Flashlight recomendations
- Thread starter GQGeek81
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Roy
Farewell our Curmudgeon Administrator
TAke a Surge outside and turn it on. If you don't say something along the lines of "Holy S**t", I'd be supprised. Yes, it is that bright. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
The Minimag and UKE 2L are not the same type of light at all. The UKE is at least 5x as bright as the Minimag. The PT Surge is maybe 3x as bright as the UKE, but also around 4x bigger and heavier. The TL3 is roughly as bright as the Surge, and about halfway between the UKE and Surge in size/weight.
It would help if you'd say just how much size/weight you're willing to tolerate. The Surge is about the size of a typical plastic household two-C-cell light, but a little thicker, like a D cell light. The TL3 is about like a Minimag that took too many vitamins, i.e. a little bit longer and thicker, and the head is larger.
To even approach this kind of throw with an LED light, you'll have to get a Surefire L5 or something of that caliber. Better would be a Space Needle II (modded 2C Maglight with direct drive 5W emitter) if you can find one on BST.
If you can stand something even bigger than the Surge, other options include the UKE SL6C (six C cells) and maybe the Tigerlight or Ultrastinger (both rechargeable).
It would help if you'd say just how much size/weight you're willing to tolerate. The Surge is about the size of a typical plastic household two-C-cell light, but a little thicker, like a D cell light. The TL3 is about like a Minimag that took too many vitamins, i.e. a little bit longer and thicker, and the head is larger.
To even approach this kind of throw with an LED light, you'll have to get a Surefire L5 or something of that caliber. Better would be a Space Needle II (modded 2C Maglight with direct drive 5W emitter) if you can find one on BST.
If you can stand something even bigger than the Surge, other options include the UKE SL6C (six C cells) and maybe the Tigerlight or Ultrastinger (both rechargeable).
BlindedByTheLite
Flashlight Enthusiast
Beamshots: Surefire P61 vs. Surefire P60 vs. Streamlight Scorpion vs. Streamlight 4AA xenon vs. Underwater Kinetics 2L xenon vs. Pelican Stealthlite vs. Underwater Kinetics 2AAA vs. Maglite 3D vs. Surefire 12PM
there's a beamshot with the UK 2L in the mix..
Beamshots: Maglite 3D vs. Tigerlight vs. Princeton Tec Surge vs. Brinkmann Legend LX
there's a beamshot with the PT Surge in the mix..
Beamshots: PT Surge vs. Maglite 2D vs. Brinkmann Legend LX
and there's one more with the PT Surge..
Beamshots: Minimag vs. UK 2L vs. Maglite 2C running on CR123 lithiums vs. SF P60 vs. SF P61
there's a beamshot with the UK 2L in the mix..
Beamshots: Maglite 3D vs. Tigerlight vs. Princeton Tec Surge vs. Brinkmann Legend LX
there's a beamshot with the PT Surge in the mix..
Beamshots: PT Surge vs. Maglite 2D vs. Brinkmann Legend LX
and there's one more with the PT Surge..
Beamshots: Minimag vs. UK 2L vs. Maglite 2C running on CR123 lithiums vs. SF P60 vs. SF P61
Alan_L
Newly Enlightened
You can also take a look at the Princeton Tec Tec40. It is small, runs off of 4AAs, waterproof, and can be had for about $15. It is highly regarded here on CPF as a good all-purpose light. I don't know how much throw you need, but a 4 cell light should be pretty good for camping and backpacking. If you decide you need more light then you can upgrade to a better light later and you won't be out too much cash.
PlayboyJoeShmoe
Flashaholic
I have never had a UK 2L.
I own: PM6, G2 w/P60, TT2L, And TEC40 from the so far talked about lights.
In stock condition, the PM6 is the throw champ.
Modded, (in this case a M*g 4 cell Xenon bulb) the TEC40 also puts light quite out there.
I don't know how water resistent the PM6 is, but the TEC40 is at the very least monsoon proof.
Also, as mentioned above a SpaceNeedleII is an awesome thing! It doesn't have all that much more runtime than the 2L lights however.
The TEC40 is probably the best compromise light we have discussed so far.
I own: PM6, G2 w/P60, TT2L, And TEC40 from the so far talked about lights.
In stock condition, the PM6 is the throw champ.
Modded, (in this case a M*g 4 cell Xenon bulb) the TEC40 also puts light quite out there.
I don't know how water resistent the PM6 is, but the TEC40 is at the very least monsoon proof.
Also, as mentioned above a SpaceNeedleII is an awesome thing! It doesn't have all that much more runtime than the 2L lights however.
The TEC40 is probably the best compromise light we have discussed so far.
BlindedByTheLite
Flashlight Enthusiast
here's this, in case you like the PT40.. another 4 AA light..
Beamshots: Maglite 2D vs. Streamlight Propolymer 3C LED vs. Inova X5T vs. Minimag vs. Arc LSH-P vs. PT40
Beamshots: Maglite 2D vs. Streamlight Propolymer 3C LED vs. Inova X5T vs. Minimag vs. Arc LSH-P vs. PT40
Looking at this link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3654234320&category=1300
The Surge looks great in price and size and with the 4/8 battery option sounds good for different uses as well. The size sounds great as well.
The pics you guys linked to look decent in brightness as well.
The Surge is running for $31 so unless someone can recomend something better for around the same price I think I've now got something more specific than 'flashlight' for my wish list.
The Surge looks great in price and size and with the 4/8 battery option sounds good for different uses as well. The size sounds great as well.
The pics you guys linked to look decent in brightness as well.
The Surge is running for $31 so unless someone can recomend something better for around the same price I think I've now got something more specific than 'flashlight' for my wish list.
BlindedByTheLite
Flashlight Enthusiast
well.. as long as you get the newest version of the Surge, then i know you'll be satisfied..
treek13
Flashlight Enthusiast
[ QUOTE ]
GQGeek81 said:
Looking at this link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3654234320&category=1300
The Surge looks great in price and size and with the 4/8 battery option sounds good for different uses as well. The size sounds great as well.
The pics you guys linked to look decent in brightness as well.
The Surge is running for $31 so unless someone can recomend something better for around the same price I think I've now got something more specific than 'flashlight' for my wish list.
[/ QUOTE ]
If you decide on the Surge, be sure to check it out at Texas Tactical Supply for $20.99 to save a bunch of dough while still enjoying excellent customer service. (Also, according to this web page, they carry the "New Version".)
Pat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
GQGeek81 said:
Looking at this link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3654234320&category=1300
The Surge looks great in price and size and with the 4/8 battery option sounds good for different uses as well. The size sounds great as well.
The pics you guys linked to look decent in brightness as well.
The Surge is running for $31 so unless someone can recomend something better for around the same price I think I've now got something more specific than 'flashlight' for my wish list.
[/ QUOTE ]
If you decide on the Surge, be sure to check it out at Texas Tactical Supply for $20.99 to save a bunch of dough while still enjoying excellent customer service. (Also, according to this web page, they carry the "New Version".)
Pat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Josey
Flashlight Enthusiast
I just got the Streamlight 3AA and was surprised at how bright it is. It has a great throw, nearly as good as my TL3 and way brighter than my CMG Reactor 3AA. And pretty cheap and light (as in weight).
illumiGeek
Enlightened
The Surge is on the large side if you are looking for something mini-mag-ish, but it is a very nice light. Frighteningly bright with decent beam quality and easy to find AA batteries (although it eats EIGHT of them!).
Oh, and it's really not practical to run the Surge from 4 batteries unless you are using the expensive Lithium Energizers. Alkalines just can't deliver enough current without the parallel arrangement (both brightness and run time would be pretty poor).
For small, bright and waterproof the Underwater Kinetics (UKE) 2L would be a nice choice. Quite small and light. Nice and bright. Decent run time and great shelf life (3-4 hours run time and 10 year shelf life). Drawbacks would be the custom lamp module and Lithium batteries (cost more to replace, and may be harder to find than standard parts). Not sure if UKE still calls this a "Dive" light (a lot of lithium lights are no longer called dive lights since it was discovered that salt water and lithium batteries go BOOM!) but it is very waterproof.
Other small options would be the Pelican MityLite 4AA. Tight, bright beam, and easy to find batteries (4xAA) but still uses a custom lamp module. Dive rated to 250 feet.
Princeton Tec Tec-40 (PT40). Also uses (4) "AA" batteries and standard "PR" lamps which are easy to find and replace. Run a Mag Xenon Star lamp in it and it will be very bright with good throw and beam quality. Dive rated to 500 feet.
Ikelite PCa light. Runs 6xAA batteries and wips 'em 'til they cry. The result is a hell of a lot of light for its size, but relatively short run time (1.5-2 hours). Beam quality leaves a lot to be desired. Typical "Mag type" beam from a smooth reflector. A bit larger than the lights mentioned above, but still smaller than the Surge. And since it uses PR lamps, there are lots of options. I've been meaning to try 5 and 6 cell Mag Xenon Star lamps in mine (to see if the beam quality gets any better), but have not been able to find any. Dive rated to 300 feet.
Aloha, iG
Oh, and it's really not practical to run the Surge from 4 batteries unless you are using the expensive Lithium Energizers. Alkalines just can't deliver enough current without the parallel arrangement (both brightness and run time would be pretty poor).
For small, bright and waterproof the Underwater Kinetics (UKE) 2L would be a nice choice. Quite small and light. Nice and bright. Decent run time and great shelf life (3-4 hours run time and 10 year shelf life). Drawbacks would be the custom lamp module and Lithium batteries (cost more to replace, and may be harder to find than standard parts). Not sure if UKE still calls this a "Dive" light (a lot of lithium lights are no longer called dive lights since it was discovered that salt water and lithium batteries go BOOM!) but it is very waterproof.
Other small options would be the Pelican MityLite 4AA. Tight, bright beam, and easy to find batteries (4xAA) but still uses a custom lamp module. Dive rated to 250 feet.
Princeton Tec Tec-40 (PT40). Also uses (4) "AA" batteries and standard "PR" lamps which are easy to find and replace. Run a Mag Xenon Star lamp in it and it will be very bright with good throw and beam quality. Dive rated to 500 feet.
Ikelite PCa light. Runs 6xAA batteries and wips 'em 'til they cry. The result is a hell of a lot of light for its size, but relatively short run time (1.5-2 hours). Beam quality leaves a lot to be desired. Typical "Mag type" beam from a smooth reflector. A bit larger than the lights mentioned above, but still smaller than the Surge. And since it uses PR lamps, there are lots of options. I've been meaning to try 5 and 6 cell Mag Xenon Star lamps in mine (to see if the beam quality gets any better), but have not been able to find any. Dive rated to 300 feet.
Aloha, iG
Alright I ordered the PT Surge today (in red) will let you guys know how much it impresses me when I get it. I'm starting to scare my freinds because I'm getting all worked up over.. flashlights.
So anyway does anyone know if the Surge can be tweaked with a new lens/relfector, or drop in bulb? On the last I know I said throw but switching to a regulated LED I asume would give it a much longer battery life and would be a good option so as to use it for an around the house type light.
So anyway does anyone know if the Surge can be tweaked with a new lens/relfector, or drop in bulb? On the last I know I said throw but switching to a regulated LED I asume would give it a much longer battery life and would be a good option so as to use it for an around the house type light.
kitelights
Flashlight Enthusiast
[ QUOTE ]
Mark_Larson said:
There are many small, cheap and bright lights in a lower price range - not everyone can or wants to spend $ 100 and up.
- If you want a Luxeon powered light, a Minimag outfitted with a BB400/MadMax should be fine for $ 50-60 total.
- If you want "throw", a $ 20-30 spotlight should do the job. Who goes camping on foot? If no, there are plenty of incandescents engineered to do precisely this, including a Mag 2C fitted with a KPR112 (Radio Shack)/KPR113 (Walmart) and 3x CR123A for $ 20-25.
- If you want a low power light, a CMG Infinity Ultra could do the job.
What gets my groat is people recommending $ 100+ lights to everybody. Not everyone can afford to spend that much on lights, even though i'm sure this forum's collective audience tends towards middle age and deeper pockets.
[/ QUOTE ]
Wow - this is just like the Democrats response to the State of the Union address.
Where does the fabrication come from that I recommend $100+ lights to everybody? In THIS thread I responded to GQGeek81 according to what he is looking for.
"So what I'm looking for is something a bit impressive.
I want throw to compliment my headlamp, and as it will be used for backpacking/camping size, and to a lesser extent, weight is a concern."
"As for price, well something in the $40-60 range I suppose although I might be tempted to splurge above that if I see something I really like."
ARC LS seconds are selling for $50 and there have been two specials on the LSL for $59.95. There's quite a range of prices on B/S/T. I think that's very much in line with his price range.
"Who goes camping on foot?"
What do you think "backpacking" is? The whole idea behind equipment for backpackers is small size, lightweight, and high performance / reliability.
I have a PT Surge and I love it. It's the brightest, longest throwing light that I own. But I have it for its wow factor. It is one heck of a value for what it costs vs what it does.
It also weighs 3/4 of a pound and more than half of that is the batteries. I've had the bulb come out of the socket just from adjusting it. It is 6 - 8 times larger than an ARC LS and weighs 6 times more. Add quite a bit more weight and bulk if you want to carry a spare set of cells for it. Point is, like I originally said, it's not a backpacking light.
I personally lean towards LEDs in all of my lights now. That's just a personal preference, but I no longer have to worry about blown bulbs and yellow / orange beams when they dim.
Even though I'm not one with deep pockets, I am towards middle age; I guess the real question is, "What's your problem with the middle age with deeper pockets?" If it weren't for them, you wouldn't have this forum to enjoy.
I don't make a lot of posts and when I do I try and have something worthwhile and informative to say. All of us have different opinions and that's what makes this forum useful. Disagree to your hearts content with my opinions, but please don't accuse me of something that I haven't said or done.
Mark_Larson said:
There are many small, cheap and bright lights in a lower price range - not everyone can or wants to spend $ 100 and up.
- If you want a Luxeon powered light, a Minimag outfitted with a BB400/MadMax should be fine for $ 50-60 total.
- If you want "throw", a $ 20-30 spotlight should do the job. Who goes camping on foot? If no, there are plenty of incandescents engineered to do precisely this, including a Mag 2C fitted with a KPR112 (Radio Shack)/KPR113 (Walmart) and 3x CR123A for $ 20-25.
- If you want a low power light, a CMG Infinity Ultra could do the job.
What gets my groat is people recommending $ 100+ lights to everybody. Not everyone can afford to spend that much on lights, even though i'm sure this forum's collective audience tends towards middle age and deeper pockets.
[/ QUOTE ]
Wow - this is just like the Democrats response to the State of the Union address.
Where does the fabrication come from that I recommend $100+ lights to everybody? In THIS thread I responded to GQGeek81 according to what he is looking for.
"So what I'm looking for is something a bit impressive.
I want throw to compliment my headlamp, and as it will be used for backpacking/camping size, and to a lesser extent, weight is a concern."
"As for price, well something in the $40-60 range I suppose although I might be tempted to splurge above that if I see something I really like."
ARC LS seconds are selling for $50 and there have been two specials on the LSL for $59.95. There's quite a range of prices on B/S/T. I think that's very much in line with his price range.
"Who goes camping on foot?"
What do you think "backpacking" is? The whole idea behind equipment for backpackers is small size, lightweight, and high performance / reliability.
I have a PT Surge and I love it. It's the brightest, longest throwing light that I own. But I have it for its wow factor. It is one heck of a value for what it costs vs what it does.
It also weighs 3/4 of a pound and more than half of that is the batteries. I've had the bulb come out of the socket just from adjusting it. It is 6 - 8 times larger than an ARC LS and weighs 6 times more. Add quite a bit more weight and bulk if you want to carry a spare set of cells for it. Point is, like I originally said, it's not a backpacking light.
I personally lean towards LEDs in all of my lights now. That's just a personal preference, but I no longer have to worry about blown bulbs and yellow / orange beams when they dim.
Even though I'm not one with deep pockets, I am towards middle age; I guess the real question is, "What's your problem with the middle age with deeper pockets?" If it weren't for them, you wouldn't have this forum to enjoy.
I don't make a lot of posts and when I do I try and have something worthwhile and informative to say. All of us have different opinions and that's what makes this forum useful. Disagree to your hearts content with my opinions, but please don't accuse me of something that I haven't said or done.
