I'm gonna roll the dice here.....

[Vortus]

Pretty sure beam color matters as well to help mold, stains and other things to show up better, HICri perhaps? Perhaps a UV for critters as well.

Malkoff MD2 w a hi/lo ring and the HiCri M61 along with a P60 host of choice and a Nailbender UV P60.

 

[homeinspector]

Think I am leaning towards a fenix as I do like and need the throw and beam of the ultrastinger...

 

[AnAppleSnail]

You guys must be sick and tired of these newbe questions

There is no joy like knowing someone will be happy with what we suggest. I have some budget options for your consideration:

Cells. NiMH AAs are pretty darn good these days. I got a Duracell pack with a home/car charger plug and 4 NiMH AAs for about $22. It will ONLY charge pairs, but it charges in 2 hours. A good 2xAA light will give you about 100 lumens for 3-4 hours, and there's no rule that you can't have more spares.

I still highly suggest the Quark 4sevens 2xAA line. It was the first quality light I bought, and I still use mine daily. Mine was $50, but the new models run around $65. I suggest a 'Neutral White' tint for you, to better show wire colors. Some LED lights do not do a good job showing the difference between red, orange, and those are common in phones and some wiring. I describe the beam as 'mixed use,' it has spill (see what's at your feet) with some throw (See over there). I cut up a water bottle neck to keep on the end of this light - screw the cap on for a diffuser (more of an area light). The 'hand grip' that comes with quarks is a good mouth-holder. I cut mine up to use the round part on the tailcap.

Li-Ion lights give you more power in a given package size, but NiMHs take less thought. Which do you prefer? High-power LEDs come in all size packages these days.

Lights come 2 ways:
Small, bright, endurance. Pick two.
Cheap, durable, satisfying. Pick two.

Think I am leaning towards a fenix as I do like and need the throw and beam of the ultrastinger...

I have not bought a Fenix yet, but they have a lot of 2xAA critters, as well as 18650. I think you want to consider ones compatible with their headband - a headlamp is SO useful when crawling in small spaces. If your head is particularly large, you might have trouble with it. If a clip can reverse, it's easy to clip small lights onto hats.

 

[homeinspector]

"Lights come 2 ways:
Small, bright, endurance. Pick two.
Cheap, durable, satisfying. Pick two."


Bright (throw),endurance
durable,satisfying


Having said that ...no complaints with ultrastinger ....just wondered if I can get better beam and throw than with the ultrastinger....I would settle for the same traits in a smaller light as it would be nice to be able to cary one in my pocket, but am beginning to think I will have to "settle" if I goto a much smaller light....

 

[AnAppleSnail]

I would settle for the same traits in a smaller light as it would be nice to be able to cary one in my pocket, but am beginning to think I will have to "settle" if I goto a much smaller light....

How averse are you to two lights? It is quite nice to have a thrower light and another small, close-work light. The other way to have throw and close-work light is to buy a throwy light (smooth reflector) with a diffuser. Many diffusers are more trouble than they're worth though.

I frequently carry my old-style Quark AA^2 with a Quark Mini with a custom headband and chapstick cap on for close work. Those and 2-3 AAs in the pocket would put in in light for 12+ continuous hours.

 

[homeinspector]

I had an inspection today and called on a friend to borrow one of his lights. His wife was to leave it for me and when I picked it up there was a note stating that she was not even alllowed to touch any of her husbands lights and how was I able to take it out of the house etc....lol...It was a flashlight called a "4 sevens Q mini 123 " it looks like a tube of chapstick and well lets just say I didn't have high hopes. At the start of my inspection, in one hand I had my ultrastinger and in the other I had ....a tube of chapstick with a lense at one end. I was actually quite suprised at how well it lit up (flood) an area. Of course the stinger has it with regards to the throw and beam intensity but this would make a nice second light. After being teporarily blinded by the strobe feature ,I was left wondering what type of combat type situation I would find this most usefull in.....angry racoon in an attic maybe....Question however, is there anything out there that has a little more throw ,that retains some of the flood qualities of this mini light? Kind of an eye opener for me today..

 

[angelofwar]

I had an inspection today and called on a friend to borrow one of his lights. His wife was to leave it for me and when I picked it up there was a note stating that she was not even alllowed to touch any of her husbands lights and how was I able to take it out of the house etc....lol...It was a flashlight called a "4 sevens Q mini 123 " it looks like a tube of chapstick and well lets just say I didn't have high hopes. At the start of my inspection, in one hand I had my ultrastinger and in the other I had ....a tube of chapstick with a lense at one end. I was actually quite suprised at how well it lit up (flood) an area. Of course the stinger has it with regards to the throw and beam intensity but this would make a nice second light. After being teporarily blinded by the strobe feature ,I was left wondering what type of combat type situation I would find this most usefull in.....angry racoon in an attic maybe....Question however, is there anything out there that has a little more throw ,that retains some of the flood qualities of this mini light? Kind of an eye opener for me today..

The A2L mentioned earlier...

 

[TEEJ]

I had an inspection today and called on a friend to borrow one of his lights. His wife was to leave it for me and when I picked it up there was a note stating that she was not even alllowed to touch any of her husbands lights and how was I able to take it out of the house etc....lol...It was a flashlight called a "4 sevens Q mini 123 " it looks like a tube of chapstick and well lets just say I didn't have high hopes. At the start of my inspection, in one hand I had my ultrastinger and in the other I had ....a tube of chapstick with a lense at one end. I was actually quite suprised at how well it lit up (flood) an area. Of course the stinger has it with regards to the throw and beam intensity but this would make a nice second light. After being teporarily blinded by the strobe feature ,I was left wondering what type of combat type situation I would find this most usefull in.....angry racoon in an attic maybe....Question however, is there anything out there that has a little more throw ,that retains some of the flood qualities of this mini light? Kind of an eye opener for me today..

Klarus XT11

 

[madecov]

I am a big fan of Klarus, but in your case I would look at one of the four sevens quark models. You could get the 123^2 XML. it throws well and is bright at about 400 lumens. You can also get some Li-Ion cells and a charger. It can be programmed for two modes. So you can have max output and medium. It is a very nice small light that fits a lot of people's needs. Add a deep pocket clip and it almost hidden when carried.

 

[TEEJ]

I am a big fan of Klarus, but in your case I would look at one of the four sevens quark models. You could get the 123^2 XML. it throws well and is bright at about 400 lumens. You can also get some Li-Ion cells and a charger. It can be programmed for two modes. So you can have max output and medium. It is a very nice small light that fits a lot of people's needs. Add a deep pocket clip and it almost hidden when carried.

Not for inspection...you want the one handed tail/handle clicky to do it all, you do not want to have to turn the bezel, twist something, etc.

If you're on your hands and knees in a crawlspace, or holding onto a ladder, and you need two hands to work your light, you fall over.

 

[GaAslamp]

Question however, is there anything out there that has a little more throw ,that retains some of the flood qualities of this mini light? Kind of an eye opener for me today..

As a second flashlight? There are plenty of flashlights that have the qualities that you're asking for, although I should point out that when indoors the high-output, throwy flashlights we've been looking at will easily light up most rooms with sheer output :devil: and reflections off the walls, regardless of their beam patterns, which are more floody than the UltraStinger's to begin with anyway (despite being designed for throw and being able to throw farther).

As for recommendations, it depends on what you mean by "flood." Do you mean having a wide, reasonably bright spill area outside of the hotspot (which implies a wide beam overall), or do you mean a wide hotspot? For example, the EagleTac P20A2 Mark II (XP-G S2) doesn't have a wider spill, but it has a narrower hotspot in the middle for greater throw/intensity plus a large, relatively bright "corona" around the hotspot as it gradually (more so than the Quark MiNi) fades into the spill. Arguably, this beam pattern is more "floody" within the overall confines of the beam, yet provides a smaller, more intensely lit area in the very center for throw. A wider spill (and overall beam by implication) is something else.

Additionally, if this is to be a secondary flashlight to either your UltraStinger or another throwy flashlight you're going to buy, then what are your size and budget requirements for it?

 

[EnduringEagle]

Check out the quark 123 from 4 sevens or the Klarus xt1c. Both are a single cr123 cell and do pretty well with general utility. They are also light weight. The Klarus is one handed operation. If you want maximum throw for 2xCR123 light then I would recommend the 4sevens G5. It buries most everything in its class for throw. Also has 4 levels of power settings plus strobe, SOS, and beacon. It is very durable because it is mil spec and comes with a very good holster.

 

[spc smith]

You wont know what you want until its in your hands and using it. as for me and my house, i will serve Olight M20X as an LEO tough, all purpose , intiutive UI well built light with no step down in brightness on high kinda light. Do i recommend this light? YES.