Bravo30
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2012
- Messages
- 144
I want to gift a flashlight to a female friend of mine who owns farm acreage down in West Virginia. She's not mechanically inclined at all and has a good bit of land and animals to look after. I'm thinking single 21700 with a very simple UI and only a few modes (100 lines, 500lumens, 1000 lumens then turbo) needs to be waterproof and durable for farm use. The type of light when you hear something outside you grab it and light the field up but also usable brightness
Levels for normal farm work etc
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
__X__This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
_X___Up to $300 with charger etc
3) Format:
__X__I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
4) Size:
__X__MEDIUM - Holster/belt ring carry. (>7inches)
5) Emitter/Light source:
_X___LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
__X__I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
___X__I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
__X__I want a light that has a recharging adapter (your typical "wall wart")
_X___I want a light that snaps into a cradle (usually mounted on a wall)
___X__I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
_X___USB type C charging built in
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 not a happy experience).
_X___I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).
__X__SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
__X__Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
__X__50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).
__X__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
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).
___X_Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
_X___Any size switch will do.
__X__I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
__X__I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
__X__I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection.
_X___I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
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 higher end flashlights).
15) Water resistance
__X__IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)
16) Storage conditions
__X__In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)
__X__Emergency kit (long standby periods)
Levels for normal farm work etc
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
__X__This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
_X___Up to $300 with charger etc
3) Format:
__X__I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
4) Size:
__X__MEDIUM - Holster/belt ring carry. (>7inches)
5) Emitter/Light source:
_X___LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
__X__I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
___X__I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
__X__I want a light that has a recharging adapter (your typical "wall wart")
_X___I want a light that snaps into a cradle (usually mounted on a wall)
___X__I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
_X___USB type C charging built in
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 not a happy experience).
_X___I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).
__X__SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
__X__Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
__X__50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).
__X__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
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).
___X_Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
_X___Any size switch will do.
__X__I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
__X__I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
__X__I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection.
_X___I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
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 higher end flashlights).
15) Water resistance
__X__IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)
16) Storage conditions
__X__In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)
__X__Emergency kit (long standby periods)
