The Perfect Dog-Walking Light

[HoWink]

Looking for a little help here, folks. I've started walking my dog for mutual exercise at obscenely early hours in our suburban/rural neighborhood in Georgia. In some areas there are streetlights, but not on the entire route. I'm constantly turning the light on and off, peering in shadows, checking up ahead and making myself visible to oncoming cars. The last couple of mornings I used the trusty E2E that sits beside my bed. I loved the incandescent color, the wide spill around the tight beam, and the perfect medium size. Problem is, of course, a couple of 45 minute walks and the batteries are gone - with bulbs going not too long after. So here's my description of the properties I'm looking for. Please let me know what you would recommend, as I've been out of the market for at least a year and there are new brands that I'm unfamiliar with:

1. Medium size
2. Good run time (doesn't have to be the world's longest)
3. Takes two CR 123s and preferably rechargeables
4. Neutral tint or high CRI
5. At least two levels, medium and high
6. Floody rather than throwy
7. Forward one-hand control for easy on-off operation while walking
8. Price less than $100

Thanks, y'all. It's good to be back on the forum!

HoWink

[orbital]

^

D25C2 XM-L T6 neutral tint

{2 x cr123 or rechargeables} look for the clicky version
the xm-l emitter in that reflector will give more flood.

more importantly, there will not be any annoying PWM.
nice flat regulation,, around $56, even less possibly.

I really like the D25 series.

[PhatPhil]

What about the Spark SL6S 740NW?

Ticks all your requirements

Link to HKJs review - http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...door-beamshots

[moozooh]

ZebraLight H31Fw is also something to consider: 12 hours for 35 lm mode, neutral tint, floody beam, 1xCR123.

[380long]

Niteye Eye25 is one I use for walking my dog.

[CamoNinja]

Another vote for the Spark 740nw

[Danielight]

Check out the EagleTac D25LC2 clicky model. Available from illuminationGear for $61.99. Runs on either one 18650 or two cr123s. Here's some info:

Runtimes:
(Turbo/high/med/low) (using 2xCR123A)
XT-E or XP-G: 1.5/2.5/18/100+ hours
XM-L: 1/1.8/15/100+ hours
(using 1x18650 3100mAh)
XT-E or XP-G: 1.8/3/33/150+ hours
XM-L: 1.5/2.4/25/150+ hours

Dimensions:
Length: 4.5 inch (11.5 cm)
Body Diameter: 0.85 inch (2.2 cm)
Head Diameter: 0.9 inch (2.25 cm)
Body Weight (excluding batteries): 1.7 ounces (49 grams)

[Up All Night]

For the Eagletac D25LC2! Mine is an absolute screamer. Clip it in a shirt pocket and you'll forget you're carrying it. Hard to beat at $60 odd dollars.
Don't forget, you can choose your fuel as well!

[orbital]

^

Agreed
Put it this way, if I could only keep one of my lights,

it would be my neutral D25LC2 {R4 xp-g}

[Bigpal]

^

D25C2 XM-L T6 neutral tint

{2 x cr123 or rechargeables} look for the clicky version
the xm-l emitter in that reflector will give more flood.

more importantly, there will not be any annoying PWM.
nice flat regulation,, around $56, even less possibly.

I really like the D25 series.

+1 for the D25LC2. I had one. The tint is absolutely gorgeous. Pure, crisp white. Takes CR's, RCR's or 18650. Nice runtime and inexpensive. And also has strobe and various beacons to alert cars if you're walking on the street.

If you are thinking about the Spark 740NW, CamoNinja has one on the Mp for an outstanding price.

[Buck]

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...Neutral/Detail

These are obscenely cheap, and very nice for the price. Bryan (Shiningbeam) got them to put forward switches on this batch, so I think it meets all your criteria. It's pretty floody, and the tint on mine seems quite like an incandescent. I only use mine with 18650, so I'll have to trust that 2 x 16340s are OK, as claimed. The only flaw is that it doesn't have any checkering or much other texture, so it's a little slippery in the hand.

I've only had mine for a few weeks, but I've had several other Romisen lights going back 3 or 4 years, and have good luck with all of them except the RC-G2, which cuts out for reasons I've never understood--I'm pretty sure it's specific to that model. The others are all working fine, except the RC-F4 that I lost after 5 months!

If you were willing to go with AAs, I'd recommend the RC-29 for perfect flood (on the wide setting the aspheric gives a virtually flat field of illumination over an angle of the spill of a typical reflector light, with the option of pure throw if you focus it down), but it looks like Bryan only has 1B tints now. You may not like that. Looks kinda green on the tint map. Mine was billed as a "warm white" I think; can't remember the bin but it's as orange as my old 2D boy scout light was 35 years ago, but about 1/5th the size and 5 times as bright! It runs almost exactly an hour on an eneloop. I've had one for a couple of years, and find it pretty useful. The only thing I don't like much are the little fins around the clicky, which let it tail-stand but make it uncomfortable for pocket carry.

[GordoJones88]

The Perfect Dog-Walking Light ?

[HoWink]

Thanks to all for the great advice! Interesting to see a general convergence of opinion on the Spark and the Eagletac. I've just committed to the Spark that's for sale on the board (thanks for the tip, Bigpal!). And as my wife would say, "with the money I saved" I'm going to take a ride over to Going Gear and pick up a D25LC2. Looks like a great light. My dog will be very pleased, too. She loves the early morning walks, and for me it's a wonderful way to start the day before heading downtown to do the office thing.

HoWink

[Bigpal]

...I'm going to take a ride over to Going Gear...

Must be nice

[HoWink]

Must be nice

Let's just say it's a mixed blessing!

HoWink

[Up All Night]

Let's just say it's a mixed blessing!

HoWink

I bet! It would be my euphoric demise!

[HighlanderNorth]

Looking for a little help here, folks. I've started walking my dog for mutual exercise at obscenely early hours in our suburban/rural neighborhood in Georgia. In some areas there are streetlights, but not on the entire route. I'm constantly turning the light on and off, peering in shadows, checking up ahead and making myself visible to oncoming cars. The last couple of mornings I used the trusty E2E that sits beside my bed. I loved the incandescent color, the wide spill around the tight beam, and the perfect medium size. Problem is, of course, a couple of 45 minute walks and the batteries are gone - with bulbs going not too long after. So here's my description of the properties I'm looking for. Please let me know what you would recommend, as I've been out of the market for at least a year and there are new brands that I'm unfamiliar with:

1. Medium size
2. Good run time (doesn't have to be the world's longest)
3. Takes two CR 123s and preferably rechargeables
4. Neutral tint or high CRI
5. At least two levels, medium and high
6. Floody rather than throwy
7. Forward one-hand control for easy on-off operation while walking
8. Price less than $100

Thanks, y'all. It's good to be back on the forum!

HoWink

First of all, if you are looking for a 2-Cr123 size light, and you want to run rechargeable batteries in it anyway, you'd be MUCH better off using an 18650 instead of 2- RCR123's. The 18650 batteries have MUCH, MUCH better capacity, so you get better run time by far. Then you can buy CR123 primaries as spares and use 2 of them if needed in a pinch.

The Zebralight SC600 would tend to match your specs, but it is one of the few 2-CR123 size lights that tell you NOT to use CR123's, only a single 18650, which you'd be better off with anyway. But with that light, you cant use CR123's or RCR123's ever.


Maybe the Eagletac G25C2 with the $7.99 flip-up diffuser option. Thats G25C2, not D25C2. Its a great thrower with 770 emitter lumens of brightness, 640 ANSI, OTF Lumens on turbo, but the advertised brightness specs are wrong. The manual that comes with the light gets it right. The reality is actually better than what advertised at the stores. It actually has 5 modes: 2L, 38L, 64L, 224L, 640Lumens, plus 2 strobes. With the diffuser it has nice flood qualities, but flip up the diffuser, and you've got a great thrower, with a medium size spill beam. So its the best of both worlds, plus its thick and tough as nails. It can run on turbo for long periods without getting too hot, and it runs on CR123 or 18650. I dont remember whether it will run on 16340, but you dont need them anyway with that light.

Its retail cost is $105, but after the 10% discount, its $95 at goinggear. Plus free shipping. Then you need to send $7.99 to Eagletac's email through paypal to get the diffuser. If ordered the same day, you should get both at about the same time.

Something about the D25C2. It's high is 343L. Well, the D25C runs on just 1-Cr123, and has brightness of 359L! Plus, it has only 30% less runtime of that high setting than the D25C2 with 2-Cr123's. So if you had 2 Cr123's, with one in the light, and the other in your pocket, using the D25C, you get more brightness and 25% better run time! You'd just have to change to the 2nd Cr123 when the 1st one goes dead.

[Chevy-SS]

Klarus XT-11. Meets all your requirements, and more. Awesome combination of flood and throw.

I bought mine on eBay for $90, and I got the XT-11, along with two 18650 batteries and a charger. One of the best deals I've seen. I liked it so much, I bought two more of these and gifted them to friends.