Looking for low cost light cannon

I've been very happy with my Rayovac Sportsman Xtreme SE4W3C. I bought it blindly a few years back for around $30 at Meijer's while working at WPAFB.

I got back into hunting this year and ended up buying a cheap and similarly bright headlamp (rated at 300lm, really around 150lm) and have the Sportsman Xtreme lantern on it's way now.

Anyway, I am now in the market for a couple of general use (cheap) flashlights to keep in my car and truck and most importantly a super bright "light cannon." I want something bright enough to blind/scare a bear and with enough throw to see the edge of the woods 300+ yards away. And I want it all for as cheap as possible. I don't need the strongest, highest quality, prettiest, or military grade model out there. I just want something that will get the job done, is reasonably durable, and is well worth the money. My absolute max budget is $100 for the light cannon and $20 each for the car flashlights, the goal is $50 for the light cannon and $15 or less for the car flashlights.

Howdy LenteSubigo and welcome to CPF,

First, be sure and check out the CPF Welcome Mat:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?277224-The-Welcome-Mat-a-FAQ
There's lots of good info there. Don't worry about reading all of it, just scan it and get acquainted with our lingo.

Next, check out Battery University:
http://batteryuniversity.com/
In case you decide you want start using rechargeable batteries (which most of us do)

And now, some neat flashlight review sites:
http://www.light-reviews.com/reviews.html
http://www.sliderule.ca/flashlight.htm
http://www.lygte-info.dk/review/Reviews UK.html
You'll find those very helpful to start seeing what's available.

But probably the most important thing I help you with is to learn how to use the Google search box at the top left of most CPF pages. Leave it checked for "CPF Only" and it will limit it's search to CPF threads.

For instance, I just put in the words "inexpensive thrower" and got this page full of results:
http://www.google.com/search?q=inexpensive+throwers&sitesearch=www.candlepowerforums.com

Of course now it's up to you to get a cup of coffee, relax, and start reading..... but that's what we do around here. When we are looking for a light, we start researching previous threads to see what other folks have recommended, and then we go to the flashlight review sites and check out those lights, and then we start making a list, and then after a week or two we'll narrow it down to the top 2 or 3.

The reason I'm not answering your question directly is that there are many variables that you need to decide about. For instance, what kind of batteries do you want? a single AA, 2xAA, 4xAA, C, D, etc.......?

Then you need to decide how many levels do you want, how big do you want it, what kind of tint do you want? Many outdoor enthusiasts have found that a warmer tinted light can be much more pleasant.

In any case, I'm sure other CPF members will chime in with some good suggestions. Mainly, take your time, research those suggestions, and then pretty soon you'll get a good idea of which light will work best for YOUR particular situation.

Have fun !

The general purpose lights for the car/truck will be no problem to find. For the thrower what exactly will you be using it for? What does it have to do?

I'd forget about blinding a bear or scaring it with a flashlight for that matter. Maybe spotting it and avoiding it. A thrower can do that. When you say see the edge of the woods roughly 1,000 feet away maybe if it's pitch black outside and all you need is a very narrow beam. That would suggest a light with a large diameter head using a XR-E for example.

If you need a wider beam thrown but not that distance then you might be looking for a large diameter head and a XM-L. A wide beam thrown 1,000 feet probably isn't going to happen.

So what is the main use for the thrower?

The lights for the car or truck will mainly depend on what kind of batteries you are interested in...AA, CR123, or lithium-ion (or NIMH).