I posted this in the 'deer are jerks' thread but this indicates what we have going on with our nightly dog walks. Animal Cam 1/4 mile from our house: She is lactating and not skinny thank goodness
Maximizing on-body lighting capability in a simple system.
- Thread starter ekardscribner73
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
She looks healthy. Deer must be bountiful in your area?
knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
Guessing your dogs are large breed?
kerneldrop
Flashlight Enthusiast
Y'all must not hogs in New Mexico yet....don't worry they are coming!
Once you get hogs they'll take care of the snakes and cats. And pretty much anything else.
Once you get hogs they'll take care of the snakes and cats. And pretty much anything else.
knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
I think hogs are everywhere, we got 'em in NorCal rural coastal areas
Regarding reliability, perhaps we should distinguish between user error, clumsy user interface during stressful events, physical dysfunction, electronic error, and plain ole wearing out a switch. A small american company, the Oveready Team, makes components that are clearly a step up from SureFire (one opinion) the best. Yet putting other manufacturers' P60 dropins in their hosts actually caused some fitment issues that were definitely impactful regarding basic function. Years ago, in an effort to create a dead simple flashlight, I used a Skylumen direct drive P60 dropin with an Oveready host including their no resistance 'switch'. This eliminated a lot of electric circuitry, but aside from having to tweak fitment, it turned out to be a limited one-trick pony that could only be run for a few minutes before risking the LED to overheating.
Seems like color temperature and CRI should be considered for any flashlight purchase made for the long haul. How many of us have changed our preference when encountering truly user friendly tint and temperature?
Seems like color temperature and CRI should be considered for any flashlight purchase made for the long haul. How many of us have changed our preference when encountering truly user friendly tint and temperature?
Yes, we do not rely on flashlights for protection. Only knowledge. At night, more than one person and/or good sized dogs is strongly suggested in lion country. We have been in drought for 25 years, my reckoning, yet the deer population has been sufficient as of late, probably because newer neighbors are leaving water out like the one with the critter cam. I can understand compassion but they are attracting dangerous individuals to associate homesites with sustenance, even if the water is set away from the house. Years ago we had a big cat eating pets; it was a sad conclusion for the 165 pound ~6 year old adult male that was skin and bones (even eating skunks).
Central Mountain New Mexico where we are have neither feral hogs nor fire ants.
Central Mountain New Mexico where we are have neither feral hogs nor fire ants.
idleprocess
Flashaholic
I recall one member who used to take photos of the kangaroo rats at their desert cabin who came to the conclusion that they were causing serious harm to the local ecosystem leaving treats out during their stays since that represented more than a season's worth of calories and they were both more gregarious and more numerous year after year.
I enjoyed reading all of your different light pairings and contemplating my own options. Thanks to those who shared their own experiences. It occurred to me that using a two- or more-light system takes pressure off of the "utility" light, allowing you to carry something fun that might not meet the reliability standards of a "primary" light. However, having discovered fully potted, highly durable lights like those that we have been discussing, I feel less inclined to spend any more money on lights that fall short of that mark.
EDIT: [Spelling]
This is insightful. Physical reliability is more or less objective. Anything past that seems to depend on the expectations of the user. A just-for-fun light can be reliable even with a complicated interface, when the same behavior could be seen as a gear failure in a life-and-death situation.
This is a great example. I'd expect a P60 to be near bulletproof and dead reliable with so little that could [possibly] fail. There's something to be said for a non-modular light that's been on the market long enough for the manufacturer to have worked out its issues over a few generations, with input from professional field experience. This could be seen as a reliability factor as well--reputation, track record, etc.
EDIT: [Spelling]
I ordered a Malkoff MD2 M61T today to use as a primary tactical light. Decided I was ok with two CR123s for my main light for now. May use an 18650 anyway. Also interested in the M61Hot sometime down the line. Thanks all for the quality conversation!
Excellent choice from an outstanding maker.
kerneldrop
Flashlight Enthusiast
That is my goto light when I need something "guaranteed" to work. The beauty of Battery Station CR123s is they "always" work.
The 61T is a useful all-around head. Great choice.
Excellent choice the runtime on a 3500 mAh 18650 is quite good.
This thread was instrumental in my exploring options for a single mode, dutiful rig that resulted in ordering (for the first time) a Malkoff dropin, so thank you ekardscribner73!
Wow!, I read this entire thread and found it interesting. Having filtered all of the "requirements" and "recommendations" through my needs and biases. I propose for your consideration as one of your two lights, one that I am trying to build for my use. FYI, I am in a wheelchair now (stroke L. side), I'm an engineer and was a LEO, long ago. I like the Fenix PD40R for its rotary multi-level selector, but I desire an on/off switch (tailcap or side mounted) that immediately selects my primary desired level. At this point a switch is not available. I'm asking Malkoff, so we'll see if he will make an on/off tailcap switch. If others of you agree, let him know. Nobody does it better, but he needs demand to support those capabilities. When on duty I carried a 6-C-cell Maglite as a combo light/baton. I told you it was long-ago. 
After about a week of carry and use, I'm more than satisfied with my M61T MD2. It's exactly what I was looking for in a primary light. I've even been using it in low mode for close-up work just to see if I could get away with it. The low output (18 lumens) seems ideal for general use, and the tight beam allows it to project startlingly far, but the beam profile proves a bit awkward to use up close and of course I find myself missing the "lowlow" mode.
My experience with the MD2 this week has clarified my requirements for light #2:
- 1xCR123 format
- general purpose beam pattern, smoothly balancing throw and spill
- multiple low modes, something like: lowlow (~1 lumen), low (~50 lumen), medium (~150 lumen or whatever)
- efficient. One useful mode (above lowlow) should run at least 12 hours, preferably close to 24.
- durability to rival or equal the Malkoff MD2. Preferably potted
I had previously decided on the HDS EDC Tactical as my secondary light, but I'm loving the simplicity of my MD2 and I'm leaning towards something a bit simpler. My current #2 light is the Nitecore MT10C running primary CR123s (480/280/135/50/1 lumens). It's a good start, but I want something more durable, preferably potted, and I'd take a lower "low" or "medium" mode in order to improve runtimes.
The only light I can find that meets those criteria is the Malkoff MDC HA 1CR123 (or the TAC version), but I wonder if the 3-lumen low will be dim enough. I'd love to hear your thoughts, as well as other suggestions.
@KITROBASKIN Which Malkoff drop-in did you choose and what are you running it in?
[EDIT: stupid missing parenthesis]
My experience with the MD2 this week has clarified my requirements for light #2:
- 1xCR123 format
- general purpose beam pattern, smoothly balancing throw and spill
- multiple low modes, something like: lowlow (~1 lumen), low (~50 lumen), medium (~150 lumen or whatever)
- efficient. One useful mode (above lowlow) should run at least 12 hours, preferably close to 24.
- durability to rival or equal the Malkoff MD2. Preferably potted
I had previously decided on the HDS EDC Tactical as my secondary light, but I'm loving the simplicity of my MD2 and I'm leaning towards something a bit simpler. My current #2 light is the Nitecore MT10C running primary CR123s (480/280/135/50/1 lumens). It's a good start, but I want something more durable, preferably potted, and I'd take a lower "low" or "medium" mode in order to improve runtimes.
The only light I can find that meets those criteria is the Malkoff MDC HA 1CR123 (or the TAC version), but I wonder if the 3-lumen low will be dim enough. I'd love to hear your thoughts, as well as other suggestions.
@KITROBASKIN Which Malkoff drop-in did you choose and what are you running it in?
[EDIT: stupid missing parenthesis]
I like the Fenix PD40R for its rotary multi-level selector, but I desire an on/off switch (tailcap or side mounted) that immediately selects my primary desired level. At this point a switch is not available. I'm asking Malkoff, so we'll see if he will make an on/off tailcap switch. If others of you agree, let him know. Nobody does it better, but he needs demand to support those capabilities. When on duty I carried a 6-C-cell Maglite as a combo light/baton. I told you it was long-ago.
That would be a sweet light! Wouldn't quite work for me:
-super wide flood beam
-can't lock it on high mode
-looks like it can't take primaries
Those runtimes are impressive though, with the huge battery. And still way smaller than your 6C Maglite!
I always thought I would run nothing but rechargeable cells but this week I started using primaries for everything. Fresh ones go in my primary light and when I feel like they need to be changed, I just burn them up one at a time in my 1xCR123 light for "utility" tasks. I have a bag of about 450 CR123s that we removed from PEQ-16 laser devices in my units armory that I'll be hard-pressed to burn through! What's special about Battery Station cells as opposed to the Panasonic cells that everyone seems to think Surefire and Streamlight batteries come from?
ETA: sorry for the triple-post; don't know if that's kosher. It's exciting to talk about all of this with like-minded people.
kerneldrop
Flashlight Enthusiast
I think it's the same battery…just costs less.
