how much throw do we need ? really!
- Thread starter raggie33
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PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
I want enough throw that I'm only limited by earth curvature. 
My best thrower is a modified maglite so i guess that answers the question.
I always thought that if the beam made your most distant target dangerously warm then you had enough throw.
If I get to that point then I'll re-evaluate.
If I get to that point then I'll re-evaluate.
idleprocess
Flashaholic
If I had dogs I could trust off leash or I lived in the country with long sightlines then maybe I'd need the reach to spot something hundreds of meters away. But neither of these is the case - nor any other plausible use case - thus my throwers generally sit on a shelf save for the ~quadrennial trip to the folks' house in the country and even then sightlines are generally <200m.
I bought THIS years ago,
and have always been impressed by its throw
(and tight beam).
What 18650 light (LED)
(single cell)
would be comparable ?
and have always been impressed by its throw
(and tight beam).
What 18650 light (LED)
(single cell)
would be comparable ?
Pelican 2000 Super Sabrelite Flashlight
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brightguy.com
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'Overkill' sells, but is largely a disease of the young (&/or immature). Now that I'm more mature, I've learned to stop spending when ROI is approaching 'zero'. This allows me to spend more of my modest means on things I'm likely to actually use, and I'm much happier for it. I imagine most of the longest-throwing lights sit on a shelf, only rarely used, and practically never needed. I'll still occasionally buy things I may not actually need, but do try to limit it to things I'm likely to use. I have more throw than I need now, which is a relatively modest amount.
I could have posted this in the 'things I've learned the hard way' thread, but to keep it OT (flashlights), it fits very well here
I could have posted this in the 'things I've learned the hard way' thread, but to keep it OT (flashlights), it fits very well here
My eyes can indentify people I know at 100-150 yards in daylight so that's enough throw for me. But I did grin from ear to ear the first time I lit up an object at 1000' with my SureFire EDCL-2T until the batteries got warmer than I prefer.
Jean-Luc Descarte
Flashlight Enthusiast
500 meters, which my C8+ CSLNM1.TG already covers. My throwers are rarely needed, but when they're needed, they're NEEDED.
Plus, on lower modes, throwy beams are much better than flooders to look into deep tight spaces such as pipes or drilling holes, especially during daytime when the light has to compete with sunlight outside the crevice you're trying to look into.
Plus, on lower modes, throwy beams are much better than flooders to look into deep tight spaces such as pipes or drilling holes, especially during daytime when the light has to compete with sunlight outside the crevice you're trying to look into.
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I want to be able to reach 750 feet. Do I need it? Probably no.
I used my EDC once at about 100 feet and I could see an animal, but it didn't get the job done well enough to let other people see what I was lighting up.
A thrower was useful once to me at pointing at some power lines for the power company to fix about 40 feet away from me. I used a light that wasn't a super thrower.
I used my EDC once at about 100 feet and I could see an animal, but it didn't get the job done well enough to let other people see what I was lighting up.
A thrower was useful once to me at pointing at some power lines for the power company to fix about 40 feet away from me. I used a light that wasn't a super thrower.
kaichu dento
Flashaholic
It's going to be a different answer for many depending on their given set of needs, but definitely restricted by usability in terms of how far you can actually see what you're looking at. I'm pretty good with reach out to 150' or so I guess, but would like to have the length of a football field for search purposes. It's daunting trying to search for someone and not being able to penetrate overgrowth or reach far down a river and having too much flood hampering your view too.
idleprocess
Flashaholic
This is the key qualifier in answering this sort of question. I could take up the questionable hobby of illuminating the underside of airliners on final approach to DFW ~1000m overhead (but that might lead to being compelled to answer awkward questions posed by humorless men in serious suits). On the other hand, not everyone lives in in suburbia and works a desk job so they might need throw more than flood.
WDR65
Enlightened
On the water as much as I can get. On land it depends on what I'm doing. Around my yard maybe 60-70 yards of throw at the most. On the farm, up to 500 yards. Flood is great but when the humidity is like it is currently a thrower is the way to go.
Better to have it and not need it than to be knashing teeth about depleted batteries, right?
One of the great things about this passion is the relatively low cost of entry, and seriously more throw than usually needed is available at reasonable cost. This was not so, years back.
Moisture in the air sure dampens the fun. Maybe have a partner go out with you in an open area, with that person quite a distance away, yet laterally from the area of interest. Take turns lighting up the object/entity and see without light scattered by H2O from your beam going downrange in front of you.
kaichu dento, so good to hear from you. Hope all is well. Things have changed here, haven't they?
One of the great things about this passion is the relatively low cost of entry, and seriously more throw than usually needed is available at reasonable cost. This was not so, years back.
Moisture in the air sure dampens the fun. Maybe have a partner go out with you in an open area, with that person quite a distance away, yet laterally from the area of interest. Take turns lighting up the object/entity and see without light scattered by H2O from your beam going downrange in front of you.
kaichu dento, so good to hear from you. Hope all is well. Things have changed here, haven't they?
idleprocess
Flashaholic
Living on the prairie the terrain around here is - shockingly - quite flat. I'm aware of but a few places in the region with even a 50' elevation delta on a 20% grade.
The issue I've had is that there's enough water vapor, dust, and air pollution in the air that about all one sees of a thrower is the beam itself past ~200 meters ... and the bugs. But that's been at ground level. On a hill the air is apt to have fewer particulates so the effect might be less pronounced.
kerneldrop
Flashlight Enthusiast
That's been my findings for my area. I wanted to get into throwers, so I got a dedicated thrower and a few LEDs and hosts to build some....I was very underwhelmed when I tested them. 200 meters is about max for my area too.
On a really humid night south of the Mason Dixon if you wear a headlamp you'll think you need scuba gear due to all of the water droplets close up. It was shocking first time I saw it.
Way back in 014 I bought a shiney new 2D LED Maglite and used to shine it on all kinds of stuff. 160 some bluemens if I recall correct. But man that thing threw better any hand held I'd ever seen. It even sliced through all of the summer humidity. So I can imagine one of those white laser like flashlights would be stupendous even in high humidity.
Way back in 014 I bought a shiney new 2D LED Maglite and used to shine it on all kinds of stuff. 160 some bluemens if I recall correct. But man that thing threw better any hand held I'd ever seen. It even sliced through all of the summer humidity. So I can imagine one of those white laser like flashlights would be stupendous even in high humidity.
