tonkem
Enlightened
Yep, Zebralight S6330. Love it...
I would like to, as everyone needs one extra-powerful light in their arsenal. I'd like to see something with a better selection of levels, instead of only 3 or so which makes no sense in a 3k lumen light. I think Zebralight scores best in that regard.
Just did. Received my new Thrunite TN30 today with 3 XM-L2 leds rated at 3600 Lumens. I'm charging 3 new 3400mAh Eagletac batteries right now. But I won't be able to test it much until this weekend. The only light in its class I have to test it against is a 35W Oracle HID flashlight I got a couple years ago. Looking forward to see if a self-contained handheld LED light can finally match up with a HID flashlight.
Jim
When did Thrunite make a XM-L2 light? I thought the TN30 is a 3000 lumen, XM-L U2 light?
Why would I want to carry a second light when I'm already packing around "a big fat flashlight" that could easily do the job of the smaller one with a few simple changes from the manufacturer? I shouldn't have to carry a second light just to get into the tent/trailer/car/etc while I'm out hiking, camping, and hunting.And one final point. I see posts saying how great it is for these big room lighters to also have a very low level, such as 7 lumens. Wow. I am carrying a big fat flashlight with 4x18650's (basically, like a large laptop battery!) so I can put out 7 lumens? Just get a 1xAAA light (or an even smaller one) and you can cover all your low lumen needs and then some. Such powerful flashlights should have the max-blast setting, and maybe a useful lower level (such as 60 or 80 lumens) for the long runtime. You don't need all the other levels.
Why would I want to carry a second light when I'm already packing around "a big fat flashlight" that could easily do the job of the smaller one with a few simple changes from the manufacturer? I shouldn't have to carry a second light just to get into the tent/trailer/car/etc while I'm out hiking, camping, and hunting.
And one final point. I see posts saying how great it is for these big room lighters to also have a very low level, such as 7 lumens.................Such powerful flashlights should have the max-blast setting, and maybe a useful lower level (such as 60 or 80 lumens) for the long runtime. You don't need all the other levels.
How would adding more levels and useability inconvenience you in any way? With a good UI you wouldn't even have to cycle through any levels that you personally didn't want. I understand that you personally don't want lower levels, but we all have different needs and wants. Appealing to a wider scope of buyers can only benefit the manufacturers.First, you are saying that "carrying a second flashlight" is a big inconvenience, whereas a 1xAAA flashlight is really nothing to carry.
Second, most people want to carry a backup.
Third, if you want to do something for which a few lumens is enough, why even lift and carry the big fat one around? Just leave it on the ground and go about your business with the 1xAAA.
Fourth, if you are going out camping, is the big fat one even the right tool? Personally I think a smaller flashlight is much better, something between 1x123 and 2x123, with just two modes (max blast and useful lower output with plenty of runtime), or maybe 3 modes. That plus the 1xAAA together weigh a small fraction of the big fat one. If you really want a big output, better even to go for a 2x18650 and get the 500 lumens of near-surrounding area illumination.
Oh, and don't forget to add into your camping pack weight allowance plenty of space and weight for several 18650's to re-fill the big fat one after the 1.5 hours it took it to burn through the energy of 4 of these!
But just think about it for a second: you are carrying a big fat one with a reflector diameter that measures several inches and are putting out 7 lumens! :laughing:
PS -- if you go to the McGizmo forum, and read there the words of the master (Don McLeish), you will find that most of the time he toodles around with a Sapphire (a 5 lumen or so 1xAAA that he makes), and for higher illumination needs then he brings in either a bigger EDC (1x123) or a big reflectored light like the Makai (which even so is just 2x123, so much smaller than a big fat one). So it's not just me coming up with weird ideas, they are also followed by the master!
PS2 -- the more I think about it the more examples I remember, GreenLED I believe described walking part of the Apallachian trail (or a similar adventure) with a 1x123 (a McGizmo PD-S) as his main light; others mention going about with equally small lights, including Zebra headlamp types. I don't recall anyone mentioning going about their outdoors adventure carrying big fat ones!
+1I don't agree. I love my AAA flashlights (and have a lot including 2 McGizmos a Mako a Piccolo etc)but only carry and use them when a bigger flashlight is not possible ie at work. (I might carry one as backup in my wallet or small pocket even when I use a bigger flashlight.) When I really use a flashlight I prefer something like my bored 6P with L/M/H Nichia 219 Torchlab triple or even a Malkoff M91W in a MD2 host with high-low ring. Primarily used in low, but with a great beam, a clicky switch and a nice hand-filling size with lots of lumens in reserve, just a click or turn away! I would never have used these as EDC flashlights if they came on high first and especially if they were single level. One of the big benefits of these type of set-ups is the amazing runtime on low.
I would have agreed with you up until I used a Zebralight. They're one of the most effecient lights out there (on all levels), and my wife and preschooler have both been able to figure out the UI without any instructions. Reliabilty has been great for me, and I'm willing to pay the premium price for such excellent features.Finally, G.P. on programmability/large number of output levels. Every complexity has some cost, to the electronics, efficiency, reliability, ease of use in the field, etc.
.............Second, MaxBelg says he disagrees.......If MaxBelg doesn't like the AAA's..............
........Pocket Triple is so good that it seems to make me feel that almost all other lights on the market are obsolete.........though it's expensive to buy.....