Hi,
My wife carries a mag 3D in her car, and I'm looking to keep the same general form factor and heft, but drastically increase the light output. The flashlight serves 2 purposes for her, a light with good throw, and something heavy to extend her reach in a pinch if she had to defend herself. She's got a Quark Mini-CR2 for everyday use, so this really is for lighting stuff up and giving her the reassurance of something heavy in hand. I have a good supply of NiMH D cells, so I prefer something that uses those. It needs to be tough, she has a tendency to drop things.
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
_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!
_X__Less than $150.
3) Format:
__X_I want a flashlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
_X__Holster carry.
5) Emitter/Light source:
_X__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 rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
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).
_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).
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.
_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__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
_X__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
_X__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
_X__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
_X*_I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
*Some flexibility here
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
_X__I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
_X__I don't care.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
_X__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights).
_X__Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.
My wife carries a mag 3D in her car, and I'm looking to keep the same general form factor and heft, but drastically increase the light output. The flashlight serves 2 purposes for her, a light with good throw, and something heavy to extend her reach in a pinch if she had to defend herself. She's got a Quark Mini-CR2 for everyday use, so this really is for lighting stuff up and giving her the reassurance of something heavy in hand. I have a good supply of NiMH D cells, so I prefer something that uses those. It needs to be tough, she has a tendency to drop things.
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
_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!
_X__Less than $150.
3) Format:
__X_I want a flashlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
_X__Holster carry.
5) Emitter/Light source:
_X__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 rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
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).
_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).
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.
_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__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
_X__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
_X__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
_X__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
_X*_I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
*Some flexibility here
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
_X__I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
_X__I don't care.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
_X__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights).
_X__Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.
Last edited: