Fenix Cree LED Hat Clip

[JW]

Prototype still, need to attach elastic loop to clip for slide in/out of light. Has nice tight swivel, plenty of resistence so light does not wander or get jolted out of position. Made from a photon led hat clip $4.95 online:

[paul johnson]

Jhaura,

good solution. i'll have to try that. i have extra Photon clips hanging around in a drawer.

right now, i have extra AA Mag-Lite clips. I have forced them onto AA Fenix flashlights, or spread them just a little and forced them onto CR123 Fenix flashlight.

Still a lightweight solution. A bit more compact in size, but *NOT* as flexible a solution as the Photon clip. Good idea. Many thanks for sharing.

[paul johnson]

Jhaura, what i did yesterday is take a spare Photon Microlight clip and cut the three protrusions off of the top to provide a smoother surface for the Fenix L0D-CE (though it would work even some larger flashlights as long as they are balanced (e.g. Coast DigiTac 1, etc.).

Instead of duct tape, which admittedly gives a much more secure mount, i just added the normal capbrim/pocket clip to the L0D-CE and slid the clip onto the Photon clip. There is a channel formed by two lines of plastic strengthening the clip that the metal flashlight clip fits between. This prevents the mounted light from torquing/rotating when so mounted.

Now, admittedly, this is NOT as secure as duct tape. It seems to be quite usable for the L0D-CE, but larger AA flashlights have more mass and so are less secure and could fall off – though it also seemed to work find for a 1xAA Coast DigiTac 1 flashlight – *IF* i positioned the metal flashlight clip properly to center the DigiTac1 above the Photon clip's pivot point, as the pivot point of the Photon clip is too loose if the flashlight clip is too far forward or back – in which case it still works, but if i move my head up or down too quickly the Photon clip allows the flashlight angle to change.

So, for larger 1xAA or a 1xCR123 (basically, any smaller flashlight that can accept a standard-style flashlight barrel clip) i would just clip it to my cap brim, but utilize the Photon clip for reading or tasks where i might need a more downward angle than tipping my cap might conveniently provide. This allows me to easily have one clip to use amongst different lights (for example if I carried both a P1D-CE, L1D-CE (possibly??? didn't try it yet) or Coast DigiTac 1, and a L0D-CE at the same time).

Of course, i could just use duct tape, as you suggested, and be done with it. It's really NOT too difficult to remove the duct tape and place a different flashlight onto the clip and re-wrap the duct tape.

[Brett .]

pj, I read your review of the Surefire. Certainly it is a great light. Evidently you prefer it to the Fenix if you could only have one light. Does that preference hold true for backpacking also? I am awaiting my Fenix L0D as hopefully my "one" light.

[paul johnson]

Brett,

actually for UL backpacking, the Fenix is so much smaller than the U2, i'd go with the Fenix.

My preference is a L1D-CE or a L2D-CE since i'm such a "light hawg" due to both my proclivity for night walking (longer burn times) and my age-degraded low light vision; plus, and here comes a somewhat illogical personal preference – i really like a tactical style butt/tail cap switch and the ease with which modes can be switched. However, for those who rarely have the need to switch modes the L0D-CE and the P1D-CE are both very excellent too.

Clearly, for most the tiny L0D-CE is fine – especially for younger non-smoking trekkers with no medical issues, or on meds which may affect one's low light vision, and who also are engaging in good nutrition – all things which can affect one's low light vision.

I think if one were to just consider any Fenix vs. the U2 just on the basis of features (quality seems comparable) and all around usability, i, personally would give the nod to the U2. For the price, it better come out on top!!

Lux and Lumen outputs can really only tell part of the story. Vision is such an individual thing. You really have to SEE the lights side-by-side to compare them. Drehrer was spot [pun intended] on when he wrote in his recent article that "beam pattern" was most important to him. The Fenix beam pattern is really very, VERY nice, IMO, but the U2 is better, IMO. YMMV.

The price alone is enough to make the U2 a VERY unattractive choice. One might say, and i'd partly agree, that one has to be crazy [never said that i was sane!!] to pay that much for a flashlight, unless one's life depended upon it (law enforcement & military – they have a very definite need), or perhaps if one was a collector (though sanity might still be questioned in this case!).

[Brett .]

pj, you the man. Thanks for turning me on to the Fenix lights. I got my L0D today and patiently waited to get home and drop in a 900 MaH NiMH battery, and rotated it on..
I'm sold.
This is so much brighter than my lights of comparable weight (and heavier) it is like alien technology from the future. My 2xAAA maglight and photon beams are barely visible next to this floodlight; and its the exact size of my pinky finger! 28 grams with battery. The beam pattern is a very smooth spot and about a 30' less bright peripheral area. It is so bright looking into the bulb from the perimiter area gives me long lasting spots before my eyes. Just amazing. I can barely see what I'm writing here..I could navigate a trail at night with this thing. Could not say that with my 3xAAA headlamps.
On fast strobe I believe this would be visible for miles; a great safety tool. And there is an S-O-S mode.

edit.. I wrote the above looking at the medium setting, I discovered switching the light on and off two times rapidly puts it in high mode.. this is unbelievable; Im going outside to play with this…

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