hi could recommend two flashlights for me?

[Warbler]

Hi everyone! I'm introducing myself and asking for a recommendation for two flashlights.

the first flashlight is one for in case the power goes out in my house. I want one that is dependable. I would also like to have some of the features that modern flashlights have. The only flashlights I have right now are old incandescent flash lights. Most are junk bought from stores like walmart. So I would like to get a really good one.

the second flashlight in one I would like to able to every day carry. A very small one. But again I would like it to have some of the features that modern flashlights have and be dependable. and again, I want a really good one.

I am however not made of money. My knowledge of the latest in flashlights is limited. But I am willing to learn and want to learn.

So, can you guys help me out?

 

[Gunner12]

Sure we can, after you answer a few questions :p There's also the flashlight recommendation checklist that might help narrow down the selection.
Quick questions: Price? Batteries? Runtime? Modes? Beampattern? Size?

Personally I EDC a Zebralight SC51c. I like it, except for the fact that it has turned on in my pocket before. The SC80 seems to solve the problem with a more recessed switch and can take both CR123 and AA batteries without an adapter. I also have a DQG III on my keychain. It's a small 1 AAA light with 2 modes, and I got mine in warm/neutral white. I like thinner 1 AA lights for EDC because the batteries are easy to find, smaller lights fit in the pocket better, and they are still powerful enough for most tasks.

If you have a C or D cell Maglite, there are drop-ins for those that can improve the output while still giving decent runtime.

Here are some good brands recommended around here: Fenix, Olight, Shiningbeam, Thrunite, Sunwayman, HDS, Eagletac, Jetbeam, Klarus, Dereelight, 4sevens, Streamlight, Balder, Surefire, Solarforce (for P60 hosts)...

How much runtime on max for the larger/blackout light? I find that ~30 lumen is fine for most uses, so even a smaller light will give good runtime at that output.

:welcome:

 

[Warbler]

I didn't discover the checklist until after I had made the first post in this thread. I shall try to fill it out as best I can:

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
_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! :-)

____Less than $25.
____Less than $50.
____Less than $100.
____Less than $150.
__X__Less than $300.
____I have no limit.
____I’m flexible, tell me what you gotJ.
____Other, please specify ________


3) Format:

__X__I want a flashlight. (two flashlights)
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a dive light.
____I want a portable spotlight.


For the one I will want for power failures:

4) Flashlight-specific format/size:

____Keychain size.
____Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
____Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
____I don’t care.
__X__I don’t know. maybe someone could advise me with this
____N/A


for the one I would want carry with me:

4) Flashlight-specific format/size:

__x__Keychain size.
__x__Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
____Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
____I don’t care.
____I don’t know.
____N/A


5) Emitter/Light source:

____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
__x__I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

__x__I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____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? (maybe someone could advise me which would be best for each flashlight)

____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)
____I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
____I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
____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.)
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)



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).
(maybe someone could advise me which would be best for each flashlight)

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
____I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
____I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).


9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.

____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)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
____150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output). (I am not sure)

____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A “night-stand” light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't care.
__x__I don’t know.


12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):

____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today’s high end lights).
____I don't care.
__x__I don’t know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
__x__I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)
__x__I want SOS mode.
__x__I want a beacon mode.
____I don’t care.
__x__I don’t know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
__x__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today’s flashlights).
__x__Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
__x__Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don’t care.
____I don’t know.
____Other, please specify____________.


15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.(not sure)

____Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
____Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____“Hybrid” light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

 

[Gunner12]

It might be a good idea to get a decent budget light, and then use that as your reference. A good general use light might be good, I prefer AA lights, so I'll suggest them.

Shiningbeam's Caveman, Spark, or I-mini could be a good choice. From what I've read, they are well build for the price. The Fenix E series could also be a good choice, the E11 is a 1 AA light, while the E21 and E25 is a 2 AA light. Jetbeam's BA10 or BA20 and Klarus's P1A and P2A could also work. I also like my Balder SE-1 ($20-26 depending on LED).

 

[Yourfun2]

Since you checked titanium, I would get the Eagletac D25c Ti. Has all the functions you old want, including a moonlight mode. The biggest keychain light would be a Foursevens Quark Mini. It is one of the most popular pocket lamps out there. Both of these manufacturers lineups are reasonably priced.

 

[Ezeriel]

:welcome:


for a pocket / keychain light a Olight I2 EOS is hard to beat.. you can get one at shiningbeam (google it)
Fenix E25 is a nice light to have with it.. or what Gunner said...


If you can stomach spending $60 bucks on a light, a Fenix LD20 or LD22 is my favorite light to recommend

stick to AAs.. 4 NiMH rechargables and a charger is 20ish dollars at walmart.. kmart.. lowes.. get a real one, not one of those 2 hour chargers that ruin the batteries in a week

 

[Warbler]

what about lithium batteries?

 

[TOJ]

12 pack of Surefire CR123 primaries = $20
EDC: Eagletac D25C Mini = $40 (can wait for XP-G2 to be available in 10 days)
House: Olight i1 or FourSevens Mini ML = $35

All of these lights also come with a CR123 and also tailstand. If you're like me, you'll start with a sensible 1xAA or AAA EDC and be bored within a week. You can rotate duty of the two lights you get, too. The D25C has the best clip, but the Mini ML is the best on a keychain. Rotate when you get bored. Keep the spare batteries near where you keep your home duty flashlight.

Starting off on the CR123 platform allows you to get yourself a more powerful 2xCR123 light in the future, such as a D25C2. CR123 primaries also have a 10 year shelf life.

 

[Warbler]

I've been looking at a lot of flashlights. One I was most seriously considering was the Fenix TA 21. But it seems that Fenix has stopped making it. It seemed like a nice flashligh with plenty of modes. I've looked at Fenix's homepage, it doesn't seem like they make flashlighs with as many modes as they used to. Same thing with other flashlight makers. I seemed to be finding very few that have strobe, sos, and beacon.

 

[Gunner12]

It's odd that you want strobe, SOS, and beacon modes. Those are usually modes that I avoid, unless the light has them hidden so I have to want to turn them on to get to them.

Many cheap budget lights have Strobe and SOS on them. Eagletac and 4sevens both have lights with Strobe, SOS, and Beacon (or some of those modes) and they are usually hidden so you don't strobe yourself when you are trying to look at something up close.

 

[Warbler]

I don't know, I just thought it would be need to have flashlight that can all the fancy stuff. How would strobe yourself unless you were looking directly into the light. Why would you do that?

 

[Gunner12]

I mean, if you are looking at something close and you left the light on strobe last time, when you turn on the light, the reflected light can blind you.

I do see the attraction for strobe and etc, but I prefer that to be "hidden" so I don't have to cycle through strobe when I want other modes.

 

[weez82]

FourSevens has S.O.S, Strobe, and Beacon modes. Their Beacon mode is 1 flash every 10secs

Xeno E03 has those modes. Their Beacon is 2 flashes every 2secs

EagleTac also has those modes.

 

[TEEJ]

If you carry the light everyday...its nice to be able to use rechargeable cells, as you don't have to keep buying disposable ones.

You can simply rotate the cells as you use/charge them...and essentially never run out.

The nimh cells mentioned are nice and easy to use in this manner. The rechargeable Lithium ion cells pack a lot more power for the same sized light though, so you get higher performance for the same sized light/the same performance from a smaller light, etc...a real advantage. The disadvantage to the rechargeable lithium ion cells is that you do need to be more careful with them, particularly if using alight that takes more than one cell.

If you are willing to take a few basic precautions, say the way you know that gasoline is flammable and explosive, yet you use it in your car...and electricity can stop your heart or fry you crisp, yet you use appliances that run on it, etc....then lithium is the way to go.

If gasoline and electricity freak you out for example, stay with the nimh's.

:D

The same goes for a light to keep in the house for emergencies, with a few caveats. Rechargeable cells lose their charge over time...so, you need to rotate the cells from time to time, so if the lights DO go out...your emergency light won't be dead too.

:D

On the plus side, many can take primary lithium ion cells too, which can last ~ 10 years if not used...giving a nice long wait time for disaster to strike w/o having to remember to charge anything.

As for why the lights went out....(I do disaster response work...) the primary cells are good until they die. If you are facing a few hours of a pole being knocked down, or a wind storm taking out a zip code for a day, etc...the cells on hand are typically enough to get you through it.

If you are faced with a natural disaster, a hurricane/flood or tornado, earthquake, etc...where it might be days or even months until the power comes back on...you either need to have stockpiled enough cells to run your lights for 1,000 hrs or so...or, use rechargeables and a generator or solar charger, etc...to recharge your supply (Or to run your house lights, etc...)

:D

Many people assume that in a natural disaster, they will run out and buy batteries...and, they DO. The problem is if you are not the first ones there...the shelves are emptied of anything that looks like a battery. The AAA, AA, C and D's are all wiped out in less than an hour in most cases (Same with bottled water, flashlights, propane, etc...).

Most people don't use CR123 or other odd sizes, so those can sometimes be laying around until the people with those types of lights scarf them up too.

If you have your own rechargeables...you don't need more batteries.

I have a Cottonpicker solar charger, its foldable for storage, and works like a charm. You can also charge cells from your car's cig lighter with the chargers that take the car charger plugs. This works if there's gasoline...otherwise, you drain the car battery, etc.

So, after that, its all about HOW prepared you want to be.

The specs you listed for range and brightness are about what my teeny key chain light pumps out, but I feel you need a bit more light than that in real life.

Anyway - Food for thought.

:D

 

[Warbler]

If you carry the light everyday...its nice to be able to use rechargeable cells, as you don't have to keep buying disposable ones.

You can simply rotate the cells as you use/charge them...and essentially never run out.

I've always been leery about rechargeable batteries. After you recharge batteries enough times, then can no longer hold a charge and need to be replaced. If the rechargeable battery is an unusual type, you may not be able to find a replacement battery and therefore are forced to replace the device itself. Also some devices are built in such a way the that battery can not be replaced. I can't tell you how many devices I've thrown out, not because the device itself was broken, but because the rechargeable battery was no long able to hold charge and I could not replace it. This was especially with electric razors, it eventually got to the point where I switched shaving with a safety razor.

The nimh cells mentioned are nice and easy to use in this manner. The rechargeable Lithium ion cells pack a lot more power for the same sized light though, so you get higher performance for the same sized light/the same performance from a smaller light, etc...a real advantage. The disadvantage to the rechargeable lithium ion cells is that you do need to be more careful with them, particularly if using alight that takes more than one cell.

If you are willing to take a few basic precautions, say the way you know that gasoline is flammable and explosive, yet you use it in your car...and electricity can stop your heart or fry you crisp, yet you use appliances that run on it, etc....then lithium is the way to go.

what do you mean by being more careful? do they contain something dangerous that could catch fire or something? What about non-rechargeable lithium batteries? are they also just as dangerous?

As for why the lights went out....(I do disaster response work...) the primary cells are good until they die. If you are facing a few hours of a pole being knocked down, or a wind storm taking out a zip code for a day, etc...the cells on hand are typically enough to get you through it.

If you are faced with a natural disaster, a hurricane/flood or tornado, earthquake, etc...where it might be days or even months until the power comes back on...you either need to have stockpiled enough cells to run your lights for 1,000 hrs or so...or, use rechargeables and a generator or solar charger, etc...to recharge your supply (Or to run your house lights, etc...)

:D

I don't ever remember around my area, the power being out for me for any longer than 24 hours. Of course in some parts of my state, I have heard reports of the power being out for longer, so I suppose it is always possible that I could get a power outage longer than 24 hours. Not only do I use flashlights during power outages, but I also have plenty of candles and matches. I live on the east coast, so earthquakes are rare(then again, last year I felt a minor one). The last time a major hurricane hit my area was in the 1960's(that is not to say that it could never happen today). Most power failures I get are caused by thunderstorms. Occasionally, high winds will cause one. It has also happened that we get weather that causes ice to form around the electrical wires, making them brittle, then a little wind will cause them to snap.

Many people assume that in a natural disaster, they will run out and buy batteries...and, they DO. The problem is if you are not the first ones there...the shelves are emptied of anything that looks like a battery. The AAA, AA, C and D's are all wiped out in less than an hour in most cases (Same with bottled water, flashlights, propane, etc...).

Most people don't use CR123 or other odd sizes, so those can sometimes be laying around until the people with those types of lights scarf them up too.

If you have your own rechargeables...you don't need more batteries.


I have a Cottonpicker solar charger, its foldable for storage, and works like a charm. You can also charge cells from your car's cig lighter with the chargers that take the car charger plugs. This works if there's gasoline...otherwise, you drain the car battery, etc.

So, after that, its all about HOW prepared you want to be.

I tend to make sure we have an ample supply of batteries. Of course, there is always the candles.

The specs you listed for range and brightness are about what my teeny key chain light pumps out, but I feel you need a bit more light than that in real life.

Anyway - Food for thought.

:D

What would you suggest for range and brightness? If you don't mind saying, what is the range and brightness of your "teeny key chain light"?



I should have said this before, but thank you to everyone for your advice and help.

 

[weez82]

I've always been leery about rechargeable batteries. After you recharge batteries enough times, then can no longer hold a charge and need to be replaced.

This is a common misconception about rechargeables. Most people that dont know much about them think back to the old NiMh that wouldnt hold a charge and had a short life. Battery technology has come a long way. If you do a search for "eneloops" or "lsd nimh" and "li-ion" you will learn a lot. Both LSD NiMh and Li-Ion cells will hold their charge and have a long life. You would need to cycle them over 500 times (full discharge to charge cycle) before they need to be replaced.

If your still looking for a light, look for an AA or 2xAA light and get some eneloops. The eneloops will last for years and will pay for themselves after a few charges. I've been using a set of eneloops for over 5 years. I've recharged them close to 100 times and they still perform like new. I say get eneloops cause they're also very easy to use and care for. They're very durable and you would have to try hard to damage them. They are the perfect noob friendly battery.

 

[Warbler]

I like the foursevens Maelstrom, but they designed it with the tail button sticking out which means you can't tail-stand. I mean I guess I can understand why someone might like the the button to stick out, but why have as an accessory, a tail cap where the button doesn't stick out? Just like like the Quark Tactical. They can figure out people might want to tail-stand the quark tactical, but they can't figure out that someone might want to tail-stand the Maelstrom? stupid.

 

[Warbler]

well, I finally decided upon this: http://www.foursevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=3206 and this: http://www.foursevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=3191 . Looks like I did this not a moment too soon. I may have a need for flashlights very shortly. Hurricane Sandy is headed right for my area. I just hope the flashlights arrive before Sandy does.