andrewnewman
Enlightened
When I was very young my parents moved from Long Island to rural southern Maine. The winters were cold, power outages were frequent and it was a long drive to "civilization". In the front entrance room to our house we kept (among other things) the house flashlight. It was an Eveready "Big Jim" lantern with a sealed beam incandescent bulb attached to a giant 6 volt lead acid battery that weighed as much as a motorcycle battery.
This was the flashlight you grabbed for a late night run to the wood pile for more firewood. It was also the light that came on first when the power went out. A "funny" noise in the barn or garage was investigated with this lamp. Also it was used during the frequent winter blizzards to check on neighbors.
40 years later as a middle aged homeowner I have begun to consider what a modern incarnation of the "house light" might be. I have a healthy collection (no surprise!) of AA and CR123 based EDC type lights as well as some well worn 3 D-Cell Maglites. None really qualify, however, as a "house light".
The modern house light by my formulation should produce a wall of floody light but also be able to run for extended periods of time should the power go out. The light should be rugged, waterproof and reliable and run on easily found batteries (those giant 6V batteries with the screw terminals were available at every hardware store in Maine in the late 1960's and early 1970's). Finally a modern house light should have some form of beacon of flashing light for emergencies.
My first shot at this is a newly acquired Fenix TK-45. It seems pretty well suited. Anyone else maintain a "house light"? What is your description and what is your choice from the many excellent modern LED lights available?
This was the flashlight you grabbed for a late night run to the wood pile for more firewood. It was also the light that came on first when the power went out. A "funny" noise in the barn or garage was investigated with this lamp. Also it was used during the frequent winter blizzards to check on neighbors.
40 years later as a middle aged homeowner I have begun to consider what a modern incarnation of the "house light" might be. I have a healthy collection (no surprise!) of AA and CR123 based EDC type lights as well as some well worn 3 D-Cell Maglites. None really qualify, however, as a "house light".
The modern house light by my formulation should produce a wall of floody light but also be able to run for extended periods of time should the power go out. The light should be rugged, waterproof and reliable and run on easily found batteries (those giant 6V batteries with the screw terminals were available at every hardware store in Maine in the late 1960's and early 1970's). Finally a modern house light should have some form of beacon of flashing light for emergencies.
My first shot at this is a newly acquired Fenix TK-45. It seems pretty well suited. Anyone else maintain a "house light"? What is your description and what is your choice from the many excellent modern LED lights available?
