In need of flashlight advice.

[Woods Walker]

This is my first post here. I am impressed with the level of knowledge. Every few years I upgrade my flashlights, headlamps and keychain lights. Seems every upgrade offers more lumens and longer burn times. Here are the flashlights I use for camping. Also pack them in my BOB.

The Surefire G2 and G2Z are ok. The Inova T3 was an upgrade due to the LED. But my headlamps and radio use AA or AAA based on what pack I have. So looking to move away from CR123 based systems. Sometimes I get snowed in and want the option of removing cells from another device.

Here is what I need:

1. Must be LED and have a regulated output.
2. Can't be more than 100 dollars.
3. Must have high output and multiple settings.
4. Must be able to hold up in the field.
5. Must work in a temp range of 100 to -35.
6. Must work with all AA/AAA's.

The reason for these needs being I often use a flashlight with my pulk sled. If running late I need to see far head every now and then to make certain I am not heading for trouble. Going down a cliff with a 120 lb pulk attached wearing snowshoes at far below zero is bad on so many levels. It is often cold and dark in them hills.

I was looking at the Fenix L2D. I have read what people have posted but I am not really up on all the finer points. Is the Q5 worth the extra money for my needs? I think I can get a L1D tube for EDC? I do like the free shipping from a dealer who supports this MB with 8% off. However I need to get this right the first time so wondering what else people like for high output needs.

In the warmer months the flashlight is used to spot light critters around camp. Once had a bear eat my pack so sometimes I get a bit jumpy if I don't know what is sniffing around.

On the topic of keychain lights I do have a few and all of them are lacking something. The Inova can turn on in my pocket and is now attached to the outside of the pack. The others must be pressed on all the time etc. I was looking at the ARC or E01.

Thanks for any help.

 

[WadeF]

The Fenix L2D Q5 wouldn't be a bad choice. You could run Energizer Lithium AA's when you are in cold weather, as I hear they perform well in cold conditions compared to other battery types. In warmer weather you could use akalines, NiMH's, etc.

When it comes down to a ARC GS or Fenix E01, the Arc will be brighter, but it's $40 more by the time you include shipping. The E01 is $15 shipped from Fenix-store.com. The E01 will have longer run times if you need it in an emergancy situation where you would need a lot of run time.

 

[qip]

L2D or O-light T25 ...T25 may fair better heat wise especially in summer as it has more metal mass than the fenix which has a 10 minute turbo warning ..but i use lithium aa so i have experienced the overheating on turbo but i keep reading that others do not so im assuming they use nimh which have lower voltage that can ease on the heat 2.8v vs 3.2v but i could be wrong on voltage heat issue..but since it looks like your basically in winter sled mode the L2D may not have a 10 min issue since its ice cold + the T25 is bezel twist for level change as L2d is clicky which is good for 1 hand operation ...research and decide what feature you like & dislike on them :thumbsup:

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

A Fenix L2D is a fine choice. An L1D body will work with the L2D head. For that matter, so will a P2D body (with a P2D tailcap) if you decide to go back to CR123A cells. The L2D and L1D will work well with NiMH, alkaline, and lithium batteries (not as well with alkalines on higher levels due to more resistance in the cells). The Q5 version is worth the extra cost. It is about 33% more efficient which allows you to have a brighter light with no loss of runtime or a longer lasting battery life with no decrease in brightness compared to the normal version. A Fenix E01 would be better than an Arc in my opinion. The Fenix is one third the cost of the Arc and is fully regulated. I think the Arc just has a boost circuit that makes it semi-regulated. The Arc starts brighter but might not stay that way for the whole battery life. By the way, you should know that you can lock out the tailcap of your T3 by turning the tail end so it can't turn on in your pack. That should let you keep it in your pack without it turning on when you don't want it to. You should also consider plastic lights or insulating a metal light you buy so it doesn't freeze to your hand. A good P60 l.e.d. drop-in for your Surefire 6P would work to let you use a plastic light.

 

[Woods Walker]

qip.

Oh man overheating sounds like a dream. At negtive 10 with a clear star filled sky and temps going down I may just use the light for a handwarmer. That is unless the darn thing is frozen to my hands. For summer I would use the higher output for spotlighting. So the very high would be on for maybe 30 seconds at most. The T25 looks good too. I need to check that out too. Thank you for the info.

Hooked on Fenix.

I didn't know that the P2D body plus tail cap would work on the L2D. Guessing if I go with the Fenix I would need both body and tailcap however if looking to buy the L1D body I would not need another tailcap. Is this correct? I wonder how fast I can set the L2D on T mode etc? Do I need to work though all of the modes first? Yea I had flashlights stick to my hands before. However when the bottom drops out I use mittens with glove liners. I just remove the mitten and the glove takes care of that issue. I did discover that I could lock out the T3 with the tailcap. Hate to have lights turned on in my pack. I guess the L2D has a lock out too? Regulated output is important to me. I would rather have shorter term less light for a brighter overall output. So based on that alone I am going with the E01.

I use mostly lithium batteries in the winter. alkaline batteries are a total flop in the cold. I have got back into NiMH 6 months ago. I picked up some precharged Duracells the other day and looking forward to testing them. I like the fact they can hold a charge over time. I got out of NiMH batteries as the ones had didn't hold a charge. Just wouldnt fully charge. Not sure why. But was willing to jump back in. So far it has worked out. I don't know if they are better than alkalines in the cold but will test that out next winter.

Thanks.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

If you do want all three light sizes, the cheapest route to go would be to get the Fenix 4-in-1 Power Pack and an L2D body. Lighthound.com still has the Power Pack in stock. Fenixstore.com might not. The Power Pack comes with the Q5 head (it's the same head on the L1D, L2D, and P2D), the L1D body and tailcap, the P2D body and tailcap, a light diffuser cap, and a battery storage cap (uses the spare body as a battery carrier). If you buy from Lighthound, use coupon code CPF for 2% off. Also, if you buy everything, the Power Pack is about $70 and the L2D body is about $13, you'll qualify for free USPS priority shipping (on $75 or more) if you're in the U.S.. Lighthound also has the cheapest price on the E01, $12.50. However, if you're not in the U.S., Fenix store might be your best option as they have free international shipping.
You don't have to work through all the modes to use turbo. Just keep the head tightened down all the way when it is off and it will always come on first in turbo. If you want it to come on in low, start with the head loosened and it will always start in low. It's only medium, high, strobe, and SOS that you have to push the button more than once to get to. These lights will lock out by loosening the tailcap, but turning on in a pack is not as easy for these lights compared to the T3 as the button is slightly recessed in the tailcap and requires being pushed in all the way and then let go to turn on (it's a reverse clicky). The T3 will turn on when you push the button in a little.
For rechargeable AA's, I hope your Precharged Duracells are white around the positive contact. If so, they are repackaged Sanyo Eneloops, the only NiMH battery I know of that works well in the cold. Duracell switches between repackaged Sanyo Eneloops and Rayovac Hybrids. Eneloops are advertised as being safe to store in sub zero temperatures and to use down to about 23 degrees F. I have used them fine down to 16 degrees. They do work better than alkalines in the cold. The reason why your other NiMH batteries didn't come to a full charge is because they don't work as well below about 50 degrees, charging or using them. You could have also gotten the higher capacity 2500 or 2700 mAh batteries that fail quicker and self-discharge rapidly. Eneloop batteries will actually hold a charge the longest in cold weather. Once they get above 85 degrees, they start to self discharge closer to the rate of regular NiMH batteries.
The Fenix lights or any other lights should run fine on turbo for the entire length of their battery life in that cold of weather. Sorry to say that even on turbo, these lights probably won't keep your hands warm in that cold of a temperature. The best you can hope for is that the heat will defrost the light from your hand. If you want a handwarmer light, my favorite is a 2007 Inova T1 (gets pretty warm but only lasts an hour and a half).

 

[Gunner12]

For Fenix and Olight, a full click is always off. The light should only take a minute to figure out and to switch modes, shouldn't take more the a few seconds.

The Fenix light should run finr on turbo at most normal tempeatures. The warning is for when the light is running isolated and has the ability to build up a good amount of heat. The heat probably won't warm your hands though.

The L2D can be locked out and is also regulated.

Fenix Store has the 8% off coupon "CPF8".

:welcome:

 

[Jarl]

If you want a handwarmer light, my favorite is a 2007 Inova T1 (gets pretty warm but only lasts an hour and a half).

Or an L0D on a 10440!

IMO the L2D would be a great choice for you, though it's not so great for spotting things more than 100 feet away from you. I'd advise the textured reflector.

As for the turbo warning, that's only leaving it on in a pocket or somewhere where the heat can't otherwise escape.

 

[HKJ]

With the OLights your need to be aware of the memory mode, i.e. it will always remember the last mode your used it in and start in that mode next time.

I do not like this, because then I do not always know what mode my lights will turn on in. With Fenix I known: Tight head=max light, loose head=min light.

 

[Woods Walker]

For rechargeable AA's, I hope your Precharged Duracells are white around the positive contact. If so, they are repackaged Sanyo Eneloops, the only NiMH battery I know of that works well in the cold. Duracell switches between repackaged Sanyo Eneloops and Rayovac Hybrids. Eneloops are advertised as being safe to store in sub zero temperatures and to use down to about 23 degrees F. I have used them fine down to 16 degrees. They do work better than alkalines in the cold. The reason why your other NiMH batteries didn't come to a full charge is because they don't work as well below about 50 degrees, charging or using them. You could have also gotten the higher capacity 2500 or 2700 mAh batteries that fail quicker and self-discharge rapidly. Eneloop batteries will actually hold a charge the longest in cold weather. Once they get above 85 degrees, they start to self discharge closer to the rate of regular NiMH batteries.

No the area around the contacts is black however after reading your post I checked them out in the store and yes there are both black and white in the store. So guessing the white around the contacts are Eneloops. I noticed the stats on the package is not the same as Sanyo Eneloops. Guessing that takes into account if they are Rayovac Hybrids. Thanks for the info I was going to order some Sanyos on-line just I would just as soon buy the White around the contacts Duracells if they are the same. I am going to place a flashlight order maybe today. E01 for certain and maybe the L2D Q5 unless someone has a better idea.

 

[Woods Walker]

With the OLights your need to be aware of the memory mode, i.e. it will always remember the last mode your used it in and start in that mode next time.

I do not like this, because then I do not always know what mode my lights will turn on in. With Fenix I known: Tight head=max light, loose head=min light.

That would not be a problem. However there are little ones running around the house so I wanted something that I could set on low. Settng the Fenix on low as you explained would work.

 

[LED_Thrift]

The Fenix L2D is great, and get an additional L1D body so you can have a smaller light if you need it. Also get a Zebralight H50 Q5. It is the smallest lightest headlamp running on a single AA battery and has no reflector or optic, so the beam is pure, even flood. Very useful for up close, hands free lighting. Both can use any type of AA.
The low self-discharge NiMH batteries are great in general, and for these two lights also.

 

[Woods Walker]

The Fenix L2D is great, and get an additional L1D body so you can have a smaller light if you need it. Also get a Zebralight H50 Q5. It is the smallest lightest headlamp running on a single AA battery and has no reflector or optic, so the beam is pure, even flood. Very useful for up close, hands free lighting. Both can use any type of AA.
The low self-discharge NiMH batteries are great in general, and for these two lights also.

I placed an for a L2D Q5 and two E01 in OD. I looked at the H50 but think it is a no go. But a H51 (?) that takes an AA would be perfect. I am going to use those new NiMH batteries for EDC and Lithiums for winter