# Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and more!



## selfbuilt (Feb 16, 2012)

*Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and more!*

*Warning: pic heavy, as usual. *











The P0 is a new model in the 4Sevens (now Foursevens) Preon family of AAA-based lights. The P0 is a particularly tiny stainless steel light, with a floody beam. Let's see how it stacks up … 

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:*

LED: Cree XP-E Cool White
Max Output: 25 Out-the-front (OTF) lumens
Two Output Modes:
Low: 0.24 OTF Lumens, 120 hours
High: 25 OTF Lumens, 1.5 hours
Material: Stainless Steel
Lens: Optical-grade glass lens with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Water resistance: IPX-8
Battery: One AAA, included. Please do not use lithium-ion cells in the Preon P0 as it will destroy the light (see voltage range to select acceptable batteries for this light).
Operating voltage range: 1.0V - 1.5V
Length: 2.2 inches
Diameter: 0.5 inches
Weight: 0.46 ounces
Included Accessories: Split-ring for keychain attachment, One AAA battery
Operation: Insert the battery with the positive side (+) toward the head. To turn it on, tighten the bezel (head) fully. The Preon P0 will turn on when the bezel is tightened, and turn off when the bezel is loosened. To switch between High and Low output, turn the Preon P0 off and then on again within 1 second. If the Preon P0 is turned off for 2 seconds or longer, it will revert back to Low.
MSRP: ~$23






Packaging is a small plastic box with clear top and cut-out foam to securely hold the light. The light comes with a keychain split ring already attached, and a free Duracell alkaline battery. The manual is printed on the back of the box. There was no extra o-ring with my sample, but I believe they may be included on later ones.









From left to right: Duracell AAA; 4Sevens Preon P0, Preon 1, ReVo; Titanium Innovations Illuminati; Klarus Mi X6; Lumintop Worm SS.

*4Sevens Preon P0*: Weight 13.0g (with keychain clip), Length 55.0mm, Width 12.6mm (bezel)
*4Sevens Preon 1*: Weight 15.3g (with keychain clip), Length 75.6mm, Width 14.0mm (bezel)
*Olight i3*: Weight 13.2g, Length: 71.9mm, Width (bezel): 14.0mm
*Illuminati Aluminum*: Weight 13.9g (with keychain clip), Length 68.8mm, Width 14.0mm (bezel)
*Klarus Mi X6*: Weight 16.2g, Length 72.9mm (battery installed), Width 12.8mm

The P0 is tiny! oo: Weight is in keeping with others in this class, due to the stainless steel construction (i.e. most of the others are aluminum, which is lighter).














Build is fairly unique. Stainless construction feels sturdy. The light doesn't have knurling, but the brushed finish over most of the light helps with grip.

Screw threads are fine, but feel solid (i.e. very little play on my sample, better than most lights this size). Light works by tightening the head against the body. There is no spring in the tailcap – the light relies instead on a small raised post. There is a foam disc around the positive contact button in the head, to stabilize the battery and insulate the electronics.

The P0 has a built-in split-ring attachment point on the tail of the light, which allows both tailstanding and hanging straight. :thumbsup: There is an integrated magnet on the tail, which is strong enough to hold the light horizontally off any metal surface.










The "reflector" seems to be a conical-shaped piece of GITD plastic. It is not really designed to collect the light and focus very much – it seems to be used mainly for its glow-in-the-dark properties. I would expect a very floody beam, with little defined hotspot.

*User Interface*

The P0 is very straightforward - tighten the head and it comes on in Lo. Do a rapid twist off-on and the light advances to Hi. 

And that's it. You can keep doing repeatedly cycles by loosen-tighten twists of the head. Wait a few seconds before re-activating the light after turning off, and it returns to default Lo.

There is no memory mode, the light always defaults to Lo.

For a more detailed examination of the build and user interface, please see my video overview: :wave:



Video was recorded in 720p, but YouTube defaults to 360p. Once the video is running, you can click on the quality icon and select the higher 480p or 720p options. You can also run full-screen. 

*PWM/Strobe*

The P0 appears to be current-controlled.  I could detect no sign of PWM at either level.

There is no strobe mode either.

*Beamshots:*

All lights are on Sanyo Eneloop 1xAAA NiMH, about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 














































Ok, my standard test bed really doesn't show you much.  Part of the issue is the lower output of the P0 (i.e., only 25 reported lumens on Hi). But the main reason you can't see anything is the camera depth of focus – the P0 puts out a much wider (and even) spillbeam than any of the other lights.

To better show you what it looks like, here is the P0 up close against a wall, compared to a typical 1xAAA light (both are probably ~10 cm away from the wall)









As you can see, the P0 has a wide and even beam (i.e., very floody). A traditional reflectored light tends to have a bright hotspot and corona, with narrower overall spill.

*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, a la Quickbeam's flashlightreviews.com method. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have recently devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lighbox values to Lumens thread for more info.

_My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.sliderule.ca/FL1.htm for a description of the terms used in these tables._






Max output seems bang-on in my testing, very close to the reported 25 lumen spec. Obviously, not much throw here - this light won't light anything up beyond a few meters.

Lo output is more complicated to describe – please refer to my discussion after the runtimes below.
























Runtimes are good on Hi, with very flat regulation on all battery types. The L92 energizer lithium cell was particularly long-lasting, but even alkaline does fairly well for its class. 

For Lo mode runtimes, I am doing something different below. Here, I am showing _estimated Lumens_ (converted from my lightbox's relative output values). The reason for this is that the output varies a fair amount by battery type and over time, so it's easier to compare in actual lumen estimates.






The L92 lithium run settles down after 15 mins into a regulated level very close to the reported 0.24 lumen spec (although it starts out more than twice that brightness). However, the alkaline and Eneloop NIMH battery runs have different initial outputs, and show a gradual decay that is not perfectly flat. Note that output is considerably lower on NiMH.

Here's is a longer timescale, to show you the regulation patterns better:






As you can see, the L92 lithium levels off a little above 0.20 estimated lumens. Alkaline and Eneloop NiMH are contiuing to drop over this time frame, though.

_*UPDATE FEBRUARY 17, 2011:* Here is an even longer time scale, now up to 24hours. Note that the alkaline run stabilized around 12 hrs into the run, at a relatively low level (i.e., I estimate just below ~0.04 lumens)._






To summarize, here are my estimated lumen output values for the three battery sources, at different times:






*UPDATE FEBRUARY 19, 2012:*

I am not a fan of doing low mode runtimes on lights that have expected multi-day durations. _There reason for this is that small differences between emitters (most especially Vf) can result in drastic differences between samples. _ So, unless you have multiple samples (from multiple batches), it is very hard to get a good feel for what a typical runtime would be.

With that caveat in mind, below is what I have gotten to date on my one sample. Note that the runtimes are approximate, as I am not running these continuously in my lightbox (i.e. I just check in every couple of hours to see how they are doing).

Sanyo Eneloop: battery fully drained between 36 and 44 hours (i.e., a little over 1.5 days)
Duracell Alkaline: battery fully drained between 48 and 52 hours (i.e., a little over 2 days)
Energizer L92 Lithium: battery fully drained at 66.5 hours (i.e. a little under 3 days)

Again, don't shoot the messenger here - your sample could vary significantly. I only present my results above to add to what others are finding - they should not be taken as indicative of "typical" performance. Without multiple samples to test, I can make no comment about expected runtimes or the natural variance (which I expect can be a factor of 2 or more). Again, the last thing I want to see posted here is "Selfbuilt proved it only runs 2 days on Lo"  ... 

*Potential Issues*

Small head-twist lights with raised negative contact posts always have the potential to be battery crushers. I recommend you do not over-tighten the head, and periodically check your batteries to ensure they are not getting dented.

I had some intermittent flickering on my sample, on all battery types. This was usually resolved by loosening and re-tightening the head. I also experienced "flaky" mode switching on occasion (i.e., the light would suddenly jump from Lo to Hi shortly after initial activation). I suspect both of these issues are due to the pill loosening up slightly. You can remove the foam cushion and tighten the pill with fine tweezers (but make sure to restore the foam, see comments below)

The light is very small, and may be hard to use one-handed for those with larger hands (especially if it gets wet and slippery).

The battery tube is narrow, and you may have to smack it upside down against your hand several times to get the old battery out.

_Eneloop Issue_:

There have been reports of the light not working with Sanyo Eneloop NiMH cells (or their "Duraloop" rebranded equivalents). Worse, there also several reports of permanent failure of the P0 when this has been attempted.  Note that I used Eneloop cells extensively in my testing, and have not experienced any issues on my sample. 

The reported issues are believed to be due to the wider positive button head (anode) on these Eneloop cells. The foam disc may prevent contact with the contact plate in the first case, resulting in inconsistent activation. In the second case, the cell may be shorting out against circuit components located near the center of the contact board (at least, that is the popular theory here on CPF). I have measured the diameter of several types of 1xAAA batteries, and can confirm the Eneloop cells have a wider anode button than other battery types. 

Again, I have done a lot of Eneloop testing in my sample, and did not experience any issues. But it is a potential concern, so you may want to hold off using Eneloop-style cells until we get greater clarity from 4Sevens. At a minimum, I strongly recommend you do not remove the foam cushion in the head, as it should provide some insulation and protection.

*Preliminary Observations*

The P0 is a very distinctive little keychain light. Probably the smallest 1xAAA light I've ever seen, it also has one of the floodiest beams I've come across. oo:

Let's start with the build – extremely petite, but solid with the stainless steel construction. I personally like the look and feel (although find it a bit small for my hands). Screw threads are firm with little play. :thumbsup: The keychain split-ring can freely rotate, allowing both tailstanding and a straight hang. The integrated tailcap magnet is an interesting feature – keeps the light firmly attached to metal surfaces (but will also attract other metal items in your pocket). 

Note however that the light lacks a tailcap spring, so you should take care not to over-tighten (i.e., may dent your cells). There are also potential concerns about shorting out the light when running on Eneloop NiMH (likely due to the wider width of the anode button on these cells). I look forward to more info from 4Sevens on this issue. The only problem I experienced was some inconsistent mode switching, but this can be resolved by tightening the pill under the foam cushion.

The beam is quite interesting, as it has a fairly sharp demarcation along its outside spillbeam edge (i.e., doesn't just gradually fade away like most lights). It reminds me of an aspheric lens coupled with a 5mm emitter (i.e., no defined hotspot, more of a spotbeam effect) – although with a broader overall beam width in this case. Any way you slice it, the P0 has a fairly unique profile. Those who clamor for true "flood" should find what they want here. 

The GITD "reflector" is a cute feature – although it is more a conical light collector than a reflector. It does provide a fair amount of glow after the light has been on awhile.

The selection of output levels is somewhat unique, with an ultra-low "Moonlight" Lo mode and a relatively mid-level Hi mode. But thanks to the wide spillbeam, the Hi mode may not seem as bright as even the 25 lumens suggests (i.e., the light has no real dedicated throw, so is only suitable for up-close use). 

Runtimes certainly seem reasonable for the output levels - I'm particularly impressed with L92 lithium cells in this light.  I'm still performing Lo mode runtimes, but note there is some variability in output levels and regulation patterns between different battery types at this level. While L92 lithium eventually levels off at ~0.15 estimated lumens within a few hours, alkaline takes a good 12 hours or so to level off at a much lower output (just below ~0.04 lumens in my testing).

The P0 fills a very specific niche in the 1xAAA market (i.e. ultra-tiny, with a wide and sharply defined "floody" beam). Hopefully the apparent issue with Eneloops will soon be sorted out. If you are a true flood fan in this class of light, the P0 could be what you are looking for. :wave:

----

Preon P0 was supplied by 4Sevens for review.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 16, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

As an update, I have directly measured the diameter of several types of 1xAAA batteries, and can confirm the Eneloop cells have a wider anode button than other battery types. 

Below are the average anode button widths of a large number of cells in my possession: (variance is typically +/- <0.03mm for multiple specimens of each class)

Alkaline:
Duracell AAA: 3.17mm
Eveready AAA: 3.34mm
GP AA: 3.27mm

Lithium: 
Energizer L92 AAA: 3.48mm

NiMH:
Eneloop AAA (early generations): 3.73mm
Eneloop AAA (recent purchases): 3.79mm
Energizer high-capacity AAA: 3.52mm
Duracell high-capacity AAA (non-Eneloop): 3.67mm
Generic high-capacity AAA: 3.67mm

NiMH cells typically have wider anodes than primary alkaline and lithium cells – and Sanyo Eneloop cells particularly so. 

Again, I experienced no problems when running on Eneloops in this light, but I can see why people are pointing the finger at the wider anode. We'll have to wait and see what 4Sevens figures out.
:wave:


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## Got Lumens? (Feb 16, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Great Review!
The only comment I would like to add is that not all anodes are shaped the same. Some are more straight than others. The Eneloop features a fairly cylidrical shape, while the Duracel is more conical and tends to be smaller at the top or tip. The samples of the Preon0 spacing between driver components does vary slightly and can influence whether an Eneloop will work or not work.
GL


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## selfbuilt (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

The Lo mode alkaline run is ongoing, and it is interesting to see that output does indeed hit a stabilized level eventually:






The initial drop off in output is actually extremely gradual in practice (i.e., look back the original first 30 mins runtime graph). But when you plot it over 24 hours, as I've done above, you can see it continues to decay at a fairly steady rate until 12 hours into the run. At that point, output stabilized at what I estimate to be just under ~0.04 lumens.

This is a far cry from the ANSI FL-1 estimate of ~0.33 lumens I determined earlier (0.24 lumens according to 4Sevens specs). But it does explain how they manage to coax 5 days of runtime on a single 1xAAA alkaline (i.e. ~0.04 lumens is more believable). Note by the way that I don't have a high degree of confidence in lumen estimates at these really low levels - but the principle is clear that output has dropped considerably from initial activation.

I am going to let the run continue, and we'll see how long it lasts on my sample.

:wave:


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## Got Lumens? (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Thanks for the great work and graphs. :thumbsup: 
My L92 test is experiencing simular results and has also stabilized in decay.
GL


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## vali (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Can you mix in a graph some lights with a medium level around 20-30 lumen to compare efficiency?

Do you still have the verstaTi around? IIRC you did a test on that one and is the only other pure-flood AAA I know (and have).

Great review, as always.


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## yifu (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Great review and what a beautiful looking light for 20 dollars!


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## Racer (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Thanks for the great review as always!


Quick question: Is it possible to take off the magnet in the tail?


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## selfbuilt (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



vali said:


> Can you mix in a graph some lights with a medium level around 20-30 lumen to compare efficiency?


Sorry, meant to post those but forgot to upload the images. I'm away from that computer right now, but will take care of it tomorrow.

Most multi-mode lights have Med modes more in the 15-20 lumen range, so it's a bit hard to compare. However, the P0's 25 lumen mode certainly has better regulation, and typically runs for almost as long as most of those lights. The ReVo is probably still the efficiency and regulation king, but it's Med output level is a bit lower still. 



> Do you still have the verstaTi around? IIRC you did a test on that one and is the only other pure-flood AAA I know (and have).


I dropped it from my comparisons because it was long ago discontinued, but I'll see if I can track down the runtime data to add to the graphs.



Racer said:


> Quick question: Is it possible to take off the magnet in the tail?


Not as far as I know, it looks press-fit (i.e., don't see any screw holes).


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## Burgess (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

SelfBuilt --

Great work here. Thank you for your efforts !


BTW . . . .

In yer' graph of Alkaline cell, on Low mode . . . .


You might wanna' switch the X-axis labels to Hours, instead've Minutes !



_


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## selfbuilt (Feb 18, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



vali said:


> Do you still have the verstaTi around? IIRC you did a test on that one and is the only other pure-flood AAA I know (and have).


Main post updated with the Med mode runs of other lights on Alkaline and Eneloop, and VersaTi added to all the comparisons. 

Beam profile is similar, but the VersaTi does have a bit more of a centre beam hotspot (due to the XR-E emitter and somewhat polished reflector). 

:wave:


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## selfbuilt (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Another update, this time with some more info on the Lo mode runtimes.

First, I've updated the 2.5 hour runtime graph, and the summary table:






The L92 run seems to stabilize quite quickly at just north of ~0.20 lumens in my testing, but then slowly drops off to its final stabilized level of ~0.15 lumens. The alkaline and eneloop continue to decay over a longer time frame, with alkaline evenually leveling off just under ~0.04 lumens (and staying there for the rest of the run).

*Note:* I am not a fan of doing low mode runtimes on lights that have expected multi-day durations. _There reason for this is that small differences between emitters (most especially Vf) can result in drastic differences between samples. _ So, unless you have multiple samples (from multiple batches), it is very hard to get a good feel for what a typical runtime would be.

With that caveat in mind, below is what I have gotten to date on my one sample. Note that the runtimes are approximate, as I am not running these continuously in my lightbox (i.e. I just check in every couple of hours to see how they are doing).

Sanyo Eneloop: battery fully drained between 36 and 44 hours (i.e., a little over 1.5 days)
Duracell Alkaline: battery fully drained between 48 and 52 hours (i.e., a little over 2.0 days)
Energizer L92 Lithium: pending

Again, don't shoot the messenger here - your sample could vary significantly. I only present my results above to add to what others are finding - they should not be taken as indicative of "typical" performance. Without multiple samples to test, I can make no comment about expected runtimes or the natural variance (which I expect can be a factor of 2 or more). Again, the last thing I want to see posted here is "Selfbuilt proved it only runs 2 days on Lo" ...


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## tobrien (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

very nice review buddy! you're so consistent!


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## vali (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



selfbuilt said:


> Main post updated with the Med mode runs of other lights on Alkaline and Eneloop, and VersaTi added to all the comparisons.
> 
> Beam profile is similar, but the VersaTi does have a bit more of a centre beam hotspot (due to the XR-E emitter and somewhat polished reflector).
> 
> :wave:



Thank you very much.

It is a shame that VersaTi were probably the most unreliable Ti beacause the efficiency were top notch .


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## MichaelW (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Is the magnet strong enough to hold the light vertically? Would the lighter weight L92/EA92 make any difference?


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## Streamer (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Yes it holds the light vertically. The real test is holding it horizontally, and the strong magnet of the P0 accomplishes that with no problem. Super strong magnet for mounting at any angle.

Yes the L92 is slightly lighter, but it is of no concern. The magnet is more than adequate for any battery you could put in the tube of the P0.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



MichaelW said:


> Is the magnet strong enough to hold the light vertically? Would the lighter weight L92/EA92 make any difference?


Yup, no problem holding horizontally or vertically, with any battery. The magnet is more than strong enough.


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## WhoDaresWins (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Hello everyone! I just ordered the Preon P0 and have been notified that the light has shipped today! 

Thank you so much to all of you, especially selfbuilt, for the wealth of information in aiding my decision to purchase this light. I've been a fan of this site for some time and I'm excited to share that this will be my FIRST flashlight bought after doing as much research as I could (or that my wife would allow ). I've been carrying a Photon Freedom (white/non-covert) for about a year and it's time I took the leap and commit to a more substantial light for my keychain. I have a feeling that this is going to be "gateway-light" for me.

Again, I'm still new here so I'll do my best to make sure I'm posting things/questions in the right places and get a review in as soon as the P0 arrives. 

Thanks again! :thumbsup:


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## selfbuilt (Feb 21, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

:welcome: WhoDaresWins

FYI, I've just updated the main post with my L92 lithium low mode runtime:

Sanyo Eneloop: battery fully drained between 36 and 44 hours (i.e., a little over 1.5 days)
Duracell Alkaline: battery fully drained between 48 and 52 hours (i.e., a little over 2 days)
Energizer L92 Lithium: battery fully drained at 66.5 hours (i.e. a little under 3 days)

I managed to catch it before it was fully dead, and watched it slowly drain to off at exactly 66.5 hours.

I know some have reported over 5 days runtime, which I find quite believable (i.e., I have observed considerable runtime ranges on ultra-lo modes, due to small differences in emitter Vf, etc.). The take-home message here is that L92 lasted longer than alkaline, which in turn lasted longer than NiMH. The exact runtime for your sample is unknown, unless you actually test it.

:wave:


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## Kjosn (Feb 22, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Nice test i own 3 of the Preon P0, great keychain light.


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## WhoDaresWins (Feb 26, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

After carrying the Preon P0 for about a week, here are my 2 cents.As everyone has mentioned, this is one tiny light! Despite its size, the P0 is performing well as my primary keychain light. OPERATIONI was anxious to see how its small size would affect operation. It is operating well for me. Due to the P0's small size it's actually MORE comfortable to operate with ONE hand vs. two. Again, this is just my opinion. Also, because it is usually attached to a key chain, you have more to hold on to than simply the light. As SelfBuilt describes in his more thorough review, my P0 had strange flickering/jumping between modes upon first turning on the light. I followed his advice and tightened the "pill" inside the head of the light (located underneath the foam "donut" washer). At first, I had ZERO idea of what I was looking for. Pill? What the heck is a pill!? I'm still learning so I looked up the details online and it's the green-ish platform that the circuitry is mounted to just underneath the foam donut (super scientific explanation, I know :shrug Anyway, I used the blunt edge of an old exact-o knife to slowly tighten this green-ish platform... perhaps 1 full rotation. I put the donut back in and reassembled the light. Works PERFECTLY every time now. Thanks for the pointer SelfBuilt! :bow:AESTHETICSUsually, I get suckered into the "tacti-cool" colored lights/knives. You know, ...black, gunmetal, smoke, and ....more black of course. However, I'm realizing the value of having brighter colors/materials throughout my EDC. This is especially true on my keychain. The silver P0 makes it easier to find in my bag. I do not doubt the durability of this light, but after a week of riding on my key chain, it is shows scratches well. I guess that is to be expected when it lives in a pocket full of metal. In summary, it's serving its purpose well. However, I feel that this light serves a very specific purpose and role- a keychain light. It performs well as just that, however, outside of that more firepower is needed.http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/dsc05895s.jpg/http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/dsc05880wh.jpg/http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/807/dsc05882e.jpg/


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## tobrien (Feb 26, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



WhoDaresWins said:


> After carrying the Preon P0 for about a week, here are my 2 cents.As everyone has mentioned, this is one tiny light! Despite its size, the P0 is performing well as my primary keychain light. OPERATIONI was anxious to see how its small size would affect operation. It is operating well for me. Due to the P0's small size it's actually MORE comfortable to operate with ONE hand vs. two. Again, this is just my opinion. Also, because it is usually attached to a key chain, you have more to hold on to than simply the light. As SelfBuilt describes in his more thorough review, my P0 had strange flickering/jumping between modes upon first turning on the light. I followed his advice and tightened the "pill" inside the head of the light (located underneath the foam "donut" washer). At first, I had ZERO idea of what I was looking for. Pill? What the heck is a pill!? I'm still learning so I looked up the details online and it's the green-ish platform that the circuitry is mounted to just underneath the foam donut (super scientific explanation, I know :shrug Anyway, I used the blunt edge of an old exact-o knife to slowly tighten this green-ish platform... perhaps 1 full rotation. I put the donut back in and reassembled the light. Works PERFECTLY every time now. Thanks for the pointer SelfBuilt! :bow:AESTHETICSUsually, I get suckered into the "tacti-cool" colored lights/knives. You know, ...black, gunmetal, smoke, and ....more black of course. However, I'm realizing the value of having brighter colors/materials throughout my EDC. This is especially true on my keychain. The silver P0 makes it easier to find in my bag. I do not doubt the durability of this light, but after a week of riding on my key chain, it is shows scratches well. I guess that is to be expected when it lives in a pocket full of metal. In summary, it's serving its purpose well. However, I feel that this light serves a very specific purpose and role- a keychain light. It performs well as just that, however, outside of that more firepower is needed.http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/dsc05895s.jpg/http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/dsc05880wh.jpg/http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/807/dsc05882e.jpg/


thanks for all that man! 

the pics you posted are helpful, too!


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## Mr Floppy (Mar 14, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



WhoDaresWins said:


> http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/807/dsc05882e.jpg


Thanks, that's just the image that might make me consider this for my keyring. Have the same swiss army knife. Still would have preferred to have it start on high ..


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## GarageBoy (Mar 15, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Is the magnet removable? I'd hate to have to separate it from my keys frequently


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## Streamer (Mar 16, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



GarageBoy said:


> Is the magnet removable? I'd hate to have to separate it from my keys frequently



A simpler solution would be to "kill" the magnet. High heat kills magnetism. Make sure head and battery are removed, then hold magnet over a lit butane lighter. Good idea to wear safety glasses and a glove just in case. A few applications will render the magnet useless.

Done this way, you don't have to remove the magnet and risk a possible failure in waterproofness. Also, original appearance is maintained.


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## budynabuick (Mar 16, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Yes, thanks for that. I just ordered one for the wife (got me one as well HeHe). Perfect!!!

Keith


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## Theatre Booth Guy (Apr 10, 2012)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Thank you for the great review! I couldn't resist and one showed up a couple days ago. I really love the small size and that the light is so weightless along with being stainless steel - it should be perfect on a keychain. Good floods seem hard to find and this light makes a great addition to my very lacking flood collection.

One word of warning - the light really is floody and easy to shine in your eyes by mistake. After putting the battery in, the light looked great on low when aimed past my face but the "double twist" to get high mode left me seeing spots for quite a while


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## Etsu (Aug 30, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



GarageBoy said:


> Is the magnet removable? I'd hate to have to separate it from my keys frequently



It doesn't seem to stick to any of my keys. The only thing it will stick to is the steel ring that I keep my keys on. Magnets only stick to ferrous materials, like iron and steel. I think most keys are made out of brass or some other non-ferrous material. If you don't use a steel ring to hold your keys, I think you'd be fine.

I'm sure there are rings made out of brass or copper or aluminum or some metal that isn't iron, if that bothers you. Personally, I don't find that it sticks to the steel ring to be much of a problem, since the base is right next to the ring the way it attaches anyway.

The magnet is very handy when using the light, it would be a shame to remove it or deactivate it. Trust me... you'll quickly find a use for the magnet.

The glow-in-the-dark reflector is another matter. It's okay, but I really don't see much purpose for it. Yes, it will glow very faintly for several hours, so you can locate the light in total darkness with perfectly dark-adapted vision. But the light must be pointed towards you and in the open, for you to see it. So, I'm not sure that feature is very useful. It doesn't hurt anything to have it, but if they really wanted to make it useful the whole flashlight should glow.

Overall, it's a fantastic keychain light, or very small pocket light. It makes my Solitaire look too big, by comparison. And, of course, the moonlight mode is great. I'd never buy an EDC or small pocket light without a moonlight mode.

BTW, they must have fixed the issue with Eneloops. It works fine with them. Perfect fit.


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## Got Lumens? (Sep 2, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



Etsu said:


> BTW, they must have fixed the issue with Eneloops. It works fine with them. Perfect fit.


Hi Etsu, Yes they did fix that and also ajusted few other things as well. I posted some details on the upgrades/fixes in another thread. This little light is still my favorite AAA mule . Thank You Selfbuilt for a very fine review 
GL


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## Etsu (Sep 6, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



selfbuilt said:


> Sanyo Eneloop: battery fully drained between 36 and 44 hours (i.e., a little over 1.5 days)



I realize yours is only one sample, but I thought I'd throw in my own 2 cents with a more recent version of the Preon 0.

I'm running a long-duration test on low, and I'm seeing very different results than yours. Currently at 80 hours with a Eneloop, and still going strong. I'm also not seeing the large drop-off-in brightness that you noted several hours into your test. Output may have dimmed somewhat, but I still rate it somewhere between 0.1 and 0.2 lumens, which is the same range of output when the Eneloop is fresh. I'm only using my eye to estimate it, so it's quite possible it has dropped in brightness by 50%, but in the dark at night it still casts a "moonlight"-like beam, and I can still read by it (although on low it's really too dim to read for long, whether the battery is fresh or not).

IOW, so far, the run-time seems to be operating as 4sevens claims. But I agree it's nowhere near 0.25 lumens (as claimed), except perhaps on a fresh alkaline which they use for their testing. The output on low may not be regulated. It seems the brightness of it may be related to the battery voltage.

I wonder if you either had a bad version of the light, or your battery was bad, or perhaps they've improved the run-time since the early versions? (The latter is probably unlikely.)


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## selfbuilt (Sep 6, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



Etsu said:


> Currently at 80 hours with a Eneloop, and still going strong. I'm also not seeing the large drop-off-in brightness that you noted several hours into your test. ...
> I wonder if you either had a bad version of the light, or your battery was bad, or perhaps they've improved the run-time since the early versions? (The latter is probably unlikely.)


It's common for manufacturers to "tweak" the circuit over time. There is also a lot of variability in runtime at low levels (due to variation in circuits, emitter Vfs, etc.). Based on what you report, it sounds like your sample has a reduced drop-off phase (either due to a circuit change, or natural variation). Note that if the light were run more consistently at the lower regulated level, I would expect much longer runtime (as you seem to be finding).


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## Etsu (Sep 7, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Okay, that makes sense.

Update with final run-time. Approximately 107 hours. I stopped the test when I noticed the light was flashing, rather than a steady beam. I'm not sure if that's a feature, or just what it does when the voltage or current drops too much. Probably the latter.

The light is rated at 120 hours, which it should be easily able to do on an alkaline cell.

Popping in a fresh Eneloop after the test did show it is significantly brighter (moonlight setting) on a fresh battery. So it does dim over time, perhaps by 50% or so.


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## GarageBoy (Sep 12, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Thanks, my key ring is steel alloy based, and there's also a pry bar and multi tool in there


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## carrot (Sep 12, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



GarageBoy said:


> Thanks, my key ring is steel alloy based, and there's also a pry bar and multi tool in there



My key ring is steel also and the P0 just sticks to the key ring itself and nothing else, despite having plenty of goodies attached.


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## selfbuilt (Sep 12, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



carrot said:


> My key ring is steel also and the P0 just sticks to the key ring itself and nothing else, despite having plenty of goodies attached.


Yes, the only other thing on my keyring that the magnet can stick to is my Canada Post mailbox key (seems to be made of stainless steel).


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## georget98 (Oct 12, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Nobody has mentioned that the battery is hard to get out because the magnet holds it in. Hold the light negative up and slowly slide the battery in, at about 3/16 inch it gets sucked in the rest of the way.


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## georget98 (Oct 12, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

Another use for the magnet -- find your way in both the dark and in space: use it as a light, use it as a compass.


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## 4sevens (Oct 12, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*

^^ Nice!! Do you take out the battery so that it's even more lightweight?

If I recall the light without the battery is lighter than the battery itself!


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## tobrien (Oct 13, 2013)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and mo*



georget98 said:


> Another use for the magnet -- find your way in both the dark and in space: use it as a light, use it as a compass.



holy cow!


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## reppans (Oct 14, 2013)

*Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and*



georget98 said:


> Another use for the magnet -- find your way in both the dark and in space: use it as a light, use it as a compass.



Great idea, although people should test it out at home first. My P0 tail happens to point South - I guess it depends on orientation the magnets are glued in.


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## 5S8Zh5 (Jan 24, 2015)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and*



WhoDaresWins said:


> As SelfBuilt describes in his more thorough review, my P0 had strange flickering/jumping between modes upon first turning on the light.


It's now called the Atom A0, and the flickering is still there. I just had to experience the mule like beam myself and it's awesome.


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## Bushman5 (Feb 4, 2015)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and*

I love these little lights from 47's. I gave my GF one, myself one, and also bought the red led one (tho i think it falls under the ATOM label)

Also gave one to an ultralight hiker friend of mine. He was blown away by the tiny size and the output. 

Great review again Selfbuilt


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## illibodilli (Apr 11, 2021)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and*

So I guess its 19 years later now. I bought my Preon P0 as soon as it was available, and allthough the somewhat unstable switch is a real thing, its not a bigger problem than turning on and off one extra time or something.

I must say, this is still my favorite camping and hiking light. the LOW / HIGH is perfect for my useage. Insane standby and hours on LOW. The Glow-in dark is an extra bonus for when its hanging in my tent at night. The size is the killer for me. 55x10mm and taking a single AAA I actually cant find these specs (or similar) anywhere. And thats why I come back to this forum, and now registered to see if anyone of you Oracles know A: where I can find used or new, and B: what is my closest (or smaller) alternative if I want around 0.5LM / 20LM choice, AAA, waterproof and 10-12mm thick.

I miss the Preon / FourSevens light...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best
Claus
(Norway)


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## fanshawe (May 20, 2021)

*Re: Foursevens Preon P0 (XP-E, 1xAAA, SS, "Flood") Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and*

I wholeheartedly agree with this; I haven't found a decent alternative that fulfils the same criteria. Mine's been going strong for over 10 years but I am concerned that I can't replace it!



illibodilli said:


> So I guess its 19 years later now. I bought my Preon P0 as soon as it was available, and allthough the somewhat unstable switch is a real thing, its not a bigger problem than turning on and off one extra time or something.
> 
> I must say, this is still my favorite camping and hiking light. the LOW / HIGH is perfect for my useage. Insane standby and hours on LOW. The Glow-in dark is an extra bonus for when its hanging in my tent at night. The size is the killer for me. 55x10mm and taking a single AAA I actually cant find these specs (or similar) anywhere. And thats why I come back to this forum, and now registered to see if anyone of you Oracles know A: where I can find used or new, and B: what is my closest (or smaller) alternative if I want around 0.5LM / 20LM choice, AAA, waterproof and 10-12mm thick.
> 
> ...


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