4Sevens Preon Series


Description:
Preon 1 Specifications


* LED: CREE XP-G R5
* Max Output: 70 Out-the-front (OTF) lumens
* Material: Type-III Hard-anodized Aircraft-grade Aluminum
* Battery: One AAA, included
* Operating Voltage Range: 0.9V-3.0V

Low: 1.8 OTF Lumens, 23 hours
Medium: 8.5 OTF Lumens, 6 hours
High: 70 OTF Lumens, 0.8 hours
Strobe 1.6 hours
SOS 2.4 hours
Beacon (Hi) 8 hours
Beacon (Lo) 40 hours

Length: 2.95 inches
Diameter: 0.55 inches
Weight: 0.5 ounces

Preon 2 Specifications

* LED: CREE XP-G R5
* Max Output: 160 Out-the-front (OTF) lumens
* Battery: Two AAA, included
* Operating Voltage Range: 0.9V-3.0V

Low: 2.2 OTF Lumens, 23 hours
Medium: 22 OTF Lumens, 6 hours
High: 160 OTF Lumens, 0.8 hours
Strobe
SOS
Beacon (Hi)
Beacon (Lo)

Length: 5.05 inches
Diameter: 0.55 inches
Weight: 0.88 ounces

* Waterproof: IPX-8 Rating

Included Accessories

* Removable clip
* Ring for keychain attachment

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
 

Shown Below:  Quark mini 123 - Quark Mini AA - Preon AAA Gold - Preon AAA Blue - Preon 2AAA Red - Preon 2AAA Black - Quark RGB
Shown Below:  Preon 2AAA Red - Preon AAA Blue - Quark Mini AA Titanium - Quark Mini 123 Titanium

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