New Member: (Hello!!) Where to start?????

Hi

let me introduce myself...

I am from London,UK (Few miles east from New York!!)
Every year I start a new little Hobby/research. I spend an hour trawling the net looking for subjects. What amazed me about this site was how big it is and how all you guys are well into it!!! (Wonder if any of your ex wifes filed the reason for a divorce as " He was having an affair with a torch!!

So here I am... My last project was based in USA (Portable headphone amps) You guys realy do things bigger than us here...

So I am going to spend an hour a day reading through and bookmarking threads/posts that I can research. Then start to work out what lights I should buy (And go through all the hassle of getting a British friend of mine who lives in Savannah to buy them for me and send them over... IT takes him ages...Hippy from the 60's!!)

So help me out... be gentle. I know nothing.


Regards


Luke


<font color="red"> </font> FOA: site owner, Very nice site. Easy to follow and looks good.

Luke,

Welcome to CFP. Be prepared to drain your wallet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Be prepared for some really odd looks when you tell people how much you paid for that torch..... until you turn it on.

Be prepaired for other warm greetings - CFP is a GREAT place.

Hi Luke- welcome!

There are quite a few nice lights out there that are reasonably priced- and quite a few that will cost a great deal of money...

What are you looking to do with your lights? Do you like LEDs or Incandescents?

John and Charlie

Cheers for your replies. Well first I love design and function... The ergonomics of things as well. The LED stuff is so cutting edge that I must get into that!!

So classic stuff and the state of art stuff is a must then the DIY stuff... jesus Its like all you yanks have full machine workshops in your houses!!! So I will be looking into that.

Cheers

Luke

Well, I don't have a machine shop, but you'd be surprised at what a few hand tools and some hot-glue can do. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

OK- Lights I'd consider really great:
Arc LSH (I have the -S model) Expensive, but GREAT!
Streamlight Twintask 2L- Cheap- The whole twintask line is great
Inova X5 - reasonably priced as well- top notch!
Check out www.flashlightreviews.com

Hello Luke,

Glad to have you with us. You'll get a lot of good advice here. One useful thought to have with this hobby/obsession/addiction is to go slowly.

When I first came on board I would buy a flashlight per month. It seemed like a lot. I then read a post from one of our esteemed old timers that said he was expecting 3 or 4 flashlights in the mail that week, but that he already had in hand something like a dozen waiting for him to check out. I thought that was crazy, but within a few months I was starting to approach that speed. I had to slow down. But it took some attention to what I was doing.

Just something for you to be aware of . . . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Paul

Welcome Luke to the most illuminating forum around. Your plan sounds like a good one. I will agree that one of the most common replys is; You paid HOW much for a flashlight? Until you fire it up and then its oh I see

Welcome Luke!

D'mo: CFP?? I thought this was CPF. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I second the 'go slow' approach. The best place to start your research is here on CPF, though the site will be down beginning Saturday morning for backup and software upgrade (see link at top of page).

First figure out what your needs are. Then decide on a price range, though keep in mind that some things are expensive and can meet several needs in one package.

Then start searching this board and then ask more specific questions.

After your torch needs are met, then you can indulge in pure wants. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I don't see anything wrong with Luke going ahead and purchasing an arc aaa for starters. He's got to get one sooner or later, so why not sooner? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Greetings Luke, from a displaced fellow Londoner /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Do a few searches for ARC and Surefire, these 2 companies make the high-end lights of choice. As suggested, the ARC AAA would make a great starting point, it'll go on your keyring and you'll never be without light again.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Welcome. You will find a wealth of knowledge from the members of CPF.

Once again, Welcome.

Gotta agree with the basic ARC AAA purchase! Put a stainless steel Berkeley Mini Clip on it and it'll become a very appreciated and used torch if you keep it on your keyring! Check out all of the ARC line!

LEDs - Looooooooooooong running, getting brighter & brighter all the time! You can count on them when you need them! Actually surprising what you can do with just a couple little torches and sooo handy!

Remember you don't use one screwdriver, different tools for different tasks...take a look at some of dat2zips (Wayne)AA drop in modules or an Opalec Newbeam drop in for the MiniMag. Elektro Lumens (another Wayne), Mr. Bulk (Charlie), and Lambda (Kevin) make & mod some really fine torches!! Lots of modders represented in the Modders Forum...

Take a look at an eternaLight (and the Ergo3 is on sale right now!)!! Wow, you got me rolling and I'm trying to watch my purchases!! Soo many choices, sooo little money!!

Re: New Member: (Hello!!) Where to start????? *DELETED*

Post deleted by BillBill

Welcome, Luke. I am pretty much a newbie myself.

Since you are a newbie, I think you should start out with small lights around the $10 price range. I think the 2AAA Princeton Tec Blast is a really cool small incandescent for general and underwater use, with a depth rating of 1000 feet. It can be found in Sun and Ski Sports for around $7 or $10. If you don't mind a small keychain, the LED Inova Microlight is good, but it runs on lithium coin cells, so you may want to reconsider. It runs for about $8-$10 If you think the Arc AAA is excessive, buy a dorcy 1aaa. It's a single Led light that runs for $6 at walmart (if you can find the light; it is usually sold out). These lights aren't fancy, but they are fairly reliable.

Also, from what I've heard from this forum, you may want to stay away from the famous Maglite. I have a 1AAA Mag Solitare, and I don't like it very much because it isn't bright or efficient.

Plus, you have to know that the deeper you get into this "hobby," the more money you are going to spend on a light.

If you really want a big light you could get one of those rechargeable "one million candlepower" spotlights. These are like handheld automotive headlamps, very bright, but usually not water resistant.

Btw, visit http://flashlightreviews.home.att.net/
This guy, Doug, has reviewed lots of lights. This is where I found reviews of the Princeton Tec Blast and the Inova Microlight.

Good luck with your new hobby!

Hi Luke,

Welcome. I personally would recommend an Arc AAA as starters, perhaps paired with an Arc LSH-S (they're for sale at a good price now). I would really recommend going for the Arc AAA, instead of some other variants of the same idea, mainly because it's extremely robust, super reliable, and has a warranty that lasts as long as the company that made it. It's a really nice light, and people who say that they're the badge of the CPFer are only half joking /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

After a keychain type light, I would recommend starting off an incandescent collection with a SureFire G2. They are robust, unbreakable, and have a great warranty. They also happen to be amazingly bright, for their size. This was the light that got me into flashlights. You suddenly realize how much better just a little more money will make your lights, especially when you compare to m@gs. (the censorship of mag is intentional - you'll find that they aren't terribly well regarded around here, mainly due to the fact that their legal department sued a small manufacturer (Arc) over what many view as a trivial matter [but let's not talk about it here]).

Anyway, get an Arc AAA and a SF G2 (or else a Pelican M6), and you'll be well on your way...

Good luck, hang onto your wallet, it'll be a wild ride! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Welcome Luke..

I fell into this rabbit hole about three weeks ago when I surfed into the LED Museum.org and from there FlashlightReviews.com both of which are "must see" material..which led me here...

Now three weeks later I am the proud owner of half a dozen lights. I agree you must get a ARC AAA at once, if you can use it once or twice and put it away then you will be safe from the fever...but if like me you are constantly playing with it and feeling it (much like a blue belly lizard in texture) then I fear for you my friend..you will be in dire straights indeed as you must buy more and more lights..

The modders, Lambda, Elektrolumens and Mr Bulk have very interesting lights that warrant a look...I just realized I have made a short list here - please excuse me..there are many talented modders here that I have not mentioned... these are only the ones I have been following because of their current projects...apologies to all the others.. my nOObness is in full flower.

Stan

edited to hopefully fix links..

Absolute first thing you should do is read the Acronym list at the top of the board.
The initials that get thrown around here are pretty daunting.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Great Help cheers!!

"BillBill": That aint you from good old "Scoobynet" is it??

I am interested in maybe buying around 5 lights. These will cover the basic concepts (I hope!!). Build quality and ergonomics will play an important role. Plus battery life, Doesnt matter how good the torch is.... Its only a torch when giving off light!!

So from The classic through to the State of Art..

( "Around 5 lights..... Might have to edit that in a few months!!)

I'll post my "Camping light evaluation" that I've been working on for some time... it's not quite finished yet, but it will give you a good idea what's out there. I only listed lights that I personally own, so it may be open to changes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Camping light strategy:

All lights need to be extremely rugged - waterproof or very water resistant. Compact size and low weight is a plus. Costs should be contained - as a rule of thumb :the sum cost of your lights should not exceed the cost of your tent. ( I love lights too , but let's get real here)
Since I have not found a light that is a one size fits all. I carry several lights - each best suited to a particular task

lights listed by usage:

Work light:
hands-free is best- good spill (not a tightly focused light ) -smooth light beam ( close work )
Arc LSH - aa pack in nite ize headband
Minimag w/MadMax+ module in niteize headband
Minimag with Opalec Newbeam in Niteize headband
Inova X5 in Niteize Headband (Twistie switch may be pesty to use)
PrincetonTech Aurora
Coughan's 3LED+1Xenon Headlamp

Path-walking:
Good brightness -long runtime- more spill than throw - smooth light
Arc LSH w/aa pack nimh
Minimag MM+
PT Attitude
Minimag w/Opalec Newbeam
SL 4AA 7LED (bigger but brighter)
SL TT 2L or 3AA
Inova X5

Long distance spot (marker finder or "Bump in the night" finder)
very bright-long throw
SureFire G2 /w P60 or P61
Pelical Super sabrelight
Home made 3x123 in a 2C (9v lamp) body


Backup: + Carried all the time
long runtime- pocket light is OK.
Less bright is OK.
ARC AAA
CMG Infinity Ultra or Infinity
PT Eclipse


Tent light
good runtime- broad area light
any lights above may substitute (with homebuilt diffuser is best)
Eveready folding LED lantern
Eternalight Ergo Xray (has a 10 minute auto-off that is real handy as tent light)


Table Lantern
Good runtime, broad area light
Selectable brightness a plus, Yellow (or green) output a plus
Rayovac 4aa lantern with selectable Incand/2-LED mod.
home built mini lantern (Select Incand/2LED)
Eveready folding LED lantern (2 LED)