Hi guys, when did you become crazy for LED flashlights ?

[TITANER]

Hi guys,i find everyone has his or her own individual experiences about this thread title.So,i want to ask if we should hold a activity as the following contents. The deadline is 11/18/2010
1:Top 10 of these members who had contacted and used LED Flashlights with the longest time.

2: Top 10 of these members who started to contact and use LED Flashlights with the youngest age
3:Top 10 of these members who started to contact and use LED Flashlights with the most unbelievable and interesting experiences.

Guys， share your experiences about this thread title :wave:

 

[TITANER]

Hi folks,share your experiences about "when did you become crazy for LED flashlights ?".Let's talk about it

 

[toasterburn]

When I was kid my parents always bought us cheap dollar store flashlights that were dim as heck, if I was lucky sometimes my dad would let me borrow his maglite. Always wanted a better flashlight, just didn't think about it much.

I didn't really get into flashlights until this past year or so, I've just found myself needing one all the time so I went hunting for one. Started off with a Maratac AA and now I'm building a small collection of high-quality users.

 

[GunnarGG]

I have liked flashlights since I was a boy, but crazy...
that wasn't until I found CPF about 10 month ago.

 

[sandnabba]

A friend to me had a maglite mini (with krypton bulb), so I was gonna buy one to.
Found the grand new "Mini Maglite LED" and bought it... And now i'm here at CPF... :bow:

 

[adamjh3]

Around Christmas time last year my buddy purchased a Surefire G2 with a Malkoff M60 drop-in that I fell in love with.

From there I sort of eased myself in... Started with an ITP SA1, then an Olight T15, then got an Energizer 1AA flashlight and headlamp combo on the marketplace (ended up giving the flashlight to my dad). From there I purchased an Eagletac P10A, and a Dorcy 220 lumen rechargable. Then a P20A2, an Olight M20, a 4Sevens Preon which is now relegated to keychain duty, a Malkoff MD2 with an M61 which is my on-duty light, and my most recent purchase of a Zebralight SC30 which has been my EDC.

All this since February or March

 

[Ian2381]

Long ago I have several 2AA flashlights bought from supermarket/Hardware store and when I got my hands on a Generic Nine LED 3xAAA light a few years ago It Just mesmerized me. I thought it was the best, then got a Generic 1 watt Led powered by 1AA, I thought my light just got better and was really cool. Then went Mt hiking last Jan09, enjoying the night at camp with 3 of my led lights then a group of guys just emerged using the brightest flashlight I've ever seen, It looks like Aliens coming from Beneath...

I never looked back ever since, Found this forum and bought more than 50 lights.

I just wish I will still be able to encounter those guys and compare my lights, They probably used surefires but I think my new lights is brighter.

 

[widgetdr]

Newbie here!

It started for me about 7 years ago, when I was assigned as the Field Service Engineer to assist a legal team with inspection of a wrecked vehicle. Since the vehicle was kept in a dark warehouse I had gone by a Big Box lumber store for a light and found the new Coast Tac lights. I bought one for what I thought was a large amount of $ but expense acct helped out. The remainder of the team had the typical incandescents. When I fired up the Coast everyone wanted to look at it and know where I got it. Our lead attorney went that day and bought one for her and her father. My latest purchase is a Photon Proton which I mainly purchased due the combo red/white light. I am disappointed in the location of the on/off switch and unintended activation. That is what led to my interest here, is to learn how to modify good lights to become great!

 

[Belstaff1464]

23rd September 2010............the day my custom HDS Clicky 170Cn arrived. It was love at first light

 

[TITANER]

Hi guy, congratulations.I didn't own a custom flashlight,but i'm sure i would get one in the next month

 

[TITANER]

Newbie here!

It started for me about 7 years ago, when I was assigned as the Field Service Engineer to assist a legal team with inspection of a wrecked vehicle. Since the vehicle was kept in a dark warehouse I had gone by a Big Box lumber store for a light and found the new Coast Tac lights. I bought one for what I thought was a large amount of $ but expense acct helped out. The remainder of the team had the typical incandescents. When I fired up the Coast everyone wanted to look at it and know where I got it. Our lead attorney went that day and bought one for her and her father. My latest purchase is a Photon Proton which I mainly purchased due the combo red/white light. I am disappointed in the location of the on/off switch and unintended activation. That is what led to my interest here, is to learn how to modify good lights to become great!

Hi widgetdr,:welcome:

 

[TITANER]

A friend to me had a maglite mini (with krypton bulb), so I was gonna buy one to.
Found the grand new "Mini Maglite LED" and bought it... And now i'm here at CPF... :bow:

Hi sandnabba,:welcome:.Wow ,so many guys started to contact flashlight with Maglite. Thanks Maglite for it's great contribution :thumbsup:

 

[Hamilton Felix]

I'm not "crazy about LED flashlights" (OK, I'll admit to being a bit crazy about lights). In fact, I prefer the color temperature of halogen incandescents. But I do appreciate more light/life from my batteries, not to mention a lot of light from a small source.

Before LED flashlights were on the market, a few of us were playing around, fitting little red Radio Shack LED's into Mini Maglites, making handy little lights to move around camp and not mess up your night vision too much.

When Streamlight came out with their Syclone multi-purpose flashlight, with its little amber LED "reading light" next to the bright krypton bulb, I really appreciated the very long life.

But to this day, I'm not crazy about any one type of light. I'm only impressed by performance, and I try to keep an open mind. Right now, LED's are doing well (I'm at work today; there's a 4 Sevens Preon II in my shirt pocket and a Streamlight Polytac LED in my pants). Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

 

[TITANER]

Yes ,you are right,keep an open mind is important.Of course , it would be something else in one day.But now ,it is still Led and who know when these others can be appeared.So ,i just enjoy today.

 

[bedazzLED]

I was running with a Solitaire a few years ago and then picked up a LED Lenser P7. I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Then I discovered www.candlepowerforums.com and the sickness set in soon after! Still haven't found a cure for it yet.
2 years now and only seems to be getting worse.

Damn you SureFire, Fenix, Nitecore, Jetbeam, Sunwayman, MG, LED Lenser, 4Sevens, Romisen, Olight, iTP, HDS, ... !!!

When will it end?

Probably when that EDC, single RCR123A, 4,200 OTF lumen, super thrower to flood variable focus, variable output (0.2 to 4,200 lumens), 24 hour runtime, no heat issue, SOS and no strobe, $100 (willing to goto $200 in a crunch) version of something comes out and I'm finally content; until then, the quest continues :shakehead

 

[recDNA]

I was crazy about them before they were invented.

 

[TITANER]

I was crazy about them before they were invented.

Very interesting .

 

[PhotonBoy]

I became crazy after the bulb in the Maglite 2AA light I had strapped to my bike's handlebars blew out one night in 2003. I started some Google searching and here I am, 7 years later. A 4Sevens Preon Revo is my latest acquisition. What a ride it's been for 7 years.....

 

[skyfire]

some really great stories in this thread!lovecpf

about 20 years ago. I saw a mini-maglite (2xAA) that was blue! I begged my mom for it, and thought it was the greatest flashlight ever. (I was about 10 years old)

about 10 years later that very light was stolen from the glove box of my car. along with some other worthless stuff.

another 10 years (last year). My maglite 3x AA LED dropped on the concrete floor and quit on me, when i needed it for work. (I work nightshift maintenance). how can i inspect, if i cant see??

never being satisfied with the brightness, twisty UI of the maglite, and especially its horrid beam. I did some research, and became enlightened. ordered a olight M20, and was blown away! then found CPF. and it was down-hill from there. ordered plenty of lights, especially edc/pocket type lights.

after some time with the higher quality chinese-made brands, such as olight, 4sevens, nitecore, zebralight, jetbeam, thrunite, dereelight, ITP, fenix, I finally got around to surefire, and HDS, and havent looked back.

 

[Rusty Joe]

I tried (by chance) the Dorcy Metalgear 1 watt anmd liked it, but really when I saw Jack Bauer fire up that LED in 24 Season 2!

Still have no idea what particular light he was using.