help picking new incan for my mom

[James Hamon]

Hi my mom has been looking for a new Incandescent light for about a week and asked me my opinion I told her i'd look around and see.She would be using this for everyday use(looking for keys,dropped something outside,etc) and work.She is looking for a 1 or 2 cell either aa or aaa batteries.With a runtime of at least 3 hours and an output of at least 15 lumens and under $40 preferably under $25.Btw she is considering a mini mag 2 aaa as a possibility which is fine but it doesnt really meet what she would need it for in my opinion(power outage at work(she works in a subgroud level) so it would be pitch black down there if there was an power outage.Any help would mean alot thanks

 

[Fusion_m8]

Hi james;

sounds to me like it would be better to pick an LED flashlight for your mom. Especially if you want to run it on AA or AAA batteries.

The only option in your price range for an incand would be a Maglite running on the standard bulb. I don't think your mom would fancy lugging something that big and heavy around as an EDC.

Take a quick look at the LED section, and you'll be spoilt for choice. Perhaps you should have a quick look at the Fenix L2D.

 

[mdocod]

when dealing with low voltage bulbs, the efficiency is not as impressive as higher voltage bulbs. A typical 2.4V flashlight bulb will draw around 0.5-0.8A, it will be right around the 15-30 bulb lumen ballpark on fresh cells. But the problem arises when you want 3 hours of useful runtime, on I'm assuming alkaline cells.


Assuming a 0.5A bulb, which would just about meet, possibly temporarily beat the 15 lumen ballpark on fresh cells; the runtime with the best alkaline cells until "dead" would be about 2-3 hours, but there's a problem:

For examples sakes, lets say it starts off at 20 lumen's on fresh cells.

After ~15 minutes of runtime, it's down to 14 lumens.

After 30 minutes, it's down to 9 lumen's.

After that it's a fairly steady decline over the next hour or 2, loosing another lumen or so every 15 minutes, give or take.

The results is that for the majority of the available runtime with alkaline cells, the output is below the 15 lumen ideal state.

Switching to NIMH cells pretty much solves the problem. A more powerful bulb could be used (like a 2 cell mag xenonstar), and the runtime would still be about 3 hours and the output would stay fairly stable through the run, starting maybe around 20+ and ending around maybe 10 lumen before fairly suddenly "dieing."

To be honest, for a AA powered light, you'd just be better off with a LED light. A 20 lumen setting on a well made 2xAA light could run for about 30 hours give or take, with no dimming.

 

[James Hamon]

Yeah it would be run off NiMH rechargeable probably Rayovac hybrid.Ihave a Fenix L2D q5 and it is great I considered a different model from them.But she was still thinking possibly an incan will see.I love both incan and led each have there pros and cons just looking for options thanks.

 

[WildChild]

I have to agree that a LED would be better suited for this task. If you want a big runtime with incandescent, you have to use Maglites, but the output is pretty bad and you end up with a big flashlight. For higher output, you have to go with flashlights like SureFire. An E2E with MN02 will give you 2h at around 25 lumens on 2 CR123A with pretty flat output, but it uses primary lithium batteries... If you want rechargeable, you end up with Lumens Factory bulbs with two RCR123A and the runtime drops to about 1h with the dimmest available bulb (around 50 out of the front lumens).

 

[James Hamon]

OK thanks guys i'm going to call this one closed.My mom is going to go for a mini mag with a TerraLux dropin or Inova x1.

 

[AlexLED]

I would suggest the following: To find the light when everything is dark, get one of those glow-in-the-dark gizmos. Sorry, don't have a link handy, but there have been several posts in this forum. I'd rather expect the light standing around for some month before it gets used. So get either Eneloops or even better a light with CR123. Those can lay around for years and still spend light. And yes, for small lights, a LED light would provide more light.

 

[yellow]

get her a Fenix E01 in a color she likes, power will be more than enough, runtime ditto
or, when really more light is needed,
a Fenix L0D

https://www.fenix-store.com/index.php?cPath=22_69_49

no incan in that size/power/runtime-class is uselful any more. Even when totally perfect, they look dim in comparison, runtime is way shorter also

 

[James Hamon]

thanks yellow she likes the fenix and decided on that.

 

[Gunner12]

Which one?

The L1T or L2T V2.0 would probably be a better choice for AA. High mode has a good output and low is fine for most uses.

Edit: Oh, I see, She wanted the E01. That should make a good keychain light.

 

[Patriot]

get her a Fenix E01 in a color she likes, power will be more than enough, runtime ditto
or, when really more light is needed,
a Fenix L0D

https://www.fenix-store.com/index.php?cPath=22_69_49

no incan in that size/power/runtime-class is uselful any more. Even when totally perfect, they look dim in comparison, runtime is way shorter also

+1 to the EO1. Perfect for the application! A far better choice than the mag plus terralux imo.

 

[James Hamon]

She picked the Eo1 in black.

 

[LuxLuthor]

As much as it pains me to say this (I am an "Incan Jockey"), I think you made the right choice with the LED. I was thinking of this pretty red LOD which can kick up to 75 lumens...but it is $47

:thumbsup:

 

[SafetyBob]

James, now that she has an LED, sneak over with a plain old Surefire 6P. It will give her something to compare the LED light to. You can show her what a "real" incan is for and can do, vs. the good old LED.

Plus, you will be able to buy all sorts of add on stuff for the 6P for birthdays, christmas, you name it!! I love the amazing options (LED and Incan) for the 6P......AND most importantly, it is NOT an overly expensive flashlight to buy, but you can sure put alot of money into one with all those goodies!!

Bob E.

 

[James Hamon]

:twothumbs I love your idea safetybob I'm getting a 6p in a few weeks.I'll just have to show her the difference.Yeah I know its not fair to compare the two lights but it will be fun.Yhanks guys.

 

[lctorana]

James, now that she has an LED, sneak over with a plain old Surefire 6P. It will give her something to compare the LED light to. You can show her what a "real" incan is for and can do, vs. the good old LED.

Don't do that.

It will just create expectations, she'll want one, then you'll have to spend money on the NiCad and the extender

and a charger


and a spare battery



and Lumens Factory drop-ins





and

 

[James Hamon]

I know i was just kidding i;m not going to compare the two that would be mean.

 

[yellow]

A 6P? :thinking:
is this some kind of a running joke of You incan guys?
Any similar sized Cree/Seoul light kicks it badly.

"give her something to compare a Led to":
a 5mm led light built for small size and long runtime to a way larger light running for under 1 hour + needing special batts?

if doing comparisons, then compare apples to apples,
f.e. a 6P to a same sized Led light that pushes the led hard
The 6P is lost in such a comparison
Man it is not even on par to a Scorpion 18650 w. stinger bulb (this time 2 lights of same size and runtime, both Halogen)


I really would like to know why the average poster in this sub-forum thinks this comparison:

seem to confirm that "incan is better than led"-saying,


while even with this - better suited - handheld-lights comparison:

the led starts to take over

and in this one:

the led light clearly wins
(but the comparison is same useless than the 1st one, only positions are reversed)


Insisting on the superiority of bulb lighting simply makes no sense any more, with lights under 10 Watts

 

[James Hamon]

yellow we were just kidding I am a led guy myself.Im going to put an m60 in my 6p when it arrives.we know that led can put out more output with good runtime compared to an incandescent.Both Incan and Led have their perks im not trying to start a dabate here.Thanks everybody.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Someone just made the point that the LED Jockeys are obsessed, have no sense of humor or concern for what they post in the incan section of the forum.

They actually believe that LED's are better than Incan.