You have quite a few 4xAA lights out there. But they all have one thing in common: they’re all throw oriented lights. Why not a floody 4xAA light? Just because a 4xAA light is larger in diameter than a 1x18650 light, this doesn’t mean the light HAS to have a large, deep, throw-oriented reflector. You could just as well have a shallow, orange peel reflector for a nice, floody beam.
Absolutely. There’s a serious lack of AA-flooders. Would love to see some 3/4xAA with triple optics. Olight SR micro…
Perhaps it's market demand.
There are plenty of floodier 2AA lights even if they don't have the massive output of their Li-Ion contemporaries. For most non-flashaholics, these are small enough to be convenient, brighter than anything they could have imagined 5 years ago and economically priced.
3/4AA lights seem to be targeted at those wanting higher output which many people would probably associate with more throw. They are also significantly larger and heavier than 1/2AA alternatives. The Nitecore EA4, Sunwayman D40A and Eagletac GX25A3 all fall into this category. But it is a small market and an even smaller pool of more expensive lights to choose from.
Another issue may be the lack of readily available 4AA drivers for the myriad of budget makers pumping out cheap lights in 2AA and Li-Ion formats.
On the positive side, you can make a thrower a bit more floody with a diffuser or DC-fix but you can't go the other way!
Diffuser film is probably the easiest way and you can always take it back off. 4xAA is not all that popular. I believe it is because the manufacturers live and work in an environment where Li-ion is king, so they tend to make what is the most popular.
I don’t know how do you define ‘throwy’. My Starrylight SA-22 throws 240m but it still have good spills.
Even better, you can also leave a small ring around the outwe diameter near the bezel and still have a hotspot with all that diffused flood
When I think of ‘floody’, I think of your typical Zebralight beam.
I would love a floody (4) AA light.
How about the the new thrunite?
Forgot the name.
Should be 4AA
I think it's a best of both worlds ...Add diffuser material and take it back off in 2 seconds .
turning flood into throw is much harder and has much greater losses . .. I waited a long time before trying out diffuser material and finally was forced to use it with some really horrible ringy beams ..
try it you'll like it .
There’s a lack of mules in every format really.
Throw is more dictated by reflector diameter rather than depth. Having a tiny 20mm reflector on the front of a 4AA light is possible, but I suspect many would see it as not making use of the physical space.
Maybe a multi emitter setup would be better. But then it adds cost.
The Led Lenser P14.2 is a 4xAA torch and very floody:
http://www.ledco.co.uk/content/productView.aspx?prodId=10
I have, in some cases, removed the reflector. With some lights, it gives some serious flood (aka mule). You can add some wax paper on the glass for a diffuser. Depending on the light, it works “ok”.
This is the one I mentioned..
it looks more of a flooder.. especially with the op reflector
its called the Thrunite TN4A
I really cant get into stubby 4AA lights, I’ve owned 4 different ones and they all suffer from being too short to change modes comfortably with 1 hand.
Probably due to having large hands but I prefer the PA40 or Starry Light 4AA format of lights.
But if they made a 8AA version of this TN4A… that might be something I’d consider.
Also what is the XP-L LED? I haven’t read anything about it before.
Edit: just read some more google search results and ThruNite describes it as “the perfect compact thrower” on CPF.
Edit again: some interesting links on XP-L
There was mention of XM-L output from a XP-G footprint or something along those lines.
I guess that LED would make for some good throwers.
Its been the subject of quite a bit of debate here, its essentially an XML on an XPG footprint.
Easier to make a triple XML like EDC is what most have suggested its good for, that and XML output from lights typically restricted to XPG
Yeah just did a little reading on it, I’m surprised I didn’t read about it before and that more manufacturers don’t use it yet (that I know of anyway).
yes, but who knows those numbers are right...
at least it has an OP reflector, and it seems like not a very deep reflector either.. which would only help for more flood!
For hikes and walks in the woods a flooder is without a question the beam type to use.
If you use a thrower you can't see anything and you end up more stressed than anything. Anyone who has explored dense plant areas and dense wooded areas knows what I am talking about.
I can see all the time people in their apartments shinning throwers around on other buildings, that kind of proves throwers are more for show than actual use, especially since 90% of the people who don't not need a flashlight ask me: "how far does this flashlight throw" Guys that actually needs it for hardcore bike riding never asked me about the throw of a flashlight.