Let’s hear from the hard core AAA users!

[PaladinNO]

May I ask the appeal of AAA-lights (or AA lights)? What can they do that bigger lights can't?

I don't mean to be snarky about it, but I find AA - and especially AAA - lights to simply be too small. They disappear into pockets, they have low runtime, low output - and whenever I wanted to use it (I carried a Coast G10 and G19 for a time, then a triple-AAA G45 before switching to 18650), I felt like needing a pair of tweezers to actually operate the light. And the price isn't that much different than a 21700 sized Convoy.

Weight is an argument I often see...but even the Acebeam E75 only weigh 3 times as much than the Coast G19. 3 times the weight may sound like much, but not when it's 220 g (rounded up) to 70 g - that's a negligible difference when holding it or carrying it in a pocket. In my honest opinion.

I used to like AA-lights. The had the obvious appeal of replacement cells (alkaline) being easily available. But pracically, the output was often insufficient for my needs, the runtime was horrible, and if I needed a light after some time, the battery was always dead. And switching to Eneloops didn't make things much better, other than constantly needing to recharge them. Though that changed when I got the 8x AA Fenix TK45 "minigun" light - that had both the output and runtime to last me what I needed to do.

I see the point of a 5 Lumen output. Not waking the missus or making sure not to thread on the cat during those late night visits - but most lights (at least the ones worth buying) have a Moonlight mode now. And I'm not talking about the Fenix LR80R idea of "Eco" at 50 Lumen. 0,5 Lumen or thereabout is plenty when it's otherwise dark - but when the light can't do much more (I checked the Lumintop Tool - 110 Lumen for 30 minutes is nothing), what's the point?

And if a second, bigger light is needed for those more demanding tasks...what purpose does the AAA-light have at all? Please, enlighten me - what did I do wrong when I were using the AAA Coast lights?

EDIT:
Full disclosure, I will admit a 18650 light would be more handy to carry around than a 21700 light in many of my cases.

 

[Monocrom]

On a personal basis, single-AAA or 10440 lights are useful for the minimalist form-factor. Sure, a 10180 is much smaller. But when the battery dies, you can't just toss in an alkaline equivalent and keep using the light. Multiple AAAs for one flashlight, I don't see the point. We have gotten to the level where a 14500 can rival an RCR123 battery. Plus, the former gives you the option of tossing in AA alkalines if needed. (Though not all 14500s let you do that.)

 

[gurdygurds]

May I ask the appeal of AAA-lights (or AA lights)? What can they do that bigger lights can't?

I don't mean to be snarky about it, but I find AA - and especially AAA - lights to simply be too small. They disappear into pockets, they have low runtime, low output - and whenever I wanted to use it (I carried a Coast G10 and G19 for a time, then a triple-AAA G45 before switching to 18650), I felt like needing a pair of tweezers to actually operate the light. And the price isn't that much different than a 21700 sized Convoy.

Weight is an argument I often see...but even the Acebeam E75 only weigh 3 times as much than the Coast G19. 3 times the weight may sound like much, but not when it's 220 g (rounded up) to 70 g - that's a negligible difference when holding it or carrying it in a pocket. In my honest opinion.

I used to like AA-lights. The had the obvious appeal of replacement cells (alkaline) being easily available. But pracically, the output was often insufficient for my needs, the runtime was horrible, and if I needed a light after some time, the battery was always dead. And switching to Eneloops didn't make things much better, other than constantly needing to recharge them. Though that changed when I got the 8x AA Fenix TK45 "minigun" light - that had both the output and runtime to last me what I needed to do.

I see the point of a 5 Lumen output. Not waking the missus or making sure not to thread on the cat during those late night visits - but most lights (at least the ones worth buying) have a Moonlight mode now. And I'm not talking about the Fenix LR80R idea of "Eco" at 50 Lumen. 0,5 Lumen or thereabout is plenty when it's otherwise dark - but when the light can't do much more (I checked the Lumintop Tool - 110 Lumen for 30 minutes is nothing), what's the point?

And if a second, bigger light is needed for those more demanding tasks...what purpose does the AAA-light have at all? Please, enlighten me - what did I do wrong when I were using the AAA Coast lights?

EDIT:
Full disclosure, I will admit a 18650 light would be more handy to carry around than a 21700 light in many of my cases.

I don't know what you do for a living, but in my occupation I don't need a flashlight. I don't work a nightshift, in low-light conditions, in attics, or crawl-spaces, and I'm not inspecting things outside or in inclosed spaces. I use flashlights like any common person would. That's not necessarily true because I'm an admitted weirdo that uses flashlights when I don't need to. Point being, I don't need to carry around a larger lithium-ion based light when a tiny AAA light gives me enough, or even MORE than enough light than I need. Plus I just find them to be fun, not to mention the fact that the batteries are literally everywhere. So, I don't think what you're saying is snarky at all, and I went that route for a bit, thinking I needed high output and beefier batteries that could sustain that output. Turns out.....I don't. I like messing around with small lights around the house, find them useful in the morning and night on my keychain, and of course have a few that will be useful in power outages or if I need to be hands free. That's just me.

 

[PaladinNO]

On a personal basis, single-AAA or 10440 lights are useful for the minimalist form-factor.

I see that one, from a stylish point of view. If you're in a meeting, a twin-AAA penlight would be more prudent than a 21700 bulge.
Goodness, I see it now - here you all are, in fine suits around the board meeting table, and here I come, my pair of titanium lights clinking in the pants pockets. >-<

Multiple AAAs for one flashlight, I don't see the point. We have gotten to the level where a 14500 can rival an RCR123 battery. Plus, the former gives you the option of tossing in AA alkalines if needed. (Though not all 14500s let you do that.)

Yes, my G45 was my last AAA-light before getting my beloved Fenix PD35 (2014 model, 960 Lumen, single 18650). Didn't do any 16340 / CR123 lights other than a pair of Jetbeam EC-R16's - the form factor did NOT appeal to me; it was much too short.

I also see the point with 14500. I got a TS10 - the output is impressive for its size, but when it doesn't take AA-alkalines as a backup...well, such lights needs to take AA as well to have a purpose other than being collectibles in my book.

 

[gurdygurds]

Back to the love, I found some old photos of a “gold” E01 of mine that I attacks with a dremel. I dubbed him, “E-3PO” and I miss him dearly. Stop selling lights Gurdygurds. Especially E01s.

 

[PaladinNO]

I don't know what you do for a living, but in my occupation I don't need a flashlight.

Currently working in IT, so my current pocketable illumination needs is barely there (still EDC both an Acebeam E75 Ti and Emisar D4K Ti, just in case).

My needs came from my previous job. Practically working in a storage hall, where I often used a flashlight as a guide beam (a LEP would have been the dream back then) to point at something up to 30 meters down the hall and 3 shelves up (people often came to me, as I knew where most things were - and it was either leaving my spot where I was working and walk with them, or use a light to shine at what they wanted). I felt 1000 Lumen were the minimum requirement. But no, we weren't issued flashlights or even had the need considered - but it was more efficient for me.

So, I don't think what you're saying is snarky at all, and I went that route for a bit, thinking I needed high output and beefier batteries that could sustain that output. Turns out.....I don't. I like messing around with small lights around the house, find them useful in the morning and night on my keychain, and of course have a few that will be useful in power outages or if I need to be hands free. That's just me.

I used to have some double-AA lights (Fenix E21) around the house for outages...but they were also either dead, or didn't last very long if the power actually went out.
We have very stable power here, and it goes briefly maybe once or twice a year. But enough for me to want some emergency lights around the house (though the actual* reason for me wanting some handheld light is another).

*I was watching Aliens on TV when I was younger. It was winter, it was well over midnight (so completely dark outside), and I was getting sleepy, dozing in the sofa. Having seen the movie before, I wasn't paying that much attention. Except this time, in the scene where the aliens cut the power - at that exact moment - ...we get a blackout in the house.

Outage didn't last more than a few seconds, but I was no longer sleepy after that! And I had no flashlight nearby at all at that time, only in a drawer at the house entry, 2 rooms away. My legs were so shaky after that experience, I was barely able to walk. And that's when I decided I want some emergency flashlights in the house - and just some flashlights in general - and I wanted them right then!

 

[jabe1]

I like to have a flashlight on me most times, but I don’t care for bulky stuff in my pockets. AAA lights or one of the smaller (diameter) AA lights fit the bill. I usually don’t need tremendous output or really long runtimes.
I do have many larger lights, and too many headlamps, but I have uses for them too, just don’t edc them much. I’m not going to use a C2 with a triple drop-in to read a menu or look for something dropped on the floor. Such lights are great for dog walks in the park though.

 

[TPA]

May I ask the appeal of AAA-lights (or AA lights)? What can they do that bigger lights can't?

As much as AAA lights aren't for me, I can make strong arguments for why someone would want them.
They're small, lightweight, and because of that are convenient and readily available, especially for the unwashed masses.

My fiancé has the Lumintop EDC01 AAA on her keychain, pink of course. 5 / 32 / 120 lumens gives her 36h / 4h / 30m of runtime respectively. Some sort of OSRAM emitter, 6500K, not high CRI. Not something I'd ever want to use myself. Most importantly: It's always on her keychain, readily available for use. That last part is the important one. If I gave her an 18650, it'd end up in the bottom of the bottomless pit known as her purse. I already have a slim motion-activated floodlight (Mr Beams MB800) in there so she can find things.

Would an AA fit on her keychain? Some of the smaller ones, certainly. BUT, it would be heavier and more noticeable to her. The AAA fits the bill here.

The TS10V2 (14500) fits in my pocket, no matter how small the pocket may be. Even where an 18650 wouldn't fit. A night out on the town? The 14500 will get the job done, as there's always at least one 18650/21700 light in the car, even if it's a rental.

Would I want an AAA light to be my only source of accessible light? NO. Which is why I have my Lumintop EDC15/Tool 2.0 AA mutt on my keychain, and something else in the pocket. More lights in the laptop bag, carry-on, etc.

 

[dc38]

May I ask the appeal of AAA-lights (or AA lights)? What can they do that bigger lights can't?

I don't mean to be snarky about it, but I find AA - and especially AAA - lights to simply be too small. They disappear into pockets, they have low runtime, low output - and whenever I wanted to use it (I carried a Coast G10 and G19 for a time, then a triple-AAA G45 before switching to 18650), I felt like needing a pair of tweezers to actually operate the light. And the price isn't that much different than a 21700 sized Convoy.

Weight is an argument I often see...but even the Acebeam E75 only weigh 3 times as much than the Coast G19. 3 times the weight may sound like much, but not when it's 220 g (rounded up) to 70 g - that's a negligible difference when holding it or carrying it in a pocket. In my honest opinion.

I used to like AA-lights. The had the obvious appeal of replacement cells (alkaline) being easily available. But pracically, the output was often insufficient for my needs, the runtime was horrible, and if I needed a light after some time, the battery was always dead. And switching to Eneloops didn't make things much better, other than constantly needing to recharge them. Though that changed when I got the 8x AA Fenix TK45 "minigun" light - that had both the output and runtime to last me what I needed to do.

I see the point of a 5 Lumen output. Not waking the missus or making sure not to thread on the cat during those late night visits - but most lights (at least the ones worth buying) have a Moonlight mode now. And I'm not talking about the Fenix LR80R idea of "Eco" at 50 Lumen. 0,5 Lumen or thereabout is plenty when it's otherwise dark - but when the light can't do much more (I checked the Lumintop Tool - 110 Lumen for 30 minutes is nothing), what's the point?

And if a second, bigger light is needed for those more demanding tasks...what purpose does the AAA-light have at all? Please, enlighten me - what did I do wrong when I were using the AAA Coast lights?

EDIT:
Full disclosure, I will admit a 18650 light would be more handy to carry around than a 21700 light in many of my cases.

I carry 2 primary lights daily...A Novatac with a 16650 tube, and a KR1AA or D3AA with a 4 pack of spare NiMH AA. The Nova is punchy, and great for lighting up long dark stretches of road/hallways, and can last an entire shift+ @70ish lumens on a full charge.

The smaller AA powered lights are "backup" primaries, and are used for anything from car engine troubles to garage/crawlspace cleaning, bathroom runs, etc. They actually last quite a while on 120-200 lumens with a NiMH; with the 4 pack of spares, I'm looking at roughly the same runtime as the Nova, while having a higher, floodier output.

Even if you don't carry spare cells, the KR1AA and D3AA are quite efficient, and offer enough light to complete many tasks. To repeat what others have said, they offer a minimal profile in more form-fitting attire, and are "elegant" enough to accompany as well. Sadly, though, you'll never see 007 pull out one of these in doodoo brown:

 

[PaladinNO]

So it's also much a style thing - carrying a light descreetly. That is fair, and I definitely see that usecase.
That was never an issue for me though, as I always wore work pants / cargo pants and I needed a light to perform and didn't have to look pretty doing it.

Keychain lights I agree with, as that is an obvious both size and weight issue. I currently got a pair of Nitecore Tip SS on my own keyrings (I don't like built-in, non-replaceable solutions, but they are the most space efficient). And that's the only place where I am looking to replace them with a AA-light (looking at the Lumintop Tool AA Ti, but price and availability is a problem).

Thank you, all - I asked for usecases, and I got them, several of which I had not considered (or never applied to me).

 

[this_is_nascar]

While looking on Amazon to check their availability of the UltraTac A1 (AA), I came across the UltraTac K1 (AAA). Since I've never heard of it, let alone own it, I figured what the heck.

Well, that was $10 down the crapper. Probably the least desire AAA light in my collection. It has the worst UI of any of my lights. It starts on the next level from whatever it was using when last turned off. It has High, Low and Strobe.

It uses a reverse clicky that's exposed and susceptible to accidental activation. The LED is a cool white older-type emitter. The physical light looks nice, but that's about it.

It's a shame that whoever designed their A1 (a great light in my opinion) didn't have input into this K1.

 

[RWT1405]

Which is why I have my Lumintop EDC15/Tool 2.0 AA mutt on my keychain, and something else in the pocket. More lights in the laptop bag, carry-on, etc.

Be advised, I've just ordered 2 each (EDC15's and Tool 2.0 Nichia's) to try this combo out (I'm holding YOU responsible for this!)

So, be expecting a bill, to cover the cost of this experiment!

Like I needed this, as I had also just ordered a couple of Fenix E12 V3.0's to also try out

Y'all are going to make/keep me broke!

LOL

 

[TPA]

Fwiw, here's what the Lumintop EDC15 body + Lumintop Tool AA 2.0 Mutt looks like, along with my finacé's EDC01, with a credit card for size comparison. :

Sorry on the card choice, but it's the only card in my wallet which doesn't have personally or organizational-identifying material on both sides.

 

[TPA]

Keychain lights I agree with, as that is an obvious both size and weight issue. I currently got a pair of Nitecore Tip SS on my own keyrings (I don't like built-in, non-replaceable solutions, but they are the most space efficient). And that's the only place where I am looking to replace them with a AA-light (looking at the Lumintop Tool AA Ti, but price and availability is a problem).

I had a Rovyvon A5 on my keychain for awhile, but it always seemed that the battery was dead or close to it, not good for a keychain light where I'm reaching for a light because I need it in the moment. That's why I went the AA route myself. I liked the size and brightness and features of the A5, but it was always dead.

Be advised, I've just ordered 2 each (EDC15's and Tool 2.0 Nichia's) to try this combo out (I'm holding YOU responsible for this!)

So, be expecting a bill, to cover the cost of this experiment!

I wish I knew, I would have drop shipped you one combo. ONE. You ordered two of each; that's on you. :)

 

[RWT1405]

I wish I knew, I would have drop shipped you one combo. ONE. You ordered two of each; that's on you. :)

So, I got to mate the EDC15 with the Tool 2.0 Nichia and..............

I REALLY LIKE IT!

So why in the good lords name is Lumintop NOT making that as a single flashlight?

Sell it for what, $20 - $25, they'd make a killin' off it!

Who runs that company?

They really need to have their heads examined!

LOL

 

[Monocrom]

Snagged a Maratac Peanut Beast XL 3.0 Flashlight kit on County Comm.

You want maximum lumens in a single-AAA form factor? There you go.

 

[TPA]

So, I got to mate the EDC15 with the Tool 2.0 Nichia and..............
I REALLY LIKE IT!
So why in the good lords name is Lumintop NOT making that as a single flashlight?
Sell it for what, $20 - $25, they'd make a killin' off it!

Isn't it though? I wish they'd get the "Mutt" in a major retailer. Those at an Autozone or Lowes would be great.

The nice part is the 'reverse mutt', the Tool body with the EDC15 head makes a great backup light to toss in the car, etc. So it's not like you have unused parts after this.

 

[Robocop]

I hope this is a correct thread for this question and it is related to the AAA crowd so I figured I would give it a go here. I was just looking through a very old box of goodies and found a package (5 total) of standard 1-AAA bodies only. They are all the dull gray anodizing like the old ARC AAA and actually look identical to the ARC AAA however have no writing on them. (I think they actually are ARC bodies) I simply can not remember where I bought them and they may actually have been bought new from ARC as spares however I vaguely remembering ordering from Peak as well. Regardless my old ARC AAA heads fit them perfectly and I am looking for anything that will fit these bodies that I can buy currently today.

My question for the AAA crowd here is can anyone tell me if the current version of the Peak Eiger AAA will fit these spare ARC bodies? They used to be interchangeable however I am not sure if the current Peak Eiger is still the same as the one from long ago. Also looking at Peaks site it does not appear they have anything in AAA that matches the anodizing on my spare bodies. If they do still fit I may just buy a few Eigers in stainless and use the heads on these bodies. If nothing else I will just use some of my old Peak stuff with these bodies for a kind of Frankenstein ARC AAA creation. I am planning on reaching out to Robyn at Peak to see if she has just some heads that they will allow me to purchase however if they do not fit I will not bother. Thanks for any information on this.

 

[archimedes]

Unless something has changed relatively recently, Peak and Arc shared the same thread specs. For AAA, even the McGizmo Sapphire did as well, if I remember correctly. The history of the Ti Arc AAA and the Sapphire are interesting in this regard.

A significant issue can be the tolerances however. These do differ among individual items, and moreso among brands, so I found a greater chance of out-of-spec "mismatch" when mixing parts like this.

 

[Robocop]

Thank you for the info and from what I have read I think you are correct as I do not think the Eiger has changed. I have sent Robyn an email however no response yet. I also read it can take some time to get a reply from peak. I have always been a fan of the Peak AAA and wish I would have bought many more when they were easily available. I still believe their AAA with their potted circuit was and still is the most durable design ever made.