Why I hate LED Flashlights and Lights

sharpnails

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Yeap I did away with many LEDs in my house.

1.) I am using flashlights to search for items either outside or inside, I need to be able to see colors that incandescent bulbs provide, and that white LED just washes out.

2.) Discreet searching. I feel like I'm holding a signaling devices rather than a flashlight with LED flashlights, seems like something to get someones attention with. See them before they see you right? Not let them see you with a bright LED looking for them (lets say an intruder) Another reason I like incans

3.) Why would I need a super bright light for just searching within 50 meters as most people do with their flashlights?

4.) This should be my #1, better on eyes, the light has a closer wavelength to normal sunlight I would say, helping them adjust better to what you are looking at especially at night.

5.) But LEDS have better battery life! Batteries are getting better, are cheap and rechargeable now a days it is something I am willing to risk with incans.

6.) But incans burn out way quicker than LEDS! I know a lot of people with incans that have gone for 10 years without a bulb burnout.

7.) Health. Blue light from LEDS is unseen that can disturb sleep rhythms and possibly increase the risk of serious health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. The AMA also cautioned that those light-emitting-diode lights can impair nighttime driving vision.

This just came out this September..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...7bbd53d2b5d_story.html?utm_term=.34ab1fa1db67
 

Lex Icon

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You will find a lot of sympathy here, especially among those fond of natural, generally warmer tints from Nichia LEDs.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ri-4000K-Beam-shot-comparison-and-impressions

You might find lights having less focused beams more useful for indoor use than the models in the thread above. Eagletac has a variety of new options in their 2017 offerings.
Search Nichia 219 on the forums and you will discover a lot of interesting links.

*If you maintain your insistence on filament lights, you had better stock up soon. Some countries, Brazil for example, have outlawed the production and sale of any incandescent bulbs 25 watts and higher.
 
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LeanBurn

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I agree, incans are super easy on the eyes, they set the benchmark for color rendition accuracy that has yet to be matched by any LED. They are what we grew up on using and deep down have our mind set as the be-all. For a 10 year old, unless they open dad or granddads tool kit, they will never see an incan in real life, just in the movies and on-line.

If we take the example of a noob or even a flashaholic looking for their first incan light, your options are extremely limited and the biggest option is Mag-lite (let's pretend they are the only affordable player in the game because for most, they are). Unfortunately the disadvantages for incan really are ultimately; portability, run-times and availability.

Here is a video link on Yuji Super High CRI LEDs: https://youtu.be/L3LWXznJx_0 ... I have the Yuji 5mm LED and have shown a comparison to a few people side-by-side with my incan and ... dang ...


Who knows what is around the corner....
 

bykfixer

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There was a thread in this section iirc about a project at MIT and another on Korea where nano technology being incorparated into incan bulbs has already yielded efficiency of LED's. One was using its own heat to generate more light and the other micro mirrors or something.
It was a crazy cool thing to see. If those ever become inexspensive and super caps prices come down...
That'll be a time when you'll hear crickets chirping in the LED section and all the cool kids will want to flock here.

Shhh! Let's keep this our little secret, ok? I like the peace n quiet of the incan section. Real ideas without all those stupid cri charts n graphs trying to prove maxing out R9 red means it's good.
 

yellow

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know a lot of people with incans that have gone for 10 years without a bulb burnout.
... then never have used those lights
;)

Typical values to :poof:
Mag C/D ... Quite some time
6r/6p, Scorpion ... A few Sets of batteries
8x ... About 20-40 duty cycles of the battery
9n, 2ndary bulb ... :poof: within a few lightups
9n, Main bulb ... A bit more than 8x
Minimag: 1.5 Set of battery (~ 5-6 hours) (w. AA ni-mh)

Darkening / :poof: simply is normal, have spare ready and go on
(And pray for non-"Explosion" of the bulb, which renders the reflector useless. No Deal with 6 and 8, but with 9n (or even worse 9nt) an expensive nightmare)
 
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yellow

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incorparated into incan bulbs has already yielded efficiency of LED's. One was using its own heat to generate more light and .
available!
For years.
At the 12 v bulbs

Osram Decostar "IRC"
... Still far below efficiency of ...
 

chillinn

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Typical values to :poof:
...
Minimag: 1.5 Set of battery (~ 5-6 hours) (w. AA ni-mh)

Well, luck and government surplus has solved this problem.

I know I need to shut up about these lamps, but I've gone through 20 battery swaps at least, and not with 3V, but 4.2V, and I can't break this lamp. It's getting darkening, but still producing the warm light I want.

Also, I like the enthusiasm, and I like dissent, so yellow don't be discouraged when finding your opinions unpopular.
 

ampdude

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There was a thread in this section iirc about a project at MIT and another on Korea where nano technology being incorparated into incan bulbs has already yielded efficiency of LED's. One was using its own heat to generate more light and the other micro mirrors or something.
It was a crazy cool thing to see. If those ever become inexspensive and super caps prices come down...
That'll be a time when you'll hear crickets chirping in the LED section and all the cool kids will want to flock here.

Shhh! Let's keep this our little secret, ok? I like the peace n quiet of the incan section. Real ideas without all those stupid cri charts n graphs trying to prove maxing out R9 red means it's good.

I've read a lot of this stuff, and I know that halogen technology has improved greatly in recent years. Probably wishful thinking, but it would be hilarious if incan halogen and nano-technology re-emerged and took LED's over.
 

chillinn

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I've read a lot of this stuff, and I know that halogen technology has improved greatly in recent years. Probably wishful thinking, but it would be hilarious if incan halogen and nano-technology re-emerged and took LED's over.

But if that happens, and Surefire started selling incan again, it would kill my predictions of a stock incan-E HA (not even BK) being market-valued at $1000+ by 2030. Actually, Surefire returning to incan and chilling the incan resale market would probably be a good thing, because insanity is almost never a good thing.
 

bykfixer

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With LED's being so inexpensive to produce these new gizmos won't be in daily life anytime soon.

And btw yellow it goes way, way, way beyond anything Osram has ever done. But nice try.
 

Woods Walker

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Over the years I have watched the disparity in viewership between the Incan and LED sections of CPF grown. Anyone want to guess in what direction. The same applies for the general market. That said if the OP doesn't like LEDs that's ok. To each their own.
 

Kestrel

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Over the years I have watched the disparity in viewership between the Incan and LED sections of CPF grown. Anyone want to guess in what direction. The same applies for the general market. That said if the OP doesn't like LEDs that's ok. To each their own.
We also went a long time before needing a /Smoke & Fire/ battery subforum. ;)

There will always be a role for this /Incan/ subforum. :)
 

ampdude

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But if that happens, and Surefire started selling incan again, it would kill my predictions of a stock incan-E HA (not even BK) being market-valued at $1000+ by 2030. Actually, Surefire returning to incan and chilling the incan resale market would probably be a good thing, because insanity is almost never a good thing.

Well, as far as I'm aware they DO still make the 6P and black G2. And replacement P60's and MN03's. Or at least have new old stock available. For how long?

If certain SF lights like the E2e are $1,000+ by 2030, then at least a lot of us collectors have our retirement nest eggs..
 

jsd

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There was a thread in this section iirc about a project at MIT and another on Korea where nano technology being incorparated into incan bulbs has already yielded efficiency of LED's. One was using its own heat to generate more light and the other micro mirrors or something.
It was a crazy cool thing to see. If those ever become inexspensive and super caps prices come down...
That'll be a time when you'll hear crickets chirping in the LED section and all the cool kids will want to flock here.

Shhh! Let's keep this our little secret, ok? I like the peace n quiet of the incan section. Real ideas without all those stupid cri charts n graphs trying to prove maxing out R9 red means it's good.

I feel like this has been around for a while though. There are some automotive light bulbs I remember seeing 10+ years ago where a coating on the glass would reflect the heat back to the filament to make it emit more light.

It was not LED level efficient though. Maybe 2000 Lumens for a 55W bulb which is about double the output of a normal 9006 bulb for the same energy cost.
 
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ampdude

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