Help me get my brother to join the Dark Side :)

Melson

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
60
Location
Michigan
Hey guys,

I'm not too good at budget light knowledge but I FINALLY got my brother to let me help him purchase a flashlight. However he wants it to be cheap as possible (50 Dollars shipped is his absolute limit) and bright as possible. It also has to look completely "B.A." to him so the more suggestions the merrier!

His basic needs are for it to look cool, be bright as can be and cheap as can be.

Here is the criteria he is looking at:

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
_x___I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! :)

____Less than $25.
_x__Less than $50.
____Less than $100.
____Less than $150.
____Less than $300.
____I have no limit.
____I'm flexible, tell me what you gotJ.
____Other, please specify ________


3) Format:

_x___I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a dive light.
____I want a portable spotlight.


4) Flashlight-specific format/size:

____Keychain size.
_x___Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
_x___Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
_x___Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
_x___I don't care.
____I don't know.
____N/A


5) Emitter/Light source:

_x___LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

_x___I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
_x___I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.


7) What battery type do you want to use?

__x__I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today's most powerful lights)
____I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
__x__I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA) <-------THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES UNFORTUNATELY.
____I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
____I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
____I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
_x___I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down,IMPRESS MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, etc. (300-700 lumens).
_x___I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).


9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.

____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
__x__30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
__x__50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
__x__150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).

__x__Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A "night-stand" light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
__x__I don't care.
____I don't know.


12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):

____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
_x___I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
_x___I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
_X___I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.) <---- NOT NECESSARY IF THE OPTIONS AREN'T OUT THERE
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
____I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)
_X___I want SOS mode.<----- NOT NECESSARY BUT WOULD BE NICE TO HIM
____I want a beacon mode.
_x___I don't care.
____I don't know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights).
____Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
_x___I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.


15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.

____Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
____Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

I know I know AA you won't be able to get that. I've looked and found the Dereelight Javelin but again it's out of his price range
:(. It's possible he could warm up to the idea but who knows.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated guys!


 

rambo180

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
374
Location
Australia
There are a few 700+ lumen options from shiningbeam for $30-$40. Romisen and p-rocket brands.
You will not get this output from any other website for this cost, as far as I know.
 

fishndad

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Messages
460
Location
ohio
You want us to enable your brother?

You wish to throw you brother into this cult of everspending and always reaching for your next fix.

The not knowing weather the mailman has made is presence know by delivering your next injection of LUX.

O.K.

Solarforce L2p host $22.99
Solarforce XML drop in 3.7v to 8.4v $19.99
AT Lighthound if you throw in with him and buy something they have free shipping after you spend like $70. or so.

Hopefully he will see the value of the options this light will offer.
Its very versatile with battery and light source types.
If you search the threads you will see some pimped out lights.
If thats your thing.
 

fishndad

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Messages
460
Location
ohio
Me too I just ordered a shiningbeam blaze scratch and dent $29.00:kiss:
 

rambo180

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
374
Location
Australia
You want us to enable your brother?

You wish to throw you brother into this cult of everspending and always reaching for your next fix.

The not knowing weather the mailman has made is presence know by delivering your next injection of LUX.

O.K.

Solarforce L2p host $22.99
Solarforce XML drop in 3.7v to 8.4v $19.99
AT Lighthound if you throw in with him and buy something they have free shipping after you spend like $70. or so.

Hopefully he will see the value of the options this light will offer.
Its very versatile with battery and light source types.
If you search the threads you will see some pimped out lights.
If thats your thing.



Hi quick question about the whole P60 and host thing. Is it really that good? I know you can play lego and chop and change, but for someone that only has a couple of lights and dosent want to stuff around, is there any advantage? would this flashlight be better than say, a klarus xt11? does building yourself enable you to get a brighter light, cheaper, better heat dissipation and better battery life etc?

cheers.
 

Melson

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
60
Location
Michigan
Hi quick question about the whole P60 and host thing. Is it really that good? I know you can play lego and chop and change, but for someone that only has a couple of lights and dosent want to stuff around, is there any advantage? would this flashlight be better than say, a klarus xt11? does building yourself enable you to get a brighter light, cheaper, better heat dissipation and better battery life etc?

cheers.

It depends on what you want to do, what you want to use it for. In the long run, yes buying P60 dropins and their hosts is an advantage because you can save money and design a flashlight how YOU personally want it.

Do some more searching, look around and see what would best suit your needs.
 

rambo180

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
374
Location
Australia
It depends on what you want to do, what you want to use it for. In the long run, yes buying P60 dropins and their hosts is an advantage because you can save money and design a flashlight how YOU personally want it.

Do some more searching, look around and see what would best suit your needs.

cheers. might stick with ready made lights for now, but i'll keep P60s in mind.
 
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