Recommendation for Floating LED Flashlight...

steevireno

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Sep 18, 2008
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I am looking for a good, LED AA-powered, handheld floating flashlight, preferably with a bright colored body. Something around 100 lumens would be ideal.

Any recommendations?

Steve
 

ZMZ67

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The only thing that comes to mind is the Eternalight w/lithium AAs.Meets 3 of your criteria but output is no where near 100 lumens.The Eternalight also uses 5MM LEDs so it only provides flood.I am curious to know if there is a flashlight that floats using more current technology. :popcorn:
 

Yucca Patrol

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Mar 5, 2008
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I would look for a small AA powered dive light and attach a float typically used on boat keychains. Ikelite makes some good and bright colored lights but might not be 100 lumens.

For a lighter weight option, find a nice performing regular 1xAA or 2XAA light that you like and then attach the same boat keychain float.

It's at least an idea.
 

Lynx_Arc

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the floating lights are usually big and bulky 6v lanterns. You could get a plastic D cell flashlight buy an LED drop in from perhaps dorcy and put in AA to D adapters that would probably make it so where it would float. I doubt any metal flashlights float and that is what usually are in the 100 lumen range.
 

jankj

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Oct 3, 2008
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Any light with a lanyard attached to a person that can swim...

Lets throw in some rendunancy here: A light with a lanyard that has a floating foob of some sort... AND is attatched to a person that can swim.
 

Yucca Patrol

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Lets throw in some rendunancy here: A light with a lanyard that has a floating foob of some sort... AND is attatched to a person that can swim.

Swimmer should probably be wearing life vest too. . . :naughty:
 

steevireno

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Sep 18, 2008
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Thanks for all your responses - the purpose of the floating feature is simply in case I (or someone else) dropped it overboard while we were mooring or docked. However the point about using a float on the flashlight seems to be the best choice as there really aren't any good flashlights that float - but plenty that are high lumen and waterproof!

Steve
 

gswitter

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The Heliotek HTE-1 was designed to float when used with lithium primary cells. Unfortunately, it's black.
 

dudemar

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The Heliotek HTE-1 was designed to float when used with lithium primary cells. Unfortunately, it's black.

I think the Heliotek would be perfect:

-60+ lumens.
-weighs just 6 oz (with lithium batteries)
-beam throws out to 350'
-depth rating of 150'
-6-8 hours of regulated runtime on primary lithiums
-10 year no-nonsense warranty

...and yes, it really floats.:D

It is an amazing light that is very well built.

Check out the front page of the website:

www.heliotekinc.com

The website hasn't been updated in a while so information regarding lumen ratings, throw, etc are a bit outdated. For example they upgraded from a 20 lumen Luxeon to a 60 lumen Cree.
 
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LEDninja

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Jun 15, 2005
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Hamilton Canada
I popped a Terralux TLE-1F bulb into a 6V 'floating lantern'. 50 lumens.
6V-lantern--MTE-P7.jpg


Out throws my '900 lumen' MTE SSC-P7.
MTE-P7-vs-6V-lantern.jpg


Never found out if it floats.
Donut hole at less than 2 meters/7 feet. OK beyond that.

-----

I have tried the TLE-1F in an earlier version of one of these: 4AA 1 LED floating lantern/cool blue etc. (back in 2000 they were 3 lumen, not the current 25.)
http://dorcy.com/products.aspx?p=412498

Donut hole at all distances.
Ended up using a Tektite LPR-3™ bulb 4.5V with 4 NiMH 4.8V.
(The 4 cell LPR-113 was quite dim on 4 NiMH, maybe only as bright as the current stock bulb.)
 
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