# Coleman Max Cree 2xAA runtime and beamshots



## mattchase (Jul 13, 2008)

Update: I've updated the photos and added a size comparison shot.

Once again you guys have forced me to spend money and stay up until the whee hours playing with flashlights! :thumbsup:

I bought 2 of the new Coleman Max Cree 2xAA flashlights yesterday and have some beamshots with a Fenix L2S for comparison as well as a runtime graph.


Not an entirely fair comparison I know, the L2S is only rated at 45 lumens while the Coleman is rated at 115 lumens. This was the best I could do though. Besides the obvious brightness difference, the other big difference is the size of the spill. The Coleman has a bright hotspot and a fairly bright spill that coveres a good amount of area, slightly less than the L2S but much brighter. Color is a bit warmer but not much, and in actual use you probably won't really notice it. 



Since I have two of these I tested them both for throw and overall brightness, first with fresh Eneloops then with the Duracell alkalines that were included in the package. Since I got two different sets of numbers I then swapped the batteries between the two lights to rule out a difference caused by the two different chemestries and came up with similar results for each flashlight (readings @ 1 meter using the Quickbeam methods).

Flashlight 1
- 1935 Throw
- 7020 Overall
- 97.5 Lumens

Flashlight 2
- 2187 Throw
- 8050 Overall
- 111.8 Lumens

So quality control isn't quite perfect with these, not entirely surprising. In actual use both lights are close in output and very bright, the manufacturer claim of 115 lumens is not too far off if you happen to get one of the better units.

I only tested one of the flashlights during the runtime test (flashlight 1), I will probably go ahead and test the second one too (maybe...). Runtime is pretty good but not quite what they advertise. At the time that I stopped the test at 22 lux the readings were dropping about 1/10th a lux every 4-5 seconds. So had I run it down to 0 at that rate it would have added up to about 18 more minutes of runtime. With higher capacity NiMH batteries this light might actually make it to the advertised 5 hour mark, though it would probably be fairly dim by then. 


PS. For anyone else who has one of these, take the tailcap off and take a whif of the inside. What is that smell?


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## adirondackdestroyer (Jul 13, 2008)

Very good review! Do either of your units flicker at all when the tailcap latches on from constant on after being used momentarily? 
I bought two lights and both of them did, so I want to make sure that other people aren't having the same problem.

Thanks


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## mattchase (Jul 13, 2008)

There is a bit of flicker when the button is pressed about 60%-70% down but it doesn't continue to flicker even if I hold the button there. It's more like a few quick flickers and then it settles back into it's normal brightness. If I press down / slightly release / press down / slightly release I can get it to flicker / normal brightness / flicker / normal brightness etc. But again with mine the flicker isn't constant, it's just a few hiccups and then goes back to normal brightness.

There must be something in the switch that is causing a little extra resistance right when you get to that certain point before it goes into constant on mode. I'm not sure how to take apart the tailcap to investigate this further.


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## GPB (Jul 13, 2008)

Nice review !! Thanks for the technical data.


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## parawolfe (Jul 13, 2008)

Great review, the best on any of these Coleman Max Cree lights. How about a review on the Coleman Max 2xCR2?


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## Ryanrpm (Jul 13, 2008)

Could you give us a picture of the 2AA light compared to another recognizable one?


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## mattchase (Jul 13, 2008)

Parawolfe,

If you want to send me one, I'd be happy to review it.


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## darknessemitter (Jul 14, 2008)

mattchase said:


> There is a bit of flicker when the button is pressed about 60%-70% down but it doesn't continue to flicker even if I hold the button there. It's more like a few quick flickers and then it settles back into it's normal brightness. If I press down / slightly release / press down / slightly release I can get it to flicker / normal brightness / flicker / normal brightness etc. But again with mine the flicker isn't constant, it's just a few hiccups and then goes back to normal brightness.
> 
> There must be something in the switch that is causing a little extra resistance right when you get to that certain point before it goes into constant on mode. I'm not sure how to take apart the tailcap to investigate this further.


 
I've noticed the same flickering behavior. It flickers a little bit if you jiggle the switch while it's already in constant on mode, but there's no flickering when it's pushed in all the way, and there's not flickering once you release the switch completely after it's been turned on. 

I think I've actually something very similar to this with some C/D maglite switches.


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## kramer5150 (Jul 14, 2008)

How is the mod potential on this light? the body tube is huge, any way to fit an 18650 or 17XXX in there?


thanks!!


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## Radiophile (Jul 14, 2008)

There are 6 ridges of about 1mm in width that run the length of the battery tube so that AAs fit in there. The diameter of the tube without the ridges would be a little less than 18mm. As long as you can find a way to remove those ridges you should be able to fit batteries of 16mm or 17mm diameter easily. For 18mm batteries you'd need to remove more than just the ridges.

I'm more than satisfied with it's performance on Eneloops, so I'm not going to bother doing anything to the light - at least for now. Of course if someone else finds out it's a real flame thrower with different batteries, I'll probably have my Dremel in had shortly!

BTW - These are all gone at my local Walmart. I don't know if they were pulled to make the ROV Sportsman Extreme AA lights (currently on clearance at $15 1 watt and $19 3 watt) move, or if they sold out. All of the other Coleman Max flashlights are still there, and the 3xAAA models are placed at eye level on a high visibility center stand next to the counter in sporting goods.



kramer5150 said:


> How is the mod potential on this light? the body tube is huge, any way to fit an 18650 or 17XXX in there?
> 
> 
> thanks!!


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## marinemaster (Jul 14, 2008)

maybe a round or semi-round file....


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## Wyeast (Jul 14, 2008)

I posted some beamshots in the other Coleman (3AAA) thread for comparison w/ two brighter lights. It definitely fell between the Bolt (probably around 60-80 lumens) and the Task Force (what, 130lm out the door?) Unfortunately, I can no longer test the light, as I lost it over the weekend during a test ride on my bike. :mecry:


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## mattchase (Jul 15, 2008)

That's too bad about your light Wyeast!

I went back to Walmart yesterday and noticed they were out of the 2xAA as well, they still had the tags / hanger for them just were out. There were only 3 when I bought my 2, and there seems to be a ton of the other Coleman lights. 

I'm curious, how would you recommend removing the ridges inside the body tube? Is a lathe the only way or just the best way?


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## parawolfe (Jul 15, 2008)

I'm not a Walmart expert but I know my local Walmart many times puts these lights on end cap displays. So if they are out on the wall where all the flashlights are sold they still may be available if you look around the dept. At my Walmart they even had the 2xAA mixed in with the 3xAAA lights, multi-color and white. I think the employees just see the similar packaging and don't bother looking at the sku#. I like these inexpensive LED lights but I'm not too excited about the Rayovac Sportsman Xtreme™ 1W LED Flashlight. I thought for $15 I can't go wrong. I don't like the bottom twisty on/off setup. How hard would it have been to just make it a clicky? It sort of reminds me of the JetBeam Jet-I Pro aesthetically. Clearly not in performance though.


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## parawolfe (Jul 15, 2008)

mattchase said:


> Parawolfe,
> 
> If you want to send me one, I'd be happy to review it.


 
Mattchase,

Right after I "submitted reply" I thought to myself that would be your reply. I thought if I mentioned the 2xCR2 model your curiousity might get the best of you.


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## mattchase (Jul 16, 2008)

The CR2 version looks like an interesting light, but I have enough different battery types to keep track of already!


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## led4me (Jul 16, 2008)

Does the Coleman Max 2xAA run okay with alkaline batteries? I'm looking for a simple (on/off switch) led flashlight using normal batteries (alkaline either AA, C, or D) with decent run time for my parents. Prefer floody over throw since this will be indoor emergency use light. Does the Coleman sound right for this purpose?


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## Wyeast (Jul 17, 2008)

If you're getting about 3 1/2 hours with Eneloops, you should get at least a couple of hours with alkalines. Pretty fair duration for the power.

The light's fairly floody, although how much power you need is subjective for an "indoor emergency light". If it's mostly up-close work, you'll get much longer runtime with a 5mm setup like a Minim*g + NiteIze drop-in. 

To get an idea of what the beam looks like, I posted beamshots of the MAX 2AA here. Hope that helps!


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## led4me (Jul 17, 2008)

Thanks Wyeast for the info. They don't lose power often and so I leaned towards brighter for their aging eyes. I think this is close to what I want to get them. I would prefer slightly longer run time, maybe 4 hours on alkaline. A 2C or 2D version of this might be perfect.


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## degarb (Jul 17, 2008)

Just pulled this thread up, pardon me if some questions are already addressed.

1. Are there more settings than one 115 lumen? THis would be an essential mod if not.
2. How heavy is it? Could it be put comfortably in headband? Or too much inertia?
3. How does it compare with the 3 AAA version, run time. (They state the 3 AAA has longer runtime, when 3 AAA have fewer watthours available, thus must be a crummie driver)
4. Most importantly, how is color rendering? Does it do green, yellow, and red well? What bin do they use anyway?
5. Hello, how about something that can run 8 hours and still be small/bright?


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## mattchase (Jul 17, 2008)

Hi Degarb,

1. Unfortunately no, there is only on and off, so all or nothing in terms of brightness. I didn't want a bunch of different modes in this light, though it would have been nice to have a high and low like the L2S.

2. I don't have my postal scale with me so can't give an exact weight, but I think it would be a bit too heavy for a headband. It's not real heavy, but it's not as light as say a Fenix, and it is a bit bulkier. I will take mine with me to work where I can weigh it for you.

3. I just bought one of the headlamps as well and can do a runtime on it to see how long it really lasts. Not sure when though, busy schedule for the next few days. After answering question 2 I was actually going to suggest the headlamp model as it is nearly as bright as the 2xAA and has a larger spill.

4. I haven't used mine in the real world as of yet, but am going to be house / dog sitting for the rest the week out in the country and planned on taking a few flashlights and my camera with me and will take some photos. I don't know what the bin is but here is a macro photo of the LED, not sure if you can tell from this or not.


5. I'm working on it but all Seven of Nine wants to do anymore is make out...


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## LEDrock (Jul 17, 2008)

*A Coleman 2AA Cree vs. 2AA River Rock comparison?*

This may sound a bit off topic, but I just have a specific question for my own curiosity. Does anyone here have the Coleman 2AA Cree _and_ the River Rock 2AA? The reason I ask is because my RR 2AA is my only current "bright light" and I was wondering if getting the Coleman now would make sense or not. I wanted to get the Coleman because it has almost 3 times the advertised lumens (I believe the Nuwai version of the RR claims about 42 lumens). I also realize that the RR hardly has a spill to it, so I'll bet the Coleman is much better that way. But how about brightness? Is it significantly better that way? Is it noticeably better enough to warrant putting my RR into retirement if I bought the Coleman? Did you retire _your_ River Rock?


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## degarb (Jul 18, 2008)

I bought the 3 AAA version: package said extra hour runtime than 2 AA and extra 12 yards throw. However, I wonder if this is a chinese screwup in packaging since 2AA model clearly has narrower reflector and 1.5 watt hour more battery storage capacity.

So, someone will need both units to compare them head to head.

My impression of the light was: clearly greenish and not good at color rendering compared with (browning 70 and 130) rebels; incredibly dimmer hotspot than browning phantom 70, way way way dimmer than my browning 130 rebel hl, way way dimmer than my 80 lumen energizer hardcase cree inspection light, and even a shade dimmer than my 2005 lux 1 Brinkman HEadlamp from Walmart. I am quite dissappointed, but wonder still if the 2 AA Colman max might be a good light. Simply put, you cannot linearally increase lumens (2x) while exponentially dilluting hotspot by edging up beam angle and less efficient orange peel reflectors. If you do this you get a sucky light. Add to that drop in runtimes because of inefficient booster controllers, and you really have a poor performing light, despite emitter gains. But at least the USA physical stores aren't stuck 4 years behind web lights.


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## degarb (Jul 20, 2008)

Of course, I am talking 3 AAA Coleman Max ( to buy 2 AA). I was playing again with it last night ouside, comparing it with other lights. While hotspot dimmer, as mentioned, (I see more detail in road, walls, roof, bricks, etc., with all other lights mentioned above.) it will be said that in this light's favor, it renders green very well (only color it renders excellently.) and has a very bright corona (and too large hotspot for my needs). This means that in summer time with lots of green outdoors, this is a very good light for hiking and lawncare in the dark. She lights up a tree well, with some loss of detail, made up by the fact that she renders green superbly. Runtime is yet to be seen, I am guessing 3 hours.

I might hack saw off battery end, and solder wires to head then velcro onto a 3 or 4 AA battery pack (with variable pot) with elastic wrist strap, for a wrist light of it. This will raise run time to something more useful (2x to 3 x).


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## mattchase (Jul 20, 2008)

I haven't used mine much yet but the color is warmer than most my other LEDs. I'm not sure I would call mine green, but will have to take another look at it to see. I have only used it over grass and thought it rendered the blades of grass well enough.

I think the large and fairly bright corona is the best feature of this light, that is exactly what you should have with a headlamp. I think the low level is plenty bright for slower paced activities / closer work while the high level lights up that much more and throws pretty well. I took some pictures comparing it to a few other lights I have (no other headlamps) and will get those posted sometime in the next few days.


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## Triple A (Jul 20, 2008)

Excellent review- great picture and data, as well. Thanks for taking the time to do this!


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## alfreddajero (Jul 24, 2008)

Very nice review....just got mine this morning right after work.....its not as bright as my other lights but it will do....i guess i got a good one because mine doesnt flicker at all. Going to let my wife use this one so she can keep her mits off of my other lights. lol


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## mattchase (Jul 24, 2008)

Degarb,

With batteries installed the Coleman 2xAA weighs 5.25oz, the headlamp weighs 3.25oz.

I finally had a chance to put together some comparison images that I shot last week with a few different flashlights. I tried to match the exposure and color balance to what I saw with my eyes (all of the images were shot raw and converted with the exact same settings to maintain an accurate comparison), on my monitor (color calibrated with a ColorVision Spyder2) these are pretty close to what I saw but they may not look the same on other monitors. Here is what I see; the Coleman 2xAA is warm, the Coleman headlamp on high also looks warm while the headlamp on low takes on more of a green tint. Fenix is as usual a bit cool. The P1 battery was starting to get low when I did the 25' tests but was still good when I did the 250' tests.



And for good measure I tried signaling some aliens while I was out there with my Mag 2D WA1111, but it was too cloudy to get through to them.


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## alfreddajero (Jul 24, 2008)

Oh i forgot to ask you, are you able to get the head off......mine seems to be glued or something.


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## darknessemitter (Jul 24, 2008)

I've found the 2xAA with both "silver core" and "yellow core" Crees, the former having phosphor only on the emitter, the latter having it all around the emitter. Does anyone know if one or the other is likely to be a higher bin? 

And ironically, the silver one has a yellower tinted beam, while the yellow one has a more neutral or neutral-cool beam. 

Oh, and one possible weakness to be aware of with this light: the negative contact spring on the inner side of the tailcap isn't attached very firmly; it's sort of "floating" on a small metal tab that bends down near the edge and folds into the inside of the tailcap. It doesn't feel like it will be damaged from normal screwing and unscrewing to change batteries, just be careful not to get it caught or yank on it when you're feeling frustrated.


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## alfreddajero (Jul 24, 2008)

Yes thanks for the tip i also found that out myself....all in all for the price it does seem to be a good light......especially since you can get it at walmart......i have a silver core cree in mine and even though its not as bright as my others it will have a home in my collection.


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## cave dave (Jul 24, 2008)

degarb said:


> ... Simply put, you cannot linearally increase lumens (2x) while exponentially dilluting hotspot by edging up beam angle and less efficient orange peel reflectors. If you do this you get a sucky light. ....



You are getting Lumens (total output) confused with Lux (spot brightness).

As to your definition of "sucky" that totally depends on your usage and priorities. I would gladly trade throw for a wider beam with a smoother transition. This is especially important to me in a headlamp and any activity that requires moving through varied terrain. (ie biking, caving, hiking)


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## alfreddajero (Jul 24, 2008)

Since its dark out i got a chance to run the light.....i like it, does well indoors and outdoors, granted its not as bright as what i have now but the spot sure makes up for it......


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## degarb (Jul 25, 2008)

cave dave said:


> You are getting Lumens (total output) confused with Lux (spot brightness).
> 
> As to your definition of "sucky" that totally depends on your usage and priorities. I would gladly trade throw for a wider beam with a smoother transition. This is especially important to me in a headlamp and any activity that requires moving through varied terrain. (ie biking, caving, hiking)



I never confuse lux and lumens. I can put my rebel square beam Browning headlamp, dial down to 30 milliamp and she will give the coleman a run for the money on lux. Probably more like 80 ma, though. Simply put: columnation IS efficiency. This especially since the eye uses focus, much like the beam of a flashlight: you cannot look at an enire picture at once. Alas, we are talking still limited battery source, and we need to keep all tricks to making things visible. Also, a floody light is worthless at 50% drain, while a thrower is still quite useful! Besides tests have shown average people prefer throwers, in general.

That side defended and stated, yes, yes, yes, depends on needs. This light may be better for hiking, since one is in a paranoid state of mind. But for detail work, for me, painting off side of house/dormer, cleaning up, looking for my keys in lawn, spotting small skips from 30 foot away, seeing texture or just dust on a baseboard, please just give me my Browning phantom 130 with her columnating (same effect as inverse square) ability. IE. tunnel vision is better task lighting ( esp. since bats can be dialed down when needed for long life), but wide angle is better if you are paranoid about getting jumped.

So as a rule, I bring my super bright tunnel 130 lumen and high lux light for the million dollar homes, and my wide angle lights to paint the rehabs.

I am am touchy about this because with most dorcy lights and the 3 AAA Max, I really can't do my job! And forced to dig out ye old my lux 1 collection, which really is brighter to eye--offering me more texture, throw, subtle dust spotting, and better vision at 50% battery drain-- on any task I do than this coleman max.

Might go camping soon, so looking forward to using the max for what it does surpass my current lights at: lighting up a tree and large swath of grass before me.


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## degarb (Jul 25, 2008)

I guess I will reitterate that I only have the 3 AAA not the 2AA.

I will also add that most people doing tasks have some base lighting and are augmenting with headlamps for detail. When base lighting not around, I think common sense to pull out a floody nichia 20 hour light as a supplement, rather than turning a high power led into a flood.


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## bob4apple (Jul 25, 2008)

I also have just the 3 AAA (quite bright, by the way), and decided to do a runtime test recently. After 4 hours it was only slightly dimmer, and still going strong.
I, on the other hand, was getting sleepy so I terminated the test. 

Yikes! It's 3:30 AM- time for some quality darkness.


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## rockz4532 (Sep 11, 2008)

but really, what is the smell in the 2AA light?
it smells bad!


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## adirondackdestroyer (Sep 11, 2008)

Has anyone been using Energizer Lithium AA cells in this light?


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## adirondackdestroyer (Sep 19, 2008)

Anyone?


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## alfreddajero (Sep 20, 2008)

I have used it with those cells and the output seems to be about the same.


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## lots-o-lights (Oct 21, 2008)

has anyone determined if this has a drive circuit yet or not is it using a resistor or regulator/booster?


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## virtualbeing (Oct 21, 2008)

i saw a couple different models at our wally's. i am going tomorrow and of course will check them out.

meanwhile here is a link to online if nobody has bothered yet http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=645885&sb=79&sdir=xx

the 3 models are $24.95 2AA 3AAA and a 2CR2 model. but the confusion starts there as they have a multi color thing in a few bat choices for about $5 more.

i know when i saw them at wallys a few days back i was confused as to the price per equal lumens (quoted) and now realize it is a battery option. might wind up with all 3 for kicks.


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## tarponbill (Oct 21, 2008)

adirondackdestroyer said:


> Has anyone been using Energizer Lithium AA cells in this light?


OK, couldn't resist, ran a little test... on my Coleman 2AA CREE light.

I put in two Energizer lithiums and the results were significantly brighter. This was when compared to fresh charged Eneloops. The current went from 550 ma with the Eneloops to 1.1 A draw with fresh lithiums initially and quickly drops down to about 0.81 A. It's as if the LED is heating up, or the battery voltage is dropping fast, and the regulator(?) is backing off the current. Took about a minute to stabilize. Holds steady at 0.8 Amps for 10 minutes. All readings were taken with a very accurate Fluke DVM.

The light is definitely brighter, with the lithiums, most noticeable in illumination at a distance. I have some docks out back that space out so I can tell it does about 50 feet more throw with the lithiums, about 300 feet total, and brighter up closer to the light. The spill was noticeably brighter with the lithiums. The light with the lithium batteries will clearly light reflector channel markers at great distance, the ones out back were about 1000 feet from the light. Without the lithium batteries, the channel markers barely flickered.

Mine has a very centered LED, I sat and picked through the whole rack and got what I thoght was the best out of 10 or so. Some were way off center.

Alkalines gave readings in the 300-400 ma, much less light than either the Eneloop or the lithiums.

I also observe when the Eneloops near discharged, the light seems to shift to low and keep running at reduced level of output. Not sure if it's regulated, but it appears to have something in there. I can't get mine apart, the head is fixed hard to the body. But it definitely doesn't hard shut off when discharged, like the MiniMag LED -- much preferred.

For serious work, max light, lithium AAs. I am finding this holds for most AA lights, not all, as the Eneloops in the Lowes Task Force show little or no difference with the lithiums. The Lowes TF far out throws this light, for these old eyes, but the Coleman has much more usable close in beam.

I don't have any precise measuring equipment, or a good digital camera to take shots with, so take this with the newbie grain of salt advisory.


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## K_Labs (Nov 18, 2008)

Hey Guys I work in a machine shop if you want I can drill out the flashlight and break the head loose for $10 + shipping I'm starting my mod today and picking up another one for the hell of it.

I just did 2 of them. Can I post pics and my mod in here or is it thread jackin? I know that some1 in here asked if you could mod it.


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## K_Labs (Nov 18, 2008)

I modded it today I have no idea what I'm doing as far as limitations and volts and what not. However the machining part is a cake walk. I decided to add 3 lithium cr123's and it's really bright compared to what it was before. I was going to go the rechargeable route but I was totally convinced that I was going to cook the hell out of the led so why waste the $35 bucks on a charger and batteries. I bored it out enough to fit some 18650's in there at a little over 18mm's (for future mods). I added zalman thermal paste all over the heatsink contacts and got a little in the cracks. I have one and my buddy has one. His is a yellowish led and mine is a yellow center and white outside. Mine is brighter haha. I have no idea how much MAH or Lumens I am getting but I know that it lasted my entire ride without getting the slightest bit warm. Really bright light compared to what it was. I guess I'll have to buy another one so I can do a comparison because when I put normal AA's in there the led just barely powers on. Thank God this one went better than my first mod experement with the 5mm leds and "Magic SMOKE"


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## mattchase (Nov 18, 2008)

Sounds ineresting K Labs. I don't really care if you post photos in this thread, but it might get more attention if you create a new thread with an appropriate title. And you could always put a link in this thread going to it too.


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## darknessemitter (Nov 21, 2008)

tarponbill said:


> OK, couldn't resist, ran a little test... on my Coleman 2AA CREE light.
> 
> I put in two Energizer lithiums and the results were significantly brighter. This was when compared to fresh charged Eneloops. The current went from 550 ma with the Eneloops to 1.1 A draw with fresh lithiums initially and quickly drops down to about 0.81 A. It's as if the LED is heating up, or the battery voltage is dropping fast, and the regulator(?) is backing off the current. Took about a minute to stabilize. Holds steady at 0.8 Amps for 10 minutes. All readings were taken with a very accurate Fluke DVM.


 
Does it get noticably warmer to the touch with lithiums? Any signs of the reflector starting to melt or anything?


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## tarponbill (Nov 21, 2008)

darknessemitter said:


> Does it get noticably warmer to the touch with lithiums? Any signs of the reflector starting to melt or anything?




There doesn't seem to be any noticeable change in temperature, NIMH vs Lithium batteries -- I think the efficiency might go up which helps. My Coleman 2AA MAX doesn't get warm at all, you can barely tell it has been run after 15 minutes constant with NiMH cells. It is noticeably brighter with the Lithiums. If it weren't for the cost, I would use Lithiums all the time.

I have a ROV 2AA 3W and comparing it gets much warmer to the touch than does the Coleman. Not hot, but warm, meaning wasted battery power.

I don't have any instruments except a good Fluke voltmeter.


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## Magnus1959 (Nov 21, 2008)

rockz4532 said:


> but really, what is the smell in the 2AA light?
> it smells bad!


The 2CR2 model really smells.


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## K_Labs (Nov 22, 2008)

Mine has a hot beam when you put your hand in font of the lens and it's on.https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/213406


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## mtnwalker (Nov 22, 2008)

I kinda wished the tailcap pushbutton switch was recessed like the 3xaaa version.....I wonder why they didn't make both of them with the same push button switch?


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## Mr Happy (Nov 23, 2008)

mtnwalker said:


> I kinda wished the tailcap pushbutton switch was recessed like the 3xaaa version.....I wonder why they didn't make both of them with the same push button switch?


Well in fact I have the 3AAA version and I find the tail switch nearly impossible to operate with one hand -- I have to hold the light with one hand and push with the opposite thumb due to the stiffness of the spring and the recessed button. So actually I would really prefer the 2AA version...


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## darknessemitter (Nov 23, 2008)

Mr Happy said:


> Well in fact I have the 3AAA version and I find the tail switch nearly impossible to operate with one hand -- I have to hold the light with one hand and push with the opposite thumb due to the stiffness of the spring and the recessed button. So actually I would really prefer the 2AA version...


 
Part of the problem with the 3AAA is that it's so wide, and doesn't have any texture on the barrel to help you grip it. I'm sure a recessed switch would be easier to use on the thinner 2AA, but it seems like it can be tricky to design well. And at least the 2AA's switch doesn't click into constant mode if pressed onto a flat surface, that's the critical thing. 

I know a lot of people have been disappointed with the River Rock 2AA Nightfire either because of the optic or the beam shape or wishing for more output, but I really like the recessed forward clicky they put on it. It's really well designed.


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## Magnus1959 (Nov 24, 2008)

Mr Happy said:


> Well in fact I have the 3AAA version and I find the tail switch nearly impossible to operate with one hand -- I have to hold the light with one hand and push with the opposite thumb due to the stiffness of the spring and the recessed button. So actually I would really prefer the 2AA version...


 I agree. My thumb is not that flexible.


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## Oak (Nov 25, 2008)

Just picked up 2 of the Coleman 2AA Cree xr-e's flashlights at Walmart today. 

Yup, there is the strong sulphur-like smell of smell from the barrel and talilcap. Some sort of Chinese manufacturing pollution I would guess. 
I believe it is coming from the silver coating on the inside of the tube and tailcap. Well, I will leave it open and hope it goes away.

The only thing I have brighter is a Lowes task force 150 lumen 2C flashlight. 

The top can be easily cracked (unscrewed) by 2 pairs of vicegrips or plumber's wrenches or any combo thereof, padded with two layers of bath towel. Just pad the head and body and unscrew the conventional way. 
When opened this way you can then mix and match led modules and flashlight bodies and reflectors to get an optimum centering and beam spill.

Inside is a module with the marking Cree x lamp 7090.
Current drain with energizer AA is .81 amps and .86 amps to start.

While I had the heads apart, I took an infrared non-contact thermometer to measuere the led temps. Could not get over 102 degrees F (39 C . Stays cool.

Both outthrow my 3D maglite or 3D dorcy. Slight flicker when switching on, probably from the high current and imperfect switch contacts.
Nice side spill. But the real test is using it. Can see and find things that I have never seen before.
Some things I do not want to see. Check out your bathroom with a 100+ lumen Cree light for example. Yikes! 
Oh well.


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## MorePower (Nov 25, 2008)

tarponbill said:


> There doesn't seem to be any noticeable change in temperature, NIMH vs Lithium batteries -- I think the efficiency might go up which helps. My Coleman 2AA MAX doesn't get warm at all, you can barely tell it has been run after 15 minutes constant with NiMH cells. It is noticeably brighter with the Lithiums. If it weren't for the cost, I would use Lithiums all the time.
> 
> I have a ROV 2AA 3W and comparing it gets much warmer to the touch than does the Coleman. Not hot, but warm, meaning wasted battery power.
> 
> I don't have any instruments except a good Fluke voltmeter.



If the Coleman doesn't get warm, that likely means heatsinking of the LED isn't too good. The ROV 2AA 3W has good contact between the led and the pill and the pill screws into the body of the light which creates a good thermal path. That's why the ROV heats up.


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## LEDrock (Nov 25, 2008)

After reading all this, I'm still on the fence about getting this one. I like the specs so far and have eyed it a bunch of times at Walmart, but still don't have it. I might get it if there's a sale this season.


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## Blacklight (Nov 25, 2008)

MorePower said:


> If the Coleman doesn't get warm, that likely means heatsinking of the LED isn't too good. The ROV 2AA 3W has good contact between the led and the pill and the pill screws into the body of the light which creates a good thermal path. That's why the ROV heats up.


 

heatsinking is fine on this.


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## vkan (Nov 25, 2008)

Sorry if it's been mentioned already, but BJ's wholesale club has the Coleman Max 2AA light in a 2-pack for $30.


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## Magnus1959 (Nov 25, 2008)

I have the cr2 version and the 3AAA but have yet to find the 2AA at our WalMart.


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## K_Labs (Nov 25, 2008)

vkan said:


> Sorry if it's been mentioned already, but BJ's wholesale club has the Coleman Max 2AA light in a 2-pack for $30.


 
No I don't think it's been mentioned but NOW I feel like I got ripped off. Where is BJ's wholesale club? If it isn't online I'll paypal some1 to buy and send them to me.

I found it online..... But I didn't find the product. Can you post a link? PLZ. If it is in store only I'll send you the money paypal to buy it and ship me a 2pack.


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## L.E.D. (Nov 26, 2008)

IMO the major failing of this light is it's tailcap. Bad contact paths, both mine and my friend's have horrible flickering problems. They should've made the negative contact path the whole rim, not just one little tab mated to one little slot.


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## Blacklight (Nov 26, 2008)

K_Labs said:


> No I don't think it's been mentioned but NOW I feel like I got ripped off. Where is BJ's wholesale club? If it isn't online I'll paypal some1 to buy and send them to me.
> 
> I found it online..... But I didn't find the product. Can you post a link? PLZ. If it is in store only I'll send you the money paypal to buy it and ship me a 2pack.


 

BJ Does not have the Max Lights.


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## Imworking (Nov 26, 2008)

I had an ultra clear glass lens from the the flashlightlens.com that did not fit an application I had intended it for. It was an 18mm and somehow it ended up working perfectly in the Coleman Max 2 AA light. I also like the way they have the lens mounted in this light, it fits in a groove set in the middle of the rubber o-ring, it adds an element of shock protection to the glass. If you can remove the head, the lens and reflector assembly just clicks right out. I have a 17 mm lens I want to install in my 2 CR2 model but I can't get the #@*$#$% head off of that light.


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## rockz4532 (Nov 26, 2008)

Imworking said:


> I had an ultra clear glass lens from the the flashlightlens.com that did not fit an application I had intended it for. It was an 18mm and somehow it ended up working perfectly in the Coleman Max 2 AA light. I also like the way they have the lens mounted in this light, it fits in a groove set in the middle of the rubber o-ring, it adds an element of shock protection to the glass. If you can remove the head, the lens and reflector assembly just clicks right out. I have a 17 mm lens I want to install in my 2 CR2 model but I can't get the #@*$#$% head off of that light.


 try using a clamp and a wrench or pliers


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## Oak (Nov 26, 2008)

MorePower said:


> If the Coleman doesn't get warm, that likely means heatsinking of the LED isn't too good. The ROV 2AA 3W has good contact between the led and the pill and the pill screws into the body of the light which creates a good thermal path. That's why the ROV heats up.


 
No, what I meant is that I took the non-contact thermometer with the head open and directly measured the led temp while it was mounted in the body, it stayed below 102 F or 39 C. 
It must be regulated, cause the heatsinking is not great but the module stays cool and so does the flashlight. I know, that does not make much sense, but that is the way it is. 

One more thing, I have been unable to remove the parabolic reflector and the clear plastic top covering it. Does anyone know how?
Seems like it is one piece or welded somehow. (this may be something new)
Help!
Thanks.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Nov 26, 2008)

Just a quick note here....

I too have looked at these MANY times when I could not quite afford it.

Last time I was in Livingston Wal-mart I did not find any 2AA. All the other stuff was there but no 2AA.

And we all know Joe Public ain't likely to buy any light over 5 bucks.... so I wonder what's up with that?


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## vkan (Nov 28, 2008)

K_Labs said:


> ...
> I found it online..... But I didn't find the product. Can you post a link? PLZ. If it is in store only I'll send you the money paypal to buy it and ship me a 2pack.



I saw the two pack in the BJ's store in Raleigh, NC. Their web site and their stores don't seem to have a lot in common on stuff like this (and you can't for example return mail order purchases at the store).

I don't have paypal, so I can't help you out. Sorry about that.


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## vkan (Nov 28, 2008)

Blacklight said:


> BJ Does not have the Max Lights.



I guess it depends on which brick and mortar BJ's you walk into since the one near me does have them.


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## Neubauej (Nov 30, 2008)

K_Labs said:


> I modded it today I have no idea what I'm doing as far as limitations and volts and what not. However the machining part is a cake walk. I decided to add 3 lithium cr123's and it's really bright compared to what it was before. I was going to go the rechargeable route but I was totally convinced that I was going to cook the hell out of the led so why waste the $35 bucks on a charger and batteries. I bored it out enough to fit some 18650's in there at a little over 18mm's (for future mods). I added zalman thermal paste all over the heatsink contacts and got a little in the cracks. I have one and my buddy has one. His is a yellowish led and mine is a yellow center and white outside. Mine is brighter haha. I have no idea how much MAH or Lumens I am getting but I know that it lasted my entire ride without getting the slightest bit warm. Really bright light compared to what it was. I guess I'll have to buy another one so I can do a comparison because when I put normal AA's in there the led just barely powers on. Thank God this one went better than my first mod experement with the 5mm leds and "Magic SMOKE"


 

Is the 3x 123's still working? I really like the sounds of this, but I don't really want to toast my light if I don't have to...


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## Magnus1959 (Dec 1, 2008)

Finally found this light at my hometown WalMart. I have no idea why it took so long to get into our store. I had bought the CR2 & the 3AAA versions some time ago.


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## K_Labs (Dec 1, 2008)

Neubauej said:


> Is the 3x 123's still working? I really like the sounds of this, but I don't really want to toast my light if I don't have to...


 

I don't know I am no longer running 3 x 123's. I'm using 2 x 123's and a dummy cell that I made here at work (Aluminum Tubing. It's almost like transmission fluid lines). The batteries seem to have died so I am in the market for a 18650 protected cell before I waste to much on non rechargeables. Although I'm not sure if it will boot up the led because it's only going to be 3v and I can't get it to run on 2 regular AA's anymore. If that doesn't work I'll have to keep modding. 

I posted somewhere in the LED forums about modding it but I am just so busy lately I can't even find the time to tinker with it.


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## K_Labs (Dec 1, 2008)

vkan said:


> I saw the two pack in the BJ's store in Raleigh, NC. Their web site and their stores don't seem to have a lot in common on stuff like this (and you can't for example return mail order purchases at the store).
> 
> I don't have paypal, so I can't help you out. Sorry about that.


 
How about I send you a Washington Mutual money order?


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## Blacklight (Dec 3, 2008)

vkan said:


> I guess it depends on which brick and mortar BJ's you walk into since the one near me does have them.


 

I am in charge of lighting for the Coleman company, trust me BJs does not have the MAX series of lights.


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## mrambo (Dec 9, 2008)

picked up a coleman max at wally world. I filed out the ridges inside the tube. and got 3 123 litiums to fit. worked great for a couple of days lots brighter and whiter light. but then it overheated burnt out. anyone know where I can get anotherlamp module???


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## darknessemitter (Dec 10, 2008)

mrambo said:


> picked up a coleman max at wally world. I filed out the ridges inside the tube. and got 3 123 litiums to fit. worked great for a couple of days lots brighter and whiter light. but then it overheated burnt out. anyone know where I can get anotherlamp module???


 
Yeah, I'll bet it burned out  The boost circuit (and regulator if there is one) was only designed to handle 2xAA's. A single 123 might not hurt it too much, but 3 or them is flashlight-suicide. 

I'm wondering if maybe this trend of ridges inside the battery tube is to prevent cells from getting stuck; I have some older panasonic nihms and had a lot of difficulty getting them out of a couple lights. The newer ones I've used, Eneloops and ROV Hybrids fit just fine.


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## K_Labs (Dec 11, 2008)

lol I stopped using 3 123's and switched to 2 and a dummy. go to walmart buy another one switch the emitters and return it. did you even put thermal grease on it?


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## Fuzz541 (Dec 12, 2008)

Blacklight said:


> I am in charge of lighting for the Coleman company, trust me BJs does not have the MAX series of lights.


Blacklight,

Could you please tell us which bin XR-E is being shipped with these lights, and the parameters of the boost circuit? 

Much appreciated.


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## Fuzz541 (Dec 12, 2008)

n00b double post.


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## K_Labs (Dec 12, 2008)

I don't know a whole lot about leds or which bin they are but if you look at the emitters you can visibly see a difference. I bought one and it is yellowish looking while my friend has a white looking one.


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## darknessemitter (Dec 12, 2008)

K_Labs said:


> I don't know a whole lot about leds or which bin they are but if you look at the emitters you can visibly see a difference. I bought one and it is yellowish looking while my friend has a white looking one.


 
The difference you're describing just indicates where the emitter was made, and not necessarily anything to do with the bin. I think yellow is made in U.S. and silver is made in China, but I haven't heard of any differences in performance so far. I have these lights with both versions, and they seem to be about the same in output.


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## degarb (Dec 12, 2008)

which color, yellow or white, does color rendering better?


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## K_Labs (Dec 12, 2008)

Um mine was the yellowish one and it seems brighter than the white one. *I could be wrong though.* Mine gave a whiter beam than the white one which gave a blueish beam. Seems a bit backwards to me. I can double check again on monday


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## Magnus1959 (Dec 12, 2008)

I don't know about the rest of you but I use these Max lights more than my others around the house.


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## chewy78 (Dec 12, 2008)

I've got two of these from a while back to use at work. One has a slight bluish tint which at first I liked but, my other one seams to actually put out more light, plus it has a more yellowish tint to it. And ya, the switches are not that great. I just put the better switch on my yellow tinted one.


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## LightObsession (Dec 15, 2008)

Thanks for the info on this light. I saw them at Walmart a few days ago and was wondering about them.


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## retrodog (Dec 16, 2008)

I got one of these last week. Been playing with it since. It's a pretty good light. My TK20 showed up last night so I'll test the two together soon. The price difference is pretty big.


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## Blacklight (Dec 17, 2008)

Fuzz541 said:


> Blacklight,
> 
> Could you please tell us which bin XR-E is being shipped with these lights, and the parameters of the boost circuit?
> 
> Much appreciated.


 
Q3 on what is in stores, next production will be Q4


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## K_Labs (Dec 17, 2008)

Just waiting on my P7 before I do my build up. It should get here any day now. Me-><-Mailman


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## darknessemitter (Dec 17, 2008)

L.E.D. said:


> IMO the major failing of this light is it's tailcap. Bad contact paths, both mine and my friend's have horrible flickering problems. They should've made the negative contact path the whole rim, not just one little tab mated to one little slot.


 
I agree that the tailcap switch and battery contact are poorly designed, but has anyone actually had one of them fail yet?


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## L.E.D. (Dec 28, 2008)

darknessemitter said:


> Oh, and one possible weakness to be aware of with this light: the negative contact spring on the inner side of the tailcap isn't attached very firmly; it's sort of "floating" on a small metal tab that bends down near the edge and folds into the inside of the tailcap. It doesn't feel like it will be damaged from normal screwing and unscrewing to change batteries, just be careful not to get it caught or yank on it when you're feeling frustrated.



Well, I bought another one of these lights just tonight, as it's been quite some time since I bought my last one (which I gave away to a friend). With this new one, there is no flickering! I'm very pleased. I also noticed that the spring is no longer "floating" on the little metal tab, it is fastened there with a large rivet. A very smart move by Coleman, IMO. This is now quite the nice light!


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Dec 28, 2008)

These have not been at my normally visited Walmart in quite some time.

I guess when I'm out and about I shall check other Walmarts.


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## darknessemitter (Dec 29, 2008)

L.E.D. said:


> Well, I bought another one of these lights just tonight, as it's been quite some time since I bought my last one (which I gave away to a friend). With this new one, there is no flickering! I'm very pleased. I also noticed that the spring is no longer "floating" on the little metal tab, it is fastened there with a large rivet. A very smart move by Coleman, IMO. This is now quite the nice light!


 
That's good news! Is there any visible difference on the outside of the tailcap, or some way to identify it without opening the package?


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## Blacklight (Dec 29, 2008)

darknessemitter said:


> That's good news! Is there any visible difference on the outside of the tailcap, or some way to identify it without opening the package?


 
It was a running change so no real way to identify it from the outside.


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## tarponbill (Dec 29, 2008)

Well this just sucks. After using the Coleman 2AA MAX light for a few months, it now sleeps with the fishes. Went overboard last night, during a nighttime fishing trip. The bad part, the neck lanyard broke. I had been using the light to help with handling caught fish, yeah we actually caught one, by dangling the light while turned on hanging from the lanyard around my neck. Took two Eneloops with it to the bottom. Water was about 60 feet deep.

Worked great, quite happy with the overall light performance, but then --- Word of warning to the wise, the lanyard's thin design at the attach point, sucks and the rough hole apparently is not good for longevity. Definitely needs a lanyard upgrade if you plan on actually using it in the wild. I wonder what testing was actually done by Coleman 

Just when you think you have a new best light, in one fleeting second, it's gone.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Dec 29, 2008)

tarponbill said:


> Well this just sucks. After using the Coleman 2AA MAX light for a few months, it now sleeps with the fishes. Went overboard last night, during a nighttime fishing trip. The bad part, the neck lanyard broke. I had been using the light to help with handling caught fish, yeah we actually caught one, by dangling the light while turned on hanging from the lanyard around my neck. Took two Eneloops with it to the bottom. Water was about 60 feet deep.
> 
> Worked great, quite happy with the overall light performance, but then --- Word of warning to the wise, the lanyard's thin design at the attach point, sucks and the rough hole apparently is not good for longevity. Definitely needs a lanyard upgrade if you plan on actually using it in the wild. I wonder what testing was actually done by Coleman
> 
> Just when you think you have a new best light, in one fleeting second, it's gone.



Damn, that sucks! The lanyards that come with nearly all retail store flashlights tend to be on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Even ones that come with Fenix and other higher end online lights are pretty crappy. I doubt they did any testing at all to be honest. You might be able to buy a high end custom lanyard to use in the future.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Dec 29, 2008)

I hit another Walmart today and no joy.

Did get some more .22 ammo so all was not lost!


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## Turbo DV8 (Dec 30, 2008)

I finally bit at one of these today. I found only one at the two Wally Marts near me, so Coleman had only one shot with me... and they missed. Nice tint, nice beam, and all that, but... yep, that damned tail switch. Not only does mine flicker throughout while pressing the switch, more than half the time when I let off the switch, the flickering continues. I don't need another Made in China light that flickers. I've met my personal quota. Of those who got luck and finally got one that doesn't flicker, all I can ask is... for how long? May be just bad charma for me, since I also just bought the RiverRock NightFire 2C, and when I depress the switch fully, it is bright, but when I let off the switch in the On position, the light gets dimmer. :sigh:


BTW, my Coleman Max has the spring riveted to the metal tab, too.


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## tarponbill (Jan 12, 2009)

Yep, it was an obummer all the way. Lesson learned. I ditched all the lanyards and replaced with nylon string for now until I can get some decent ones made. I have a bunch of SST split rings that I immediately installed on the lights, and then just a loop of strong nylon cord.


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Jan 12, 2009)

I'd still pounce on one if I find it.

I'm fairly good at finding replacement switches.


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## Blacklight (Jan 13, 2009)

tarponbill said:


> Well this just sucks. After using the Coleman 2AA MAX light for a few months, it now sleeps with the fishes. Went overboard last night, during a nighttime fishing trip. The bad part, the neck lanyard broke. I had been using the light to help with handling caught fish, yeah we actually caught one, by dangling the light while turned on hanging from the lanyard around my neck. Took two Eneloops with it to the bottom. Water was about 60 feet deep.
> 
> Worked great, quite happy with the overall light performance, but then --- Word of warning to the wise, the lanyard's thin design at the attach point, sucks and the rough hole apparently is not good for longevity. Definitely needs a lanyard upgrade if you plan on actually using it in the wild. I wonder what testing was actually done by Coleman
> 
> Just when you think you have a new best light, in one fleeting second, it's gone.


 
I wonder how you got such a small diameter over your head. no way you had this around your neck with the lanyard it comes with.


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## BillP (Jan 13, 2009)

Hey Blacklight- are you shipping the Q4 lights yet? Nice job on these lights, BTW. I gave several as gifts this past Xmas, including one of the 2aa lights to my nephew, who recently became a Marine. His first good flashlight, which he of course looked directly into and switched on, mere seconds after I had told him not to. Thanks, Bill


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## tarponbill (Jan 21, 2009)

Blacklight said:


> I wonder how you got such a small diameter over your head. no way you had this around your neck with the lanyard it comes with.



The lanyard that came in the package was 2 foot ...


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## Turbo DV8 (Jan 21, 2009)

tarponbill said:


> The lanyard that came in the package was 2 foot ...


 
Now, that's what I call "Max!" And some lights come with a "lanyard" that's 2_ inches..._ good for a thumb!


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## Imworking (Feb 17, 2009)

I have two replacement switches for these lights if anyone wants to PM me. I used the innards to make pills for my longbow micra, hence the spare parts. Both of my switches did not flicker.


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## Imworking (Feb 17, 2009)

I would like to know what kind of converter they have in these things. They will suck the life out of a CR123 cell and give nice bright light for 3 hours and then some. Batteries that won't even fire up my Novatac will still work a while with this converter.


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## Imworking (Feb 18, 2009)

Still have two switches I can mail to anyone who wants them.


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## dwschoon (May 20, 2009)

I bought one of these after reading about it on these forums. After reading this thread, I chose one with a yellow looking led, as opposed to the clear one. Im a noob when it comes to led based flashlights. I wanted something cheap to use as a decent thrower while out hunting at night. I used to use a streamlight scorpion xenon, and really loved it, but lost it recently. So far I am really impressed with it. I haven't been able to take it out at night yet, so I dont know ow it compares to the streamlight. I am using powerex 2700 nimh in it. I read earlier in the thread about people modding it for cr123 batteries. It looks like 3 are too much, but the light can handle 2. I was wondering if it would be able to handle 2 14500 batteries. I am thinking about getting some to try in my River Rock 1AA and this light, but dont want to fry it.


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## MarNav1 (May 20, 2009)

I have the 2 x CR2 version. Works just dandy on a 14500 cell. Nice warm beam too.


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## dwschoon (May 21, 2009)

I assume 1 14500 cell would work fine, since it doesnt really increase the voltage, but what about 2? I would like to get more output, but not burn it out. Whatever I do, I would like to use rechargables.


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## clg0159 (May 21, 2009)

If you like the light and plan on using it for a while, *do not* use 2 14500's. Even if you don't fry the boost circuit (which you probably will) the heatsink is not sufficient to dissipate the heat and you will damage the LED.


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## dwschoon (May 21, 2009)

Is there any other rechargeable option to increase the output, but not put so much voltage as to kill it?


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## clg0159 (May 22, 2009)

You could bore the battery tube out to fit a single 18650 like K_Labs did. I am not sure what the driver will do with it, but you could just take it out and run it DD. Maybe consider turning a new heatsink as well.


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## damn_hammer (Sep 4, 2009)

i bought this light for during a camping trip last year, and the lanyard broke that same week. called coleman for warranty replacement, but was told i'd have to send the entire light in. instead i bought a lanyard from dx which has help up w/out a problem. for 2xaa, this is a good light. i don't see them that often in the stores anywhere i look.


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## dale465 (Sep 4, 2009)

Great review. I'll be giving these a second look. Thanks!


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## LEDrock (Sep 5, 2009)

It comes in a new blue package now. It's at my Walmart, but I never see it anywhere else.


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## mtnwalker (Oct 10, 2009)

I like em..2xAA...there are two things to check if it starts flickering though...
first verify the tailcap is tight of course..and the tension spring is a good connect....
2nd ..unscrew the head, the led assembly/unit has a contact on the side that contacts the barrel/tube/main body of the flashlight...you may have to bend it out slightly so it will make tighter contact with the barrel...mine was flickering....and that seems to have made mine back to original steady/bright beam.....if I have to do it again...I may make a tiny wedge of a bead of rubber to help hold that tension......
otherwise..I like the light just fine....I called coleman about the flickering....tried to get an idea of any issues...he mentioned they only made that light for Walmart..........but I know of at least one other pawn shop that had some coleman max 3xAAA.................


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## brokenarrowjbe (Dec 25, 2009)

I saw a post where you said you had some tail switch's for the coleman 2 AA max. If you still have them, I need one. Thanks, JohnPS email is brokenarrowjbe(at)hotmail.com


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## milkshake (Dec 26, 2009)

i just stretched the spring out on mine and the flickering has gone away


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## K_Labs (Jan 22, 2010)

I could also use a new switch if at all possible. Your pm inbox was full. 

Here's a what the new reflector looks like no throw all flood: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/258178


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## damn_hammer (Jan 22, 2010)

K Labs, nice mod. Was it difficult swapping the reflector out? Mine developed a flicker, so might have to take it apart. Share any tricks you've got please. 

These things are hard to find. I've been looking for over a year, at various Walmarts near me, and never see them. Where I purchased the one I now have is several hours drive away ... got it during a camping trip. Might have to go camping there again!


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## K_Labs (Jan 23, 2010)

It's not really easy to get them anymore. Apparently they were made specifically for Walmart. They are even out of stock online. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10196613

No tricks really just alot of measuring. The reflector needed some shaving because of the hex. I just used a razor blade because I couldn't find my dremmel. A massive heat sink helps out alot and a little bit off the top so the heatsink has more contact with the body. I mounted it 2 my gun last night. Recoil testing tomorrow!


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Jan 23, 2010)

Was looking for stuff to sale at garage sale last night. Looked at Coleman Max Cree 2AA against Inova Bolt 2AA.

Inova push/twist - Coleman Click

Inova not as bright - Coleman bright and good beam

Inova sold. Coleman still here.


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## Kindle (Jan 23, 2010)

K_Labs said:


> It's not really easy to get them anymore. Apparently they were made specifically for Walmart.



I'm pretty sure Meijer carried them as well.


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## K_Labs (Jan 25, 2010)

PM Sent Joe


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## LeanBurn (Oct 31, 2015)

Sorry to bring a thread from the distant past, but my tail cap switch just died on My Coleman Max 2aa, so that it is always on, the only way to shut it off is to unscrew the tailcap switch. It was my first LED flashlight and I have had it for many years and it has always been reliable, until now. Does anyone have any ideas how I can make this fully functional again?

Its the one in this vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcFL4tXxn8k

Edit....I tried taking apart the tail switch to see it I could clean it....in summary, its broken beyond repair...


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