Can anyone step up for an AA/2AA only BLF budget flashlight?

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Dereelight Javelin in this thread. Not exactly budget and now a bit long in the tooth but this was/is a nice 2AA light. The "lego" nature of their products was a big selling point a few years ago. Same head but with 2AA, 3(or more)AA via extension tube(s), CR123 or single AA bodies. P60 head.

Perhaps something similar in concept would suit the needs of many. A single AA host with extension tubes for 2 or 3 AA if required. Swap pills according to your preference. That should satisfy both the Eneloop and 14500 camps.

The P60 format is surely still viable for the currents drawn by most AA/14500 options. This could be a modder's dream.

Still have the main issue of good boost driver availability to contend with though.

I like all of what you listed, bar the frosted lens… Modes you listed are good… As long we have the ability to enable or disable the “moonlight” 0.5 lumen mode (soldering a star or via clicky UI, I am not bothered which).

I’d be up for one of those, but with an upgraded emitter and driver, to push more lumens. Nice looking light, though.

Nichia 219C might be a good emitter for this flashlight.

Seems to me, you know exactly why it hadn’t been mentioned in this thread. :wink:

Yupz.

Its nice and efficient with a low VF, and a good tint.

Or maybe an XP-L HI - I like the XP-L HI V3 2B I have stuck in my Convoy S6…

I have a Hugsby XP-12 and its a decent light, dated but decent. Heck, if Hugsby would update it then my problem would be solved.

+1 to both statements for me.
My first LED flashlight was the INOVA X1. Had that as my main light for years until I came across this forum…. and the rest is history (my order history, that is)

What the whole world truly needs is a programmable AA driver built by one of the resident smarty pants people. Then every AA light could be a super light.

I would not be at all interested in a 14500 only light. We can already do that with any light. A 15mm FET driver, done deal.


I think it would be worth while if we all chipped in to pay some BLF member with the ability to make a good single or 2 AA driver. That way they could be getting something for the time and we could all reap the benefit.

I would personally donate $20 toward development of said driver.

I realize that is not much toward such a massive undertaking, but if we all chip in a little the person spending all the time doing it will not have to carry such a load.

There are a lot of good AA lights about. The first one that comes to mind is the olight s15r, AA, 2XAA or 14500 from moonlight all the way to 350/400 lumens. All you really need. Then there’s the Hugsby lights xp11 springs to mind for $5/6. So would I want a potentially expensive custom AA? not really. I’m not sure it would give me want isn’t already available.

S15R is definitely my top light at the moment, however, its medium mode is slightly too birght, would love to see it more dimmer.

So, yeah, theres something to improve in AA powered space and Im all in ;)!

In fact, if we can keep it at 20$ shipped, would love to see USA made light with original design and good driver!

Apparently, you are not in the target audience. I would love to see someone develop an awesome programmable boost driver for AA and/or 2xAA, with a UI like TK’s BLF-A6 FW. And, I’d like to see it capable of taking high current input, like parallel AA or 18650 - sized NiMH cell, and give good output to a XP-L HI or XM-L2. If you know where we can get one of those drivers, please enlighten us, as there are obviously several of us that would love to have one.

This CAVE MAN is as close as I have found to the perfect 2 X AA light IMHO. I have one and gave one to my Dad. My only gripe is that it is a little expensive.

sb56637 wrote:
I very much like the 1xAA format, in fact it’s what got me hooked on flashlights.

I would be the first to buy a custom BLF 1xAA light if it happened.

+1

Wow, that is nice! It looks a little like a EE X6 style pulled out to a 2xAA size.

Bryan at Shiningbeam made some great lights in the past. Apparently he is coming back with a new online store.

Please tell me what this ‘custom’ light would give me that my current lights dont .

The way I see it we are all looking for something different in a light. It sounds like it would be very hard to please everyone. The S15r gives me more than I need, and is an extremely well designed light. What you are asking for sounds almost impossible. AA, parallel AA, 2XAA, NIMH, 18650 size NIMH. Sounds like it could be fun to see that made.

Let me tell you what it will give me that I’ve not seen in any lights so far. I don’t know what it would give you, since you believe you have already found it. :stuck_out_tongue:

I’m looking for an awesome driver. The host could be negotiated later. If you know where I can get a high current, programmable boost driver that takes input voltage from (at least) 0.8v to 3.0v so that it is a suitable driver for use with any combination of cells, small or large that fits within that voltage range, let me know where it is so that I can get it.

As I see it, we have lots of high current programmable linear driver options. We even have a couple of great buck options. But, if there’s a great boost driver out there, I don’t know it. Sure, there are decent ones, but not great ones. I know it’s possible, because there are lights that are 2xAA that are capable of high output. But, they are expensive lights, and the driver isn’t programmable that I know of. I want something that we can put TK’s BLF-A6 firmware on it, or guppydrv or some other firmware. And, I want it to push the limits until the cell is the limiting factor, not the driver.

I as yet have never seen a driver that supports high current boost from 1.2 - 1.5 volts input. Most 1.5v drivers are made with either AAA or AA in mind, but there are larger, more powerful cells available than AAA and AA. Even so, most single AA lights don’t even take full advantage of that cell they were made for. They’re too conservative. To get one that isn’t, you’re into premium pricing.

In the past couple years, we at BLF have seen some wonderful developments with DD and FET drivers. The DD/FET driver doesn’t limit the cell from delivering the most possible current to the emitter. Those drivers can be used even with multi-cell and/or multi-emitter configurations and still not get in the way. In other words, the driver is not the bottle neck. Boost drivers are obviously made differently, and will never be as efficient as linear, because they have to convert amps into volts somehow. But, I’d like to see the boost driver be less of a bottle-neck than it is today. There is a lot of room for improvement as it currently stands.

:star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

Thats what I am after too - start with the driver… Once we have a great programmable boost driver 15mm/17mm, then we can use lots of hosts for great flash-lights - flooders or throwers as needed etc.

+1000

Which is the reason I was suggesting a 14500 only light for a possibility. I think the current boost (pun not intended, happy accident) drivers are not worth it for a custom light right now. My Thorfire TG06 with a FET driver from RMM pulls over 5A on a windyfire 14500. Too hot to hold in less than a minute, but rides like a chapstick in the pocket….

On lower modes it is still a useful light with decent runtime, and guppydrv is a welcome UI for the different levels available.

No AA use, but I have chargers at work, home and in the car. Spares are small to carry…