got an armytek tiara a1 (non-pro) issue with turbo mode

Hi so I picked up an tiara a1 from the current illumn sale.

when I double click to get to turbo mode as indicated in the instructions the flashlight goes into turbo mode for a few seconds then goes firefly for a few seconds then back to what I think is turbo mode for a few seconds then turns off.

it stays like this unless I press and hold to go to firefly then press to get to other levels.

this is with a new AA duracell battery.

Am I missing something here or is the light defective?

thanks for the help.

The problem is your battery. Do not use alkalines in these lights, they can not deliver the required power.

The symptom you’re seeing is the light telling you the battery is almost dead. It does this when the voltage drops too low. On max, the required current is so high that an alkaline battery’s voltage almost immediately sags to very low levels.

Use a good AA NiMH rechargeable battery, such as a Panasonic Eneloop. It will work well with that. In the meantime, avoid high modes and the light should work okay.

thank you for easing my concerns that the light is defective.

what you’ve said makes sense…I’ll try with some nihms when i get them and see how it does.

as mentioned all the non turbo modes work fine with the regular AA so i’ll stick to those when using them.

Any nimh is better than a alkaleak .
I try to buy only decent LSD nimh cells for lights and use the few non-lsd in items like the cordless phones. the big advantage of nimh is they never leak . Once you’ve had to break out a drill to get an alkaline out of a 50$ light you learn to never put an alkaline in good lights . I caught one just in time a few years ago it was beginning to try to weld itself to the inside of a Nitecore .

Only put alkaline batteries in something you’re willing to throw away

you can also use one time (non chargeable)lithiums.

thanks for the additional information everyone.

I do intend on using better batteries but wanted to make sure everything was working correctly when testing alkalines since they will be a potential backup power source for this light

happy flashlighting

Ok today I had a chance to get some energizer ultimate lithium batteries.

It still exhibits the few seconds on turbo then a few seconds on moonlight then a few second on turbo with these ultimate lithium batteries.

I’m confused if this is indeed a bad unit or what…

I didn’t read it in the armytek sales lingo or any review that a person has to have some fancy battery to use turbo mode.

It’s possible the light is bad. But it still might be the battery choice. IIRC, the Energizer Lithiums are rated for something like 2.5A. The light probably requires more current than that. Eneloops can deliver 5A or more, and so are recommended for all high-output AA lights.

However, I think a fresh Energizer Lithium should be able to provide enough amps and working voltage, at least for a few minutes. So, it’s starting to sound more like it’s an issue with the light.

Aside from that, yes, you really do need to get fancy batteries (Eneloops) if you want to get into high-output AA lights. You can get a basic Eneloop kit from Costco, that includes batteries and a charger, for very cheap. Around $20 if you’re in the US.

Hi thanks for the reply, and so quick…this is a very helpful web forum, thanks everyone.

according to the product datasheet for the L91 ultimate lithium you are correct the max discharge is 2.5A

I didn’t realize it was so much lower then the eneloops, I’ll have to try some of them. I have a feeling you are right that turbo requires more current then that…

Yes I have a costco nearby and I’ll grab that bundle, I’ve seen it there before.

or would a person be better off jumping up to 14500’s with this light?

thanks again, I know I’ve read some manufacturer’s specs that specifically state that turbo modes don’t work with some batteries. I personally think this is a good idea for all manufacturers to do it, cause it’s the newbies like me that are gonna try alkalines in it and then use up tech support time asking why their light doesn’t work right…

Either would work, although you’re better off with Eneloops since they’re a much safer chemistry.

that’s a very good point thank you.

I think in the Armytek manual for your flashlight they recommend Eneloop batteries.

not to get overly technical because I know from experience that all these manuals start to morph into each other after awhile but the manual is available from manual tab on this page:

https://www.armytek.com/products/flashlights/multi-flashlights/armytek-tiara-a1/

there is a warning recommendation not to leave non-rechargeable batteries in the flashlight because of leaks.

the modes and runtimes were tested with an eneloop so you could say armytek ’recommends’those batteries to get the output and run times listed.

I’m not trying to give armytek a hard time. simply putting a little footnote saying that turbo mode is only available with eneloop or 14500 would have prevented my confusion in the first place.

Had I not used the forum knowledge to help me figure this out I would have had to contact them and with a little change in the manual that could have been prevented.

I had various Armytek flashlights over the past few years. In the Armytek manuals for those flashlights Eneloop batteries were always recommended. Updated manual does not clearly state that.

I went to costco and they raised the price of that combo back to $29.

I’m just not sure what I’d use those C’s and D’s for…

edit: just noticed those are c and d adapters so I wouldn’t be wasting them as if they were actual batteries.

Even at regular price, Costco has one of the best deals for Eneloops around.

just a small update.

the costco pack went back to $19.99 and I can confirm that the turbo mode of my tiara works with the eneloop.

now does anyone know of a ‘duel sided’ clip that will work for the tiara? You know one that allows a person to clip the light in an up or down position like some streamlights have?

thanks