CountyComm Maratac AAA Copper flashlight review.

[Vicarious_Lee]

About 6 months ago I decided to splurge on an EDC flashlight because my son was born and I wanted to get myself something (the wife got a TV. She made the baby). So this caught my eye:

http://countycomm.com/aaacopper.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the ultimate pocket trinket gearwhore site now comes a new and laughably more expensive version of their 2-stage anodized aluminum Maratac flashlight.



Check that shit out. It's like a penny. With knurls and clips and all kinds of SHINY!! I originally decided to choose the copper alloy for its antimicrobial properties because I work in a hospital in direct patient care (That is complete bullshit. It was shiny and cool and I'm a total sucker when it comes to EDC trinkets like this.) It's packed in air-tight foil so it's so shiny when it gets to you.



And very small and lightweight.



It's 2.6" long, weighs 40 grams with the AAA battery, and it has a dual-mode switch where the low setting is rated at 1.8 lumens for 55 hours, or a surprisingly bright 115 lumens for 60 minutes. Originally I thought the low setting was too low and the high setting was too high, but I've adjusted to it. The low setting is for stuff like reading a map deep behind enemy lines on a recon mission (or finding the "subtitles" button on your remote in the dark when watching The Hobbit. Same deal), and the high setting gets shit all lit up for nighttime suspect identification and interrogation (or finding that tiny Lego piece that he dropped somewhere in this damn room, and he's having a complete meltdown about it, and it's already 10:30 at night. Jesus! Why isn't he asleep?). I've learned to treat it like a much larger flashlight when I kick the high setting on. Don't have it pointing anywhere in the general direction of your face when you engage high, which is done by twisting it on, then off, then on, and the little smart chip somewhere in it turns on the high beam.

These were taken at the same distance on low and on high:






So, after 6 months of using this thing clipped to my left pocket every day, even through power outages at work, I can say it's pretty awesome. There's no finish to wear off, and as you can see, it has not only not been consumed by multi-drug resistant bacteria, but it's developed a wonderful patina that makes me all happy. Sometimes I get it out in meetings and play with it because it's just so damn cool. Still going strong on one battery, but it may be fading a bit at the 6-month mark.





Problems:

1. That tiny lanyard clip isn't big enough to thread through CounyComm's awesome A&P Key Rings, which I also own and recommend to anyone.

2. The second stage sometimes flickers off, and you have to cycle through the on-off-on again to get it to catch. It almost always lights up the high beam the second time, and this is happening with much less frequency as I use it.

3. It's not really a con, but the tiny size and the 2-stage twist-on switch means this is not a weapon or fighting light to be used with a gun. It's bright enough, but it's not purpose built for that.


OVERALL

I mean seriously, look how COOL this thing looks!!! Also, it's a very good and durable small light for EDC. I'm giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The extra .5 is because Copper Pretty Ooooh.

[GearJedi]

solid copper? that's sexy I might pick one up

[KnoxButler]

I've had in my EDC a Maratac AAA Rev 2 with the black finish (two separate identical units, lost one replaced it with the other) for about a year. In my experience I have never had any flickering on either one of the lights except when the battery is low. Also the black finish on the body of the light is very good, mine has been dropped, scrapped across the ground been bitten (hold the light in my mouth when I need both hands), etc and I still can not find a scratch on the coating even where the pocket clip slides back and forth, snaps on and off. The pocket clip however does not have as durable of a coating, in fact I think it is more of a paint than a coating.

I love this light! There are definitely more powerful lights out there but non that can compete with its size both in length and width. After I lost my first one I went on a search to find a replacement and thought I might test the waters with some other lights, but came back to the Maratac because it was the only one I could see myself keeping in my pocket comfortably.

PS: I didn't see this mentioned in your review but you can remove the pocket clip and reverse it so that it can be attached to the brim of a hat or something similar and used as a headlamp.

[Vicarious_Lee]

PS: I didn't see this mentioned in your review but you can remove the pocket clip and reverse it so that it can be attached to the brim of a hat or something similar and used as a headlamp.

As it turns out, yes, you can, though it scratches the copper a bit.

The other day I was at one of those full-service, dine-in movie theaters that you can drink and eat dinner at. When it came time to pay the tab towards the end of the movie, this light's "low" setting was just perfect. I also had a coworker cycle to high while pointing it at his face, which was funny.

It's a good little light.

[BULLGATOR]

I purchased one of their Maratac AAA flashlights. While it worked, it was great...small and powerful. The problem is that it fits a AAA battery so tightly that if the battery swells at all (which can happen if you live in a humid environment like Florida) is impossible to remove. I purchased the flashlight also more than a year ago so their 10 day warranty (yes, it's only 10 days) does not apply. That's $30 down the drain...for flashlight I probably used twice.

[Woods Walker]

Always wanted to get one but never did. Cool!

[azoth]

I've had one of these for several months and love it. its small enough to disappear in your pocket(in a good way) but powerful enough for most situations.

[HellSpork]

If you buy this light to keep in a kit or car, STORE THE BATTERY SEPARATE.


I had the grey, Aluminum model. Loved it. Terrific little light. Good output on a common, cheap battery.

Kept it in a small tool-kit type bag in my car.

Few months later, I needed it. Wouldn't turn on.

Open it up, battery had corroded and swelled enough that it was IMPOSSIBLE to remove without destroying the light. Whole thing went into the trash. Pissed me right off.

[crypto]

I had a couple of these maratec lights, not this boss-ass copper one but the basic aluminum ones, one in AA and one in AAA.

Both of them developed a weird soft buzzing sound when they were on in their dimmed mode. I'm thinking that whatever gate was switching the LED on and off rapidly to make it dim was making a weird noise with whatever bizzare physical effect causes old TV's with leaky power supplies to have a high-pitched whine.

Either way, the buzzing skeeved me out and I stopped carrying them.

I just figured I got mine while there was a component defect present, but has anyone else ever encountered anything like that?

[BC_Slider]

Looks like now they have a solid brass version of this light as well, and have upgraded the LED, plus it's 3 mode Might have to pick one or two up as a backup EDC light, or to put in a PSK.

[Taddster]

Mine has a high pitched sound when using the middle setting. I doesn’t do it with the low and high setting. I tested three other batteries AA and same thing happens.

[absinthe beginner]

Any suggestions on a good lanyard to use with it?