Should I Purchase the ORACLE 24X-9 Xenon Flashlight?

[recDNA]

Should I Purchase the ORACLE 24X-9 Xenon HID?

I want a bright floodlight I can use indoors and outdoors. I'm afraid the 35 watt will be too bright for indoor use.

Also, I noted the huge discount for the 35 watt version. Is there a discount for the 24X?

Anybody here have one? I'm torn between this and a high power LED like the Eagletac M2


oops ....sorry I just found the thread on these lights. From what I've read I'll stick to a dependable LED.

 

[Juggernaut]

Too powerful for in door use! Too powerful!!! No such thing:nana:! Just point the light at the ceiling when your walking around. It's only 3,000 Lumens. A 60 watt bulb is about 700 lumens and most rooms have more then one in it. The Eagletac M2 is about 1,000,000 time more practical then either of these HIDs:thumbsup:, but that's because it's meant for "regular normal use" high power HIDs are never for "regular normal use" you pull them out when you want to impress some one or go out side and eradicate all forms of darkness:devil:. Even with the high power of P7s and MCEs they are still nowhere close to the output of 24+ watt HIDs. If I pulled out a good throwing R2 light or a medium throwing P7 light in front of a nonflashaholic they would be equally impressed by either one, They would have their jaws drop at either one….but no more then one or the other. Whip out a 30 watt HID and even a nonflashaholic with nothing to compare it to is going to understand that your messing with en entirely different level of power. But you have to remember the downsides to lights like the Oracles: They use special batteries that need a special charger:shakehead "not compatible like 18650 lights" and they aren't small enough to go into belt holsters like the Eagletac M2. If I didn't own anything other then lights up to the 230 lumen "Q5/R2 style lights and I already had myself a high power cheap lead SLA battery spotlight, then I would go for the Eagletac M2, because it would be a more "all around" useable light. I already have two 700 lumen "all around use lights" and I wanted the extra kick of a flashlight style light so I went for the 30 watt version. but it all depends on what you want. Also the 24 watt Oracle is $179 with the CPF discount if you wanted to know.

 

[Mjolnir]

Or you could go the cheap route like I did and buy the Stanley HID for a quick and (relatively) cheap "lumen fix." It has maximum "wow" factor, but isn't very portable and only has a half hour of battery life. However, I really think everyone should have at least one 3000+ lumen HID light. Otherwise, you don't know what you are missing.
For everyday use lights, 200+ lumens is definitely more than enough, and 600+ lumens is too.
However, HIDs are good for scaring unwanted visitors off of your property.

 

[Juggernaut]

Or you could go the cheap route like I did and buy the Stanley HID for a quick and (relatively) cheap "lumen fix." It has maximum "wow" factor, but isn't very portable and only has a half hour of battery life. However, I really think everyone should have at least one 3000+ lumen HID light. Otherwise, you don't know what you are missing.
For everyday use lights, 200+ lumens is definitely more than enough, and 600+ lumens is too.
However, HIDs are good for scaring unwanted visitors off of your property.

If you are just trying to get a high power light, I second this:thumbsup:, but compared to the M2 the Stanly offers little in the form of practicality and usefulness. The Stanly will throw a whole lot farther then the Oracle to.

Just a side not.
As far as scaring intruders off of your property:

Regular Maglite 20 lumens = Oh well the owners are home, lets check out the next house.

"Tactical" lights 150-230 lumens = Oh crap the Cops! Lets get out of here!

SF M6 / MCE / P7 600-800 lumens = WTF! Who are these people! Run dude! Run!!

35 watt HID 3,000 Lumens = Spiritual Intervention, "normal person has sensory overload" Man standing transfixed by light, crying hysterically:mecry:, yelling: Oh God!.

Super lights over 9,000 Lumens = Trespassers are reduced to ash and paperwork must be filled out, only True self defense flashlights:naughty:.

 

[Mjolnir]

I wouldn't say that the Stanley isn't practical. It is a spotlight, and it does what a spotlight is supposed to do. It doesn't pretend to be a flashlight and do it halfheartedly; it embraces its "spotlightness."

I believe people would probably think that it was a helicopter spotlight or something of that nature (of course helicopter spotlights are much brighter, but most people won't know this); I can't think of much else that someone would have (around here at least) that would produce that much light (although I wouldn't be surprised if my town's police has spotlights of some kind).

 

[recDNA]

I wouldn't say that the Stanley isn't practical. It is a spotlight, and it does what a spotlight is supposed to do. It doesn't pretend to be a flashlight and do it halfheartedly; it embraces its "spotlightness."

I believe people would probably think that it was a helicopter spotlight or something of that nature (of course helicopter spotlights are much brighter, but most people won't know this); I can't think of much else that someone would have (around here at least) that would produce that much light (although I wouldn't be surprised if my town's police has spotlights of some kind).

Stanley what? The one I find only produces 1365 lumens

 

[Mjolnir]

That is the Halogen version. The HID version is the "stanley HID3000," and is a 35 watt HID. It looks pretty much the same, but is yellow instead of grey, and has 3 5mm-ish LEDs on top. There is a thread on it in this very section of this very forum.

 

[Juggernaut]

I wouldn't say that the Stanley isn't practical. It is a spotlight, and it does what a spotlight is supposed to do. It doesn't pretend to be a flashlight and do it halfheartedly; it embraces its "spotlightness."

I believe people would probably think that it was a helicopter spotlight or something of that nature (of course helicopter spotlights are much brighter, but most people won't know this); I can't think of much else that someone would have (around here at least) that would produce that much light (although I wouldn't be surprised if my town's police has spotlights of some kind).

The Stanly is very much a good spotlight, and in my mind it's the last thing form "unpractical" Anything is more practical then walking 3 miles carrying a 18 pound flashlight powered by a small car battery, I should know! The Stanly would be great for all normal out-door high power uses and has the ability to replace the SLA battery should it go bad or the car type HID bulb if it blows "I think it's a car style bulb" This makes it more "long term" reliable compared to lights like the Oracle that uses exotic batteries and Lamp/ballast designs. The only thing unpractical about it was: stating from what recDNA has previously posted is that he doesn't really think that "all throw" lights are useful, which is what the Stanly is primarily used for. Granted it's not an astrosphic lens LED light or one of my Train head-light spotlights, so it will have useable side spill. I personally go for throwers but I was just guessing what recDNA would like:shrug:.

 

[recDNA]

The Stanly is very much a good spotlight, and in my mind it's the last thing form "unpractical" Anything is more practical then walking 3 miles carrying a 18 pound flashlight powered by a small car battery, I should know! The Stanly would be great for all normal out-door high power uses and has the ability to replace the SLA battery should it go bad or the car type HID bulb if it blows "I think it's a car style bulb" This makes it more "long term" reliable compared to lights like the Oracle that uses exotic batteries and Lamp/ballast designs. The only thing unpractical about it was: stating from what recDNA has previously posted is that he doesn't really think that "all throw" lights are useful, which is what the Stanly is primarily used for. Granted it's not an astrosphic lens LED light or one of my Train head-light spotlights, so it will have useable side spill. I personally go for throwers but I was just guessing what recDNA would like:shrug:.

That's a different discussion entirely. I like long throw for FUN. I just couldn't imagine a reason I'd actually NEED one...and for the fifteenth time I LIVE IN THE WOODS (people repeatedly implied or asked if or assumed I live in the city). I mean in a house but on conservation land so my issue isn't buildings being in the way...it's TREES in the way!

I am, however, surprised you'd call the Stanley a thrower. I thought it was a spotlight with a great BIG spot.

BTW, is the battery REALLY 18 POUNDS? I imagine using it to scare animals off of the roof and spot where the darn carpenter ants get in at night! They sometimes form a nice line up the house and if you find the path it's easy to wipe em all out at once.

 

[BVH]

The Stanley throws as good as the N30 and L35.

 

[Patriot]

That's a different discussion entirely. I like long throw for FUN. I just couldn't imagine a reason I'd actually NEED one...and for the fifteenth time I LIVE IN THE WOODS (people repeatedly implied or asked if or assumed I live in the city). I mean in a house but on conservation land so my issue isn't buildings being in the way...it's TREES in the way!

I am, however, surprised you'd call the Stanley a thrower. I thought it was a spotlight with a great BIG spot.

BTW, is the battery REALLY 18 POUNDS? I imagine using it to scare animals off of the roof and spot where the darn carpenter ants get in at night! They sometimes form a nice line up the house and if you find the path it's easy to wipe em all out at once.

recDNA, HID's are the kings of throw. Throw isn't a term which relates to the angle or width of a beam, although good throwers sometimes have narrow beams too. In non-technical terms, "throw" simply relalates to how well a light will illuminate objects at a distace. Throw lights can have wide beams and lot's of lumens or relatively narrow beams with few lumens. Sometimes, as with Short-arc HID they have narrow beams and a lot of lumens to boot. The Stanley HID for example will out throw a Q5 or R2 LED behind a standard 52mm aspheric lens even though the Stanley's beam is much wider and has much more spill. Likewise even the best LED thrower, the DEFT, can't compete with the sheer output of a high power HID like the Polarion.

DEFT Q5 331 yards

Polarion HID 331 yards

With yourself being a guy who lives in a wooded area, you would likely very much enjoy the throw and abundant lumens that HID's provide. The 4200K color temperature which the better HIDs have allow the forest to come to life in a way that most LEDs can't. There are a few down sides to most HIDs such as relatively slow warm up, overall size and limited run-time (compared to LED). It's still good to have a nice "wide beam LED task light, here are a few recent idea's:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=234435

Just remember that the output of a 24W-35W HID makes the best MC-E and P7 LED's seem very weak by comparison. It's really a whole difference universe when it comes to sheer output. I don't use hid's to find my shoes in the dark or while spraying for bugs but for certain tasks nothing compares to HID.

Regarding the 18 pound battery, he was just exagerating but at about 5.5lbs they're no lightweights though. The larger spots like the Ti Mega are around 13lbs (light with battery included).

 

[recDNA]

Thanks!

The heat given off by flashlight style HID's concerns me but the separate handle on the spotlight style is fine with me. 5 Pounds is too much for a long walk but it's fine in my yard. I never walk in my woods at night because of the vernal ponds waiting for me to fall in. They won't get me! Lots of poison ivy, thorny underbrush, fallen trees and limbs, and wetands with no real trails. There is little real danger because the woods are not deep but I see no reason to be scratched, bitten, soaked, and come down with Lyme's disease as a bonus.

Too bad the Stanley only gives 3o minutes of use. An hour should be a minimum IMO and I can't afford 3 grand for a good HID! It would be nice to light up my woods the way your HID lights up your street but it would probably scare off all the local deer.

 

[Mjolnir]

The stanley really isn't all that heavy. Also, the only part that really gets hot is the front; the handle is plastic, so it won't heat up at all in normal use.

Also, the stanley actually does have a very focused beam. However, because of the size and shape of the reflector, there are actually 2 portions of the beam: a small center spot, and a bright and sharp corona directly surrounding it. They are focused from different parts of the reflector, so they diverge at different rates. However, the central focused hotspot is a much smaller angle than any LED thrower you can get except maybe the most extreme of the aspherics (liek the DEFT). It can basically project this central hotspot a thousand feet away, but it is surrounded by the corona (which is still pretty bright). In this way, it is different from LED throwers. However, it definitely has the most throw for the money of ANY light that I can think of.

The Power On Board HID, however, apparently doesn't have as much of a corona, and more of a central hotspot. It should run about an hour, but is heavier than the Stanley. You can probably find one on Ebay, but it will probably cost more than the stanley.

 

[Patriot]

Thanks!


Too bad the Stanley only gives 3o minutes of use. An hour should be a minimum IMO and I can't afford 3 grand for a good HID! It would be nice to light up my woods the way your HID lights up your street but it would probably scare off all the local deer.

The L35 matches the performance of nearly any light under a $1000. You don't have to spend 3K to get a good HID light. Deer don't seem to react any differently to an HID spotlight than they do a car's headlamp. They're ruled by their tummies and aren't going to let a little ol'e light scare them away.

 

[Juggernaut]

BTW, is the battery REALLY 18 POUNDS? I imagine using it to scare animals off of the roof and spot where the darn carpenter ants get in at night!

The Stanly is very much a good spotlight, and in my mind it's the last thing form "unpractical" Anything is more practical then walking 3 miles carrying a 18 pound flashlight powered by a small car battery, I should know!

Oh no I wasn't referring to the Stanly! I was referring to how much more usable the Stanly was compared to some of my home made monstrosities. The Stanly is only a few pounds:thumbsup:. I was just joking about how I find it reasonable to walk around with either my "literally" 18 pound and 21.5 pound modded Bigbeam lanterns. So the Stanly would be a breeze in comparison.

 

[recDNA]

Is there any store I can walk in and purchase the Stanley? I'm sick of online purchases

 

[Mjolnir]

If you had looked at the main thread, you would have seen that they are available at most Walmarts.:thumbsup:

 

[recDNA]

If you had looked at the main thread, you would have seen that they are available at most Walmarts.:thumbsup:

I did but I checked out Walmarts within 50 miles of my zip code and no luck.

I should have mentioned that I already checked there.

Thanks anyway

 

[Mjolnir]

Did you check the websites, or actually call/go to the store? I had to go to 2 walmarts before I found one that had the Stanley, and it isn't on the Walmart website at all.

 

[recDNA]

Did you check the websites, or actually call/go to the store? I had to go to 2 walmarts before I found one that had the Stanley, and it isn't on the Walmart website at all.

The website. I'll try some stores.