Tail standing rocks

[belomeclone]

I know it's two questions. I do have a lantern at home, I bought it at Rite-Aid for 10 bucks. It takes like, four or six DD batteries and the light dims almost instantly - it's also rather poor at illuminating rooms. Obviously lanterns are more for places without roofs but the point is - it sucks.

So, are there better, non-battery lanterns out there? But on that subject...

tail standing really kicks ***! the power went out today, and my small fleet of flashlights kept a few rooms illuminated. I was a bit worried about heat however after being on for so long (ten minutes or so.) So, should I be worried? Are there flashlights better suited for long-term use than others? Any recommendations? I mean, I could buy the ones I have now, but that'd just be boring, wouldn't it?

I should probably just go to Deal Extreme and buy those things, shouldn't I?

 

[Hellbore]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

I wish the power would go out more often where I live... so I could have more excuses to play with... umm, I mean utilize... my flashlights... :candle:

 

[StarHalo]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

I definitely prefer tail-standing lights over lanterns, you don't get any glare with a ceiling bounce, and you have a wide variety of flashlights/emitters to choose from. I especially like a warm-emitter LED light for power outages, the warm light is cozy and welcoming.

I wouldn't recommend DX lights - Every flashaholic wishes that in the beginning they had skipped all the cheap lights and had just bought one or two good lights. Some good bang-for-buck examples are made by 4Sevens and Fenix, take a look around and see what catches your interest..

 

[jhc37013]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

I definitely prefer tail-standing lights over lanterns, you don't get any glare with a ceiling bounce, and you have a wide variety of flashlights/emitters to choose from. I especially like a warm-emitter LED light for power outages, the warm light is cozy and welcoming.

I wouldn't recommend DX lights - Every flashaholic wishes that in the beginning they had skipped all the cheap lights and had just bought one or two good lights. Some good bang-for-buck examples are made by 4Sevens and Fenix, take a look around and see what catches your interest..

+1 Good advice here.

I to prefer tail-standing light's vs. lanterns indoors as well, I hate the glare of most lanterns. You can run most light's on max with no major heat problems, light's get hot and they are designed to do so. Keep in mind I'm talking about solid light's from good manufactures, like always you get what you pay for. Usually a medium mode will do just fine in a med.-large room in a power-outage and it's best if you can use as little of the battery's as possible if you don't know how long the power is going to be out.

As also already mentioned there is really no need to buy from DX, I have seen way to many problems with either delivery or problems with the light and then the warranty not to mention the delivery time. You may be surprised what you can buy and how cheap you can buy it it you choose the right places to buy it. One CPF dealer shiningbeam.com is known to have some of the favored budget light's but you also get the really good customer service from them as well as the CPF discount.

Do you have a budget you would like to share with us, maybe we could at least help get you pointed in the right direction?

 

[^Gurthang]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Clone,

Check our the sbflashlight site

http://www.sbflashlights.com/cart.html

Jake [CPF member] carries a lantern adapter for the SolarForce L2 light. I believe that the lantern head is "c" thread compatible so it will fit most P60 hosts.

Of course the SolarForce L2 is such a bargain that you could just buy an entire lantern package.

 

[kramer5150]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

many of the molle lights will tailstand nicely... Zebralight, MC10, FirstLight, sidewinder (etc).

Solarforce L2M from DX also tailstands.

Ako-ray K109

Duracel daylight 3AAA

One of the CPF machinists sells a delrin tailcap shroud for surefire tailcaps that will convert any SF to tailstand.

 

[Imon]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

No love for the Rayovac sportsman extreme LED lantern?

The lightweight mobility of a flashlight is good and a ceiling bounce does distribute light quite evenly but I don't really like the idea of using my flashlights on max and depleting the battery in 2 or less hours particularly because I carry a flashlight around with me everywhere and I'd be bummed if it died because I used it as a lantern.

That said, when the power goes out the first thing I usually go for is my oil lamp

 

[jblackwood]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Here are some tailstanding lights from my personal collection:
Nitecore D10
Zebralight SC50 (SC30)
Zebralight H501 and H30, though they don't point up when they tailstand
McGizmo Lunasol 20
Dereelight C2H
4sevens regular (non-tactical) lights (3 different varieties)
4sevens turbo lights fitted with tailstanding caps
4sevens MiNi (4 varieties)
Malkoff MD2 with the tailstanding shroud and clip
DEFT (3 varieties . . . though it's not very convenient to actually do)
Husky 2D lightsaber handle :huh:
Fenix LD20
Fenix LD10
Xeno Cube
Lummi Wee

There are lots more including McGizmo's Haiku and his new light the Makai. Since I don't own either, I refrain from mentioning them above, though you really can't go wrong with McGizmo lights. It's nice to see a thread about tailstanding. It's one of the most overlooked features in a flashlight, though that's just my opinion based on experience, though some would have you believe that we're just a very vocal minority and most people don't care if their lights tailstand.

 

[LEDninja]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Is that an incandescent lantern? If so you are comparing apples to oranges. Many 2D/2AA/4AA incandescent flashlights can tailstand yet will still dim almost instantly.
Lanterns shoot light sideways. Normal house lights are mostly on the ceiling shining down. Ceiling bounce flashlights results in light coming back down - more like what you are used to.

I do have a lantern at home, I bought it at Rite-Aid for 10 bucks. It takes like, four or six DD batteries and the light dims almost instantly - it's also rather poor at illuminating rooms. Obviously lanterns are more for places without roofs but the point is - it sucks.

CPF does have a sub-forum for lanterns. You might get a better answer for this question there. There are LED lanterns.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=90

So, are there better, non-battery lanterns out there? But on that subject...

Check runtime. If it is less than 2 hours on high, use medium for extended runs.

tail standing really kicks ***! the power went out today, and my small fleet of flashlights kept a few rooms illuminated. I was a bit worried about heat however after being on for so long (ten minutes or so.) So, should I be worried? Are there flashlights better suited for long-term use than others? Any recommendations? I mean, I could buy the ones I have now, but that'd just be boring, wouldn't it?

These lights are for emergency use. Deal Extreme lights are not known for reliability. I won't go there.
Many do not use thermal epoxy or solder to attach the LED to the heatsink. Just held in place by the the solder tabs. And some goo for thermal protection which can leak away. One recent module the LED is held in place by a piece of paper with a hole cut in it!

I should probably just go to Deal Extreme and buy those things, shouldn't I?

 

[PCC]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Most smaller lights can be stood on their tails if you place them into a drinking glass of the right size. If the light is waterproof you can even put some water into the glass to help keep it running cooler for a longer period.

The thing about lanterns that I don't like is that the light is down low on a table or chair and this causes glare in the general direction of the lantern since people look downwards naturally. This holds true for tailstanding lights as well but lights with deeper reflectors don't have this issue as much. Really small tailstanding flashlights placed up high will resolve this issue.

My wife has messed up my power outage strategy because she has thrown out all of the 9V battery clip-on lights that I have made for that purpose. Don't ask me why she's done that but I threw a big fit when I found out what she had done. Maybe she gave them to coworkers? In any case, I made about a dozen of these little guys for about $1 each with the intention of using them in each room of the house if there was a power outage in lieu of candles but now it's going to be flashlights until I can find the time to make more of them.

 

[ebow86]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Not the best flashlight in the world by any means but the mini maglite 2AA LED makes a good "lantern". It won't tailstand but it has a candle mode and is actually quite useful. Candle mode means taking off the bezel or head, placing it face down, and drop the body of the light inside the bezel, with the led pointing straight up, it's a very nice feature.

 

[Locoboy5150]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

OF all my lights, the best one for tailstanding and ceiling bounce is my Fenix TK45. It has a wide tailcap and a wide beam pattern that throws light all over the ceiling and dispersing it throughout just about any room very well.

 

[jblackwood]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Not the best flashlight in the world by any means but the mini maglite 2AA LED makes a good "lantern". It won't tailstand but it has a candle mode and is actually quite useful. Candle mode means taking off the bezel or head, placing it face down, and drop the body of the light inside the bezel, with the led pointing straight up, it's a very nice feature.

I have this light. From an engineer's perspective, it's a pretty elegant solution. But since the darn light turns on the minute the bezel is loosened, you have to either feel around to get the tail into the head or risk blindness as you stare in its general direction in order to assemble the light in this configuration. After reading so many positive reviews about this light, I decided to give it a try (it's the newer version with the multiple modes). The light it gives off is blinding if you have it on a table, as well. This makes sense, otherwise why would table lamps have lamp shades? I just can't use it and have no use for it at all in a tailstanding situation.

 

[gorn]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

I can only imagine what a quality light your Rite-Aid $10 special is. For years I have always had at least 1 Coleman florescent rechargeable lantern in my house. They work great to light up a whole room. I also have a couple of Sylvania lanterns with what I think are 1/2 watt LEDs in them. They do a good job as an area light.

The Coleman lanterns work much better for overall light than any of my tail standing lights. That's not to say I don't use the tail standers too. But for lighting up the whole room with the best light pattern I use the lanterns.

 

[Imon]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

I have this light. From an engineer's perspective, it's a pretty elegant solution. But since the darn light turns on the minute the bezel is loosened, you have to either feel around to get the tail into the head or risk blindness as you stare in its general direction in order to assemble the light in this configuration. After reading so many positive reviews about this light, I decided to give it a try (it's the newer version with the multiple modes). The light it gives off is blinding if you have it on a table, as well. This makes sense, otherwise why would table lamps have lamp shades? I just can't use it and have no use for it at all in a tailstanding situation.

I don't like how it turns on when the head is loosened too. So I partially unscrew the tailcap to turn it off, that way I don't have to readjust the reflector every time I want to use it.

It will still tailstand like this but obviously you can't place the tail into the reflector head. I've been using my Maglite LED like this for about half a year and I haven't noticed any ill effects on the AAs except for a cosmetic wear on the negative terminal where the tailcap spring is spinning around.

 

[Flying Turtle]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

I think I prefer tail standing a flashlight to using one of my lanterns. The lanterns have so much glare and hunger for batteries I usually just grab a light.

Geoff

 

[PayBack]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

I wish the power would go out more often where I live... so I could have more excuses to play with... umm, I mean utilize... my flashlights... :candle:

Lol I agree... we've only had 1 outage in 30 years where the whole area was out. On the odd occassion the power goes off, it's only the neighbourhood and there's so much light polution from the city and other streets, that you couldn't call it really dark.

Oh, and Tailstanding FTW.

 

[StarHalo]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Those of you who don't get blackouts, and those of you who really enjoy them, don't forget about Earth Hour - one hour of lights out every year. The next one isn't until March 2011, but even if you don't care for the political vibe, it's an excellent opportunity to test your lights and make sure you're actually prepared (without the neighbors thinking you're strange).

 

[Locoboy5150]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

it's an excellent opportunity to test your lights and make sure you're actually prepared (without the neighbors thinking you're strange).

In my case it's *way* too late for that!

My neighbors are actually used to their tall trees being lit up late at night from "those lights next door." They're cool so they take it in stride.

 

[PayBack]

Re: What good are lanterns? Any flashlights recommended for tail standing?

Those of you who don't get blackouts, and those of you who really enjoy them, don't forget about Earth Hour - one hour of lights out every year. The next one isn't until March 2011, but even if you don't care for the political vibe, it's an excellent opportunity to test your lights and make sure you're actually prepared (without the neighbors thinking you're strange).

I not only turn on my HIDs and point them at the sky during Earth Hour, I also turn on every light in the house in protest.
Global warming is a fact, but the cycle has been happening for 450,000 years. So many people say not making changes is short sighted, but they're the ones failing to understand why Greenland was called Greenland. This isn't the hottest it's been thoughout history, this isn't man made. They're the ones who are short sighted when looking back over history. /rant. sorry.

My neighbors are actually used to their tall trees being lit up late at night .

LMAO I do the same thing when going round back. There's one tree in particular I hit with whatever I'm carrying and I'm sure the neighbours think I'm nuts.