The vintage California cop light company thread
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They are police gear makers Lift'd. A New Hampshire manufacturer famous for batons and "other less lethal gear. The name comes from the highest peak in New Hamphshire Mt. Monadnock.
Now if this light was say... 6 double A's it might fit in the baton holder, but a D size light, even a modern thin wall type wouldn't go in it. The seller specializes in used guitars. I bought some camera stuff from his store when I worked in NC.
My wife called dibs on the baton holder so I plan on mounting it by the bed for her to store her miniature "ball park promo" baseball bat.
Now if this light was say... 6 double A's it might fit in the baton holder, but a D size light, even a modern thin wall type wouldn't go in it. The seller specializes in used guitars. I bought some camera stuff from his store when I worked in NC.
My wife called dibs on the baton holder so I plan on mounting it by the bed for her to store her miniature "ball park promo" baseball bat.
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Photobucket said they disabled my share feature until I buy a subscription. (A new policy they enacted today and there are millions of photos now affected)
(Edit: they're gone for me too)
They want $40/ mth or $400/year!!!
Sorry.
Edit2: it's not just mine.
I am searching for an alternative that doesn't require the viewer to click on a link.
(Edit: now photobucket has blocked that with a giant advertisement)
Tiny pic might be a solution...
But they are a photobucket company so they may decide to hold those for ransome too.
In the meantime folks can right click with mouse or double click on mobile to see the image at photobucket.
Meanwhile back to our program;
I got the Monadnock edition LA Screw going. I'd love to post a photo of the solution but...
Also received a Tekna micro-lith. The 1x proprietary cell type that can run off 2 N cells, but I don't have N cells in stock so... a micro-lite is on the way as well... the 2x N cell version.
One from 'post image dot org'.. a windows app.
(Edit: they're gone for me too)
They want $40/ mth or $400/year!!!
Sorry.
Edit2: it's not just mine.
I am searching for an alternative that doesn't require the viewer to click on a link.
(Edit: now photobucket has blocked that with a giant advertisement)
Tiny pic might be a solution...
But they are a photobucket company so they may decide to hold those for ransome too.
In the meantime folks can right click with mouse or double click on mobile to see the image at photobucket.
Meanwhile back to our program;
I got the Monadnock edition LA Screw going. I'd love to post a photo of the solution but...
Also received a Tekna micro-lith. The 1x proprietary cell type that can run off 2 N cells, but I don't have N cells in stock so... a micro-lite is on the way as well... the 2x N cell version.
One from 'post image dot org'.. a windows app.
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I certainly don't want to take any traffic away from this board as it has been the source of much valuable information and discussion. I'm also not going to go back and try to fix the links in each of my threads because Photobucket got even greedier. I've posted way too many pics to go back and re-host. As some know I do have a blog where I've been cataloging all of the info that I've found as well as my lights I've collected. My general flashlight one is:
http://otherflashlights.blogspot.com/
And I have one solely dedicated to Maglites:
http://maglitehistory.blogspot.com/
I still plan to post here too with a new image hosting service but I thought that might be a useful reference for those looking to find my old posts with pictures.
http://otherflashlights.blogspot.com/
And I have one solely dedicated to Maglites:
http://maglitehistory.blogspot.com/
I still plan to post here too with a new image hosting service but I thought that might be a useful reference for those looking to find my old posts with pictures.
Off Topic Rant: You've got to be kidding me!?!?! I've been using Photobucket forever, like literally since I've joined eBay god only knows how many years ago..
Now all my photos are blocked unless I pay some outrageous fee?? Yeah I'm with ya Byk; effff that!
What a grimy move on their part
I frickin' hate it fellas. Mark down in the history books that the last week of June 2017 Photobucket destroyed millions of informative articles across the web by blocking photos.
Apparently it began earlier this week. And is just getting started. When I saw Abtomats thread ruined I went looking for alternatives. I cleaned up some posts in this thread as a trial basis for other potential host sites. Time will tell there as word on the web is photobucket is the first of many to do this.
Well frankly as sick as I feel about it, not because of the work involved for me to fix my threads, but for all of those other informative threads across the spectrum of hobbyists, designers, professionals, and other entities that are now practically useless.
For me; this was a good lesson learned. I began doing how to's back when my only digital camera was a 0.9mp pair of bird photograpers binoculars. Then in 2014 a friend convinced me to join that now ridiculous photo hosting site. I got lazy. Instead of typing descriptive language that told the story I started journalizing in photo form.
About 24 hours ago I discovered the dilema after being up all day Thursday and working all night that night. As I type this I've had about 4 hours sleep in the meantime. The rest of the time has been spent checking old stuff to see how bad the damage is. Well luckily the older stuff I did was not so bad as I was still using words to journalize and photos to tweak things.
Example would be "how to remove a fender" where instead of posting a photo of a hidden screw and saying "there it is", I would describe it's location and post a photo as a confirmation.
Lesson learned, I went over this thread and found that the majority of posts by everybody have not been damaged beyond some stupid icon being present. Nope. Good job fellas. The basic information and history is all here in large part. So as it turns out us old coots will adapt and overcome, which is how we survived, eventually becoming the old coots we are. The kids will just have to read the words and put up with the lack of entertaining pictures.
Bottom line here:
The Vintage California Cop Light thread survived without hardly a hicup.
My buddy PK says facebook and others will do the same thing. Well PK put up with lots of guff about his anti-roll device on a 6P (that stupid thing; it'll never catch on) and was told that stupid thermal step down idea in his G2L would be gone in 5 years. So I predict he is correct and time will again show it. While all of those pix of all those brighter than the sun flavor of the week exotics disappear one by one we will go on like nothing happened.
I believe photobuckets move will gain them revenue in the short term. But I also believe this thread will be better without them.
It's July 1st and 18 days from today we celebrate St Incans day. Thanks to my friends here at CPF I now have a selection of viable alternatives to last years 1920's lights that cast their beams 25' or so. I carried my 4C Mag to work recently and used it instead of my usual Mag XL50 to inspect stuff during night paving. I think next week a Tekna Micro-Lite and a 5D LA Screw will be tap'd. The #222'd Tekna will fit in my trouser pocket and the 5D cop light will be available in case the contractor decides to give me grief.
But I sure am going to miss posting beam shots....
Edit:
While geeking out on all things flashlight I discovered my recent acquisition of the Tekna Micro-Lith came with their L233 LED drop in to replace the stock #222.
Apparently it began earlier this week. And is just getting started. When I saw Abtomats thread ruined I went looking for alternatives. I cleaned up some posts in this thread as a trial basis for other potential host sites. Time will tell there as word on the web is photobucket is the first of many to do this.
Well frankly as sick as I feel about it, not because of the work involved for me to fix my threads, but for all of those other informative threads across the spectrum of hobbyists, designers, professionals, and other entities that are now practically useless.
For me; this was a good lesson learned. I began doing how to's back when my only digital camera was a 0.9mp pair of bird photograpers binoculars. Then in 2014 a friend convinced me to join that now ridiculous photo hosting site. I got lazy. Instead of typing descriptive language that told the story I started journalizing in photo form.
About 24 hours ago I discovered the dilema after being up all day Thursday and working all night that night. As I type this I've had about 4 hours sleep in the meantime. The rest of the time has been spent checking old stuff to see how bad the damage is. Well luckily the older stuff I did was not so bad as I was still using words to journalize and photos to tweak things.
Example would be "how to remove a fender" where instead of posting a photo of a hidden screw and saying "there it is", I would describe it's location and post a photo as a confirmation.
Lesson learned, I went over this thread and found that the majority of posts by everybody have not been damaged beyond some stupid icon being present. Nope. Good job fellas. The basic information and history is all here in large part. So as it turns out us old coots will adapt and overcome, which is how we survived, eventually becoming the old coots we are. The kids will just have to read the words and put up with the lack of entertaining pictures.
Bottom line here:
The Vintage California Cop Light thread survived without hardly a hicup.
My buddy PK says facebook and others will do the same thing. Well PK put up with lots of guff about his anti-roll device on a 6P (that stupid thing; it'll never catch on) and was told that stupid thermal step down idea in his G2L would be gone in 5 years. So I predict he is correct and time will again show it. While all of those pix of all those brighter than the sun flavor of the week exotics disappear one by one we will go on like nothing happened.
I believe photobuckets move will gain them revenue in the short term. But I also believe this thread will be better without them.
It's July 1st and 18 days from today we celebrate St Incans day. Thanks to my friends here at CPF I now have a selection of viable alternatives to last years 1920's lights that cast their beams 25' or so. I carried my 4C Mag to work recently and used it instead of my usual Mag XL50 to inspect stuff during night paving. I think next week a Tekna Micro-Lite and a 5D LA Screw will be tap'd. The #222'd Tekna will fit in my trouser pocket and the 5D cop light will be available in case the contractor decides to give me grief.
But I sure am going to miss posting beam shots....
Edit:
While geeking out on all things flashlight I discovered my recent acquisition of the Tekna Micro-Lith came with their L233 LED drop in to replace the stock #222.
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time to delete every photobucket image and delete the account.
no use giving them any free advertising or images.
no use giving them any free advertising or images.
Photobucket said they disabled my share feature until I buy a subscription. (A new policy they enacted today and there are millions of photos now affected)
(Edit: they're gone for me too)
They want $40/ mth or $400/year!!!
Sorry.
Edit2: it's not just mine.
I am searching for an alternative that doesn't require the viewer to click on a link.
(Edit: now photobucket has blocked that with a giant advertisement)
Tiny pic might be a solution...
But they are a photobucket company so they may decide to hold those for ransome too.
In the meantime folks can right click with mouse or double click on mobile to see the image at photobucket.
Meanwhile back to our program;
I got the Monadnock edition LA Screw going. I'd love to post a photo of the solution but...
Also received a Tekna micro-lith. The 1x proprietary cell type that can run off 2 N cells, but I don't have N cells in stock so... a micro-lite is on the way as well... the 2x N cell version.
One from 'post image dot org'.. a windows app.
This post is a test post in a way while I try different ways to post images from my phone. So while it is about how a Stewart R Browne light from the 1930's has a reflector very similar to the Qualtech upgrade reflector for LA Screw lights...
I'm also trying out tiny pic, post image and imgur.
Testing tiny pic
(A Stewart R Browne pat pend military issue circa 1939 using Tiny Pic to host)
I showed the Stewart R Browne light because it has a reflector that is practicaly a Qualtech twin. 1970's/80's tech goes back to 1930's intrinsicly safe technology.
The Stewart Browne OD is larger but the resemblence is remarkable.
An LA Screw family photo.
Note cousin B-Lite got a reflector transplant thanks to grandpa 5D.
Testing imgur:
Basically a lot of folks simply share the link to their photo and we can easily click it and view. However it is a more satisfying experience to most to view the photo in the post. So while photobucket policy change induced insomnia combined with my ocd enters it's 3rd day... I figured out how to post pix directly from imgur using the little icons at the top of the text box here at CPF and my celphone. Aint life grand? Or you can do a simple edit to the link.
I downloaded the picture to my account, then on my android did a long press, then "share direct link"
http://i.imgur.com/S1D7Fz0.jpg
You can click/press to view the pic or...
Use the little picture frame icon at the top right of the post box, click "url" choice, paste the link and uncheck the box. Click ok. You see this...
After the simple process.
Or
A more direct way. When you paste the link directly to your post you see:
http://i.imgur.com/dYafSa9.jpg again.
Add (IMG tags) to each end of the link.
(Note:If you go to edit your post later and want to make the photo show up you'll see url at each end of your link. Simply replace those with the IMG thing)
There ya have it.
I'm also trying out tiny pic, post image and imgur.
Testing tiny pic
(A Stewart R Browne pat pend military issue circa 1939 using Tiny Pic to host)
I showed the Stewart R Browne light because it has a reflector that is practicaly a Qualtech twin. 1970's/80's tech goes back to 1930's intrinsicly safe technology.
The Stewart Browne OD is larger but the resemblence is remarkable.
An LA Screw family photo.
Note cousin B-Lite got a reflector transplant thanks to grandpa 5D.
Testing imgur:
Basically a lot of folks simply share the link to their photo and we can easily click it and view. However it is a more satisfying experience to most to view the photo in the post. So while photobucket policy change induced insomnia combined with my ocd enters it's 3rd day... I figured out how to post pix directly from imgur using the little icons at the top of the text box here at CPF and my celphone. Aint life grand? Or you can do a simple edit to the link.
I downloaded the picture to my account, then on my android did a long press, then "share direct link"
http://i.imgur.com/S1D7Fz0.jpg
You can click/press to view the pic or...
Use the little picture frame icon at the top right of the post box, click "url" choice, paste the link and uncheck the box. Click ok. You see this...
After the simple process.
Or
A more direct way. When you paste the link directly to your post you see:
http://i.imgur.com/dYafSa9.jpg again.
Add (IMG tags) to each end of the link.
(Note:If you go to edit your post later and want to make the photo show up you'll see url at each end of your link. Simply replace those with the IMG thing)
There ya have it.
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Amen brother! I switched over all my posts in this thread to Imgur. I'm going to do the Maglite thread next.
irongate
Enlightened
TR4 did you get my message?
irongate
Enlightened
She will keep you out of trouble then!
My intial knee-jerk reaction was to delete my account at photobucket. I had gone through the motions but re-enstated it later for 2 reasons.
1) was to leave the ugly reminders that on June 30th 2017 they had pulled a gestapo move to many of it's customers.
2) 48 hours after closing the account the pix would be replaced with little green boxes that cannot be accessed by a reader who can click on the now ugly reminder to see the photo. Apple users reportedly get an ad free access. Rooted andriod users with ad blockers also get the ad free view.
Imgur is a work around that can be just as easily gestapo'd by somebody over there. Drop Box and Image Shack have already left the 3rd party link share game. Now that pb did their dastardly deed a sudden influx of non-paying 3rd party sharing minded images may prompt them to do same.
Smug-Mug has a small monthly fee for sharing via 3rd party links as that site is set up for photographers to share their photos with the outside world. It's a pretty good setup if the imgur thing goes awry.
Tiny Pic is set up to share photos directly to 3rd parties. They are owned by photobucket so I'm skeptical.
About the time Kel-Lites were being Streamlight'd a ginormous natural gas supplier was using small, local companies to install local gas service all across America. I inspected many-a new project as a local government inspector to ensure they restored folks yards and streets back to normal as this progressed. Millions of businesses and homes began purging their electricity supplied stoves, water heaters and climate control systems. My thoughts back then was that someday these folks will have a monopoly.
Then the giant company began buying up all of the small suppliers. Here in 2017 customers pay for their gas like always but... they also pay fees for the gas line maintanance, for transporting the gas from point a to b and taxes the priveledge. Meanwhile a consumption fee is also asessed by my state.
So what starts out as a bill $35 ends up $63 after everyone grabs their little portion.
My point being that all things digital will be treated the same way as we become more and more strapped to the internet....including sharing photos.
So while Streamlight was acquiring Kel-Lite, GT Price was taking over LA Screw, John Wayne was shutting down Tru-Grit and Tony Maglica was swimming in $20 bills from the success of the minimag, subtle changes were taking place across America. Now your $24 celphone bill is $79, your $55 electric bill ends up $78, your $2.99 6 pack of beer is $8, and coming to a forum near you your free photo sharing site will be $5 a month. Photobucket just revealed the future.
Edit:
Here's a classified from the December 1977 issue of 'the Rotarian' magazine.
It appears LA Screw was trying to tap into the high end flashlight user market by touting "fits in a brief case" "perfect for the executive". At $29.95 they were likely the only crowd (outside of law enforcement and military types) who'd forgoe that kind of cost for a flashlight. (Think $249.95 2017 dollars)
You could use your Americard if you liked.
Here is the light Lift'd showed us in his collection. His is the GT Price version.
(Pic borrowed from the Kel-Lite blog)
Note the screw up front.
Ed Tor indicated this one was meant as a traffic wand or that sort of thing. Apparently initial versions began on Vare-Beams hence the Vari-Probe name.
I like the ability to lego various parts n pieces of these lights to go from throwers, to general use, to traffic wand, to super bright mega long type with a variety of switch types. Crude by todays standards but back then quite the novel approach to a budding niche of the flashlight industry. PK and SureFire perfected the idea later, but the LA Screw helped write an early chapter in the history book.
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Scott@Tektite
Newly Enlightened
I have stumbled across some information about a company that was quite possibly the missing link between the days of multiple C and D cell lights made of sprinkler pipe to the days of palm sized lights with the output of a 5D light. Tekna.
Quote in italics copy/pasted from the tek-tite web site:
Tektite-TEKNA History
The original Tekna company, formed by talented designer and entrepreneur Ralph Osterhout in 1978, was broken up and sold in 1990. This unfortunate situation resulted in product lines being sold to various manufacturers. Most of the flashlight products went to Ray-O-Vac (discontinued in the early '90's); an ex-Tekna design engineer bought most of the knife line (Roger Moriano, RAM Design); and the scuba products went to the new Tekna/Ocean Edge scuba company (later Ocean Reef). The Tekna underwater vehicle was eventually purchased by Oceanic.
TEKTITE became involved in 1990-91 by making diving flashlights for the new Tekna/Ocean Edge scuba company that was formed by leading scuba industry executives. From the outset, we were regularly asked about the availability of parts and service for Tekna items, and we began offering limited Tekna replacement parts and service in the mid-1990's, as well as some direction for owners whose products we could not assist with. Over the years, we have added to this list, and began distributing the Tekna knife product line as well.
In 2004-06 we purchased the original Tekna knives production tooling and inventory from companies in Europe and the U.S., and arranged for the production of the knives, flashlights and parts contained herein. In many cases, the original Tekna vendors supply components for these items. We are the world's leading experts on the original Tekna flashlights and knives, with our human resources including original Tekna dealers, service techs, production vendors, and design engineers. We offer the most comprehensive parts inventory and service for Tekna Knives and flashlights available anywhere. We offer 21st Century LED upgrades for most classic Tekna flashlights, so you can keep your beloved Tekna Lites, AND have modern performance and battery cost saving, too. We have added additional products, including additional improvements to the classic Tekna designs. The new Tekna flashlight designs offered here are where Tekna would have been in the 21st century. We manufacture the best, most rugged, U.S. made LED flashlights; we have the patents to prove it.
^^ Their brief history. Thanks goes out to Tek-Tite owner Scott Mele who has been helpful in providing information that'll be used in the future. The quote in italics was copy/pasted from the history page at the tektite web site.
The "missing link" lineup
And some bulb info.
Note, to anyone who acquires a "micro-lite" or "micro-lith" a pair of N cells will make it go.
I did some research here at CPF and found there was keen interest in these lights back in the days before 200 lumen LED's. And best I can tell Tektites current lineup are US built items.
This post and further Tekna posts are not meant to derail this thread of big lights. It is meant to continue to chronicle the morph between baton sized lights and those little lights we now carry.
I've reached out to Tektite in hopes they will chime in and add some history as well. Afterall, they too began as a small game changing California company about the time Tony Maglica was releasing his game changers.
Edit: 'post image dot org' is the source for these photos from my gallery. So long photobucket.
Nother edit:
Tek-Tite has parts for the old Tekna lights including E10 LED drop in's with tiny little 5mm emitters that fit just like oem into the reflector.
Well, we switched Coasts, we are now "Made in New Jersey"
So far, that's still in the US, But following CA down the Left road...Anyway, I'm happy to provide whatever information I can to this Post, just send me a PM if you need links to parts, please.As a personal detail, my interest in flashlights began because of "Cop lights". My Dad is a retired NJ Trooper. For years as a kid, I would get his hand-me-down or broken flashlights to experiment with. Eveready Captains, big searchlights, and eventually a Kel-Lite; I was hooked. I've had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Don Keller, George Price, Ralph Osterhoudt, and many other of my illustrious predecessors over the years. Besides owning a flashlight company, I also collect antique flashlights, with working models over 100 years old (I'm pretty one-dimensional)
.
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irongate
Enlightened
Scott all I can say is WOW !
Thank you for all that information.
Thank you for all that information.
Man-o-man. Scott Mele is in the house!!
I could (and likely will) spend hours geeking out on that photo.
So much EPIC in that collection.
I read that Conrad Hubert handed out Evereadys to local precincts in New York back in the 1920's as a way of boosting sales at the time. It seems as though cops liked them (along with their wives) but perps n prisoners hated the idea.
Part of what prompted this thread was while I was watching a Dirty Harry marathon I noticed the actors in a 1973 movie were using Captains. If memory serves I got the original notion while reading a member here's blog about early Maglites. The idea bounced around my brain some but never really stuck until sgt and I struck up a conversation about some info he'd gained from one of the players of that time. Now we have been graced with the presence of another player of the time.
Thank you Scott.
Cheers to US made!
I could (and likely will) spend hours geeking out on that photo.
So much EPIC in that collection.
I read that Conrad Hubert handed out Evereadys to local precincts in New York back in the 1920's as a way of boosting sales at the time. It seems as though cops liked them (along with their wives) but perps n prisoners hated the idea.
Part of what prompted this thread was while I was watching a Dirty Harry marathon I noticed the actors in a 1973 movie were using Captains. If memory serves I got the original notion while reading a member here's blog about early Maglites. The idea bounced around my brain some but never really stuck until sgt and I struck up a conversation about some info he'd gained from one of the players of that time. Now we have been graced with the presence of another player of the time.
Thank you Scott.
Cheers to US made!
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Scott@Tektite
Newly Enlightened
I just posted on the "Where's all the old timers?" thread. Been here since 2001. Seems like just 27 years ago I was being called a "young upstart" when I started the company. The collection photo is about 12 years old; It's considerably expanded over the years. Here's 3 of my faves:
L to R, all Eveready- 1903 police lantern (Wood), 1911 Low profile switch (first model with a slide switch), 1913 "Baby" 2 C-cell (Now converted to LED & still works!)
L to R, all Eveready- 1903 police lantern (Wood), 1911 Low profile switch (first model with a slide switch), 1913 "Baby" 2 C-cell (Now converted to LED & still works!)
irongate
Enlightened
I just posted on the "Where's all the old timers?" thread. Been here since 2001. Seems like just 27 years ago I was being called a "young upstart" when I started the company. The collection photo is about 12 years old; It's considerably expanded over the years. Here's 3 of my faves:
L to R, all Eveready- 1903 police lantern (Wood), 1911 Low profile switch (first model with a slide switch), 1913 "Baby" 2 C-cell (Now converted to LED & still works!)
That Baby 2 c-cell is what I have, just have not located any batteries to fit in it. Very nice light. Chrome still looks brand new, glass is perfect still.
