Lights for General Home Use

[relic1300]

I'm no expert on the subject of lights, but I'd put in another vote for the LED Mags. I have two 3D Mags that I converted with the Mag Luxeon LED, and they're my old stand bys for any and all illumination needs around the house. They're well built and relatively inexpensive.


For something a little smaller, though, I really like my re-branded Nuwai 2 AA light. Mine says Cabela's on it, but they're sold under a few different names. The ones we sell at my job claim to be Rayovacs. It uses the same LED as the LED Mags (3 watt Luxeon).

I see Cabela's price on them has gone up to $40; I got mine probably about a year ago and they were only $20, but I know I saw a sale on them not too long ago for the same price. If you're able to find one and pick it up in the $20 range, I definitely wouldn't hesitate. Even for $40, I like mine enough to get another if the one I have were to get lost or destroyed.

 

[cl0123]

Maglites get my votes too. Before CPF, I thought those are the brightest and greatest. Even though I am slowly converting to other product lines, I intend to keep the Maglites around as backups. They are simply solid and reliable.

For my own uses, I simplify my supplies maintenance by choosing only the AA and D-cell lights. I do have a solitaire and another double AAA light, but I mainly focus on maintaining a good supply of AA and D cells. If you already had some C-cell lights around, don't throw them away either. I just read from another CPF thread that sometimes C-cells are more available than D-cells in a post-disaster situation. It gets me thinking about maintaining at least one good C-cell light.

If you routinely check and replace batteries, don't be surprised that those 2D plastic Rayovac or Duracell flashlights are pretty reliable too. Not the brightest, but I was glad I had them last time when the earthquake hit.

With Aloha,

Clarence

 

[Gunner12]

Thanks for the great recommendations. I will start my research and see what I come up with.

Also, I am taking the advice kramer5150 and sending the A2 back to Surefire. I took a look at the filament on the bulb and it seems to be intact so I don't think it's the Bulb.

Thanks again Guys!

Check the batteries. IIRC the Incan bulb doesn't power up(due the the regulator) if the batteries are below 25% capacity.

For your uses many types of lights will work. What batteries do you prefer? Would you like multimodes(as in low output, high output, strobe, so on)? Size?

 

[i_am_jim]

I'm just an old guy who wanted a cheap flashlight with a reliable beam, and lasts a long time on a set of batteries. Laboring under the mistaken impression that LED flashlights burn much longer than ordinary incandescent flashlights, I bought a Romisen RC-F4 P4. Further googling has led (pun intended) me to the conclusion that LED flashlights are a mistake. I ran across an article that indicated the Romisen will only last an hour and a half on a set of the expensive CR123 batteries. What am I missing here? LED's may be brighter, but a garden variety incandescent flashlight will last up from 50 to 100 hours or so on two alkaline (read cheap) D batteries.

 

[Marduke]

I'm just an old guy who wanted a cheap flashlight with a reliable beam, and lasts a long time on a set of batteries. Laboring under the mistaken impression that LED flashlights burn much longer than ordinary incandescent flashlights, I bought a Romisen RC-F4 P4. Further googling has led (pun intended) me to the conclusion that LED flashlights are a mistake. I ran across an article that indicated the Romisen will only last an hour and a half on a set of the expensive CR123 batteries. What am I missing here? LED's may be brighter, but a garden variety incandescent flashlight will last up from 50 to 100 hours or so on two alkaline (read cheap) D batteries.

LED's have the ability to be ran any a multitude of brightness levels. Off the same LED and battery, you have the choice to run at a very low level for hundreds of hours, or a high level for a short time. You have to choose the right light for your needs and budget that offers the best combination for you.

And your common 2D incan light will not run for near 50-100 hours. With a typical bulb, you MIGHT get 8 hours of decreasing brightness, starting out around 8-10 lumens. With LED technology, you can have a light with that same level of CONSTANT brightness (not dimming) with same runtime off a single AAA battery.

On a brightness vs runtime basis, LED's are a full TEN TIMES better than an incandescent. ie. you can have the same level of brightness with 10 times the runtime, or the same runtime with 10 times the brightness given the same size and battery setup.

 

[asdalton]

I ran across an article that indicated the [/I]Romisen will only last an hour and a half on a set of the expensive CR123 batteries. What am I missing here? LED's may be brighter, but a garden variety incandescent flashlight will last up from 50 to 100 hours or so on two alkaline (read cheap) D batteries.

Any flashlight, LED or otherwise, that puts out super high lumens is going to have a short runtime. Even then, the runtime of high-output white LEDs beats the runtime of an equivalent incandescent lamp (as measured in lumens) by a factor of 2 to 4.

No, an ordinary alkaline-powered incandescent light will not run for 50 to 100 hours. At best, you'll get 5-10 hours of steadily dimming light.

Take a look at this data for the D cell LED Mag flashlights:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/maglite_mag-led.htm

Scroll down to the "Runtime plots" section. Look at the output/runtime plot of the stock incandescent Mag 3D and the MagLED 3D.

 

[i_am_jim]

. . . the runtime of high-output white LEDs beats the runtime of an equivalent incandescent lamp (as measured in lumens) by a factor of 2 to 4.

I made the mistake of thinking LEDs would do much better than incandescent -- apparently I was wrong.

No, an ordinary alkaline-powered incandescent light will not run for 50 to 100 hours. At best, you'll get 5-10 hours of steadily dimming light.

This person found different

But, even at 4 hours it's up to three time longer than the LED flashlight.

 

[asdalton]

What is your definition of "much better"? A million?

The factor of 2-4 is for LED lights running at high output--meaning 80-200 lumens. At lower outputs, and especially on alkaline batteries, then LEDs can outperform incandescents by a factor of 10 or more.

What that person "found" is meaningless without plot of brightness versus time. Sure, you can get a dim, dim red glow from a filament for days. But by that time, the flashlight has long since stopped being anything resembling a tool for illumination. (In other words, the user would have changed the batteries.)

Ninety percent of the initial output is going to be gone after 10 hours, and 99% shortly after that.

 

[Gunner12]

For them it might still be usable light but for us the light would have been useless.

Lets compare output to runtime. Fenix L2D-CE on high, Maglite 3D. The Maglite runs to 50% output in around 1 hour after turning on with an initial output of around 40 lumen. L2D-CE on high is around 70 lumen, almost double that of the Maglite, and runs for 1 hour 30 minutes on 2 AA batteries(the Q5 version is a bit brighter and has the same runtime). Lets see, 3D batteries * 1.5v * 15 Amp Hour capacity(probably around 20 from what I read) = 67.5 watt hour of power. 2 AA batteries * 1.5v * 3 amp hour(less at that draw current) hour = 9 watt hour. Yet the LED light is brighter and runs longer, even though it has 7x less power then the 3D Maglite. Medium mode on the L2D-CE is a bit less then the Maglite 3D in total output but it runs for 6 hours on alkaline batteries, more on rechargeables(10-12 hours). The L2D-CE Q5 on medium has more overall output then the Maglite 3D.

For a first good light you should have bought something like the RC-N3. The RC-F4 runs brighter then most comparable incans and runs longer too. The batteries have a total power of up to 9 watt hours. You could have bought the 17670 rechargeable Li-ion battery so the light is rechargeable and you won;t have to spend on CR123s. CR123s are also much cheaper online. Usually $1 to $1.50.

IIRC the RC-N3 runs around 3 hours on 2 alkaline batteries and has 50-60 lumen output.

 

[Marduke]

Something doesn't smell right here.....

 

[Gunner12]

Something doesn't smell right here.....

Me or the link i_am_jim posted?

As for the OP, the RC-N3 might also be a good choice here. Low price, 2 AA powered, forward clickie, good size, good output. Shiningbeam has a Q5 version with more output.

 

[bluecrow76]

Any Fenix light for convenience (decide which one based on what type of battery you want to use).

MAG LED for long runtimes.

 

[rockz4532]

i suggest the coleman max 2xAA, it is 25$ at Walmart and is very bright. it uses a CREE LED

Also i do not suggest the task force 2c
, mines orings broke, and it is more of a spot light, and it runs for 3 hrs??? my 3d with LED runs for 24 hours!
so from 2c to 3d you get 21 hours more

 

[toolpig1]

Hey Gang, I'm not a Light-a-Holic or whatever the PC term is now days just a general user who is looking for informed opinions.

While the other guys debate topics of little interest to you, seriously, just go out and get a Streamlight Propoly 4AA Luxeon (division 2).
http://www.brightguy.com/products/Streamlight_ProPolymer_4AA_LUXEON_LED_Flashlight.php

Don't worry about all the newer, bigger, badder lights on the market or what the specs say on paper. This light is plenty bright and can really throw a distance. It has perfect power regulation, it's cheap to feed, no weird tint, durable, and the rear clickie switch is the best I've ever felt. Maglites are ok, but unnecessarily big and heavy. The Lowes "Task Force" is very bright, but it feels like a piece of s--t (sharp edges, O-rings for decoration, flimsy feeling switch). My propoly has been "rode hard and put away wet" and the thing works perfect.

BTW- The "Dumbkoff" comment, although not very nice, did make me laugh.

 

[ToeMoss]

I made the mistake of thinking LEDs would do much better than incandescent -- apparently I was wrong.

This person found different

But, even at 4 hours it's up to three time longer than the LED flashlight.

Jim,
What's "apparent" is that you have a hard time reading graphs and listening to people that try to help you understand where you are going wrong.
Go get yourself a nice Eveready 2D incandescent and knock yourself out.

Tom

 

[SnWnMe]

MAG lites rule the roost. The problem with small, stow and forget lights for staging around the house is that they are stow and forget! You will probably forget where you put them. The 3 and 4 D cell MAGs are big and easy to find. Yes MAG lites are behind the times but they are still ultra reliable, sturdy and they will do as a bludgeon in a fix. There are probably hundreds of thousands of MAG lites giving yeoman service in LE and Military hands everyday and that says something.

 

[rockz4532]

the problem with maglites is that they last one hour!!! (until 50%) and for 3 or 4 d cells, they are too big for one hour. The LED version runs for 23 hours more