Single Cell AA light shootout

LED Flashlights – General Info 1 x AA / 1 x 14500 Flashlights
1

This one's for runtime. I've charged up 20 Eneloops and dug out basically all of my AA NiMH capable lights. Where I have more than one of the lights (Powerlight, BLF Cheapskates' DeLight, Tank007 E07, Ultrafire C3) mI've just chosen one at random that felt like lighting up today.

So here are the candidates apart from the EastwardYJ J09 which i forgot about as it was in my pocket. Where they are multi-mode lights, I'll set them to their lowest mode. Since I know that one of them is good for about two days on its lowest mode, I brought in an adjudicator.

All I have to do now is train her to press a button when a light goes out....

So here are the candidates:

Back Row:

Trustfire F22, Aurora SH-035, Trustfire F25, Smallsun ZY-C85, Hugsby P32, 93mm Ultrafire C3 stainless steel, New Ultrafire C3, Aurora SH0030 single mode (The 5 mode needs 2.8V), Smallsun ultra budget C3 clone, Uniquefire AA-S1, The dreaded Ultrafire C3, Akoray K-106 set as low as I can get it, Uniquefire S10 singlemode, Mr. Admin's favourite Powerlight, Trustfire R5-A3, BLF DeLight,

Front Row:

Zooming headlamp just arrived, Zebralight H50 Q5, Tank007 E07, MDXL eBay cheapie with the widest beam of just about anything out there.

This is an assortment of what's out there so now we just need to wait for the chargers to do their thing so that each light is starting with an equally charged cell. Don't think I'll be needing to turn any lights on in the living room tonight!

2

Nice! I'll be watching this the the World Cup.

And... I think I might have an ace in the hole to trump your best result. I'm still working up the review.

3

The Aurora SH0030 single mode refuses to light up. Life is too short to sort that out just now. Neither of the Smallsun C3 clones will work, and more annoyingly, the zoom headlamp just removed from its box to try this is refusing to work. I'll not name the retailer till they've had time to sort this out. All the others will at least emit light. Time to brew some coffee and turn them all on. So down to 17 lights...

And that's before I switch any of them on...

4

Preliminarily I will predict the top five in this order:

  1. Powerlight
  2. Akoray K-106
  3. Ultrafire C3 Stainless
  4. Trustfire F22
  5. Trustfire F25

And the worst three:

  1. Uniquefire AA-S1
  2. Trustfire R5-A3
  3. Tank007 E07
5

I'm pretty sure the Zebralight will win - It is rated for 3 days at 3 lumens with a 2700mAh cell

Kickoff time was between 18:00 and 18:01 (GMT+1). The Aurora SH-035 clearly has suicidal tendencies as it has dived for the floor twice already - it really doesn't tailstand all that well.

Here they are on a handy shelf in my living room

6

Out of curiosity... whats the light one the front, the first one which look like a headlamp for 1 AA in black with an orange side click? I woul love one lik that at 10$ (wishing...)

7

It is a zooming headlamp that takes an AA and arrived this morning. Sadly, it appears to have been DOA. I'll say more once I've had time to contact the retailer and see if they'll sort it out. It was around $11 and has an XR-E EZ900 which means Q or better bin i think.

8

I'm knocking out the old C3 as it keeps flickering and going out.

Down to 17 lights now. I expect the AA-S1 and S10 won't see another half hour.

9

If you can add the times to the lumens table would be the summum.

Thanks in advance for other (and as always, I'm sure, great) pharaonic work.

10

Not a problem - the times may not be all that accurate as I will have to sleep tonight but I will record what i can.

11

First light retired at 89 minutes, Smallsun ZY-C85. Cell voltage down to 0.85V

It is really a 14500 light that happens also to be able to do NiMH. It works a lot better with a 14500

12

Uniquefire S10 at 105 minutes - cell voltage down to 0.84V

Tank007 E07 at 108 minutes - cell voltage down to 0.82V

Uniquefire AA-S1 at 110 minutes - 0.87V

New Ultrafire C3 at 111 minutes - 0.85V

I'm surprised that the Trustfire R5-A3 is still chugging along and is the brightest of them - I thought it would be among the first to give up.

Here's a picture at 90 minutes

13

im hoping its winter time over there. im sure u are heating up ur living room lol

14

EastwardYJ J09 150 minutes - cell voltage 0.84V

Trustfire R5-A3 164 minutes - cell voltage 0.85V

15

Not officially winter here yet, but the heating is on. Most of these guys don't get hot unless used with a 14500.

16

I've also been surprised at the runtime of the R5-A3, especially on the lower setting and how bright it remains.

17

Let me guess....did you bought it at Lightake?

Let´s see if they will offer 1$ discount coupon on your next purchase to "solve" the problem..................(as they did with me) jajajajajaj

EDIT:

Now I am even more dissaponited...

I tried to use the discount coupon of 1$ they gave me. I placed an order of 2USD, inserted the coupon and the system said "Sorry, this 1$ coupon discount is only valid for orders above 5USD, please insert another"

Inaceptable

18

I'll not say till I hear from the distributor concerned. At this point, I don't want to have any influence over anyone else - I want to see how they handle it.

I would regard the behaviour mentioned as unacceptable - I'm looking for a refund or replacement.

Quite deliberately, the account name and email I use are not the ones I use here.

We'll see.

19

Old Ultrafire C3 for flickering and going out - generally behaving like a badly behaved light.

Smallsun ZY-C85. Cell voltage down to 0.85V

Uniquefire S10 at 105 minutes - cell voltage down to 0.84V

Tank007 E07 at 108 minutes - cell voltage down to 0.82V

Uniquefire AA-S1 at 110 minutes - 0.87V

New Ultrafire C3 at 111 minutes - 0.85V

EastwardYJ J09 150 minutes - cell voltage 0.84V

Trustfire R5-A3 164 minutes - cell voltage 0.85V

I think the Hugsby P32 will be next - still 10 lights to go.

20

There are now two tabs on the spreadsheet - one labelled "With Runtimes".

These are not formal runtimes which would be to 50% output - these numbers are till the light is dim enough to comfortably look into the LED. Official runtimes would be a little shorter. However, once NiMH cells hit a certain level of discharge the voltage and output drop like a rock so there is not a huge difference.

By 1V an NiMH cell is essentially completely discharged.