lifeissomething
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2012
- Messages
- 12
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 Seattle. I'm not exactly sure where I'd buy anything besides Streamlight. I could check REI I suppose.
____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! 🙂
____I’m flexible, tell me what you got.
3) Format:
____I want a flashlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
5) Emitter/Light source:
____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
____I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____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 path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.
7) What battery type do you want to use?
____I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
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 want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.
____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).
____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
I have no reason to buy anything that shouldn't last five+ years of hard use. It's not so much a point of survival as much as a point of principle. However, this light will probably go backpacking with me and will probably be the light I use in inevitable emergency situations, though I'd probably have a backup light in almost every conceivable situation. My Protac HL lives on my keyring, which is probably pretty hard on it.
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today’s high end lights).
I like the switch on the Protacs. I like the programable 'low-high' function on the Protac HL since most of the time low is enough light and high, obviously, using quite a bit of batteries up.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
Do I want a I want a selector ring? Maybe I do... Do I want a programmable light? Well, that's nice, you know... 834 levels? Well, ya know, at least I won't be without...
I think you get the idea. Mostly I just need low and high. (A medium would be nice too....) It should always be easy to use and preferably always one handed.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today’s flashlights).
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
I'd probably be really happy with polished Ti.....
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
-------------------
So basically, I bought the Protac HL for an EDC light, and well, I just expected it to be brighter... and smaller... and feel better in my hands. I don't know why I'm so concerned about it. I was fine with my Protac 2l before I got this, but now that I have it I need more. I don't just want more, I've found ways to justify in my mind that I'll somehow die if I don't have the ability to temporarily blind people or light up that mountain over there and I'm sure they are all true and valid and imminent.
I don't really want anything bigger, but I'm probably gonna have to go there, aren't I? I might even be willing to go 3 123As. My concern is more weight, as I don't want to be that dude with a multitool and flashlight in holsters all the time so I often snap them both onto my key ring, which is somehow more cool and attracts less attention to the holster that I really rather people not see. I also would like a better way to secure it to my keyring than the protac HL provides. The keyring attaches to the pocket clip which felt fine on the 2l but feels less secure with the quite-a-bit more heavy HL. At this point my keys and pants might just be attached to my tools.
I'm okay with 123As, but I'd be willing to switch to something different I suppose.
As far as throw verses flood? I don't want a light just for the purpose of throw, but I'm very tempted to want a light just for the purpose of throw. I could definitely do with some more throw then the HL provides, but as I understand it, that would make the head larger, which I don't really know if I want. The HL is not that far off, but it's just not quite throwy enough for me.
The Protac HL in general is not far off, but it's not quite right either. I don't find the Protac HL to be terribly expensive, I would be willing to go into a different category if it was able to get me everything I want, but I don't even know where to start. I don't want to be a "flashaholic" or whatever you guys call yourselves, but I like nice things, and if I just have eight million lumens I might be happy. Can you guys help?
Is there even any modifications I could do to help the thing? Somehow I doubt it, right?
____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in Seattle. I'm not exactly sure where I'd buy anything besides Streamlight. I could check REI I suppose.
____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! 🙂
____I’m flexible, tell me what you got.
3) Format:
____I want a flashlight.
4) Flashlight-specific format/size:
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
5) Emitter/Light source:
____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
____I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____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 path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.
7) What battery type do you want to use?
____I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
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 want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).
9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.
____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).
____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
I have no reason to buy anything that shouldn't last five+ years of hard use. It's not so much a point of survival as much as a point of principle. However, this light will probably go backpacking with me and will probably be the light I use in inevitable emergency situations, though I'd probably have a backup light in almost every conceivable situation. My Protac HL lives on my keyring, which is probably pretty hard on it.
12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today’s high end lights).
I like the switch on the Protacs. I like the programable 'low-high' function on the Protac HL since most of the time low is enough light and high, obviously, using quite a bit of batteries up.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
Do I want a I want a selector ring? Maybe I do... Do I want a programmable light? Well, that's nice, you know... 834 levels? Well, ya know, at least I won't be without...
I think you get the idea. Mostly I just need low and high. (A medium would be nice too....) It should always be easy to use and preferably always one handed.
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today’s flashlights).
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
I'd probably be really happy with polished Ti.....
15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
-------------------
So basically, I bought the Protac HL for an EDC light, and well, I just expected it to be brighter... and smaller... and feel better in my hands. I don't know why I'm so concerned about it. I was fine with my Protac 2l before I got this, but now that I have it I need more. I don't just want more, I've found ways to justify in my mind that I'll somehow die if I don't have the ability to temporarily blind people or light up that mountain over there and I'm sure they are all true and valid and imminent.
I don't really want anything bigger, but I'm probably gonna have to go there, aren't I? I might even be willing to go 3 123As. My concern is more weight, as I don't want to be that dude with a multitool and flashlight in holsters all the time so I often snap them both onto my key ring, which is somehow more cool and attracts less attention to the holster that I really rather people not see. I also would like a better way to secure it to my keyring than the protac HL provides. The keyring attaches to the pocket clip which felt fine on the 2l but feels less secure with the quite-a-bit more heavy HL. At this point my keys and pants might just be attached to my tools.
I'm okay with 123As, but I'd be willing to switch to something different I suppose.
As far as throw verses flood? I don't want a light just for the purpose of throw, but I'm very tempted to want a light just for the purpose of throw. I could definitely do with some more throw then the HL provides, but as I understand it, that would make the head larger, which I don't really know if I want. The HL is not that far off, but it's just not quite throwy enough for me.
The Protac HL in general is not far off, but it's not quite right either. I don't find the Protac HL to be terribly expensive, I would be willing to go into a different category if it was able to get me everything I want, but I don't even know where to start. I don't want to be a "flashaholic" or whatever you guys call yourselves, but I like nice things, and if I just have eight million lumens I might be happy. Can you guys help?
Is there even any modifications I could do to help the thing? Somehow I doubt it, right?
