Tint is excellent. Output is anemic, though. Less than I was expecting on an Eneloop. This is really more like a close-quarters task light than an EDC, IMHO. I thought maybe it was the emitter, but my copper and titanium versions produce just about the same output. Kind of wishing I’d gotten the titanium in CREE.
aaa lights are just task lights… I edc them to read labels and to see things in a dark closet, but I dont use them to illuminate the sidewalk outdoors… I use 16340 lights for that role.
I only use AAA indoors and at close range. I find the medium mode of 20 lumens sufficient.
I dont use the maximum mode on any of my lights, I rely on Medium, and Low
when I want more lumens, and for outdoors, I step up to my RRT-01 loaded with 16340 or 18350. I still dont use maximum, as I seldom need more than 100 lumens
I have one of the XP-G3 Copper Tools. If you want to trade for one of the Nichia Cu Tools… PM me.
I’m not suggesting an EDC be a 1k thrower. But I have a couple AAA and smaller lights I use, with the Jetbeam Jet-U being the most carried. It’s more than twice as bright as my Lumintop Tool AAA, that seems like 80 lumens. Then there’s the Aurora A8 with proprietary 130mAh battery, Nichia 219C putting out 350 lumens. My Lumintop Geek also puts out 350 lumens from a CREE XP-L HD powered by a small 530mAh battery.
the “Drop” AAA light UI is actually pretty useable.
i hated it at first but really it isn;t bad.
usually [if it has been off more than about 10 sec] it starts on L.
press again is off.
press again soon [2 sec or less], it goes to M.
press again is off.
press again soon [2 sec or less], goes to H.
press again, off.
so if you press fast, it is L/off/M/off/H/off
it works a LOT better than it looks
plus the switch is very good, short travel, nice click, fast action
It does sound that way but it’s really not bad at all.
The switch takes very little effort to operate with a very short travel.
To switch modes its no different than a UI were you have to double tap for turbo.
Tap for on and tap, tap to change modes, tap for off. Simple UI and tap, tap is easy to get.
The switch is a short stroke momentary, very little effort and travel that seperates it from other lights.
Dont knock it until you try it .
true
Low CRI produces low quality spectrum (specifically unable to correctly show red properly), high quantity
High CRI produces High quality, lower quantity
brightness is not the most important thing, to me
As a beginner, I spent time looking at brightness specs, as a starting point
as I became a more experienced flashoholic, I started to realize quality is more important than quantity, to me
I do not use maximum on my AAA lights… so maximum is not important to me
I do use my AAA lights to look at things with red content, food, skin, flowers, clothing, art… so for me cree Color Rendering, is unacceptably disappointing, by comparison to Nichia
here is an example of a typical Cree LED Red output, compared to a Nichia
focus your attention on the Red bar
the LED on the left is much brighter… but so what?
If it cannot show me Red things properly, I am not happy
I’m just wandering if it’s really unusable in certain emergency situation, like when you have to find your way in darkness when you’re not carrying other lights.
And I know that you don’t like pwm, tgis light dont have pwm right?
Likewise. It was only a few years ago that I dropped concern for maximum output & focused more on beam quality (smoothness, flood, throw, and tint) and UI.
Three main strikes against “highest” relative output:
Something like a 30% difference is not very noticeable.
Small EDC lights are not “search” lights—so they don’t need to have massive output.
Most flashlight use is not on highest mode, and most flashlights step down shortly anyway.
If you need a flashlight for high priority searches in very dark zones, a massive flooder/thrower is ideal. Color rendering and ease of pocket carry won’t be important. My feeling is, if you want a tremendous thrower, go for a light dedicated for that purpose so a high mode can be sustained much longer.
On my AAA Tool, I have to wait at least 3 seconds to go back to “L”.
I’m a little disappointed in the output of the AAA Tool w/Nichia. IMHO, it’s quite low for what you get. Also wish there was a physical lockout, but at least the switch is nicely inset. The Jetbeam Jet-U seems to have double the output, while also being shorter & will deep pocket carry. It has a Cree XP-G2, which is on the cool side of neutral, but it’s not a bad beam. Serves it’s purpose for just quick use. I like the fact that it’s a twisty, so it’s totally locked out. I don’t employ it for longer tasks. But I’m going to try EDC’ing the AAA Tool again.
The major gripe I had with this light is how unbearably long it takes to start fully working after inserting a battery for the first time. It took mine something like 20 minutes, until it would do more than low mode! That is just bizarre. I’m expecting that won’t happen again, unless stowed away without a battery for a long time.
The version I have is L-M-H. I find the mode memory useful. Sometimes I want high to come on, if I’d used it last. I appreciate both twisty & switch. When you get the hang of it, you can easily operate a twisty single handed. The simplicity is nice (no switch to worry about going wrong, or accidental activation). It is shorter. I can see it, side-by-side, about 3~4mm. But it’s also more narrow. Really hides away nicely in the pocket corner, because of the deep carry & diameter.
Hah. I didn’t know that—thanks. Seems it’s not a complete lockout, as the switch still has power. If you lockout the head, press the switch, then tighten the head, it comes on. But at least it’ll prevent LED activation.
If the switch is on then the SuperCap is holding the FET gate open no matter if the light is on or off, which is draining the SuperCap.
Left on for long periods of time could completly drain the SuperCap. Then you’ll need to charge it for a few minutes again before it will work.
Just a tip, encase you screw the head back in and the light doesn’t come on, it’s not broken, it just needs charged again.