Flashlight Recommendation Wanted - Underground Use

[garrybunk]

I am curious to hear what flashlight you all might recommend for use working underground in a limestone mine. I work as a land surveyor, but don't do any underground surveying myself. I have co-workers that survey underground and have always struggled with lighting. Basically the mine is pitch black except for the lights they carry in and use and possible a nearby diesel pickup truck's headlights. The mines tend to have "corridors" about 40 feet wide, 25 feet tall, with crossing "corridors" about every 40 feet. Their sight lines tend to max out around 800 feet long.

I've been working with one co-worker to set him up with some inexpensive practical lighting. Runtime and weight is important. They are already carrying quite a bit of gear so I don't want to load them down with a lot more. They also don't need bothered with swapping out batteries every couple hours as they are already in enough of a rush to get a day's work done. We'd need a light with really good throw (and probably even good throw on a medium setting) and it doesn't have to have too much spill, although lighting up the full width of the 40 foot wide corridor would be nice.

Another thought would be an area light at the instrument man's tripod to light up his general area for taking notes, and seeing all around the instrument tripod.

Mounting isn't too big a deal. I've already learned how to mount two conduit clamps back to back as a holder, although this doesn't give a whole lot of adjustment (adjusts easy one direction, but could loosen the bolt holding the two together to adjust the other direction). I've also figured out that one conduit clamp can be mounted to the top of an inexpensive camera/camcorder tripod for the ultimate in positioning.

The company is not going to shell out a ton of money, so these have to fit a fairly tight budget. Lights would be budget lights under say $40. We'd also have to invest in batteries and chargers.

Thanks for the input!
Garry

 

[BigusLightus]

How about the Streamlight ProPolymer 4aa Luxeon?

 

[garrybunk]

Sounds like a tough light, but I don't think the output is enough.

 

[BigusLightus]

The price range seems too low to satisfy the desired specs. High output and long run time are opposites. Lighting up 32,000 square feet is a serious task.

 

[lightfooted]

I think you are going to have a problem finding any light that will have the output, the runtime and fall under the budget of $40 per light. A Jetbeam BA10 or an iTP SA1 might come in under the budget just barely but the low modes are the only ones that give all day runtimes. I suppose once you are used to the darkness even 5-12 lumens is enough to work with. The iTP has a variable brightness as well as 4 presets.

 

[garrybunk]

I'm thinking of a runtime around 4 to 6, maybe 8 hours. Probably hope for a light that medium mode would suffice for most of their sights (400 feet or less) with a kick into high mode for those longer shots. They could change out batteries mid-day; I just don't want them having to change batteries every 1 to 2 hours.

I did not mention that just last week the guy picked up two Coleman Max Bubba flashlights from Walmart. ($24.88 in the store, $19.88 online). It's FL-1 rated at 137 Lumens, 248m, and 26 hours on 6 AA's. It's a pretty decent cheap light, but the beam is really tight with very dim spill. They haven't been back underground yet to try it. It's some sort of composite material and is rated for a 3 meter drop, but it felt kinda cheap to me. I just wondered what forum members would recommend. I would think I could set him up with something a little better. So forget the $40 limit, but please keep it reasonable.

Thanks,
Garry

 

[CarpentryHero]

Mod some maglites maybe? A fusion 36 though floody would give you great lighting for 40-80 feet.
$30 for a 4D mag and $26 for the fusion36 on eBay. Would give decent runtime I think. 4-6 hours and 400 lumens.
Fenix makes some D cell light, can get pricy, though You get what you pay for.

 

[garrybunk]

I've wondered about the Fusion 36 for some sort of modded "area" light, but I wasn't expecting it to project far enough.

Garry

 

[Shooter21]

id say the tk60 would be your best bet since its powerful and has great runtimes you get about 12 hours on the 350 lumen mode

 

[my#1hobby]

The only light that comes to mind that will throw AND have flood (in a decent price range) is the Coast HP14 (328 lumens on high and 56 on low). They use an optic lens that throws like crazy. I bought one a week ago and it seems to be a big improvement over the older LED Lenser lights, I really didn't care for the bright hotspot with no spill. Here's a link to where I got it, cheapest I could find for it: Coast HP14

 

[alohasurftoad]

Fenix LD40

 

[jimmy1970]

You may need to bump your 'budget' . You will need your $40 budget for a charger and batteries

 

[garrybunk]

Hmmm. . . that Fenix LD40 sounds really good (if it can handle staying on "turbo" more than a couple minutes). It's a bit pricey, but I know you get what you pay for. These co-workers are using headlamps. The real "miners caps" are available to them and put out really good light for hours, but the technology is way outdated and they are terribly bulky, so these co-workers have bought their own LED headlamps. One person has what appears to be one that is too cheap and too little output, but the other guy has an "ok" one at around 60 to 70 Lumens.

That Coast light mentioned above sounds good, but they specs only list throw to 587 feet (little short?). It also appears that it wouldn't have quite enough spill, although this is hard to tell.

Garry

 

[garrybunk]

Jimmy, I didn't mean to include the charger and batteries in the budget. The budget was just for the light itself.

Garry

 

[magnum70383]

Fenix TK41.
I dunno about you but, I would carry the TK70 despite of the weight and bulk. 7 day battery for emergencies, 2200 lumens when you need to light up the mine. Pack extra D cells, strap it over your shoulders and you're ready to go.

Edit - Oops, didn't read your budget is $40. Umm... Good luck? ha ha who knows a $40 light that can light up an area 40 ft wide, 25 ft tall and 800 ft away? PLEASE tell me. I love to own one of that light!

 

[dheim]

for that budget you can get serious throw with focusable led lensers, but then you'll end having NO spill at all. i'd chose a fenix tk41. much more expensive though

 

[zoteman]

If you are working a mine situation, don't you need to consider having an intrinsically safe ,ie, explosion proof flashlight? A quick google for "flashlight for mining" provides a few suggestions one of which would be the Magnalight EXP-LED-F4W. I have never seen or used this light before but aside from the fact that it is made of nylon/plastic in lieu of a metal body it might fit the bill at under $40.00US.

 

[garrybunk]

There is no risk of explosion. This is a stone mine, not coal. The workers are fine using standard flashlights like they currently are.

Garry

 

[herosemblem]

Energizer Romeo for $26 shipped doesn't match with any of your stipulations, but it will come in handy nonetheless.

 

[vtunderground]

I've gotten to go underground in a limestone mine for work... It's amazing how that big empty blackness will swallow however much light you throw at it. I immediately bought a Fenix TK40 specifically for use in big mines like that. I'm not sure you can find anything suitable for $40.