Looking for Warm AA, Hi CRI, No PWM...

Chronovore · November 30, 2019, 10:27pm

Hi! My favorite AA EDC flashlights have been the L10 and L11C from L3 Illumination. They are wonderfully simple. They default to the lowest setting without memory. They can be had with or without moonlight. Neither use PWM. Both are still available with 4500K Nichia emitters and while that’s a good versatile temperature, I find myself wanting a warmer light for night use.

Searching by tint or color temperature is sadly difficult. So help me out. Can we get a list going for good AA lights with warmer tints, high CRI, and no PWM?

Watermanchris · December 1, 2019, 3:42am

Check out http://parametrek.com/ It is a flashlight and gear search engine that allows you to search by whichever parameters you desire.

I found 0 results putting in “Warm White” color LED and AA Battery. I think you may need to find a light you like and either perform or have someone perform an emitter swap. There are some nice 219B SW30K emitters out there if you’re game.

Sari33 · March 19, 2020, 8:33am

Market still lack budget Warm white Led Lights
If there is no demand there is no offer.
Better way it’s buy good simple host then you edit it by yourself.

captainkirk · March 19, 2020, 7:27pm

I would like one of those myself, any good hosts to recommend?

der_horst1 · March 19, 2020, 7:39pm

How about the Skilhunt M150?

Lightbringer · March 19, 2020, 10:03pm

Xeno E03 (WW). AA/14500, tail-clicky, no PWM. XM-L or so, though, not high-CRI. And defaults to MLH.

Wellp, can’t have everything…

Amazing indoors light with diffusion-film, though. Nice smooth blanket of WW goodness.

Chronovore · April 9, 2020, 5:08am

Any other ideas? I went to get a second L11C and the Nichia version is finally gone.

samyy · April 9, 2020, 5:56am

Eagtac D25A Nichia version

longuylander · April 9, 2020, 8:53am

Has nobody mentioned the Sofirn SP10S yet? It’s got a Samsung LH351D 5000K led. It does have memory mode and a shortcut to turbo which is not in the regular cycle. It misses the boat by not having a shortcut to moonlight, but overall it’s a great light. AA or 14500.

jon_slider · April 9, 2020, 10:03pm

if you like the host
maybe buy the xp-g2 and swap to a 219b 3000k?

Watermanchris · April 9, 2020, 11:31pm

I’m not sure how to get into my L11C.

iamlucky13 · April 10, 2020, 1:00am

I’m pretty sure the brass portion of the head is screwed into the aluminum portion, but I have not tried to remove mine. It’s also possible it is press-fit or glued, which might make it very hard to open. I do know that unsoldering the driver will not give you access to swap the LED.

The L11C is a great light for sure. The Eagletac AA is similar in size, but I’m note sure I would like the user interface as much. The Acebeam M10 might be a decent alternative, as it’s very similar in size.

The Folomov EDC C1 is a different form factor, and also a different UI, but comes with a high CRI, 3000K LED.

Otherwise, I think you should consider the Lumintop Tool AA as a host to modify.

jon_slider · April 10, 2020, 2:24am

I have no experience opening the L11c… good luck to whoever tries… or finds an old thread with pics…

staticx57 · April 10, 2020, 1:45am

Yes the head is screwed onto the pill

Watermanchris · April 10, 2020, 1:50am

I bought a Nichia 3 mode and a Cree 4 mode thinking I could swap driver/leds and make a 4 mode Nichia.

Is there a procedure for “unscrewing” it?

Scallywag · April 10, 2020, 2:18am

I didn’t realize the V10A was AA/14500!

jon_slider · April 10, 2020, 5:24am

V10a was new to me too, they make fantastic High CRI beams with an N219b mod.

Sunwayman makes the only AA Rotaries I can think of atm… including the R series AA adapters.

V11r:

V10r

The Olight Universal charger works on both the LiIon and the Eneloop

buck91 · April 15, 2020, 5:40pm

Jaxman E3
Sofirn SP10S
Gerber IU (with DIY 5mm led swap heheheh)
Thrunite TH20 (“NW” XPL but terrible CRI)
Acebeam H40
Maglite Spectrum series (1xAAA, 2xAAA, 2xAA)

I agree there is a lack but there are also some options yet. Even few 2AA options, at least that I have found.

d_t_a · April 19, 2020, 5:55am

some comment:

Jaxman E3 with 3 brightness levels: the Low & High have NoPWM, but Medium has PWM, can ask Jaxman for the 2-mode version which has only Low-High so it will not be using PWM, Jaxman E3 is available in Nichia 219C-4000k & 5700k high-CRI, although might be a tint lottery (Nichia 219C may have slightt green depending on tint lottery

SP10S with LH351D high-CRI: based on my checking, it appears to use fast PWM (not easily visible, but it’s there when I try to shine the SP10S light thru a small portable fan’s blades

Some AA/14500 lights that I tested and cannot detect PWM using my “shine light thru small portable fan’s blades” method:

1) Lumintop IYP07 - uses Nichia 219C, not sure the color temperature but possibly 4000-4500k (NoPWM on all modes)
2) Skilhunt M150 (XPL-HD or LH351D) - NoPWM, high-CRI LH351D but I think it’s more neutral-white color temperature
3) Wuben E05 also doesn’t have PWM on all modes, but it doesn’t use a high-CRI LED (maybe can mod to a high-CRI LED).