Hi all, I'm new to the forums here. I have been looking for a light for a while now, but not with much urgency, because there are just so many options to choose from. However, I am now getting hammered by tropical storm Debbie here in Florida, and when I had to go outside last night to inspect a loud noise, I took my 2 dollar Harbor Freight 3xAAA light with me, and it didn't seem to do anything. If this early storm is any indicator of what this year's forecast holds, I'm going to need a decent light. The main thing that has kept me from just buying a light already is that they all are too complex to operate. I don't want any sort of strobe modes, all I want is a tail button for on/off and a dial for brightness adjustment. All these hidden modes are completely unnecessary for me. Here is the checklist:
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
_X__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! 🙂
_X__Less than $50.
3) Format:
_X__I want a flashlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
_X__Every day carry small (2-4 inches). (slightly longer is OK if necessary)
5) Emitter/Light source:
_X__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
_X__I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
_X__I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a “host” or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a “drop-in” emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.
7) What battery type do you want to use? (not really sure here)
_X__I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today’s most powerful lights)
_X__I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
_X__I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
_X__I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)
8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
_X__I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
_X__I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
_X__I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.
_X__Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
_X__Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
_X__5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
_X__30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).
_X__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
_X__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.
_X__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
_X__I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
_X__I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today’s high end lights).
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
_X__I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
_X__I want a selector ring.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
_X__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today’s flashlights).
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.
_X__IPX-8 water proofing
_X__Pocket/belt clip
____Crenulated bezel (would be nice but definitely not a requirement)
Thanks in advance!
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
_X__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! 🙂
_X__Less than $50.
3) Format:
_X__I want a flashlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
_X__Every day carry small (2-4 inches). (slightly longer is OK if necessary)
5) Emitter/Light source:
_X__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
_X__I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
_X__I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a “host” or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a “drop-in” emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.
7) What battery type do you want to use? (not really sure here)
_X__I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today’s most powerful lights)
_X__I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
_X__I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
_X__I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)
8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
_X__I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
_X__I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
_X__I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.
_X__Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
_X__Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
_X__5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
_X__30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).
_X__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
_X__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.
_X__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
_X__I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
_X__I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today’s high end lights).
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
_X__I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
_X__I want a selector ring.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
_X__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today’s flashlights).
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.
_X__IPX-8 water proofing
_X__Pocket/belt clip
____Crenulated bezel (would be nice but definitely not a requirement)
Thanks in advance!
