the split-ring to sit in.


----------



## gurdygurds (Feb 24, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Mr Floppy said:


> Thanks man! That is great
> 
> 
> That was my thinking too except they could cut a notch in for the split-ring to sit in.



Dremel tool can make that happen. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## Mr Floppy (Feb 24, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



gurdygurds said:


> Dremel tool can make that happen.



Perhaps but not in my hands ... well may be, just need a few drinks to stop the shaky hands


----------



## Fleetwood (Feb 25, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I just bought one on the basis of this thread, well I hear about the E01 a lot and this convinced me. I will put it on my motorcycle keys/keyring, it will get very cold, wet, and knocked about, lots of vibrations etc when riding the bike, so we'll see how it fairs in real life now.


----------



## run4jc (Feb 25, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Fleetwood said:


> I just bought one on the basis of this thread, well I hear about the E01 a lot and this convinced me. I will put it on my motorcycle keys/keyring, it will get very cold, wet, and knocked about, lots of vibrations etc when riding the bike, so we'll see how it fairs in real life now.



I expect it'll survive just fine....did you see what scout24 did to one over here?

Oh, and welcome to CPF!


----------



## run4jc (Mar 6, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Time for a last minute entrant.....a "make up exam", if you will...

The Rayovac Keychain light - it was backordered when I originally started the challenge, but that's okay. We'll put it through its paces now.





Rated for 5 lumen and a 6 hour run time at a cost of $4.99, we'll see if it can compete with the "dinosaur" E01 or any of the clones.

Right away I started the run time test, but checked output first. A solid 7 lumen with a beam shape that is influenced by what is almost like an optic, but is really a shallow reflector. Regardless, it has a lens...I'm wondering if that lens will survive some of the abuse.











Shown next to the tested E01




Battery has to be inserted via removal of the tail cap, so there are two potential entry points for flashlight destruction - the tail cap and the head. You can't insert the battery from the 'head'.














Nice little key ring and chain. I wonder how it'll hold up, too. 





So we'll see. When the run time test is over it goes into the tumbler - dry like last time. If it survives that it goes in the refrigerator overnight....after that the oven at 200 degrees for an hours. Then the 25 tosses against a brick wall landing on concrete. I don't have my hopes up based on first impressions, but who knows? Stay tuned!


----------



## nbp (Mar 6, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Ooooh, fun, it lives again!  Thanks Dan! I assume that is just plated steel, not brass for that price, right? Can you lock it out?


----------



## Toohotruk (Mar 6, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Nice! I don't have high hopes for this one either...but I have been surprised by ROV before.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 7, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



nbp said:


> Ooooh, fun, it lives again!  Thanks Dan! I assume that is just plated steel, not brass for that price, right? Can you lock it out?



Nick, I can't tell for sure...but you are probably right. Scraped at it with a knife blade and it stayed that "brass" color, but if anything it's too light weight to be brass. The tumbler will tell us!



Toohotruk said:


> Nice! I don't have high hopes for this one either...but I have been surprised by ROV before.



Likewise, but even if it only survives part of the test, it's a decent little key ring light for 5 buck$. I has already outlasted the run time rating. I switched it off last night (can't monitor it when I'm sleeping!  ) after it had been on for 8 hours and it was still producing 6 lumen right before I turned it off. Back on this morning - still 6 lumen and we'll see if it makes it through the day. It should enter the "tumbler of death" tonight! :devil:


----------



## scout24 (Mar 7, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Tumbler of Death...  Trying to add the "evil" smiley from my phone and it's not working.


----------



## Woods Walker (Mar 7, 2015)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

Cool thread. I keep an E01 in one of my PSKs. Been there from maybe 2008-2009. It seems the newer E01 is rated a few lumens higher. Has anyone actually compared the older ones to the newer ones or is this just because of different lumen rating systems which have changed over the years? God awful purple tint on the older one though for a PSK use I don't care. Believe it or not 10 lumens isn't so bad in the dark dank woods. Once needed to use my E01 to hike out after my headlamp died. It did ok.


----------



## gunga (Mar 7, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I don't think it'll survive the tumbler but who knows! I have compared the new and old e01. Definitely a lot brighter. Mine still has the purple hot spot but the steel wool treatment worked. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## Toohotruk (Mar 7, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Yep, newer version is definitely brighter...I bought two new E01s recently, actually because of this thread.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Time for an update on the ROV AAA light. Failure on MY PART - wasn't keeping track of the run time as diligently as I should have been. ESTIMATING around 12 hours I decided to punt and start over. Dropped in a fresh Duracell last night and reset the stopwatch. This time it'll be continuous run as I should be around to monitor the light.

(Yes, I was 'cheating' THIS TIME and switching the light off when I couldn't be around to monitor but forgot to stop and start the stopwatch. Stopped and re-started 3 times.)

Interestingly, the Duracell battery was at .62V at that point in the test. Even more interesting to me is that the same battery is showing 1.19V this morning. Amazing how these batteries bounce back.

The new cell has been in use continuously for 8 hours 30 minutes and the light is definitely weakened - .2 lumen, but still enough to navigate a dark room. I'll let it run until after church activities this afternoon then it'll be time for the "tumbler of death." Plans are tumble this little guy only for 4-6 hours and then check it...my gut tells me that it won't survive the 20 hour tumble that the previous test lights went through

So there you - maybe TMI, but thought some might enjoy an update.


----------



## Toohotruk (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*


----------



## run4jc (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

17 hours and still going. .2-.3 lumen...hard to get an accurate read when it's that low. Tired of waiting so decided to put some duct tape over the lens and drop the little bugger into the "tumbler of death" while still showing life. Don't know what'll die first - the battery or the light. Lest you think me naive, I'm aware that the tape will probably fall off in the tumbler, but figured WTH. This won't be a 20 hour test like the others - gonna go about 4 hours total. That ought to be enough to prove a point with this very inexpensive light.





Lousy job of taping over the lens





Dropped in the tumbler awaiting its fate





Justa spinnin' and tumblin'


----------



## gunga (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Woah. Looks scary in that tumbler! Glad I'm not in there being pummelled by rocks!


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## run4jc (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

OKAY! Another little trooper - 4 hours 15 minutes in the "Tumbler of Death". What's more, it's still running on the same battery after 21 hours. Next up is the dishwasher. Little guy is showing some toughness!









Washed it off a bit. The faux bronze is really taking on that "stone washed" look


----------



## run4jc (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Survived the dishwasher!! Into the freezer!


----------



## scout24 (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

:bow: Had my doubts about the dishwasher! Tough little vampire AAA choices are always welcome. Thanks, Dan!


----------



## nbp (Mar 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

No kidding! I'm quite surprised to say the least. Is this available at B&M stores? Might be a good one to buy a handful of and hand out to sheep in the next power outage.


----------



## Toohotruk (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Maybe it would handle the whole 24hrs in the tumbler? :shrug:


----------



## LightWalker (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



nbp said:


> No kidding! I'm quite surprised to say the least. Is this available at B&M stores? Might be a good one to buy a handful of and hand out to sheep in the next power outage.



I've bought them at Wal-Mart for about three or four dollars.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Wal Mart for $3 or $4 sounds great! Wally World, here I come. I bought this one from Battery Junction for $4.99 - Rayovac sells them on their own retail site for $3.99. @Toohotruk, it would probably make it through 24 hours in the tumbler, but it seems that it's proved itself for now....we'll see how it survives the '25 toss' test.

Well, it's early and I have to abandon this project long enough to work today...

BUT - little guy made it through the freezer test. In my mind, that's more about the battery anyway, right? 8 hours, 11 minutes in freezer....light stopped shining after around 15 minutes. 

Took it out this morning while making coffee and hit 'lap' on the stopwatch..

46 seconds later the light came back on and is dutifully shining at a .22 lumen brightness level.

So it's been on approximately 24 hours (subtracting the 8 hours in the freezer from the 32h 31m the stopwatch is showing. Took the battery out long enough to measure .529V. My gut tells me that that battery isn't going to last much longer, but who knows? The light has already pulled the battery below the .6V threshold where some drivers cease to operate.

Upon returning home from work it goes in the 200 degree oven for an hour, then if it survives that it goes for the 25 tosses against brick/concrete.


----------



## more_vampires (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Run4jc, I was looking at my little Rayovac AAAx1 like yours (but red) and was scratching my head at how to get to the guts of it. If yours has a failure, would you mind trying to get at the driver? From what we've seen so far, it looks like a good candidate for a mod host.

I'm also curious if the electrics are potted or not.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

@more_vampires.....it just won't die!

Yes, the test is 'over.' Light stayed while I was at work/school (I teach college) so I came home and baked it. No problem. Then began the 25 toss test. I suggest you mute your volume so you don't have to listen to this 57 year old goober flashaholic's commentary.



Bottom line - the light would not 'die' from battery depletion so after 34 hours of other abuses I decided to wrap the test (if you can call it a test) up with the 25 tosses against brick dropping to concrete. The video shows all this. It almost made it all the way through then on about the 17th throw it stopped working. I went ahead and finished the 25 throws and went to get a new battery (assuming the battery was damaged.) In the time it took me to get the battery and settle in for my next video, the light started working again. And as I type this, it is beside me STILL working after 36 hours and 40 minutes of run time plus all of the abuse.





And here's how it looks after all the abuse is done.














With all due respect, please don't ask for more tests. The little light has proved itself. Some might argue that it's the new 'winner but I would still give it a tie for second. It's significantly larger than the Klarus or Fenix, but that size might be considered offset by the low price. So the Fenix remains my subjective favorite and winner, but I think the Rayovac ties with the Klarus for second place.




And if you want more tests, PLEASE conduct your own! Feel free to add them to this thread or start your own, but regardless, I'M FINISHED!!


----------



## gunga (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

WOW! Thanks for all the tests! I'm really surprised and impressed the ROV lasted throughout all this! Very cool!


----------



## more_vampires (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Great work! This is an awesome thread.


----------



## blah9 (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Awesome job! Add me to the ranks of people surprised by the last light.


----------



## LightWalker (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I've bought a few of these ROV and gave them away, I used one for a while but I did not know they were so durable, I think I need to get a new one now.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



LightWalker said:


> I've bought a few of these ROV and gave them away, I used one for a while but I did not know they were so durable, I think I need to get a new one now.



To be honest, I didn't think the light would survive the tumbler, much less all the abuse. These would make fantastic gifts. I suppose that about the only test that one of these would not survive (that the E01 did survive) was the "under the wheels" test that scout24 performed on his E01.

:devil:


----------



## more_vampires (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I was tempted to get a Blendtec blender to see which flashlights would blend.

They beat me to it. Skip to :48 seconds.


I cannot tell what light that is, unfortunately. On the plus side, now we have at least a partial answer to the nagging question.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

ROTFLMAO

:laughing:


----------



## LightWalker (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

It looks like a good way to test the Titanium.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

38 hours. It just won't quit. Folks, this one is a sleeper. Gonna pick up a dozen or so at Wally World.


----------



## scout24 (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Impressive results for a four dollar AAA light, Dan! A nice tough "Brick and Mortar" emergency vampire light to recommend if internet shopping isn't an option or price is a deal maker/breaker. I'm going to pick up a few as backup backups, and loaners. Definitely need to check these out. Thanks for your time and dedication!!!  :thumbsup:


----------



## Toohotruk (Mar 9, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Definitely good to know...I'll have to pick a couple up too.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 10, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Thanks for your interest folks. Another update - got up this morning and was shocked to still see a wee bit of light coming out of the ROV. And I do mean a VERY SMALL amount - measured .04 lumen in my sphere. 

Had to measure the battery - .325V

And it's still running. Who knows how low it will go!! (The E01 took a battery down to .297).

The light has been 'on' for 57 hours, but it shut off in the freezer for 8 hours so technically it's been emitting light for 49 hours!! IMHO, that is truly indicative of a battery vampire.

Is it still useful? Any of you who might own a light with a true low will agree that the answer is a resounding "yes." Here's some iPhone photos taken - believe me when I tell you that the exposure is almost identical to what I see.













Now I'm just going to run it until it dies and see what the battery has left in it. These things are cheap, reliable and rugged with a decent, more focused beam than the other 5mm candidates. BTW, the housing is aluminum and it comes in multiple colors. The body has a rubber grip around it.


----------



## Haesslich (Mar 10, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

First they came out with those lights that looked like the old 70s versions, and then this little one. I'm not a huge fan of their batteries, but their lights I can get behind.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 11, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Finally over - just under 72 hours on the Duracell battery INCLUDING all of the 'torture'. Battery showing .252 when the light finally went out...

You can decide, but we may have to declare a 'new' winner in the 5mm challenge. Or at least a tie.

This little light is going into my car as a backup to my Malkoff MDC that always rides in the console (next to the Glock...)


----------



## LightWalker (Mar 11, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Not bad for a $4 light, I didn't know it would run so long and was so tough, I need to go to Walmart.


----------



## nbp (Mar 11, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I wish it was smaller and more elegant looking. In that regard I think I still prefer the E01. Very impressed for the price though.


----------



## Mr Floppy (Mar 11, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



run4jc said:


> Finally over - just under 72 hours on the Duracell battery INCLUDING all of the 'torture'. Battery showing .252 when the light finally went out...



Don't get the ROV's over here but there are so many similar ones, literally the same. They suffer from having a pretty poor LED too, so swapping to a better LED may change the results but get a brightness increase.


----------



## run4jc (Mar 12, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



nbp said:


> I wish it was smaller and more elegant looking. In that regard I think I still prefer the E01. Very impressed for the price though.



Nick, I prefer the E01 also - it remains on my keyring. Like scout24 had with this tortured one, I have a bit of affection for mine that survived the 'challenge.' IMHO, the ROV is too large for key ring carry so I dropped it in the console of my car. It shares that space with a Malkoff MDC-AA - no doubt that with those two on hand I'll never be without a light in the car!



Mr Floppy said:


> Don't get the ROV's over here but there are so many similar ones, literally the same. They suffer from having a pretty poor LED too, so swapping to a better LED may change the results but get a brightness increase.



Yes, the beam is actually lousy - a couple of really noticeable artifacts, tint shift all over the place, etc. BUT - it's $4 and it runs forever! No plans to make it an EDC, but it's another one of those apocalypse lights that will hopefully never be needed. (Plus it's fun abusing these little lights when they are so inexpensive!)


----------



## LightWalker (Mar 13, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I got a Rayovac today and I put some bicycle tubing on the head of the light to give it better grip for twisting.


----------



## RI Chevy (Mar 14, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Thanks for doing this test for all of us, and for your time and expenses. :thumbsup: 
I would have loved to see how an ARC AAA would have compared to the lights in this test. Seeing that it is a 5MM LED. 
Kind of the light that started all of this craze. I always think of the guy who was caving with his ARC AAA, and lost it. A while later, while in the same cave, he somehow found it in a small stream. The battery was shot, but he put in a new cell, and it fired right up.


----------



## robert.t (Mar 14, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



RI Chevy said:


> I always think of the guy who was caving with his ARC AAA, and lost it. A while later, while in the same cave, he somehow found it in a small stream. The battery was shot, but he put in a new cell, and it fired right up.



Did he shortly thereafter start referring to it as "my precious"?


----------



## RI Chevy (Mar 14, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Not sure. I can't remember that far back. Lol


----------



## Grijon (Mar 17, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Wow, what a great thread!

Thank you very much, run4jc!!


----------



## Hondo (Mar 17, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Just to add info to the thread, I want to add why it is that the later model E01's are brighter. My first gen. E01 measures 70 mA at the tail with a fresh Eneloop. With a late model E01, I get 140 mA. This won't make a great deal of difference when running alkalines, as you get into a "moon" mode pretty soon when doing a "full" runtime test. But as for NiMH runtime, it means that you will only get about half as much as the original E01. Not saying it is not a good design, my old gen II Dorcy AAA pulls about 350 mA at the tail, and I don't have to change batteries all that often when I use it. But the *real* runtime monster is the first run E01.

BTW, my Gerber Infinity Ultra's (AA) pull about 160 mA from the battery, so again, the current E01 is no battery burner.


----------



## scout24 (Mar 18, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Bwahahahaha... You thought the thread was over...  Just popping in after talking to Dan with another possible contender I picked up this weekend at Home Depot. Another Rayovac, this time an Indestructible AAA. Single cell, rubber armored head and tailcap, the package spells out the details. 30 foot drop tested. And a picture of it about to be run over!!! (You KNOW I'm going to test anything that tempts me like that...) 20 lumen. A lens with a reflector/optic/sorta kinda for what appears to be a 5mm LED. The claim is 1hr 40min at stated output, but I didn't notice the drop until a round 2.5 hrs. Starts out visually brighter than the E01 with a much whiter, better shaped beam. My only cringe at this point is the body, it's some sort of plastic. (But so are my beloved Surefire G2's and G3's...) (I know, Nitrolon. Just saying it's not necessarily a bad thing.) Seems sturdy so far, time and abuse will tell. A grand total of $5.97 retail. Some pics below, more in-depth photos coming tomorrow. Runtime test in progress, right at 31 hours so far and running merrily. Still bright enough to navigate my basement. :thumbsup: 







With the Mighty E01 for comparison...





After 18 hours, this morning...


----------



## Toohotruk (Mar 18, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

COOL!!!


----------



## nbp (Mar 19, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

That one looks like a great console light for my truck. I don't know why, but I feel like trying it. Already a beat up E01 and G2L in there, but what's one more? Always can use a light for poking around in there when I get home late.


----------



## scout24 (Mar 19, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

41 hours running and still brighter than my HDS 325 on lowest setting. It has a keyring hole, but this is more of a glovebox/ kitchen drawer/ night stand/ camping light. Tailstands perfectly. Holds in your teeth nicely being plastic with the rubber armor. A different design of the inside of the head, I'll post pics after the runtime test. Has a spring, not a battery crusher. East to twist on and off. I'm still suprised by the tint and beam shape from the 5mm... More to follow.


----------



## Tacti'cool' (Mar 19, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I cant wait to see the upcoming abuse.


----------



## scout24 (Mar 19, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

A few more pics and observations: The first is taken at 54 hours where the Rayovac is still about as bright as my 325 HDS on it's lowest level. I'm done, it's a vampire. I'm convinced.  That was the included alkaline. The other pictures are of the head design, inside and out. Shows the "pedestal" design (my term, not theirs) and the optic/reflector. I'll take a whitewall beam shot after dark, it's a lot nicer than my beloved E01... Truth must be told.


----------



## Hondo (Mar 21, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

Wow! These two Rayovacs are really cool. I had to grab a couple of each based on this thread. Very different animals. The Value Bright is a neat replacement for the old Gen II Dorcy AAA lights. It has more throw due to the "lens" feature, but still has some spill due to the reflector behind, unlike the total "moon beam" of the Gen III Dorcy. I am calling it the "Refloptic". It really works well, but best of all, it is doing it at only 100 mA draw from an Eneloop. This may be the longest running AAA light I have on a NiMH.

The Indestructable, on the other hand, has none of the rings and artifacts generated by the refloptic, and is a totally white, wide, smooth flood. Tons of light and great for walking with. But, it does this by drawing 310 mA from an Eneloop. Still less than the ~350 mA that the old Gen II Dorcy's draw, and a whale of a lot more output. But at the end of the day, you will need to recharge a NiMH after about 2.5 hours.

They are both a little bulky compared to lights like the E01, but for a lot of uses, I don't care. For the price, these guys totally rock. I believe a new generation of 5 mm LED's has been born, and I would like to find out who makes them and get some to upgrade my classic 5 mm lights. I'm betting these are the same LED's Nightcore is using in the Tube, which claims 45 lumens, and seems to deliver pretty close to it.


----------



## Mr Floppy (Mar 22, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*



Hondo said:


> Just to add info to the thread, I want to add why it is that the later model E01's are brighter. My first gen. E01 measures 70 mA at the tail with a fresh Eneloop. With a late model E01, I get 140 mA.



Hey cool, thanks for the figures. I posted the tail draw I got in either this or another thread but my multimeter would not measure anything other than in the 10A range (no fuse but something has tripped) so all I could see was 0.14A and 0.07A. I'm still assuming it is the same constant voltage driver but with the more efficient LED's, they could reduce the voltage. Damn imageshack has removed all the images of the E01 pill disassembly ...


----------



## parnass (Mar 22, 2015)

*Re: It's finally over - the winner has a challenger! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I bought a Rayovac Indestructible and ditched the split ring. Then, I enlarged the hole in the tail to 3/32" and drilled a second 3/32" hole. Threaded a short length of braided nylon cord through both holes to form a lanyard.

The modified Rayovac tail stands with more stability and there is no metal in the way when holding it between your teeth if required.

A ceiling bounce test shows the Rayovac to be whiter and brighter than my Arc AAA-P DS light. 
Nice deal for under $6. :thumbsup:


----------



## nbp (Mar 22, 2015)

When does it get tortured though?!


----------



## scout24 (Mar 23, 2015)

The torture is coming. I want to secure another one or two copies first for my stash. It'll get driven over for sure, and I have a plan to test the 30 foot drop rating. I'm a bit short of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft to drop it from, but I do have a monster sized wrist rocket slingshot for launching tennis balls for my dog to chase, and a BIG open parking lot. I think I can get this puppy a couple hundred feet up if I try... 

Parnass- Nice idea with the lanyard!


----------



## Bad_JuJu (Mar 23, 2015)

This is a cool thread! Thanks for putting all these through their paces!


----------



## Tacti'cool' (Apr 7, 2015)

Bump for carnage!


----------



## Toohotruk (Apr 7, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*


----------



## scout24 (Apr 8, 2015)

*Re: We Have A Winner! 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge*

I repaired my Hyperdog tennis ball wrist-rocket-on-steroids slingshot today. Maybe the weather will cooperate tomorrow. Stay tuned.


----------



## ReManG (May 30, 2015)

This thread is amazing, I now look at those Rayovac Lights with new respect, as well as the others. I am wondering if you had seen (OP) the Manker Nichia AAA lights? I just got one in and they look about like these other AAA "cockroach" lights in durability... I have run mine about 19 hours on one alkaline Duracell so far, it does the "Bonk" where the light is significantly less than a lumen, but when you let it recover for 20-30 Minutes, it comes back for another 10-12 minutes. I owned one of the original CMG Infinity AA's years back (2003'ish if I remember) but it died within a year or so on me. I remember thinking for what I paid, these "infinity" lights were not worth it.... Fast forward over a decade, and now they are smaller, better and cheaper, not to mention much more durable.... Thanks for the work on this project.


----------



## gustophersmob (Aug 22, 2015)

The one thing I wonder about concerning the durability of these types of light are the circuit board pads used to make electrical contact. It seems like a true long term EDC usage scenario (unlike short duration abuse) could result in wearing out the pads from the twisty action.


----------



## ForrestChump (Aug 23, 2015)

nbp said:


> When does it get tortured though?!



I want to see it weapon mounted.


----------



## Hondo (Aug 24, 2015)

Woo-hoo! Was just thinking of bumping this thread the other day when I used both of my Rayovac AAA's. I really like the aluminum "refloptic" one the best, for the useful beam and crazy long runtime.



gustophersmob said:


> The one thing I wonder about concerning the durability of these types of light are the circuit board pads used to make electrical contact. It seems like a true long term EDC usage scenario (unlike short duration abuse) could result in wearing out the pads from the twisty action.



Not a problem, in the unlikely event that a portion of the negative contact trace wears thin, you can just add a thin layer of solder on top to make contact. This will last indefinitely.


----------



## scout24 (Aug 24, 2015)

Maybe I should try twisting an EO1 on/off a hundred or so times a day, see how it goes...


----------



## gunga (Aug 24, 2015)

I got a used E01 once. The contacts were worn to the point of being flaky. I ended up covering with solder to bring the performance back.


----------



## ForrestChump (Aug 24, 2015)

ForrestChump said:


> I want to see it weapon mounted.


----------



## scout24 (Aug 24, 2015)

I'll duct tape it to my .22 for ya.


----------



## ForrestChump (Aug 24, 2015)

:hahaha:



scout24 said:


> I'll duct tape it to my .22 for ya.



I was thinking more like a 50 Cal... I mean it is _practically_ indestructible....


----------



## scout24 (Aug 24, 2015)

EO1 may not live too long sucking up Ma Deuce recoil.  Been 23 years since I shot one, but the memory is pretty clear. Hard not to remember that.


----------



## 100eyes (Aug 25, 2015)

The Manker Boney is on Gearbest for $5.10 - would be interesting to see it tested as well.


----------



## Toohotruk (Aug 25, 2015)

100eyes said:


> The Manker Boney is on Gearbest for $5.10 - would be interesting to see it tested as well.


They look interesting.


----------



## gustophersmob (Aug 26, 2015)

Hondo said:


> Woo-hoo! Was just thinking of bumping this thread the other day when I used both of my Rayovac AAA's. I really like the aluminum "refloptic" one the best, for the useful beam and crazy long runtime.
> 
> Not a problem, in the unlikely event that a portion of the negative contact trace wears thin, you can just add a thin layer of solder on top to make contact. This will last indefinitely.





scout24 said:


> Maybe I should try twisting an EO1 on/off a hundred or so times a day, see how it goes...





gunga said:


> I got a used E01 once. The contacts were worn to the point of being flaky. I ended up covering with solder to bring the performance back.



I'd like to see that test! 

The PWB in my E01 is not mounted perfectly straight, so one side near the edge has worn almost through the pad. I've been putting solder on it to stop it from wearing further, but I have to reapply about once a year (it is not an EDC light anymore).

I'm sure one built with the board straight would last longer, but it is a point of long-term weakness. Granted, one that you can mitigate with the solder method.


----------



## chillinn (Mar 26, 2016)

scout24 said:


> The torture is coming.



When does this season start up again?


----------



## run4jc (Mar 26, 2016)

chillinn said:


> When does this season start up again?



Hey, it's always open season on E01s. Go ahead, start up a new one! I've given up trying to kill them - it takes extraordinary abuse to kill the "cockroach of flashlights".

:twothumbs


----------



## bykfixer (Mar 26, 2016)

nbp said:


> When does it get tortured though?!



I gave away 6 of the little Rayovacs at Christmas to kids that void warranties. 

3 are reportedly still surviving.
1 was killed in a burn barrel.
1 did not survive being used as teething ring by baby sister (however an HP1 has survived that so far).
1 was blown to bits when strapped to a bottle rocket.

And mine did not survive the attempt at being canibalized into an old duracel 1 aa incan. I accidently squished a part trying to get it apart with vice grips.


----------



## BriteLite2 (Mar 28, 2016)

this thread needs PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## run4jc (Mar 28, 2016)

BriteLite2 said:


> this thread needs PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Can't believe this thread is over a year old. Go back to post 1...plenty of pics!!


----------



## gurdygurds (Dec 31, 2016)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*

I will sir. I will drop an E01 and an mi02 off of a building. Well probably a parking garage but we will see what I can do. Just received an mi02 today and the least I can do to contribute is chuck the damn thing off of a tall structure. Stay tuned.........


BriteLite2 said:


> this thread needs PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





run4jc said:


> LOL. Mike,thanks for the kind words, but I think I'm done. Don't know how many hours have gone into this - and about $100 including the lights and the tumbler/media (which, of course, I can use for other stuff), but it was a blast.
> 
> I will carry the Klarus and Fenix lights proudly, just like Greg carried the survivor of his original torture test for so long. If these little guys (and the batteries) can take this, then they can take about anything.
> 
> ...


----------



## lampeDépêche (Dec 31, 2016)

*Re: 5MM LED AAA Light Challenge - Sunwayman, Nitecore, Klarus and Fenix duke it out*



gurdygurds said:


> I will sir. I will drop an E01 and an mi02 off of a building. Well probably a parking garage but we will see what I can do. Just received an mi02 today and the least I can do to contribute is chuck the damn thing off of a tall structure. Stay tuned.........



I've got an idea for you. You'll need a strong arm and a partner, or a partner with a strong arm.

You go up to the first level of the parking garage. Toss the sacrificial victim off and let it hit the ground. Then you climb up to the second level. 
Partner on the ground picks it up and tosses up to you on the second level. You toss the light from the second level and let it hit the ground. 
Partner tosses it back up to you, now on the third level. (If you have the strong arm, then you stay on the ground and your partner climbs.)
Repeat until the light dies or your partner's arm can't reach that high. 

And of course: film it all!


----------



## blah9 (Dec 31, 2016)

Haha I would love to see a video of that!


----------



## bykfixer (Dec 31, 2016)

Well if ya really don't have an arm like a bazooka and/or end up solo you can always attach fishing line to the light before dropping it.


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

Alright flashlight people. I just got back from doing a little drop test between a brand new E01 and a brand new Klarus Mi02. These are the two lights that did the best withstanding the torture that run4jc has put them through. I am a staunch advocate of the Fenix E01 so run4jc was kind enough to send me a Mi02 to see how I liked it in comparison. For starters, here's what I don't like. 1. It's a blatant ripoff of the E01 2. The flat sections on the body are narrower and don't feel as good in hand 3. The bottom doesn't allow tail standing with a keyring attached. What did I like? 1. The knurling is a bit more tactile than the E01 (I like that) 2. Once the led was sanded the beam has a nice floody white beam ( just like the E01) 3. It has better runtime shown by the tests that run4jc has done. SOOOOOOO......I said I would take these lights and find a tall structure and toss them off......and that's what I just did. Found a parking garage with 4 levels, and on my way up saw that the 4th level was closed so this is a 3 story drop. I guess I should have turned the lights on at first so you could see that they were both in working order, but I didn't, sorry, I guess you'll just have to trust me that they were both in working order. I took out the eneloops I had in them and tossed in some alkalines that I'm not worried about ruining and gave them the old heave ho. Cool thing is they hit in the exact same way, leaving damage on the tail sections and the edge of the heads. Here is a pic of the damage. I'm trying to load the video clips so stay tuned.



image by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr


----------



## LeanBurn (Jan 2, 2017)

Challenge idea: Take out the existing 5mm LED from each of these and put a high CRI one in its place... the light that functions afterwards is the winner.


----------



## run4jc (Jan 2, 2017)

gurdygurds said:


> Alright flashlight people. I just got back from doing a little drop test between a brand new E01 and a brand new Klarus Mi02. These are the two lights that did the best withstanding the torture that run4jc has put them through. I am a staunch advocate of the Fenix E01 so run4jc was kind enough to send me a Mi02 to see how I liked it in comparison. For starters, here's what I don't like. 1. It's a blatant ripoff of the E01 2. The flat sections on the body are narrower and don't feel as good in hand 3. The bottom doesn't allow tail standing with a keyring attached. What did I like? 1. The knurling is a bit more tactile than the E01 (I like that) 2. Once the led was sanded the beam has a nice floody white beam ( just like the E01) 3. It has better runtime shown by the tests that run4jc has done. SOOOOOOO......I said I would take these lights and find a tall structure and toss them off......and that's what I just did. Found a parking garage with 4 levels, and on my way up saw that the 4th level was closed so this is a 3 story drop. I guess I should have turned the lights on at first so you could see that they were both in working order, but I didn't, sorry, I guess you'll just have to trust me that they were both in working order. I took out the eneloops I had in them and tossed in some alkalines that I'm not worried about ruining and gave them the old heave ho. Cool thing is they hit in the exact same way, leaving damage on the tail sections and the edge of the heads. Here is a pic of the damage. I'm trying to load the video clips so stay tuned.
> 
> image by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr



So the question (did I miss it?) - do they both still work?


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

LOL! CLIFFHANGER DAN! I'm going to let the video do the talking


----------



## Steve-at-Springboard (Jan 2, 2017)

1. It's a blatant ripoff of the E01 

Uhh, isn't the E01 a blatant ripoff of the ARC AAA light? And, isn't the ARC a blatant ripoff of .... ?


----------



## run4jc (Jan 2, 2017)

Steve-at-Springboard said:


> 1. It's a blatant ripoff of the E01
> 
> Uhh, isn't the E01 a blatant ripoff of the ARC AAA light? And, isn't the ARC a blatant ripoff of .... ?



Many Asian cultures struggle with the concept of "intellectual property"...and imitation is the most sincere form of flattery!


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

The E01 doesn't look JUST LIKE the ARC AAA. If it was a battery crusher with a donut cushion glued to the head and a pure cylindrical knurled body with a rounded tail that can't tail stand then I'd say it's a rip off. But......it's not. The MI02 is basically a rebranded E01.


Steve-at-Springboard said:


> 1. It's a blatant ripoff of the E01
> 
> Uhh, isn't the E01 a blatant ripoff of the ARC AAA light? And, isn't the ARC a blatant ripoff of .... ?


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

Drum roll please..........

IMG_5544 by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

drums continue to roll........


IMG_5545 by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

Click the photos to watch the vid clips.


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

I swapped the batteries between lights, E01 lights up on the battery that was in Mi02 when dropped, Mi02 still doesn't light on the E01 battery. E01 head will light on the Mi02 body with either battery.


----------



## run4jc (Jan 2, 2017)

gurdygurds said:


> I swapped the batteries between lights, E01 lights up on the battery that was in Mi02 when dropped, Mi02 still doesn't light on the E01 battery. E01 head will light on the Mi02 body with either battery.



So the Mi02 failed the test! E01 reigns supreme! Funny, I abused the heck out of them both and included hard tosses against brick and they both survived. Whatever - your video doesn't lie! E01 takes a licking and keeps on ticking (that'll reveal how old some of you are...)



Thanks for the effort, Dan!


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

No thank YOU for all the hard work on your tests and making CPF an awesome forum. And for making this horrible abuse of perfectly good lights possible. I'm not gonna lie though......I'm happy as a manatee that my E01 survived......and that the BLATANT RIP OFF perished! MuwahahahahahahahAaA!!!! MuwahahahahahababababA!!


run4jc said:


> So the Mi02 failed the test! E01 reigns supreme! Funny, I abused the heck out of them both and included hard tosses against brick and they both survived. Whatever - your video doesn't lie! E01 takes a licking and keeps on ticking (that'll reveal how old some of you are...)
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the effort, Dan!


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

Oh and unfortunately I got your Timex reference :mecry:


----------



## run4jc (Jan 2, 2017)

gurdygurds said:


> Oh and unfortunately I got your Timex reference :mecry:



What was the guy in the commercial's name? Wait for it....John Cameron Swayze...

Dang, I'm getting old.


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 2, 2017)

LOL. So this is where you got your 5mm torture ideas eh? I actually did some drop tests with one of my Timex Ironman watches vs a G Shock DW-5600e. Timex took a licking and quit ticking and the G-Shock is now the only watch I own. It's the E01 of the watch world. I'll look for another test for this E01 to endure. Good time!


run4jc said:


> What was the guy in the commercial's name? Wait for it....John Cameron Swayze...
> 
> Dang, I'm getting old.


----------



## Hondo (Jan 2, 2017)

Ah, but that is not what I think of when I think of the slogan. Try this classic routine at 1:30 in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyShTGJzhGQ

I remember it from his Gong Show bit, but this is a better routine.


----------



## lampeDépêche (Jan 3, 2017)

Whoa, Gurdygurds! You done did it! The Parking Garage Challenge, Level 3!

And the E01 passed, and the Mi02 failed. Those are the only grades that matter in the school of hard knocks.

Here's another old Timex ad I remember:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVatUaplyVU

Anyone want to strap an E01 to the bow of their speedboat and report back to us?


----------



## run4jc (Jan 3, 2017)

lampeDépêche said:


> Whoa, Gurdygurds! You done did it! The Parking Garage Challenge, Level 3!
> 
> And the E01 passed, and the Mi02 failed. Those are the only grades that matter in the school of hard knocks.
> 
> ...



Yep, this was awesome. Dang, if I had a boat I'd do that test. If I ever get to go hunting this season maybe I'll strap the E01 (and an Mi02) to the back of my 4 wheeler and drag them. 

I am surprised that the Mi02 gave it up on the drop. The abuse it (and the E01) took in the simulation HERE was darn close to the drop. Please don't misunderstand - I'm not carrying water for the Klarus - the Fenix is still rated #1 in my book! 

BTW, fun watching all these old Timex ads. I don't think my Apple Watch would survive those 'tests'...


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 3, 2017)

I think the next test for this E01 will be being dragged behind my mountain bike for 1 mile on the street. What do you guys think, light ON while doing these tests or light off? When I did the 3 story drop I obviously had the light off and then went to see if it would turn on.


----------



## lampeDépêche (Jan 3, 2017)

gurdygurds said:


> I think the next test for this E01 will be being dragged behind my mountain bike for 1 mile on the street. What do you guys think, light ON while doing these tests or light off? When I did the 3 story drop I obviously had the light off and then went to see if it would turn on.



Oh, it's got to be on. That's much classier.


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 3, 2017)

LOL! And with that....I don't anymore responses.


lampeDépêche said:


> Oh, it's got to be on. That's much classier.


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 10, 2017)

E01.....ONE MILE CAR DRAG TEST.........has been completed. Witness the damage......


image by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr

image by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr

image by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr

You had to know this thing was going to survive! Video to follow....


----------



## nbp (Jan 10, 2017)

Ohhh the humanity!!! [emoji24]


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 10, 2017)

LOL !!!


nbp said:


> Ohhh the humanity!!! [emoji24]


----------



## LeanBurn (Jan 10, 2017)

Dude...lets see if you can unpot it...see if it survives that..


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 10, 2017)

The E01 would survive me trying to unpot it.....but I wouldn't. The E01 is the Chuck Norris of flashlights!



LeanBurn said:


> Dude...lets see if you can unpot it...see if it survives that..


----------



## lampeDépêche (Jan 11, 2017)

That makes me think it will have no problem with the speed-boat challenge. Smacking into asphalt repeatedly has got to be harder than smacking into waves.

Gurdygurds, you are advancing the cause of science!


----------



## BriteLite2 (Jan 11, 2017)

carry my E01 every day


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 11, 2017)

When the light turned off I stopped to check to see if it was dead. This happened twice. It had just hit hard enough to spin the head loose and shut the light off. I could've kept driving but I didn't wan't to lose the head, which is what could've possibly happened. That's the only thing I could see happening with a speed-boat challenge. I'm not sure what else to do to the thing honestly. With all the other abuse that scout24 and run4jc have put it through, I think all the naysayers have been silenced and all the hard core E01 lovers are even more in love. I know I am. Now I'm on a personal modding quest to see if I can get one to have output that looks as close to incandescent as possible using only sharpie and voodoo.


lampeDépêche said:


> That makes me think it will have no problem with the speed-boat challenge. Smacking into asphalt repeatedly has got to be harder than smacking into waves.
> 
> Gurdygurds, you are advancing the cause of science!


----------



## LeanBurn (Jan 11, 2017)

gurdygurds said:


> ... Now I'm on a personal modding quest to see if I can get one to have output that looks as close to incandescent as possible using only sharpie and voodoo.



Noooo...put in a Yuji .... it will be so much better !


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 11, 2017)

If you know a wizard.....like an actual wizard who can mod these things let everyone know because at this point it looks to be near impossible. I'd love to have a warm Yuji in there and even told Fenix they've got a load of folks ready and willing to buy them.


LeanBurn said:


> Noooo...put in a Yuji .... it will be so much better !


----------



## iamlucky13 (Jan 11, 2017)

gurdygurds said:


> The E01 would survive me trying to unpot it.....but I wouldn't. The E01 is the Chuck Norris of flashlights!



Fenix never drop tested the E01 on the ground. They drop tested the ground on the E01.

The Arc AAA was an attempt to copy the E01.

The E01 doesn't have a boost circuit. The E01 actually powers 3V LED's directly with only 1.5V.

The E01 is not anodized. Aluminum changes color on its own when it is machined into an E01 body.

The moonlight mode on the E01 works even without a battery in the light. Most users don't know this because they never thought to try.

The E01 is not protected against water and dust ingress. Water and dust are protected against the E01.

The phrase "battery vampire" is meant literally with the E01. You can verify batteries are sucked dry with a postage scale.

The E01 can be shone on a solar cell that is in turn used to power the E01. This is the only known example of perpetual motion.

The only thing faster than the speed of light is light from the E01.

The E01 doesn't need to be bright, because the E01 can see in the dark.

Night isn't when the earth turns away from the sun. Night is when the sun turns away from the E01.

Only Chuck Norris can kill the E01.


----------



## lampeDépêche (Jan 11, 2017)

Iamlucky13--those are really, really funny! I am seriously laughing here.


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 11, 2017)

LOL! I was waiting for someone to get this started. And I will say.....I never actually turn on any of my E01s.....but they all turn ME on.


iamlucky13 said:


> Fenix never drop tested the E01 on the ground. They drop tested the ground on the E01.
> 
> The Arc AAA was an attempt to copy the E01.
> 
> ...


----------



## iamlucky13 (Jan 12, 2017)

Ah, so you were baiting the thread. :laughing:


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 14, 2017)

deleted


----------



## lampeDépêche (Jan 14, 2017)

When I click the image, I go to a Yahoo page that asks me to sign in to my Yahoo account. I don't have a Yahoo account.

Maybe you can make the video more public?

Or maybe I shouldn't watch it, anyhow--the desire to watch an innocent light getting tortured is probably not a healthy desire.


----------



## gurdygurds (Jan 14, 2017)

Oops had it set to private, should work now.


lampeDépêche said:


> When I click the image, I go to a Yahoo page that asks me to sign in to my Yahoo account. I don't have a Yahoo account.
> 
> Maybe you can make the video more public?
> 
> Or maybe I shouldn't watch it, anyhow--the desire to watch an innocent light getting tortured is probably not a healthy desire.


----------



## gurdygurds (Aug 11, 2018)

Sorry I had to bump this 😂



iamlucky13 said:


> Fenix never drop tested the E01 on the ground. They drop tested the ground on the E01.
> 
> The Arc AAA was an attempt to copy the E01.
> 
> ...


----------



## Tixx (Aug 11, 2018)

Blf is putting together a Yuji 5mm run of lights. Still in the input stages.


----------



## bykfixer (Aug 12, 2018)

Good bump GG.

And....
The EO1 made Chuck Norris say "ouch".


----------



## iamlucky13 (Aug 13, 2018)

I can't believe I'd forgotten about the list of E01 facts. I had a lot of fun thinking those up...I mean researching them.



Tixx said:


> Blf is putting together a Yuji 5mm run of lights. Still in the input stages.



And gurdygurds has already indicated he's interested in trying to break it. :twothumbs

Just to be clear for anybody else who see this thread, the light will be produced by Sofirn. It will be generally similar to the Fenix E01 (hopefully as durable), but of their own design with extensive input from BLF. We had originally hoped Fenix themselves would produce a batch of EO1's with the Yuji emitters, but we were still getting information about how such a project would be conducted when Sofirn stepped up take on the project.


----------



## Outdoorsman5 (Aug 14, 2018)

Oh man, that was sooooooooo freaking funny!!!


----------



## iamlucky13 (Sep 19, 2018)

gurdygurds - Sofirn has drop tested their AAA twisty from a 3rd story window onto pavement, plus dunked it, and frozen it in a block of ice, all while turned on.

So far, it has survived. It appears it will be worthy of your efforts to test it once it reaches production.

There is video evidence of the tests elsewhere.


----------



## gurdygurds (Sep 19, 2018)

Wow looks good! I am more than willing to try to beat that Sofirn into submission but in reality I was just piggybacking in what Scout24 and others have started. It was their tests and posts along with folks like this is nascar that sparked my love for years E01. I think the last question on the sofirn will be the threads and how tight, sloppy, loose the turn action is. I’ll give it the old mile drag behind the car and see if all the bouncing around jars the head loose and spins it off. Also looks like output is lower than the E01. Interested in runtime. Great project that the budget light folks got rolling. Good stuff!


----------



## Tixx (Sep 20, 2018)

iamlucky13 said:


> I can't believe I'd forgotten about the list of E01 facts. I had a lot of fun thinking those up...I mean researching them.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I just wear a Photon Freedom Covert modified with a Yuji 5mm. Still one of the smallest usable lights with one of the best UI's out there. This light is so under mentioned.


----------



## gurdygurds (Sep 20, 2018)

There's a lot to what you're saying here Tixx. When I use my Photon Freedom I often wonder why I need to mess with all the other small lights. Definitely under mentioned and underrated. Here is my sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet baby. 


Untitled by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr


Tixx said:


> I just wear a Photon Freedom Covert modified with a Yuji 5mm. Still one of the smallest usable lights with one of the best UI's out there. This light is so under mentioned.


----------



## this_is_nascar (Sep 21, 2018)

My Freedom is always with me.


----------



## nbp (Dec 6, 2018)

For those concerned about the end of the E01, this is a fun thread to read about some other worthy 5mm contenders. I didn’t check to see if these were all still available, but they might be options for gifters if we run out of E01 stock!


----------

