newbie needs help.. contains checklist!

[toxic2]

Hi all,

i'm after some help regarding spotights. what i am wanting to do is build/buy a spotlight that is being used for night shooting of pesty animals. the light will be handheld, but be powered by the vehicles 12v battery. so power consumption isnt too much of an issue! it wants to be fairly well balanced in terms of weight, and perferably not too large in diameter so its easy to manuvoure while getting in and out through windows etc.

now being quite a n00b with lighting, i am pretty unsure of what it is i need or really want.

is LED, HID, or halogen the way to go?

so heres a few requirements. need to be a very focused beam, not a flood style. i want to see very clearly at ranges of 150+m, and needs to as white as possible. i dont mind having to build a unit, or buy one premade. i would prefer to not spend alot of money if it could be helped lol.
my only hesitiation is being that i live in new zealand and i'm worried about the costs of shipping..?



here's the checklist:

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 ______________.
_?___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 $150.



3) Format:


____I want a portable spotlight - but to be powered by automotive battery


4) Flashlight-specific format/size:


____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).



5) Emitter/Light source:

_?___LED
__?__Incandescent
__?__HID


6) Manufacturer:
____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 option can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs.


7) What battery type do you want to use?

N/A


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 walk ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens). AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE


9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.

____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).

N/A

11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).

12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):

____I don't care.
____I don't know.



13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off is fine for me.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating


____I don't care. SO LONG AS IT DOESNT MELT WITH POSSIBLE HEAT



15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.

NONE THAT I KNOW OF?

Thanks in advance for any and all of your help!

 

[DM51]

Welcome to CPF, toxic2

We have a Spotlights section, so I'll move your thread there.

 

[StarHalo]

This must be some challenging varmint shooting at 150m+; for that kind of range you may as well go HID; the Stanley HID is only $70 and will not be challenged by those distances. It also has a DC/cigarette plug cord included specifically for car use. It's sold at Wal-Mart stores and online: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001U04MEY/?tag=cpf0b6-20

 

[Patriot]

Your 4-7" size requirement is the deal breaker here. No "spotlight" HID or incan would be considered "EDC." You'll probably have to go with LED, but it's going to be internally powered, not externally powered from an automotive battery. There are several good LED throw lights out there that might fit the bill for you, including the Jetbeam Raptor RRT-1, Tiablo A10 R2, or a higher output LED like the M1X...which is still a respected thrower, while still providing good spill light.

 

[DavyCrockett]

Here ya go. I love mine, close to 900 lumens and 5.5 - 6" oal. Nice price.


[eBay links removed - DM51]

 

[Patriot]

Here ya go. I love mine, close to 900 lumens and 5.5 - 6" oal. Nice price.

Crockett, that light is closer to 500 lumens and has been discussed in the LED forum. In any case, it's an inexpensive P7 light and an option if the original poster want's to go "cheap" and purchase the light from Hong Kong via ebay. Personally, I'd recommend buying a quality light from one of the CPF involved dealers. Visit the CPF "Marketplace" for more ideas.

 

[toxic2]

hey, thanks for the replies!

This must be some challenging varmint shooting at 150m+; for that kind of range you may as well go HID; the Stanley HID is only $70 and will not be challenged by those distances. It also has a DC/cigarette plug cord included specifically for car use. It's sold at Wal-Mart stores and online: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001U04MEY/?tag=cpf0b6-20

yeah, it can be fun shooting that range with small calibre! gotta make it fun as well.

i have reservations over that kind of light as i dont like the unbalance, and are quite weighty. i would really prefer a spotlight style light.

 

[toxic2]

Your 4-7" size requirement is the deal breaker here. No "spotlight" HID or incan would be considered "EDC." You'll probably have to go with LED, but it's going to be internally powered, not externally powered from an automotive battery. There are several good LED throw lights out there that might fit the bill for you, including the Jetbeam Raptor RRT-1, Tiablo A10 R2, or a higher output LED like the M1X...which is still a respected thrower, while still providing good spill light.

thanks, to be honest, im not overly fussed with the overall size. if i need to go up in size, then thats just the way it might have to be.

what options will this open me up to? so long as its not heavy.. needs to be easily manuovurable.

 

[DavyCrockett]

Patriot, yes, it'll be a personal decision I suppose.

Your Jetbeam Raptor RRT-1 puts out only what, 240 lumens? Not close to what the OP wanted and costs around $128 up to about $140 with shipping, over his budget.

The P7 puts out 2 to 3 times that. The P7 is within his budget also. Around $44-50 shipped and includes carrying belt or case and charger and batteries. Being from China doesn't necessarily make it cheap, just less expensive.

I suggested it because it met pretty much all his wants and specifications.

I think Toxic will be impressed with it. I am. To each his own.

 

[DM51]

eBay links have been removed.

 

[dudemar]

Patriot, yes, it'll be a personal decision I suppose.

Your Jetbeam Raptor RRT-1 puts out only what, 240 lumens? Not close to what the OP wanted and costs around $128 up to about $140 with shipping, over his budget.

The P7 puts out 2 to 3 times that. The P7 is within his budget also. Around $44-50 shipped and includes carrying belt or case and charger and batteries. Being from China doesn't necessarily make it cheap, just less expensive.

I suggested it because it met pretty much all his wants and specifications.

I think Toxic will be impressed with it. I am. To each his own.

I don't mean to go off-topic, but I have to clear this one up.


Davy,

I'm not sure why you keep bringing up "being from China doesn't necessarily make it cheap" when absolutely nothing was mentioned about Chinese lights being cheap (except for the price, which can be a good thing). In fact all the lights Patriot mentioned are made in China. What sets apart the lights he mentioned are more consistent production, reputation and build quality. There is so much more to a flashlight than just the number of lumens. There are many LED lights that can put out 1000-2000 lumens, but if the reflector, optics, contacts, electronics (regulator), threading, anodizing, gaskets and overall build are of poor quality it really doesn't matter how bright it is.

The reason why the Chinese eBay lights are low priced is because they are cheap. They were meant to sell quickly and not last very long. There are in fact Chinese manufactured lights that are of fantastic quality. You just have to spend a bit more money to get the good stuff from there. It's still far less than what you would spend on their American counterpart (SureFire).

When Patriot said "it's a lot closer to 500 lumens" it wasn't a personal strike against you, but rather a correct observation. Chinese manufacturers almost always use bulb lumens (versus torch lumens) to rate their output. This is fine, but this measurement is overrated because this only factors in the light emitted at the source. This doesn't factor in the loss of lumens due to the reflector and optic, or in the case of a TIR. This loss is accounted for in "torch" lumens, which is a more realistic number. SureFire uses an even more conservative rating, thus the reason why folks on CPF would say their lights are underrated.

Most people (around here) would scoff at 60-80 conservative lumens, but my Heliotek does everything I've dreamed of a light to do and then some. I also used to think "bigger is better" in terms of output, but I was humbled by the fact that less is in fact more.

Hope this makes sense.

Again sorry to get off topic but this issue had to be addressed.


.

 

[DavyCrockett]

"Methinks the lady doest protest too much."

Patriot said: " if the original poster want's to go "cheap" and purchase the light from Hong Kong via ebay..."

Dudmar said: "I'm not sure why you keep bringing up "being from China doesn't necessarily make it cheap" when absolutely nothing was mentioned about Chinese lights being cheap..."

Davy says: Hong Kong IS China.

I think I'm being followed around.

I was just trying to help the guy out. Not everyone on here is a dealer or can afford to shell out $4000 for a couple of flashlights. The guy had a $100 budget. Some on here, including me, think it's a bunch of money to pay $50 to $100 for a flashlight.

Until I experience otherwise, I still like the aforementioned flashlights. Maybe some, that you and others are not aware of, are being produced at much higher standards than before.

Namaste. :thumbsup:


Patriot knows MUCH more about lights than me and you probably do too. Possibly, a year from now, I'll know more about Chinese flashlights than most. I keep an open mind.
I DID believe Patriot when he said one of mine may only be near 500 lumens. Now that I have my 1500 lumens one, I believe it IS 1500 lumens and seems 3 times brighter than the one mentioned. Has good throw too. A year from now, I'll know the quality of it. Right now, it's awesome. It is 24W and has about a 3.5" reflector. I think this Chinese company estimated the lumens correctly. Perhaps they underestimated it. It seems more like 2000 lumens, as I compared it to the 35W 3500 lumens light I have, and it IS close to it, in throw and spill.

 

[dudemar]

Dudmar said: "I'm not sure why you keep bringing up "being from China doesn't necessarily make it cheap" when absolutely nothing was mentioned about Chinese lights being cheap..."

Davy says: Hong Kong IS China.

...and thanks for omitting the final part of my quote clarifying the price.

Ignorance is bliss.:shakehead Namaste.


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