Keeping LX2 need suggestions for a durable flood light (LE)

LEDBE
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bronxy

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Messages
12
hello all,

Thank you for taking the time to read. I'm not new to flashlights, but i'm definitely new to this site. I've found that there's so much i do not know. I'm overwhelmed with all the information, and thought perhaps asking was a better idea.

A little bit about me. I served in the military and now am in LE. In the military i carried U.S. Army L Head Flashlight, then the small maglight with the red, blue and clear filter and shortly after i went to a surefire. Now then, I think i need two flashlights. I definitely need a new one, and possibly upgrading my existing primary flashlight.

Co-workers have Coast, Fenix and PolyStinger flashlights. Some are brighter than mine(200 lumens), but most of them tend to have either bulb problems or have had "operator" issues when it comes to the abuse the lights take. Others are bright initially, but don't throw the beam of light... I depend on the light for safety and a requirement for work. So I bought a Surefire.

considering

Zebra Light SC51Fw AA Floody Flashlight
Fenix E05 R2 Flashlight


After carefully reviewing my needs and further research, I found that I need two lights.
I'm keeping my SureFire LX2 and and looking for a flood light.


I need a flood light. To search for "lost" items. I'm in LE and several times I've found myself looking throughout bushes, debris and alleys for various items. I want a flood light that has a decent run time (over 2 hours) I don't' need several settings. this light will only be used for searching. If it has several settings, thats fine. But the flood is what i'm looking for. I work midnights so the light will be used at night.
I've had suggestions of the Zebra Light SC51, Fenix E05 R2, Fenix pd01 and pd15.


I've overwhelmed with all the information. thank you for all your help.


1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
store, online.


2) Budget:
up to $75.


3) Format:
Flood flashlight.


4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
small no bigger than 4 inches


5) Emitter/Light source:
I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:
I really like surefire but am open to your advice


7) What battery type do you want to use?
I'd like to keep it small so no more than 2 AA, AAA or one A CR123 or something similar


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need
looking for max flood light. doesn't' have to be too far i guess a room's width and no farther than 15-20 feet ahead


9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.
Flood


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).
definitely over an hour preferably over two


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.
important…. not critical. it'll be in my vest. some bumps perhaps. want good durability




12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
Doesn't matter


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
on / off….. doesn't matter.


14)Material/Finish/Coating
NOT cheap plastic…. something that'll last a while


If i can stick to one flashlight, that would be better. But being in the military i'm not opposed
to having two lights. I in fact need to flashlights. My primary needs to be a throw... LX2
and i really need a flood light that is small and compact.

Again, thank you in advance for all the help and all the great suggestions thus far......
 
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Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

Hello bronxy, welcome to CPF.

I'm going to let other users help out for the most part, but I recently looked into purchasing a secondary light / Christmas present along the lines of the Fenix E05 that you mention above. After reading a number of reviews on it, I had reservations about it for a number of reasons and went with a Fenix LD15 (1xAA) instead. I also have been carrying a Fenix LD01 (1xAAA) recently and have been very impressed with it. Although I don't have the E05, I believe that either of the these choices would be better from a technical aspect, although either of them are a bit more expensive - ~$36 or so seems to be the best online price.

An LD15 review that I found pretty helpful is here.

I think that my main objection to the E05 design is its single 'medium' output level - I would either need it to be dimmer or brighter than its current configuration. The two-level LD15 has had good reviews here and seems pretty nice to me so far. It is somewhat on the floody side (floodier than my smaller LD01), although apparently not quite as floody as the E05. If this would trouble you, a piece of diffusion film over the lens would be helpful to soften the hotspot and create more flood.

I know it's funny to knock a light I don't own, but only a few days ago I spent quite a bit of time on this topic and decided on the LD15 instead. If you do want 1xAAA instead of 1xAA, the Fenix LD01 has been one of the most popular lights here @ CPF for many years now, for good very reason. Again, a small piece of light diffusion film on the LD01 might be helpful.

Hope this helps,
 
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Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

Kestrel,

thank you so very much for you reply. I'm not set on any one model. well, perhaps the surefire, since i already have it.
and i'm not restricted on the batteries it uses.
I was very hesitant in going for a LX2 because of having to constantly purchase batteries.
this quickly became irrelevant since the light is so much better. I have access to batteries via a store, or online.

but, with that said... since you already own the LD15 how hard is it to get the diffusion film.
My secondary light i need for searching and would like a wide beam of light.

thanks again
 
Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

A few good links on using diffusion film are included below, some of which include some very informative beamshots:
Diffuser Film
Obtaining a flood/diffused beam with lights I already own
Need some help with Diffuser Material

Edit: The easiest thing would be to buy two or all three (E05, LD01, LD15), then just sell off the ones that aren't working for you or (better yet), place the extras in your car/nightstand wherever. This is CPF, and you'll soon feel the need for more lights anyhow. 🙂 FWIW I use both the ~3 lumen low and the ~80 lumen high of the LD01 quite a bit and wouldn't really want to be limited to just a medium output E05.

Perhaps others can recommend a truly floody small light to compare with these? I confess that I have warmed to the 1xAAA & 1xAA Fenix's considerably since many of them were updated to XP-G emitters, redesigned for lower-lows, and had gotten rid of the blinky 🙂sick2🙂 modes. :shrug:
 
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Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

I don't think that any of the Malkoff lights that uses 2x CR123A will have more throw than the LX2. The Malkoff M61 should be a bit brighter but it's much floodier.
By the way I think it's a good idea to have both lights use the same batteries because you will be more flexible and have to carry only one type of spare batteries.
Maybe the Jetbeam BC10 with diffusion film would be interesting. 30 lumens for 16 hours on one CR123A.
 
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Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

I was thinking about that, however the Run time for my LX2 is limited. Because i need it for work it would drain my batteries. I've had to search for items for 1/2 at a time. several times a week.

it seems i'll need to flashlights. I contacted Malkoff and they dont' make a dropin for the LX2.

I'll create a new post... seems I need to focus on a secondary light.
I'll keep my LX2 and get a second "flood" light that'll give me more run time on a longer battery life.

thank you
 
Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

bronxy said:
I'll create a new post... seems I need to focus on a secondary light.
I'll keep my LX2 and get a second "flood" light that'll give me more run time on a longer battery life.
Click to expand...
Actually, this thread is the best place to work the second floody light query, as there are already a few suggestions here. You might want to edit your thread title (via 'edit / advanced edit' on post #1 in this thread) to focus your search on the small floody light, as it sounds like the SF LX2 is close to what you need as your primary light.
 
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Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

This is a somewhat tricky scenario. First off Ill let you know how the Surefire upgrade process typically goes.

There are a series of Surefire lights that are upgradeable. Ironically they are also discontinued, but can still be found in many places. They are the 6P, C2, and Z2. All of these come in slightly bigger versions. They are the 9P, C3, and Z3. These all simply have 3 batteries instead of 2. These lights and their associated dropins are part of a larger family referred to as "P60". There is a website called overready.com that sells these hosts. They are also "bored" for larger diameter rechargeable batteries called 18650. However your lx2 and any of the lights just mentioned should fit 17670 style rechargable batteries. Once you go this route though it gets expensive and doesn't necessarily fit your needs.

Malkoff devices makes full flashlights that use his "dropins" (The MD2 etc) but he also sells the dropins by themselves. These dropins go into these specific flashlights. Without getting too complicated, he also makes a special head called the VME head. This head allows you to put a Malkoff dropin inside of it, and it will screw onto any Surefire E or L series light, such as the E1L, E2D, E1B, or L4. I assume it would fit on the LX2 but I do not have one to try. Your LX2 will outthrow any of Malkoffs dropins. There is no upgrade that you can get for your LX2 that will increase its throw, unless you go through a lenghty and costly emitter swap but for your purposes that is out of the question. This being said, for you to find a light in the size of the LX2 that throws better will be difficult. Surefire doesn't make one. There are some alternatives but they are more expensive, or bigger. Lights that throw further have to have a larger diameter head to reflect the light. This can be an issue if you are trying to carry it on your belt or in your vest. Therefore the LX2 might be the best thower in that size for you. Finding another American made light with that kind of durability and quality that also throws like that and is that size is tough. I honestly, at this point, wouldn't trust my life to any of the Chinese brands. I've had too many of them fail on me. Surefires and Malkoffs however never have. This is not a knock on the Chinese lights just spoken from personal experience.

For your flood light... The Zebralights are pretty nice lights. They are very small and lightweight and can provide rather good runtimes. The light you mention would be pretty good for your application. If you go that route though I would definitely get these... You want to run eneloops in it and that will get you 4 of them for 18 bucks with a charger. You can easily take a few backup AA's outwith you without adding much weight.

However if you want a more reliable solid option that will go with your other light, I would look into getting a 6P host and a Malkoff M60LF. (The L in there indicates lower output, but longer run time.) I am not entirely sure where to buy one of these. You can get the M60F on overready for about 65 but the M60LF goes on the marketplace frequently for around $45. I actually just sold one a few months ago for that. You can probably find a host for around 50 bucks on there as well. This will give you a decent floodlight that is bulletproof. Also if going this route I would highly suggest getting a Pila IBC charger and 4 or so AW17670 Protected rechargable batteries. These should also fit in your LX2.

Yes this setup will give you more heft. The 6P is not really big, but combined with the Malkoff in there it will be a little heavy. However you could use it to beat someone to death, hammer a nail in, then throw it off a cliff and it will still be giving you good floody output. The pro's to this are that every time you go out you can be going out with a freshly charged light. If you get 4 batteries you can have a backup battery for each, and if you want CR123's as an additional backup they would work as well.

Total rough cost of this setup would be...
~49 for Pila
~44 for 4 batteries
~50 for a 6P host
~50 for Malkoff M60LF

Yes, this is about 200 bills, compared to only ~55 or so for a Zebralight. However...
-By going the recharable route you wont need batteries for these lights again for quite some time. Given that 12 SF CR123s cost around $25 bucks now, this cost is quickly recovered.
-Every time you go out you know you have freshly charged brand new batteries.
-Both of your lights use the same battery and have similar mechanisms. The LX2 will give you some reach, and the low mode gives you some solid run times for emergency or in car work. The M60LF will be a great, solid flashlight that will last a lifetime. If anything ever happens to either one of these lights, you simply call surefire, or Gene (Gene Malkoff) and you get it replaced. No questions asked.
-These two lights are about as reliable as any two lights you could ever ask for
Cons
Heavier
Pricier (initially)

Alternative
If you go with the Zebralight they have some issues. The SC51 has been known to turn itself on in your pocket. It has a an electronic switch on the side that can be pushed if you move around. I had an SC60 that had this problem. The solution is to slightly unlock the tailcap which will prevent the light from coming on. This becomes annoying though. Also, being an electronic switch, it can fail. The twist for constant, push for momentary on the 6P is the most reliable tailcap you can get. This will be an incredibly light light on you however. Also, the SC51 uses AA batteries, which is why I recommended the eneloops. However they also sell the SC31 which is even smaller, has higher output, and runs on CR123's.

Anyways, hope this helped.
 
Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

TommyGun45,

would you have a similar alternative for a 1 123 battery, or something smaller.
I researched your suggestion, and although it would be perfect in terms of light output
the size is something that be too much for me.
I already have a full duty rig... and to use solely for searching that option might be too big.

thank you so very much for the detailed suggestion.
 
Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

Kestrel,

thank you. I updated me request.
 
Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

Ya know, for the price you can't really beat the zebralights. One recommendation I would make however is to def get a neutral or high cri version. If you are searching through brush and dirt and the like these models will render the colors alot better. For that size and that kind of flood its probably the best way to go. Quark makes some nice lights too but I dont think the Mini X will hold up as well as the ZL's.
 
Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

Just a quick idea I had, albeit a long shot. A small floody light that is a good 'vampire' on single CR123's would be a good backup for the OP's SF LX2 - he will have an excess supply of partially used CR123's from the high-performance LX2 that would be perfect fuel for a backup light.
Battery Vampires - Lights that you can feed your "dead" cells to, listing..

Edit: I just skimmed post # 1 of the thread I listed and nothing jumped out at me, but perhaps someone else knows more about newer 1xCR123 lights that would fit the bill ... :shrug:
 
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Re: suggestions: upgrade lumamax lx2 and need a flood light

An E1L or E1B would both be great vampires. Just a little pricey. And they arent great flooders but with an F05 diffuser, or even a water bottle cap an E1L will light up a decent area for ~4 hours on high. Can't run rechargeables on these guys though. And since they both have a TIR they are probably overkill if he already has the LX2.

Kestrel said:
Just a quick idea I had, albeit a long shot. A small floody light that is a good 'vampire' on single CR123's would be a good backup for the OP's SF LX2 - he will have an excess supply of partially used CR123's from the high-performance LX2 that would be perfect fuel for a backup light.
Battery Vampires - Lights that you can feed your "dead" cells to, listing..

Edit: I just skimmed post # 1 of the thread I listed and nothing jumped out at me, but perhaps someone else knows more about newer 1xCR123 lights that would fit the bill ... :shrug:
Click to expand...
 
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