Narrow Beam / spot flashlights to play with my cat

[lightyearsaway]

Hi all, I posted a similar question to this on these forums like 10+ years ago, but technology has surely changed.

Note, do not recommend lasers to me! I am not interested in laser lights! They can be dangerous to eyes either yours, neighbors, planes, the cats, etc. I have used them before, prefer to avoid this entirely. So again, kindly, no laser recommendations, most of them are made in China also and we cannot know for sure the actual wattage that is being produced by these things. My optical engineering friends have warned me against using lasers as well. So with that, my requirement below.

I am looking for a narrow beam flashlight that has a spot, like maybe 1-10cm in diameter even at a distance. I have an old Romisen RC29-Q5 that I have been using for a long time, it is a 1x to 8x zoom, takes one AA battery and dang bright. I like it, but I want to see if there are newer models that have even a tighter spot. The Romisen gets up to about 20-30cm in diameter at distance in my house, I feel it is too wide. The cats still play with it, but I want something smaller. And note, brightness is not an issue, lower brightness actually is preferred.

I am open minded if you guys know something that might work. I do prefer AA or AAA batteries and something semi-small, not like the 30-40 years ago incandescent flashlights if you are over 30 you know what I mean. hahahaha. Definitely something smaller than those.

Thanks!!!

 

[thermal guy]

A lep might work. It's not really a laser.

 

[lightyearsaway]

A lep might work. It's not really a laser.

From a brief search some of them seem to be classified as lasers. So, maybe you can give me a specific brand and model number to look at? So I sort of know what you are talking about? That would be really helpful. Thanks.

 

[thermal guy]

Well a LEP does have a laser in it but it bounces the laser off of a piece of Phosphors. Magic happens and white light comes out.It is still dangerous to look directly at it due to the very high candela"over a million for most"

 

[lightyearsaway]

Ugh, that sounds pretty much just like a laser then. haha. I mean Q5 is old but dang bright, but not enough to blind someone permanently. I suppose if you look at it long enough it might do some damage, but... I want something smaller than the 30+cm spot it produces... Would be great if I could adjust the brightness levels in at well. So yeah, it seems LEP probably is not going to work... I will do a little more digging into it to understand more, but I think I need to stick to LEDs. So other suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Monocrom]

County Comm Mini LEP Cosmos.... Play with your cat from easily 1/2 a mile away!

 

[Bob A]

LEP lights throw a really tight beam, but are way too bright to use indoors.

If you don't want to use laser pointers, a feather on a string will have to do. Unless you're allergic to feathers.

Maybe just buy her a mouse?

 

[lightyearsaway]

LEP lights throw a really tight beam, but are way too bright to use indoors.

If you don't want to use laser pointers, a feather on a string will have to do. Unless you're allergic to feathers.

Maybe just buy her a mouse?

Yeah too bright that is an issue. The Q5 is already bloody bright.

Come on man... I am seriously looking for a lighting solution here...

County Comm Mini LEP Cosmos.... Play with your cat from easily 1/2 a mile away!

Ok yeah but they are too bright and again like lasers, again, not interested in anything like a laser.

 

[Bob A]

Come on man... I am seriously looking for a lighting solution here...

OK this just came to me . . . my wife found this thing that has several dozen skinny plastic? fibers, very narrow, branching out from a base like a tee; some kinda schlocky "decorative" thing. It has a light source at the base, and when you turn it on, the tip of each fiber is a bright spot of light. You know, a fiber optic thing.

If you could find something like that in maybe a thicker fiber 3-4 ft long attached to a light source, it would wiggle around and amuse the cat and yourself. Maybe even a small bundle?

A little AAA flashlight would probably provide enough photons. You'd just have to figure an attachment. I's also think running the fibers thru a tube would make a nice handle, and simplify the attachment.

You have my permission to use the idea for yourself, but if anyone decides to mass-produce, I feel I deserve 1% of the net profit Fair's fair.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

A Convoy light with an Osram emitter, any of the white ones, will give you a nice tight beam without the inability to set a low brightness level. The T2 or T3 should do the trick nicely - not expensive, not bulky, can use regular AA cells.