A fool and his money are soon...

[TECENG]

...BUYING FLASHLIGHTS!

OK, I hate to post another "what should I buy" thread, but I am undecided and need some input.

I have several flashlights in the house, mostly in my office, that I use for general use. We had a 3C Mag in the cupboard that my wife would use whenever she needed a flashlight, but I got tired of the batteries always dying so I confiscated it for better use (ROP? hee hee). I replaced the mag with a Fenix P1 that I had in my car, she just wanted a simple on/off function and she likes the light.

I either need to get another light for my car, or take back the P1 and get a new light for the wife for general use. I think she would prefer something a bit more conventional in terms of size/shape so I am thinking of a 2 cell light. The first thing that comes to mind is perhaps a T1. Lots of lumens and very sturdy, not too intimidating. However I was also thinking about a nice thrower, possibly a D Mini, MRV or Tiablo.

Is it possible to use a light that is designed for throw, in a typical around-the-house application? Would the useful spot size be enough to illuminate the immediate area say 10-20 feet away? There are not too many times I really NEED to illuminate a hundred yards away, but then again how many of our lights do we truly need?

Input appreciated.

 

[optodoofus]

One thing I would advise you to think about before you buy is battery type. There are a lot of great CR123 lights out there, but few people have these cells lying around their house in great numbers (unless they were specifically purchased for flashlights). So, unless you plan to stock up on these batteries (and they can be expensive if you buy name brands at the local drug store), you might want to consider battery type before selecting a light.There is a school of thought that sticking with AA lights is the way to go. AAs are relatively cheap and plentiful, and most people already have some lying around. Plus, they're also relatively safe (even the rechargeable kind). The other thing to consider is that lights that throw very well tend to be hard to use for up close work since they are very bright at close range. If you really want a good thrower, try to find one with multiple modes so that you can dial down the light for easier use up close.I have found Fenix lights to be very good quality. For example, the L2T is realtively simple and provides lots of light on two AA batteries. Add some Eneloop rechargeable batteries and you have a nice setup.I also have Surefire and other lights that run on CR123s as well. But I would not try to use a 6P with a BOG drop-in to find that grape that rolled under the refrigerator. It's way overkill.optodoofus

 

[Khaytsus]

Plus, you'll want to consider the post-zombie world, AA's should be much easier to find than 123's. Think about how many AA's are in your house right now hiding in simple things like remote controls, clocks, etc.

It's not if; rather when!

 

[TECENG]

Plus, you'll want to consider the post-zombie world, AA's should be much easier to find than 123's. Think about how many AA's are in your house right now hiding in simple things like remote controls, clocks, etc.

It's not if; rather when!

Good point about the batteries. I do keep a quantity of 123's handy for other lights, but AA is quite convenient, especially for the wife.

BTW, speaking of Zombies, here is something I made for my brother a couple of years ago for his birthday (we are avid zombie movie fans):

http://64.225.155.248/images/misc/zombies.jpg

 

[worldedit]

Why dont you go for rechargeables. I bought a decent charger and some eneloops and i think it payed of after a year. Not to mention the invironment.

Throwers in the house are not that practical i think. If you look at something at close range the intense spot will blind you. You could use the spill beam but that would be a waste of lumens.

I got a LM31 witch has a nice floody beam. Thats just perfect inside the house.

 

[robo21]

Here's the inexpensive source of very powerful light http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=189950

 

[kelmo]

I would stick to a lithium battery powered light especially for storage in your car. I've lost a lot of Maglights and a few Pelican's due to alkaline batteries bleeding out. They just don't do well in hi/low temperature extremes.

I have never heard of high quality lithium cells bleeding out in a light.

kelmo

 

[Crenshaw]

No, but when liths do die, theres not much of the light left..

oh and the T1 is a fine thrower, with a low mode...:thumbsup:

Crenshaw

 

[EssLight]

I would not get a thrower for use in the house. Most often in the house you are working up close, within 10 feet, it helps to have a wider beam with decent sidespill. And something focused too tightly will be too bright, especially for use at night.

For a simple 2 cell light in the house I would suggest a Fenix L2T. No multiple button presses to select the mode, just twist the bezel between low and high. Common AA batteries, if you use it alot, put rechargeables in it. In a pinch, steal AAs from any of a dozen devices in the house. Then you can put the P1 back in your car (along with one or two spare CR123s).

Of course, there's always *some* reason for a multi-level LED thrower, just think up a few to convince yourself to get one.

(realizing now that I'm just echoing suggestions already posted...)

EssLight

 

[jugg2]

Even though the T1 is a great thower on high, low mode would be just fine for inside IMHO.

 

[Mercaptan]

Plus, you'll want to consider the post-zombie world, AA's should be much easier to find than 123's. Think about how many AA's are in your house right now hiding in simple things like remote controls, clocks, etc.

It's not if; rather when!

Just remember, when all civilization falls, those AA alkalines won't be good for very long. They have practically no shelf life, and will be done for. With the 10+ year shelf life of a CR123, it makes more sense to pay the little bit more, to get the longer life.

Think about it...

 

[Derek Dean]

Well, I think there are probably several ways to go in this situation. Your wife might find the familiar feel of the 2C MagLED just right for those around the house duties, however my favorite all purpose light for the last year has been the Fenix L2D-CE with rechargeable Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries.

 

[TECENG]

Thanks for the input everyone. I am leaning towards the AA format as they are more "familiar" to my wife and I agree a thrower would not be useful. But I keep thinking about the T1...sigh

Besides, I believe we won't see zombies roam the Earth for at least a few years so shelf life for an AA light shouldn't be an issue. By then, I'll have a whole new set of lights anyway...

 

[meuge]

Thanks for the input everyone. I am leaning towards the AA format as they are more "familiar" to my wife and I agree a thrower would not be useful. But I keep thinking about the T1...sigh

Besides, I believe we won't see zombies roam the Earth for at least a few years so shelf life for an AA light shouldn't be an issue. By then, I'll have a whole new set of lights anyway...

Fenix L2T 2.0 or L2D-CE Q5 will probably be a much better option than a T1 for your purposes. They CAN run on alkalines, albeit not well on Turbo, or High.

I would recommend getting some Sanyo eneloop rechargeables, since they run the lights well, and cost the same per cell as AA L91 lithium primaries!

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

If you would use the method (rolled paper or pvc tubing) that gets the inside diameter of the C Mag to AA size, two Lith AA and a Magled (along with a diffusing lens) makes a pretty nice house light.

I have a 2C w/ magled and 1x123 on my desk that gets a fair amount of work!

 

[ZMZ67]

+3 for the 2C Mag w/LED.A very convenient light to use around the home.I prefer the TerraLUX TLE-6EXB Ministar 5 over the Magled module.With the TLE-6EXB you get plenty of light for indoor use and good throw for the back yard.I use Energizer lithium AAs in AA to C adaptors to avoid leaky alkalines.

The TLE-6EXB and AA to C battery adapters can be found at:http://batteryjunction.com/

2C Mags are reasonably priced at Home Depot or you could use the same set-up with your 3C Mag.

 

[meuge]

+3 for the 2C Mag w/LED.A very convenient light to use around the home.I prefer the TerraLUX TLE-6EXB Ministar 5 over the Magled module.With the TLE-6EXB you get plenty of light for indoor use and good throw for the back yard.I use Energizer lithium AAs in AA to C adaptors to avoid leaky alkalines.

The TLE-6EXB and AA to C battery adapters can be found at:http://batteryjunction.com/

2C Mags are reasonably priced at Home Depot or you could use the same set-up with your 3C Mag.

Energizer lithiums cost as much as Eneloop NiMH on a per-cell basis. Short of keeping emergency supplies of lithiums, there really is no need to create more waste...

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

If you intend to USE the light then by all means substitute NimH (Eneloops, Hybrids etc.) for Lithium AAs.

If you'd like to KNOW it will work a year or more (much more) down the road, then use Lithium.

 

[ZMZ67]

Also NiMH 2.4v w/2 batteries vs. lithium 3.2v w/2 batteries.I have not been happy using NiMH batteries so far but I don't have the enelopes.I will try to get some and see if the low self-discharge makes a difference for my usage.I'm still on the first set of lithiums anyway and it will probably be a while before they need replaced.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

NimH do indeed have lower V. But they make up for it with higher mA.

An incandescent light won't be as bright with NimH. But MOST LED lights will in fact be brighter and have MUCH improved runtime.