Okay, I saw the checklist and I thought I would ask opinions of which single AA LED light to get. I know you guys get these questions all the time so I tried to make it as specific as possible. I am thinking you guys have been down this road before and will know the perfect light for my needs/wants.
A little background about me. I am into bang for the buck. I don't need the light to go to war with but it should work and preform well.
Recommend a Flashlight Checklist:
Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?
I will use the light for walking the dogs at night, working in the garage on my car/motorcycle. Checking out noises around the house and yard. Camping etc. Throw and beam are far more important than flood. I will use the beam 90%+ of the time and the flood once in a while. A pocket clip is a big plus and better than a lanyard for me. AAA or AA are a must. I am not messing with oddball batteries anymore. Small and light weight are a huge plus.
Basically I want a light that is about as bright and spotty as my old Surefire G2 incan in an LED that is about half the size and uses a single AA.
I recently bought a Romisen RC-G2 and I like it a lot. It is nearly perfect for me so I will use it as jumping off point. Things I would change on the Romisen RC-G2:
1. Needs a pocket clip
2. Too large for single AA esp the head.
3. Could be even brighter.
4. Forward control button would be nice.
Things I like:
1. Love the tight spot light.
2. Love the ability to adjust to flood for the rare times I want flood.
3. Love the forward clicky.
4. Love the price. $12 from DX, I will pay more but I expect more.
1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____I only want to pay $1-10.
_X___I can spend $15-30.
____I could spend $40-60.
____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)
__X__2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
____4-9 inches. (Holster carry)
4) Width:
____I don't care.
____I prefer a long narrow light.
__X__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.
__X__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)
__X__I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
__X__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)----------------------|-----------------X-----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)
__X__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.)
__X__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.)
__X__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.
__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.
____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?
_X___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, _________)
__X__Waterproof – how deep: ______3 feet_______
____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
__X__Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
A little background about me. I am into bang for the buck. I don't need the light to go to war with but it should work and preform well.
Recommend a Flashlight Checklist:
Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?
I will use the light for walking the dogs at night, working in the garage on my car/motorcycle. Checking out noises around the house and yard. Camping etc. Throw and beam are far more important than flood. I will use the beam 90%+ of the time and the flood once in a while. A pocket clip is a big plus and better than a lanyard for me. AAA or AA are a must. I am not messing with oddball batteries anymore. Small and light weight are a huge plus.
Basically I want a light that is about as bright and spotty as my old Surefire G2 incan in an LED that is about half the size and uses a single AA.
I recently bought a Romisen RC-G2 and I like it a lot. It is nearly perfect for me so I will use it as jumping off point. Things I would change on the Romisen RC-G2:
1. Needs a pocket clip
2. Too large for single AA esp the head.
3. Could be even brighter.
4. Forward control button would be nice.
Things I like:
1. Love the tight spot light.
2. Love the ability to adjust to flood for the rare times I want flood.
3. Love the forward clicky.
4. Love the price. $12 from DX, I will pay more but I expect more.
1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____I only want to pay $1-10.
_X___I can spend $15-30.
____I could spend $40-60.
____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)
__X__2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
____4-9 inches. (Holster carry)
4) Width:
____I don't care.
____I prefer a long narrow light.
__X__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.
__X__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)
__X__I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
__X__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)----------------------|-----------------X-----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)
__X__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.)
__X__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.)
__X__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.
__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.
____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?
_X___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, _________)
__X__Waterproof – how deep: ______3 feet_______
____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
__X__Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
