Streamlight 'AD'

[aznsx]

Cool little 1-min video SL linked on their home page for their anniversary that some might find interesting (or informative). Same as my 50th anniversary! That's the year I started my first job as an electronics industry technical professional (although not for SL). My gosh time flies when viewed in the rear view mirror, but seemed an eternity lookin' out the windshield!

 

[ABTOMAT]

Neat, wonder if they'll do something interesting. Happy anniversary to you too.

Topical question: If anyone has a Streamlight SL-15X drop me a line. It was a less successful bridge between the SL-15 and SL-20XP.

 

[bykfixer]

The first Streamlight product was a 5 million candle power light to mimic the sun for Apollo projects in 1973. The first consumer product was a 1 nillion candle
"Streamlite" search and rescue light with a shoulder stap for the battery that was about the size of a riding lawnmower battery.
It was very popular with boaters who had enough loot to buy a $99 flashlight powered by a $399 battery.
I believe it was named SL1 iirc.

From Streamlight's archives. Shown backward to thwart google bots from using it to make $.

 

[aznsx]

The first Streamlight product was a 5 million candle power light to mimic the sun for Apollo projects in 1973. The first consumer product was a 1 nillion candle
"Streamlite" search and rescue light with a shoulder stap for the battery that was about the size of a riding lawnmower battery.
It was very popular with boaters who had enough loot to buy a $99 flashlight powered by a $399 battery.
I believe it was named SL1 iirc.
View attachment 41454
From Streamlight's archives. Shown backward to thwart google bots from using it to make $.

Looks like a bad dog light in its day! I sure couldn't have afforded one on my first job pay, either!

 

[ABTOMAT]

In case anyone finds this thread, Streamlight took down the teaser video from the OP but they came out with a 15-minute retrospective/hype video for the anniversary last year:



I think the 1 Million spotlight was north of a $1K back in the day, according to another owner on CPF who also had some sales material. I can believe it--it's kind of the 1970s SF Hellfighter. The construction has a kind of charming vintage handmade quality to it but it's well engineered. They started making them way early in the company's history, back while they were still in NJ before moving to PA. Production may have wrapped in the mid '80s but I don't really know. Sadly the bulbs were custom made and long out of production.

Topical question: If anyone has a Streamlight SL-15X drop me a line. It was a less successful bridge between the SL-15 and SL-20XP.

Finally got a couple 15X's. Boy are they trash. No wonder you never hear about them. Nobody bats 1.000.

 

[bykfixer]

I saw an ad one time where the SL-1 was $99. Light only. The $399 battery was about the size of a riding lawnmower battery and came with a "free" shoulder strap.

They played and lost against Maglite and nearly went out of business. From what I was told the Scorpion was the one that saved them. They won a military contract for those.

The one that made me a fan of Streamlight

The 2aa knucklehead with a twisty clicky
Used a PR 2 bulb and to turn it on or off you twisted the tailcap to get a constant on or off.

 

[letschat7]

The Scorpion solves literally everything bad about the MiniMaglite.

 

[ABTOMAT]

I'd be interested in seeing original ads for the 1 Million if you ever dig them up. A sales brochure was posted here years ago but no prices. I'm surprised the light would be less expensive than the battery. There's a lot of circuitry packed in there--solid state HV power supply with discreet components. The bulbs were potted into a custom reflector, like a giant SL-20 bulb.

 

[letschat7]

As time goes on and we get new designs from SL I really find that I like their older stuff a lot better.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Forgot about the NASA archives. These sometimes aren't 100% accurate since they're summaries of other documents someone typed up but it's interesting. Another product Streamlight introduced about the same time was the "SL-40" better known as the Litebox.

 

[bykfixer]

I used to keep lots of photos on my phone back in 016-019 but that was a few phones ago. I'll look in the laptop I transferred them to.
It may be shown in a thread around here.