** Flashlight Recommendation Checklist **

[ThomasH]

Hey Folks!

Here is the latest version of our "Recommend a Flashlight Checklist"!

Designed to narrow down the choices when one of you friends or relatives wants you to recommend the "best" flashlight for them to buy! :-O

I may have started this, but zespectre took the checklist to a whole nother level with his edits and suggestions! Full credit to zspectre!!

Special thanks to LEDninja for his purchase region suggestion as well!

Should this be made a sticky or something? Just trying to help!

- Thomas (with lots of help!)

****************************

Recommend a Flashlight Checklist:
(Don't worry about all the questions, just the ones you feel strongly about!)

Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?








0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?

____I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
____I am in North America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in South America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Europe. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in the Middle East. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Africa. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Asia, Japan or Micronesia. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Australia. More precisely I am in _______________.


1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____I only want to pay $1-10.
____I can spend $15-30.
____I could spend $40-60.
____I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!

2) Format:

____I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a portable spotlight.

3) Length:

____I don't care.
____1-2 inches. (Keychain sized)
____2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
____4-9 inches. (Holster carry)

4) Width:

____I don't care.
____I prefer a long narrow light.
____I prefer a short wide light.

5) What batteries do you want to use? Alkaline batteries are easier to find and less expensive but don't pack as much stored energy and are don't work well in cold temperatures. Lithium batteries have long shelf life (10+ years, great for stored emergency lights) and are not as affected by cold but must be kept dry and are more expensive. Rechargeable start expensive, but if used frequently pay off quickly.

____I want common Alkaline batteries. (AA, AAA, C, D)
____I want lithium batteries. (coin cells, CR123, AAA, AA...)
____I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use)

6) How much light do you want? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).

____I want to read a map, or find a light switch, in a dark room. (5-10 lumens)
____I want to walk around a generally paved area. (15-20 lumens)
____I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
____I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
____I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)

7) Throw vs Flood: Which do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.

Throw (distance)----------------------|----------------------Flood/close-up

8) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims (like some LED lights). but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries.

____20 min. (I want the brightest light for brief periods)
____60-240 min. (1-2 hours)
____240-360 min. (4-6 hours)
____360+ min. (More than 6 hours)

9) Durability: 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.)
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box.)
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Self-defense, Survival.)

8) Switch Type:

____I don't care.
____I want a sliding switch. (Stays on until slid back.)
____I want a "clickie" switch. (Stays on until pressed again.)
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)

9) Switch Location:

____I don't care.
____I want a push or sliding switch on the body near the head.
____I want a push switch on the back end of the body.
____I want a rotating head switch.
____I want a rotating end-cap switch.
____I want a remote control.

10) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.

____A simple on-off is fine for me.
____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 strobe mode. (blinks to show location.)
____I want a tactical strobe. (Flashes rapidly to disorient an opponent.)

11) Is it important whether the body is metal or plastic/composite?

____I don't care.
____I want a metal-bodied light.
____I want a plastic/composite light.

12) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).

____Red (night vision preserving) filter
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________)
____Waterproof – how deep: _____________
____Non-reflective/dark finish (stealthy/hard to find)
____Polished silver or brightly colored finish (for easy locating)
____Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Built-in second (or spare) lamp or filament
____Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments


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[ThomasH]

Ho-hum, I'm already improving this, adding "dollar for dollar" to some of the incandescent vs. LED remarks and adding a comment about the cold weather performance and 10-year shelf life of lithium batteries over alkalines.

Good work is never done, constant improvement, constant improvement...

Later!

- Thomas

 

[ThomasH]

Okay, "dollar for dollar" and additional Lithium battery info added!

What do you folks think? Is this useful?

- Thomas

 

[Phaserburn]

On the brightness question, you might want a benchmark. A good one might be Maglite 2D = 20 lumens (when using brand new batteries).

 

[ThomasH]

Hi Phaserburn,

and thanks for the feedback! I could imagine some chart-like text for that question, like:

What do you mean by bright?
... 20 lumens = 2D Maglite,
... 40 lumens = <some light>,
... 60 lumens = <some light>,
... 80 lumens = <some light>,
.. 100 lumens = <some light>,
... More?

Can anyone help fill the chart with well known lights of the appropriate lumen value? Remember the people responding may not be aware of exotic models!

I'm off to a workshop, see y'all in a few hours!

- Thomas

 

[greenLED]

That's a pretty nice checklist!

 

[ThomasH]

Thanks greenLED!

No suggestions for improvement? :-D

- Thomas

 

[zespectre]

Metal vs Plastic - some people really care, others don't. If you are in a no-spark environment brass or plastic are vital.

 

[Phaserburn]

Your 40-100 lumen lights would correspond fairly well to Mag 3D - 6D lights.

 

[greenLED]

No suggestions for improvement? :-D

It's a pretty comprehensive list you got here. I was trying to see how to strip it further to make it even easier on the "customer". For example, the lumens option is nice, but not a lot of people are familiar with what 20 vs 3 lumens looks like. Maybe shortening your descriptions or stripping them to the bare minimum, as in Yes/No questions? Extra detail may confuse people if they're not familiar with our jargon.

I usually ask 0, 1, 2, and 5 (in that order), but start by asking "What do you want to use this light for?" (which relates to 4 and helps answer your other questions too).

Does this help?

 

[cave dave]

Personally I don't like the "dollar for dollar" in question #5. I'm not sure even what you mean. Are you talking about actual money?

 

[zespectre]

How does this strike you....

Recommend a flashlight checklist:

Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?







1) Price Range: This is usually the easiest question, but be prepared to change your mind when you are done answering the rest of the questions!

____$1-10
____$15-30
____$40-60
____No Limit

2) Format:
____Flashlight
____Headlamp
____Portable Spotlight
____Lantern

3) Length:
____1-2 inches (Keychain sized)
____2-4 inches ("Pocket carry")
____4-9 inches ("Holster carry")
____I don't care

4) Width
____Narrow
____Wide
____I don't care

5) What batteries do you want to use? Common size alkaline batteries are easier to find and less expensive but don't pack as much stored energy and can be severely impacted by cold temperatures. Lithium batteries have long shelf life (10+ years) and are not nearly as affected by cold but must be kept dry and are usually much more expensive.

____I want a rechargable system (generally the best for everyday use)
____I want common Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D)
____I want lithium based batteries (coin cells, CR123, etc)

6) How much light do you need? Sometimes you can have too much light (reading a map or book close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
____I need to read a map or find a light switch in a dark room (5-10 lumens)
____I need to walk around a generally paved area (15-20 lumens)
____I need to walk unpaved trails (40 lumens)
____I need to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations (60+ lumens)
____I need to light up an entire campground or field (100+ lumens)

7) Throw vs Flood: do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.

Throw (distance)----------------------|----------------------Flood/closeup

8) Runtime: Some manufacturers severely overinflate their runtime claims (especially with LED lights). I am discussing usable runtime measured down to 50% from first activation with fresh batteries.
____20 min (I need a very bright light for brief periods)
____60-240 min (1-2 hours)
____240-360 min (4-6 hours)
____360+ min (More than 6 hours)

9) Durability: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
____Not Important (A "nightstand" light)
____Slightly Important (walks around the neighborhood)
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glovebox)
____Critical (Police, Fire/Rescue, SAR, survival)

8) Switch Location/Type: Circle all that apply.
Sliding Switch | Momentary Switch | "Clickie" Switch | Remote Control
Body (Side) Switch | Endcap Switch | Rotating Head | Rotating Tail
I don't care

9) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.
____A simple On-Off is fine for me
____2 light levels (High power/short runtime and Low power/long runtime)
____Multiple light levels (some lights have 5-16 variable light levels)
____Strobe mode (blinks to show location)
____Tactical Strobe (Flashes rapidly to disorient an opponent)

10) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).
• Red (night vision preserving) filter(s)
• Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, Etc)
• Built-in second (or spare) lamp or filament
• "Hybrid" light (combines Bright Incandescent and long running LEDs)
• Belt clip
• Holster
• Wrist/Neck Lanyard
• Waterproof – (how deep?)
• Non-reflective/ dark finish (stealthy/ hard to find) vs. bright for easy locating?
• Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish?
• Kobuton/self defense features?
• Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments?

 

[NelsonFlashlites]

Wow. You've sure given this much thought. I'd say your list looks good...What does anyone else think?

 

[zespectre]

Yes, I had an extremely slow day at work

 

[ThomasH]

Zespectre! You the Man! Full credit! :-D

You've got some great ideas! Way better! I'll work on that and edit the top message accordingly! Much easier "form" for folks to respond to! I told them you guys were the experts! :-D I especially like the Throw -- Flood O'meter!! ;-D and some of your prosaic descriptions of use requirements are spot-on as well! I think you've thought about this more than I have! :-D

The "dollar for dollar" was an awkward way to try to avoid nitpicking on the statements that incandescent were brighter than LEDs and so forth. I could see a literalist saying, "My $400 custom LED light is brighter than a $40 SureFire G2, what are you talking about" so I thought I'd better CMA with a couple of "dollar for dollar"s. :-O

Thank-you everyone, for all your help and suggestions!

I'm making a big pot of Chile Verde right now, but I will incorporate these ideas into the flashlight recommendation checklist as soon as I can!

- Thomas

 

[zespectre]

Thanks for the compliments. People at work know I'm a flashaholic (and a techno geek) so I get all kinds of "what should I get" questions, especially about lights or camera gear.

 

[Lunal_Tic]

Once this is fleshed out as much as reasonable, or possible considering the options, it ought to be a sticky. Seriously, this is a great idea and will really help people looking for a light and those trying to help. :thumbsup:

-LT

 

[shiftd]

Wow, nice list you got there, zespectre!! :thumbsup:

 

[ThomasH]

Okay folks,

I've edited the first post in this thread. trying to incorporate zspectre's superior format and descriptions with a few minor edits that I thought made the list more consistent or easier to fill out.

What do you think? I'm happy the way it is, but it takes more than one set of eyes you know!

How can get this to be a sticky? I think it would help everyone!

- Thomas

Thanks again zspectre!!

 

[zespectre]

Thank you for the compliment, I was happy to help.
As far as I can see it looks pretty darn complete!