Is my light out there?

dipsmitt

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
9
Hi All!
Long time lurker first time poster. Looking for my ultimate EDC flashlight. I'm a mechanic and looking for a small lighweight light that runs off of either a single AAA, single cr123a, or whatever else that is small and lightweight.
I'm currently using a streamlight microstream which I LOVE except for one small thing....the aluminum body is hard to grip with your teeth when you need to use it hands free.
I REALLY love the double clip design. I can wear a hat in the wintertime and go handsfree with it but it's not an option in the summer. Clip is handy to hang on the belt but have found it's not very secure that way and can get knocked off easily. Also a holster would be a nice option also.




For all questions please select all that apply.


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.
____Less than $50.
____Less than $100.
____Less than $150.
____Less than $300.
____I have no limit.
___x_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:

___x_Keychain size.
__x__Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
____Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
____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)
____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).

__x__I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
__x__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).
____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____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.

__x__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)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
____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).

____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)
_x___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).
__x__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.


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

___x_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).
___x_I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
xx
____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.)
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
____I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)
____I want SOS mode.
____I want a beacon mode.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

_xxxxxx___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).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
___x_Other, please specify____I need to be able to grip the flashlight with my teeth comfortably________.


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)
___x_Pocket/belt clip
__x__Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
 

reppans

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
4,873
A Quark Tactical would meet all the requirements, you program 2 modes out of 8 to be available. Great selection of low modes for close-up work without blinding yourself.
 

Gunner12

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
10,063
Location
Bay Area, CA
The Zebralight SC31 or H31 could work. The SC30 has flood, and different tint version so you can get a floody one for close up work. The H31 is the right angle version of the SC31 (the light comes out from the side). Both have clips on them and come with a headstrap. They are metal though, so it won't work for you if you want to grip it in your teeth.

The Terrelux Lightstar could work for you. It's like a longer version of your Microstream but with a bite are at the back.

There are many nice small lights out there at different prices (Fenix PD22, 4Sevens Quark, Jetbeam BA10, Shiningbeam C-Mini, Thrunite Neutron...) but all of them are metal and will be harmful to your teeth.

:welcome:
 

dipsmitt

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
9
Hey thanks for the replies! I love an active forum.

I'm not going to carry around special headstraps to use a light. My hands are greasy...I'm in a hurry..and I just need quick light and often hands free.

The Terralux lightstar looks close, although it looks to big for edc. I think this is the one you are refering too.

TerraLUX-LightStar-LED-Aluminum-Penlight

I've been looking and looking and can't seem to find what I'm after.

Maybe I need to explore modifying one of the aluminum lights so a guy can bite it. Aluminum hurts the teeth. Maybe I should get different teeth to fit my flashlight!

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Ezeriel

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
587
this is normally the part of the conversation where I come in and say "Hypetac P1a" but it's metal too...

ever try wrapping your lips around your teeth, so that the light only touches the outside of your lips, and there is a cushion between your teeth and the light?


it's what I do... OCD... technically the light is outside my mouth (at least it is in my head)
 

reppans

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
4,873
For teeth biting, you could always use shrink wrap electrical insulation, a lobster claw rubberband, or even a regular wide rubber band wrapped 3 times (twisting the two overlaps in opposite directions eliminates folds).
 

Gunner12

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
10,063
Location
Bay Area, CA
What about a light that shines at a 90 degree angle like the Zebralight H31 or Fenix MC10? I'm not sure how you usually work, but an angle light might do what you want without the biting.
 

dipsmitt

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
9
my lips aren't strong enough for the task

Heatshrink seemed to help, may also buy that terralux, although I'm concerned about the size of it.
 
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