Hey All,
This is my first post, but I feel I know everyone here very well, as I can assign to you direct responsibility for my new and expensive habit. I have read many posts here but have waited to post something myself, until I felt I had something to add. I will offer up my opinions on a few recent acquisitions and hopefully someone will find this useful.
Surefire G2 and BOG Premium Cree Drop-In
http://www.bugoutgearusa.com/prcrdrmo.html
I have always loved flashlights and other outdoor/camping gear, but I'm embarrassed to say that before coming across flashlightreviews.com, CPF, EDCF, etc. I had never heard of Surefire. As you all know, once you discover these wonderful resources, it's impossible not to read up on Surefire. I won't go into details since you all know the ins and outs of why people buy their products (reliability, durability, etc) but I couldn't justify over $100 for a light so I picked up a G2 at a local gun shop. I have to say the G2 feels great in the hand and, seems pretty much indestructible, good feel on the tail cap, and good brightness.
The thing that bugged me about the Surefire was that the lamp is only supposed to last 20 hours and the battery for an hour. Not that I use the thing constantly, but 20 hours and one hour just doesn't seem like enough. I'll never pick it up to use it because I will always feel like I'm on the clock (if that makes sense).
I already had a Fenix P2D at this point so I knew about how awesome the cree is, so I started looking at cree replacements for the bulb. I came across the new premium drop-in from BOG, and there has been zero mention on the boards (that I have found) about this module but I thought I'd give it a shot. I emailed BOG and Flavio said he doesn't think it's regulated, but its from a reliable manufacturer and he is providing a lifetime guarantee. For me, it sounded like a great deal, 150 lumens, 2+ hours, and they claim it doesn't have the head gap issue found on some of the other drop-ins.
Anyway, the module arrived today and I'm happy to say that it performs extremely well. I compared the new G2 with the P2D on turbo mode and the claim of 150 lumens seems close to accurate (assuming Fenix's claim of 135 lumens is also accurate). I'd say the G2 with the new cree is about 10-15% brighter than the Fenix on turbo. I took it outside and shined to some far away trees. The throw is excellent and the spill beam is quite wide.
There are two very minor drawbacks over the P60 lamp (other than the already over-discussed incan vs/ led light spectrum issue). 1) The spill beam, although bright and quite adequate in IMO, is about 20% smaller than with the P60 lamp. And, 2) the momentary tail cap switch is noticeably harder to push. At first I thought this was just in my head since the G2 seemed to require a little too much effort to push down, to begin with, but I switched the lamp back and forth three times to be sure. This must be due to the lack of spring in the lamp (makes sense, one spring inside instead of two, means less play in the switch).
Anyway, overall I am very happy with this purchase, although I cannot attest to the battery life, as I haven't run down a set of 123's yet.
ARC-P
Ok, I'll try to keep the comments on the other lights to a minimum since most of these have been discussed in great depth in other posts. The ARC-P came quickly, with good communication from ARC and I am EXTREMELY happy with this light. I have taken it to the beach and gotten sand in it, dropped it in the water and used it daily. So far, is it 100% as bright as when I first popped in the battery a few weeks back. Literally it hasn't left my person since it arrived.
Fenix P2D
Seriously this thing is just unreal. The fact that it puts out almost as much light as the G2 w/ cree, and has half the battery, less than half the size, smaller reflector, is amazing. The quality of this light seems almost as good as Surefire and ARC (doesn't seem quite as durable but I haven't run any of them over with the Volvo to be sure). I use it constantly in low mode, as it is perfect to stand on end and use as a candle. Overall, an excellent light that I carry in addition to the ARC if I know I may need a light.
Inova X5
I read some reviews on the Inovas because I knew that the local Target store carried them. This light is not a throw light for certain, but with great runtime and excellent durability, its ideal for trail hiking, walking the dog, that type of thing. I am very happy with this light although I don't use it as often as the Fenix since its not as pocketable. The funny thing is, my wife has adopted this one and uses it much more than I thought she'd use a flashlight.
Maglight 2D Led Drop-In
I saw this at Walmart a while back and bought it on a whim (already having a several year old 2D). Honestly for the $16 or so I paid, I'm not sure it was worth the money. Its maybe 50% brighter than the old bulb and I'm sure the battery will last much longer. The problem is, after being spoiled by all the aforementioned lights, the rings in the beam just bug me! At this point, the only thing I plan on using this light for is hitting an intruder over the head. And honestly the baseball bat by my bed serves that purpose better anyway.
My Next Purchases
Really, I need another flashlight like I need a hole in the head, at this point. But I'm having so much fun with all these new lights, unfortunately I think another order is in my future. Here are a few of the things I'm thinking about for the future, and any opinions on this stuff would help me out.
NOT OUT YET
-New Arc LS (This could take awhile but I have no doubt it will be worth the wait.)
-New Surefire cree (I hear in 2 weeks they will be in retail stores, and on Surefire's website August 1st. Honestly, considering how great my new cree G2 is, I don't know it I'll need another surefire, but the new E1L and L1 look the best to me.)
ON THE MARKET
-McGizmo (Still haven't read enough on these, but it seems like two things a few things are clear: they are really well made, sell out really fast and are expensive. Are the worth the money? I don't know, you tell me!)
-Orb Raw (This light looks pretty sweet. I just haven't figured out if its more gimmicky, or something I'd actually use all the time. I'd love people's opinions on this one!)
Anything else out there I haven't mentioned that you can recommend I should read up on? Although I don't use a flashlight in my daily work, nor do I use it at home more than a few minutes each night (for something legitimately requiring the light as a tool), there is just something magical about flashlights, and just having them around is fun!
Anyway, my apologies for the long post, and thanks for reading. Hopefully something in my ramblings will be useful to someone.
Woody
This is my first post, but I feel I know everyone here very well, as I can assign to you direct responsibility for my new and expensive habit. I have read many posts here but have waited to post something myself, until I felt I had something to add. I will offer up my opinions on a few recent acquisitions and hopefully someone will find this useful.
Surefire G2 and BOG Premium Cree Drop-In
http://www.bugoutgearusa.com/prcrdrmo.html
I have always loved flashlights and other outdoor/camping gear, but I'm embarrassed to say that before coming across flashlightreviews.com, CPF, EDCF, etc. I had never heard of Surefire. As you all know, once you discover these wonderful resources, it's impossible not to read up on Surefire. I won't go into details since you all know the ins and outs of why people buy their products (reliability, durability, etc) but I couldn't justify over $100 for a light so I picked up a G2 at a local gun shop. I have to say the G2 feels great in the hand and, seems pretty much indestructible, good feel on the tail cap, and good brightness.
The thing that bugged me about the Surefire was that the lamp is only supposed to last 20 hours and the battery for an hour. Not that I use the thing constantly, but 20 hours and one hour just doesn't seem like enough. I'll never pick it up to use it because I will always feel like I'm on the clock (if that makes sense).
I already had a Fenix P2D at this point so I knew about how awesome the cree is, so I started looking at cree replacements for the bulb. I came across the new premium drop-in from BOG, and there has been zero mention on the boards (that I have found) about this module but I thought I'd give it a shot. I emailed BOG and Flavio said he doesn't think it's regulated, but its from a reliable manufacturer and he is providing a lifetime guarantee. For me, it sounded like a great deal, 150 lumens, 2+ hours, and they claim it doesn't have the head gap issue found on some of the other drop-ins.
Anyway, the module arrived today and I'm happy to say that it performs extremely well. I compared the new G2 with the P2D on turbo mode and the claim of 150 lumens seems close to accurate (assuming Fenix's claim of 135 lumens is also accurate). I'd say the G2 with the new cree is about 10-15% brighter than the Fenix on turbo. I took it outside and shined to some far away trees. The throw is excellent and the spill beam is quite wide.
There are two very minor drawbacks over the P60 lamp (other than the already over-discussed incan vs/ led light spectrum issue). 1) The spill beam, although bright and quite adequate in IMO, is about 20% smaller than with the P60 lamp. And, 2) the momentary tail cap switch is noticeably harder to push. At first I thought this was just in my head since the G2 seemed to require a little too much effort to push down, to begin with, but I switched the lamp back and forth three times to be sure. This must be due to the lack of spring in the lamp (makes sense, one spring inside instead of two, means less play in the switch).
Anyway, overall I am very happy with this purchase, although I cannot attest to the battery life, as I haven't run down a set of 123's yet.
ARC-P
Ok, I'll try to keep the comments on the other lights to a minimum since most of these have been discussed in great depth in other posts. The ARC-P came quickly, with good communication from ARC and I am EXTREMELY happy with this light. I have taken it to the beach and gotten sand in it, dropped it in the water and used it daily. So far, is it 100% as bright as when I first popped in the battery a few weeks back. Literally it hasn't left my person since it arrived.
Fenix P2D
Seriously this thing is just unreal. The fact that it puts out almost as much light as the G2 w/ cree, and has half the battery, less than half the size, smaller reflector, is amazing. The quality of this light seems almost as good as Surefire and ARC (doesn't seem quite as durable but I haven't run any of them over with the Volvo to be sure). I use it constantly in low mode, as it is perfect to stand on end and use as a candle. Overall, an excellent light that I carry in addition to the ARC if I know I may need a light.
Inova X5
I read some reviews on the Inovas because I knew that the local Target store carried them. This light is not a throw light for certain, but with great runtime and excellent durability, its ideal for trail hiking, walking the dog, that type of thing. I am very happy with this light although I don't use it as often as the Fenix since its not as pocketable. The funny thing is, my wife has adopted this one and uses it much more than I thought she'd use a flashlight.
Maglight 2D Led Drop-In
I saw this at Walmart a while back and bought it on a whim (already having a several year old 2D). Honestly for the $16 or so I paid, I'm not sure it was worth the money. Its maybe 50% brighter than the old bulb and I'm sure the battery will last much longer. The problem is, after being spoiled by all the aforementioned lights, the rings in the beam just bug me! At this point, the only thing I plan on using this light for is hitting an intruder over the head. And honestly the baseball bat by my bed serves that purpose better anyway.
My Next Purchases
Really, I need another flashlight like I need a hole in the head, at this point. But I'm having so much fun with all these new lights, unfortunately I think another order is in my future. Here are a few of the things I'm thinking about for the future, and any opinions on this stuff would help me out.
NOT OUT YET
-New Arc LS (This could take awhile but I have no doubt it will be worth the wait.)
-New Surefire cree (I hear in 2 weeks they will be in retail stores, and on Surefire's website August 1st. Honestly, considering how great my new cree G2 is, I don't know it I'll need another surefire, but the new E1L and L1 look the best to me.)
ON THE MARKET
-McGizmo (Still haven't read enough on these, but it seems like two things a few things are clear: they are really well made, sell out really fast and are expensive. Are the worth the money? I don't know, you tell me!)
-Orb Raw (This light looks pretty sweet. I just haven't figured out if its more gimmicky, or something I'd actually use all the time. I'd love people's opinions on this one!)
Anything else out there I haven't mentioned that you can recommend I should read up on? Although I don't use a flashlight in my daily work, nor do I use it at home more than a few minutes each night (for something legitimately requiring the light as a tool), there is just something magical about flashlights, and just having them around is fun!
Anyway, my apologies for the long post, and thanks for reading. Hopefully something in my ramblings will be useful to someone.
Woody
