Help me choose 4 lights that run on 14500 and or AA

Hello Folks,

I'm looking to buy 4 inexpensive but "quality" single cell lights for under $56 total. I want all the lights to be able run on AA/NIHM but I view the ability to run a 14500 as definite plus.

I know the lights I'm interested in but I'm having a hard time narrowing my decision down to 4 so I'm hoping you folks can help. I want multimode lights (though I'll making an exception with the Romisen G2 and Hugsby P31) and I would like to have a light with true low mode to extend run time (though there doesn't seem to budget lights in this price range with this feature). Below are the lights I'm interested in and why. I have the Akoray k-106 and Uniquefire AA-S1 so I'm not looking for a variation of these lights. Help me pick 4 lights that will be under my $56 budget (and I'm open to multiples of the same light).

Hugsby P2 $14.68 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32876

This one is high on my list as it works on AA/14500/CR123 and RCR123. Very versatile with reportedly great output. I'm curious why I've never heard any mention of this light on the forums. Has H, M, and strobe modes. May be able to tailstand (love tail standing for candle use).

Hugsby P31 $14.31 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.35078

Great reviews on this light and is reportedly one of the brightest available lights powered by a single AA/NIHM. Only 1 mode is a con, but I love the reversible clip on this light and the reported excellent finish draws me in too (and it tail stands).

SIPIK SK68 $10.50 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.39585

Flood-to-throw light that operates on a AA battery but still has a small form factor of 92mm in length (I love compact). There is some confusion if this light will operate on a 14500 or not as some websites list the working voltage for this light being up to 1.5v with a max output of 80 lumens, while other websites (DX, Everbuying, Davismicro) list a version that takes 14500s with a working voltage up to 4.2v and max output of 120. I gave away my only other flood to throw, and this light appears to be a nice replacement for very cheap and love this nitecore look form factor (and I.

TrustFire S-A2 $12.80 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.36358

I like the form factor of this light, and the ability to tailstand and the multimodes. What really attracts me to this light is the review on DX that says the low on this light "quite-low" but there is only a single review and I've not seen this confirmed. It runs on AA and 14500.

Romisen RC-G2 $11.99 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3607

This may be the most famous single AA cell budget light out there and I don't still don't have one. Single mode and can not tailstand, BUT I love the momentry on/forward clicky. I also like that this light is proven and well thought of. The ability to make the make the beam pure flood by simply removing the head also appeals to me. For the price, I was thinking of getting 2 of these.

THANKS!!

These lights will mostly be used in and around house and in cars and will be around for family to use in emergcies/blackouts.

I have two of the RC-G2's and im surprised you dont own one.....i have the P2 and Q5 versions and love them, a small light that can throw as well but there only downfall is that they cant take lith rechargeables. This is what i would choose and why.....

1. Hugsby P31-- Already has some good reviews out there especially the one done by Don, in a blackout your going to be running lsd's and alkies anyway since this would not make a good lith light for that just in case moment. Already bright on both cell chemistry's so nothing too worry there.

2. Hugsby P2-- Having the ability to use different cells is always a good thing, i dont own this light so theres not much to say.

3. TrustFire S-A2-- Hey it tailstands which is always a good thing,

4. RC-G2-- Small spot with decent spill, i have heard that the circuit has been updated to a newer version making the P2 emitter suck more amps from the cell. Doesnt tailstand but if you take the reflector and lens off and just put back the bezel you have a nice area light to work with.

And just to let you know that shiningbeam also has the updated verions of the G2 if you would like to have one in your collection of lights. And how come no two celled lights here on the list.

I also like multi-mode lights with a truly low mode that can tailstand. My personal recommendation is an Akoray K-106 or any of its clones. But if you want to try something new, you might consider the following:

I am waiting for this light to arrive in the mail this week:

Sipik SK-58 http://focalprice.com/LF554X/SK58_Adjustable_Zoom_Focus_LED_Flashlight_Lamp_Torch.html

It looks like it can definitely tailstand, and although I'm not counting on it, the description seems to indicate that it might have three modes. For $6.07 (I paid $4.07 with a coupon) it looks like you couldn't go wrong. I'm not sure about 14500 support, though.

Ultrafire C3 Stainless Steel 5-mode http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26122

I have this one, and it's a great light. Excellent quality, nice beam, 14500 support, and it might have the lowest low mode of all my lights. My only complaint is that it doesn't tailstand perfectly. But this is a manufacturing variation, some of these are tailstandable.

Tank007 TK-568 http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19184

Tank007 seems to consistently have very good quality. I have the TK-566-5, and it's a superb light. It just doesn't support 14500 and it doesn't tailstand at all. But this TK-568 does tailstand by design apparently. And it also claims to support 14500. You might look around on some of the alternative sights on our Budget Sellers directory here, and also on eBay, as I have seen this light for a slightly better price. There's also a really sharp looking grey variant of this light that is out of stock at DX but still available at other sites. The only reason I haven't bought this myself is because some of the DX reviews say that it is arriving recently as a single-mode. But I suspect that if you wouldn't mind a single mode light, that this one could rival the Hugsby.

Thanks Al and Mr Admin!!

Wow Al, would you believe the 4 you picked mirror the 4 I picked in my mind going into this? Regarding, multi cells, I still haven't ventured into them yet and since these will be around the house for family (in addition to me playing with them) I thought I should go all single cells with this run. I have been considering 2xAA lights recently and may take a closer look at those next month.

Mr Admin, Thanks for all the suggestions...I will surely check them out.

If you are interested in 2xAA lights, you might be able to kill two birds with one stone with the TK-568. They sell it with an extension here.

http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=7982

And it's probably tailstandable and multi-mode.

Having a two celled light is always good when it comes to power outages especially a multimode one, last longer then single celled lights thats for sure.

I just don't like the RC-G2. I want to like it, but I've bought two of them at different times and have ended up giving both away - I feel it is too big for an AA light and the beam is too narrow.

The Hugsby P31 is a good light for people who wouldn't know what a 14500 is. In fact it is a good light period.

The Uniquefire S10 (Single mode only - the 6 mode is bad) is a good light and screaming bright on a 14500 - I just don't like it much. Actually the Trustfire S-A2 seems to be very similar.

The Hugsby P2 seems to be the same light as the MX Power ML-310 with slight differences. The TIR optic gives it a beam like nothing else - it has no spill worth mentioning, all the light is in the rather large hotspot. There is most of a review here - still thinking about how I feel about the light.

I have a similar optic with a 6 degree beam coming which will gat stuck on an XP-G R5 and will, I hope, fit in a P-60 head. I have an empty module and a driver waiting for it.

Thanks Don for the great input. That is very helpful.

Thanks Mr Admin and Al, I should also be taking a look at the 2xAA lights as well...especially considering the runtime advantages. What do you think of this Romisen with side switch (I like the side switch functionality) ? http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1780 and know many folks love the Romisen RC-N3 Romisen http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9070 but I don't know if the DX version is highly regarded like the shiningbeam.com versions.

http://budgetlightforum.cz.cc/node/359

This is the only 2xAA light that I own, which I like a lot, but I've never used the AA extension.

This is true sometimes. But sometimes the driver is setup to pull double the power when there are two batteries present, in which case you get double the brightness with the same runtime. Others however pull the same current with two batteries, which does give double the runtime.

Of course your right Mr. Admin......and regarding the RC-N3 the only variance between the DX version and the Shiningbeam version is the emitter and driver.