# ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!



## selfbuilt

_*UPDATE January 20, 2012: Olight discontinued their ITP brand of budget lights a few months ago, and released new versions of the old ITP A-series lights (now known as the Olight i-series). See my recent comparison review of the new Olight i3 here.*_

_UPDATE August 4, 2011: I recently bought a new XP-G R5 version of the ITP EOS A3. Comparison beamshots, runtimes, and PWM testing for this new version is presented at the very end of this review._

_*Reviewer's Note: *The ITP A3 EOS lights were provided for review by GoingGear.com. Please see their sales thread in CPFM for more info. The Maratac AAA lights were provided for review by CPF user StandardBattery._

*Warning: very pic heavy!*

*Combined ITP A3 EOS specifications, condensed from GoingGear's website:*

 Cree 7090-XP-E Q5
Operating voltage: 0.9V - 3.0V
Uses 1 x AAA, 1 x Rechargeable NiMh AAA, or 1 x 10420 (10420 batteries are not recommended). 
Dimensions: Length: 66.5mm , Diameter: 14 mm 
Color: Black 
Weight: 9 g without batteries and keychain
Standard Edition: Single output level – 80 lumens (55 minutes runtime)
Upgrade Edition: Three output levels - Medium 18 lumens (4 hours) -> Low 1.5 lumens (50 hours) ->-High 80 lumens (55 minutes) 
Superior heat sink that disperses heat to protect LED and electrical components
Orange peel reflector. 
Mil-spec: MIL-STD-810F 
MSRP: ~$20 (price varies depending on specific make/model and supplier)
This review is of the much-discussed and highly-anticipated ITP A3 EOS and Maratac AAA keychain flashlights. 

The ITP EOS comes in two flavors, a Standard single-stage version and an Upgraded multi-level version. The Maratac AAA comes in a multi-level version that is widely believed to be identical to the Upgraded ITP EOS (scroll down to find out ). All lights come in a choice of anodizing finishes - black or natural gray.











Packaging for the ITP EOS lights is the same for both versions. They come in a fairly basic box with the light, attached keychain ring, removable pocket clip, spare o-rings, and user manual. Both lights included the same manual which has both sets of instructions for the Standard or Upgraded versions.










The Maratac lights are even more minimalist. Here all you get is the light with attached keychain anchor point, pocket clip, one page manual card, and spare o-rings - all in a clear sealed pouch. Clearly, the Maratac version is meant to be more of a budget offering.

_For all compilation pics below, the ITP EOS Standard version will be shown first, followed by the Upgraded version, and then finally the Maratac AAAs._


















From left to right: Duracell AAA, ITP EOS Standard (Black), ITP EOS Upgraded (Nat), Maratac (Nat), Maratac AAA (Black), Fenix L0D, LiteFlux LF2XT, Lumapower Avenger GX.

Note that the anodizing difference between the Natural finish on the ITP EOS and Maratac samples is not as great as it appears above (although the ITP version does seem a bit more brown).

As you can see, the Standard ITP EOS is about 3 mm shorter than either the Upgraded EOS or the Maratac lights. This is likely due to the simpler circuit needed in the standard single-level light.

*Dimensons:* (weights are all with no keychain attached, but with pocket clip installed)

*ITP EOS Single-stage:* Weight: 10.3g, Length: 66.6mm, Width: 14.0mm (bezel)
*ITP EOS Upgraded:* Weight: 11.6g, Length: 69.7, Width: 14.1mm (bezel)
*Maratac 1xAAA:* Weight: 10.9g , Length: 67.5mm, Width: 14.1mm (bezel)

Overall weight and size are remarkably low for all models – they are not that much bigger than an AAA battery. oo: Despite the small scale, battery tube wall thickness feels sturdy enough.

The main differences between the Maratac and ITP EOS offerings are in the external styling and keychain attachment point. 


























The Maratac lights use fairly aggressive knurling on both the body and head to help with grip. The ITP EOS lights have grooves running along the length of the body/head. Personally, I find the Maratac versions to be "grippier". 














The keychain attachment point on the Maratacs is a removable piece of metal around the tailcap region (which frankly seems a little thin and fragile to me).

In contrast, the ITP EOS lights have a built-in split-ring attachment point on the tail of the light, and come with an included chain and keychain ring (note the actual large keychain ring portion can be quickly removed from the rest of the chain). While this is definitely sturdier on the ITP versions, the attachment point does prevent tailstanding.

Otherwise, all the details of these lights are identical. They all seem to use the same emitter in reflector combination. The heads and bodies of the lights are interchangeable for all the members (i.e. you can put the Maratac head on the EOS body, and vice versa). Even the pocket clips are identical between all the models!














The positive contact board in the head seems to be the same on both the Upgraded ITP EOS and Maratac lights. In keeping with the smaller head (and simpler function), the Standard EOS contact board is slightly different.

Screw threads are anodized on all lights, which of course is necessary to ensure lockout (i.e. lights are only activated when the head is screwed fully down). 










Internally, all lights have a simple spring at the bottom of the battery tube that can be manually removed (a sample from the Maratac is shown above). 

Getting a strong feeling that the Maratac and ITP lights are one of the same? 

The lights come in two finishes: black and natural gray (although my Upgraded EOS sample seems a bit more brown). Personally, I'm a fan of natural finish on keychain lights, as they survive abuse better (i.e. dings and scratches are less noticeable). According to the specs, these lights use a type III hard anodized finish.

Fit and finish are excellent on all my samples, with no chips or marks. The lettering is clear and sharp on all samples. 










The lights use the new smaller Cree Q5 XP-E emitter, in a premium white cool tint. For more information on tints and color perception, please see my Colour tint comparison and the summary LED tint charts found here. 

XP-E emitters tend to have fairly smooth beams with minimal Cree rings, even with smooth reflectors. In this case, there seems to be a fairly mild orange-peel texturing to the reflectors. Combined with the fairly shallow depth, you get a reasonably wide beam with smooth transition from spot to spill (see below). 

*Comparison Beamshots*

All lights are on Hi/Max on Sanyo Eneloop (NiMH), about 0.5 meters from a white wall. 




























As you can tell, there is no real difference between the EOS/Maratac samples. Overall beam pattern is fairly similar to the Fenix L0D. Note that the camera is accentuating the tint differences a bit in the first panel, but the Fenix L0D (older Cree P4 model) does indeed have a slight bluish cool white tint. The Avenger GX is on the warm end of cool white (maybe a WG-WH tint), and the LF2XT is not as orange as the pic above suggests – a lot more yellow (4C neutral tint). 

All four of my EOS/Maratac samples have a premium cool white tint. 

*User Interface*

The user interface of the ITP EOS Standard single-stage light is extremely simple: twist the head tight against the body to activate the light, loosen to turn off. :kiss:

The Upgraded ITP EOS and Maratac AAA lights use an identical interface to the Fenix L0D. When first activated, the light comes on in Medium. Do a rapid twist off-on and the light advances to low. Do another rapid off-on twist and the light advances to Hi. Wait a few seconds before re-activating the light after turning off, and it returns to default Medium. 

This cycle continues indefinitely - keep doing off-on twists to run through all the sequences in order again. There is no strobe or SOS mode on any of these lights.

FYI, I noticed that performing a too-rapid switch on my ITP EOS Upgraded sometimes didn't advance the level (i.e. it didn't seem to register the off mode). You may need to go a little slower to reliably switch levels.

*Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM)*

The Standard ITP EOS does not use PWM for its lone output mode, and neither do the Upgraded ITP EOS or Maratac AAA lights on their Hi mode.

On Medium and Low, the ITP EOS Upgraded and Maratac lights both use 200 Hz PWM, on all battery sources.






While still visible, this is better than the 100 Hz PWM of the original Fenix L0D . Note that later model Fenix L0D/LD01 lights used a much higher and undetectable PWM frequency.

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*






_Note in the comparison above that my Fenix L0D is an early edition with a Cree P4. Based on a 350mA drive current (where Cree Output bins are determined), a Cree Q5 emitter would be expected to be ~30% brighter on average, for the same drive current. _

As expected, there was relatively little difference in output or throw between all the Maratac and ITP samples. This makes the Maratac and ITP lights the brightest 1xAAA lights on standard batteries in my collection at the moment (though likely close to what a Q5-equipped LD01 would produce). 

The real difference between these lights comes out the Lo/Med levels – here, the EOS/Maratac lights have a lower Lo than the Fenix L0D, but a higher Medium. See runtimes below for more information.

I've also included basic Min and Max lightbox numbers for a couple of these lights on 1x10440 Li-ion. I have not included detailed throw numbers for reasons I will discuss in the detailed conclusions of this review. 

*Output/Runtime Comparison:*




























As you can see, there is remarkably little variation between the various Maratac and ITP samples on Hi. The output/runtime performance is virtually identical on all samples, including the single stage ITP EOS.

Similarly, on Medium, output and runtime are remarkably similar on my samples. It thus seems clear to me that _*the ITP EOS Upgraded and Maratac AAA lights use the exact same circuit.*_

In terms of performance, I think the ITP EOS/Maratac lights do quite well at all levels on standard batteries. When matched for output, runtimes seem comparable to the LiteFlux LF2XT, which is my best performing1xAAA light to date. :thumbsup:

For 1x10440 Li-ion, here are the results of the Medium level run:






Here you can see runtime performance is acceptable, although certainly not as impressive as my LiteFlux LF2XT.  I would note that only the LiteFlux light is officially rated to accept this higher voltage battery source. Regardless, I do not recommend running an unprotected Li-ion in any light without a circuit that has built-in cutoff protection features (e.g. LiteFlux LF2XT). If you over-discharge a Li-ion cell below ~2.7V (which typically occurs as soon as the output begins to drop), your cell will be damaged and should be discarded.

I don't plan to do runtimes on Hi on 10440, but here's a graph showing you the comparison to the initial value I observed:






*Simply put, I do not recommend running such small lights at this output level on a Li-ion battery.* It seems to me that the heat generated from this output level could be sufficient to potentially trigger a thermal runaway that could destroy the emitter. 

Moreover, given the runtime performance of the L0D on Hi (which had a >4C discharge rate!), I doubt my 10440 would last for very long if I kept doing these tests. That sort of discharge rate is damaging to a Li-ion battery, and I don't think that is something you want to do. If you really want to use a 10440 cell, please avoid the Hi mode and avoid over-discharge.

*Potential Issues*

The 3-mode ITP EOS Upgraded/Maratac lights use visible 200Hz PWM on their Medium/Low levels. There is no PWM on Hi, or on the single-stage ITP EOS.

The keychain clip attachment point on the Maratac seems a little flimsy. The built-in attachment point on ITP EOS versions is better, but prevents tailstanding.

One of my Maratac lights occasionally experienced some flickering upon activation in the default output mode (i.e. Med). Cycling through all the levels and back to Med invariably solved the problem, although I'm not sure why. :shrug:

*General Observations*

I can see why these lights have generated so much interest here. They have a very compelling feature set – and even more compelling price (~$20 or so). oo:

First off, I can confirm that circuit performance of the Maratac AAA and ITP EOS Upgraded edition are identical.  Basically, the choice between them comes down to the build differences (and local availability).

Physically, the lights are actually interchangeable – you can put the Maratac head on either of the ITP bodies, and vice versa (although the Standard ITP EOS head is shorter than the multi-level Upgraded/Maratac versions, likely due to the simpler circuit required for single-stage). It all comes down to styling preference – scroll back up the review for some detailed comparison pics and comments. 

Thanks to the XP-E emitter and shallow OP reflector, the beam profile is fairly pleasant for a keychain light, IMO (i.e. broad and diffuse hotspot, fairly wide spillbeam, minimal rings). For the multi-level lights, the output levels are well spaced – Medium (i.e. default on) seems to be set higher than the Fenix L0D, and Lo is even lower. Max output is one of the highest in my collection for this class. :thumbsup:

Although not officially supported, 10440 Li-ion seems to work in the Maratac/ITP EOS – and with greater output at all levels, as expected.  But I DO NOT recommend you run these lights on Hi on 10440. Output was extremely high on Max – and there is no way that amount of light (and heat) is going to be good for the emitter OR the battery in such a small shell. I have not done runtimes at this level, and I suggest you don’t try either. You don’t want your Li-ion going .

My only real issue with the lights is the visible PWM on Med/Lo (200Hz in my testing). Clearly, there is a lot of individual variability in detecting and/or being bothered by PWM. But I would strongly encourage ITP to raise the PWM freq to undetectable levels (i.e. >1 kHz), as I personally consider these lights only minimally acceptable at their current level. Of course, your experience may be different (and count yourself lucky if it is :green. 

One last minor point – I never really got the point of the Med-Lo-Hi sequence on 1xAAA lights :thinking: I presume the reasoning is that Med is likely to be used the most, but the sequence is just not intuitive. Lo-Med-Hi would be the most useful when having dark-adapted eyes. After all, it's not like anyone would use a 1xAAA keychain for “tactical” purposes. 

But these are minor points. Fundamentally, the combination of multi-levels, excellent efficiency, good beam, small size, and unbelievably low price makes these lights an incredible deal. I’m not surprised by the warm welcome they have received here. As for me, I will be loading up on these as gifts for friends and family. Now to go and find a good deal on Energizer L92 lithiums to bundle with them …

UPDATE August 4, 2011: ITP has made significant upgrades to this light since it was first released. To start, the mode sequence has been changed to Lo > Med > Hi, and PWM frequency has been increased to visually undetectable levels (2.45 kHz in my testing):






The emitter has been upgraded to a XP-G R5, which produces greater output. Here are some recent comparison beamshots:





























































Here is how this new version compares to other 1xAAA lights for output and runtime:

































As you can see, these are significant upgrades to the light. :thumbsup:


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## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

P.S.: As an aside, Marshall from GoingGear.com included a couple of his signature aluminum keychain items along with the ITP review samples. Fairly basic but solid construction, and they seem to work well (e.g. the whistle is fairly loud, and the pill bottle has an o-ring, etc): 






P.P.S: I would like to extend a nod to StandardBattery for running his International group buys for the Maratac lights. He generously supplied the two Matatac review samples used here at his own cost. :bow:


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## njet212

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

As alaways, you do a good review selfbuilt =)
Good job.


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## davidt1

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Good stuff! Thanks.

And thanks for bringing up that dumb m/l/h sequence.


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## adirondackdestroyer

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks for another great review!

I've had my EOS for a few days, and couldn't be more impressed. These lights are amazing for the price, and hopefully will be improved upon in the future.


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## kramer5150

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Great work and another incredible review. You covered all bases and I am left speechless as I just sit here and nod my head in agreement.

FWIW, my EOS-Upgrade model has a very yellow tint. I don't mind it at all, as I find colder tints harder on the eyes.

I find the PWM on med-low noticeable but not bothersome.

Great review, and heres mine on a surefire neck lanyard.





LEFT=Fenix E0-Dart
RIGHT=A3 EOS-low





LEFT=Fenix E0-Dart
RIGHT=A3 EOS-Medium
This is a more accurate portrayal of the color tint differences.


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## Woods Walker

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Great review. Been EDC my iTP. The PWM is only an issue if I shake the light pointed at my head. Something most normal people don't do.  The only flicker I get is if the head is not screwed down enough for the twisty, a little more twist clears that up and so far it has not been a real issue. Thinking about the SS iTP but will hold off some for others to get one as I heard of more (few) issues with the SS CC light on the Maratac thread.

Edit. Yea Low-med-high would be better. Still it is a nice light and very bright.


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## nakahoshi

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Great review, I love my single stage EOS, No PWM and classic Fenix L0P style switching. Just ON and OFF. Great backup light. Very bright. 
-Bobby


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## applevision

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Bravo! 

Wonderful as always *Selfbuilt*! Thank you!

:thumbsup:


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## AFAustin

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

selfbuilt, you have us all spoiled! Another top-notch review, confirming what many of us have felt---these are tremendous bang-for-the-buck lights!

Thanks again for all you contribute to this forum.

Cheers,

Andrew


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## Black Rose

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

As usual, great review.

Just what I've been waiting for to help decide whether to order.


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## StandardBattery

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hi Selfbuilt, as many have already said another great review! 

Clearly shows all the lights have the same heritage and essentially only sample variations separate the multi-mode lights from Maratac and iTP.

I'm glad I could help in a small way this time. Everyone on CPF knows how valuable your reviews are, CPF would be much less without your many contributions. You've help countless find the right EDC, or that next light.

Thanks for the all the time, thought and effort!


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## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks for the support everyone - it's appreciated! :grouphug:



kramer5150 said:


> I find the PWM on med-low noticeable but not bothersome.





Woods Walker said:


> The PWM is only an issue if I shake the light pointed at my head. Something most normal people don't do.


I'm sure most people will find this level of PWM to be acceptable for everyday use. While I would certainly prefer undetectable PWM, I could probably live with this level. 

I may be more susceptible than most, but I see it constantly when using the light (i.e. more as "out-of-the-corner-of-your-eye" sort of thing). I suspect this has more do with the fact that our eyes are always darting around in saccades. A freq of 200Hz means every 5 msecs, which is in the range for the minisaccades. 



StandardBattery said:


> I'm glad I could help in a small way this time. Everyone on CPF knows how valuable your reviews are, CPF would be much less without your many contributions. You've help countless find the right EDC, or that next light.


And I am sure the members here all appreciate you providing the Maratacs - being in Canada, I wouldn't have been able to get them directly from Country Comm. Thanks again to a fellow "SB"! :thumbsup:



davidt1 said:


> And thanks for bringing up that dumb m/l/h sequence.





Woods Walker said:


> Yea Low-med-high would be better. Still it is a nice light and very bright.


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## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Yet another great review! :twothumbs

I just got my ITP Upgraded EOS natural today and I now wish I had given one of these to my little brother, instead of the LD01 I did give him for his Bday...it was much more than he deserves IMHO.  One of these babies would have been perfect for such a gift...in fact, I can foresee giving a few of these out come Xmas time. Excellent value for the money! 

The only thing the LD01 really has over one of these (besides the higher freq PWM), is the great guarantee if you buy one from 7777...but then, for what you pay for one of these, if something happens to it, it's really no biggie, just buy another. :shrug:

And I'm just one more with the opinion that the levels should start at the bottom with low and work up to high...that's the only reason I never got a P1D. 

Anyway, thanks for your tireless efforts! You ROCK!!! :rock::rock::rock:


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## Beacon of Light

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



davidt1 said:


> Good stuff! Thanks.
> 
> And thanks for bringing up that dumb m/l/h sequence.



+1, that is one of the few nitpicks I have of the Maratac/iTP EOS


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## greenLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

:twothumbs: selfbuilt!

What's the finish like (HA, Type II)?


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## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

It's supposed to be HA and it definitely looks like it is to me. :thumbsup:


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## adirondackdestroyer

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Beacon of Light said:


> +1, that is one of the few nitpicks I have of the Maratac/iTP EOS




Mine as well. These lights would be even better if they went low,med,high! My other really small complaints is that he lanyard hole is so small that only the smallest (and not very sturdy) split rings can fit in it. That and they could have put a few more threads after the o ring, so that the head can be unscrewed a bit further before the o ring is visible. 

Other than those small nitpicks, this thing is virtually perfect. The beam is smooth as butter, and the PWM doesn't bother me at all.


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## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Toohotruk said:


> The only thing the LD01 really has over one of these (besides the higher freq PWM), is the great guarantee if you buy one from 7777...but then, for what you pay for one of these, if something happens to it, it's really no biggie, just buy another. :shrug:


Actually, I believe 4sevens is now only offering the standard Fenix manufacturer warranty (i.e. repair or replace within 2 years of purchase, and only if bought at 4sevens/fenix-store.com), beyond their policy to accept returns within the first 30 days. At least, that is what's posted on their warranty page (effective as of July 16, 2009).

From the ITP insert, it seems they offer something similar - unconditional replacement of defective lights within 30 days from the dealer you bought it from, repair or replacement within 2 years of purchase by ITP. Beyond 2 years, ITP will still cover labour but you pay for the parts (Fenix offers this too).

So, on paper, the warranty process is the same. Of course, I'm a big believer in dealing with reputable dealers here! :thumbsup:

Still, methinks it may be time for Fenix to consider lowering the price of the E01 and LD01, given the new competition ... 



greenLED said:


> What's the finish like (HA, Type II)?


They claim it's HA, and so far, I have no reason to think otherwise. We'll see how it holds up ...



adirondackdestroyer said:


> These lights would be even better if they went low,med,high! My other really small complaints is that he lanyard hole is so small that only the smallest (and not very sturdy) split rings can fit in it.


That's a good point - while the ITP attachment point is better than the Maratac, it still leaves something to be desired (as you say, you can't put a very large split-ring on there).

Something much better is what my old JetBeam Jet-µ has - a solid flat attachment point next to an angled down area, with still over half the base flat to allow stable tailstanding, FYI, I notice the VersaTi has something similar to the Jet-µ (and yes, I will be reviewing that light too - but it will likely be a couple of weeks from now).



Beacon of Light said:


> +1, that is one of the few nitpicks I have of the Maratac/iTP EOS


The Med/Lo/Hi issue seems to have struck a chord with people here! :tinfoil:

I can only guess ITP decided to emulate the Fenix L0D/LD01, given its general dominance in this category. But this is one time when I think they would have been better served going back to basics and thinking through what uses would probably actually like the most.


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## Beacon of Light

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



selfbuilt said:


> The Med/Lo/Hi issue seems to have struck a chord with people here! :tinfoil:
> 
> I can only guess ITP decided to emulate the Fenix L0D/LD01, given its general dominance in this category. But this is one time when I think they would have been better served going back to basics and thinking through what uses would probably actually like the most.



Indeed. I posted a thread/poll where 76 people voted low/med/high, and only 10 voted medium/low/high. 9 people voted high/medium/low.


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## Woods Walker

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

The black iTP 3-mode has some real throw for a 1XAAA light. It even cast light farther than my Rebel EOS 4-mode headlamp on high. There is a SS iTP out now. It looked more polished than the SS Maratac based on some photos. I prefer a mat finish on SS however. Guess I will get one or the other but will need to hold off as got 2 new lights this month. Darn CPF is going to make me broke. :mecry:Anyways the iTP gave me good service on the AT a few weeks ago. For the most part didn't even know it was in my pocket and everyone was shocked at the output.


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## defloyd77

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Beacon of Light said:


> Indeed. I posted a thread/poll where 76 people voted low/med/high, and only 10 voted medium/low/high. 9 people voted high/medium/low.



That's just CPF, there's a huge world of flashlight buyers beyond us and Fenix (or maybe 4Sevens) stated more people like medium first, I know I do.


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## Burgess

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thank you, SelfBuilt, for your time, effort, and dedication in performing these great reviews !


:goodjob::kewlpics::thanks:

_


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## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hmmm...7777 must have had a lot of people returning Fenix lights on the unconditional guarantee they once had. That guarantee was too good to last, without some people abusing it.


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## Lynx_Arc

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Not saying it is 4 7s, but it is typical for new and struggling businesses to give better guarantees than their competition till they get established then drop them to similar as everyone else to maximize profits. Car dealers here do it all the time, hard drive manufacturers..... etc.


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## dirtech

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Is the clip reversible on the itp version? I can't quite tell from the pics. I'm thinking of being able to clip to a ball cap. Thanks.


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## Lightcrazycanuck

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Toohotruk said:


> Hmmm...7777 must have had a lot of people returning Fenix lights on the unconditional guarantee they once had. That guarantee was too good to last, without some people abusing it.


 
+1 

Another great review Selfbuilt.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## okbohn

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

What an excellent review!


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## defloyd77

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Where are my manners? Thanks very much Selfbuilt for the great review! Also Going Gear and StandardBattery for providing the lights!


----------



## Flying Turtle

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Another seriously fine review, Selfbuilt. Food for the flashaholic.

Geoff


----------



## Patriot

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Another 5 star review from my favorite reviewer! :twothumbs

I've been a fan of these little lights from fairly early on in their release history and it's great to see the performance data that I was witnessing confirmed by the best guy in the business. Very few negatives for this light considering the price and performance.

Thank you Selfbuilt for your dedication and investment of time for our benefit.


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Excellent review as always. :twothumbs

Makes sense though, since Maratac's AA offering is also an iTP light.


----------



## lightknot

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Nice review.


----------



## bodhran

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

For once my wife showed some interest in a flashlight. She loves my natural Maratac and after she read your review, another first, decided she wants one. Out of the kindness of my heart I decided to give her mine. Of course I had to order the SS version to replace it. :naughty:


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks for all the positive comments everyone. 



dirtech said:


> Is the clip reversible on the itp version? I can't quite tell from the pics. I'm thinking of being able to clip to a ball cap.


Yes, the clip can be attached to the head of the light (just below the knurling, pointed back toward the light), so that you can run it on a ball cap. But as you can tell from the pics, the head is thicker than the standard attachment point on the base (for both the ITP and Maratac versions). This means the clip holder will stretch out a bit when you place it on the head.

Not a problem, but it you plan to put back on the tail, you'll find you will need to bend the metal prongs closer together again. I wouldn't recommend you switch it back and forth too many times, as the metal is fairly thin and likely won't appreciate the repeated stresses.



Patriot said:


> I've been a fan of these little lights from fairly early on in their release history and it's great to see the performance data that I was witnessing confirmed by the best guy in the business. Very few negatives for this light considering the price and performance.


Yes, the output/runtime performance is quite good on these. Although the LF2XT still wins out for efficiency on Med/Lo (and for all around versatility), the ITP/Maratacs are very respectable. 



bodhran said:


> For once my wife showed some interest in a flashlight. She loves my natural Maratac and after she read your review, another first, decided she wants one. Out of the kindness of my heart I decided to give her mine. Of course I had to order the SS version to replace it. :naughty:


We'll see if I can talk my wife away from her current keychain carry - the original Fenix L0P (single-stage luxeon, ~30 lumen output). I know - it's just so 2007. :laughing: 

I've tried to sway her over years with multi-stage lights, without success (almost had her for the LF2XT, but she's worried about accidentally accessing a programming state and getting lost). I know she won't go for the multi-stage ITP/Maratac (she is even more sensitive to PWM than I am!), but I'm thinking the single-stage model might do the trick. Depends how much she likes the higher lumen output - she has stuck with the 30 lumen L0P, as she finds it a good amount of light overall.


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I love this little EDC!!!
Used it around the house this weekend and it has completely replaced my E0-Dart, for around the neck EDC.

It effectively alleviates my two biggest complaints about the E0... Too many lumens for night vision preservation, yet not enough for general use around the house, and the blue/violet color tint.

But I too would prefer a LMH sequence.... or perhaps a last mode memory.


----------



## defloyd77

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Got my iTP upgrade today, this light is AMAZING!!! I think we have ourselves a new bang for the buck champion. I can not believe how tiny this thing is, it makes my E01 look like a tank. Out of all of my lights, this one amazes me the most, it's size, output and price combo really makes it stand out from the rest. I have this 2AA Lux 3 III SnapOn light that has this really amazing wide beam, but it's huge size (it dwarves my P100A2 and every other 2AA light I've seen) made it a PITA to use. This iTP puts it to shame. It's not only brighter, but has a larger hotspot and wider sidespill and my particular Q5 seems to have no tint whatsoever, no matter what I compare it to, it doesn't appear to become warmer when compared to cooler lights like my aqua tinted L2T or cool when compared to my AA neu-tac Quark, I've never seen an LED like that.

I do think I would have been slightly more happy with the Maratac as it tailstands, 20.18 shipped for the iTP upgrade just seemed better for me. I find it sort of ironic that the Maratac uses a baggie to keep costs down, yet you will still end up paying 8 bucks more for it.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Gotta love that XP-E emitter!!! :thumbsup:


----------



## greenLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks for reconfirming the finish, guys. Don't know how I missed that.


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Toohotruk said:


> Hmmm...7777 must have had a lot of people returning Fenix lights on the unconditional guarantee they once had. That guarantee was too good to last, without some people abusing it.


Much simpler than that. Quark.

Why provide a lifetime guarantee on your competitors product when your own product has a 10 year guarantee?


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Black Rose said:


> Much simpler than that. Quark.
> 
> Why provide a lifetime guarantee on your competitors product when your own product has a 10 year guarantee?




I was planning to ask David (7777) about that when I met him at the OR show last month, but I was overwhelmed by the prototypes he showed me and I forgot all about it. 

I was wondering why the Quarks didn't have the same lifetime guarantee the Fenix and Nitecore lights had, but I can't blame him for not offering it on his new line of lights...besides, a 10 year guarantee is nothing to sneeze at. And at the time, I was unaware of the policy change for the Fenix line.

I hope the prices on his AAA lights fall in line with the ITP/Maratac though. One thing's for sure...the AAA LED keychain light competition just got a lot more interesting... :naughty:


----------



## Black Rose

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Woods Walker said:


> The only flicker I get is if the head is not screwed down enough for the twisty, a little more twist clears that up and so far it has not been a real issue.


Got my iTP A3 EOS upgraded today.

It's a nice light with an excellent beam pattern.

I get some flickering quite regularly when trying to switch modes one-handed. Tightening the head completely (more than any other light I currently own) resolves that issue. 
I'm going to clean the threads and see if that helps any.


----------



## Woods Walker

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I had a good drop test today for my EOS 3-mode. I put a small lanyard on mine as kept dropping it. The light only fell into the leaf litter and lawn but guessed it would be a good idea. Naturally when getting into my truck today I was digging in my pocket for the keys. Somehow the lanyard got wrapped around my finder and tossed the light maybe 8 feet as it acted like a sling. Go figure the very thing I had to keep the light from hitting the deck worked against me. Anyways it hit the concrete walk hard. Only a few dings on the anodized coating. Light worked just fine. So good to report it can take a hit.

Black Rose.

The flickering is not so bad and does not happen all the time. Once the mode is set there is no flickering. Sometimes I just need to give a a faster twist.


----------



## FlashlightsNgear.com

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Very nice work Selfbuilt.. Some of you spoke of flickering when changing modes slowly, I have 2 EZAA's that do the same thing if changing modes quickly they never flicker. All those keychain lights are very tempting :twothumbs


----------



## Woods Walker

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



FlashlightsNgear.com said:


> Very nice work Selfbuilt.. Some of you spoke of flickering when changing modes slowly, I have 2 EZAA's that do the same thing if changing modes quickly they never flicker. All those keychain lights are very tempting :twothumbs


 
Yup doing it faster than slow seems to take care of this small issue even one handed.


----------



## rizky_p

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

:twothumbsthanks for the review.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



FlashlightsNgear.com said:


> Very nice work Selfbuilt.. Some of you spoke of flickering when changing modes slowly, I have 2 EZAA's that do the same thing if changing modes quickly they never flicker. All those keychain lights are very tempting :twothumbs


Interesting, I don't recall seeing that on any of my ITP EOS or Maratac samples (or EZ-series lights, for that matter ).

The only flickering I ever saw was on one of my Maratacs, and only upon initial activation in the Med mode. After switching to another state (including coming back to Med), the flickering was gone. I actually did a runtime test in this initial flicker state, and got ~20% less output on average but with normal runtime. :shrug:


----------



## kramer5150

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Further ITP A3 impressions...

Mine flickers too, but _only _if I do not tighten the bezel enough to fully turn it on.

I used my light a LOT over the labor day weekend. The California state fair was this weekend and with 2 familes and 4 kids running around till' late at night I had plenty of opportunity to put the A3 through its paces.

I had it on a surefire lanyard around my neck at night, and switched it to my key ring during the day-evening while we were out. Its an all around great EDC, however you chose to deploy it. I found it easily pocket-able, and it fit snugly in my belt-pack with my keys and extra AAA cell. I was able to scratch it just a _little _packed in with my keys. But overall I give it a :thumbsup:

I have changed my mind about the mode sequence. I now PREFER its M/L/H sequence. The A3 low-low is _far _to dim for general use, in moderately low light conditions. There were many times I just needed instant-twist light to see quickly, for that the med mode is needed first. My son fell and skinned his knee and my wife needed a hand digging around for antiseptic wipes and a band-aid. We were somewhere between the livestock buildings and there was not much light around. My daughter got a splinter in her foot one night running around in the trees. I busted out the A3-EOS in MED mode for my wife to search for her swiss army knife tweezer, and then I blasted HIGH for the extraction.

Its artifact-free beam is really one of its major strengths. Yes its got a big hot spot, but it transitions so smoothly to the sides that I never really felt like I was looking at a "spot" while it was in use. Even using it for close range viewing.

All in all I am very impressed with this little light. Its not my brightest EDC, but it has enough other positives to _more than_ make up for that one element.


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Add me to the *impressed* list. Today I received a Stainless and a Natural from CountyComm. 

Both *work smoothly* and provide *great beam pattern & tint*. I wasn't expecing the excellent output level on a NiMH.

For me, the *knurling is better than anything in the class*. Fenix knurling is too slippery (L0D) or too harsh (E0/Arc). The *clip is strongly attached*, won't pop off like a Fenix. 

The keyring *clip seems rugged enough for keyring duty*, especially since it *keys* into special indents and is supported by a flange. The flange and shorter height make it much more stable in a tailstand.

The *weight* of the Stainless is fantastic... much lighter than an Fenix stainless! I like the *bead blast* finish (for now). It's almost like silver anodizing. I'd like to see how it holds up before I go and polish it.

The best thing is a *wide spacing of output levels*. The low is extremely practical for low light conditions. High competes evenly with the latest Fenix. Medium is spot-on in between.

I also like the H>M>L light sequence (that starts on M) 

I don't care about the baggie packaging... other brand boxes just got crushed in the mail anyway. 

My only complaint is a *mismatch of the Natural anodizing* between head and tail. Not terrible, but noticeable. I would suggest staying away from natural if you want your head and tail to match perfectly.

Since it is potentially much more useful than a Fenix to me, *it will be displacing my L0D S/S on my keychain.* :twothumbs


----------



## JWP_EE

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I don't use the clip or keychain attachment so I removed them. I found that the flat part on the tail where you would attach to a keychain is just enough to keep the light from rolling. Another +


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## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



EngrPaul said:


> The keyring *clip seems rugged enough for keyring duty*, especially since it *keys* into special indents and is supported by a flange. The flange and shorter height make it much more stable in a tailstand.


Welcome back Paul ... it's been awhile. :wave: And I see you have been missing the *bold* feature here at CPF. :laughing:

I agree with all your points. I personally like the knurling on Maratacs better than the ITP version body slots. As for the keychain clip, I grant it is well designed (i.e. the indents in the groove), just not sure what would happen with daily use on a keychain where things could get snagged/tugged. I had a number of Fenix "lobster" style clips that had the tendency to detach from the ring and go for a fling (I have a nice drawer with dinged early model Fenix 1xAAA lights ). But for a tailstanding 1xAAA, the Maratac is definitely a winner.


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



selfbuilt said:


> As for the keychain clip, I grant it is well designed (i.e. the indents in the groove), just not sure what would happen with daily use on a keychain where things could get snagged/tugged. I had a number of Fenix "lobster" style clips that had the tendency to detach from the ring and go for a fling.


 
Over the past day the clip has behaved :thumbsup:

As for the detachable clip, I too had been using a Fenix Lobsterclaw on my L0D S/S. But when I put it on the Maratec, it seemed way too big. Plus I was tired of it dangling so far down from the keyring. So I looked in my parts bin and found an unused Nitecore D10 accessory pack. There is a narrow clip that works nearly as slick as the lobster claw, and doesn't take up as much room. It also dangles less. Give it a try! Picture below....

One other thing, I looked at the front end of the light with a microscope. I wasn't as impressed with what I saw. The o-ring in front of the glass is tight under the bezel on one side, fully showing on the other. The emitter is dirty from soldering. The bottom of the reflector scraped the emitter's corners when installed, and created debris. I'm surprised it doesn't short out on the little pads on the top...:duh2:


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

How does the Fenix look under the 'scope?


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Toohotruk said:


> How does the Fenix look under the 'scope?


 
Perfectly fine!


----------



## greenLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



EngrPaul said:


> One other thing, I looked at the front end of the light with a microscope.


Hey, Paul (and everybody with these lights), what's y'all's take on how beefy the lanyard attachment post will behave long-term? From the pics, it looks really thin. I'd like to buy these as Christmas gifts, but I want to make sure they'll see years and years of keychain duty.

Then again, the Arc's attachment point is thin, and I've heard of less than 3 of those breaking over the years... :thinking:


----------



## mightysparrow

*Cheers to Selfbuilt*

Thanks, Selfbuilt! Another great review, and very helpful!


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I'm impressed with it. The ring is strong steel, keyed into special grooves in the flashlight. When you pull backwards, both keyed ends grip. When you pull to the side, the one opposite the way you pull digs in. This one is "staying on my keychain", in both senses of the expression. :naughty:



greenLED said:


> Hey, Paul (and everybody with these lights), what's y'all's take on how beefy the lanyard attachment post will behave long-term? From the pics, it looks really thin. I'd like to buy these as Christmas gifts, but I want to make sure they'll see years and years of keychain duty.
> 
> Then again, the Arc's attachment point is thin, and I've heard of less than 3 of those breaking over the years... :thinking:


----------



## thelightdude

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks for the great review.
PLEASE continue to review new aaa lights.

After reading your review I started to carry mine in my jeans watch pocket.

People laugh when I show it to them - until I turn it on.


----------



## konut

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



EngrPaul said:


> So I looked in my parts bin and found an unused Nitecore D10 accessory pack. There is a narrow clip that works nearly as slick as the lobster claw, and doesn't take up as much room. It also dangles less. Give it a try! Picture below....


 

Looked on 7777 and Nitecore sites and did not see this claw listed on the accessories page. Does anyone know where to get these, or something similar?


----------



## flasherByNight

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Seems like I've read all the itp/maratac threads and of course my head is :duh2:. But the more I read the more I scratch my head and wonder why the maratac is head and shoulders more "popular".

Candle mode and...:shrug:


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



konut said:


> Looked on 7777 and Nitecore sites and did not see this claw listed on the accessories page. Does anyone know where to get these, or something similar?


I don't think they sell them separately, since they come bundled with the lights. I grabed one off an old unused NDI paracord attachment, and it does work quite well on the ITP lights. :thumbsup:



flasherByNight said:


> Candle mode and...:shrug:


... knurling. 

I think people just prefer the look and hand-feel of the Maratac version. Personally, I think I do as well - but the ITP versions are a lot easier to get up here in the Great White North, so I ordered a few extras of those as gifts for friends and family.

Oh, and am I able to report that I have converted mrs. selfbuilt over to multi-stage 1xAAA lights.  She has replaced her old Fenix L0P with the black multi-stage ITP offering.


----------



## coyote

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

_


selfbuilt said:



...I personally like the knurling on Maratacs better than the ITP version body slots. As for the keychain clip, I grant it is well designed (i.e. the indents in the groove), just not sure what would happen with daily use on a keychain ...

Click to expand...

_
agreed. while i much prefer the Maratac knurling and tailstanding, i find its keychain clip system poorly designed. and worse yet, if removed for pocket carry it leaves you with tiny sharp edges from all the indents. for a while i used an O-ring to "hid" much of the indents, but in the end i just couldn't warm up to those sharp edges. 

for that reason alone i've decided to go with the ITP. its nowhere near as grippy nor will it tailstand, but it does feel so much nicer in the hand.

maybe the upcoming Titanium Innovations 1xAAA will answer all my complains.

and wonderful review as always selfbuilt!!! thank you again.


----------



## jahxman

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



flasherByNight said:


> Seems like I've read all the itp/maratac threads and of course my head is :duh2:. But the more I read the more I scratch my head and wonder why the maratac is head and shoulders more "popular".
> 
> Candle mode and...:shrug:


 
It's the knurling man.......THE KNURLING!


----------



## nativecajun

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



selfbuilt said:


> P.S.: As an aside, Marshall from GoingGear.com included a couple of his signature aluminum keychain items along with the ITP review samples. Fairly basic but solid construction, and they seem to work well (e.g. the whistle is fairly loud, and the pill bottle has an o-ring, etc):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> P.P.S: I would like to extend a nod to StandardBattery for running his International group buys for the Maratac lights. He generously supplied the two Matatac review samples used here at his own cost. :bow:


 

My Maratac from countycom came in yesterday. 1 day ahead of schedual. I am more impressed than I thought I would be. On high in my back yard I pointed the light up my maple tree. Like a search light it looked. I cannot believe how bright a 1 AAA battery flashlight can be, (amazing). I am with selfbuilt on the modes. The mode used, at least for me, that I would normally use in the house or tent, would be low. I wished it would be lo>med>high as selfbuilt stated . I disagree with selfbuilt (ooops) about the keychain attachment. I do not like that carry mode so I wanted to take mine off right away last night. I got a pair of pliers and pulled and twisted. I tried pushing up where it is captured in a slot on each side, "no luck" To describe this carry point on the maratac, i would simply call it a compromise between hardness, and ductility, snap-ring with a loop. I finally just got my sons linemans pliers and cut it off. Was hard to cut with Klien linemans pliers. This little attachment point ( in my opinion :green: ) would NEVER break or come off in any mode of carry with it. 

I will see along the road, as to this little gems durability. But for now it seems the best light I have ever seen in AAA asthetically and build quality especially for the $21.75 I paid for it. I was at Sportsmans Warehouse the other day just looking at the lights they had. And they wanted almost the same money for their streamlight single AAA Micro Light. I do like those little lights though. I like the simple on/off tailcap switch. I like the looks of it. It would make a fine EDC for someone a little less fussy as me {:-(. The only set back with the maratac is the long wait from Cal. to Chattanooga TN for me. I did see a Coast light in there. Rounded tailcap with push button switch. No clip, no lanyard attachment, and I was very impressed with its output. You could test it in the package. And at $11.99 I was even more impressed, and it had what they called a "crystal tube" that was set ahead of the LED, which they said would amplify the light. Had a glass lens, and the finish around the lens was rounded as well. This was a well thought out little pocket light from Coast. Coast has come a ways imop in their products in quality build. They have some nice stuff out their right now.

My one and only gripe for my maratac is the mode setting. Give me Low/med/high, and I would give it a strong five stars. As it is I give it a weak five stars  >if you will< ! 

As I would look at it I would marvel. The technology to make that little thing work as it is, is an art in itself. AMAZING,>> my son got his little stream light with 2 AAA batteries, >"Pro-stylus" I think they call it< , and we tested it in pitch black darkness, and his single mode on his, seemed more dim than the medium mode on my Maratac. As far as the bright mode on the maratac, if we pointed both lights on the same spot you would never know his beamshot was there. 

And I know I am long winded, Sorry };-) !!

Daniel AKA>nativecajun


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



nativecajun said:


> I disagree with selfbuilt (ooops) about the keychain attachment. I do not like that carry mode so I wanted to take mine off right away last night. I got a pair of pliers and pulled and twisted. I tried pushing up where it is captured in a slot on each side, "no luck" To describe this carry point on the maratac, i would simply call it a compromise between hardness, and ductility, snap-ring with a loop. I finally just got my sons linemans pliers and cut it off. Was hard to cut with Klien linemans pliers. This little attachment point ( in my opinion :green: ) would NEVER break or come off in any mode of carry with it.


Thanks for the input - glad to hear you (like EngrPaul) are finding the Maratac keychain clip reliable.

I haven't been keychain carrying this light, so am not able to give an assessment of its long-term stability. But I am not hearing of any definite problems so far, so I may need to revise that statement in the review if everything continues to hold (figuratively as well as literally ). 

So, has anyone experienced a failure of the Maratac keychain clip?


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Mine's been on keychain duty since I got it. The keyring loop has never shown any sign of coming off, nor the pocket clip which has never caught on anything. I am amazed how reliable these two items are. Well done!


----------



## MojaveMoon07

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



> kramer5150 said:
> 
> 
> 
> FWIW, my EOS-Upgrade model has a very yellow tint. I don't mind it at all, as I find colder tints harder on the eyes.
> 
> I find the PWM on med-low noticeable but not bothersome.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Woods Walker said:
> 
> 
> 
> Great review. Been EDC my iTP. The PWM is only an issue if I shake the light pointed at my head. Something most normal people don't do.  The only flicker I get is if the head is not screwed down enough for the twisty, a little more twist clears that up and so far it has not been a real issue.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> selfbuilt said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure most people will find this level of PWM to be acceptable for everyday use. While I would certainly prefer undetectable PWM, I could probably live with this level.
> 
> I may be more susceptible than most, but I see it constantly when using the light (i.e. more as "out-of-the-corner-of-your-eye" sort of thing). I suspect this has more do with the fact that our eyes are always darting around in saccades. A freq of 200Hz means every 5 msecs, which is in the range for the minisaccades.
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Hi

Quick question. I've never owned an LED light, so I don't have any frame of reference for attempting to answer this question.

When I'm walking in the city at night, sometimes this or that forces you to walk in areas _[either along main streets or neighborhood sidewalks]_ that aren't lit very well. So I'm concerned about illuminating the area within a five to ten foot radius of me sufficiently so that I'm not going to trip over something or step into something. And when I'm walking, like some people my arms swing naturally by my sides. And I tend to walk at a fast pace most of the time.

In that scenario where I would have a flashlight on low or medium mode for maybe five to ten consecutive minutes at a time while I'm walking, am I going to visually notice the PWM in this flashlight ? I don't want want the stroboscofic effect to make me feel dizzy or mess with my depth perception.

Thank you in advance!


----------



## dougmwpsu

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



MojaveMoon07 said:


> In that scenario where I would have a flashlight on low or medium mode for maybe five to ten consecutive minutes at a time while I'm walking, am I going to visually notice the PWM in this flashlight ? I don't want want the stroboscofic effect to make me feel dizzy or mess with my depth perception.
> 
> Thank you in advance!



I can easily see the PWM effect if i'm looking for it, but in actual use it's not the sort of thing I notice. If you look into the reflector and wave the light around quickly, you will probably see the flicker, but if you're using it to light up walking or working, you will most likely not see it.

Before i got the ITP light i was worried too, but it ended up being a non-issue.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

The only time I notice it, is either when I'm looking for it by waving it around in front of my eyes, or by moving my fingers in front of it, and seeing many more fingers than I should. When you shine it on fast moving water, it makes it look weird.

In general use it's not noticeable to me though...YMMV.


----------



## nativecajun

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Woods Walker said:


> Great review. Been EDC my iTP. The PWM is only an issue if I shake the light pointed at my head. Something most normal people don't do.  The only flicker I get is if the head is not screwed down enough for the twisty, a little more twist clears that up and so far it has not been a real issue. Thinking about the SS iTP but will hold off some for others to get one as I heard of more (few) issues with the SS CC light on the Maratac thread.
> 
> Edit. Yea Low-med-high would be better. Still it is a nice light and very bright.


 
I really almost pulled hair out decideing on SS or natural alum. finish on my maratac. I since read from selfbuilt that SS is of course, 1. heavier, but that would not be an issue. I thought the ss looked better, and when new they do. But without hard anodizing they will scratch more readily. Last and most important point, SS does a lousy job at displacing heat. Therefore I seemed to have made the right decision on my natural alum. maratac I have now, and am throughly enjoying. Man that thing on high shining up in my maple tree, you could see a mouse on the top limb with that little pocket search light. Of course I would hardly ever use that mode unless searching for a lost kid in the woods or something. Even the medium mode is a bit bright for house and tent use. I only wish as selfbuilt, and now you, has stated that we wish both lights would default to low. Low > Med > High makes more sense to me.

Daniel AKA> nativecajun


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

On The issue of PWM, I seem to be one of those individuals that is particularly sensitve to it. But I find the ITP to be quite acceptable in use - it is noticeable but not distracting. 

The put that in context, I stopped carrying an early version Fenix L0D (which was 100Hz) because I found it too distracting in actual use. Individual tolerances will vary, but I personally find the the ITP's PWM quite tolerable.


----------



## guiri

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hey, is the light on the right the Maratac stainless version? I like the finish/color 

GEorge



EngrPaul;3079861
[IMG said:


> http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll139/EngrPaul42/IMG_3330.jpg[/IMG]


----------



## nativecajun

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



guiri said:


> Hey, is the light on the right the Maratac stainless version? I like the finish/color
> 
> GEorge


 
If you are referring to the lights standing up in a row in the review. The light to the right of the ITP light is the Maratac AAA in hard anodized III finish "natural" aluminum. You can see the stainless version on the countycomm website. The stainless looks,> "well" stainless. It is much better looking than the aluminum version. At least I like it. I decided on the aluminum version for cost and weight. The stainless one is like six bucks more. you cannot anodize stainless thus it will scratch more easily, and,> Two, stainless does not disipate heat as well as aluminum. Believe me the aluminum one is a fine looking light. And to answer your question about the light in the photo to the right of the ITP version which is the same exact light only different carry method for lanyard, the Maratac one is the aluminum version. The ITP looks more like the stainless would look but not exactly. I sugguest you go to www.countycomm.com and check the two out. 

Daniel


----------



## HKJ

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



guiri said:


> Hey, is the light on the right the Maratac stainless version? I like the finish/color
> 
> GEorge



Here are all the colors: Black, SS, Natural, Black, Natural, SS


----------



## coyote

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

what a great photo HKJ. 
:twothumbs
i just borrowed it for my desktop image!


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Great picture from HKJ as usual, but those clips are hideous and they look like they are about fall off.


----------



## HKJ

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



coyote said:


> what a great photo HKJ.
> :twothumbs
> i just borrowed it for my desktop image!



You can find more photos of them in my Danish review. But I can not do any more of these total photos, the keychain attachment ring on one of my Matatac broke, and I have also found out that the clip is not solid enough for use, it is bending outwards on one of them now.


----------



## flasherByNight

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



HKJ said:


> You can find more photos of them in my Danish review



For you lazy non-danish speakers 

google translated page

Great pics btw


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



HKJ said:


> You can find more photos of them in my Danish review. But I can not do any more of these total photos, the keychain attachment ring on one of my Matatac broke, and I have also found out that the clip is not solid enough for use, it is bending outwards on one of them now.


Great photo HKJ - and thanks for your input & insights.

Interesting to hear about the Maratac keychain clip breaking. It looks like I'll be keeping my warning in the review for the time being.

As for the pocket clip, I have noticed that these can be bent if you apply a fair amount of force. For short durations, they should be fine - but for long-term use clipped onto something that gets tugged on, you would want to keep an eye on it.


----------



## boss429

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

_Great review!_
_Love my MaratracAAA SS. The keychain hanger is not up to par-only lasted about three hours before it popped off and that was just office carry. The clip seems good, I keep the light inside my front jeans pocket like you would carry a clip knife and has worked well for 3+ weeks. I really would prefer high-medium-low.Alsolike the ability to tailstand the light._


----------



## berry580

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

i got an iTP EOS and LD01 SS, those clip seem pretty good apparenty, but if you can pull the clip off with your hand, i can imagine the clip can fail when pulled at certain angles. Not the best design IMO.


----------



## guiri

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



HKJ said:


> Here are all the colors: Black, SS, Natural, Black, Natural, SS



Thanks


----------



## guiri

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



nativecajun said:


> I sugguest you go to www.countycomm.com and check the two out.
> 
> Daniel



Thanks


----------



## nativecajun

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



boss429 said:


> _Great review!_
> _Love my MaratracAAA SS. The keychain hanger is not up to par-only lasted about three hours before it popped off and that was just office carry. The clip seems good, I keep the light inside my front jeans pocket like you would carry a clip knife and has worked well for 3+ weeks. I really would prefer high-medium-low.Alsolike the ability to tailstand the light._


 
Not picking on you in paticular here but seems all the complaints of the lanyard attachment point and the clip needed some positive input. Again because of the way you have to reply, to my knowledge is by clicking on someones comment. Again not against your reply in the least but in general is why I am makeing my observations here.

I keep my maratac clipped to a beltloop of a leather sheath. This is heavyweight leather not cheap stuff. I put it on there at night for something that may go thump in the night. I do not own a gun so my gerber S30V ss in black coat is my little equalizer. But back to the subject. I have put this on there at night and in the day I clip it to my shirt pocket. Let me check here, Yep I pull on it and it feels as though it would rip my pocket before releasing. And as far as the thingy for the lanyard. I wished I would have kept mine on now just to test it. How can one break something like this is beyond me. With heavy tools and a machinist scribe, I had to pry, twist, pull, tried to push the clip out "with the machinist scribe" of its capture points, and eventually I gave up trying to pull/break it off. I simply got my sons linemans pliers and cut it off.

On another note. I made this aware to the reviewer here, but I will go ahead and mention it now. I was working on my sons car and I just tossed my maratac in my pocket. I pulled it out after a while to use it and it seemed to open on low and nothing else. I looked at it and you could see that the head was out of line with the body. It must have pressed against something on my sons keys in my pocket as I was leaning over the hood. Well it seems it could not take my 218 pounds force against his keys pressing against the front quarterpanel/fender. I simply took the battery out. I would roll it on a flat hard surface and it would go **** ****. Translated it was bent and the tail would go up and down on the hard surface while rolling. I simply flexed it with my fingers and hands till I got it rolling smooth again. It does not look like it but the tailcap is the same diameter as the head or bezel. This is by eye only by rolling it on the hard surface. I do not have a machinist caliper to check it. So now with just flexing it with my hands and being careful not to put to much of my brute strengh on it as to kink it and it would be all over, well it is straight once more and I can breath again. I was disapointed for the short time it was bent. 

So that is my one and only finding so far as to the quality in build. I really want to buy another now to attach something on that lanyard and try different amounts of weight to see how many pounds it takes to pull off. 
On the stainless one I don't know. Maybe you just got a bum one or maybe the stainless is a bit more slippery than the anodized aluminum and it does not have the "bite" if you will, like the anodized aluminum would have.

Just my observations and thoughts. I would still choose the maratac over the itp because of what some others like here. The knurling, and asthetics of the maratac, compared to the look of the itp and its carry point. Not having the itp to compare it seems the knurling would be better if the light got wet or get some lubricant on it like I did when working on my sons car. As far as every day carry though I do not think it would make much different as the light it self only weighs 20 grams and with a lithium battery not much more. So it is not likely that you would drop either one with regular dry hand use. :thinking:

Eddited to add. Again I appoligize for my long winded writing. Seems I have to explain to tell a story. Sorry.

nativecajun


----------



## Gravitron

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I shot an email to the company (ITP) regarding the use of the 10440 battery in the EOS. Here is a copy of the message.

SubjectRe : A3 EOS Flashlight
FromRaymond (iTP Light Electronics Co.,Ltd)
ToOwner flashlight plus)
Message:
Hello Mr. Fisher, 
Thanks for your email. Please use AAA or Ni-Mh to operate the flashlight. Do not use 10420 or 10440, as it will become very hot and is not good for the flashlight. 
Thanks. 
Raymond
 
Original Message:
I own your keychain flashlight and I can not find a 10420 battery. Did you mean to say 10440 battery. 
Thanks, 
Mr. Fisher

Contact Info
Contact PointRaymond
CompanyiTP Light Electronics Co.,Ltd
Address4A Floor, B3 Block, AnLe Industrial Zone, Hangcheng Avenue, Xixiang, Bao'an District,Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong
Postal code518012
CountryChina
Phone86-0755-23463357
Fax--
[email protected]
Homepagehttp://ledlighting11.en.ec21.com


----------



## compasillo

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



HKJ said:


> You can find more photos of them in my Danish review. But I can not do any more of these total photos, the keychain attachment ring on one of my Matatac broke, and I have also found out that the clip is not solid enough for use, it is bending outwards on one of them now.




Great review and top quality pictures ! :twothumbs (I bookmarked your site)


----------



## dodge_911

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks you for this very extensive review!
Based on this review, and the fact that I recently purchased a Maratac AAA in a groupbuy by Cuso (he rocks!) on EDCF, I went and ordered 2 black ones, a natural one, and the A6 + A3 set, which contains the SS version of the A3.
The natural one replaces the Maratac on my carkeys, which now resides on my work-keys, and the SS one is too pretty to scratch up with keys, so I put it on a chain in my everyday jacket.


----------



## Elliot

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



> Great review and top quality pictures ! (I bookmarked your site)



+1 

I'm a little late to the party. I just got my ITP A3 upgrade in Natural. Wonderful little thing. It will replace my original version KD buckle light (loved the whistle shaped tail for mouth hold) as my "in the pocket" EDC. I also carry a DX coin cell light on keyring and a true bright tactical on my person. 

I don't really get the discussion about L-M-H vs M-L-H modes. The switching seems to be very reliable - just _keep it in your pants_ or against your leg and with a few easy twists you know exactly what brightness it's in before you use it. You might not want to flash anyone. 

BTW: I bought mine from Bryan over at Shiningbeam (nice guy). :twothumbs


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Elliot said:


> I just got my ITP A3 upgrade in Natural.


 
Do they have a Natural colour? Only know of the Black, Red, Gold, Blue and Purple A3s.


----------



## HKJ

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



CampingLED said:


> Do they have a Natural colour? Only know of the Black, Red, Gold, Blue and Purple A3s.



Look in post #74 for a photo.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



HKJ said:


> Look in post #74 for a photo.


 
Tks, my mistake. Just noticed it in post 1 as well and came back to edit my post. You beat me to it. :thumbsup:


----------



## think2x

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



CampingLED said:


> Do they have a Natural colour? Only know of the Black, Red, Gold, Blue and Purple A3s.


 
Don't forget SS and Ti. Love the SS one I have.


----------



## wachtel

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I made an extension tube for the ITP A3 EOS to work with 2 X AAA batteries.

1. step Cutting 9mm from the lamp head









2. step Cutting the end of the main tube, preparing both ends 
to get the right size before fitting them together.







3. step Press parts together and fix them with glue









The lamp works perfect. I am impressed from the output in the High level.



Wachtel


----------



## compasillo

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Great mod and nice pics ! :thumbsup:

Thank you for sharing

And welcome to CPF


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



wachtel said:


> I made an extension tube for the ITP A3 EOS to work with 2 X AAA batteries......
> Wachtel


 
Great 1st post. I feel that this deserves a new thread under the homemade & modified lights. :twothumbs


----------



## compasillo

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



CampingLED said:


> Great 1st post. I feel that this deserves a new thread under the homemade & modified lights. :twothumbs



+1 :thumbsup:


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



wachtel said:


> I made an extension tube for the ITP A3 EOS to work with 2 X AAA batteries.





CampingLED said:


> Great 1st post. I feel that this deserves a new thread under the homemade & modified lights. :twothumbs


Indeed - a very useful contribution. :welcome:

I would also recommend you post a more detail discussion of your mod in the homemade and modified forum. Given the broader voltage range of the circuit, and higher output at higher voltages, it stands to reason the 2xAAA format would be brighter. Not sure how well the head will handle the heat mind you, so it might be good to limit runs on Hi.

Well done!


----------



## V8TOYTRUCK

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Been super slow at work, so I decided to bust out the macro and shoot whatever I had.
Awesome flashlight for the price.


----------



## wachtel

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



selfbuilt said:


> Indeed - a very useful contribution. :welcome:
> 
> I would also recommend you post a more detail discussion of your mod in the homemade and modified forum. Given the broader voltage range of the circuit, and higher output at higher voltages, it stands to reason the 2xAAA format would be brighter. Not sure how well the head will handle the heat mind you, so it might be good to limit runs on Hi.
> 
> Well done!


I agree with you that it would be the best to continue with my next steps in the "homemade and modified" forum. Can you give me some hints what I have to do to
open a thread there?

My cutted lamphead is good enough to make some further investigations






I still tried to open it by just turning both parts--No chance!!! Than I baked the part out in my kitchen ofen at 100°C to
make the glue weak. No chance again to
loose the parts by turning the hot parts.
As a last step I tried it with the solvent acetone. ( attention! very aggressive against most materials ) Some small drops of acetone were applied with a syringe only to the thread. No chance to get the glue weak!! 
So I finaly ended with my DREMEL to
seperate the parts.







By the way--it is very good that the head is not easy to disassaeple because that means that there is enough glue within the threads to make sure that the
heat transfer to the aluminium body works perfect.

What are my next ideas?

1. Measure the head temperature with 2 x eneloops and 2 x L92 batteries.

2. Another try with more acetone ( before that I remove the electronics)

3. Apply a Cree XP-G emitter

4. Improve the heat sink a little bit. Don´t misunderstand me-this lamp is perfect build with respect to its price. 

other ideas?


----------



## compasillo

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Great posts Wachtel. 
I think they are the most worth two first posts I ever read at CPF. :thumbsup:

If you are in the mood of researching my suggestion is to do some more work on solvents to disassemble the module. It would be great to mod this ITP/Maratac with an XP-G Rx


----------



## compasillo

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

@ V8TOYTRUCK

Nice macro photos. :thumbsup:


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



wachtel said:


> I agree with you that it would be the best to continue with my next steps in the "homemade and modified" forum. Can you give me some hints what I have to do to
> open a thread there?


Just open the forum, and hit the "new thread" bottom at the top left side of the page. Good luck. :thumbsup:


----------



## compasillo

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



selfbuilt said:


> Just open the forum, and hit the "new thread" bottom at the top left side of the page. Good luck. :thumbsup:



And don't forget to post a link here :thumbsup:


----------



## Double_A

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



defloyd77 said:


> That's just CPF, there's a huge world of flashlight buyers beyond us and Fenix (or maybe 4Sevens) stated more people like medium first, I know I do.



I strongly prefer the Med Low Hi sequence.

I've now bought six of the Maratac, three in AL and three in S/S. I love them.


----------



## WebWalker

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



V8TOYTRUCK said:


> Been super slow at work, so I decided to bust out the macro and shoot whatever I had.
> Awesome flashlight for the price.


most excellent
thanks


----------



## Rick Condon

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Any more Maratac group-buys planned? They don't ship to Canada, which just sucks. I want the AAA light in black.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Rick Condon said:


> Any more Maratac group-buys planned? They don't ship to Canada, which just sucks. I want the AAA light in black.


 
Buy the iTP A3 instead. Very similar and same output & electronics. If they do not want to ship internationally then it is their loss.


----------



## NaturalMystic

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I can't remember if it's in this review or somewhere else that it's mentioned that the iTP seems to be the better of the two.
I prefer the knurling on the Maratac.
There's also another version, the LiteFlux LF2XT AAA EDC light with CREE XPE Q4 but I saw it selling for $65 US! I like it though because it's a clicky, not twisty.

If you really want the Maratac though I think I posted this link in another thread, not this one, about this etailer that ships a lot of the CountyComm stuff internationally: Survival Shop - EndTimesReport.com - http://www.endtimesreport.com/survival_shop.html#OVERSEAS

Last time I checked they didn't have the black Maratac AAA and it is a few bucks more.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



NaturalMystic said:


> I can't remember if it's in this review or somewhere else that it's mentioned that the iTP seems to be the better of the two.
> I prefer the knurling on the Maratac.


I don't think in it's in this review - I actually like the knurling of the Maratac better too. 

I feel for you Rick ... as a fellow Canuck, I know what a pain it can be sometimes getting things from the US (c'mon, your neighbour to north is not really that "international", right? . 

Please feel free to post back if you find a way for Canadian's to order the Maratacs. 

P.S.: people might also want to check out the IlluminaTi I reviewed recently. And the LiteFlux LF2XT remains one of my favourites in this class of light - although pricier.


----------



## nativecajun

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



CampingLED said:


> Buy the iTP A3 instead. Very similar and same output & electronics. If they do not want to ship internationally then it is their loss.


 

This may have been mentioned elsware already but they Maratac is now selling a AA version just the same as the AAA one but the UI is Low Med Hi


----------



## NaturalMystic

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



NaturalMystic said:


> I can't remember if it's in this review or somewhere else that it's mentioned that the iTP seems to be the better of the two.
> I prefer the knurling on the Maratac.
> There's also another version, the LiteFlux LF2XT AAA EDC light with CREE XPE Q4 but I saw it selling for $65 US! I like it though because it's a clicky, not twisty.
> 
> If you really want the Maratac though I think I posted this link in another thread, not this one, about this etailer that ships a lot of the CountyComm stuff internationally: Survival Shop - EndTimesReport.com - http://www.endtimesreport.com/survival_shop.html#OVERSEAS
> 
> Last time I checked they didn't have the black Maratac AAA and it is a few bucks more.





selfbuilt said:


> I don't think in it's in this review - I actually like the knurling of the Maratac better too.
> 
> I feel for you Rick ... as a fellow Canuck, I know what a pain it can be sometimes getting things from the US (c'mon, your neighbour to north is not really that "international", right? .
> 
> Please feel free to post back if you find a way for Canadian's to order the Maratacs.



Yeah I can't remember where I read that but it was in a review of the two. I wonder if it was in gunga's review?
Hey selfbuilt, did you miss the other part where I mentioned the natural color HAIII version is available at: Survival Shop - EndTimesReport.com - http://www.endtimesreport.com/survival_shop.html#OVERSEAS ?


----------



## Flying Turtle

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



NaturalMystic said:


> There's also another version, the LiteFlux LF2XT AAA EDC light with CREE XPE Q4 but I saw it selling for $65 US! I like it though because it's a clicky, not twisty.



Don't be confused about this. The LF2XT is not a version of the Maratac. It is a AAA light, but that's where the similarities end. 

Geoff


----------



## compasillo

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

This is just a simple home made keyring for trits


----------



## NaturalMystic

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Flying Turtle said:


> Don't be confused about this. The LF2XT is not a version of the Maratac. It is a AAA light, but that's where the similarities end.
> 
> Geoff



Hey Geoff,

thanks bud, I haven't read the specs on it so wasn't sure.


----------



## Warhead

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Beacon of Light said:


> +1, that is one of the few nitpicks I have of the Maratac/iTP EOS



Still three turns to high, but you're all right...Waiting for my AA to show up(L.M.H)...waiting for a stainless version, most impatiently I may add.  

Great light, I have all three and if you can live with the M.L.H. you can't go wrong for a nice pocket change, poke around the house light. 

My Arc's are sitting.


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Got my black Maratac AAA model a couple of days ago. Even smaller than I expected. Bit disappointed with the rather flimsy clip. Overall, a very good light for the money.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Good review  I've got one of the A4s ordered in purple for the gf to carry. I realized that I might as well have one light that can use my AAA Duraloops or L92s that see no use. Initially I didn't like the idea of M-L-H but it kind of makes sense to me since I know 18 lumens will be enough for 80% of what she'll use it for and will last a long time. I'm impressed by the runtimes on Eneloops and L92 as well, I was assuming I'd have to go to AA to get anything respectable with good output but this light seems to have it.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Wiggle said:


> Good review  I've got one of the A4s ordered in purple for the gf to carry. I realized that I might as well have one light that can use my AAA Duraloops or L92s that see no use. Initially I didn't like the idea of M-L-H but it kind of makes sense to me since I know 18 lumens will be enough for 80% of what she'll use it for and will last a long time. I'm impressed by the runtimes on Eneloops and L92 as well, I was assuming I'd have to go to AA to get anything respectable with good output but this light seems to have it.


Good points - I'm glad someone brought up the new color options (i.e. like the Preons, you can now get the ITP A3 in a variety of colors).

And I agree on the general usefulness of this class of light for most people - I've given away a number of upgraded A3s to friends and family, and they were all well received. :thumbsup:


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I've given away a few of these as well, and they seem to be appreciated by most of the people I've given them to. 

One thing that drives me crazy though...I gave two Duraloops with each light, hoping to help them get the best out of their lights, and I figured that would help keep them battery leak free. 

Well, the first disappointment came when I was over to the GF's mom's house a couple of weeks ago...I gave an A3 with the duo of Duraloops to her 35 year old brother (even gave him an old Duracell charger I had kicking around) and he seemed genuinely happy with it. Well, while we were over there, the batteries in the TV remote went out, and my GF told me to grab a couple of AAA batteries from the "junk" drawer where she keeps the batteries. There was a box of energizers (I think) in there and when I opened it up, low and behold, there was one of the Duraloops I gave the brother, in with the rest of the wretched alkies!!! :shakehead

He wasn't around to question, so I have no idea what he is thinking.

Then I gave one to my nephew (18), complete with 'Loops for Xmas, and when I was over there the other night, he was looking for something in the garage. To my delight, he was using the A3 I gave him, but it seemed to be on the lowest level and he was struggling to see anything. I asked him why he had it on low, he said it wasn't, and that he had it on Medium, but the battery was nearly dead. Of course, I told him that was not the best thing to do to a LSD NiMH. He said casually, "Oh, I know, don't worry, I'm using an alkaline battery."  

I asked him what happened to the pair of 'Loops, and he says, "Hell if I know, they're around here someplace." :hairpull:

Sometimes it doesn't pay to be thoughtful. :sigh:


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Toohotruk said:


> Sometimes it doesn't pay to be thoughtful. :sigh:


That's why I always give them away with a fresh Energizer L92 lithium. 

Should be years before they even need to change the battery ...


----------



## joe1512

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Agreed. I read up on this and got a 4 pack of Lithium Ultimates for my gift-flashlights.

Man, I wish I had a charger for a 10440...I'd love to try it in the A3. I mean, the A1 works with RCR123 3.7Vs and is shorter and a bit fatter. So for short periods, I'd think the 10440 would work fine.


----------



## wachtel

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hi selfbuilt, compasillo and all the others,

as promised I measured the head temperature of the 2 X AAA version, built
in a Cree XP-G and finally made a 3 X AAA version.

Pls. look to the "Homemade and Modified Flashlights" forum

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3290819#post3290819


Wachtel


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I can't believe how ridiculously well my Maratac AAA model is working out!

I purchased it just to try it out. But it's more handy than my beloved Fenix L0D rebel 80. Even the flimsy clip on the Maratac is working out. When it became too loose, I simply unsnapped it; and bent it down for a tighter fit. Then just snapped it back onto the light. I've found tailstanding to be a useful feature. It works better with a twisty than a clickie.

I don't order too often from CountyComm. (Mainly due to the shipping charges.) But my lone Maratac won't remain that way for long. Couldn't be a better treasure if it was made out of gold, and I tripped over it while walking in the mud.


----------



## crossliner67

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hello every1 and greetings from the Philippines. Does the A3 have a dead on 14mm o.d.? I wish to mount them on my blowguns for rat hunting so I have to be sure because my flashlight holder can only accommodate the aforementioned circumference. Currently I am using 2A and 3A Maglites w/ Terralux upgrades but my hunting blowgun has an unknown brand torch that beats the supposedly 140 lumen 3A Terralux. Thanks and good evening...Btw I am a regular member of the Lefora blowguns forum.


----------



## crossliner67

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



crossliner67 said:


> Hello every1 and greetings from the Philippines. Does the A3 have a dead on 14mm o.d.? I wish to mount them on my blowguns for rat hunting so I have to be sure because my flashlight holder can only accommodate the aforementioned circumference. Currently I am using 2A and 3A Maglites w/ Terralux upgrades but my hunting blowgun has an unknown brand torch that beats the supposedly 140 lumen 3A Terralux. Thanks and good evening...Btw I am a regular member of the Lefora blowguns forum.


http://bllowgun.lefora.com/2010/01/06/new-hunting-blowgun-still-in-the-works-he/page2/
Here is the link and my apologies for the lousy pics.... Very thorough review Mr. Selfbuilt and another cause for uproar amongst them FLASHNATICS hehe..


----------



## crossliner67

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



crossliner67 said:


> Hello every1 and greetings from the Philippines. Does the A3 have a dead on 14mm o.d.? I wish to mount them on my blowguns for rat hunting so I have to be sure because my flashlight holder can only accommodate the aforementioned circumference. Currently I am using 2A and 3A Maglites w/ Terralux upgrades but my hunting blowgun has an unknown brand torch that beats the supposedly 140 lumen 3A Terralux. Thanks and good evening...Btw I am a regular member of the Lefora blowguns forum.


 
:welcome: Your link does not work for me (one in following post. I think you should reconsidder the A3 for this application. The size is good, but the Terralux should be brighter and have better runtimes. The twisty on-off may also not be ideal.

EDIT: I also do not see your pic in the next post #126


----------



## crossliner67

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



CampingLED said:


> :welcome: Your link does not work for me (one in following post. I think you should reconsidder the A3 for this application. The size is good, but the Terralux should be brighter and have better runtimes. The twisty on-off may also not be ideal.
> 
> EDIT: I also do not see your pic in the next post #126


 Ohh, you are right, CL, sorry. I am not computer savvy, you know? Have to let some1 post my blowgun pics for me, hehe...Anyway, you could check out the Lefora blowguns site under the general discussion category/new-hunting-blowgun-for-2021- now-in-the-works thread in page 3 if you are not too tied up. My rig is all there. Thanks for the info/welcome and good evening, CL.http://blowgun.lefora.com/2010/01/06/new-hunting-blowgun-for-2010-still-in-the-works-he/page2/


----------



## crossliner67

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



crossliner67 said:


> Ohh, you are right, CL, sorry. I am not computer savvy, you know? Have to let some1 post my blowgun pics for me, hehe...Anyway, you could check out the Lefora blowguns site under the general discussion category/new-hunting-blowgun-for-2021- now-in-the-works thread in page 3 if you are not too tied up. My rig is all there. Thanks for the info/welcome and good evening, CL.http://blowgun.lefora.com/2010/01/06/new-hunting-blowgun-for-2010-still-in-the-works-he/page2/


Sheesh, I finally got it right:laughing:. Good evening every1.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I was so impressed with the purple A3 I got for the lady, I got another purple for her mother and a natural for myself. This light is a real bargain. I think tonight I'll do a couple runtime tests, I've got some duraloops, ROV 4.0 and I may even sacrifice an L92 as well.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

So I was playing around with the light and have some impressions:

-Really bright for a 1xAAA light.
-Easy to use
-Seems rugged enough
-Clip is a bit weak for me, I'd worry about it slipping from my pocket
-Can actually kind of tail stand as long as surface is nice and flat, but this shouldn't be relied on.
-Ran just shy of 1 hour on high on a Duracell Pre-Charged cell
-PWM is not noticeable to my (25 y/o) eyes on medium but I can notice it on low. It looks more like a slight flickering than a strobe effect though.
-Low is very useful. Right between Moonlight and Low on my Quark.

One problem that I can't replicate is a mode problem. Sometimes when cycling through modes it will get into a H->L->H->L loop, skipping medium. This only happens if I cycle a long time, not in normal use but maybe there is a fault in the light?


----------



## Mockingbird

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I left my natural finish upgraded version of the ITP A3 EOS on in low mode last night. I woke up to find it flashing in beacon mode! I recharged the RAYOVAC HYBRID battery for a few seconds and left the light on in high mode until it died again. About 2 minutes later it started flashing again about once every 2 seconds. Apparently, when the battery gets down to about 0.85 volts the light either shuts itself off or just doesn't have enough voltage to power the driver. After the battery recovers a little voltage, the light comes back on in beacon mode. Now if the ITP only had beacon mode to begin with, I'd be a very happy camper!


----------



## Gregozedobe

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Mockingbird said:


> Apparently, when the battery gets down to about 0.85 volts the light either shuts itself off or just doesn't have enough voltage to power the driver. After the battery recovers a little voltage, the light comes back on in beacon mode. Now if the ITP only had beacon mode to begin with, I'd be a very happy camper!


 
But it does ! All you have to do is remember to feed it a steady supply of almost flat batteries


----------



## crossliner67

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



crossliner67 said:


> Ohh, you are right, CL, sorry. I am not computer savvy, you know? Have to let some1 post my blowgun pics for me, hehe...Anyway, you could check out the Lefora blowguns site under the general discussion category/new-hunting-blowgun-for-2021- now-in-the-works thread in page 3 if you are not too tied up. My rig is all there. Thanks for the info/welcome and good evening, CL.http://blowgun.lefora.com/2010/01/06/new-hunting-blowgun-for-2010-still-in-the-works-he/page2/


 This thing is bright and it fits my blowgun flashlight mount perfectly! Ordered a red for the wife but I had ulterior motives hehe. I was surprised it's available here in the Phils and even Jetbeam and Solarforce but we have no stainless A3s yet and that's the 1 I want for my rig.:laughing:


----------



## gsxer

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

The AAA Maratac are on sale this weekend at CountyComm.


----------



## amiendoe

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hi guys, where can I get a split ring which is strong but small enough to be used on the ITP A3 EOS? The hole is very small and I broke the split ring that came with the flashlight.


----------



## Mockingbird

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



amiendoe said:


> Hi guys, where can I get a split ring which is strong but small enough to be used on the ITP A3 EOS? The hole is very small and I broke the split ring that came with the flashlight.



A lot of coin cell keychain lights come with a small ring that will work on the ITP A3. I got a free keychain light with my last order from BatteryJunction. If you want to buy one or just see a picture, look under Titatium Innovations brand on the BatteryJunction site. I tried it on my ITP A3 and it fits.


----------



## EZO

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



amiendoe said:


> Hi guys, where can I get a split ring which is strong but small enough to be used on the ITP A3 EOS? The hole is very small and I broke the split ring that came with the flashlight.



My local hardware store carries a whole selection of nice quality split rings in different sizes in the section where they grind keys. I found a really tiny one that works nicely on my Quark CR2 mini. Of course, I'm lucky in that my local store is one of those 50 plus year old family run businesses that carries every conceivable nut, bolt and obscure hardware item that you've ever possibly imagined and if they don't have what you need it probably doesn't exist. Not every hardware store has that comprehensive a selection of split rings; nevertheless, any hardware store with a good key department would be worth a look.


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



amiendoe said:


> Hi guys, where can I get a split ring which is strong but small enough to be used on the ITP A3 EOS? The hole is very small and I broke the split ring that came with the flashlight.


 
Try a shop that sells angling equipment. Last time I bought a few from them. They are used a lot on lures to secure the hook to the lure. The quality is also better.


----------



## MojaveMoon07

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



> http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2535434&postcount=141
> 
> q:
> I just received the upgraded A3 from goinggear 2 days ago. My modes go from low->med->high. Isn't that sort of weird? I would rather have it start in med. I emailed goinggear and they said the manufacturer, ITP, told them that the new ones are being produced with low->med->high. Can someone confirm this?
> 
> a:
> It is black and natural only for now. The color versions are still med-low-high.


----------



## tbenedict

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Wonder if that means they got the higher PMW rate as well..


----------



## FatRat

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

These look nice.I am going to get one for my wife(so i can get my light in the order without any guilt:devil


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



tbenedict said:


> Wonder if that means they got the higher PMW rate as well..



Boy, that higher rate rocks! :rock:

I'm VERY impressed with it in my copper Maratac! I'd almost swear the lower levels were regulated, even while trying the "wiggle the fingers real fast in front of the light" test! Much, MUCH better than my AO3, or any other light I've ever seen that employs PMW for that matter. :thumbsup:


----------



## DesertWind

*Does the head fit an E01 body ?*

Thanks to the OP and everyone else who has posted info on these lights. I know this may be a long shot but I was wondering if the head of these lights happens to fit on an E01 body. I am very attached to the feel of the E01 and also find the tripod tailstand and ring attachment very useful as the E01 will stand on on my curved dashboard and similar surfaces. Thanks Again


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I don't have an E01 to check, but I'm pretty sure the head has male threads, and the Maratacs have female threads, so no go.

:welcome:


----------



## DesertWind

*DOH!*

*headslap* Foiled again! You are 100% correct. Don't know how I missed that detail in the pics. Thanks, DesertWind


----------



## dodge_911

*A3 Reliability?*

I'm staring to have my doubts about the reliability of the A3's, to be honest.
Last year I bought 12 A3's, as gifts and stocking stuffers.
I gave both of my parents one, 2 to some friends, took 2 for myself and put the other 6 in the cupboard.
Now, since then, my dad's up to his 3rd A3, and my mother's up to her second one.
As I had some more laying around in the cuopboard, I just replaced their faulty lights.

Their lights just died, tried them on other tubes, tried to power the head straight from a power source, both to no avail.
The two I've got danglin' from my keychains still work like champs, and they get (ab)used a lot more than my parents' units.
I don't get it, honestly I don't : how come they break so easily?


----------



## Gregozedobe

*Re: A3 Reliability?*

Maybe your parents drop theirs onto hard surfaces (they are pretty small and light) but aren't brave enough to admit it to you ?

The only trouble I've had with mine was after I put (too long) protected 10440 batteries in a couple and tightening them up seemed to damage the drivers.


----------



## dodge_911

*Re: A3 Reliability?*



Gregozedobe said:


> Maybe your parents drop theirs onto hard surfaces (they are pretty small and light) but aren't brave enough to admit it to you ?


 That's the werid thing, mine get dropped way more than theirs, sometimes multiple times a day, and they just take that licking and keep op ticking.
I've got 3 more left in the cupboard, but after that, I'm thinking of not buying anymore A3's...


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: A3 Reliability?*

Two options: Tell them it is not diving lights or drop the dead ones a few times to improve the possible dead contacts.


----------



## mfm

*Re: A3 Reliability?*

Maybe crushed the internals by overtighting? Sounds like something is wrong, and not with the A3s (unless you have a special bad batch).


----------



## CampingLED

*Re: A3 Reliability?*

Dig deeper. It is most likely a user problem.


----------



## Gregozedobe

*Re: A3 Reliability?*



dodge_911 said:


> That's the werid thing, mine get dropped way more than theirs, sometimes multiple times a day, and they just take that licking and keep op ticking.
> I've got 3 more left in the cupboard, but after that, I'm thinking of not buying anymore A3's...



Give your parents some Fenix EO1s, those suckers are supposed to be super-tough !


----------



## onewarmguy

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hi Selfbuilt, Amazing write up; Thank you. 
I've had an ITP A3 on my keychain for about 6 months now, and I gotta say it's a great little lite. It gets used often (I have a dog that loves to see the racoons he trees) and it's still running on the first Energizer lithium AAA that I installed. 
About the only thing I could add to this review are the comments that one of the first things I did was replace the keychain with a small split ring. I found the keychain kept springing open and scattering keys all over my pocket or the ground. The other is that the anodized surface is showing slight signs of wear.
onewarmguy


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



onewarmguy said:


> About the only thing I could add to this review are the comments that one of the first things I did was replace the keychain with a small split ring. I found the keychain kept springing open and scattering keys all over my pocket or the ground.


Thanks for the comments. FYI, ITP now includes a better keychain than the one shown in this review. PWM has also been greatly increased to generally undetectable levels in normal use, and mode sequence has changed to to L > M > H.


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Anybody else have a problem with their lens, reflector, and emitter getting cloudy on the Stainless Steel version of the Maratec?


----------



## Lynx_Arc

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



EngrPaul said:


> Anybody else have a problem with their lens, reflector, and emitter getting cloudy on the Stainless Steel version of the Maratec?


 
sounds like you got moisture in it. Try putting it in a bowl of rice for a few days it should help dry it out.


----------



## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Lynx_Arc said:


> sounds like you got moisture in it. Try putting it in a bowl of rice for a few days it should help dry it out.


 
Nope, it got this way sitting on the shelf, definitely not moisture. I have ITP versions on our keychains, they look rather clear. I've seen this happen to flashlights over time, the chemicals used in manufacture volatize and condense on the surfaces, making them cloudy.


----------



## Lynx_Arc

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



EngrPaul said:


> Nope, it got this way sitting on the shelf, definitely not moisture. I have ITP versions on our keychains, they look rather clear. I've seen this happen to flashlights over time, the chemicals used in manufacture volatize and condense on the surfaces, making them cloudy.


 
some sort of solvent eh? I would contact the place you got it from and get it replaced as that is a manufacturing defect IMO


----------



## Phil828

I am starting to make a collection of AAA lights and I just received a couple Maratac lights today (one stainless steel and one copper). Very nice little lights, no noticeable PWM. I was surprised how much brighter they are than my LD01. They are much warmer too, the LD01 looks rather greenish in comparison. I am running Imedions in all of them.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

So, does the stainless one start on Low, or Medium?


----------



## Phil828

The stainless starts on medium, the copper starts on low.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks! I was hoping they had changed to the "Low" starting level with the stainless...I love it with my copper!


----------



## Gregozedobe

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Toohotruk said:


> I was hoping they had changed to the "Low" starting level with the stainless...I love it with my copper!


 
I have had several emails from Countycomm over the last 6 months or so claiming that they will be making all their small AAA lights with the L/M/H sequence "soon". I'm still waiting .....

Possibly with the revamp of their web site something may happen.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I keep hoping to hear that someone has a recently purchased SS Maratac that starts on Low...guess I'll just have to keep waiting. :sigh:


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

The AA version of the SS Maratac starts on Low. If you're looking to clip-carry the light, the slight increase in size won't be noticeable. (Different story on a keychain.)


----------



## DasFriek

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I just picked up a black iTP A3 EOS Upgraded, But paid a bit too much at $25 at my local small knife shop, But i like keeping them in business so the tad higher price don't bother me.
The light is reminds me of C4 explosives for the amount of power it packs in such a small package.
The quality and feel of the light is top notch imo. I think i would prefer a narrower beam as this one tends to be more of a flood imo. But the deeper reflector would impact size of course. But my opinion may change once i use the light more in real world applications.
Mine will go on my key chain eventually, But i like the idea of having one on my side table or work table as i always need a small light.
The low power settings and even medium are great for me as if its a "High only" light it will blind me when working on knives so close to my eyes.

Im new to the flashlight realm, Like four days new. So it doesn't take alot to amaze me since most things are completely new to me.
I will be working out a smaller way to connect the light to my key-chain as the included chain and clip i find bulky.

I look forward to buying more AAA and AA micro lights like this


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I recently purchased a new model ITP EOS A3, and I have updated this review with my testing results.

ITP has made significant upgrades to this light since it was first released. To start, the mode sequence has been changed to Lo > Med > Hi, and PWM frequency has been increased to visually undetectable levels (2.45 kHz in my testing). :thumbsup:







The emitter has been upgraded to a XP-G R5, which produces greater output. Here are some recent comparison beamshots:





























































Here is how this new version compares to other 1xAAA lights for output and runtime:

































As you can see, these are significant upgrades to the light. :thumbsup:


----------



## amraspalantir

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

whoa! so that explains it. i just had my one year old A3 repaired.when my light came back with a new head
i noticed the new sequence and the increased output!

nice update selfbuilt!

btw any results on the output on 10440's?


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



amraspalantir said:


> whoa! so that explains it. i just had my one year old A3 repaired.when my light came back with a new head
> i noticed the new sequence and the increased output!


Yes, for all intents and purposes, the new ITP EOS A3 is identical to the 4Seven Preon's standard modes. Both the PWM and output/runtime patterns appear identical.



> btw any results on the output on 10440's?


Sorry, don't plan to test it. Unless the light's circuit is rated for 10440, direct drive output on Hi is simply not safe IMO. Lo and Med should work fine (although both will be a lot brighter than standard cells). But of course, the unprotected nature of 10440s is problematic - you will over-drain them without warning, damaging the cells.


----------



## mzil

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



selfbuilt said:


> Sorry, don't plan to test it. Unless the light's circuit is rated for 10440, direct drive output on Hi is simply not safe IMO.


 
I have both the Maratac and the new itp A3 and run both with 10440 unprotected batts (protected I think wont fit due to length) but I am careful to monitor the heat as I use it (90% of the time for under 1min. on high, otherwise I'm using M or L) and I check for battery drain frequently, recharging when necessary. If I do mess up and over discharge I'm out $6, no big deal, in the meantime I have the brightest AAA flashlight I have ever encountered.

I'm still using the first 10440 batt I bought and it's about a year old. Even if it were to fail right now, getting one year's use of top notch brightness for $6/year is well worth it for me, although I have to admit I am a low use person. It is my keychain/EDC light mostly, used for if I drop something under my desk, and such.


----------



## Quality

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

What happened to the Medium mode on the R5 version of this light? Why is there an hour and a half drop in runtime(When comparing to the q5 version)? 

All of the other modes seem to have the same runtime with higher output?


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Quality said:


> What happened to the Medium mode on the R5 version of this light?


The new ITP circuit is now in-line with the Preon. Note that Olight makes both circuits (under their ITP brand, and customized for 4sevens). It stands to reason that they would consolidate under only one output level setup, it just happens to be much brighter on Med on standard batts. :shrug:


----------



## amraspalantir

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

hi. got some empere readings from the tailcap just a while ago.

Using crappy alkaline batts
L - 0.05a
M - 0.33
H - 0.80

Using ultrafire grey 10440
L - 0.02a
M - 0.19
H - 0.94

kinda strange i thought 10440 would give higher amperes than alkalines in mid and low. any comments?


----------



## Lynx_Arc

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



amraspalantir said:


> hi. got some empere readings from the tailcap just a while ago.
> 
> Using crappy alkaline batts
> L - 0.05a
> M - 0.33
> H - 0.80
> 
> Using ultrafire grey 10440
> L - 0.02a
> M - 0.19
> H - 0.94
> 
> kinda strange i thought 10440 would give higher amperes than alkalines in mid and low. any comments?


 
You forgot to take into account the higher voltage (about 3 times) this equates to 3 times the power to the LED at the same current


----------



## larrystorch

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I bought an ITP A3 upgraded about a year ago after reading a keyring light recommendation thread here on CPF.

It's been hanging off my keychain since then time with the same Energizer lithium battery ready to go if I need it (thankfully not that often ) Sure the anodizing is beat up a bit from your typical keyring abuse, but it gives it a nice worn look.

Big thanks to this forum and it's members for the great information.


----------



## njet212

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Selfbuilt i would like to report ITP A3 reliability, i gave 2 ITP EOS Q5 version to my mom and my friend. And today my friend ITP's just died becuse he dropped it and my moms ITP died because it's dropped often on concrete. So im guessing ITP A3 is not for hard use flashlight, at least looking at my mom's and friend ITP A3 records..


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

The walls of these lights are very thin. They rely on the AAA battery inside to not just power them, but increase the durability a bit if dropped.


----------



## njet212

It is very thin, if time permit i would open the driver and checked whats wrong with it. But it's still my favorite AAA looking at its features, size and price !!!


----------



## LG&M

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I hope selfbuilt will add the new olight i3 to the review and we can see how it compares to it's ITP sisters.


----------



## FlashlightPhreak

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Nice review, thanks. I ordered one from Shiningbeam today. Can't beat it for the price.


----------



## DrVette

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Here's MY Quote regarding the iTp A3 EOS


> For the "average" guy, the iTp A3 EOS 3-mode is the "last" flashlight you'll need to buy !



I got the 80 lumen XP-E Q5 version and it is GREAT, the beam is very floody, shines well to over 100', where I live anyway. [very dark, no street lights etc]

It's too bad these are a little pricey or I'd give one to every pal and relative I have.


----------



## Burgess

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



DrVette said:


> Here's MY Quote regarding the iTp A3 EOS . . . .
> 
> It's too bad these are a little pricey or I'd give one to every pal and relative I have.


 

Pricey ? ? ?


I just bought *quantity One* for $22.67, including shipping.

(XP-G R5 upgraded, Battery Junction, with CPF discount)


Seems like a True Bargain to me ! :twothumbs


I certainly LOVE this sweet little flashlight.


BTW -- Energizer L92 batteries are my prefered choice for AAA's.


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



DrVette said:


> It's too bad these are a little pricey or I'd give one to every pal and relative I have.


 
I bought mine brand new for $20 and change. One of the biggest advantages to the iTP A3 EOS is its very low price.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I agree...I see them as one of the best bang for the buck lights out there.


----------



## ps56k

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

great detail - thanks for all the info - 

We have the ITP A3 EOS Upgraded lights (old style M/L/H) on each of the keyrings in the house. Recently our son said his light didn't work when he and mom were out looking for something. I opened it up, and the Duracell had leaked just a tiny bit. Cleaned it out and popped in a new battery, and all is well.... there's another thread about one of these lights "exploding".

Since these lights for us are used only as needed, and when needed - 
does it make sense to swap out the Duracell Alka for the Energizer Lithiums ?

Not so much for run time, or even the shelf life, but rather better life without leaking ?

SO - are the Energizer Lithiums (4x and 8x) ok to use in the A3 EOS ?


----------



## 1anrm

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



ps56k said:


> great detail - thanks for all the info -
> 
> We have the ITP A3 EOS Upgraded lights (old style M/L/H) on each of the keyrings in the house. Recently our son said his light didn't work when he and mom were out looking for something. I opened it up, and the Duracell had leaked just a tiny bit. Cleaned it out and popped in a new battery, and all is well.... there's another thread about one of these lights "exploding".
> 
> Since these lights for us are used only as needed, and when needed -
> does it make sense to swap out the Duracell Alka for the Energizer Lithiums ?
> 
> Not so much for run time, or even the shelf life, but rather better life without leaking ?
> 
> SO - are the Energizer Lithiums (4x and 8x) ok to use in the A3 EOS ?



If you don't want leaks consider using nimh batteries such as eneloops will save you $ in the long run vs. energizer lithiums.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I have an eneloop in mine, and it never fails to light up when I need it, and there is no fear of leaky batteries.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I always use NiMH or L92 lithium (energizer lithium) in any 1xAAA light I carry. For gifting, I always hand them out with a L92 lithium installed, since I know most folks won't use rechargeables - I don't like taking chances with alkalines leaking.


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Yup, lithiums are the way to go in this case. No leaks.


----------



## lemoncola

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Hi,

Where do you get the ITP A3 R5 upgrade version with 90 lumen from? I look everywhere and cant find to buy. I really want to buy one.

Thanks


----------



## NaturalMystic

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



lemoncola said:


> Hi,
> 
> Where do you get the ITP A3 R5 upgrade version with 90 lumen from? I look everywhere and cant find to buy. I really want to buy one.
> 
> Thanks



First, welcome to the forum! I got my ITP EOS A3 from Going Gear back around Nov 2010. I just checked their site and am not seeing the ITP version but am seeing an Olight version called the "Olight i2 EOS 75 Lumen XP-G AA LED Flashlight". They also have different colored anodized versions listed but I'm not seeing the ITP version. There are other ITP models listed though.
Try Google again and see what comes up. Good luck!


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



lemoncola said:


> Where do you get the ITP A3 R5 upgrade version with 90 lumen from? I look everywhere and cant find to buy. I really want to buy one.


ITP was always manufactured by Olight (sort of a budget-line for them). They have now taken them back into the fold, and are just labeling all the lights as Olight. There may be a few vendors who still have old ITP inventory, but most everyone has switched to carrying the new Olight models.

The ITP A-series lights have beed replaced by the new Olight i-series lights (e.g. the A3 is now the i3). You can see a recent review I performed on the Olight i3 here.


----------



## Kyle K

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Got a couple from Amazon last week:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006K5C2EG/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Kyle


----------



## NaturalMystic

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



selfbuilt said:


> ITP was always manufactured by Olight (sort of a budget-line for them). They have now taken them back into the fold, and are just labeling all the lights as Olight. There may be a few vendors who still have old ITP inventory, but most everyone has switched to carrying the new Olight models.
> 
> The ITP A-series lights have beed replaced by the new Olight i-series lights (e.g. the A3 is now the i3). You can see a recent review I performed on the Olight i3 here.



Thanks for chiming in SB. Good to know we can always count on you for info! I've been out of the loop regarding lights for a while now as I've been happy with my current collection. I'll check out the i3, these are handy little backup lights.


----------



## HKJ

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



NaturalMystic said:


> I'll check out the i3, these are handy little backup lights.



The new i3 is not exactly the same as the A3. It is build on the same driver, like a couple of other lights, but the physical design is changed, on some points to the better, on other points it is worse. I have also done a review of it, but is is more technical. On my website you can also find comparisons between many AAA lights and they are not technical.


----------



## LanternLover

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Also available from ShiningBeam who offers a discount to CPF folks (check the CPF marketplace for the coupon code): http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-By-Manufacturer-cln-ITP/Categories

Also, you may know this already but it is worth mentioning that the older ITP A3 is not brighter than the newer Olight i3. Instead, their brightness was stated for different methods of measuring brightness (emitter lumens vs OTF lumens). So that shouldn't hold you back from buying the newer i3, which does have some small advantages over the older A3.


----------



## J_C

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Anyone know if there is a source for the old original stainless or Ti A3 version with med-low-high? I already have one and love it enough to buy more if possible, but don't want low first nor the new style bolt-on clip that can't be reversed like the old one could. Both of those factors are deal-breakers to me.


----------



## mzil

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

^Countycomm still has the Maratac AAA version, if that will do, in stainless steel and electro polished stainless steel, reversible clip, and the older M>L>H turn on sequence. I own both iTP and Maratac versions and I actually prefer the Maratac's more aggressive knurling and slightly shorter length.

Note: Their _newer_ versions, however, in normal, black, and copper, don't have the turn on sequence you requested.


----------



## J_C

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



mzil said:


> ^Countycomm still has the Maratac AAA version, if that will do, in stainless steel and electro polished stainless steel, reversible clip, and the older M>L>H turn on sequence. I own both iTP and Maratac versions and I actually prefer the Maratac's more aggressive knurling and slightly shorter length.
> 
> Note: Their _newer_ versions, however, in normal, black, and copper, don't have the turn on sequence you requested.



Thanks! I don't really care one way or the other about the knurling. On my A3 the first thing I did was polish away the edges on the knurling to make them smoother (not totally gone, just not sharp edged), flipped the clip around, ground the keychain nub off, ground the clip down shorter so it could tailstand, polished that, then put a piece of heatshrink tubing over the body tube and clip attachment point. 

That makes it MUCH nicer to hold in my mouth which I've ended up doing even more often than I'd imagined I would. Turns out I never have the head in my mouth though so the knurling being exposed there doesn't matter.


----------



## Eneloops

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



mzil said:


> ^Countycomm still has the Maratac AAA version, if that will do, in stainless steel and electro polished stainless steel, reversible clip, and the older M>L>H turn on sequence. I own both iTP and Maratac versions and I actually prefer the Maratac's more aggressive knurling and slightly shorter length.



I can second that. The electro-polished stainless steel AAA Maratac has been living around my neck on a piece of their "tether cord" which melts really well together, for a "break-away clasp" that is permanently closed. 

This thing has been my EDC since I got it, and it's been pretty amazing. That polished, stainless finish is pretty unreal. It looks really amazing. I got a pretty huge ding in mine, don't know how it happened so I don't know how hard it was hit. Other than that huge ding, the finish and exterior are still mint, like new, shiny as chrome off a trailer hitch. 

I REALLY like the knurling on the Maratac, because the stainless threads (even with fresh SuperLube) always seem hard to turn. That knurling provides some mean purchase!

The Maratac lanyard hole LOOKS weak, but mine has performed it's duty without a hiccup - and there's a break test on youtube - but I do like how hardcore the lanyard hole is on the ITP A3 EOS, since I never do "tailstands" at stoplights anyway. Being around my neck, it's pretty much an in-the-mouth affair. Don't know if anyone else does that, and I won't let anyone borrow my light, but it's like a coach with a chrome whistle, quickly held between my upper teeth and bottom lip with that neck lanyard (with a titanium carrier bead, just for grins). It is just really convenient. That tiny form factor, with Sanyo Eneloops, makes having it constantly there is an easy reality. 

I sleep with it around my neck. I haven't been strangled yet, but often I forget it's there and fall asleep with it. The only time I take it off is in the shower. It's embarrassing. It's too shiny, like jewelry around my neck. I have been covering it up, zipped inside my jacket, but now the weather is warming up, so I might have to wear it under my shirt. Then salt and sweat will test just how stainless that steel really is. I would have preferred sand-blasted stainless, but polished was all they had available when I got it, but I just am really happy that it's stainless. And steel. Too many anodized aluminum flashlights out there. 

Copper sounds cool. But it's really expensive, and tarnishes so quick. I wouldn't like how copper tastes in my mouth - since I do "mouth carry" from neck lanyard. It would look dirty, and green, all tarnished, and probably taste like a dirty penny. Stainless is tastefully food-safe. Something to consider. 

I do need to "upgrade" this thing though. One day. A titanium specimen will replace it, but it's gotta be nice. Titanium. With the best knurling. I only want one mode, bright. Momentary and on/off tail switch that tastes good.

I gotta say, hanging from a neck lanyard, the Maratac lanyard clip thing - how it's off to the side - makes it hang funny, but provides a nice thumb-spot for holding in cigar-mode. I wouldn't know where to put my thumb on the ITP A3 EOS, but it would hang straight, so that would be pretty cool...


----------



## J_C

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

When I received mine I put brasso on the threads and worked them back and forth a few times. That got rid of the typical grating associated with SS or Ti light threads, then instead of a heavy lube I used vasoline (which some argue will degrade the o ring but o rings have not been made out of natural rubber which would degrade for a very long time). The result is I have no need for knurling at all, unless I were wearing very slippery gloves. Take it for what it is worth, your needs may vary.


----------



## jamesmyname

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I absolutely love mine. It's the light that started for me what will surely spiral out of control into full-blown flasholicism. I never thought I'd EDC a flashlight, but I have been since I got it a few months ago. I'm very happy with the size to brightness ratio. I have a white-collar job, and I don't even notice it (nor is it visible) in the pocket of my slacks. 

I recently got a set of Eneloops and I plan on trying out a 10440 in it soon. Aside from a lack of tailstanding, I don't really see any significant faults with it.


----------



## 7clpz

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Just got an ITP A3 R5 96 lumens. Didn't realize that in medium setting the runtime would be only about 2hr 9 mins -- considerably less than the runtime for the 80 lumens ITP A3 version (3.5hrs). 

Does anyone know of a similar 1AAA multi-mode EDC w/ around 3hr runtime in medium mode and around similar price range (besides going back to the 80 lumen ITP A3 version)?


----------



## kreisl

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



7clpz said:


> Just got an ITP A3 R5 96 lumens. Didn't realize that in medium setting the runtime would be only about 2hr 9 mins -- considerably less than the runtime for the 80 lumens ITP A3 version (3.5hrs).
> 
> Does anyone know of a similar 1AAA multi-mode EDC w/ around 3hr runtime in medium mode and around similar price range (besides going back to the 80 lumen ITP A3 version)?



hi, i measured runtimes myself, repeatedly with Eneloop AAA's, and posted the average typical maximum runtime in a thread of another flashlight forum. The runtimes are in the table there.


----------



## J_C

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



7clpz said:


> Just got an ITP A3 R5 96 lumens. Didn't realize that in medium setting the runtime would be only about 2hr 9 mins -- considerably less than the runtime for the 80 lumens ITP A3 version (3.5hrs).
> 
> Does anyone know of a similar 1AAA multi-mode EDC w/ around 3hr runtime in medium mode and around similar price range (besides going back to the 80 lumen ITP A3 version)?





kreisl said:


> hi, i measured runtimes myself, repeatedly with Eneloop AAA's, and posted the average typical maximum runtime in a thread of another flashlight forum. The runtimes are in the table there.



Yes but that was on high mode. I think they got it right the first time, still love my modified v1 A3 Ti and doubt I will ever replace it unless it fails. Wouldn't trade it to gain a few lumens since it's small/broad beam, like having the clip in reverse (ground down to a length that lets it tail-stand after I ground off the keychain nub) which the Olight replacement can't do w/o buying a 3rd party clip, and prefer it starts out on medium mode since it doesn't have mode memory. I'd be fine with it having only the medium mode.

Interestingly the knurling on the body tube on mine seems to stop a little further from the head end, leaving enough space for the clip to be put on in reverse without it sliding around. I'm not sure if the one you pictured in the linked review would allow that w/o grinding down the top of the clip.

Oddly mine started making a humming sound on medium about 9 months ago, but after a few days of doing that the noise went away. Maybe it was just the ambient temperature, I was using it outside and it was winter at the time.


----------



## mactavish

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



Kyle K said:


> Got a couple from Amazon last week:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006K5C2EG/?tag=cpf0b6-20
> 
> Kyle



OK, it's over a year now, since the post I've "quoted" above, and recently I got bite by the tiny flashlight bug, and was able to find "almost" the last iTP on the planet, or at least on Amazon. Paid $40.00 for the black version. At the time, the amazon page said "last one", but I'm beginning to see a bit of a scam with these "last item available" notes, as a day later, there was in fact another one available, if you click the link above, today 6-23-2013, you will see another one for sale for............ wait............ $149.00...... OUCH! 

Spending far too much time here, reading about all the tiny AAA flashlights I love, I know you can get a custom AAA or buy 3-5 other brands. I guess that's just greed, and even though I really like my iTP, impressive output, etc. I would never pay more then I originally did. But since I like it so much, I don't want to get it all scratched up as my EDC on my keyring. Would have bought a 2nd one, if the price was not jacked up beyond belief, or my modest budget. So I settled on ordering a Titanium "illuminaTi-CA1", from BatteryJunction.com. While I'm not keen on a shiny Titanium body, with all the knurling on almost the entire body, I figured any key scratches would not really show up. The specs for this light, are almost identical to my black iTP. So yeah, spent another $50.00, and I'm only hoping the Titanium is not too much heavier then the aluminum body iTP, I know there both tiny, but I've got enough weight from the "keys" in my pocket so every "gram" counts. So if you have "deep pockets", go get the "last one" ha ha, of the iTP! I guess I just got lucky for once.


----------



## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

That price is absolutely ridicules!


----------



## mactavish

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Yeah, at first I thought it was a "misprint", but then realized, there's a SUCKER born everyday, I imagine someone will end up paying 4x what I did. In a few days, I'll have the Titanium "illumaTi" for EDC, hope it's not much heavier.


----------



## Monocrom

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I'm going to list mine for $9999.99, and finally get that Rolex Submariner I've always wanted.


----------



## J_C

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



mactavish said:


> . So yeah, spent another $50.00, and I'm only hoping the Titanium is not too much heavier then the aluminum body iTP, I know there both tiny, but I've got enough weight from the "keys" in my pocket so every "gram" counts. So if you have "deep pockets", go get the "last one" ha ha, of the iTP! I guess I just got lucky for once.



I bought the Christmas edition Ti version used on eBay for $20 and it's the best LED light value I ever spent... use it multiple times a day. Granted I modded it to get rid of the keyring nub so it would tailstand, reversed the clip so on a ballcap it's a headlamp, ground down that clip so it would still tailstand, and put heatshrink tubing on it so it was comfortable in my mouth for hands-free use. At this point, it is priceless.


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## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



mactavish said:


> Yeah, at first I thought it was a "misprint", but then realized, there's a SUCKER born everyday, I imagine someone will end up paying 4x what I did. In a few days, I'll have the Titanium "illumaTi" for EDC, hope it's not much heavier.


Yes, that is a ridiculous example of the effect of scarcity.  Presumably most would not know that the ITP A3 was replaced by the slightly upgraded Olight i3 (once Olight dropped the ITP sub-brand - see my i3 review here). And since then, the i3 has been upgraded to the i3s (which I have heard now has a current-controlled circuit, but have not tested one personally).


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## mactavish

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks "J C" Looking forward to comparing my iTP to the Titanium Innovations - "illuminaTi" I ordered, in a few days. The specs look very similar other then the exterior material and finsish.

Thanks, "selfbuilt", may have missed that review, but will read it now, from all that I did read, seems many were disappointed in the product Olight came out with compared to the early iTP and Maratac models, so I did not consider that line. BTW: love your side by side photos, gives one a really good idea of scale when you see various models one might be interested in, next to one another, helped my shopping immensely.


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## J_C

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



mactavish said:


> ... In a few days, I'll have the Titanium "illumaTi" for EDC, hope it's not much heavier.



A few grams but once you add the weight of the battery the difference is slight, and banging around in your pocket it's nice to avoid surface color erosion with a Ti (or SS) light opposed to anodized Al. We see great pictures of some of these Al lights but obviously they were taken before any significant period of EDC.


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## mactavish

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Thanks, that was my thinking, I tried to research "steel", "stainless steel", various finishes in Titanium, though my choices in the tiny AAA kind in my budget range did not include all those options. Maratac had what looked like a nice scratch resistant finish, a "buffed stainless", but the specs seemed behind, older, less lumens, older Cree, etc. compared to their other AAA offerings, so I wrote them and got a response saying the entire line was going to get an "update", so keep an eye on Maratac if you like these as well. In the end I'm not going to OCD on scratches, but figured with a little research and planning, it couldn't hurt to see what the best finishes are for a keychain EDC pocket light could be.


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## ps56k

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



mactavish said:


> OK, it's over a year now, and recently I got bite by the tiny flashlight bug, and was able to find "almost" the last iTP on the planet, or at least on Amazon. Paid $40.00 for the black version.


Really ?? - 
Over the years, I bought several of the orig/upgraded versions for about $20 each - for everyone in the house.
I'm sure a quick look around at all the usual CPF vendors will yield the same range of $20 ITP A3 EOS lights.


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## mactavish

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



ps56k said:


> Really ?? -
> Over the years, I bought several of the orig/upgraded versions for about $20 each - for everyone in the house.
> I'm sure a quick look around at all the usual CPF vendors will yield the same range of $20 ITP A3 EOS lights.



Yes really, unless I'm not good at googling or need a better search engine. Sure, you can find a decent amount of the older ones, but for the model I bought a week a go: "iTP A3 EOS 96 Lumen Flashlight-Upgrade" from here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006K5C2EG/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Now selling for stupid money. Have NOT found another source for these, they are long out of production. If you have a source for this particular model, I'll take 2!


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## ps56k

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

wow - didn't realize the ITP brand went away and is now the Olight offerings...
Was just reading some of the threads and reviews - such as this one the Olight i3S - 
Guess I would have to try one of those if I needed to replace any of our ITP lights...


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## mactavish

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



ps56k said:


> wow - didn't realize the ITP brand went away and is now the Olight offerings...
> Was just reading some of the threads and reviews - such as this one the Olight i3S -
> Guess I would have to try one of those if I needed to replace any of our ITP lights...



The "Olight" has not received great reviews. You might want to consider looking at both Titanium Innovations - "illuminaTi", as well as the Maratac offerings, both seem closer in specs to the original iTP lights.


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## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



mactavish said:


> The "Olight" has not received great reviews.


The i3 is basically the same light as the A3, with some minor build differences - the circuit is unchanged from later model A3s. I would consider them equivalent.

The i3s does have a revised circuit, but I haven't tested it yet. I would expect it would show improved performance (i.e., current-control is more efficient, with no PWM flicker).


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## mactavish

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Can't wait to see you review the newer model. 

In my earlier research, which I can't remember that well or I would list the reasons, maybe lesser output specs, perhaps certain small features, I know they are close in basic design, not sure, but the Olight replacement for my iTP A3 EOS "upgraded", was not appealing enough for me, not to look at other similar brands or copies, Maratac, illuminTi to name two AAA mini's. Hopefully Olight has made improvements since I was doing my shopping. I received an email from Maratac support, they are supposedly updating their AAA lights, not sure what models.


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## EngrPaul

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I've bought several of these lights. One died and was replaced. Over time, all of them have developed one common problem: *FOGGY LENS.* 

I'm not sure what is causing it, perhaps silicone in the manufacturing process becomes vaporized and condenses on the glass. I've been hesitant to buy more because of this issue.


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## sfxd45

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I've been thinking of getting both of these lights. This excellent review made it that much easier. Thank you for your time.


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## J_C

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Sorry to revive such an old topic but this seems to be the main topic for the iTP EOS A3.

Was there some kind of last generation redesign with a different keyring clasp, higher lumen output, and price reduction? That among other minor differences in what I've seen as genuine iTP EOS A3, BEFORE they switched to Olight branding, makes me wonder if the following are fake?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BM5GQ2/?tag=cpf0b6-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006K5C2EG/?tag=cpf0b6-20

http://www.ebay.com/itm/iTP-A3-EOS-...hain-Flashlight-Upgrade-Version-/171733971588

http://www.ebay.com/itm/iTP-A3-EOS-...in-Flashlight-Upgrade-Version-1X/112060360623

http://www.ebay.com/itm/iTP-A3-EOS-...ght-130-Lumens-w-6-AAA-Batteries/141606898311

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aimkon-ITP-A3-EOS-Max-130-Lumen-LED-Flashlight-Cool-White/361483967771

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aimkon-iTP-...ght-Cool-White-New-Free-Shipping/252377122216

What do you think? Here is the website that some of them link to:
http://itpled.com/products

WAIT. I think I see what i going on here, IF it is true, Quote: " iTP brand and product lines were then aquired by Aimkon Outdoors, a US based LED Flashlight Company. " so are they just slapping the iTP brand on a generic Chinese clone, or was the iTP brand even sold to this company?


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## selfbuilt

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*



J_C said:


> WAIT. I think I see what i going on here, IF it is true, Quote: " iTP brand and product lines were then aquired by Aimkon Outdoors, a US based LED Flashlight Company. " so are they just slapping the iTP brand on a generic Chinese clone, or was the iTP brand even sold to this company?


Interesting, I have no idea. They are definitely using the old iTP branding, which I haven't seen in many years (since Olight took over the product line). In the end, it is hard to know with these things. :shrug:


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## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I like the new clip/attachment point.


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## kreisl

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

I have the *Maratac AAA SS *XP-G2 coolwhite with PWM driver. Should be Rev3 (or lower). I noticed that it has superior efficiency to any of my other AAA lights. At High mode the brightness is around 95 Fenix lumens and most importantly its High mode brightness level *is* constant. I was interested in learning if the current draw from the battery confirms the logics: for constant brightness the current has to increase when the voltage goes down! So i logged the current manually with my multimeter probes and that's what i got:







Because my hand was slightly moving/shaking during the 60min test run, the contact resistance was altered, which affected the current draw. That's why the graphed curve is not a smooth curve. I effing had to hold my hands still for effing 60mins exerting constant pressure on the probes!! 
So instead of letting my above test result go to waste, i decided to post/share it on CPF. It is interesting enough.

By the way, the above graph shows a poor run in a way because in my other tests, without DMM in series!, i got clearly over 50mins "of runtime", say between 52-55mins before the brightness harshly plummeted as seen in the below charts. The above graph shows that the light drops out of regulation at 43.5min already and then the current _gradually _decreases from the all too sudden 1.733A peak. It is safe to assume that such unexpected behavior is due to my measuring method affecting, i.e. falsifying the current draw by the driver. However, maybe such behavior could(?) be witnessed in RL with a high-resistance NiMH AAA battery with effectively also 800mAh capacity, who knows! - In any case, the point of my exercise was to document the rising current. Make no mistake, in most AAA lights including New Preon P1, Thrunite TiS, Thrunite Ti Ti, Ultratac K18, Olight AAA, Lumintop Tool, a. o., the current draw is falling, which in turn means that the brightness is decreasing, see below charts. I can't speak for Maratac AAA Rev4, i don't know of any review which analyzed its runtime-brightness performance - maybe because Maratac AAA per se is a very old model and CountyComm does not send out sponsored Forum Review Units of this basically old model.

It is a pity that there are not more Maratac AAA reviews (of all the different driver revisions) on the forum. More people need to realize that the Maratac AAA (at least the older revision!) sets the reference bar in terms of *efficiency *AND in terms of *constant brightness*. 

The Rev4 is afaik a PWM-free driver. But the fact that it is newer than Rev3 and or that it has a PWM-free driver does not necessarily mean that it beats the Rev3 in terms of efficiency and or constant brightness performance. A competent owner of both versions would need to test it in order to find out. I doubt that Rev4 is more efficient. I also own Lumintop Worm SS XP-G2 cw (latest production version) and Lumintop ToolTi XP-G2 cw. Both are clearly inferior to my Maratac SS: they are less bright and have a shorter runtime, while the Maratac just goes on and on like this (comparison of ToolTi Nichia vs Maratac AAA Cu Rev3):





Seeing how great the Rev3 performs, i absolutely don't mind that it is a PWM driver. Afaik the Ultratac K18 is also a PWM driver and i don't see owners complaining that it is too low frequency or any issue. Here a compilation of AAA with some relevant models:


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## Toohotruk

*Re: ITP A3 EOS & Maratac AAA Reviews: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, DETAILED PICS & more!*

Interesting...thanks for all the great work! :thumbsup:


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