With what other lights canTL-3 compete with??..

With what group of lights does TL-3 compete with in terms of light output and throw Only? Obviously not with spotlights, M6, etc. lol

I'm getting the flashlight disease, because for no reason I'm thinking to buy a new light for the future that is not killer expensive but Dramatically outperfoms TL-3 interms of lumens and Throw. But the light really needs to throw and produce good amount of lumes significantly.

So far I have the 9AN, TL-3, Fenix L1P. I could honestly say that TL-3 is more than or equal to to the 9AN. But I do like the 9AN for its tough design.

Fenix L1P is my EDC and it's one of the top lights for compact size and good illumination in my opinion.

mega_lumens said:

With what group of lights does TL-3 compete with in terms of light output and throw Only? Obviously not with spotlights, M6, etc. lol

I'm getting the flashlight disease, because for no reason I'm thinking to buy a new light for the future that is not killer expensive but Dramatically outperfoms TL-3 interms of lumens and Throw. But the light really needs to throw and produce good amount of lumes significantly.

So far I have the 9AN, TL-3, Fenix L1P. I could honestly say that TL-3 is more than or equal to to the 9AN. But I do like the 9AN for its tough design.

Fenix L1P is my EDC and it's one of the top lights for compact size and good illumination in my opinion.

Click to expand...

I think it is pretty tough to beat a TL-3 for sheer output and throw for the money. A 9P with a P91 head will certainly put out more light but the TL-3 gives little to it in throw. The P91 puts out an insane wall of light for something that size. But even that is a bit more than the TL-3 in cost.

I think the next step- in a similar size class- but with *noticably* brighter output than the TL-3, is pretty limited....

The P91 is extremally impressive- in fact- it is the king of 3 cell /9V lamps right now.... It's not setup for throw however, it's intended use is to illuminate suspects and apponents at medium and close range... However- when you have such a massive volume of lumens available- even being focused wide it will throw better than many lights... I use this lamp to illuminate house and apartment addresses- it has no problem illuminating things at 100+ feet out..

Another excellent option- would be a 12V lamp... Digilight offers a 12V tactical light- and it is available with a range extender head if you wanted more throw. From what I have heard- these 12V lights from digilight are somewhat brighter than the P91.

[edit in] oh yea.. forgot to mention... Pila has a new 12V tactical light that is rated at 550 lumens on 4xprimary cells.... not sure what price range it is in- also not sure if it is a true 550 lumens or not... but I think it's safe to say it' would beat the socks off of a TL-3 in overall output.

I have a Tl-3 with two of AW's 17500 cells and the Carley 1499 bulb. It is a killer bright thrower but the beam is ugly with artifacts and the hotspot is a funny oval shape. That hotspot is bright and really throws but the beam outside the hotspot is not very bright. I have a Wolf Eyes Rattlesnake with the extender and 13Volt lamp assembly powered by 3 17500 cells and a 3 cell Ultrafire with the G&P 12V lamp assembly powered by three unprotected rechargeable 123 cells. The Wolf Eyes 13V Rattlesnake and the G&P 12V both have much cleaner balanced beams and they are the lights I use instead of the Tl-3 for spotlighting foxes and raccoons in the woods at night. The hotspot on the TL-3 is a little brighter and does actually throw a little further but for real world use the less intense area around the hotspot does not light the area around the target up nearly so well as the Wolf 13V Rattlesnake and the 12V Ultrafire/G&P. The Wolf plus extender costs around $100 with the CPF discount from PTS. It has a nice form factor and is solid and feels like it is better quality than the TL-3. The Ultrafire will occasionally blow a bulb with the three rechargeable cells. I am being careful to not use three cells straight off the charger. The Ultrafire is a real bargain. Around $38 for the 9V light and a 12V lamp assembly shipped from some of the familiar names on Ebay. (the surplus 9V lamp assembly you get in this deal works great in many different 2 cell lights with rechareable cells) I run all of these lights on rechareable cells. IMO they are the only way to go when using lights like these that draw a lot of power and suck primary cells down pretty quick.
jc

Few lamps are designed like the TL-3, strictly for throw. Most are a compromise. The TigerLight might give you the lumens and throw you're after. Pelican's new 3x123A M3 xenon will probably match or beat the TL-3 in throw, using a prefocused lamp, while costing a bit less. But it's rated at only 135 lumens.

You might want to consider one of FiveMega's mods, such as the 3x168A Stinger. Using the larger Stinger HP head, one CPFer who is a law enforcement officer (LEO)--Madecov, I think--found that it threw a good quarter-mile.

I want to clarify my self, I said that I'm looking for lumens and throw. I should add that my priority would be the amount of light output in terms of

1) Much Larger hot-spot than TL-3, 2) Larger, Brighter useful Spill. (So I assume you need much more lumens to do this?)

3) The throw could be less than TL-3, but still should throw well.

I'm now starting to understand that If a light Throws well it has a smaller spill and a smaller hot spot. (You can't have both.)

It doesn't really matter to me if the light is longer or larger than the TL-3.

I have my eyes set on Pilla's 550 lumen and W/E models. I will read more on these lights and see what's best for me. What about SF M3 model is there significant difference compared with TL-3?

Thanks

Based upon the 6Volt Falcata, I'd guess that the 9volt Falcata (not yet released, though) will eclipse the TL-3 for throw and flood capabilities.

The TL-3's performance is a well kept secret, so don't go spreading it's virtues! (j/k)

--dan