Newb here

[Dirty Monkey]

Well i have owned a few crappy Mag lights, so time to find a better and brighter flashlight. So please help me figure out which flashlight and why? Im planning to use it for camping, hiking, working on cars etc. I've been looking into Surefire but theres so many flashlights that i feel like my head is going to explode!!!. my price range is below $130. Thanks for all your help.

 

[fishx65]

$130.00 could get you a nice combination of lights if you spend some time reading. If I was new and had $130.00 to spend: Solarforce L2 with two 18650's, charger and dropin, 1aa Energizer Cree, Maratac aaa and I think I would go for an EOS headlamp.

 

[m3flies]

A Quark 123 R5 would fit you're needs. Has a moonlight mode .02 lumens. Great for inside the tent, don't want to blind anybody. All the way to 206 lumens, which will allow you to see quite a bit. And it's considerably less than $130.

 

[dillyspam]

I seem to remember a "form" to fill out. It covers use/price/desires.
should be in the FAQ.

from what I know, we can address everything from sub-candlelight to hospitalization!

Robert

 

[civic77]

:welcome: Dirty monkey.
Here's a link to the form Dillyspam was talking about:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=276972

Just copy, fill out and paste on here and I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions.

 

[hyperloop]

:welcome:

as stated, fill in the form, edit your post #1 and prepare for an avalanche of recommendations.

$130 is a great starting budget, you can get a range of lights for that price, not just 1 but if you just want ONE light for that price, then it really would be better to fill in the form.

If you don't want to mess around with lithium ion rechargables at this stage, then you'd be limited to primary cells, CR123s, AAs, AAAs etc but using lithium ions would give you more options and also guilt free lumens!

A couple of places to get you started

www.4sevens.com (discount code : CPF8)
www.shiningbeam.com (discount code: CPFuser)

have a look at those sites, check back here for reviews on the lights that catch your eye, ask around a bit more, and enjoy the lights when they come and also hang on to your wallet.

 

[entoptics]

Some help before "filling out the form" :shakehead

The form is a great idea, but in almost every single case I can remember in my breif time here, the "newb" requests a light that just doesn't exist. Folks have to steer them anyway, and we all waste our time reading through the giant form.

A Typical Newb Form...

300-700 lumens
1xAA alkaline
$30
Search and Rescue reliability
1000 yds throw
3 feet flood

:fail:

So, here's my advice Monkey. Read the form, but don't bother pasting it here. Tell us what you are after once you've seen some options.

You say "camping, hiking, working on cars etc." I'll take this to mean multi mode, hand held, moderately durable.

Do you know anything about "alternative" battery options?

• Li primary disposable = AA, AAA, CR123 = expensive but reliable and powerful
• NiMH rechargeable = AA and AAA = found everywhere, cheap, reliable, decent power
• Li-ion rechargeable = fit some CR123 and AA and others = expensive initial investment, very potent, very reliable, very lightweight

Do you want a fairly small light for constant carry on your person?

Do you need something for close up (3 feet) or far away (100 feet). Both is not an answer unless you want two lights.

For $130 you could potentially buy two very good lights and suitable batteries and a recharger, so answer accordingly. No single light can do everything.