need a suggestion for a (semi) powerful flashlight

[mrQQ]

Hello,

for some time now i've been reading around looking for a flashlight to buy. What i'm looking for is power and distance, and don't really care much about lasting time (as long as it's at least 2 hours

so i've been reading reviews here and there, but the biggest problem is that here in Lithuania you can't buy much. We have a few maglites (but didnt find the rechargable one), and rest is mostly noname stuff. One thing that i found and what looks pretty good is this one:

http://www.en.varta-consumer.com/content.php?path=/1121869161.html&&domain=www.en.varta-consumer.com

but i couldn't find any review of it! it says the range is 200 meters, but can i trust that? anyway, that shows what size i'm looking for. Ideally i'd like a recharable one, but if i cant find one, then so be it. As long as it makes a lot of light at a long distance

So do you have any suggestions? I wouldnt mind buying online, but i'd need an Europe shop which ships to Lithuania.. :|

Thanks for all the suggestions!
oh btw, when i'm saying powerful i don't mean HID 100$+ powerful, i'm talking about sub 50$ flashlight here

 

[Daniel_sk]

Hi and welcome to CPF!
I'd advise you to buy online - do you have a PayPal account?

A Fenix L2D CE might be a good choice, it runs on 2 AA batteries (but rechargeables perform much better) and costs $56.50 including shipping worldwide, as a CPF member you can use the CPF8 discount code and then it costs you $51.98. That's from www.fenix-store.com.
Look for flashlights that have the new Cree LED, that's the most efficient LED at this time (twice as efficient as Luxeon LED).
Here is a very good review:
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_l1dce-l2dce.htm

This has a huge output - 120 lumens on turbo, but I am not sure about the throw..

EDIT: I added the link to Fenix-store.com (prices there include worldwide shipping).
Someone else should be able to tell you how does the L2D CE compare to the Varta Xenon light...

 

[mrQQ]

Hello and thanks for the welcome

I'll shop online as long as shipping is sub 20% of the item price

as for your suggestion.. 2 AA's seem like a very small flashlight.. if you'd check that link i posted, you'd see that i'm looking for a bulky big flashlight with loads of light (i'm not sure if bigger equals more here, but it should, no? and yes, i though about Cree powered one, but didnt even find anything bigger than mini lights, and i want several hundred meters range at least.. or is that impossible even?

 

[Daniel_sk]

Hello and thanks for the welcome

I'll shop online as long as shipping is sub 20% of the item price

as for your suggestion.. 2 AA's seem like a very small flashlight.. if you'd check that link i posted, you'd see that i'm looking for a bulky big flashlight with loads of light (i'm not sure if bigger equals more here, but it should, no? and yes, i though about Cree powered one, but didnt even find anything bigger than mini lights, and i want several hundred meters range at least.. or is that impossible even?

Everything is possible .
Yes, it's quite small but very powerful - but probably not so good if you want something with such a long range. Maybe the ROP mod :shrug:? I am not an expert in this field. I am sure someone else will have a better solution for you.

 

[mrQQ]

thanks for help anyway!

i understand that i can't hope for anything amazing at such small price, but if i could find at least somewhat good solution it would be great too bad i can't find any review of that varta hp flashlight..

how do you call these big bulky flashlights anyway? should i even be looking for such one considering i want range? (thats my reasoning for size anyway..)

 

[Daniel_sk]

Maybe one of those "1-2 million candle-power spotlights" would be good, they are pretty cheap I think. Something like the Varta light but with bigger reflector and better bulb.

Until someone better experiemenced with this type of lights gives you a better answer, you can check this thread and scroll down to the beamshots. You can see how a spotlight compares to a MRV (which is a light that costs two times as the Fenix) over 100 meters.

 

[mrQQ]

thanks for the link! well now i can say for sure i need something like that giant those small ones can't even compare! the only question now is.. what

 

[BB]

That Varta uses a #733 bulb or 1.25amps @ 4.8 volts.

The little Fenix L2D-CE (review) is not going to be much less light than the #733. And you can get about 2 hours (turbo mode) on 2xAA NiMH 2360 mAh rechargeable batteries.

Believe it or not, getting 2 hours out of a bright, hand-held, light is not the easiest thing to find.

-Bill

 

[Lighthouse one]

If you want a larger light...try this
http://www.ledbeam.com/
This is a 3 c cell light...if you mod it with a Seoul Led...easy mod...it is very powerful. It's a good strong light un modded too.

 

[mrQQ]

That Varta uses a #733 bulb or 1.25amps @ 4.8 volts.

The little Fenix L2D-CE (review) is not going to be much less light than the #733. And you can get about 2 hours (turbo mode) on 2xAA NiMH 2360 mAh rechargeable batteries.

Believe it or not, getting 2 hours out of a bright, hand-held, light is not the easiest thing to find.

-Bill

hm, but wouldnt a bigger reflector like that of varta's help a lot? it's really hard to imagine how can such a small reflector as that Fenix make a lot of light at several hundred meters distance.. :|

 

[mrQQ]

If you want a larger light...try this
http://www.ledbeam.com/
This is a 3 c cell light...if you mod it with a Seoul Led...easy mod...it is very powerful. It's a good strong light un modded too.

according to that page it's reach is around 80 meters..

 

[yellow]

Your 2 hours is what makes most any of the more powerful flashlights not suitable
(at least the ones the ppl in here would call powerful)

that Varta is a joke, the Fenix L2D-CE will outshine it at normal distances.
One might only be able to spot a tiny bit more at the last 10 meters of the Varta's beam, thanks to the bigger and more focused reflector - but with that low power bulb the difference is low, the bright white LED-light of the Fenix will make the incan look dim all the time, and the much brighter and wider beam of the small Fenix will kick ***.

in short: The Fenix L2D-CE will blow You away!
sources are www.fenix-store.com, www.lighthound.com, ...

or try some cheaper lights from www.dealextreme.com (but there might be a reason these lights are so cheap, think for Yourself)
a light using those 18650 Li-Ion cells (needs its own charger) and giving about 1 Ampere to the led will be even brighter.
Larger reflector will also be good.

hm, but wouldnt a bigger reflector like that of varta's help a lot? it's really hard to imagine how can such a small reflector as that Fenix make a lot of light at several hundred meters distance.. :|

I have used dim, big and heavy lights like the Varta quite some time and those distance numbers are plain a joke.
My most powerful light ALWAYS was a SureFire 9N and it light up a "soccer field distance" (90 meters). No other light, even much larger ones and especially crap like the Varta, were in a league! I always hated myself for toting around such heavy equipment.
Now I dont use the 9N any more but a Cree (led) light with 1 A power to the emitter instead (= a bit more current than the Fenix and thus brighter, but its a homemade mod and You cant purchase it.)
Anyway get the Fenix! Small, extremely powerful, normal batteries, runs perfect on Ni-Mhs, good priced (compared to "similar" lights here in Europe).

 

[mrQQ]

well ok, if i were to drop the 2 hour requirement to like 1 hour or so, provided i can use something rechargable..? is that varta that bad? i'm sorry but i just cant shake the feeling that bigger=better rofl! i'm so lost lol!

 

[mrQQ]

basicly, why i'm asking is, because here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=164966

none of the small flashlights can even come close to the big one! and i want that kind of power

 

[FILIPPO]

if you want something big with a big reflector and powerful look HERE

 

[sysadmn]

basicly, why i'm asking is, because here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=164966

none of the small flashlights can even come close to the big one! and i want that kind of power

Two hours and that throw are asking a lot from a flashlight, esp. most of the AA through D cell. Have you considered asking the question in the Spotlights and HID Flashlights section?

Here's an example (Advice on a Spotlight at around $100 or less):

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=169716

One example (~$150 in USA) is discussed here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=156617

If you want the traditional form factor, search for "ROP maglite" or "Malkoff Devices". Good Luck & let us know what you learn!

 

[FILIPPO]

If you can get a mag 6D and 6nimh D size batteries you can make a mag ROP
you have just to buy:
alluminium reflector:25$ (if you use the stock one it may melt down)
ROP bulbs:10$ (they are 2: one LOW output[more runtime]; one HIGH output[less runtime])
borolens:5.5$ (the stock one may melt like the reflector)
I suggest HERE: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=163470

if you can't buy a mag 6D, you cam build a ROP with a mag 2D but you need a battery adapter (now NOT available) and 6XAA nimh

I think that with a VLOP reflector and HIGH bulb you can have over 150m of throw...:wave:


EDIT: excuse me.....WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BB]

The hand held self contained spot lights you seem to be leaning towards will give you more than 15-45 minutes of pretty bright light, weigh multiple kilograms, and cost less than $50...

They are OK, but the beams quickly yellow, and carrying a large, bulky light on a hike for 15-30 minutes of so of reliable light (until the lead acid batteries die from over/undercharging/over-discharging) is nothing special. Getting a regular automotive hand held spot light (or even salvaged driving light from a car) and using an off-the-shelf sealed lead acid battery in an old pack/hand made pack would give you most of what you asked for.

Then take the money you saved and get the L2D-CE (Fenix) with a couple pair of good NiMH rechargeable batteries and carry that ~100 gm +/- light with you for your hiking (or anywhere)... ~2 hours on turbo (should be much brighter than the Varta) and 55 hours on low for hiking... And since it is regulated/LED, the light will always look white--instead of slowly dimming and bulbs darkening.

Believe me, there is no reason for a "Varta" type lantern to exist anymore (I still have my "Big Jim" sealed beam lantern from 40 years ago with the big external battery--I have many good memories using that light)...

-Bill

 

[mrQQ]

ok, now i get it lol.. excuse me for not knowing all the terms and difference between flashlight and spotlight.. english is not my native language, so i sometimes stumble lol.

so anyway, now i'm kinda leaning to same solution:

getting 1 cheap million cd spotlight
and getting fenix small power powerful flashlight

so now few questions.. what is the difference between "hand held self containded spot light" and "regular automotive hand held spot light"?

and be.. you all seem to be suggesting l2d-ce.. what about p3d-ce?

and one more - is cree p4 more powerful than luxeon 3w?

 

[mrQQ]

if you want something big with a big reflector and powerful look HERE

unfortunatelly they dont do international shipping