new duty light

[rackness]

hello cpfer's, i am need of a new duty light. i am an emt and i also work in demolitiion. i currently have a L4 and an E2e they are great lights but they are not quite cutting the mustard so to speak.

i frequently end up in situations where i need to use my lights for extended periods of time and even with the great surefire batt deal is putting a hurting on me.

i love the intensity of my lights but max output is not allways a necessity. runtime often become more important than overall brightness.granted that is a relative statement i still need it to be bright just not always 65+ lumens.

bringing me to my question of what would be the ideal duty light for me? i have really been looking hard at the U2 which has had some great reviews but also alot of negatives about tint and "donut holes".

the U2 is about as large as i would like to go since i will also carry it as my edc.

another concern i have about the U2 is the output adjuster ring i know that is is resin and that can be strong but i am pretty hard on my other lights. it is not unusual to be coated in plaster dust or sand or an other number of abrasive grity substances. will they effect the function of the ring?

the push buttons on my other lights have been flawless but it is a different beast than a rotating part.

these things have caused me to look at the hds series (edc 60 and 85) of lights. compact size adjustable beam all throught the tail switch. seems pretty sweet but run time is my concern being that they are only one cell. also the look nice but i have not heard any real life hard use stories about them yet so i am not sure.

i would really appreciate any help in my decision process as it will be a chunk of change to layout but i don't mind as long as it suites my needs. thank you all for you time -Jason

 

[beezaur]

You could get a McGizmo two-stage tailcap for your L4. That's what I did with mine. You get a low level and the normal high level too.

I have a 60-ohm switch that is ideal for reading, doing incident reports, etc. on low. Some people like the 22-ohm better if they want more light than that.

http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/product_info.php?products_id=474

Scott

 

[rackness]

thanks for the idea i thought about that but i decided that i would like more (and be more beneficial) than 2 brightness setting at least 4.

sorry i should have included that in my first post.

thank you for your suggestion. cheers-Jason

 

[beezaur]

I would be leery of the U2's rotating bezel if you will expose the light to abrasives, or even just plaster. I understand that it uses a magnetic switching mechanism (?) so the electrical contacts would not be mangled, but there is still an indexing mechanism that I would think would wear out. But I don't own one of those.

The HDS sound like a good option: no moving parts to be "gritted to death" on the outside. Maybe someone who has one of the newer ones -- the XR or the 85-lumen version -- can chime in about runtime on lower settings.

Scott

 

[Roy]

I know that this is not a high priced SF light, but take a look ath the Nuwai ALX-352 5W light. It is a 5W light on high beam and is adjustaable to 50% and 25%.
Runtimes;
100% 1hr 6min
50% 2hr 27min
25% 4hr 35min.

 

[LightObsession]

This may be an option:

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92694

 

[AESOP]

The SF U2 does not use indexing. It also allows the use of rechargeable batteries, which may really help you out.
I am not sure how well the ring would stand up to being disinfected if you get blood on it though. There are quit a few EMT's here though, they may be able to help.


Michael

 

[madecov]

maybe the Inova T4. over 2 hrs run time

The PILA GL4R. 80 minutes run and rechargeable

 

[TonkinWarrior]

Maybe you really need to carry TWO lights: one for maximum brightness, plus a "back-up" with extended run-time.

Consider the Inova T2 LED ($40-45).

It's very-well regulated, runs "flat" for 4 1/2 hours, and is one tough bugger. Since you indicate that you can can accept less brightness than a 65 lumen SF 6P, etc., the T2 might fill the bill. Like its big brother, the T3, it's a "throw" light, albeit less potent.

However, if you want flood/spill (instead of throw), another possibility is the SF 1st-generation KL3 LED head to screw onto a SF 6P/Z2/C2/C3, etc.

It's a long-run-time light option that runs for 4 1/2 hours, then gradually tails-off over an additional 4 hrs. Just be sure you specify the KL3 Gen-1, not the new Gen-2 (which is now a thrower, not a flooder). My KL3 Gen-1 makes a fine flood light for night walks, and I find its clean, wide beam still reaches out about 60-75 ft. in moderately dark shadows.

These old KL3s may be getting hard to find now, but I've seen 'em advertised here and there. You could probably still get one directly from Surefire ($62 on their website).

The T2 and KL3 (both Gens) have been given excellent reviews on FlashlightReviews.com.

 

[beezaur]

The SF U2 does not use indexing.

Sorry, I was thinking the selector dial had some sort of a mechanism that kept it at the chosen setting. Sort of a set of stops, one for each setting. What keeps the dial from spinning freely?

Scott

 

[joema]

hds series (edc 60 and 85) of lights. compact size adjustable beam all throught the tail switch. seems pretty sweet but run time is my concern being that they are only one cell...

According to this review the U60 XR ran for 11 hrs on primary (10 lumen) brightness:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/hds_edcu60xr.htm

Like the U2, it has a fairly short running time on max output, but the benefit of the U2 and HDS lights are you don't need max output that much. You can select the output level suitable for the task, which greatly prolongs battery life. E.g, the HDS on secondary (2.5 lumen) output lasts for 37 hrs:

http://www.hdssystems.com/LightFaq.html

Likewise the U2 on lowest setting lasts about the same time, 40 hrs.

Re tints and doughnuts in the U2 beam, this varies somewhat. Many U2 owners have no significant problems. Some who do have simply returned their light to get it fixed. Surefire specifically states on their web site the U2 beam should be "flawless with no dark spots".

Edit: Both the U2 and HDS can use rechargeable batteries, so if operating cost is an issue consider using those.

 

[joema]

Forgot to add: concerning rechargeables, both U2 and HDS have specific requirements, so check on this forum or with the mfg before buying batteries/recharger.

 

[rackness]

thanks for all the info guys. the u2 is still my prime target. i will probably just get it and hope the ring does not fail.

Jason

 

[Lunal_Tic]

Even if you get a U2 you might still carry a single cell light as a backup. I'd imagine dark is not good in your line of work.

On the L4 route, the previously listed McGizmo 2 stage tailcap is very nice. I use one rechargeable Pila battery and a 11 ohm switch. There are a number of threads championing this combo. With your usage the Pila setup might be a reasonable investment.

-LT