Help with EDC light

[korbendallas]

hello everyone i am new to this website and to the wonderful world of flashlights. I am looking for a first time edc light that will also double as a tactical light. I want something with the option of using full lumen output and a low light setting for general useage. I would also like something on the smaller/slimmer side and around the 150 dollar price range that will last. Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Outdoorsman5]

Hello Korbendallas and welcome to CPF.

I'd like to recommend a few lights for you to look at:

Quark 123 or a Quark AA. Both are great for edc. If you get the Quark AA I'd recommend investing in some Li-ion rechargeables and a charger. The Quark AA is my edc and I run it on a 14500 Li-ion which boosts the output quite a bit (200 lumens.) The Li-ion batteries are 4.2 volts compared to a 1.5 volt alkaline. This accounts for the boost in power. I love that I can run it on these high output batteries, but could always run it on a regular AA battery if needed. This light legos with all the other quarks making it very versitile. Also, get the deep carry pocket clip for it as well, and it will ride in your pocket much lower.

Another one to consider is the Thrunite Neutron 1AA. Another great light if you run it on a 14500 Li-ion rechargeable. 300+ lumens with this floody light. It can also run on alkalines, lithium primaries, or eneloop NiMH rechargeables, but won't be nearly as bright.

If you don't want to mess with Li-ion batteries then you should consider the Zebralight SC51 (cool white) or the Zebralight SC51w (neutral white.) The neutral tint looks better and renders colors better than cool white lights. The SC51 is also a very bright single AA light, and runs best on an eneloop (NiMH rechargeable,) or a lithium battery like the energizer L91 Lithium, and runs fine on standard alkalines. The UI on the zebralights is a CPF favorite, and in my opinion the best around.

You can check out each of these lights at 4seven's website or goinggear's website.

 

[Derek Dean]

:welcome: You've got a LOT of reading to do. There are MANY choices for the types of lights you have described. They all have slightly different features, and only YOU will know what features are important to you..... so....... don't be in a hurry. Plan on spending some time here for the next few weeks becoming acquainted with what lights are available and how they differ from each other. It's actually kind of fun.

Here's a good place to start, the CPF welcome mat:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?277224-The-Welcome-Mat-a-FAQ

Don't worry about reading the whole thing, but look at the list and you will see that many of your questions have already been answered, and it will help you become familiar with our lingo so that you will understand what we are talking about.

Here is an excellent resource for learning about rechargeable batteries:
http://batteryuniversity.com/

And if that's not enough, here are some excellent flashlight review sites:
http://www.light-reviews.com/reviews.html
http://www.sliderule.ca/flashlight.htm
http://www.lygte-info.dk/review/Reviews UK.html

Don't try to absorb it all at once..... just read a little every day, and pretty soon you will begin to see what's going on and your decision about which light (or lights) is right for you will start to become more obvious.

Have fun!

 

[Lightman2]

hello everyone i am new to this website and to the wonderful world of flashlights. I am looking for a first time edc light that will also double as a tactical light. I want something with the option of using full lumen output and a low light setting for general useage. I would also like something on the smaller/slimmer side and around the 150 dollar price range that will last. Thanks in advance for the advice.

If tactical I assume this light will have to have strobe (there have been discussions on what tactical means but in reality tactical useally refers to someone who gets in situations with people, like the police). If strobe then you will want to be able to access the strobe quickly. Klarus also have some nice lights with instant access to strobe. I have a Zebra SC51 which offers strobe in the 2ndary high but for me the strobe is not rapid enough compared to the fast pulsing of most other lights that have a strobe feature.

 

[skyfire]

HDS Clicky
HDS Rotary
Surefire E1B
Surefire E1L
Surefire L1

all have an outstanding lifetime warranty.
very durable, and rugged
build quality is top-notch

 

[Chevy-SS]

You can't go wrong with a Quark 123*2 'Tactical'

 

[GeoBruin]

HDS Ra Clicky
Quark AA/123 Tactical on Lithium Ion.

 

[Napalm]

If tactical I assume this light will have to have strobe (there have been discussions on what tactical means but in reality tactical useally refers to someone who gets in situations with people, like the police)...

Now this is an interesting discussion... of course every one will have his own definition of "tactical"... however I think that the most important "feature" of such light is that you can ensure that it can be turned on quickly and it will come up in "high" mode not in SOS or firefly or some other ridiculous mode.

My short check list for such light:
-you can lock it into "high" mode
-it has a proud, easy to find, access and operate forward clicky button.

Then we can talk about optional features such as strobe or strike bezel. Some people want them, some other hate them. But none wants to fumble 5 minutes until he can turn the light on.

Nap.

P.S. And if you'd ask me who got a really good multimode tactical light UI I'd say Eagletac in the P20 and T20 series. You can tighten the head completely and it will always come up on "high". Would you forget to do that and leave the head loosened, it will come up in "medium", which is not ideal but not a disaster either. But although it also has a plethora of other modes (low, SOS, beacon etc) it will never surprise you by coming up in one of them.

 

[tre]

I have three questions.

1) What kind of batteries are you willing to use? Do you want to mess with lithium rachargeable or do you only want AA cells?

2) what is the max size of an EDC for you? There are some great 6" lights but that is too large to EDC (for me) but your opinion may be different than mine.

3) What do you mean by tactical? Will you mount it on a gun or do you just want a forward clickie and strobe?

 

[popedandy]

The Jetbeam RRT-0 is worth a look. It has instant access to strobe and also has infinite variable output with a very low low end.

 

[Outdoorsman5]

Here a definition of "tactical" from the "Welcome Mat - a FAQ" thread created by one of the moderators:

Q: What's tactical?
A: The general idea of a tactical light is a simple, robust, high-output light that can be easily used in difficult situations. Such a flashlight usually has only one or two output levels, or stages, and does not use a clicking switch. These flashlights are very popular even with non-tactical users, as they are reliable and effective.

I think what he means by "does not use a clicking switch" is that the light has momentary on (which is a forward clicky.) A forward clicky allows you to press the button in without clicking it to get the light to turn on. If you press the switch all the in it clicks & the light will stay on.

To read the thread - ClickHere

A light that fits this description and is really nice is the Quark 123 with the tactical UI. It has two outputs - head tight or head loose. Each can be programmed from a choice of 5 output options and 3 blinky options. So head tight could be programmed at max output and head loose could be programmed at strobe or low or whatever you want. Cool UI & nice light. Another option would be the Quark AA, but I'd recommend running it on rechargeable Li-ion 14500 to get good output otherwise it's not nearly as bright on standard AA batteries.

 

[joe1512]

Korben, when you are looking keep in mind that the latest emitter to come out is the XM-L, so you should prefer this one in your search. The next latest is the XP-G, then XP-E which is a few years old.
The XM-L is more efficient and also has the ability to be driven a lot harder than the previous 2, which lends more to Uber-Modes.

For example look at tehse reviews of this series: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...C-2C-1A-2A-Review-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS-and-more!

With a rechargable CR123 battery, the 1xCR123 4 inch long light put out 450(!) lumens in the review. That is crazy! For under 60 bucks, this is a pretty good bargain.