combination flashlights

LEDBE
I have one of those... isn't bad but the beam quality on the xenon bulb isn't so great... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif
 
Energizer Arc White is a 4AA light with a incandecent bulb and a CCFT. I bought mine from Walmart about a year and a half ago for around $16. The CCFT is suprizingly bright and the incandecent bulb is pretty bright with a good beam pattern.
 
I have the Vector 1 mil cp spot light with the ccfl and actually like it. $35.00 I think? Makes a great tent light and has three brightness levels for the spot. Spot is not the best but does have good reach. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
uvlaser,
How about checking out http://www.improvementscatalog.com/Parent.asp?product=199052x&dept%5Fid=18000&subdept%5Fid=18150 ? I have 2 coming to me; should be here Tuesday. Don't know the quality, but I figured for less than $8 I probably couldn't go too far wrong.
Kirk

edit: Lights arrived today. Pretty decent beam with just a few artifacts; it has a smooth 2 1/8" diameter reflector. The bulb is a Phillips HPX40. The 3" CCFL tube, with a chrome reflector, puts out a nice "coolwhite" light. It has a side rubber-covered clickie switch--On Xenon Beam, On CCFL, Off. The body has a hard-to-describe soft rubbery feel even though it is hard plastic; I've never felt anything like it. All in all, a nice light, even though at 8" long it is a bit large. Should be a good camping or power-outage light.
 
I have the light from Lifestyle Fascination. I like it pretty well. The LED's are really nice and bright, the CCFL is good and bright too. The incandescent is not all that good, but I suppose it will have greater throw than the LED's so if you need that it's good.

The only problem is that sometimes the CCFL doesn't strike. I have heard this mentioned by other folks as well so it's not just mine. Sometimes if I just leave it on for a while it eventually lights, sometimes I have to cycle through several times to get it to light. I don't know if it will stop working at some point, or if the electronics just don't supply enough power to light the thing sometimes? I don't consider it a big deal and am living under the hope that it will continue to work. But if you're only going to have one area light with you on a long camping trip or something it's possible this could be a problem. I don't know about the reliability of the arcwhite as I don't have one.
 
Those CCFL requires a very high voltage to ignite. Often the moisture lowers the start voltage by affecting the flyback transformer or some capacitors, or the transistor goes off specs.

I found that attaching with some glue a thin aluminium foil under the CCFL tube, (on the plastic "reflector") helps a lot, because it increase the startup voltage gradient IN the tube.

Alternatively, you can "hack" the ballast, by decreasing the value of the biasing resistor on the base of the oscillator transistor.

Hope it helps

Anthony
 
I have a Streamlight Twin Task 1L and absolutely love it. I was very impressed when I received it, especially for the $20 price tag(brightguy.com).

It's not cfl but will give you long burn in led mode.
 
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