new flashlightaholic help??

[djenkins]

hey guys new to cpf and to high power flashlights, but i am officially hooked. i have been reading stickies, wiki, and posts 4 like 4 days, but still dont know what i need. i have a 3d m*glite im going to mod later to put in my truck, but what im looking 4 is a lite that has excellent run time and is still blinding brite(150 lumens or less would work) and would still fit in my truck door pocket. i have a AA m*glite i was thinking of building with the terralux tle-5ex(140 lumens) and a clicky end cap but this might be lacking on run time?? i want to use nimh and dont really care for 20 mode stuff a few modes would be ok or just on and off! so what do you guys think of this setup?? or what are some good suggestions on a flashlight under $75 that would be better??? any help is greatly appreciated

 

[Marduke]

The Welcome Mat has a link to a thread on nothing but most of the Mag upgrades/mods you could think of.

 

[Dantor]

Welcome to CPF djenkins!

boy are you in trouble run now before it's too late! (and before you do the ceremonial blinding yourself!

)

 

[Gunner12]

For cheaper then the drop-in, you can get the RC-N3. It would take a while for the light to get to you though.

For under $75, you can also get the Fenix L2D-CE Q5. It's pretty easy to use, and is pretty bright. The user interface should only take you a minute to figure out. 8% off coupon at Fenix Store is "CPF8".

How much runtime do you need?

As for the 3D Maglite, the Mag85 is probably one of the easier Hotwire mods.

:welcome:

 

[Yucca Patrol]

Agree on the Fenix L2D as a great starting point for a very bright light that uses standard batteries.

 

[xcel730]

I have the Fenix L2D and I think it's perfect combination of runtime, brightness, size, and weight. I also have a Fenix L1d, which takes 1 x AA battery. It's a much smaller size, but I find it a tad slippery for big hand because of lack of knurling. You may also want to consider the Nitecore Defender Infinity, which is the same height, slightly thinner and about 0.4oz lighter than the L1D. It takes 1xAA type battery, regulated from 0.7v to 4.2v, which allows the ability to use Li-Ion batteries. I've been using AW 14500 battery on it and it's awesome.

P.S. :welcome:

 

[Chrontius]

Welcome to CPF!

As an ex-noob, I recommend turning that 3D you want to mod into some kind of hotwire - I just got mine, and it's like having a portable car headlight, but with better focus. If you think 150 lumens is good, you're in for a heckuva surprise when you turn that thing on... ^_^

Bought most of my parts from Kaidomain - they're cheap, but be prepared to wait. And wait. And wait some more.

By the way - lithium ion rechargeable cells are probably not the best choice for leaving in your truck!

 

[djenkins]

thanks guys 4 the input. so would nimh batteries be ok in the truck or will i need to run alkaline???:twothumbs

 

[Caligvla]

I would get a SureFire 9P, get the P60L 80 lumen LED lamp... it will give you 8 hours at 80 lumens and 12 hours of useful light. For those times you want some blinding light also get the Malkoff M60 drop in Lamp that will give you 235+ lumens for about 90min... The 9P is my favorite light you can see what it does with different lamps here...

Good luck...

P.S. if you do go for a Fenix, get a P3D Q5... Let us know if you have more questions...

 

[Gunner12]

I'd recommend Lithiums, weather that be CR123s or other.

Alkalines might leak and even the best LSD(Low Self Discharge) NiMh batteries should be topped up every once in a while.