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Showing 1 of 70 conversations about:
JonasHeineman
5987
Aug 15, 2018
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eunu
158
Aug 15, 2018
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JonasHeinemanWhen you say the older AAA is not compatible with rechargables...is that a warning or more of a YMMV?
kavin210
4
Aug 16, 2018
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JonasHeinemanIs there low voltage protection for 14500 cells? Also is there a moonlight mode for 14500 cells?
Thorn74
167
Aug 17, 2018
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JonasHeinemanAny way we could get a deep carry clip on this one. That was my biggest complaint on the AAA version.
peripatetes
10
Aug 18, 2018
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JonasHeinemanDoes this light use PWM? Or is it fully current-controlled?
JonasHeineman
5987
Aug 21, 2018
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eunuUsing Li-Ion would be done at your own risk and void the warranty. It is not advised.
JonasHeineman
5987
Aug 21, 2018
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peripatetesGreat question - PWM (pulse width modulation) is not used for any modes.
JonasHeineman
5987
Aug 21, 2018
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Thorn74It's unlikely that we'd change the clip design at this point, but I do see other members asking about it so let me look into that. The primary concern would be making it strong enough with that kind of bend - gotta talk to the engineers.
Theroc
2318
Keyboard Club Member
Aug 21, 2018
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eunuNi-MH rechargeable (~1.5V) batteries are fine. The issue is with 10440 Li-Ion (~3.7V) batteries.
It's a matter of voltage, not a matter of rechargeability at all.
Cyphre
2708
Aug 21, 2018
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Thorn74That would definitely be an ideal pocketclip. I don't much like the Lumintop style clips since they too easily pop off, so hopefully we'll see some aftermarket parts for this.
mr_magoo
20
Aug 22, 2018
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Thorn74Thrunite has it figured out. Clip is almost perfect, from the location to the shape of the tip- it doesn't stick out so far that it snags your shirt, yey still has enough clearance to slip over my jeans pocket easily . The tip is also parallel to the body. My only change would be to make it a little stiffer by making the 'arm' (straight part) a little wider for more strength. Maybe even widen the curved part that wraps around the flashlight body.
guvnor
735
Aug 22, 2018
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Thorn74I find those fold-over types of clips to be a complete pain when one is wearing pants with a thick pocket lip, sometimes requiring two hands just to seat it properly.
I personally prefer simple clips like these:
And I absolutely can't stand these flimsy 2-way clips that doesn't hold on to anything and squirm around in your hand while adding half the width of the light itself:
I personally prefer simple clips like these:
And I absolutely can't stand these flimsy 2-way clips that doesn't hold on to anything and squirm around in your hand while adding half the width of the light itself:
mr_magoo
20
Aug 26, 2018
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guvnorAgree with you on those fold over clips that have little clearance for thick material. The thrunite seems to have enough clearance even for carhartts, it's pretty wide. Though unfortunately not wide enough for the pockets with a leather protector.
Thorn74
167
Aug 27, 2018
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guvnorThe issue I see with ur suggestion is the light would need a redesign. A clip like I showed similar to the quarks would fit the existing body of this light.
In the future if the light we're designed from the ground up with a deep carry clip the style u suggest would be great.
In the future if the light we're designed from the ground up with a deep carry clip the style u suggest would be great.
mr_magoo
20
Aug 27, 2018
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Thorn74I hated the stock tool clip, so I snagged this one off my streamlight per a tip I saw on CPF. Works perfect, clamps onto the body very tight, it isn't going anywhere. You could do the same to this light too if they made one.
mr_magoo
20
Sep 1, 2018
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BiglouCheers!
For others: I seem to remember seeing that you could buy the clip separately from streamlight. It was off of their 2 AAA stylus pro penlight, but it was a tad expensive by itself.
For others: I seem to remember seeing that you could buy the clip separately from streamlight. It was off of their 2 AAA stylus pro penlight, but it was a tad expensive by itself.
Omegaman68
546
Sep 9, 2018
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Thorn74Or at least a more substantial clip than what is shown. The clip on the AAA is the only weak point of that light and this clip doesn’t look any better.
Badazzelanore
38
Mar 17, 2019
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Cyphre Agree, I stopped carrying my massdrop copper AAA because the clip was just worthless. It would pop off anytime I was getting out of my vehicle. I never lossed the light but I just didn't feel comfortable with it. I now carry my Olight copper S1A baton as EDC because even though it is substantially bigger, it has a deep carry pocket clip and the clip is very secure. My AAA is relugated to my edc catch-all. The S1A baton was not much more expensive and is head over heals a better light. Massdrop has been dropping the ball lately and although they offer niche products for enthusiasts, the quality seems to be extremely lacking lately. I know this is in an attempt to keep prices down and profits up but with edc items like knives (Perpetua), and now this AA light, that people expect to use every day the quality is not up to par. I think I'm about done with massdroo, massdrop quality control, organization, and planning is not doing a very good job.
Benmjohnson
0
Jul 7, 2019
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JonasHeinemanThis is my only issue as well. Have lost clip off of aaa due to how it rides.
dolljoints
155
Jul 30, 2019
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Therocthat's what i was thinking, but the staff comment made me doubt. i've been using NiMH this whole time, on my brass AAA. so them saying the AAA was only for alkaline, but NiMH being supported on this AA.. got me a bit worried.
i'm guessing the real reason is just like back in the day with walkmans and so on, the 1.2V means it will lose brightness (or tape speed in a portable stereo) sooner along the discharge curve than with an alkaline, which takes longer to drop down to 1.2. so you might have to change batteries more often.
but the AA light being able to accommodate multiple voltages, makes me think there's maybe a voltage regulator or other such accommodations built in to the new one. this is maybe borne out by how they quote longer run times for NiMH than alkaline, in line with longer Ah ratings for many NiMH.
but when batteries are rechargeable, changing batteries over is basically free, compared to buying new alkalines anyway. so i don't really mind if my AAA will last less long on rechargeable AAAs. and i have indeed noticed my AAA light gets dim just before completely sputtering out, but then i'll just run it in medium rather than low mode until it actually dies? i almost never need the high mode anyway. if going somewhere the light is critical, i can install some freshly charged batteries ahead of time.
(Edited)
Theroc
2318
Keyboard Club Member
Jul 30, 2019
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dolljointsI've been using Japanese high capacity NiMH cells in both AA and AAA versions and haven't had any issues. Fresh alkalines last longer, but my rechargeable batteries have, on average, over 50 cycles on them.
dolljoints
155
Jul 31, 2019
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Therocthat helps to know :) mine are eneloop, some back when it was sanyo but most newer, and so panasonic. i know the AA is 2100mAh, i forget what the AAA is.
just the regular eneloop, not the black/pro whatever ones – i didn't see the point in paying 25% extra for 10% extra capacity.
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While most people outside the EDC community see the obvious utility of carrying a wallet, keys, watch, and many people would add pen and/or a knife to that list, the convenience of carrying a flashlight every day often isn't apparent until you just start having one handy all the time. Even then, a tiny keychain flashlight might help to read a menu or find something inside a bag but is rarely enough to light up a dark walkway or cast a beam very far.
Our series of AAA lights make a decent amount of light at 110 lumens but are only compatible with non-rechargeable AAA alkaline cells - that's convenient, but for most flashlight enthusiasts Li-Ion cells are required equipment. In developing the Vega light, we wanted to first preserve all the core elements the AAA lights that made them popular (over 10,000 units sold):
1) Knurled body for easy grip 2) Reversible and removable steel pocket clip 3) Choice of color temperature (Natural or Cool) 4) Titanium switch on a flat tailcap so the light will 'tailstand' on a flat surface.
However, we also wanted to incorporate some great member feedback from discussions about AAA lights into this AA design:
1) More lumens! Of course, a bigger alkaline battery will accomplish some of this, but to go from 110 to 650 requires a higher voltage - a new AA battery will produce about 1.5 volts, while most freshly-charged 14500 cells put out about 3.7 volts. 2) Rechargeable option - Alkalines are cheap and easy, but to get the maximum performance from almost any LED device, Li-Ion cells are the way to go. So, it was important that we made this light compatible with 14500 cells. And if NiMH is your thing, those will work here as well. 3) Magnetic tailcap - A number of members had specifically requested this option, and we think it's a great feature - even if it adds a few grams. Anywhere you have a piece of steel, you have a mounting surface - think shed, toolbox, closet shelving, etc. This is a great way to cast ambient light in a larger space, but it's rare to find a light that has this feature but also fits into a pocket and puts out enough power to light up even a small space.
Also worth noting is that both LEDs on this Vega model are Cree XP-L HD units; whereas the Nichia LEDs on the AAA light lose a bit of brightness in exchange for the warmer, more natural color temperature, the two different CRI levels offer nearly the same output.
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback about past drops and helped with our development of this product! Community-driven design is what we are all about, and this product would not have happened without your support and input!
A quick housekeeping notes before we get started: Members who join the drop in August will see their transactions processed on August 31st. Members who join in September will see their transactions processed when the drop ends on September 10th.
Thanks and Carry On! - Jonas
UPDATED: One edit - the tailcap is made of stainless steel, not titanium. We've updated the specs accordingly.