Looking for a new flashlight...

[DrunkRabbit]

==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light in person from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__X__This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____I don't know yet
____Up to $25.
____Up to $50.
____Up to $100.
__X__Up to $200.
____Up to $300.
____Essentially unlimited.


3) Format:

____I am not sure, please help me decide.
__X__I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
____I want a self-contained headlamp.
____I want a headlamp with an external pack/power source.
____I want a mounted light (typically for a bicycle or vehicle)
____I want a lantern/area light.
____I want a portable spotlight (it may have an external power source).
____Other ____________________________________________


4) Size:

____MICRO - Keychain size.
____TINY - Every day carry (2-4 inches).
____SMALL - Every day carry (4-7 inches).
__X__MEDIUM - Holster/belt ring carry. (>7 inches)
__X__LARGE - Big enough to need its own travel case.
____I don't know/I don't care.


5) Emitter/Light source:

__X__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

__X__I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____I would like a light from a specialty manufacturer (Possibly limited run/Custom).
____I am interested in assembling my own components. (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source).


7) What power source do you want to use?

____I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Alkaline batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
____I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Lithium batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D and CR123 sized cells common to most stores (often a cold weather or long storage choice).
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells (NiMH or NiCD) based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
__X__I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery pack.
____I don't know/I need more information on power sources.

7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
____I want a light that plugs directly into the wall (literally with prongs built into the light)
____I want a light that has a recharging adapter (your typical "wall wart")
____I want a light that snaps into a cradle (usually mounted on a wall)
____I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
__X__I don't care


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)
____I want to confidently walk around an unlit/unpaved rural area (60-150 lumens).
____I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
__X__I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens). Thinking more like 4000 lumens.

__X__SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.


9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

____All Flood: I am doing "arms length" tasks like reading and campsite cooking.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
__X__Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
____Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
____Narrow Throw: I want a beam with a very tight "hot center" and minimal "side-spill". Good for distance viewing, fog, and looking through dense undergrowth.
____Turbohead: I want a far-distance projector with a sharply focused spot of light and minimal or zero side-spill. Good for extreme distance and impressing your friends.

9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
__X__150+ yards (I am searching from a helicopter)

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

____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
__X__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).




11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A "night-stand" light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
__X__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't know.


12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

____Any size switch will do.
____I need a BIG switch (I'll be using gloves or have very large hands or coordination issues).
____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
__NO__I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
____I want a remote switch (usually found on high-end bicycle headlights)
__X__I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
____I want a strobe mode. (Oscillating pattern to confuse/blind aka "Police Mode")
____I want SOS mode. (blinks in ...---... emergency pattern)
____I want a beacon mode. (Regular flashes at full power to show location.)
__X__I don't care.
____I don't know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's higher end flashlights).
____Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
__X__I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.

15) Water resistance
____None needed
____IPX4 (Splash resistant)
__X__IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
____IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)

16) Storage conditions
____In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)
____Emergency kit (long standby periods)
__X__Automobile glove-box (wide temperature swings, long standby periods, critical reliability)
____Other_____________________________________________


17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.

____Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
____Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking, Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

Suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[xxo]

Maglite ML150 or Streamlight Ultra Stinger.

 

[DrunkRabbit]

Maglite ML150 or Streamlight Ultra Stinger.

Unfortunately these are both around 1000lm. I have a 1000lm flashlight that serves my needs, but am looking for something closer to 4000lm. Thank you though!

 

[kerneldrop]

4,000 lumens and "__X__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival)" does not coexist.

Which criteria is more critical to you?

If you want a rechargeable option: https://malkoffdevices.com/collecti...cts/turnkey-hound-dog-md4?variant=46375424835

If you want a CR123 primary battery option then: Elzetta Charlie high-low tailcap

 

[LEDphile]

A legitimate 4000 lumens out the front puts you in the ~30W+ range for an LED source, with everything that implies from a thermal management and battery perspective. Think 3x 21700 cells, or 4x 18650 cells, and a decent heatsink. As a bonus, the common LED emitters all top out around 1k lumens each (although there are some more exotic devices that will go higher, even without getting into the chip-on-board large area packages), so you're likely looking at a multi-LED design. And just to keep things interesting, these power levels mean 10A+ of LED current, which has implications for the driver design.

If you actually need 4k lumens out the front for a couple hours, your current budget is going to be very tight, and you're shifting from "flashlight" territory to "portable spotlight" territory. This goes doubly so if you actually need critical reliability

 

[bykfixer]

Streamlight ProTac HL-5x does 3500, but batteries are recharged outside the light though.
It's not a lot different than a Stinger for size but the head is heavier.
Has a lanyard attachment point so if dropped while in a helicopter a wrist strap will save it from falling to the ground unless attached to a person who fell out.
Doh!

 

[3_gun]

"Narrow Flood" is an oxymoron is it not? Maybe well defined hot spot with little spill is closer to what you're looking for here. Might try looking at LEP lights. You can have range & intensity at a much lower lumen level.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

For over 4,000 lumens under $200, I'd say get an Acebeam E70-AL ($65+ battery), a Nitecore E4K ($90), Klarus G15 ($90), or Klarus XT21X ($120, tactical light). These are all at least 4000 lumens, but do not have that much throw. If you want that output with throw, your only options are l.e.p. (white laser, usually around 500 lumens, over $250), metal halide h.i.d. (very rare nowadays and usually 3200 lumens for 35 watt versions), or Luminus SBT-90 generation 2 l.e.d. light. One of the cheapest lights with the Luminus l.e.d. is the 6500 lumen Acebeam K65-GT for $239 (excluding batteries). It throws a beam over a mile. If that cost is too much (probably over $300 with batteries), try to find a 35 watt h.i.d. spotlight under $200 (your only real option for maintained high brightness). If that doesn't work for you, and the cheaper floodlights aren't good enough, go for more lumens. An Imalant MS06 costs $200 and puts out 25,000 lumens on turbo with 513 meters of throw.

 

[kerneldrop]

I have a feeling there's a lot of misconceptions here not being addressed.... just as there are in ballistics....

To what degree is "critical"? __X__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).

 

[kerneldrop]

A legitimate 4000 lumens out the front puts you in the ~30W+ range for an LED source, with everything that implies from a thermal management and battery perspective. Think 3x 21700 cells, or 4x 18650 cells, and a decent heatsink. As a bonus, the common LED emitters all top out around 1k lumens each (although there are some more exotic devices that will go higher, even without getting into the chip-on-board large area packages), so you're likely looking at a multi-LED design. And just to keep things interesting, these power levels mean 10A+ of LED current, which has implications for the driver design.

If you actually need 4k lumens out the front for a couple hours, your current budget is going to be very tight, and you're shifting from "flashlight" territory to "portable spotlight" territory. This goes doubly so if you actually need critical reliability

Yes! I hope the OP sees past the marketing ads and learns from your post.

 

[DrunkRabbit]

Lots to digest here. Thank you very much. I will do a deep dive on suggestions made here and let you know.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

I'll add this. The only type of light that gets near 4,000 lumens for more than mere seconds and has throw is metal halide h.i.d.. It probably won't be waterproof. Heat built up on the glass exposed to cold water would probably make the lens crack and leak anyway if it was waterproof and you used it underwater. Lights under $200 that are waterproof and over 4,000 lumens don't throw well much over 600 feet. If you need a waterproof light, for critical tasks, with throw, over 4000 lumens, you're looking at spending $300-$500 on an Acebeam or Nitecore light that will only stay at full brightness for mere seconds before dimming to prevent overheating. With l.e.d., brightness will have a large impact on how long the light can be used on turbo. For 1,000 to 1,300 lumens, the light might stay on for minutes or not dim much at all. That is the light you want for critical tasks (something with a Cree XP-L Hi). At 1800 lumens, you can get a light with maybe 50% more throw, but runtime on turbo might be limited to 2 or 3 minutes (adequate time to spot someone). At 4,000+ lumens, you're looking at 20-25 seconds. 10,000 lumen lights it may only be 7 seconds. Figure out how long you need turbo to last to be useful and go from there. I'm guessing the 1800 lumen lights would better suit your needs unless 20 seconds on turbo works for you. I'd say a Nitecore MH25s would probably be a good light for your needs, though it's less than half the brightness you want (1800 lumens, $110).

 

[DrunkRabbit]

I appreciate all the feedback. I will say how surprised I was when digging into the specs of many of these lights, how the higher lumen lights are good for mere seconds at the higher output level. Maybe I was dreaming too big! I will keep looking but I think I will have to lower expectations or increase my budget! Thank you all!