Joe Talmadge
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm looking for a great do-everything light. For me, do-everything = EDC, emergency, defensive use
EDC
- Small enough to carry comfortably for EDC, which for me, means a 1" (25.4mm) body and head. If you have the perfect light but it's got a 34mm head, not interested.
- Can run 18650 or 2x123A -- want it to be easy to feed it
- Instant access to low is a nice to have.
Emergency use: earthquakes, power outages, etc
- Has a low low mode that can run for at least 24 hours straight, preferably longer
- Obviously, I'd like an intermediate mode or two, but I have no religion around spacing, etc.
Defensive use: standard criteria --
- Momentary forward rear clicky
- I have to be able to use momentary as much as I want, without the light changing modes: that is, there must be another way to change modes than the main rear momentary switch
- Must be a way to make the light come on in its highest mode (high or turbo or whatever it's called)
- Competitive lumens and candlepower for a light this size: a very low bar would be >700 lumens and >20kcd (this means a HI emitter, I believe)
- There can NOT be: any type of rear switch delay, or too short a throw on the switch so that momentary is difficult under stress
You'd think this would be easy but I'm actually a bit stuck. Here's some options and why they don't hold up:
- Nitecore P12GT: Switch delay is beyond unacceptable
- Eagletac DX30LC2: I thought this one would be it, but the entire series has switches that are so short, for practical purposes they can't be used in momentary under stress
- Klarus XT2C XPL-HI: This should be the one, but somehow Klarus's lacks any ability to focus an XPL-HI. Specs say a pathetic 14.7kcd, which every other manufacturer can nearly get with an XML2
I haven't found any other vendor that quite matches all the specs, either. Two vendors with poor switch design/execution, and one which can't figure out how to focus a beam.
Any other ideas? Any other 1"-head&body xpl-his on the way?
EDC
- Small enough to carry comfortably for EDC, which for me, means a 1" (25.4mm) body and head. If you have the perfect light but it's got a 34mm head, not interested.
- Can run 18650 or 2x123A -- want it to be easy to feed it
- Instant access to low is a nice to have.
Emergency use: earthquakes, power outages, etc
- Has a low low mode that can run for at least 24 hours straight, preferably longer
- Obviously, I'd like an intermediate mode or two, but I have no religion around spacing, etc.
Defensive use: standard criteria --
- Momentary forward rear clicky
- I have to be able to use momentary as much as I want, without the light changing modes: that is, there must be another way to change modes than the main rear momentary switch
- Must be a way to make the light come on in its highest mode (high or turbo or whatever it's called)
- Competitive lumens and candlepower for a light this size: a very low bar would be >700 lumens and >20kcd (this means a HI emitter, I believe)
- There can NOT be: any type of rear switch delay, or too short a throw on the switch so that momentary is difficult under stress
You'd think this would be easy but I'm actually a bit stuck. Here's some options and why they don't hold up:
- Nitecore P12GT: Switch delay is beyond unacceptable
- Eagletac DX30LC2: I thought this one would be it, but the entire series has switches that are so short, for practical purposes they can't be used in momentary under stress
- Klarus XT2C XPL-HI: This should be the one, but somehow Klarus's lacks any ability to focus an XPL-HI. Specs say a pathetic 14.7kcd, which every other manufacturer can nearly get with an XML2
I haven't found any other vendor that quite matches all the specs, either. Two vendors with poor switch design/execution, and one which can't figure out how to focus a beam.
Any other ideas? Any other 1"-head&body xpl-his on the way?