adamjh3
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2010
- Messages
- 70
Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?
First a little background, so my answer doesn't leave you folks scratching your head and thinking me a psychopath. I'm a (very green) EMT here in San Diego, I work for a private company that has a 911 contract with the county. Very rarely, but sometimes a BLS rig will go on a 911 call, and I've run on a couple apartment complexes that just kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies.
I already have an OLight T15 that I use as my "primary" light, it throws out all the light I need for finding an address, making it up a stairwell, and such, however, the light is very small, and very throwy. What I'm looking for is a light with a bit of "heft" to it, if you catch my drift. I also want it to be more flood-y than throw-y.
0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?
____I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
__x_I am in North America. More precisely I am in California_____.
____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.
__x__I could spend $40-60. -Though, I may be able to go a little higher, but I don't make much.
____I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!
2) Format:
__x_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)
__x_4-9 inches. (Holster carry) Maybe even a little longer.
4) Width:
__x_I don’t care. Though it would be nice if it could fit in one of those D-cell maglite ring holders or similar
____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...)
__x_I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use) I would prefer a light that I can actually just plug in without removing the batteries from the light like a magcharger or stinger but not as expensive
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)
__x_I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
__x_I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
__x_I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)
Beam is more important to me than lumens, I want it to be reasonably bright, but it doesn't need to be "z0mG 3423453142342435235 OTF LUM3NS!!!111one!!!" Bright
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)
__x_60-240 min. (1-2 hours) Will probably suffice, like I said, it's not going to see much actual use. Other than establishing initial contact or if we're first on scene outdoors, providing enough light until an engine can get there with their lighting equipment
____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.)
__x_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.)
__x_I want a "clickie” switch. (Stays on until pressed again.) Forward, if possible, though I can deal with reverse.
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)
9) Switch Location:
____I don't care.
__x_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.
__x_A simple on-off is fine for me.
__x_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.
_x__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, _________)
__x_Waterproof – how deep: _Able to withstand rain____________
____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
__x_Holster Would be nice, but I can buy one seperately
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
__x_Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
So this is pretty much going to be my "Oh ****, all options are exhausted, I've called a 'cover now' and this dude needs his face beat in until SO or PD can get here." light. But it will see some real use as a light.
Ah, forgot to mention, I would prefer LED. I have an incan 2C Mag that I feel is a little too short for this purpose.
Thanks!
-Adam
First a little background, so my answer doesn't leave you folks scratching your head and thinking me a psychopath. I'm a (very green) EMT here in San Diego, I work for a private company that has a 911 contract with the county. Very rarely, but sometimes a BLS rig will go on a 911 call, and I've run on a couple apartment complexes that just kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies.
I already have an OLight T15 that I use as my "primary" light, it throws out all the light I need for finding an address, making it up a stairwell, and such, however, the light is very small, and very throwy. What I'm looking for is a light with a bit of "heft" to it, if you catch my drift. I also want it to be more flood-y than throw-y.
0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?
____I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
__x_I am in North America. More precisely I am in California_____.
____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.
__x__I could spend $40-60. -Though, I may be able to go a little higher, but I don't make much.
____I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!
2) Format:
__x_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)
__x_4-9 inches. (Holster carry) Maybe even a little longer.
4) Width:
__x_I don’t care. Though it would be nice if it could fit in one of those D-cell maglite ring holders or similar
____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...)
__x_I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use) I would prefer a light that I can actually just plug in without removing the batteries from the light like a magcharger or stinger but not as expensive
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)
__x_I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
__x_I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
__x_I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)
Beam is more important to me than lumens, I want it to be reasonably bright, but it doesn't need to be "z0mG 3423453142342435235 OTF LUM3NS!!!111one!!!" Bright
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)
__x_60-240 min. (1-2 hours) Will probably suffice, like I said, it's not going to see much actual use. Other than establishing initial contact or if we're first on scene outdoors, providing enough light until an engine can get there with their lighting equipment
____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.)
__x_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.)
__x_I want a "clickie” switch. (Stays on until pressed again.) Forward, if possible, though I can deal with reverse.
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)
9) Switch Location:
____I don't care.
__x_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.
__x_A simple on-off is fine for me.
__x_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.
_x__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, _________)
__x_Waterproof – how deep: _Able to withstand rain____________
____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
__x_Holster Would be nice, but I can buy one seperately
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
__x_Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
So this is pretty much going to be my "Oh ****, all options are exhausted, I've called a 'cover now' and this dude needs his face beat in until SO or PD can get here." light. But it will see some real use as a light.
Ah, forgot to mention, I would prefer LED. I have an incan 2C Mag that I feel is a little too short for this purpose.
Thanks!
-Adam
