Best AA Commuter Headlight?
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Best AA Commuter Headlight?
Seems like the Planet Bike 2W is the way to go here, but that's pretty old now, and with LED tech progressing so quickly, I wanted to see if there was anything I'm missing. I've used li-ion battery pack lights before, but the self discharge rates are terrible. Leave it in your bag for 3 days and you're riding home in the dark. And I don't _really_ need 600 lumens just to ride on lighted streets (though that kind of light is fun, haha). I guess the 3v limit of two AA batteries is what's keeping these lights from really being bright, since 4400+ milliamp hours from 2 AA batteries is more than enough power to pump out huge amounts of light (and a higher capacity than many rechargeable lights). Anyway, thanks for any suggestions!
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I would recommend looking at some of the AA flashlights. With rechargeable batteries, some of the AA flashlights put out a lot of lumens with good run times, and prices are reasonable. Check the Electronics forum here for more recommendations on specific lights. I've got a Fenix LD20 that I have used for the past 5 years and it's been great, but there are probably brighter lights available now for less money.
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I would recommend looking at some of the AA flashlights. With rechargeable batteries, some of the AA flashlights put out a lot of lumens with good run times, and prices are reasonable. Check the Electronics forum here for more recommendations on specific lights. I've got a Fenix LD20 that I have used for the past 5 years and it's been great, but there are probably brighter lights available now for less money.
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Arguably the best AA powered light available on the market today is the Philips SafeRide. Run it either with 4xAA or hook up to a dyno. Limited model selection in the States, but more can be had from EU sources.
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I use a zebraliight for my commuter.may be be the best for a bicycle light or the cheapest.
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I use a Dinotte 200L. 200 lumens, 4 AA batteries, tiny footprint(the light head is the size of a C cell battery). Burn time is not great. On high the burn time is 3 hrs. There are three settings, and low is pretty bright.
https://store.dinottelighting.com/din...dlight-p2.aspx
https://store.dinottelighting.com/din...dlight-p2.aspx
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I found myself wanting more than the Planet Bike 2W for night commuting, but I really like the superflash mode during the day. On a sunny day at noon it washes out, but a lot of the time it is very visible during the day.
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I recently received my Fenix LD22 flashlight. 2 AAs. 190 lumens. 2 hour runtime (On Sanyo Eneloop NiMH batteries). It's not a major step up on the LD20. Very slightly brighter and a tiny bit more efficient. I really like it. I also like that I have 8 rechargeable AAs and as such can run for 8 hours before needing to look for an outlet to recharge. I'm really happy with it. I use it in conjunction with a 3xAAA light from Costco. 3 of them for 18 bucks (Unbelievable value). They claim 150 lumens and are probably under-rated. They are about as bright as the LD22. Only run for about 40 min on high with 3 AAAs though. That's why I added the Fenix to my setup.
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Seems like the Planet Bike 2W is the way to go here, but that's pretty old now, and with LED tech progressing so quickly, I wanted to see if there was anything I'm missing. I've used li-ion battery pack lights before, but the self discharge rates are terrible. Leave it in your bag for 3 days and you're riding home in the dark. And I don't _really_ need 600 lumens just to ride on lighted streets (though that kind of light is fun, haha). I guess the 3v limit of two AA batteries is what's keeping these lights from really being bright, since 4400+ milliamp hours from 2 AA batteries is more than enough power to pump out huge amounts of light (and a higher capacity than many rechargeable lights). Anyway, thanks for any suggestions!
H
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