CPDHeliPilot
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2010
- Messages
- 10
Hello, I am looking to purchase a flashlight, well as we all know there are tons of them. Here is what I'm looking for:
-Price less then $200
-Great distance
-Reliable
-White Light
-Bright
Those are my standards. The light will be used for night time police work, so possibly searching for someone or just to see. Since it could be used as a searchlight it needs to have some good distance, I'm not asking for it to be able to flood an area, a very thin beam is fine, but if it floods then that's fine also. Right now I'm currently using a Maglite 4D LED, I must give it the credit it deserves, it has some okay distance and it's fairly bright. But, it's just to bulky and I'm looking to move onto something brighter and something that has a further distance.
If I am unable to find a flashlight that I feel would be okay then I guess I will be stuck with my bulky maglite. Thank you.
EDIT: I just found a checklist posted by another member, maybe this will help with suggestions.
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__XX__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____Less than $25.
____Less than $50.
____Less than $100.
____Less than $150.
__XX__Less than $300.
____I have no limit.
____I'm flexible, tell me what you got.
____Other, please specify ________
3) Format:
__XX__I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a dive light.
____I want a portable spotlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
____Keychain size.
____Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
__XX__Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____N/A
5) Emitter/Light source:
__XX__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
__XX__HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.
^ I will take a look at LED HID ^
6) Manufacturer:
__XX__I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.
7) What battery type do you want to use?
____I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today's most powerful lights)
____I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
____I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
____I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)
^ As far as battery type, 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 impossible).
____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
____I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
__XX__I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
__XX__I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).
^ There is no max. limit on lumens, but I know the more lumens the higher the price will be. But there is no max limit. ^
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select 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)
__XX__150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum 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)
____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).
^ The light should have enough run time to allow me to search for a suspect on foot. I will most likely just use the car spotlight unless I need to be on foot. As long as the run time is not like 1-30 minutes then I should be fine, but I can compromise so still post even if it has a short run time.
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).
__XX__Critical (Police, Fire, Search Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
__XX__I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____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).
__XX__I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.
^ The ones selected are what I prefer but I will take a look at all ^
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
__XX__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.
__XX__I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)
____I want SOS mode.
____I want a beacon mode.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
^ I would like to have a flashlight with the settings selected but I will take a look a flashlight without the settings that I have chosen ^
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
__XX__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights).
__XX__Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
__XX__Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.
^ Again I will take a look, but it has to be something that can be used for police work ^
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any 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
__XX__Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
^ Holster is really recommended and it's actually something I need, but it does not have to contain it, I would prefer that you can at least buy it separate but if you can't that's fine. ^
-Price less then $200
-Great distance
-Reliable
-White Light
-Bright
Those are my standards. The light will be used for night time police work, so possibly searching for someone or just to see. Since it could be used as a searchlight it needs to have some good distance, I'm not asking for it to be able to flood an area, a very thin beam is fine, but if it floods then that's fine also. Right now I'm currently using a Maglite 4D LED, I must give it the credit it deserves, it has some okay distance and it's fairly bright. But, it's just to bulky and I'm looking to move onto something brighter and something that has a further distance.
If I am unable to find a flashlight that I feel would be okay then I guess I will be stuck with my bulky maglite. Thank you.
EDIT: I just found a checklist posted by another member, maybe this will help with suggestions.
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__XX__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____Less than $25.
____Less than $50.
____Less than $100.
____Less than $150.
__XX__Less than $300.
____I have no limit.
____I'm flexible, tell me what you got.
____Other, please specify ________
3) Format:
__XX__I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a dive light.
____I want a portable spotlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
____Keychain size.
____Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
__XX__Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____N/A
5) Emitter/Light source:
__XX__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
__XX__HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.
^ I will take a look at LED HID ^
6) Manufacturer:
__XX__I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.
7) What battery type do you want to use?
____I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today's most powerful lights)
____I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
____I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
____I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)
^ As far as battery type, 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 impossible).
____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
____I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
__XX__I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
__XX__I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).
^ There is no max. limit on lumens, but I know the more lumens the higher the price will be. But there is no max limit. ^
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select 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)
__XX__150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum 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)
____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).
^ The light should have enough run time to allow me to search for a suspect on foot. I will most likely just use the car spotlight unless I need to be on foot. As long as the run time is not like 1-30 minutes then I should be fine, but I can compromise so still post even if it has a short run time.
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).
__XX__Critical (Police, Fire, Search Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
__XX__I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____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).
__XX__I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.
^ The ones selected are what I prefer but I will take a look at all ^
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
__XX__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.
__XX__I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)
____I want SOS mode.
____I want a beacon mode.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
^ I would like to have a flashlight with the settings selected but I will take a look a flashlight without the settings that I have chosen ^
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
__XX__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights).
__XX__Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
__XX__Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.
^ Again I will take a look, but it has to be something that can be used for police work ^
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any 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
__XX__Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
^ Holster is really recommended and it's actually something I need, but it does not have to contain it, I would prefer that you can at least buy it separate but if you can't that's fine. ^
