# Energizer Tactical 1AA, Updated



## JNieporte (May 3, 2013)

A quick search here will pull up plenty of threads on the $15 Energizer Tactical light that runs on one AA battery. Well, it's bee updated again. Most frequently seen at Target, it's a bit improved. I don't have photos right now, but I'm sure somebody will put some up. I'll shoot some as soon as I have time. The differences between the latest version and the last version are below...

The Body
-Old: Thick aluminum, anodized black. Hand grenade texture. The head can unscrew with strap wrenches. 
-New: Same aluminum thickness and finish, but the squares of the "grenade" texture are closer together and smoother. The head can still unscrew with strap wrenches.

The Head
-Old: Smooth aluminum. Plastic lens; some had an O-ring and some didn't. OP reflector.
-New: Same exact head. Glass lens with an O-ring. Smooth reflector. I believe the emitter is different, as it looks smaller to me.

The Tailcap
-Old: Aluminum with the grenade texture. Male threads. Forward clicky. The switch protrudes a little bit past the tailcap, which is flat. The boot cover has light texturing.
-New: Aluminum with knurling. Male threads. Reverse clicky. The switch protrudes a little bit, but not as much. The tailcap has two cut-outs for your thumb. The boot cover is smooth, but has a"power" symbol molded in.

Performance:
-Old: Rated at 53 ANSI lumens. OP reflector gives a nice, clean beam.
-New: Rated at 50 ANSI lumens. Smooth reflector gives a tight, but ringy beam.
Honestly, you're picking between a smooth beam and a longer-reaching, but artifact-ridden beam. The throw isn't that much farther in the smooth reflector version. I switched reflectors to see what the difference would be, and there's no difference: it's just the reflector. The cost is the same. The old version could handle a 14500, but I haven't tried the new one with a 14500. The clips are the same.

Anybody else have the newest version of this light? I'm glad it got an upgrade, but it begs for an R2.


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## parnass (May 3, 2013)

I wonder what is "tactical" about the new version -- especially now that it has a reverse clicky and no longer supports momentary action. :thumbsdow


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## Locyarod (Oct 5, 2013)

Thanks for that breakdown. I was considering picking one of these up because they are cheap (and available), but the newer version sounds like a major step backward.


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## TheVat26 (Oct 6, 2013)

As the OP stated, the beam is very ringy. I actually find it distracting more than annoying. The rings do affect target recognition in my opinion.


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## T45 (Oct 6, 2013)

parnass said:


> I wonder what is "tactical" about the new version -- especially now that it has a reverse clicky and no longer supports momentary action. :thumbsdow



I bought 2 of the previous versions. For What it was, I liked it quite a bit. After buying This newest version? I Gave it to my mom.


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## StorminMatt (Oct 7, 2013)

Sounds like, if you are looking for a budget 1xAA, this Defiant light from Home Depot might be a better choice.









You get slightly more output (56 lumens) and a nice, smooth beam from the orange peel reflector. And it only costs $8.


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## mikekoz (Oct 7, 2013)

I bought the new version of this a few weeks back and returned it. It is a good light, but is no better than the old version I have had for the last few years.


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## El Camino (Oct 14, 2013)

I have two of the old version and one new version. The "updates" suck. I don't think it's any brighter, and the smooth reflector gives it a ringy beam, especially since the emitter is slightly off-center. The reverse-click switch sometimes sticks - enough that I don't consider it reliable.

The old one with OP reflector and forward click/momentary tailcap is far superior. The tail cap on that one also has squared threads.

I often EDC one of the older versions, and it has taken a beating. I dropped it from a 12 foot ladder onto solid concrete and it still works. I accidentally bent back the pocket clip, which would never go back, so I removed it.

They had a good thing and they ruined it with "improvements".


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