I need some advice and recommendations please. I have about 8-10 lights, nothing extravagant or pricey. The most used light I have is a small AA LED that has the movable head to change the beam from spot to flood. I paid less than $5 for it but I tell ya when the need for a light comes up, it’s the one I grab first every time. It’s a small light, about the size of a thing of lipstick or thereabouts.
I’d like to get something better, with a brighter beam and a rechargeable battery, but I’d still like to stay with this size of light. Oh, I forgot to mention that it has a pocket clip on it. I don’t carry it daily, but I sometimes have it on me.
I was looking st some of the lights on Amazon the other day and saw a few that had these battery types that you can take them out of the light and attach them to a mini USB and charge them that way. That looks very convenient, especially so if there’s alternate ways to charge it other than attaching it to your laptop or desktop.
So, if you don’t care, and have the time, can you please recommend a small light that you think will be an improvement to what I’ve got now? I would really appreciate it. I’d like to have the price at or below $25 and I don’t mind ordering from China or other Far East locales.
Thank you kindly for your patience and help.
I wish you and your loved ones to have a great New Years Eve and an even better 2019 than your 2018 was!
Be SAFE!!
You have a small AA zoomie light. (head moves to change between spot/flood)
You like the light and use it most of all your lights.
You want it to be brighter and to use a USB rechargeable battery.
Your budget is $25 or less.
Do you use the zoom function? You use the light in both spot and flood at times? Would a light with in-between beam size without zoom work for you or is it pretty important to have both extremes?
The 14500 is a Li-Ion battery the size of a normal AA battery. You could probably use MOST 14500 size lights. The only thing to look out for is that the interior of the battery tube is long enough and wide enough to fit the USB rechargeable battery, which will be bigger than a “normal” 14500 because the charger electronics have to be added on. So, find a light that you like and check its dimensions for fit.
They also have this battery that is USB rechargeable, but I don’t know if it is any good, as I haven’t used it myself. USB rechargeable 14500 at Banggood
Alternatively, you could buy any quality 14500 battery and a single-cell USB charger, like this: 14500 at LIION Wholesale and this: charger at LIION Wholesale The benefit of this approach is that your 14500 cell should fit any 14500 size light that you want to buy. Also, that charger will work with other sizes of Li-Ion batteries, so it will be useful for more than just this one cell you need for this one light.
Wuben E05 is a nice AA/14500 light. It comes with a cell that has a built in charging port. Vipon still has a coupon for it that brings it down to $20.
Thank you all kindly for your help. That’s a pretty good looking light DavidEF. First off, YES, you have the requirements right. This lipstick sized AA light gets used more than my others, it’s not even close. It’s prolly used more than all the others combined. I find it a handy light and easy to have on hand or close when you need it.
I do use the zoom feature on it at times. I wouldn’t say it’s a feature that is mandatory for a new light like what I’m asking about in this thread, but I do like it.
I also like the idea of a new and more powerful battery like the 14500. I have 5-6 other lights that take the 18650, but I need to pick up some new batteries and a new charger. The one I have now stinks and I’m not really sure it’s working well. These LiO batteries are nothing to be ignored. They can get dangerous under the wrong conditions. I’m quite sure you all know this though.
If you all have any other help or suggestions, please feel free to add them.
I appreciate you all taking the time to help me.
Larry
Well, there are some brands of Li-Ion cells that are consistently great, if you get them from trusty sources (because fakes do exist). In the US, there are a few reliable sources: Mountain Electronics,LIION Wholesale, and IMRBatteries each can be trusted to sell only high quality cells. They sell good chargers from several different brands as well. You should check them out.
SK98s already give me enough modding work to fix their stock flaws. SK68s are not much smaller and:
Use an odd ∅15mm low current boost driver which can run fed by li-ion cells but lacks undervoltage protection.
100% hollow pill.
Use a press fit thin metal sheet as led board retaining device which gets screwed upon disassembly. :facepalm:
16500 cells fit inside SK68s, by the way.
I wonder if we could persuade some budget manufacturer (Sofirn?) to commercialize properly fixed SK98s/SK68s, SK98s at the very least. I believe the answer is yes.
I think mine is the SK68, but it doesn’t have numbers on it, I think. I know it won’t take a cell the size of the 18650 though. It’s too small for that cell.
I watched a couple videos on the SK98 and that light is bigger than mine, but I like that one. I’m likely gonna order in if those just to try out. Heck, they’re only $5, why not try one?
If they’re as bright as what is shown in pics and some videos, I’ll be happy with it.
I would definitely want to get one of those forum build lights like was mentioned above in the link. Is there even an idea when they might arrive, not that it’s a big deal? Do I have to pay now or pay some now and wait till it’s done? How’s that work? I’ve never been part of a buy like that.
I am also gonna get one of the lights mentioned at the beginning of this thread.
I also have to get a few new 18650 cells and a good charger to go with it.
You write in the thread you want one. No payment. Then wait.
When Lumintop is ready you get a direct message or a mail you can order.
Then everyone rush to the order page and throws money at Lumintop (pay).
Then you wait again till the light arrives.
There is today no info how to order.
On another groupbuy you ordered direct at Lumintop and Paypal or credit card.
No date known when they are ready. They aim before china new year. (I would not count on that, but maybe we are lucky)
Lipstick size is probably not SK68.
Probably that slimmer one that became well known later.
Has a smaller diameter optic though, so less impressive than SK68 optic-wise.
