I’m looking for a tiny AAA keychain light, the less fat the better.
I will be using AAA Eneloops with it.
It must have more then one mode.
Max Lumen around 100 would be sufficant, and options for low, and maybe moon as well.
(I find myself using around 20 lumen 80% of the time with the light I’m currently using for this purpose, but it is old, and uses AA, so a big boy!)
A tiny cri baby would be the dream, like LH351 or similar perhaps.
Anyone know of such a child?
Manker E02 II : 4000K high CRI, several moonlight levels with some extremely low, mid at 30lm, high 90lm and turbo 220 according to specs.
Edit : ah the specs are for 6500K so probably –30% for the 4000K
these Sofirns C01S have two modes and are High CRI
The Ti3, has 3 modes, but is low cri
and
the Tool has 3 modes, and is available with High CRI Nichia
Tools are also available in fancy metals… I favor the copper version.
I really like my Astrolux A01 that I got many years ago. The Nichia 219B LED is very nice and has a great beam. It has 3 modes, but also has a strobe on the 2 round of going thru the modes.
Unfortunately mine suffers from next memory mode unless I wait a very long time. I minor annoyance given the price and performance of the flashlight. Hopefully that’s fixed now.
pic is a link to the Pencil Mod for Astrolux A01
Pencil mod for Thrunite Ti3
Admittedly it’s a little large for a AAA but I’m really liking my Olight i3T’. 2-levels, forward clicky, good drop and water ratings, AAA batteries.
I like mine in particular because I upgraded the emitter to a hi-CRI Nichia 219B. But the original cool emitter is fine too.
Lumintop IYP7 Nichia version
Sofirn C01S (no middle mode yet though)
Thrunite, “free” but pay 6bux shipping. Not bad at all for 3 modes and I think 120lm tops.
Nb: old sale, but it’s back on ’til the 30th or so.
Another vote for the Tool AAA. No moon tho. Drop Tools have a really nice switch, much better than twisties.
Sofirn C01R has three modes in two groups LMH or HML
You would want to mod it though. The stock emitter is red. I don’t think the current production run is glued.
Sofirn C01R deep red [sold out, discontinued] - #892 by shirnask — Photo of the emitter
I’ve got several Lumintop pen lights but they all start on high which I don’t like.
- Olight I3T EOS
Tail switch is making it a bit long, and it can’t balance 
5 Lumen, or max 180 Lumen (21min), doesn’t help with my typical work area of 20-30.
- Lumintop IYP7
Cree 5/40/130 lumen with 40h/4h/30min
or
Nichia 1/25/80
That’s looking much better.
Tail switch is making it a bit longer though.
No place for keychain loop, unless you make a lanyard and fit through the pocket clip.
- Astrolux A01
Not sure it can balance on its tail.
(Isn’t this a Manker light?)
The extra fat actually looks a bit nice
1/7/100 lumen
- Drop AAA Tool
Tail switch make it a bit long
cree/nichia 5/3 32/20 110/85 lumen are good options.
- Thrunite ti3
firefly/12/120 lumen looks good, not sure if 12 will be too low
- Sofirn C01S
3 (25h) / 100 (1h21min) lumen
missing the ‘working’ mode for me
- Manker E02 II
Side light, not this time.
1/30/90/220 lumen though is a great celection.
5.5 hour in 30 lumen mode, is that correct ?
- Sofirn C01R
Looks to be moon/med/high
What numbers would that be with a Nichia, or a 351?
- Skilhunt E3A
0/100 lumen
Can’t stand on its tail
It does look nice and small though <3
Note.
I’m not conus, so can’t drop, and conus only options are hard to do.
What is a potted flashlight?
I really like the output options of the Manker, but it’s a ‘side light’.
Have anyone modded the C01R yet?
I’d be really curious about those output numbers.
(Would it be able to be moded with just droping in a pcmcb with another led, or a mcpcb that fit it would be hard to find, so would have to remove the led?)
(I checked ‘my’ cheapest option for a Ti3. It ended up with $44.18, including taxes and shipping…)
Did you do the emitter swap yourself? Would it be easy for a first timer?
I like the I3t host but have been contemplating the emitter swap too…
Oh come on, spend the big buck and get the Prometheus Beta 
For an AAA EDC or key-chain light, I really like the Sofirn C01S. It’s a good size. It comes in different colors. Having just the two modes keeps it simple and quick to use. The low is “just right” for a lot of tasks and lasts a long time. The high is plenty of light and lasts long enough for an AAA. The tint is decent and well-balanced for different environments. It’s also wonderfully affordable.
I just got a few Sofirn C01, Very nice for seven bucks.
Thanks jon_slider - great info! I’m heading to the workbench to try this mod.
Edit:
It worked: What did you mod today? Not too difficult of a mod. Now I like the A01 even better. Thanks again jon_slider!
I haven’t figured it out yet on mine, but I have the Astrolux A02 and I need to figure out which spot to “pencil” in order to fix the NMM. Anyone have any luck on that?
> Astrolux A02
maybe pull the driver and see if it matches the A01 driver?
It’s not the same driver… It is similar, same two-tier assembly, and it has the same types of capacitors, but its not identical and I don’t want to short something by just… penciling capacitors until I find the right one. I will get some pictures up when I have a chance so maybe someone who knows more might be able to figure out which one.
that IS how others figured out the fix for the A01 and Ti3
you pencil, test, repeat… as described in the link in post 16
the mod is reversible, the pencil graphite is removable, and there are probably only 3 possible capacitors you need to test…
you cant short anything with a pencil… dont worry
You can Do It! :student: