If any of the mods are listening in. It would probably help the OP more if this thread were moved to the "Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets" section of the forum, would probably get more and better suggestions with less argument about cheap lights with one side going to the anti- and one side to the pro- and things turning into a soap box match instead of answering the OP's question. Not that there be anything wrong with a soap box match up just I don't think that was what the OP was looking for. Hopefully someone down there will have more knowledge on AA lights that could work for him then I do since I'm pretty much in the lithium battery camp now-days.