Gene
Flashlight Enthusiast
I had never owned a HID portable spotlight and always wanted to try one and had read very positive reports about the POB 35W. When a gent offered them for $50.00 shipped, I squeezed out the money from my limited budget and went for one.
Upon receiving it, I was amazed how large and heavy it is but mainly the hefty weight. I knew that from reading about it here but like everything, you don't realize true sizes and weights until you actually get something in your hands.
It's a fine and very powerful light and mine works well so far and was worth the $50.00. Much brighter and better beam than my old NiCD 50,000 CP spotlight that I bought in 1993 and which just died on me a couple of months ago. I've heard of gents getting these POBs for $20.00-$30.00 INCLUDING shipping and that's the STEAL of all time here on CPF!
The thing is though, it's really an impractical light. I'm impressed by a HID's brightness but the "strike time" or delay to full brightness is what really makes it impractical for me.
I live extremely rural in the middle of a forest with virtually zero ambient light. A Fenix LOD out here is almost a spotlight! I have a lot of visiters at night of the black bear persuasion. I do like them but not when they go after my BBQ or garbage cans! One thing black bears DO NOT LIKE are bright lights.
I chased many of them away with my old spotlight and this POB HID would really get them scooting. But with the delay, it makes for a less desireable "bear chaser".
Hey, I still like it and will use it occasionally catfishing at the lake and camping but in all honesty, it will see little practical use mainly because of the delay and the weight. Of course that's never stopped a true flashaholic!
Now on to the AmondoTech N30. Wanting to try a HID, I wish I would have done my homework better because at even over twice the price I paid for the POB, (which is not at all outrageous and even cheap when it comes to HIDs), the N30 looks like the HID I should have gone for. MUCH lighter and smaller and with the array of LEDs in the handle to use when you're not using the HID, it seems much handier!
I'm not slamming HIDs in any way here but it's worth noting to someone on the fence about a HID concerning their delay to full brightness and their size and weight. If you can get one of these POBs especially for $20.00-$30.00 shipped or even for the $50.00 shipped I paid, go for it just to try one out. It just seems like the N30 would be a much handier though more expensive HID. With it's LEDs and it being a lot smaller and lighter, it would see much more use than the POB.
Man, when they finally come out with a hand held 35W HID, around the size of a 1XD maglite with instant on, a 90 minute runtime and in the $150.00 price range, I'm on it! Don't laugh, with light technology marching on so fast, I'll bet it'll happen sooner or later! One can only dream!
P.S. Oh yeah, this was my lazy man's fix for the POB's "too easy to accidentally turn on" switch activation problem. HF 89 cent carabineer and two 10 cent split rings.
Upon receiving it, I was amazed how large and heavy it is but mainly the hefty weight. I knew that from reading about it here but like everything, you don't realize true sizes and weights until you actually get something in your hands.
It's a fine and very powerful light and mine works well so far and was worth the $50.00. Much brighter and better beam than my old NiCD 50,000 CP spotlight that I bought in 1993 and which just died on me a couple of months ago. I've heard of gents getting these POBs for $20.00-$30.00 INCLUDING shipping and that's the STEAL of all time here on CPF!
The thing is though, it's really an impractical light. I'm impressed by a HID's brightness but the "strike time" or delay to full brightness is what really makes it impractical for me.
I live extremely rural in the middle of a forest with virtually zero ambient light. A Fenix LOD out here is almost a spotlight!
I have a lot of visiters at night of the black bear persuasion. I do like them but not when they go after my BBQ or garbage cans! One thing black bears DO NOT LIKE are bright lights. I chased many of them away with my old spotlight and this POB HID would really get them scooting. But with the delay, it makes for a less desireable "bear chaser".
Hey, I still like it and will use it occasionally catfishing at the lake and camping but in all honesty, it will see little practical use mainly because of the delay and the weight. Of course that's never stopped a true flashaholic!
Now on to the AmondoTech N30. Wanting to try a HID, I wish I would have done my homework better because at even over twice the price I paid for the POB, (which is not at all outrageous and even cheap when it comes to HIDs), the N30 looks like the HID I should have gone for. MUCH lighter and smaller and with the array of LEDs in the handle to use when you're not using the HID, it seems much handier!
I'm not slamming HIDs in any way here but it's worth noting to someone on the fence about a HID concerning their delay to full brightness and their size and weight. If you can get one of these POBs especially for $20.00-$30.00 shipped or even for the $50.00 shipped I paid, go for it just to try one out. It just seems like the N30 would be a much handier though more expensive HID. With it's LEDs and it being a lot smaller and lighter, it would see much more use than the POB.
Man, when they finally come out with a hand held 35W HID, around the size of a 1XD maglite with instant on, a 90 minute runtime and in the $150.00 price range, I'm on it! Don't laugh, with light technology marching on so fast, I'll bet it'll happen sooner or later! One can only dream!
P.S. Oh yeah, this was my lazy man's fix for the POB's "too easy to accidentally turn on" switch activation problem. HF 89 cent carabineer and two 10 cent split rings.
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