How "high" are you on the flashlight addiction ?

[AlexGT]

This "addiction" to bright gadgets has led me to have, photons, eternalights, pal lights, lightwave, scorpion, surefires and most recent the new E2(On its way)among others (too long to mention )

About $400 plus addiction,I am constantly telling my wife "Trust me,I swear its the last one" or "It´s only a 20 buck light you could buy at w-mart" (yeaah,sure) but have my fingers crossed for the next ultimate "I won´t buy another flashlight"...

How´s things on your side of the pond? How many $pent ? what did you get? Have you had any remorse? why is this thing so adictive ?

Cheers !
AlexGT

Ps. anxiously awainting my new "I´ll never Buy another flashlight" E2 from BG. Already swore to my wife(again) "it´s the last one" Wait till she finds out how much they are worth...;-) I´ll better be extra nice to her

 

[Size15's]

For some reason, I have spent more, far more on batteries than on flashlights.
My collection of used (but not spent) DL123As numbers well over 250 now...
Fortunately, I have the honour to field-test flashlights for SureFire. This has the effect that I've gone out and bought SureFires for myself. I make a very clear distinction between the flashlights I abuse for testing and my own which [considering how much they cost] I treat like all my tools - with the upmost of respect!

I had a slight Pelican Addiction before SureFire. But now my SureFire wish-list is quickly growing, and my Creditcard is gonna know when the 10X is released!

I have the ability to justify spending almost any amount of money, so it's difficult for my friends and family to stop me!

Al

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I've spent hundreds of dollars in the last couple of months on flashlights, batteries, LEDs, soldering irons, glue guns, resistors, springs and whatever else I need to modify flashlights into LED lights. The wife says I'm nuts but I enjoy this hobby very much. It's hard to put a price on enjoyment. I think it's money well spent.

Brad

 

[Doug]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Size15s:
I have the ability to justify spending almost any amount of money, so it's difficult for my friends and family to stop me!

Al

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

So, what is your justification then

?

Doug

 

[Chris M.]

Well let`s see.
When I discovered these boards in about January I had a white and turquoise Photon-II and besides a heap of mostly cheap lights I used round the house and a few I got for the curiosity factor, er, that was it. Now, 73 (!!) board posts and 2 months on, I have added a Turtlelite I, LEDcorp keychain light, LEDcorp bulb for my MAGlite, 3 imitation Photon-IIs (from Ebay- I thought they were the real thing but they were very cheap so I kept them anyway), and on their way, a Streamlight Syclone, Stylus 2 and 3, ASP Sapphire and Aspen, 4 (yes 4!) Infinitys, a CMG 04 and a PAL gold. I`ve converted a MAG solitaire and Energiser light to LED with many plans for more conversions. Plus after reading about it everywhere, I simply MUST get an E2 as I don`t know how I`ve managed to get this far without one

.

Now I don`t know about the rest of you but I`d say I`m hooked!?!

 

[Scott@Tektite]

I've got you all beat. Got hooked in the scouts 30 yrs. ago, and I ended up building 2 factories to build...flashlights. How's that for extreme?

 

[Badbeams3]

Well, Scott your proof that if you carry something far enough good things can happen.

As for me I don`t have any factories yet, but I do have a closet full of lights and a mostly empty wallet to attest to my addiction. I might have to slow down as my wife insist on eating once in a while.

I really don`t have that many expensive lights. I prefer many smaller one`s. The Surefire E-2 will be the most expensive one I have (I haven`t ordered one just yet, but seem`s to be next on my must have list and will convert it to LED so I can actually use it without mortgaging my house.

 

[Badbeams3]

Scott, why don`t you build some lights (LED) that as you rotate the head down it come`s on low then medium than high (different resistors). Maybe have an "always on" option as well (like the Pal line). It doesn`t seem like it would be that hard or add to the expense that much and would give the user the option of long batt life in situations where it would be necessary...say marooned on an Island...but important to have high brightness to signal passing ships or warding off lions and tigers...oh my. I might consider mixing some glow in the dark compound in the plastic as well. Maybe making an optional insert to allow the option of useing smaller batts (AA lithiums instead of "c") so it could be used in cold climates or would float for the boating crowd or could sit in the glove box for years and still work. Sort of a multi purpose, muti function light.

 

[Cyclops942]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Scott@Tektite:
I've got you all beat. Got hooked in the scouts 30 yrs. ago, and I ended up building 2 factories to build...flashlights. How's that for extreme?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Glad you got hooked, Scott! Also, it was great talking to you on the phone the other day. Glad to see you hopped over here after (during) our conversation and joined the crew.

 

[mikep]

Hmm, At first I thought you guys were nuts, and I was immune to the addiction- that was when I just had a scorpion. Then I realized I needed a UK4AA (got one), and I have just realized I need a Photon and CMG infinity(on the way). I'm not addicted, I'll stop just as soon as there are no more lights I need to have!

The way I see it, it's a lot cheaper than collecting guns or knives, and a bit easier to have delivered to work.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Flashlight.

One mention of that word in a crowded room, and my ears instantly prick up and attempt to localise the source of that sound.

I guess my addiction to things bright and blinky started off fairly early, with the Christmas gift of an Eveready sealed beam lantern (complete with blinking red warning light, no less) when I was around 8.

Then in early 1999 came my discovery of the internet, followed by a burning urge to put up my own web page. Mid 1999 saw my discovery of the gallium nitride LED (only available on the internet, not in any stores yet) and soon thereafter, my LED & flashlight website was born.
That's when I rediscovered my love of the flashlight. Oh sure, I've had lots of flashlights before, and even some LED ones. But I had no source of info and only a very limited selection to choose from at the local Fred Meyer.

In early 2000, I got my first taste of a commmercially manufactured LED flashlight, a pair of Infinitys in red & yellow.
Thus, "The Punishment Zone" was born.

Now, my collection of flashlights - including evaluation units and those I have purchased on my own - numbers well over 100.
The only way for me to know for sure how many I have is to gather them all up on the living room floor and count them.

Suffice it to say I now have more flashlights than I do any other type of product, with the sole exception of antique glass insulators, and possibly of half-used but not dead batteries.

There are more flashlights than there are cups of water in the fishtank.
More flashlights than leaves on my fig tree.
More flashlights than AOL CDs.

Addicted?
You bet.
Finding this forum last August has proven to be one of the most rewarding things that has happened to me.
It has also proven to me that I'm not the only one who turns to flashahol to solve their problems.

 

[K Horn]

All I can say is "I wish I collected money as well as I collect flashlights!"

....of course then I'd have more money for flashlights

 

[JoeyL]

I agree with mike. This is great because it's technology oriented, and less expensive than guns and knives. I have a new E2 and I just marvel at this thing.

Also flashlights are not illegal and there is no exchange of bodily fluids. However the definition of true addiction is rapidly getting used to what you are on and needing more and more to get the same high. I still love my 6P even though it's 9 years old.

cheers!

 

[vcal]

Chronology & saga of a light junkie...
my own addiction started out when I was 10 yrs. old in 1951 & had to have a tonsillectomy and my dad gave me an Eveready 1AA penlight. I had the operation with that little light in my hand.....

later, in the Boy Scouts I began
numerous affairs with Ray-O-Vac flashlights & Coleman lanterns.
-in the 60's blacklights/posters, psyche-lights.
-in the 70's, it escalated to plug in car spotlights and Cyalume sticks.
-in the 80's Mag flashlights, and started writing bad checks to buy more lights.

-in the 90's lasers & Leds
-late 90's, InGan Leds, xenon bulbs.
-2000, this cathartic forum.

now have 6 battery chargers,
60 flashlights, loads of batteries, and am mainlining almost any new light that comes along.
-2001, trying to get into treatment or good 12 step program.

 

[AlexGT]

Now that you guys mention at what age did you start using or collecting flashlights.

I started being attracted to lights at a very early age, maybe 4 or 5 I think, I was the official "Flashlight man" for my dad´s hunting trips, I had some Duracells lanterns the ones with the really big reflector and a 6 volt battery then some colemans, then Halogen was invented, and got some Workhorse´s ( Eveready?) and some energizer flashlights, Don´t recall what was their name, but was the very first to use Halogen, then came the legendary Maglite, then a Xenon Hubblelight, then a Bucklight (Aka. UKE), then traded up to Surefire, Streamlight, an Leds, but thats another story...

How old were you when the addiction started ?

Cheers!
AlexGT

 

[Size15's]

I like it when people use words I don't recognise!

"Cathartic" meaning:

1) purgative mean strongly laxative meaning tending to cause evacuation of the bowels.

or

2) effecting catharsis meaning a) to outlet emotion afforded by drama, or b) abreaction meaning free expression and release of a previously repressed emotion.

Doug,
I think you are referring to 2)b), whilst I tend to require referring to 1)...

I started using flashlights with Pelicans. I always had a Mini Mag -type flashlight, but the focusing really got on my nerves...

Then, I saw the SureFire 12PM just after it was released, and my bank balance has dropped ever since!

I've long carried a PhotonII. Everyone should [by law] have one!

Al

 

[Badbeams3]

LOL...Good one Al.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

As far as inventory goes I'm not in the same league as some but in interest (and desire) I am right up there with the worst (best??) of you. I own an E1 and an M2 (old bezel for now) and two PAL lights (they are so cool!!)

I plan on getting a new M2 bezel and E2 in the hopefully near future. Also one of those new pelican LED jobs (L1??) and maybe someday an M6 are in my future.

BTW my wife walks into my office and sees me reading this (and other) boards and says "oh are you talking to your flashaholic buddies" I think she read the tag line after bucky's name one day.

Thats all from Alaska