LED Search Light

[TD-Horne]

If you decide that they will meet your needs, let me know, and I can send some more.

I can guarantee to a certainty that we will put them to work. We operate 3 camps with at least 100 campers per session apiece. I don't remember the counselor ratio off the top of my head but I know that it is at least 1 counselor for every 10 campers at the very least. They will make great in camp lights if nothing else. If they turn out to be uniquely suitable for a particular use I'll let you know.

Thank you for your generosity. It is much appreciated.

Tom Horne

 

[Poppy]

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Another Flashlight Recommendation. Keeping the above criteria in mind, and returning to suggestions for a cost-effective alkaline-powered flashlight that is responsive to Mr. Horne's search criteria, I offer another suggestion. My local Home Depot is at present deeply discounting its Defiant-brand flashlights through the end of March 2023. Of particular interest is the Defiant 3xC, normally about $30, now on sale for $10. At a $10 price it might be worth buying a few, and certainly worth buying at least one to check out its performance against the preferred flood beam criterion.


P.S. - Poppy had a comment about this light on a previous page that I missed. He astutely notes that the light's output WILL fall off during continuous use. The question for Mr. Horne isn't however does the light output decline, rather the question is does it decline too much to be useful to the search team. My personal experience with this light is that the falloff will not be damning, and that the ability to switch back and forth, from 1200 lumens to 200 lumens, as needed, will mitigate the inevitable decline in alkaline cell performance. Also, the inevitable decline in output will still produce illumination sufficient to clearly illuminate the scene out to 25 feet. To my knowledge, no hand-carried lights powered by alkaline cells will be able to sustain high output levels for hours at a time. The choice is how much decline is acceptable while still remaining useful for the intended purpose. 'Nuff said.

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@TD-Horne
Did you follow @DaveTheDude 's suggestion and get a Defiant 3C light?

Participating in this thread made me think of this:
On a napkin I drew up a concept, and had my Grandson make up a CAD plan for a 3D printer. His teacher printed it out.
It is a spacer that converts a 3C cell light into a single 18650 light. It acts as a carrier for a backup/extra 18650 cell. It allows for the current to pass around the back up cell.

If you depleted both 18650's you can replace them with fresh ones, or switch back to using 3 alkaline cells.

 

[TD-Horne]

@TD-Horne
Did you follow @DaveTheDude 's suggestion and get a Defiant 3C light?

Participating in this thread made me think of this:
On a napkin I drew up a concept, and had my Grandson make up a CAD plan for a 3D printer. His teacher printed it out.
It is a spacer that converts a 3C cell light into a single 18650 light. It acts as a carrier for a backup/extra 18650 cell. It allows for the current to pass around the back up cell.

If you depleted both 18650's you can replace them with fresh ones, or switch back to using 3 alkaline cells.

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I'm just getting back to preparations for our summer camp sessions because of allergies and other pressing matters. I have been digging a trench to install a bonding wire between my electrical service equipment Grounding Electrode System and the Grounding Array for my antenna lead ins to my amateur radio station. As we march on through our severe thunderstorm season I need to get those bonded to prevent different grounding electrodes from causing large voltage differences between different conductive radio inputs such as power supply and antenna connection which would destroy my radio equipment. Since I'm going a lot further than a minimum installation it takes a lot longer.

My daughter and eldest son both own 3D printers. Can I get the printer control input plan to try? Would it fit in the large number of 3 D cell Maglites I already have in hand thanks to the generosity of people here?

Tom Horne

 

[Poppy]

The dimensions for a 3D mag are completely different. No it won't work.
With a 3D mag you may do well just using alkaline cells. For a rechargeable option, you may go with Tenergy 8000 or 10000 mah NiMH low self discharge cells.

They may give a shorter run time, but the output will remain higher longer. The discharge curve is more flat than that of an alkaline.

 

[TD-Horne]

As long as we are off track, I might suggest that each child carries at least a fanny pack and in it should be an emergency mylar blanket. Wouldn't it be great if it contained a Tyvek coveralls? Lightweight, tear resistant, pretty much rain proof, but breathable. Kinda like a cheap version of gortex. It acts like an extra layer of insulation. Not much, but it blocks the wind so that it is like the outer shell of a three season jacket.

Parent approved bug spray (God forbid they should have an allergy).

Poppy

The campers are already carrying a backpack with everything that they are going to use on the trip. That includes minimalist rain gear, summer weight sleeping bag, jacket... A mylar blanket wouldn't add too much weight so that's possible but I just reread and article on making bivouac sacs out of Tyvec. That could be done by the children's home meeting making them as a Saturday project. We could even do them as a High School Age program at the church's annual sessions. I know that the high school aged kids would really get into that to support the poorer kids that come to camp on scholarships. Between the Bivouac sac, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad that they already have with them I don't think that they would be in danger of hypothermia during our July & August camping season.

Tom Horne

 

[Poppy]

Tom, are they not sleeping in tents?

 

[TD-Horne]

Tom, are they not sleeping in tents?

No. We have used tarp sheltering for over 60 years. Tents get too stuffy and hot. At one time only the older kids could use tarp shelters but the younger kid would pull their bags out of the tents because they got so stuffy. The staff switched to tarp shelters and they never needed to look back. The tarps take a lot less time to set and strike. When a rain comes sweeping in the counselors have them under the tarps and are starting on the hot chocolate before the rain actually reaches them.

It has led to some interesting encounters though. On one of my now 37 year old daughters trips a counselor bought several loafs of whole wheat bread to feed the kids french toast as a treat the following morning. It was in place of the oatmeal usually eaten for breakfast on the trail. Several kids got a loaf of bread to carry. Just at dawn Anna woke up to find a dear with it's head down in her backpack munching on the bread. She yelled and smacked it on the nose but even the councilors agreed that the dear looked at her in a way that could only be described as "What?" and tried to resume eating. When every kid on the trip started throwing their hiking boots at it the poor thing walked several feet away and tried to kick some dirt back on them. At that point a counselor decided the dear had crossed the line and let off a blast with a compressed air horn she had in her pack. It was a good thing for that dear that it took off because one of the male counselors was stringing his bow. There was enough left, since Anna was only carrying one loaf, that every one still got french toast just not as much as they would have liked. You have never seen young children go through food like our campers do both in and out of camp.

It's a little sad for me watching the scholarship kids eyes light up when they see their first meal in camp. You can tell that they haven't seen that much food in a while. Some will gain 10 pounds of healthy additional weight during a 2 week camp session.

Tom Horne

 

[Poppy]

I have two extreme cold weather Military Sleep systems which include a Gortex Bivy. I love them. Tyvek is a poor man's Gortex. Many a hiker use Tyvek for a bivy, and ground sheet, or a tarp. It is a little heavy compared to sil nylon, and it is a bit crinkly/noisy. But it works, and would be a good take home project.

 

[Galane]

Poppy

The campers are already carrying a backpack with everything that they are going to use on the trip. That includes minimalist rain gear, summer weight sleeping bag, jacket... A mylar blanket wouldn't add too much weight so that's possible but I just reread and article on making bivouac sacs out of Tyvec. That could be done by the children's home meeting making them as a Saturday project. We could even do them as a High School Age program at the church's annual sessions. I know that the high school aged kids would really get into that to support the poorer kids that come to camp on scholarships. Between the Bivouac sac, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad that they already have with them I don't think that they would be in danger of hypothermia during our July & August camping season.

Tom Horne

Using a mylar sheet or emergency tent incorrectly can make you freeze instead of keeping you warm.