I’ve Been revisiting some old favorite lights lately.

[Tec40]

After buying some new lights lately, I've found some of my old favorites while going through some of my old maintenance tool bags. I'm a former apt. maintenance supervisor who depended on my flashlights to aide in my job for over 23 years. The one that wound up being my favorite and my EDC, which really was strange, since it was operated by a piston drive type switch, which didn't have the greatest of track records…The Nitecore EX10.

The one in the picture is a EX10 SP-W which was the later version of the EX10, before the R2 I believe. It's neutral tint greatly helped in color rendition when it came to re-wiring something in a darker environment. It served me well for many years following its release when I first got one since the neutral tint was an option.

It's ashame that the piston drive wasn't as reliable in the Nitecore lights as was hoped for. Mine still functions as normal, but I remember just how many of us old timers on here suffered through the LED flashlight market growing pains. Some were ok, and some…well…just didn't make it. lol

I do miss how fun it was to go through those growing pains though, because we all knew the technology was expanding, and those of us who relied on flashlights because they were a part of our jobs, I for one was excited, that flashlights and their runtimes, brightness, and more choices of LED tints, would be improving vastly in the not to distant future. ( Especially between the years of 2010 and now. )

The other flashlight pictured is the Romisen RC-G2 WW, which was a budget friendly single AA light, that had a nice neutral tint for the time that it was released in.

And the last light pictured is where my name for CPF came from when I first became a member on here, many moons ago….the Princeton Tec-40. It was a great waterproof incandescent 4-AA light that used to be in my tool bag for many years as well. ( obviously…not the light in the picture. That one's never been used )

Well…thank y'all for listening to my reminiscing of my experience with flashlights over the years. I'm still a proud member of this forum, and have encouraged many other apt. maintenance guys in the past to get on here and enjoy likeminded people who have a great interest in, and love of flashlights.

 

[troutpool]

Yes, some of the older lights just don't quit being great. The one that comes to my mind is the Surefire L1. I've had one as one of my desk lights for years. It has a diffuser on it, and I use it for something nearly every day.

Thanks for your post, Tec40.

 

[turbodog]

The old princeton tec surge was an 8aa incan powerhouse.... till your idiot friend left it ON and face DOWN.

 

[cave dave]

Ahh I had forgotten about the Tec 40. I loved mine pre-forum. I had the 2 cell one and the headlamps as well. I remember this forum calling the PT Blast 2xAAA the poor mans E1e and the 4xAAA version the poor mans E2e. I probably still have all those around here somewhere.

 

[ampdude]

Anyone still have a 4AA Bright Star Products Responder? I still love mine. It's very much like the Princeton Tec 4AA, but it also has a momentary and constant on rubberized tail cap button.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

I liked the Princeton Tec 40 flashlight. Worked especially well with a 4D Mag-Num Star Maglite Xenon bulb.

 

[knucklegary]

A lot of divers preferred incan bulbs over led which tend to wash out colors on the reefs

 

[dotCPF]

I have a G3 w/ P90 that I reach for a surprising amount. I'm also finding the original SureFire LED releases are a good general around the house at night output level as well.

Would love to find the original 3 lights I bought as a kid at Costco decades ago... probably all since been tossed given they were poop, but if I had any idea of what monster I would become.... might be the only thing I change if I go back in time, and perhaps advise I avoid my first wife as well....

 

[WDR65]

The old princeton tec surge was an 8aa incan powerhouse.... till your idiot friend left it ON and face DOWN.

Or dropped it in 25 ft of water off the side of the boat.

 

[WDR65]

Anyone still have a 4AA Bright Star Products Responder? I still love mine. It's very much like the Princeton Tec 4AA, but it also has a momentary and constant on rubberized tail cap button.

I modded mine and put a Maglite Led module in it. I think I had to cut the reflector a bit.

 

[ampdude]

I modded mine and put a Maglite Led module in it. I think I had to cut the reflector a bit.

Funny mine still has the original bulb. I was thinking of putting a 3 cell krypton or 4 cell xenon mag bulb in there if this one ever burns out.

 

[aginthelaw]

I have the romisen and the nitecore and they're both dead. Been trying to get someone to fix it.

 

[ZMZ67]

My EX10s with the OSRAM "Golden Dragon" LEDs are still alive afaik (have them packed from the move still) I have to admit they didn't see hard use though. It is too bad QC wasn't better. Even now, I still think it is a pretty interesting light.
I still like the TEC 40 also. My examples are the later style with the rubber overmold. I bought a few as I saw them starting to disappear from the market. You could even get replacement bezels with red lenses and extra reflectors in smooth or OP at one time. I love the simple, reliable design. Still keep one hanging in the garage with a PR base LED drop in for emergencies. Always thought the TEC 40 would make a great AA host for the Malkoff M61L series drop-ins if I could figure out a working adapter.