Howdy everyone! On the recommendation of a flashlight expert, I ordered a 348 Nichia NVSW219BT - V1 (this thing: http://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_227504.html) and it just arrived today. I was excited by the promise of a tiny 1xAAA unit putting out more light than the Fenix E21 I’ve been carrying for years, but its output has been disappointing so far. It outputs a very small amount of light, much less than the E21.
Then I realized I’d put an old battery in it: a rechargeable 1000 mAh LaCrosse Tech NiMH (purchased in 2007). The E21 is using two AmazonBasics rechargeable AAs. Is this the cause? Will I get the expected blinding beam if I get a new Eneloop AAA and use that instead?
My 348 puts out about the same output as the e15 when using AAA eneloops or alkaline AAAs. I think you’ll need a 10440 lithium ion battery to see significantly more output.
Thanks for that info. Is there any possible way to get 150+ lumens out of a purchasable 1xAAA light, or do the laws of physics demand more or different batteries for such a feat?
I ask because if at all possible I’d like to stay with AAs and AAAs for standardization/sanity purposes! Don’t want a zillion different types of esoteric batteries and chargers. Kind of like trying to standardize on 9mm instead of having a dozen pistol calibers, ya know?
Basically my goal is a thin, pocket-friendly flashlight that puts out useful light and ideally doesn’t require funny esoteric batteries.
I think the laws of physics do demand more from a 1xAAA light before you will happily see 150+ lumen for any decent amount of time… Now if you want run time, then NiMh is great, but as the LED has to have over 3V to turn on, the drivers have to suck out twice as much amps from a Alkaline or NiMh battery to elevate the voltage. Watts is the best expression of this, so 500ma of output (just using this number for easy math) from a LED needing 3V to turn on would require 500ma of drain from a 3.7V LiIon as the voltage of the battery is above the 3V needed by the LED (roughly 1.5 watts) A 1.5V Alkaline would need roughly 1000ma to give 500ma output as it needs to boost the voltage. As electrical theory uses watts which is Volts x Amps, and a relation of this is 1 Volt times 3 amps is 3 watts as is 3 Volts times 1 Amp is also 3 watts… You see the math with an LED always needing 3Volts minimum (roughly) you have to suck more amps for the boost circuit to make the volts from with Alkaline and NiMH.
If you do get a 10440 battery, the single AAA lights that can use it are much brighter, but with shorter runtimes, so there is always a trade off…
As singling out one kind of ammo for simplicity also has its limits (your analogy), i.e. hunting deer with a 9mm requires more skill with a single ammo type, accepting the limitations of the single AAA lights seems OK to me. What I want is run time options (multi modes) and just having some light is better than none at all.
I would look for 2AAA lights for your wants, the run time and output are much increased for ~44mm more length and no esoteric batteries or chargers. Though knowing all that stuff helps, such as salvaging 18650’s from tool packs and old laptops and knowing how to safely charge them. Information is the lightest thing to carry…
Good luck and hope you find something well suited for your needs, let us know what it is…
Thanks, ReManG, that makes sense. Looks like I’m going to need to get a 10440 or go 2xAAA.
In terms of interface, what I really want is just two modes, very high and barely-on, with the mode selected by rotating the tip. Doesn’t seem to be a very popular set-up. In terms of 2xAAAs, I’d been vacillating between the Nitecore MT06, ThorFire PF04, and Nextorch K3 before going with this tiny little thing. Guess I’ll go over ’em again.
Hey mate you can buy the disposable lithium AAA from shops but they are not cheap. I am not sure where you are from but I’m sure you would be able to find some. But for sure i would just buy some 10440 and a charger. If you want to stick with just AA and AAA you have plenty of options for lights. I should add i have one of these lights they are bright.
Whoa, those are basically perfect, just too small! Who knows where they’d wind up in a few days USB-rechargable Li-ion is fine. Do you happen to know of anything like those, but bigger, and with perhaps more output on the upper end?
there are some in the 18650 battery size range (about 4 to 5 inch tall flashlights) - but i believe the more knowledgeable people here would advise against getting a built in rechargeable light for anything bigger, as they will not be optimum. and i have also not seen any in the 14500 battery size (your basic AA size) that has built in charger.
2016 ThruNite T10 1*AA max output: 252 lumens
for BLF348 Nichia 219b, you exchange lower efficient for high CRI & better tint. choose Cree CW led will be brighter. If you use10440 lithium ion battery in the light it will heat up very fast due to small size, Hi-mode only & bad heat radiation of stainless steel body.
If you go to Batteryjuction and type in Surefire Titan a small single aaa size flashlight appears . It runs on alkaline or metal hydride batteries only. It’s claim to fame is that it states an output of 300 lumens. Price is $99.00 ouch.
Well I like AAA lights for they pocket easy
but those small cells just offer too short runtimes to actually make them really usefull
There are pretty small 18650 lights that offer a lot of lumens and runtime
About 40 or so. By my eyeball meter, compared to what I have to assume is accurately 35 lumens on my Streamlight Microstream… most of my BLF-348’s are doing between 35-45lumens with a fresh alkaline AAA.
I wish it had a sub-lumen low mode as well; 40lm is sometimes too much in a dark room or at night. But 90% of the time it is just fine. And the runtime is just fine… as I usually use it for a few seconds to a few minutes at a time. It is the NW tint and high CRI, in a stylish and classy host that I was after… and for less than $7… about all you could ask for really.
If you were expecting the advertised (by BG) 242lm, and with an alkaline, I’m sorry that won’t happen in this universe. With a 10440 lithium ion cell, you’d be a lot closer… I don’t know the actual output with that cell. But in that case, I’m told the light gets too hot to hold in a matter of seconds… so it’s a burst use light only… flash on-find what you need quickly-flash off= 10-15 seconds and done.
USB-rechargable Li-ion is fine. Do you happen to know of anything like those, but bigger, and with perhaps more output on the upper end?