Dummy needs help

[Katdaddy]

I am in the market for a new flashlight. I currently have a 4 D cell Maglight. I am somewhat confused with the large offerings out there now days. Lumens and candlepower mean nothing to me. Can anybody give me something that would be equivalent in output to my Mag and small that won't break the bank?

:thanks:

 

[kelmo]

Welcome to CPF Katdaddy!

What do you mean by "Dummy?!" Dummy's don't ask questions.

I would get a Surefire 9P. Very bright. You can get one from OpticsHQ.com for about $64 and change if you get a membership. See GreenLED's thread about CPF specials.

kelmo

 

[LEDninja]

Get the 4 cell LED upgrade for your 4D mag.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_mag-led.htm
http://lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1897
They should be available at your local hardware store ordiscount store suchas Walmart.

For a smaller light a 2AA or 3AA minimagLED is a good buy. 3AA is brighter, 2AA is 2 lnches shorter.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_minimagled3aa.htm
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_minimagled.htm

For a 1AA light which is pocketable The Civictor V1 is $27 though the Fenix store still has some L1P on clearance at $25.
http://fenix-store.com/index.php?cPath=22_50&osCsid=9de50d0d7cac7a2595f84de51e53fa73
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/civictor_v1.htm
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_l1p.htm
On orders over $20 the Fenix store gives CPF members a 5% discount. Type CPF5 in the discount coupon box during checkout. Shipping included.

For a 1AAA starter light the Dorcy AAA at $5-$6 at Walmartis a good choice.
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=107794

For a keychain light try the Fenix line of AAA lights or a photon clone
http://fenix-store.com/index.php?cPath=22_49
http://lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1260

EDIT
Link to the review of the L2D-CE as suggested by many others
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_l1dce-l2dce.htm

 

[flashy bazook]

what about a L2D CE? I don't know if $55 or so will break the bank for you.

It is state of the art, and there was just now a review of it completed at flashlightreviews.com (also posted link and comments to the review in the review forum here at CPF).

I mention it specifically because the reviewer (very respected and knowledgeable in this area) said that this light is equivalent to the Mag in overall output.

plus, it is incomparably better in terms of beam - since I got similar lights I can no longer accept those huge dark rings of the Maglite.

One thing to be aware, though, is that the LED light you get is a very white tint (normally), not the "warm" yellowish color you get with the standard light bulb. Personally I prefer it to be white.

 

[Any Cal.]

You can modify a Mag 2c to put out much more light than your 4 cell for not a lot of money. Not sure how small you want to go or your price range. It would also help if you stated the use for your light.

 

[Brighteyez]

I was somewhat inclined to suggest the 3D MagLED light, until I saw "small" in your original post. If you don't mind going to CR123 batteries, you might want to try the Brinkmann Maxfire LX for an inexpensive compact light. It will output much more in overall light than your Mag, but it won't throw quite as far. And for $16.99 at Target, it won't break the bank (the cost of batteries might if you're planning on using it a lot.)

I am in the market for a new flashlight. I currently have a 4 D cell Maglight. I am somewhat confused with the large offerings out there now days. Lumens and candlepower mean nothing to me. Can anybody give me something that would be equivalent in output to my Mag and small that won't break the bank?

:thanks:

 

[GeorgePaul]

I currently have a 4 D cell Maglight. I am somewhat confused with the large offerings out there now days. ... Can anybody give me something that would be equivalent in output to my Mag and small that won't break the bank?

If you're willing to accept another incandescent flashlight, I would suggest the Surefire G2 or Streamlight Scorpion, both of which have a street price less than $40. Both of these lights are much better than your stock 4D Mag.

 

[selfbuilt]

If you are ready to go LED (very white, no bulb to break, very efficient) I'd second the Fenix L2D-CE (2AA) as a great all-around light - won't throw as far as your 4D mag on fresh batteries, but output is higher (and has multiple modes). Something like the Lumapower D-mini or M1 would have a more similar beam profile to what you are used to, but need CR123A (i.e. "camera batteries") and are less versatile for modes.

If you want to stick with incadescent bulbs, then the G2/Brinkman Maxfire or 6P/9P suggested here are good, inexpensive choices using CR123A.

But I'd suggest you try the L2D-CE and see how you like it - I suspect you will be impressed.

 

[greenLED]

Welcome to CPF, Katdaddy!

Can anybody give me something that would be equivalent in output to my Mag and small that won't break the bank?

What are you going to use your new light for? This will help you make a better choice (and it'll help us narrow our recommendations instead of getting carried away recommending our personal favorites).


There are plenty of small incandescent lights that are much smaller and many times brighter than a 4D Maglite. For example, the Pila GL3 is a favorite of mine, with the Streamlight Strion coming in at close second. The caviat is that you'll have to use lithium 123 batteries ($1 online) or rechargeable li-ion. Also, you joined in a time when new LED technology is advancing rapidly and there are a plethora of choices in that arena as well.


In any case, I'd suggest you check out ledmuseum.org and flashlightreviews.com - both sites are owned by fellow CPF'ers and have loads of relevant information that will help you make decide.

Once you've narrowed your choices, check out the CPF Specials thread Kelmo mentioned (link in my sigline).

 

[Katdaddy]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I am really just looking for a general purpose light. I have a 4D Mag, 2 AA Minimags and several cheap AA lights, mainly for use when walking dogs when camping. As noted, there are so many options now it is somewhat confusing. I have the LED conversion for one of the Minimags and am not real impressed. I know there are some good LEDs out there now and that is part of the reason for my post. I don't want to spend a fortune wading through the junk to find a good one. The L2D CE sounds like an interesting choice for LED. How about an incandescent? For ease of finding batteries in the past I have stayed with something that would run off AAs. I am not against going with another battery choice.

 

[GeorgePaul]

How about an incandescent? For ease of finding batteries in the past I have stayed with something that would run off AAs. I am not against going with another battery choice.

Good choices for incandescent are:

Surefire G2, G3, 6P or 9P
Streamlight Scorpion Xenon, TL-2, TL-3

All of these use 123a batteries. There are many other similar lights, made by the likes of Brinkman, Pelican, Wolf Eyes, G&P, Pila and others.

 

[fishx65]

Like others have said, a G2 or 6P will show you how nice, bright and smooth an incandescent beam can be in a small package. I'll never forget being blown away by the first 6P I purchased. The Pro-poly 4AA ($25.00) would be a great introduction into the world of LEDs. I would also throw an XPR 103 bulb(RadioShack) in your 4 cell mag to wake it up.

 

[Katdaddy]

I decided on the L2D CE for this purchase. I can see that this forum is going to cost me a lot of money, as I love gadgets and toys!:rock:

 

[flashy bazook]

I decided on the L2D CE for this purchase. I can see that this forum is going to cost me a lot of money, as I love gadgets and toys!:rock:

excellent! I would be very interested to also hear how you like it after you get it and get a chance to use it for a while.

personally I've been getting more enthusiastic after using this and similar lights for a while, and quite a bit less willing to use lesser lights!