Looking for a really bright light to scare/identify animals

LEDBE
Spork

Spork

Enlightened
Joined
May 25, 2001
Messages
594
Location
USA
Hello. I live in a new area and they left a huge section of trees in the back where I live. They go all the way behind the houses on my street. I've seen a lot of cats and rabbits but my girlfriend thinks she might of seen some coyotes.

I have a fenced in yard but I'm looking for something really bright that I can shine out into the trees and bushes to identify animals and scare them away. I have 2 dogs that only go out when I'm there watching them.

I've also thought about running some kind of high powered lights out there but it might wake up all the neighbors.

I was thinking of buying a princeton tec torrent. I already have a mini mag led and the sl4aa which are great lights but I need something brighter.

thanks
 
The HID suggestion is great if you need throw (the trees are waaay back in your yard. I would suggest taking a look at some of the larger and more powerful Wolf-Eyes products at Pacific Tactical Solutions.
http://www.pts-flashlights.com/

From the 9 series up you have some pretty powerful stock lights, especially when you get into the M90 Rattlesnake 13 volt. They can also be enhanced with Lumens Factory bulbs for more kick if you need it and are available in rechargeable versions (which sounds like the way for you to go).

The cost will be a little less or a little more than the HID lights mentioned depending upon which you go with. They will provide better color rendtion than many (but not all) of the cheaper HID lights, and should provide more generous side spill which would be important in spotting and identifying targets.

Edited to add link.
 
ROP Low. This is a great cheap thrower. 2D Mag, two 3aa to D adapters and a 5 cell mag bulb. A 6aa to 2d adapter would also work great. Get some AA rechargeables and your good to go! If you don't mind using 123 batteries, the 2C mag with three 123s is also a great thrower.
 
WhiteHot said:
Get on eof the cheap HID's from Amondotech, Sams Club, or Costco.
Click to expand...

Ditto.

This is going to give you a huge amount of throw but does take about 10 seconds of warm-up time to start intense light. If you need the ability to project light instantly an incandescent rechargable spotlight is an inexpensive option. They're usually labled as 1,000,000 or 2,000,000 candle power, but these figures are not realistic. Although much brighter than almost any flashlight the candle power (CP) ratings are just a marketing ploy and is only a general indicator of performance with regards to other spotlights of the same class.
 
Patriot36 said:
Ditto.

This is going to give you a huge amount of throw but does take about 10 seconds of warm-up time to start intense light. If you need the ability to project light instantly an incandescent rechargable spotlight is an inexpensive option. They're usually labled as 1,000,000 or 2,000,000 candle power, but these figures are not realistic. Although much brighter than almost any flashlight the candle power (CP) ratings are just a marketing ploy and is only a general indicator of performance with regards to other spotlights of the same class.
Click to expand...
A good HID after only 3 seconds of warm-up is already brighter than most incandescents on the market. Don't get too hand-up on theoric specs.
 
Spork said:
Hello. I live in a new area and they left a huge section of trees in the back where I live. They go all the way behind the houses on my street. I've seen a lot of cats and rabbits but my girlfriend thinks she might of seen some coyotes.

I have a fenced in yard but I'm looking for something really bright that I can shine out into the trees and bushes to identify animals and scare them away. I have 2 dogs that only go out when I'm there watching them.

I've also thought about running some kind of high powered lights out there but it might wake up all the neighbors.

I was thinking of buying a princeton tec torrent. I already have a mini mag led and the sl4aa which are great lights but I need something brighter.

thanks
Click to expand...
How much are you willing to spend on this new toy? Is rechargeable alternatives important to you, or you are set on using disposable primaries? Is size/weight an issue? Last but not least: how bright you want it to be? :naughty:
 
I am gonna suggest the ROP set-up....either LOW or HIGH. If you choose the low set-up, it will be a bit cheaper as you won't need a metal reflector. The ROP low with the stock smooth reflector has a TON of lux...almost as much as my ROP high with a MOP reflector...
 
Well if you're looking for a good value with no need for a really long run time, buy a Mag 2C, drop in a 5cell maglite bulb (I buy mine at Meijer) and 3x CR123A cells inside a piece of 3/4 car heater hose. It will last an hour, cost less than $20 and the throw will knock your socks off. If you would prefer rechargable, 2 AW 17500 cells replace the 3x CR123A's, or you could splurge and but AW's new C Lithium batteries. If you went that route, you could turn the 2C into a ROP later on if you desire more lumens.
I also highly recommend you build a ROP from a 2C instead of a 2D. It is much more manageble, and the runtime will be much much longer with 2 of AW's C cells.
 
'Really bright', but cheaper than the $40 princeton tec, I would suggest an auto-store type large Halogen spotlight. These usually have a larger smooth reflector 5"-7", 50W - 100W car type globe, come with a charger and built in battery (usually weigh over 1kg), but give a lot of light for little money (basically a car headlight in your hand). This would give 10 times the light of the PT, and throw light much further into the woods.. Most run for 20minutes+ per charge and you simply plug the chager back into it when you get back inside..

Otherwise if you want something compact like the PT, a maglite modified as others have said would be my advice also. It will throw further into the woods, and you will have options to upgrade easily as you realise you need MORE:) If you go for the PT, buy the Xenon, not LED. More light and better colour for seeing into the woods.

Please answer the following: Do you want it to fit in the pocket? How far are the trees? How long would you use it per night? Would you spend more than roughly $40 the princeton tech costs? Are you sure One type of light is enough?:)
 
Spork, if you're only gonna be using the light to light up animals in the backyard, I suggest an incandescent Thor, it's a large spotlight that's amazingly bright, perfect for spotting animals hundreds of yards away. It's also a lot less expensive than some high powered incandescents out there!

I hope Sway doesn't mind, but here's a beamshot he posted a while back:
DSC00362.JPG
 
That doen't look like a beamshot of a Thor...more like an HID of some sort. Either that, or the white balance is off :huh2:
 
Hello Spork,

I recommend building a LarryK14. This light is so bright and throws so far, it is the most fun that I have had with a light. I really enjoy mine. You can build a heavy 24V SLA battery version for about $60 or a NiMH version for about $250.

Go to andrewwynn's page for some beamshots. Click on the first picture (or start slideshow) and then click on the arrows to compare the beamshots. This light is insane.

Regards,
Mark
 
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thank you for all the great suggestions. The trees start around 15 feet from the back of my deck and they can be quite dense in the warmer months.

My girlfriend will probably be using it more than me and she is not very careful with lights. I just found my sl4aa in the backyard where it had been buried under several feet of snow in sub zero temps all winter and it still turned on.

I'm not much into mods but if anyone is selling all the parts or a premade rop I would like to try that. I was hoping to keep it under 100 bucks but would prefer the very cheapest. The size of the light really doesn't matter but I do like the price/size/simplicity of just buying something like a surge. Also I prefer to use nimh cells in all my lights.

Are there any online retailers selling the thor?
 
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