Only 5 lights.
- Thread starter Monocrom
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- Aug 9, 2018
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1-Surefire EB1
2-MagLite 2C w/ Malkoff Neutral M31
3-SureFire M2 Millennium w/ 2015(ish) Malkoff M61
4-Princeton Tec Remix
5-Surefire E2 with LF warm mod/Malkoff E2T head
CR123s by the case
AA Lithiums and C adapters by the dozen
2-MagLite 2C w/ Malkoff Neutral M31
3-SureFire M2 Millennium w/ 2015(ish) Malkoff M61
4-Princeton Tec Remix
5-Surefire E2 with LF warm mod/Malkoff E2T head
CR123s by the case
AA Lithiums and C adapters by the dozen
1-Peak Eiger Mule, stainless steel with Nichia. Use it every morning before the sun is up.
2-Lumintop Tool Ti modded by Reylight to Nichia and L-M-H mode order. There are many great AAA lights, but this one still stands out to me.
3-HDS Rotary NB40 with 18500 battery compartment. Once you go Rotary....
4-VME head, Aleph 1x123 battery tube, brass RPM tailcap.
5-Yellow Surefire G2
The last two are hosts. With several different Malkoff dropins to use in them, they can cover a lot of territory.
2-Lumintop Tool Ti modded by Reylight to Nichia and L-M-H mode order. There are many great AAA lights, but this one still stands out to me.
3-HDS Rotary NB40 with 18500 battery compartment. Once you go Rotary....
4-VME head, Aleph 1x123 battery tube, brass RPM tailcap.
5-Yellow Surefire G2
The last two are hosts. With several different Malkoff dropins to use in them, they can cover a lot of territory.
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I pretty much only use these:
Olight Arkfield 1,000 lumens Neutral/Laser Pointer (for work)
Astrolux EA01S Neutral (for walking at night)
Nitecore E4K (for checking my mail)
Manker E14 II High CRI (For looking in closets. Might substitute to whatever is within reach, this is the one that's usually the closest when I need one.)
4Sevens Preon 2 High CRI, (I take these to garage sales and estate sales where I don't trust other people's lighting) I will probably swapping this one for a Shiningbeam? L10C high CRI
I probably have a few piles of lights hanging around that see very little usage. I used to EDC a HDS Clicky, but my preferred style holster is wearing out and I am having trouble finding a new holster. I haven't been EDC'ing a light for a couple of years now.
Olight Arkfield 1,000 lumens Neutral/Laser Pointer (for work)
Astrolux EA01S Neutral (for walking at night)
Nitecore E4K (for checking my mail)
Manker E14 II High CRI (For looking in closets. Might substitute to whatever is within reach, this is the one that's usually the closest when I need one.)
4Sevens Preon 2 High CRI, (I take these to garage sales and estate sales where I don't trust other people's lighting) I will probably swapping this one for a Shiningbeam? L10C high CRI
I probably have a few piles of lights hanging around that see very little usage. I used to EDC a HDS Clicky, but my preferred style holster is wearing out and I am having trouble finding a new holster. I haven't been EDC'ing a light for a couple of years now.
Here for historical interest is a "well chosen" set of 5 lights from 2011: an Arc AAA, a single cell and dual cell McGizmo, and a single cell and dual cell Surefire. I found this photo here on CPF and saved it. I don't remember who posted it, but I think there are some who would regard these lights as a very serviceable set even today.
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1) Surefire L1 Gen 6 (edc)
2) Surefire M3 (modded) on the nightstand.
3) Streamlight Protac HL-5X
4) Fenix E01 (on keys)
5) Fenix PD35 (in backpack)
2) Surefire M3 (modded) on the nightstand.
3) Streamlight Protac HL-5X
4) Fenix E01 (on keys)
5) Fenix PD35 (in backpack)
importculture
Newly Enlightened
1) Fenix LD42 (high output AA non magnetic rotary control)
2) Fenix TK35UE V2.0 (high output runs on 1or2 18650's or 2or4 cr123 primaries)
3) Zebralight H53c (AA angle light/headlamp with multiple outputs diffused with tape)
4) Zebralight H503c (AA angle light/headlamp for close up work etc also has a useful moonlight/low mode)
5) Wuben L1 (21700 high output duo head light with simultaneous output. Area and walking light. Also selected due to the TIR lens originally found on the Fenix E20 V2.0 good throw with full 180 degree spill)
Took my surefire and HDS rotary out of daily work use due to being susceptible to strong magnets. Thoroughly surprised surefire multi output lights and even more surprising HDS rotary lights malfunction in the presence of strong magnetic fields.
2) Fenix TK35UE V2.0 (high output runs on 1or2 18650's or 2or4 cr123 primaries)
3) Zebralight H53c (AA angle light/headlamp with multiple outputs diffused with tape)
4) Zebralight H503c (AA angle light/headlamp for close up work etc also has a useful moonlight/low mode)
5) Wuben L1 (21700 high output duo head light with simultaneous output. Area and walking light. Also selected due to the TIR lens originally found on the Fenix E20 V2.0 good throw with full 180 degree spill)
Took my surefire and HDS rotary out of daily work use due to being susceptible to strong magnets. Thoroughly surprised surefire multi output lights and even more surprising HDS rotary lights malfunction in the presence of strong magnetic fields.
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importculture
Newly Enlightened
Nice find!
1. Noctigon DM11 with XHP 50.3 hi 4000k. Because it's the best overall light that's made today.
2. Surefire a2 aviator. Because it's the best light ever made and awesome.
3. Wurkkos ts10. It's a nice dim light that's easy to find at night.
4. Maglite 3c with 2x21700s and tads 7218 pr bulb. Because everyone needs a powerful and long running incandescent.
5. Olight perun mini 2. It's my only good headlamp and comes in handy
2. Surefire a2 aviator. Because it's the best light ever made and awesome.
3. Wurkkos ts10. It's a nice dim light that's easy to find at night.
4. Maglite 3c with 2x21700s and tads 7218 pr bulb. Because everyone needs a powerful and long running incandescent.
5. Olight perun mini 2. It's my only good headlamp and comes in handy
Okay, my turn. Ironically this would have been easier had I not excluded Shelf-Queens. But okay, in no particular order....
1- Princeton Tec EOS II headlamp ~ One of my oldest. Yes, I have more powerful headlamps. But as a total package, none of them come close. Plenty of output, durable, reliable. She just works when you need her to.
2- Jetbeam M64 ~ Wanted a SureFire UDR Dominator. With over two dozen SureFires in my personal collection, the price wasn't what turned me off. The performance was. And we all know SureFire either gives realistic lumens numbers, or under values those numbers. But not to a massive degree. Looked for something that could realistically compete with the UDR. Found a small handful of options with the M64 being the absolute best one.... And I was right! Literally the very first powerful flashlight in my massive collection that I can honestly say, doesn't need its Turbo setting. The Turbo setting should have honestly been called "Lighthouse Mode." It is THAT insanely bright. Need a handheld Search & Rescue light? This is what you grab with plenty of extra pre-charged 21700 batteries. And, you'll be able to easily do that, having saved about $1,077.oo over buying an SF UDR Dominator.
3- Acebeam Defender P16 ~ Okay, this one surprised even myself. After very long consideration, I had to include it. You can toss in ANY generic 18650 into it. Doesn't have to be the one made by Acebeam. Not really recommended by the company, but you can toss in 2xCR123 cells if your 18650 gets too depleted and you don't have a spare on you. Weight, length, beam-profile; just overall excellent for my needs. Beam is a good combination of Flood and Throw, but clearly biased towards Throw. Would prefer a narrower head. But that's a minor issue. Dual tailcap switch. Secondary switch nicely recessed and mostly stays out of your way. Not a true tactical light. But can be temporarily pressed into service as one.
*NOTE: Mine is one of the Limited Editions (based on color ONLY) from County Comm. Advise staying away from those as C.C. doesn't give you a charging cable and doesn't give you an Acebeam 18650. No cable, generic and cheap 18650 included in the box. That's a little shady. And, I've bought massive amounts of items off of C.C. over the years. Excellent light. Looks great in Dark Forest Green, but should have bought the standard Black or Grey versions, instead.
4- Powertac Sabre 2AAA Penlight ~ Talk about an even more obscure choice. One day it just found its way into my back-pocket, next to my Throw-Away fake wallet.... and stayed there. This is my back-up light to whichever main Lumens Monster 18650 or 21700 based light I'm carrying that day as my main light. Anything happens to that one, I've got my Powertac. Obscure brand that mostly makes lights that are nothing special. Their 2AAA Sabre is special. Body is part metal, part rubberized over-mold on the upper section of the metal body. Find yourself in an emergency situation where you need light, and must have it for an extended amount of time? No problem. You can double your runtime with this light. Unscrew the head, unscrew the upper body with the tailcap on it, then just screw the head onto the upper body directly. Now you have a single-AAA light, with a spare battery. Yes, output will be reduced. But still be at a very useable level. Only light I know that is capable of doing that. Literally the best back-up light I own! Also great for mundane lighting chores. Multiple modes with strobe that stays out of your way unless you need it. (Works great with rechargeable Eneloops!)
5- Eagtac P200LR ~ How the hell did this thing end up here? Well, first started when I got one to test out as a genuine budget tactical light contender. Started carrying it around and using it at my 3rd shift job to eventually do a review on it for my main YouTube channel. While doing so, it has proven itself as a fantastic option for both a budget tactical light, and a larger/more capable general-use EDC light. I've found few lights out there can truly do both. Usually coming up short in one area or the other. But this is a light that is full of both clear advantages, and clear disadvantages. Long runtime on the highest setting without the light turning into an improvised hand-warmer that will burn your hands, and without the light kicking down to a lower setting after less than a minute. But couple that with a proprietary USB-C charging cable if you want to directly charge up the battery while it's still inside the light. You can't just use any old USB-C cable. Which is beyond ridiculous on a lunatic level. Seriously, why?!?! (Thankfully you can toss the battery onto a generic charger.) But that beam is ideal, especially if you EDC a lawfully concealed carry handgun. And, the size, length, weight.... If you want to EDC a very capable light but don't want a massive amount of weight nor a bulky head. Something as compact and short as possible that takes an 18650? Good luck finding a better option out there.
**Please keep in mind, this is a Top 5 list of Users ONLY.
Had I not excluded Shelf-Queens or lights that some could realistically consider Shelf-Queens for argument's sake, this would be a very different list. (My Jetbeam M64 is right on the cusp of possibly being considered a Shelf-Queen but it's just too useful for me not to include it on this list.) The Princeton Tec EOS was the only No-Brainer option. The others surprised me to varying degrees. I have over two dozen SureFires, I have Malkoff lights, I have one Elzetta. I have a handful of Milky modded lights before Scott.... Well, let's keep this topic positive and not focus on that scandal he brought upon himself. One of those lights being a Milky modded L1 Extreme, which was my idea. Scott turned it into reality, and then sold a bunch of them like hot-cakes to other CPFers. Mine was the first 200 true lumens flashlight running off of a single CR123 lithium primary battery. Took SureFire 9 months before theirs' hit market.
I love them all! Even my incandescent SureFires from back in the day. Still have my original SF C2 in black. My first ever SureFire, and my 3rd ever serious flashlight going back over 20 years. Love them! But this is a list of Only 5 current Users. As such, this is mine.
Edit: Clarification.
1- Princeton Tec EOS II headlamp ~ One of my oldest. Yes, I have more powerful headlamps. But as a total package, none of them come close. Plenty of output, durable, reliable. She just works when you need her to.
2- Jetbeam M64 ~ Wanted a SureFire UDR Dominator. With over two dozen SureFires in my personal collection, the price wasn't what turned me off. The performance was. And we all know SureFire either gives realistic lumens numbers, or under values those numbers. But not to a massive degree. Looked for something that could realistically compete with the UDR. Found a small handful of options with the M64 being the absolute best one.... And I was right! Literally the very first powerful flashlight in my massive collection that I can honestly say, doesn't need its Turbo setting. The Turbo setting should have honestly been called "Lighthouse Mode." It is THAT insanely bright. Need a handheld Search & Rescue light? This is what you grab with plenty of extra pre-charged 21700 batteries. And, you'll be able to easily do that, having saved about $1,077.oo over buying an SF UDR Dominator.
3- Acebeam Defender P16 ~ Okay, this one surprised even myself. After very long consideration, I had to include it. You can toss in ANY generic 18650 into it. Doesn't have to be the one made by Acebeam. Not really recommended by the company, but you can toss in 2xCR123 cells if your 18650 gets too depleted and you don't have a spare on you. Weight, length, beam-profile; just overall excellent for my needs. Beam is a good combination of Flood and Throw, but clearly biased towards Throw. Would prefer a narrower head. But that's a minor issue. Dual tailcap switch. Secondary switch nicely recessed and mostly stays out of your way. Not a true tactical light. But can be temporarily pressed into service as one.
*NOTE: Mine is one of the Limited Editions (based on color ONLY) from County Comm. Advise staying away from those as C.C. doesn't give you a charging cable and doesn't give you an Acebeam 18650. No cable, generic and cheap 18650 included in the box. That's a little shady. And, I've bought massive amounts of items off of C.C. over the years. Excellent light. Looks great in Dark Forest Green, but should have bought the standard Black or Grey versions, instead.
4- Powertac Sabre 2AAA Penlight ~ Talk about an even more obscure choice. One day it just found its way into my back-pocket, next to my Throw-Away fake wallet.... and stayed there. This is my back-up light to whichever main Lumens Monster 18650 or 21700 based light I'm carrying that day as my main light. Anything happens to that one, I've got my Powertac. Obscure brand that mostly makes lights that are nothing special. Their 2AAA Sabre is special. Body is part metal, part rubberized over-mold on the upper section of the metal body. Find yourself in an emergency situation where you need light, and must have it for an extended amount of time? No problem. You can double your runtime with this light. Unscrew the head, unscrew the upper body with the tailcap on it, then just screw the head onto the upper body directly. Now you have a single-AAA light, with a spare battery. Yes, output will be reduced. But still be at a very useable level. Only light I know that is capable of doing that. Literally the best back-up light I own! Also great for mundane lighting chores. Multiple modes with strobe that stays out of your way unless you need it. (Works great with rechargeable Eneloops!)
5- Eagtac P200LR ~ How the hell did this thing end up here? Well, first started when I got one to test out as a genuine budget tactical light contender. Started carrying it around and using it at my 3rd shift job to eventually do a review on it for my main YouTube channel. While doing so, it has proven itself as a fantastic option for both a budget tactical light, and a larger/more capable general-use EDC light. I've found few lights out there can truly do both. Usually coming up short in one area or the other. But this is a light that is full of both clear advantages, and clear disadvantages. Long runtime on the highest setting without the light turning into an improvised hand-warmer that will burn your hands, and without the light kicking down to a lower setting after less than a minute. But couple that with a proprietary USB-C charging cable if you want to directly charge up the battery while it's still inside the light. You can't just use any old USB-C cable. Which is beyond ridiculous on a lunatic level. Seriously, why?!?! (Thankfully you can toss the battery onto a generic charger.) But that beam is ideal, especially if you EDC a lawfully concealed carry handgun. And, the size, length, weight.... If you want to EDC a very capable light but don't want a massive amount of weight nor a bulky head. Something as compact and short as possible that takes an 18650? Good luck finding a better option out there.
**Please keep in mind, this is a Top 5 list of Users ONLY.
Had I not excluded Shelf-Queens or lights that some could realistically consider Shelf-Queens for argument's sake, this would be a very different list. (My Jetbeam M64 is right on the cusp of possibly being considered a Shelf-Queen but it's just too useful for me not to include it on this list.) The Princeton Tec EOS was the only No-Brainer option. The others surprised me to varying degrees. I have over two dozen SureFires, I have Malkoff lights, I have one Elzetta. I have a handful of Milky modded lights before Scott.... Well, let's keep this topic positive and not focus on that scandal he brought upon himself. One of those lights being a Milky modded L1 Extreme, which was my idea. Scott turned it into reality, and then sold a bunch of them like hot-cakes to other CPFers. Mine was the first 200 true lumens flashlight running off of a single CR123 lithium primary battery. Took SureFire 9 months before theirs' hit market.
I love them all! Even my incandescent SureFires from back in the day. Still have my original SF C2 in black. My first ever SureFire, and my 3rd ever serious flashlight going back over 20 years. Love them! But this is a list of Only 5 current Users. As such, this is mine.
Edit: Clarification.
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