Saying Hello and what brought me here..

[Neo9710]

Hello All – Im new to the site and I thought I'd take a second and tell ya what dragged me into all this…Maybe it is better explained as the straw that broke the camel's back that drew me here.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a package in the mail that had a couple of parts to my motorcycle that I have been waiting on. Of course, I didn't get home till late and the bike is in the shed. They were some small parts and IMMEDIALTELY I thought that I could put them on using a flashlight (of course!). I have two Streamlight Stingers (actually I was given them by my employer). I quickly grab one from the charging cradle and head outside. As SOON as I turn it on, it went DIM. Maybe it wasn't plugged in and its just dead – my fault. I went to grab the other one but it was at work. So, I threw it in the charger, made sure it was on and I went inside and waited till the next day to put it on. OH well.

A little while later, I drop something in the driveway at night and I cant find it. I go again and grab the Stinger and BAM. Dim again. Well, S&^*! Cells must be dead. I go into the house and find a OLD yellow KMART special flashlight in the basement. Put some fresh batteries in it and off I go. I walk outside and I am looking around. I BARELY find the item since barely any light is coming out of this thing. I think I would have had better luck with a glow stick.

After that, a bunch of my neighbors and I outside having a good time and I need to get something out of the back yard. I borrow my neighbors old HUGE firkin Mag light and off I go. I find the item and bring it out front. I set the flashlight down and it firkin rolled right underneath of the car. ARGH

Another day, a storm comes and knocks the power out. Of COURSE I didn't have time to buy a new set of batteries for the Stinger so we pull out that crappy old flashlight. Well, my daughter (2 years old) grabs it, drops it, and off it goes! Luckily the power came back pretty fast.

Now, I am at work (at night) in the middle of S.E. Washington D.C. (Oh yeah, I am a Police Officer) I attempt to pull out my flashlight and I start fumbling around trying to find the power switch. And to top it off, I drop it trying to put it away and away it rolls…ARGH!!

I happen to be a TARGET and I start thinking about the Flashlight incidents. I look around at the typical generic crap flashlights and think to myself, "I know they must be doing a lot with LED stuff. I just put some LED lights in place of my turn signals." So, off to the internet I went and I stumble upon here. All I have to say is WOW. I consider myself a person who takes pride in being prepared for a lot of things. I am not a "tackleberry" and buy tons of crap for work but I do buy equipment that makes sense and prepares me for what could happen. But I will admit, I didn't consider LIGHT a big item. I took what was given to me as a standard and didn't give it another thought – until now.

So…this is why I am here. Flashlights have come a REALLY long way. What I did recently is purchased a LED adapter for the Stingers. I think it puts out 225 lumens (the Terralux upgrade I believe it is called) but it still has be thinking. I know there are more lights that are better suited for my needs that don't cost a fortune! One of the close shops to my house was trying to get me to buy a LED Lenser but I decided to wait and do some research.

So – Heres what I am looking for:

1) A light to be used for general purpose for the house. Something not too big or cumbersome so my wife can just grab and depend on. Also, she doesn't have to juggle a huge light along with my kid.

2) A light for me (tactical is the category I believe I want) I pretty much grab a flashlight all the time. My Streamlight got hot as hell and pretty much melted the from plastic. I have been looking at the Olight M20, the Fenix TK11, and someone recommended a jetbeam.


I guess my concerns are –

1) How hot the lights get after continued use.
2) I think I am going to go rechargeable since it will get used a decent amount.
3) I have medium sized hands so I am looking for comfort
4) Well built (that's not even a question)
5) Adjustable setting or just plain different settings. I don't need it on kill all the time.



Theres a LOT of info on here and I am slowly going through it…And Im kinda contemplating a light mount on my H&K USP….

 

[Cosmo7809]

Welcome to the CPF!

 

[Zeruel]

:welcome: Officer Neo.
Your requirements are kind of general. For your house needs, there are too many to mention. And for your duty purposes, it also depends on your requirement. Popular choices tend to lean towards Surefire for it's reliability. But of course there are also other dependable ones like Fenix, Jetbeam, EagleTac, Olight etc... Perhaps you might want to go through this checklist and post it so that the kind souls here can better suggest lights that meet your needs?

 

[HKJ]

1) A light to be used for general purpose for the house. Something not too big or cumbersome so my wife can just grab and depend on. Also, she doesn't have to juggle a huge light along with my kid.

2) A light for me (tactical is the category I believe I want) I pretty much grab a flashlight all the time. My Streamlight got hot as hell and pretty much melted the from plastic. I have been looking at the Olight M20, the Fenix TK11, and someone recommended a jetbeam.

The problem with both M20 and TK11 are the batteries, you need to get LiIon batteries for them. These types of batteries are great to use, but you need to buy them from the internet and be careful with how you handle them.

For more normal batteries (AA), take a look at the Fenix TK20, it is a great light, that is very simple to use.

 

[Gunner12]

I can't remember any LED current LED lights that get hot enough to melt plastic. Incans and HIDs can do that though because of how much power they have.

How much are you willin to pay?
What batteries?
How much throw(How far do you want/need the light to project a beam)?
What kind of beam pattern?(flood, spot, somewhere inbetween?)
How much runtime?

Many here have started with a Fenix light L and/or P series light so that might be a good start. Those lights were build for normal use. The LD20 is a great light. The L2D-CE is currently on sale at 4sevens beacause they are being phased out by the LD20s, so it might be a good time to grab one.

There are also Jetbeam, Nitecore, Olight, Surefire, Tiablo, Liteflux, iTP, Kingpower, Novatac, and many more.

:welcome:

 

[Mjolnir]

You might start to feel a little scared of litium ion batteries after you start hearing some of the "stories" around here, but they really aren't all that bad if you just put a little effort into learning how to use them properly. It is definitely worth it, since lithium ion batteries tend to have the highest capacities for lights these size, and are rechargeable as well.

 

[Neo9710]

I can't remember any LED current LED lights that get hot enough to melt plastic.

How much are you willin to pay?
What batteries?
How much throw(How far do you want/need the light to project a beam)?
What kind of beam pattern?(flood, spot, somewhere inbetween?)
How much runtime?

Many here have started with a Fenix light L and/or P series light so that might be a good start. Those lights were build for normal use. The LD20 is a great light. The L2D-CE is currently on sale at 4sevens beacause they are being phased out by the LD20s, so it might be a good time to grab one.

There are also Jetbeam, Nitecore, Olight, Surefire, Tiablo, Liteflux, iTP, Kingpower, Novatac, and many more.

:welcome:

You might start to feel a little scared of litium ion batteries after you start hearing some of the "stories" around here, but they really aren't all that bad if you just put a little effort into learning how to use them properly. It is definitely worth it, since lithium ion batteries tend to have the highest capacities for lights these size, and are rechargeable as well.

Thanks all -

Gunner12 - The front plastic lens started to crack on one and the other actually bubbled. And about those questions - since I just started poking around, I am not sure if I have definite answers but here it goes!

Im willing to pay less than 100.00 for the tactical (pretty much rules out
surefire:shrug:"
Batteries - From what I have read - I wouldnt mind going Lithium Ion - I pull a flashlight out now pretty much for everything. I want something I can depend on if I just throw the light in a drawer for a time being. I would like an adjustable light But a spot with a little bit of spill over will probably work best for me. Throw - HMMM..Really not sure. I dont need to light up a field at the end of mi driveway..And about runtime- Not sur either. I need to look at what run times are available (still hunting)..
I can see an addiction starting though..I LOVE GADGETS!

I filled out the checklist...


Short Essay Question: What do you intend to use this light for?








0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?

____I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.
__X_I am in North America. More precisely I am in _Maryland________.
____I am in South America. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Europe. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in the Middle East. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Africa. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Asia, Japan or Micronesia. More precisely I am in _______________.
____I am in Australia. More precisely I am in _______________.


1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____I only want to pay $1-10.
____I can spend $15-30.
____I could spend $40-60.
_X_ I am willing to spend $80-$120.
____I have no limit!

2) Format:

__X__I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a portable spotlight.

3) Length:

____I don't care.
____1-2 inches. (Keychain sized)
____2-4 inches. (Pocket carry)
__X__4-9 inches. (Holster carry)

4) Width:

____I don't care.
__X_I prefer a long narrow light.
____I prefer a short wide light.

5) What batteries do you want to use?
____I want common Alkaline batteries. (AA, AAA, C, D)
__X__I want lithium batteries. (coin cells, CR123, AAA, AA...)
__X__I want a rechargeable system. (an investment, but best for everyday use)

6) How much light do you want? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).

____I want to read a map, or find a light switch, in a dark room. (5-10 lumens)
____I want to walk around a generally paved area. (15-20 lumens)
__X_I want to walk unpaved trails. (40 lumens)
__X_I want to do Caving or Search & Rescue operations. (60+ lumens)
____I want to light an entire campground or dazzle an intruder. (100+ lumens)

7) Throw vs Flood: Which do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.

Throw (distance)-------|-------------------------------------Flood/close-up

8) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims (like some LED lights). but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries.

____20 min. (I want the brightest light for brief periods)
__X__60-240 min. (1-2 hours)
__X__240-360 min. (4-6 hours)
____360+ min. (More than 6 hours)

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

____Not Important (A "night-stand" light.)
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood.)
__X__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box.)
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Self-defense, Survival.)

8) Switch Type:

____I don't care.
____I want a sliding switch. (Stays on until slid back.)
__X__I want a "clickie" switch. (Stays on until pressed again.)
____I want a momentary switch. (Only stays on while held down.)

9) Switch Location:

____I don't care.
____I want a push or sliding switch on the body near the head.
__X_I want a push switch on the back end of the body.
____I want a rotating head switch.
____I want a rotating end-cap switch.
____I want a remote control.

10) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.

____A simple on-off is fine for me.
__X__I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
_X___I want multiple light levels. (some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a strobe mode. (blinks to show location.)
____I want a tactical strobe. (Flashes rapidly to disorient an opponent.)

11) Is it important whether the body is metal or plastic/composite?

____I don't care.
__X__I want a metal-bodied light.
____I want a plastic/composite light.

12) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).

____Red (night vision preserving) filter
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________)
____Waterproof – how deep: _____________
____Non-reflective/dark finish (stealthy/hard to find)
____Polished silver or brightly colored finish (for easy locating)
____Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Built-in second (or spare) lamp or filament
____Belt/Jacket clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Kobuton/self defense features
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

MAYBE a light signaling low signal?

 

[NonSenCe]

well those there are some good reasons to look for new lights!

welcome to madhouse!

-most here are nutz about lights. tons of options to choose.

just try to cypher the jargon and find some sense in the things said here. (its long and confusing task, im still lost and i have been here for months now)

try to make a check list of what is your priorities.
what you NEED in the light, do you need strobe?

do you need low and high output, or many in between too?

do you like it to ramp up (low to high) or ramp down.

runtime, do you need to be able to use it hours at a time without batterychanges (can you carry spares easily?)

what you like to have in it what is important, things like pocket clip/holster?

just think what you want in it and people here try to help.

1st thing to decide is the price range. (what you really can afford, some of us will probably still pitch in ones that are above the budget.. general rule of thumb for beginner.. think cheap, double it. and then double again.. and then you are in "expensive" range in your mind.. and then comes a flashlightholic nut that asks you to atleast double that budget. hahah)

as the tactical light. search the forum. there are plenty threads dedicated to LEO light choices.

and to home use, my advice is to get atleast 2 similar lights. (one is none, two is one. its just so easy to misplace one) something simple to use and not that expensive would be nice. and with "find everywhere" batteries like AA.

and on home lights. do you need it just to walk the dog outside or peeking inside the cabinet? do u need it to go REALLY dim so you can use it after midnight and not stress your eyes.

see, when you start to talk to enthusiasts about a flashlights it gets very hard and confusing fast. again. read whats available and think what you must have in it.

 

[Gunner12]

I think a 2 AA light might be a good battery option for you. Bright, good runtime, longer, and AA batteries.

Look at the Fenix LD20, TK20, L2D-CE, L2T V2.0, Olight T25, Jetbeam Jet I EX(search around), Nitecore D20, and Lumapower ConneXion X2.

 

[Neo9710]

well those there are some good reasons to look for new lights!

welcome to madhouse!

-most here are nutz about lights. tons of options to choose.

just try to cypher the jargon and find some sense in the things said here. (its long and confusing task, im still lost and i have been here for months now)

try to make a check list of what is your priorities.
what you NEED in the light, do you need strobe?

do you need low and high output, or many in between too?

do you like it to ramp up (low to high) or ramp down.

runtime, do you need to be able to use it hours at a time without batterychanges (can you carry spares easily?)

what you like to have in it what is important, things like pocket clip/holster?

just think what you want in it and people here try to help.

1st thing to decide is the price range. (what you really can afford, some of us will probably still pitch in ones that are above the budget.. general rule of thumb for beginner.. think cheap, double it. and then double again.. and then you are in "expensive" range in your mind.. and then comes a flashlightholic nut that asks you to atleast double that budget. hahah)

as the tactical light. search the forum. there are plenty threads dedicated to LEO light choices.

and to home use, my advice is to get atleast 2 similar lights. (one is none, two is one. its just so easy to misplace one) something simple to use and not that expensive would be nice. and with "find everywhere" batteries like AA.

and on home lights. do you need it just to walk the dog outside or peeking inside the cabinet? do u need it to go REALLY dim so you can use it after midnight and not stress your eyes.

see, when you start to talk to enthusiasts about a flashlights it gets very hard and confusing fast. again. read whats available and think what you must have in it.

I can tell! It is what it is...lemmme see if i can answer some of these..



try to make a check list of what is your priorities.
what you NEED in the light, do you need strobe?

do you need low and high output, or many in between too?
I need low/high but I dont need many inbetween

do you like it to ramp up (low to high) or ramp down.

I never really given this much thought. But Im thinking low to high

runtime, do you need to be able to use it hours at a time without batterychanges (can you carry spares easily?) Can really carry spares easily. But we do use our lights a lot..

what you like to have in it what is important, things like pocket clip/holster?
clip/holster is a definite.


1st thing to decide is the price range.

Want to stay around $100.00 as much as possible!



and to home use, my advice is to get atleast 2 similar lights. (one is none, two is one. its just so easy to misplace one) something simple to use and not that expensive would be nice. and with "find everywhere" batteries like AA.

and on home lights. do you need it just to walk the dog outside or peeking inside the cabinet? do u need it to go REALLY dim so you can use it after midnight and not stress your eyes. _ It doesnt have to be really dim. for the home issue..basically so my wife can walk around with reasonable safety and watch the little one!

see, when you start to talk to enthusiasts about a flashlights it gets very hard and confusing fast. again. read whats available and think what you must have in it.

 

[malamalama]

That was a great first post. Funny!

Want to stay around $100.00 as much as possible!

The advice others have warned newbies around here, hold on to your wallet, is so very true. I think you'll find that no one light will fulfill all your needs and those who mentioned having at least 2 lights are correct. You may want to get two different types of light to see what you like best. The great thing about CPF is that you'll never run out of reading material or reviews to help your research.

I also think if you narrow down your choice of battery type, that'll help steer you towards certain popular lights that may fit your needs.

 

[Badbeams3]

Why not go straight to a 600+ lumen light. You can spend a lot of money playing with 200 lumen lights...just to realize you must have the brightest led light that you can reasonably afford. For example the Fenix TK 40.

Welcome to CPF...have fun :wave:

 

[gsxrac]

I think you are deffinatley in need of a good light! My suggestion would have to be go for a Surefire 6P or C2, Or try out the Malkoff MD2. The Surefires only have one mode but the MD2 is about to have a 2 mode option available as an accesory. And whatever P60 Host you get you can then look at a Malkoff drop-in and decide exactly what you want. Wether you want to run a rechargeable (M30) or just 2 123's (M60) And wether you desire a higher output or longer runtime (L or LL) Dont worry about the "warmth" of the LED's just yet.

Go ahead and regester yourself in the Marketplace and start looking for good deals (they constantly pop up but their gone just as quickly!)

:welcome:

 

[Mjolnir]

While Malkoff dropins are excellent, they will probably push you over your budget (when combined with the price of the host), and there are plenty of good lights that can be had for under $100.
In fact, the kind of light you described actually exists in multiple forms. There are a handful of lights with low modes around 60 lumens, and high modes of 200+ lumens. You may want to look at the Eagletac T10L and T10LC2 (the T10L only runs on 18650 rechargeable lithium ion batteries, while the T10LC2 can run off of non rechargeable CR123 batteries as well, but it dims with 18650's).
The Fenix TK11 R2 can also run on both, and apparently holds regulation pretty well on 18650's (it doesnt dim).
The newly released Eagletac T100C2 can run on both 18650's and Cr123's, and doesn't dim with either battery configuration. It has a slightly different CREE LED than the other three lights (an XP-E instead of an XR-E), which gives it a throwier beam, which seems to be what you wanted. Somehow, it only costs $50. The Fenix Is in the $80 range, while the Eagletacs are around $65.
All of these lights have similar mode changing mechanisms. They have a forward clicky switch to turn the light on, which gives the light momentary on capability, which is good for a tactical light. Mode changing is achieved by loosening the head, which switches the lights from high mode to the "low" mode (more of a medium than a true low).
I think that it would be best to get a light that does not have an overly complicated UI for tactical use. As is said many times on these forums, you will not be able to work out mode changes when you are under duress or acting only on reflexes.
The Jetbeam Jet III M also has a similar UI to the lights listed above, but the secondary mode is programmable, which gives ou some more options while still keeping the simple UI for the high mode.

 

[old4570]

Yep , everyone is going to push what they think you need .

Here is what you have to chose from :

SSC P7 or MC-E for multi die LED . $30 and up .

Single DIE Cree , I would recommend Q5 or R2 for the Cree , R2 is better but not bye such a huge margin .

R2's start around $20 for a nice multimode .

Try dealextreme.com KaiDomain.com for the cheaper lights , I currently have 5 Solarforce L2's , with a 6th on the way , Solarforcestore.com , the L2's are incredible value . The 6th will be hopefully for a Diamond Dragon LED .

In anyway , shop carefully .

If I was going to recommend anything , it would be a SSC P7 multi level of your choice / price .

 

[Mjolnir]

I would not go with a cheap light from one of the chinese sites for a tactical light. Maybe for a light for your house, but I would not trust their reliability fro a tactical light. Most of them have cheap reverse clicky switches, and modes that you don't really need.
The one light that I have from Dealextreme has a horrible beam pattern, even though it has a textured reflector.
Since you stated that you wanted more throw than spill, you should probably stick with single die LEDs, like the XR-E's (Q5 or R2 bins) or the XP-E (although currently eagletac is pretty much the only brand using them right now).
A multi die emitter like a CREE MC-E or an SSC P7 will give you less throw and more spill, but will use more power and get hotter.

 

[cl0123]

:welcome:

You have quite a handful of good suggestions to start reading on. I am very fond of either the two or three CR123 lithium ion cells light for general purpose uses. All you need is to figure out which one feels most comfortable in your hand. I would also suggest getting a suitable backup light as well. Of course, the best way to back up any light is to get an exact duplicate. That's why I slowly picked up duplicate and tripicates of my favorite 2- and 3-cells lights.

lovecpf

With Aloha,

Clarence

 

[Mjolnir]

I don't know if you meant Cr123 lithiums or RCR123 Lithium ions, but I think the OP might be confused by all the terminology. It is usually better to use an 18650 instead of an RCR123, but not a lot of lights are regulated with both. CR123 batteries are always a good option for backup purposes.

 

[polkiuj]

I would not go with a cheap light from one of the chinese sites for a tactical light. Maybe for a light for your house, but I would not trust their reliability fro a tactical light. Most of them have cheap reverse clicky switches, and modes that you don't really need.
The one light that I have from Dealextreme has a horrible beam pattern, even though it has a textured reflector.
Since you stated that you wanted more throw than spill, you should probably stick with single die LEDs, like the XR-E's (Q5 or R2 bins) or the XP-E (although currently eagletac is pretty much the only brand using them right now).
A multi die emitter like a CREE MC-E or an SSC P7 will give you less throw and more spill, but will use more power and get hotter.

I won't even trust it for my house. I'll only get one for playing purposes, as a toy.

Here's my suggestion. Because I have them and I like them. xD

Tactical light: Eagletac T10LC2. Good throw, very nice spill, crazy output (250+ OTF lumens, 295 emitter lumens). 2 modes, med and max. So far reliable and lifetime warranty (I think). Can use Li-ion.

General light: Inova T1. 100 lumens. 1 mode. Warm beam, nice big hotspot and spill. Floody, perfect beam. Super switch. Super solid feel. Throws the same as a Fenix LD10 on NiMH. 4 hours regulated output, 1 hour(about) moon mode. Lifetime warranty (This one, I'm sure). Can use Li-ion

 

[old4570]

Plenty of expensive lights buy the farm . Spending big dont guarantee anything .

Id put a Solarforce L2 up against any expensive light .

And my much Maligned Ultrafire WF-502B is just as well made . and works just fine .

In some ways you get what you pay for , and in other ways you pay much more than what your getting for .


:tinfoil: