What was your first loved flashlight?

[jumpstat]

Back in them days, probably the Maglite Solitaire. It was so small and cute. I guess the marketing strategy have worked very well for mags till today..

[C4LED]

this looks to be a real useful light.

I think you may have found a picture of a different model of this light than the original poster was talking about from the 1960's. The one you posted was from the 1980's. I had one during that decade and it saw a lot of use since it was rechargable--especially since we didn't have long running low power lights back then.

http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/flas...number=SAN0001

[RWT1405]

My first was a SmokeCutter (3D) in 1982, then a MiniMag (2AA) in 1984, followed by a SL-20 in 1985. They were the lights that started me "on the road" if you will.

[alfreddajero]

Mine was the Mag Solitaire......had a place on my keychain.

[fresnorich]

Super Pelilite Submersible (made by Pelican)

This was probably one of my first professional level flashlights and at the time I thought it was pretty cool. I especially loved that it was submersible. It was a pretty good thrower for its time (a laser-like beam). I wonder if it could be modded into something better today. I looked around and discovered that the drop-ins are still available.

pics showing the Pelican Pelilite next to my TF 2C Cree:


showing the drop-in:

[alfreddajero]

Still in great condition i see.......

[afraidofdark]

I had a fluorescent lantern/incan spot combo made by LSI in the early 80s, took a six pack of D cells and looked like pretty much like this, except it had an all black case with disco yellow and orange pin-striping

Not my first loved light, but my oldest light. Sorry for the top down view, but it was the only pic I could get without getting anything else in the background.

Excellent! We had one like this around the house! It was red also and really dirty and the first light I ever remember using

[incywincyspider]

Like many others here, I've had quite a few lights in my younger days, but the one that got me INTO lights was the Underwater Kinetics MiniQ40. It's an incan divelight at 50lumens that pretty much overthrows all the lights the other kids have when we went to camp and stuff... *grin*

[Caligvla]

I just thought of an earlier light that influenced my hobby.
Duracell had these really good lights they called Durabeam in 1988. I swear I had one that looked just like this one but I remember it taking a single 9volt battery.


I remember at Boy Scout camp I was holding this light after using “Deet Woods Off” (bug repellant) and touched the lens. It melted the plastic in the shape of my fingerprints. I was so distraught for days after. I swear it took one 9V battery.

Wow I use to have that light too, I remember having a lot of fun with it as a kid...

[Caligvla]

My first loved flashlight was a 5D Radio Shack. There was a coupon in the newspaper for a free flashlight. It was cheap plastic and just a ploy to get you in the store and at the very least get you to buy some batteries. I was about 7 yrs. at the time and it was HUGE and really bright... Lot of good memories with that one!

[Federal LG]

My first love was a Maglite 2D! And I still got her, perfectly and look like new!
I bought it right when it was released here in Brasil.

I was a boy scout (in 1991), and I remember how all other boy scouts liked my new flashlight. One of them said "It´s just like we see on american movies, with the cops!".

I remember that it costs about 50 dollars. Very expensive for a flashlight, in that time!

Good memories!

[Burgess]

Call me old-fashioned, but . . . .


50 Dollars still IS a lot of money for a Flashlight !



_

[:)>]

I never owned one, but I wanted one desperately when I first learned of Surefire... I wanted the 9AN Commander. I mean, come on... 140 lumens and a 2nd lamp that was 20 lumens? I couldn't get over the 9P at 105 lumens at the time.

[Taboot]

Mine was a 6D Maglite. I thought it was the brightest light ever even conceived of by man. A battery blew out in it and I destroyed it taking it apart. I still want another one though, even though most of my lights are brighter than it was.

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[Toohotruk]

Call me old-fashioned, but . . . .


50 Dollars still IS a lot of money for a Flashlight !



_

+1

Although, I have spent a lot more...I do my best to never add up what I have spent on flashlights in the last year or so. Just adding up the Malkoffs would be scary!

[DrunkenDonut]

Wow, brings back memories seeing the old blocky Durabeam. I also remember having some silver flashlights around the house. I asked my dad about them and he still has one. It's a Rayovac 2C light. Not sure of the model, and the switch is broken. "Steady" is on (okay), "Flash" is momentary (okay), and "Off" is on (OOPS!). I remember playing with these and taking them apart all the time.

Sorry about the lighting, I'm mixing my LEDs and incans.

Glass lens! I don't imagine it was coated, but I recall later seeing flashlights with plastic lenses and thinking "how come these are so cheap, no glass?!"

If I recall correctly, the glass wasn't exactly finished smoothly along the edges.





We should have some larger ones that take D cells but I'm not sure where they are at the moment.

[nbp]

Probably the Browning 2AA submersible. I got that one maybe 8-10 years ago, and it was the best light I had for a while. That and a minimag. I do still have it, and I'm only 20, so its not very retro. Although I do remember playing with one of those square Duracell Durabeams at grandma's house when I was real little.....maybe THATS where it all started. The closest thing I can find to that Browning in production today if youre interested to see it is the Pelican MityLite 1900, which is actually very similar.

http://www.pelican.com/lights_detail.php?recordID=1900

[Burgess]

Keep in mind . . . .


Pelican actually makes (or made) those lights for Browning.



Not surprising they are similar.

_

[nbp]

Huh! The learnin' never stops here on CPF! Thanks burgess for that tip. I did not know that. Well, then I recommend it as a good light for splashing around with. Probably the newest model is much better than the one I have, although they have preserved the HI-VIS greenieyellow color, which I have and happen to really like.

[Caligvla]

this looks to be a real useful light.

This looks like the Tasco Little Looker, I got it in the early 1980s, it has a 30x microscope and an incandescent light, it had an internal blue filter so the bulb light would look closer to natural light while viewing through the microscope... but you could use just as a flashlight too. I kept it all these years it still is a very cool product...

[srvctec]

This looks like the Tasco Little Looker, I got it in the early 1980s, it has a 30x microscope and an incandescent light, it had an internal blue filter so the bulb light would look closer to natural light while viewing through the microscope... but you could use just as a flashlight too. I kept it all these years it still is a very cool product...

That's exactly what I thought when I saw that photo- I have the same 30x as well as the 100x version and they both look real similar to the one quoted in your post. I still use both of mine on occasion.

[Caligvla]

That's exactly what I thought when I saw that photo- I have the same 30x as well as the 100x version and they both look real similar to the one quoted in your post. I still use both of mine on occasion.

It's a great tool all the way around... I like to look at currency with em too... I didn't know they made a 100x post a pic please... When did you get yours?

[srvctec]

It's a great tool all the way around... I like to look at currency with em too... I didn't know they made a 100x post a pic please... When did you get yours?

I don't have a pic at the moment, but it looks nearly identical to the 30x model. It's actually a Micronta from Radio Shack made in Hong Kong as well. I'm guessing they are made by the same company. I just checked Radio Shack's site and they don't have it anymore. I got it years ago, so that's no surprise. They did have a 60x - 100x model though and it looks quite handy. I may get one since it has adjustable magnification.

[Caligvla]

I don't have a pic at the moment, but it looks nearly identical to the 30x model. It's actually a Micronta from Radio Shack made in Hong Kong as well. I'm guessing they are made by the same company. I just checked Radio Shack's site and they don't have it anymore. I got it years ago, so that's no surprise. They did have a 60x - 100x model though and it looks quite handy. I may get one since it has adjustable magnification.

for under $11, I ordered what the hell, if it sucks I can give it as a gift to my little nephew I am sure he will love it... Thanks for the link!!!

[The_LED_Museum]

For me, it was almost certainly the Eveready Big Jim lantern.



It has a sealed beam main lamp and a bimetal flashing red taillight.

[srvctec]

For me, it was almost certainly the Eveready Big Jim lantern.

It has a sealed beam main lamp and a bimetal flashing red taillight.

I completely forgot about those! That is one of the first flashlights I remember using as a young kid- my dad had one and it was the holy grail of flashlights as far as I was concerned at the time.

[quatra2008]

first real flashlight was a p1d ce which i have since modified and made an aspherical.

[Juggernaut]

For me, it was almost certainly the Eveready Big Jim lantern.

It has a sealed beam main lamp and a bimetal flashing red taillight.

That’s because these are still good flashlights even today! You can still get brand new ones from Bigbeam. To bad the good “alkaline” batteries cost $20, but they do last 4 days continuously.

[Toohotruk]

first real flashlight was a p1d ce which i have since modified and made an aspherical.

I'd like to see a pic of that...with a beamshot as well, of course!

[Alan_P]

For me it was the Arc LS. I like haveing a bright light which is small enough to carry im my pocket.