yeah.. I thought he said cheap.. $60+ doesnt seem so cheap, but the OP would be helpful if he could say at least a max $.
Yep…missed on the cheap…
Lol although not cheap, the battery life on that one is amazing. Will consider it in the future thanks for the link.
As to other posters, 15-20 dollar range. Looking for something also in that range, metal and super bright. But those are easy to find compared to one with super battery life.
As far as rechargables, will consider but also those will do no good in a situation with no electricity.
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Well once you decide on a light, go over to FastTech and stock up on some "Nice" lithium AA's. Have been tested and don't fall that much behind the Energizer Ultimate Lithium's for about 1/2 the cost. If you're unaware, the lithiums will have a longer shelf life (won't self-discharge), are lighter, have more capacity than NiMh or alkalines, and can output more current if needed.
-Garry
Maglite says 79 hours of run time for the 3D Mag, but I wanted to check cheap batteries. It really pained me to do this, but I bought a set of cheap D Cells at Dollar Tree. The “Sunbeam” brand, they are a package of 3 D Cells for……….yes, $1. I love that store. Anyway I installed them and turned on the light and walked away. For the first few days i noted the run time and the apparent brightness, but after few days I got lazy and just noted that it was still running. After a week I shut it off…… I had lost interest in the experiment. At that time the light was not very bright, but it could still be used to find stuff and move about it a darkened room. I don’t think better cells would extend the run time, just be brighter longer.
Can’t beat this with any other light I know of.
One advantage of disposable batteries is that it’s OK to abuse them because after all, when you are finished with them, you throw them away.
But the beam pattern of the Mag (LED or incan.) sucks! And the focusing from flood to throw stinks. It's just too much of a pencil beam. Perhaps if it could be diffused it would be ok.
-Garry
" ... My mag light LED drop in has 3 led’s in it, its pretty old. 4+ years. ...."
Hey Army11b , I have the same dropin in an AA MiniMag . Put some Energizer Ultimates in that thing and you'll have a real good Bug-Out light .
Cheap .
Sk68 Shows similiar Effekt with a AA Battery, it runs really long because it is able to work with below 1 V so it gets darker and darker but shines very long.
These small key light photon clones burn for some days, too…
Ah ok cool… Do batteries really matter? I remember some time ago they did a test, cheapo batteries vs energizer duracell etc… Some of the cheapo’s lasted longer than the top brands.
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From what I read the Sk68 seems really popular, yet I see a ton of posts saying they are junk. Which brand of sk68 is gonna last?
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How about the HD Lights on Sale …$17 Bucks….
Batteries Matter .
Lithium primaries don't leak , handle extreme temperatures better , and have a much longer shelf life .
On the pricey end maybe something that uses CR123 or other primary non-rechargable lithium cells and has multiple modes, like Review of Spark SG3 and Spark SG5 Headlamp and clip EDC lights. (14500/AA/16340/CR123) . In the lower modes some of these last a long time. On the cheap end, I got two Eveready 1D led conversions of an old incandescent 2D design with old type acid dry cells included for $3 or 4 at Wallgreen’s drug store, reduced from 6 or 7 for the pair. The center is always a Sipik SK68 or clone of it, a 3 mode for longer run time on low mode, and spare alkaline AA cells. These run for maybe a couple of hours full low mode brightness and then gradually dim for more hours. They generally sell for between $5 and $10 shipped from the Far East. The XR-E or XP-E led is considered kind of old, but its efficiency is most of that of newer models.
But I agree that you could stick with the little Maglight and carry spares. It may be as good as an SK68 except maybe for the pattern and the high mode. The older driver in the Maglight may dim sooner, but that may not be a disadvantage as it extends the run time.
If you want long run time then cheap single 1.5V cell lights are NOT the way to go. They require a boost converter circuit to light the LED, and at the step-up ratio and current required, most seem to be less than 35% efficient.
The cheapest quality light I’ve found with a moonlight mode is Thrunite T10, for only $20. Saber 1A is a bit more expensive but is much brighter for under $30. If you can use 18650 or 2xCR123 Thrunite TN12 is on sale for $30+ shipping. These all have moonlight modes with extreme runtimes.
Other than these, not so cheap but an Olight S15 with XML2 led and ability to use with an extender for 2XAA setup can be had under $40 inc shipping on eBay.
Boost circuits are not always inefficient and a linear regulated (AMC type) circuit isn’t always efficient especially at low low modes.
You can buy it under a different name for $20… http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10003046/1227900-x-power-spirit-ha-iii-cree-xp-g-r5-3-mode-115-lume
That’s Thrunite T10 in fact. Saber has XPG2 emitter.
Mine have Nichias in them… :party:
Alkalines only work better in very low drain capacity devices like your remote controls, or wall clocks things like that. Advanced lithium batteries like the newest energizers are the best by far for anything with a high drain like flashlights or cameras in particular.
However, if what you are looking for is a prepper situation with no electricity to recharge you can buy industrial boxes of alkalines.
Here is one site with 1.5 volt AA’s these would work great in a SK68 that you can buy for 5 bucks or so. 144 batteries would cost me $27 shipped.
Since you should already have your EDC light on you, something like an LD12 that runs on a single AA for 97 hours at a regulated 3 lumens, I would keep a headlamp in your bug out bag, something like a 30 dollar HL21 which will run for 53 hours on a single AA and is suitable for reading or hiking, or as a lantern.
You should also throw one or two AAA to AA adapters into your BOB.