recommendation for a long lasting, multi mode, floody, 2xAA.

Hey guys.

i'm new here and i admit i feel overwhelmed at the huge amount of choice.

after deciding on an itp a3 eos to replace my old defunct Maglite Solitaire which served me well at the army awhile back, i'm now looking for a good light, to be used as follows:

1) emergency car light, with 2xAA Alkalines, with a good spill.

2) beach party light, 2xAA NIMH - used for hours on low/medium, high for a few minutes to check out the meat grill.

must have features:

long lasting on medium/low.

good environmental seal (especially sand).

maximum flood/spill.

I only intend to use it with AA's.

it should cost a max of 25$, and be available at a "free shipper" a la DX, Lightake etc...

naturally it should have a decent build quality, beam quality, etc...

thank you guys!!

How about the following:

L2R (sand) 7.99

Solarforce 320Lms R5 XP-G Cree Led 3 Mode 0.8V-4.2V Bulb for US$14.99

plus 2$ shipping

= ~ 25 $

Good quality, no strobes, 3 modes (hi/med/lo)

Hi there dardas, welcome to BLF! Glad you joined.

I don't really know much about 2xAA lights. The only one I own is the Romisen RC-I3, and I don't use the 2xAA extension. Have you thought about a 1xAA light instead? Some of them have fantastic runtime on low and are extremely bright on high.

I wouldn't normally recommend Quark flashlights because they're normally priced way over my budget. But they are having a fantastic sale right now on the Quark MiNi AA² at 4Sevens.Com for something like $31.00. (Sorry I can't seem to access their site at the moment, I hope the link is right.) It looks like it would be floody, excellent quality, and best of class runtime. But it appears to have a twisty switch, which is less than ideal.

Let us know what you finally decide on!

I neither can access the site, anyway, I don't think a twistie like the Quark Mini will be suitable to work in a sandy place..

thanks, guys.
the Romison looks nice and cheap, but i wonder about its usability - if the mode selection is annoying, i’ll just end up resenting it. also, how is the light output on high? I could really use a bright flooder to easily search for stuff in the dark.
the Solarforce looks to be a slightly better, if more expensive and less flexible, choice. is it? can you help me find some reviews of the specific emitter/body suggested by Vectrex?
Twisties, as ezeqdb noted, might be a problem in sand.

Unfortunately the older version of the Quark AA2 is out of stock. It's been replaced by the new S2 bin emitter version.

indeed they seem to have cleared the old stock in preparation for the newer model, but @~50$ it's twice my maximum...

nevermind, the less confusing options the better...

There are not much 2xAA multimode flashlights around. I would consider the Solarforce of above.

From DX, you can go for the Romisen, or an Ultrafire C3 like this one http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7938. You will also need to buy some 18-19mm orings, to put on the glass, because water can get into it.

A couple of days ago there was an Olight T25-T-R5 at 46% off on ebay and an online shop (35usd), it would have been a very good choice, but it costs 60 usd again .. (I missed this one and the $30 quark mini too )

If you're set on a 2xAA light, the Solarforce is probably the best option. The nice thing about Solarforce is that you can upgrade the emitters with newer technology as it's released extremely easily.

Try this:

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/x2000-floodtothrow-zooming-glass-optics-led-flashlight-p-3357

Unfortunately 1 mode.

Hi Dardas,

here you find a review (....well sort of) of the L2R host. I have a L2R with a older XR-E R2 dropin and I am happy with it.

I haven't found a review of that 3-mode XP-G R5 dropin yet. (but it is the newer technology)

You can also update the P60 dropin if a newer technology comes around.

Solarforce also has a lantern accessory for your beach party,

Romisen N3. You can use either 1xRCR123A or 2xAA http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9070

or

Solarforce L2r 2xAA and 2X14500 depending of choise of P60 pill http://www.itc-shop.net/product.php?sname=&s=8&t=FB

ok guys, went with the Solar Force.
I like the idea of easily replacing the emitter if it breaks, or if i just want an upgrade.
too many years of pc enthusiasm makes me favor upgradability…
plus, i think that the fact that the array can go as low as 0.8 volt, means that a 2xAA config is much better than using 2 single AA, especially Alkalines (since that way both can get as low as ~0.5V and still drive for a bit on low). that makes it perfect for emergencies.
also the lantern add-on looks sweet! but is way too expensive for now. maybe i’ll catch it on sale someday.
thank you all!

Let us know how it works out for you! We'd be happy to see a review from you too.

I found the comments about the single mode dropin again, I hope the 3-mode is the same quality and brightness.

the tank is an easy choice for a AA http://www.bestofferbuy.com/tank007-tk566-cree-7090-xre-q4-5-mode-led-flashlight-1-x-aa-battery-2-x-aa-batteries-p-65766.html?zenid=0urdchohvciucrsd8mmv8glpk6

http://www.dinodirect.com/tank007-tk566-tk568-flashlight-extension-tube.html

if it doesn't already come with the extra battery tube they are available for about 3~5 bucks lots of places

these aren't nessesarily the best places to buy them I just was looking for links to pics ..

I like the lights they are tough as nails I worked over dino direct for them at 8 $ each and extentions for 2.50..you say AA I say tank 566and a tube for flexability best 10.50$ i spent yet

Ah, yes of course! Thanks Boaz, I forgot all about the Tank007 TK-566. I have one without the extender, and it is a really high quality light. But be aware that I had to tighten the light module and the switchplate upon initially receiving it else it would flicker.

Yes they are. I can attest to this. Mine fell onto a cement floor from at least 1 meter, and it never even shut off. Still works perfectly.

TANK007 TK-566 Cree 7090 XR-E Q4 5 Mode LED Flashlight (1 x AA Battery / 2 x AA Batteries) 11.64

+

Tank007 TK566&TK568 Aluminum Alloy Flashlight Body 3.03

= 14.67

Any coupons to get the mentioned 10.50?

Get in the time machine and go back to thanksgiving morning and don't refresh the shopping cart at dino direct

After the dino direct debockle i have no idea how to get a deal from them ..I thought it was 65% off now ( if you signed up or something ??).. not sure if you can add coupon codes ontop of that or not ... like cpf codes or blf codes ... not sure they weren't tossed outta cpf or if they ever gave blf a discount ...?? dunno

OK, now where to order a time machine for a reasonable price ? ;-)