Starting A New Job, Flashlight Selection Assistance Requested

[FlashKat]

I just bought a Jetbeam RRT-0 which I am still waiting to arrive. It's a multi level light that you can run with either 1 CR123 or AA battery with the adapter.

 

[BigBen]

Thanks a LOT for the thorough Review and for the links Jackscrj, those videos by NUTNFANCY are awesome!

Thanks also for the additional info FlashKat!

BigBen

 

[Vinniec5]

Ben take a look at the 5.11 Tactical Light for Life, Rechargeable Ultracapacitor Duty Flashlight it might be a good fit for you especially going from job to job during the day runs for 90mins after a 90 sec charge in the car. you could keep a backup in your pocket if it ran dead but in 90 secs the light is ready to go again. See it here http://www.officerstore.com/store/p..._rechargeable_ultracapacitor_duty_flashlight/:thumbsup:

 

[BigBen]

Thanks VinnieC5.
I'll go and check that one out right now.

That might also be a great fit, as i could plug it into my truck between appointments as necessary.

I'm gonna end-up buying like a dozen flashlights now, because I just can't decide... LOL...

I'm hooked, and I love it! :twothumbs Ha ha ha...

Ben

 

[soli]

How about a Quark AA (as mentioned before) with a prism kit.

This would give you a low setting perfect for up close reading with out blinding you with light reflecting off the surface as well as a decent high. The Prism kit would allow you to head mount (you'll need a band) for those crawl space moments.

As for the holster, I find the clip on the quark's works perfectly on a belt with out the need for a holster (4sevens product example)

 

[DuncanHynes]

Fenix L2D Q5 or anything along that family of lights...2xAA, great beam that is soft but bright and fine for basements, etc. Was my carry light for work for 4 years. Comes with a holster, other accessories. Will run you about $60 total.:welcome:

 

[Braddah_Bill]

Putting myself in your shoes here is what I would carry:

Fenix TK20 yellow http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=532

1. Dual mode - 150 lumen 2HR and 45 lumen 11HR.
In a darkened area 45 lumens should be bright enough, and with the 11HR runtime it should get you through the day.

2. Netural tint.
I have a feeling the color rendition will be more important than a super bright cool beam (flat, washed out) of other lights.

Mag AA incandescent

1. Used mainly to check wiring as color is very important here.

2. Makes a great spare battery carrier for the TK20.

Any good headlight

1. Stored in the truck, headlights make life so much easier.


The batteries would be Enloops or Duracell rechargeable (rebranded Enloops, white tops and MADE IN JAPAN not China)

 

[jslappa]

Ok, gotta throw in my advice here too.

You said you would like a colorful light (yellow, etc) and that you'll be in confined areas like crawl spaces. You're not likely to need more than 100 real lumens for confined areas like that. You also don't want to have a light with a bright hotspot. you'll be shining that light at metal reflective heating ducts, etc. and that light reflected back at you could hurt. My suggestion is this:

Malkoff MD2 in the new EMS orange color. It takes 2 CR123 or 2 rechargeable 123's.
http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/ems-orange-md2-flashlight-p-78.html

Then get this Malkoff M60wlf drop in. It'll give you a true 100 lumens for over 4 hours, there will be NO hotspot and it's bulletproof (figure of speech)
http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/...put-flood-for-a-surefire-flashlight-p-36.html

Since you'll be using the light virtually every day during the week, invest in a charger and rechargeable batteries. They'll pay for themselves rather quickly.

In the end, whatever light you choose, make sure you have a way to diffuse the beam so there is no hotspot. Surefire, Olight, Fenix all have those items available, in addition to the Malkoff drop in.

 

[BigBen]

WOW, more awesome recommendations! Thank you very much. :twothumbs

In your opinion, should I buy 1 small sized light, and 1 large sized light at first??? :thinking:

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it.

Ben

 

[Gunner12]

That depends on your needs. A larger light will probably throw more, but could be harder to carry with you. A smaller light will have a wider beam and be easier to carry.

 

[Mjolnir]

The Malkoff MD2 can also take 1 18650 cell, which tends to be easier to deal with than 2 rechargeable cr123 cells. The malkoff lights use an optic, not a reflector, so they tend to have a beam that gradually dims around the outside rather than having a sharp cutoff.

 

[jslappa]

WOW, more awesome recommendations! Thank you very much. :twothumbs

In your opinion, should I buy 1 small sized light, and 1 large sized light at first??? :thinking:

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it.

Ben

In my humble opinion, i think you should buy a small light that you can carry with you every day (EDC), as well as a medium-sized light about the size of a Surefire 6P or Malkoff MD2 that you use for work.

The smaller light should be a light that you always have in your pocket. I don't like keychain lights because my keys aren't always in my pocket. So, if I don't have my keys with me, my light is not with me either. I personally carry a Nitecore D10, as others have suggested. My D10 has a clip, and I clip it to a front pants pocket. Light in the pocket, clip outside the pocket.

Your work light should be able to give you at least 2 brightnesses, and don't even worry about throw. You'll be in confined areas, so any of the reccommended flashlights so far will certainly light up the areas you need it to light up.

I really can't stress enough the deal about the hotspot. I dug up some old pics to show you what I mean......

Below is one of my 6P style lights with a standard bulb or LED in it. Even on the wall 15 feet away, there is a big ol' hot spot. Now picture that hotspot a foot in front of your face, or reflecting off some shiny ductwork.

Here is another 6P style light with the Malkoff flood drop in. Notice there is absolutely NO hotspot? It just looks like someone turned on the lights. That's what you want when you are inside some crawlspace. You want the entire area lit up, so you can see everything. You can easily follow conduit, trace a leak, or whatever.

Makers like Olight, Fenix, Surefire and others make diffusers for their flashlights to do just this. Heck, I made a home made diffuser with multiple colors for my Nitecore D10 out of the inside of a water bottle cap. the thread is around here somewhere. You probably wouldn
t need the colored lenses, but that opaque cap fits nice and snug on the D10 and it only cost about $1.

 

[kwkarth]

I think a headlamp would be uber helpful if you have to crawl around in confined spaces.

Check out Zebralights or Petzl.

Or the Fenix HP-10.

 

[BigBen]

Thank you Kwkarth.

And also thank YOU Jslappa, for that killer post! :twothumbs

From reading all of the awesome responses that I've gotten here so far, it looks like I'll be buying 2 lights (well, at LEAST 2 anyway 😉)
Although I'll probably end-up buying a dozen! After-all, Man cannot live on one flashlight alone!

One for my pocket for the close-up work, and a larger holster type for lighting up the entire room/basement/crawlspace.

How does that sound???
Do you think it's overkill???

Also, when would someone use the different colored lenses???

Ben

 

[jslappa]

when would someone use the different colored lenses???

Ben

Blue lense makes blood show up really brightly. It's good for tracking a wounded animal while hunting.

Red is a color that many animals like deer can't see that well. While it reduces the amount of useable light for you, it allows you to scout the area without spooking game. A quick pass with the light, and the animal's eyes reflect the light. Pilots use red filters to see their instrument panels during flight.

Green is another color that animals have a hard time seeing. I would use green in my blind, if I am looking for something, reading, or whatever. The deer can't see the glow. Hunters can spot you, but not the animals.

I don't know if filters (other than the opaque diffuser) would help you in your job, though. For my D10, I bought a $6 mini military angle light from an Army Navy surplus store. I trimmed the filters to fit inside my water bottle cap.

 

[BigBen]

Wow, thank you very much for the thorough and VERY interesting breakdown of the lenses, now I understand them completely.

That is some very cool info!

Ben

 

[kwkarth]

Thank you Kwkarth.

And also thank YOU Jslappa, for that killer post! :twothumbs

From reading all of the awesome responses that I've gotten here so far, it looks like I'll be buying 2 lights (well, at LEAST 2 anyway 😉)
Although I'll probably end-up buying a dozen! After-all, Man cannot live on one flashlight alone!

One for my pocket for the close-up work, and a larger holster type for lighting up the entire room/basement/crawlspace.

How does that sound???
Do you think it's overkill???

Also, when would someone use the different colored lenses???

Ben

Hi Ben,
I hope your search is going well. I would think that a headlamp would be very useful in a crawlspace type environment. You have both hands free to take notes and measurements that way. The Fenix HP10 has enough power to easily light up as big a crawlspace as you are likely to find. It's good for about 120m, and I doubt you would ever find yourself in that large of a confined space (bigger than a football field!!) Multiple selectable output levels so you can always find the right light level for the situation. Here's a link so you can check specs and pictures:
http://www.fenixlight.com/viewnproduct.asp?id=49

As fas as a handheld light goes, someone else suggested the Fenix TK20. That's also a great suggestion since the output is a color temperature light that you are more likely accustomed to, allowing you to see and recognize true colors of what you're inspecting more readily. Here's a link to that product page:
http://www.fenixlight.com/viewproduct.asp?id=82

Both of these recommendations happen to be Fenix products, but I think they may fit your need particularly well. Both lights use AA batteries which makes powering them particularly convenient and economical if you use low self discharge NiMH rechargeables.

Lots of retailers/vendors to choose from too.

 

[BigBen]

Thanks a million for supplying me those product links as well Kwkarth. :twothumbs

I'm thinking that the crawlspace jobs will be few & far in between at this point.
But that headlamp would be GREAT for when I go Striped Bass fishing!

I'm loving that other Fenix light as well as several others that you guys have pointed out.

Thanks again,
Ben

 

[BigBen]

Hi All,
OK after researching a bunch of choices, so far I'm leaning towards getting these:

1) Malkoff MD2 EMS Orange w/Malkoff M60WLF Drop-In & Hi-Low Switch installed (+ $70).
This should light-up ANY place that I'd have to go into.

Does anyone know the length of this MD2 EMS light, and what accessories that come with it???
Either the Malkoff website that I visited was kind of vague with respect to Accessories Included, or it doesn't come with ANY Accessories.

And can I specify the M60WLF Drop-In as opposed to another M60???

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/ems-orange-md2-flashlight-p-78.html

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/...put-flood-for-a-surefire-flashlight-p-36.html

Model: EMS Orange MD2 Flashlight

• Shipping Weight: 1.5lbs
• 12 Units in Stock
• Manufactured by: Malkoff Devices

And a:

2) Fenix Yellow TK20
Do you think that this light might be too strong for up-close inspections of equipment & wiring though???
Maybe I should go with a smaller/less powerful unit, for close-up work???

http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=532

~6" Long.
Included accessories: holster, pocket clip, two spare o-rings, and a rubber switch boot


What do you think about these selections so far?
And will I be bale to add something like a Lanyard to each of these bad-boys?


Thanks again for all of your help!
You have all been AWESOME to me, especially being that I'm a Newbie at high-end lighting solutions! :twothumbs

BigBen

 

[was.lost.but.now.found]

Fenix L2D Q5 or anything along that family of lights...2xAA, great beam that is soft but bright and fine for basements, etc. Was my carry light for work for 4 years. Comes with a holster, other accessories. Will run you about $60 total.:welcome:

i love my L2D, but if I had to do it over I'd get the LD20. Especially for his purposes it has the pocket clip which would be very handy for his line of work.