Hello gents,I want to get a terralux w/300Lm ~35.00 ,is this a good light? I will be using it mostly for work med/light duty type of stuff and it says it can run 3hrs. at full power using 2xaa's? does that sound about right?the only thing I don't like with this light is that it has a plastic lens not a glass one.-thanks
$35.00 led recommendation
- Thread starter burntime
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cplusplus
Newly Enlightened
Don't get the turralux it lacks ragulation. Get the Fenix E21 Neutral it's 135 lumens (regulated and ANSI) but way more than enough for most people including me. Whatever you do don't get the cool-white version of the E21 although it has a higher output (150Lumens also ANSI) Neutrals penetrate dust better (Better throw) and offer you a good color temperature.
It's 300 lumens and can run for 3hours on high because it's clearly not regulated which means the output will drop really fast. Also the lumen rating is probably OTF (Lumens out the front of the lens) or ANSI (Standards by the American National Standards Institude which is even more accurate) Glass lens on a high output light is essential. I would not go with the Turralux.
Sit back relax and have a cup of coffee and read the posts here it will give you a lot of knowledge. Good Luck
It's 300 lumens and can run for 3hours on high because it's clearly not regulated which means the output will drop really fast. Also the lumen rating is probably OTF (Lumens out the front of the lens) or ANSI (Standards by the American National Standards Institude which is even more accurate) Glass lens on a high output light is essential. I would not go with the Turralux.
Sit back relax and have a cup of coffee and read the posts here it will give you a lot of knowledge. Good Luck
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Danielsan
Enlightened
35Dollar? what about the Xeno E03?
B0wz3r
Flashlight Enthusiast
My E03 is a great little light. Small size, light weight, easy to carry. Available in cool, neutral, and warm emitters. Black, red, or blue/purple anodizing. Nice GITD O-ring behind the bezel and tail-switch boot. About $35 shipped.
mattevt
Newly Enlightened
Fenix E21. As someone else said here, it's the best 50 dollar light you'll ever pay 35 dollars for. I truly believe it's the best light in that price range.
Tiggercat
Enlightened
Gotta continue the love for the Xeno E03. Just a fantastic light for the money.
mattevt
Newly Enlightened
Just a note, while the E21 is rated at 150 lumens on high, it was tested by a member (selfbuilt I think) to be actually outputting ~200 lumens. If 35 dollars is your budget I can almost guarantee you would not be disappointed with the E21.
I own a LightStar 220, which I assume is one model down from the light you're looking at. Three things bother me about this light.
1. SOFT plastic lens. I have yet to drop this light, but I seem to have managed to put quite a few scratches in the two months I've owned it. Pushing down on the lens with my fingernail about a dozen times to check for flex in the lens this evening appears to have left some more scratches on the lens. *sigh* The head appears to move back, but it was a fair amount of force I was applying, so it's probably good in a heavy rainstorm, but I wouldn't submerge it very far or very long.
2. Sealed head. I've talked to TerraLux, and opening the head will void the warranty. Why would I want to open the head?
3. The head is fogged. Two other lights I own also fogged (probably related to the heat). It needs to be cleaned at least once. Opening the head voids the warranty. At some point, this fog will **** me off to the point where I'll open it anyways (shipping, duties, taxes will likely match or exceed the price of the light, so I won't be sending it back to be "fixed").
4. The threads of the tailcap are grinding. I've used generous amounts of silicone grease on the threads and it ends up dirty and rough. I've wiped it down and re-greased it three times, but it still hasn't improved. Light oiling it did seem to help though. TerraLux advised to not use excessive amounts of grease, as the threads are used as a power path, but since the threads are anodized, as well as the inside of the battery tube, I don't believe this is correct. The rear of the body tube appears to be bare aluminum, thus the body itself is the electrical path.
OK. That was 4. There's a few other minor issues, but those are the highlights.
On the upside, I ran it for 2 hrs on Eneloops before terminating my run test (the head was fogging and it was getting warm). This exceeds the 1.5hr claim. The front 3/4 of the light got very warm, so the heat sinking appears to work alright. This is probably related to the fact that the body of the light is about 2mm thick, so it's probably pretty strong too.
It's probably OK for someone moving up from an older Xenon MagLight. I doubt an average person would even notice the fogging. But since you're asking here, you've probably moved beyond that level. I'd look at something else. Since it's for work, maybe consider a headlamp.
1. SOFT plastic lens. I have yet to drop this light, but I seem to have managed to put quite a few scratches in the two months I've owned it. Pushing down on the lens with my fingernail about a dozen times to check for flex in the lens this evening appears to have left some more scratches on the lens. *sigh* The head appears to move back, but it was a fair amount of force I was applying, so it's probably good in a heavy rainstorm, but I wouldn't submerge it very far or very long.
2. Sealed head. I've talked to TerraLux, and opening the head will void the warranty. Why would I want to open the head?
3. The head is fogged. Two other lights I own also fogged (probably related to the heat). It needs to be cleaned at least once. Opening the head voids the warranty. At some point, this fog will **** me off to the point where I'll open it anyways (shipping, duties, taxes will likely match or exceed the price of the light, so I won't be sending it back to be "fixed").
4. The threads of the tailcap are grinding. I've used generous amounts of silicone grease on the threads and it ends up dirty and rough. I've wiped it down and re-greased it three times, but it still hasn't improved. Light oiling it did seem to help though. TerraLux advised to not use excessive amounts of grease, as the threads are used as a power path, but since the threads are anodized, as well as the inside of the battery tube, I don't believe this is correct. The rear of the body tube appears to be bare aluminum, thus the body itself is the electrical path.
OK. That was 4. There's a few other minor issues, but those are the highlights.
On the upside, I ran it for 2 hrs on Eneloops before terminating my run test (the head was fogging and it was getting warm). This exceeds the 1.5hr claim. The front 3/4 of the light got very warm, so the heat sinking appears to work alright. This is probably related to the fact that the body of the light is about 2mm thick, so it's probably pretty strong too.
It's probably OK for someone moving up from an older Xenon MagLight. I doubt an average person would even notice the fogging. But since you're asking here, you've probably moved beyond that level. I'd look at something else. Since it's for work, maybe consider a headlamp.
ico
Enlightened
I would also suggest the neutral E21 since it will provide you with better color rendition
If you want to use CR123 then definitely go with a PD30 it's one of my all time favorite light's, just a classic. It's a good utility light and pretty darn tough to.
Animalmother
Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2011
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I ordered the E21. After reading this thread. just to try it out.
Was it really rated at 200 Lumens?
See how it stands against my P100A2.
Was it really rated at 200 Lumens?
See how it stands against my P100A2.
mattevt
Newly Enlightened
I've read it here on more than one occasion. I own one and it really impresses me for the price.
