How did flashlights become your passion?

Greetings CPF readers,

I just came across this forum today, linked from BikeForums.net, where someone mentioned a light for their bike.

I'm flabbergasted that there is a forum specifically for light lovers. :wow:

It just shows the great power of the internet, bringing people who share the even the most obscure interests together.

My question to you readers, is what caused you to take such an interest in lights?

• How did this become your hobby?
• What are your goals in relation to your hobby?
• If there were something you could change about the status quo, about how the industry is right now, what would it be?
• What's the most you have spent on a flashlight? Will you spend more?
• Is this about survival, or preparedness in case of emergency? Or is it related to some other need?

My ears always perk up when I read about a cool LED lightbulb or flashlight - but not because I'm a light fanatic. I just like cool technology. I think this forum is awesome and I'm super impressed with your membership and the huge collection of posts and knowledge.

Thanks for your responses! :thanks:

Farmersckn

I was a Scout and therefore I like to be prepared. My basic motto in life is every human being should have on their person the ability to make fire, the ability to make light, basic tools and a good blade. With these few simple things combined with other items that you are wearing anyway you have a huge amount of options as far as basic needs to defense to first aid etc. should you need them. You will also find that you will use most of these things daily for simple tasks.

I have always liked flashlights since I was a little kid. I became really enthralled with the advent of LED lighting since we finally had a handheld light source that was small enough to have on you and also provide enough light to get you through a night.

I am also a gun guy and us gun guys tend to be knife and flashlight guys as well. Goes back to that being prepared thing.

Besides they are just such cool gadgets.

As per my motto I ALWAYS have on me during my waking hours....

1-Leatherman Juice (Pliers, Knife, Screwdrivers etc. TOOLs)
1-Folding knife (CRKT M16 or a Kershaw Ken Onion Scallion. BLADE)
1-EDC U42 or Surefire E1L flashlight (LIGHT)
1-Peak LED Matterhorn keychain AAA light (LIGHT)
1-2 packs of matches in wallet (FIRE)

This is in additon to my wallet, keys, cellphone and if carrying gun and reload. It seems like a lot but is very easy to carry.

As you can see from my list many items compliment or back up each other. Hence my other motto. "One is None and Two is One."

WELCOME farmersckn, stay awhile...

For me, since about the age of 7 I have always liked electronics, especially anything that lighted up. I had alwaws played with LEDs, but nothing serious. About 2years ago I got some white LED's off of ebay, and have looking for and building ever-brighter since. I ALWAYS have at least 2 EDC's (every day carry) at all times. I too was in the boy scouts, mabyee that is where some of the always be prepared comes from. In the field I work on BIG equipment, and a flashlight is essential. After you drop a std. m@g and pop the last bulb, you find better ways of generating light.

Jeff

Its a combination of issues for me, firstly I've been involved with emergency preparedness issues from a professional point of view on and off for 25yrs or so, but I also subscribe to the idea of being personally (& family) prepared, and have toted around a bug out bag of sorts for longer than that. but cr&p flashlights (torches over here) were always a problem, but LED's and lithium's have to a great extent sorted that problem.


But in answer to your questions

How did this become your hobby? , It really part of a wider issue mentioned above, but I am interested in the technology, particularly design and innovation.

What are your goals in relation to your hobby?, not really sure about this one, but I would like to make a mag85 sometime, or do a high power LED mag mod, at least through CPF I know i can get the right help to build one (or have it built)

If there were something you could change about the status quo, about how the industry is right now, what would it be?, the industry is very diverse, so there is plenty to choose from. I don't think anything stays still long enough to be bothered about, supply / cost is a different issue we certainly pay over the odds over here for stuff, but at least their are reliable internet suppliers in the US.

What's the most you have spent on a flashlight? Will you spend more? $155 (more like $185 after tax) on an HDS U42, not likely to spend more at the moment, but .... you never know

Is this about survival, or preparedness in case of emergency? Or is it related to some other need? see above

Mark

Started with guns. Bought lots and lots. Migrated to knives. Bought lots and lots. Then stumbled onto lights. Bought lots and lots.

As best I can tell, the common link is that each of these things allow you to manipulate your environment. Shoot bad guys. Cut things that would otherwise bind you. See in the dark.

best regards

I was brainwashed by my brother, Cornkid.

-David

the Dorcy 1LED 1AAA started it all for me.... now I put up $100+/- building Magmods!

I put myself in a life threatening position when I found I didn't have one when I needed it the most. "Nuff said!!!

I was abducted by flashlight-toting aliens..

Just loved flashlights from the time I was a kid. Remember removing the bulb from my dad's eveready 2D . I used a cloth pin as a bulb holder, chewing gum as a solder, and rubber band to build my own flashlight. Yea , some of us are born crazy.

My wallet had *WAY* too much money in it, and I needed a quick and efficient way to spend lots of cash.

Cool Torch + Cool Knife + Cool Pen + Cool Watch = Babe Magnet

Easy,

Some friends invited me on a camping trip. I thought that was a good excuse to figure out which LED flashlight to buy. Several hundred dollars and many LEDs later, I am still learning and buying.

I got older and needed supplementary light to read menus and bar tab bills in the dimly lit hangouts I frequent -- got a Photon and became intrigued with LED lights -- I have way too many LED lights today and I'm still buying more to keep up with the advancing technology. If it's new, bright, small and an LED light, I'll probably buy it.

It must of started at a quite a young age. All those metal toys that lit up and moved around in the sixties, jet planes, police cars, fire engines, flying saucers, etc. Then it was toy Star Trek phasers.

When I was about five I went to the Ice Capades. They had this square flashlights that came on when you flipped the front out, or rotated it. I'm not doing a good job of describing it. I did by some that are similar or just like it bac in the sping, they were about .50 each! Not great performers mind you, but the nostalgia was there.

My parents bought me those metal flashlights with built in colored filters that could be rotated through. I guess that nutured it. And a rechargeable lantern that made the smallest spot I've ever seen. It lasted 15 years!

Then it was full sized Maglites. Followed by the AA Mini Mag. That was practical EDC, for sure. Not like the myriad horrid penlites of the 70's. In the mid 80's I had a Tecna Dive Light, at least I think that's what it called. I believe it ran on one CR123a. I remember the replacements were hard to find, and about 7 bucks a piece. It came from The Sharper Image, or Herringtons, or some other such catalog. Had two over the years, loved them.

Saw my first SF somewhere in the mid 90s. It was a P6. Price freaked me out though, but so did the performance. And also the P9 later. Batteries and runtime were an issue. I carried the Browning Lightning and Thunder Bug instead. Shaped like pagers, and handy for pocket clipping.

Took the 5mm Nichia plunge about a year ago, after drooling over them in catalogs like Cabela's and Sportsman's Guide. Also bought my first Xenon, the SL Twin Task 2L about the same time. Oh, how we talked about the high price SF A2 Aviator in Cabela's catalog. Unless you were rich, what kinda fool would spend that amount on light, especially when you can get the Twin Task 2L for so much less?

So a couple of months ago, I ordered the Inova T4, my first Luxeon, highly researched and the ONLY Luxeon I'd ever need. 90 bucks for a flashlight? Well, it's rechargeable I said...

I sit here tonight, playing with my two newest lights. The inexpenesive TL-3. It's roughly twice what the Twin Task ran me, but it seems inexpensive. I bought a G2 on Friday night, with P61 Lamp Assembly also. It's the third newest though. I've this new SF A2 Aviator. I paid full retail price, but it's well worth it! What kinda fool can't appreciate the A2 because of price?

What are my goals for this hobby? To have fun and get brighter!

Changing the status quo? More regulated incans.

What's the need? To light the darkness. To see. Because I was afraid of the dark? :nana:

Most expensive light? SF U2. Several others that are close. Would I spend more? Well, my next light is gonna be a "wow" light, I'm looking at 10x Dominator. I like a lot of the modded wow lights too, haven't really researched any of it. I do know I don't want to do anything but buy it, not modding for me.

So many Photons, So little time......


Actually, I don't see good in the dark any more. Flashlights cure that.

I have had a fascination with light since I was a small child.
That not only is limited to flashlights, but with the control & recording
of light (photography).
Imagine my suprise when I found this forum!
I thought that my peculiar fascination with flashlights was limited
to just me!
Now when my wife asks "What's with you and all those flashlights?"
I can say I'm not the only one!

It started in the wee early 1970s with the strands of kukui nuts being used as torches and was fascinated by the "FIRE" effect! My uncle had a bunch of chromed Eveready(?) flashlights and the crooked flashlights with interchangeable filters. I always played with them! Once I saw these—I was hooked for sure!

Mag Instruments came into the scene and bought more than a couple of these. The largest one that I bought from this company was the 4-D cell version and most expensive from said company was the MagCharger—but it was tagged wronged (lower price) and the box was trashed so the store gave me an additional 10% off totaling no more than $80.00 with tax and all. Nothing wrong with the entire instrument and necessary accessories which mattered the most.

Read about SureFire from such magazines as G&W/LE, CG, SWAT, and others which lead me to purchase my first "high-powered" flashlight the tried, true and proven 6P! From this first purchase I NEVER looked back and just the plain jane flashlights.

Most expensive illuminating instrument to date is the MagHID. The SureFires I bought are all new and waaaaay before the prices became what they are now. Like I mentioned, the most expensive is the MagHID.

The technology fascinates me and as SureFire likes to say "cool science!"

Guns, Knives, Flashlights, Pocketable Tools (Leathermans!), Fountain Pens and Chess Pieces. . .What a NUT am I! ! !

farmersckn said:

How did this become your hobby?
What's the most you have spent on a flashlight? Will you spend more?

Click to expand...

A friend of mine bought a SF 6P. Until then I knew only Maglight as a "high quality flashlight" opposed to that cheapo-walmart-lights. I had a 6D in my jeep as a baton. When I started geocaching, I felt the need for better light and I remembered the 6P of my friend. I bought my first own Surefire (8NX) and the madness started.

I´ll buy a SF M6 as soon as funds allow and I´m willing to spend more money for a nice HID light.

The most expensive light until now is the Hella Rallye 4000 HID system on my trail rig (click link in signature for a pic).

WELCOME farmersckn,

How did flashlights become my passion?
Well, I used to pick up any 2AA light at the supermarket checkout counter whenever I needed a light.
Then I discovered CPF about 2 years ago........

-----

What is the most I paid for a light?
Offhand I would say $40.

But it's more complicated than that.
In general LEDs require 3.6 volts to work. So will need a boost circuit if run on the 3 volts of 2 alkaline batteries. Too complicated for me.
There was much exciteement in the forum when it was discovered the MJLED will run directly off 2 alkaline cells. And if one cut the leads a certain length will fit into the socket of a minimag flashlight.
I got me an AA minimag, MJLED and Kroll clickie switch. The mod requires making the hole in the reflector bigger to allow the LED to poke through. I messed up. The redily available predrilled reflector I know was the Microstar upgrade kit with reflectors for both AA and AAA minimag. I popped the AA reflector in my minimag and was very happy.
Then looked at the box still holding the upgrade kit and the other reflector..... And ordered an AAA minimag.....
Well I spent more than $40 that time. But I ended up with 2 flashlights.

On the other hand the brightest flashlight I got cost all of $6.20 plus shipping.