BIG Flashlights - What all to choose from?

[letschat7]

Hmm

 

[ABTOMAT]

Don't make me do it. 'Cause I can do it.

 

[letschat7]

Abtomat has everything.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Abtomat has everything.

Nah, I just have a little slice of history.

 

[letschat7]

Hiw did you get started on collecting 800+ police lights?

 

[ABTOMAT]

Hiw did you get started on collecting 800+ police lights?

Haha, sounds like a fish story. I don't have anywhere near that many. After I got on CPF years ago I tried to learn a little flashlight history. I saw there was this whole section of the industry that wasn't easy to find info on. I picked up a few lights out of curisoity and it kind got out of hand.

 

[letschat7]

Hardly any of the cheap lights get coverage or nearly any brands from Europe, Japan, or Aus.

 

[cwujek]

Lets see a big light that has a color temp less than 4k. Just bought a Malkoff to see what I think of their 4k light, would have been nice to see something in the double 21700 realm but 18650s will do for now.

 

[MyUsernameTX]

Fenix TK75 2018, with 6x battery carriers. Each carrier taking 4x 18650's. Total length is 66 cm (26 inches).

We bow down to you.

Jesus christ. Thats a heck of a light

 

[PaladinNO]

We bow down to you.

Jesus christ. Thats a heck of a light

Thank you.

Full disclosure though, there are no battery carriers in the light in the picture. With the carrier spring, the carrier is slightly longer than the metal tube.
Add enough carriers, and the springs won't be able to compress enough to screw on the tail cap, and that is the case here. So the light only has the empty tubes.

That said, it probably would work if I cut away some of the spring coils, but I couldn't do that because A) I would ruin the carriers, and B) not all of the carriers belonged to me. And C), those battery extenders are sadly no longer available. COME ON, FENIX!!
That image is a collaboration with a friend of mine, who also owns a TK75, both the 2015 and 2018 model, who supplied the last 2 carriers for the...glory shot.

The light does work fine with 3 carriers though. I got 12x Panasonic NCR18650B's in my Fenix TK76 right now, but that is the max of what will fit without cutting modification.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Not what OP is looking for, but here's what big flashlights looked like in decades past.

 

[bykfixer]

Not what OP is looking for, but here's what big flashlights looked like in decades past.

View attachment 55205

Saw this "11D" over at Zed's Maglite fan club

It seems to me the term soda can light is used at times to describe the modern big lights.

 

[letschat7]

11D would be fun until you have to use it for an hour.

 

[ABTOMAT]

As far as I know, excluding models with batons, no company sold a flashlight longer than 8D, and those sold poorly. Second longest was the 7D Mag, again a slow seller that got discontinued. The market seems to have figured out not to go over 20" (7D with an external switch or 6D internal,) and by the mid '80s most brands had stopped selling anything over 5D.

But playing with extension tubes is fun if you're goofing around.

 

[bykfixer]

The idea behind 6 and 7 cell lights was mainly for search & rescue not law enforcement where a 4 cell was about as big as practical. A 5 cell Maglite was pretty clumsy but made a good cross over between law enforcement and search & rescue. Don Keller built some battle lights but law suits ensued so local jurisditions frowned on their use.

I read somewhere Rayovac had a 10D Sportman that came with a shoulder strap. As we know, with incan the more batteries the brighter the light. And the bigger the reflector the better the throw. But like Abtomat said, it was mostly extensions added to add batteries. Often 6+ an extension.

Top is a 1930's Bright Star 6+4.
Bottom is a 1960's Dog Supply House 6+1.

The Bright Star has a nickel plated reflector so it's not real shiney. Yet it can throw like a 6 cell Maglite.

The Dog Supply House has a chrome plated metal reflector and with new batteries can light up objects several hundred meters away.

Dog House Supply sold a bunch of 3+3 lights that made it easy to carry a light then if need be turn it into a search & rescue number by adding the extension and swapping out the PR bulb from a 3.6 to a 7.2 volt bulb.

 

[xxo]

As far as I know, excluding models with batons, no company sold a flashlight longer than 8D, and those sold poorly. Second longest was the 7D Mag, again a slow seller that got discontinued. The market seems to have figured out not to go over 20" (7D with an external switch or 6D internal,) and by the mid '80s most brands had stopped selling anything over 5D.

But playing with extension tubes is fun if you're goofing around.

Mag still offers a 6D xenon and even a 6D ML300 LED, so I'm guessing there is still a market for these?

The big D cell Mags are kind of awkward and heavy with alkaline cells but I think a 6 cell plus C cell Mag makes more sense because it is lighter and the smaller diameter grip makes it easier to hold. And back in the day, when wooden batons were a thing, some cops favored the C cell Mags because they handled more like a baton and even fit in a baton belt ring.

 

[letschat7]

I bought one of each last year. The 6D LED is nice. I wouldn't want to carry it but is priced less than some upgrade options.