Afroderp
Newly Enlightened
tl;dr - I am a network engineer and work up high on lifts in darker areas. I KNOW it is overkill, but I would like a headlamp that has flood for areas I'm in, but also is capable of outputting some lumens (The HC60 comes to mind). The flood is for my everyday use, and the lumens would be just to mess around with. I already carry an 18650 powered light with me, hence the power source choice. I know I already carry a light, but due to carrying a ton of tools with me, my hands are full and I need a dedicated headlamp. The headlamp should also be pretty durable, as it's going to get roughed up a bit.
I'd like to keep the budget around $50-60 or so if possible.
Thanks in advance!
==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
____This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).
2) Budget:
____Up to $60
3) Format:
____I want a self-contained headlamp.
4) Size:
____I don't know/I don't care.
5) Emitter/Light source:
____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
____I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
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 not a happy experience).
____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)
____I want to confidently walk around an unlit/unpaved rural area (60-150 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 search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).
____SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
____Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____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)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous 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)
____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.
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
____Any size switch will do.
____I don't care.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____I don't care.
15) Water resistance
____IPX4 (Splash resistant)
16) Storage conditions
____In luggage or on my head. Mostly controlled.
I'd like to keep the budget around $50-60 or so if possible.
Thanks in advance!
==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
____This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).
2) Budget:
____Up to $60
3) Format:
____I want a self-contained headlamp.
4) Size:
____I don't know/I don't care.
5) Emitter/Light source:
____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
____I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
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 not a happy experience).
____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)
____I want to confidently walk around an unlit/unpaved rural area (60-150 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 search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).
____SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
____Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____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)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous 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)
____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.
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
____Any size switch will do.
____I don't care.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____I don't care.
15) Water resistance
____IPX4 (Splash resistant)
16) Storage conditions
____In luggage or on my head. Mostly controlled.
