So I’m looking for a unicorn, perhaps. I want to buy or build a 1xAA/14500 omnivore with 2-3 modes in a simple UI and with a highly durable build (including the driver- no attiny that will fail after a few decades of storage). The obvious choice here is the Malkoff MDC AA but thats…. too easy. Right now I have a couple contenders but unsure how suitable they are.
1. Jaxman E3. This seems pretty close to ideal. Excellent build quality. The 219C is acceptable though I would like to swap to a 519a (or just 219b) for my own pleasure.
2. Ultratac A1 v2. This is a lovely little light which I have installed a 219b in. Seems well made but its new to me and I don’t know how reliable it truly is. Doesn’t seem as robust as the E3.
3. P60 based. This might be a good choice, although its a bit bulky. I have both a FM 18500 body as well as a Dereelight Javelin which would suppose a 1xAA or 2xAA build respectively. Similarly, one could easily use a Solarforce or Surefire 3xCR123 body but I digress and would prefer to stay to a single cell body.
4. Zebralight. Obvious choice like the previously listed malkoff. Seems too easy. And lacks to fun emitters to make it a satisfying selection ATM.
5. Four Sevens Atom AA. I have two of these in stainless steel and that are stellar lights. Installed a joule thief driver in one of them (from a board member) and both received the 219B treatment. Unsure of the robustness of the stock 2 stage driver to be honest but otherwise these are pretty close to ideal. No real compatibility with 14500, which is acceptable.
Any suggestions for high quality 15mm or 17mm drivers for a AA omnivore? There are a couple of functional choices on KD but I don’t expect them to be overly durable. Likewise, the Convoy T2/T3/T4 12 mode drier is excellent but I doubt its a build-and-forget quality. Typically I do not pot my DIY builds but this one I would probably end up potting…
Along those same lines any suggestions on solder? Right now I have some silver solder as well as flux core solder which I bought back when radioshack was still around. Never had a problem with either but unsure if or how much that matters for long term….