First Impressions:
I generally do not like AAA lights, but I think that has
been due to my past experiences with them. Most are not all that well
made, and have poor runtime. The 4Sevens Preon series of lights though,
are the first AAA lights I have used that I actually like alot. They are
very well made, and have reasonable runtimes for an AAA battery powered
light.
This is also one of the first AAA lights that I have used that has
a decent reflector, and LED for that matter.
Size/Weight:
While AAA batteries may not have much runtime, they do have
two very important advantages. They are very small and very light
weight. There is a big difference, especially in weight, when compared
to an AA light. This makes The Preon 1 an especially nice "mouth light".
Grip/Handling:
Handling the Preon series is barely noticeable they are so
light weight compared to other lights. I have really enjoyed using the
single AAA version, the Preon 1. I absolutely love the built in pocket
clip. its one of the best I have seen, with very little play, and seems
quite solid.
The two AAA Preon 2 has a clickie tail switch, as apposed to the
single AAA Preon 1 operating by twisting the head. The clickie it a bit
different than others I have seen. it doesnt have the typical rubber
boot over it, its simply a metal button. While it looks fantastic, it
does giggle around a bit, and can make a tiny bit of noise when shaken.
I can also see getting mud down in between the button and the body being
an issue. But that probably isnt the environment this light is most
likely to be used. Both Preons are perfectly at home in a shirt pocket
right next to your pen. Actually the Preon 2 is the same size and shape
as a pen, and I am sure that was part of the plan.
Build
Quality:
The Preon lights seem very well made, the fit and finish
and great, threads are smooth, and the pocket clips are sturdy. I dont
know if its the machining finish on the aluminum or the anodizing, but
the surface actually feels soft.
Features:
The main features of the Preons are the three output levels
(low, med, hi) and the four special modes (Strobe, SOS, Beacon Low,
Beacon Hi) Most of the time I can not stand lights to have all these
special outputs, I just dont personally find them useful. I dont like
the fact that they are too easy to select while you are cycling through
the main brightness levels. But, this is NOT the case with the Preon
lights, finally someone got it right! You cycle through the three
brightness levels like you typically would. Low, Med, High, Low, Med,
High. So you have easy access to those main levels. But, once you cycle
through them twice, you then go into the other special modes. Sure, this
makes it take a bit longer if you are wanting to get to the special
modes quickly, but generally the main levels are the ones most used. its
nice that they focused on making the main level easily accessed, yet
still added the special output modes.
Output &
Runtime:
The "out the front" light output of the Preon lights is
rated as follows:
Preon 1
Low: 1.8 OTF Lumens, 23 hours
Medium: 8.5 OTF Lumens, 6 hours
High: 70 OTF Lumens, 0.8 hours
Preon 2
Low: 2.2 OTF
Lumens, 23 hours
Medium: 22 OTF Lumens, 6 hours
High: 160 OTF Lumens, 0.8 hours
I found that for such a small
reflector, the Preon lights have a pretty nice output. Its a nice all
around useful beam, with a medium sized hot spot. Oddly, I found the
output of the single cell Preons to be just a bit brighter than the
single cell Quark Mini's.
I have noticed some PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) in these lights,
which at times can cause a slight strobing effect. This is mainly only
noticed when the light is moving rapidly, and you are looking at the
light or a direct reflection. This is typical with most lights using PWM,
which is a method for dimming the outputs and maintaining good runtimes.
Heat
Issues:
I did not notice any heat issues while using any of the
Preon lights, they are not driven at very high levels, so heat should
not be an issue.
Pros:
Very light weight
Very small
Good output for an AAA based light
Great fit and finish
Sturdy pocket clip
Cons:
Clickie on the Preon 2 giggles a bit, may not be good in dirty
conditions
Conclusion:
At first I did not think I would like these lights, I
figured they would be much like all the other AAA lights I have tried in
the past. They really surprised me with their quality and light output.
Sure, they arent the brightest lights out there, but considering their
size it is quite impressive. Being super light weight and having a very
nice sturdy clip are major selling points to me that really make these
lights useful.
These lights and more can be found at
www.4sevens.com
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