Underwater Kinetics

[AZMAN]

I'm new here and I am just getting into the whole flashlight thing. So I have been looking around and trying to educate myself.

One question, is it me or does Underwater Kinetics seem to have some of the brightest flashlights for the least amount of money?
I am going by the lumens rating at brightguy.

Another thing that peaves me is why some use lumens and some use candlepower. It make it VERY difficult for a newbie like me to do comparisons.

Just some thought from a beginner.

 

[sotto]

Hi and welcome:

I just moved my Underwater Kinetics MiniQ40 4AA light out to my truck along with a Maha-204 NIMH charger, cig lighter cable, and 4 extra NIMH AA's as my "SHTF" (s--t hits the fan) light. You're right, they're good value and good light. I also have my UK SL4 with 4 C-cells out there too for when I need a few extra photons at the party. The catch on these lights as I recall though is that you have to change the whole bulb/reflector module rather than just the bulb when it burns out. Pricier than most simple bulb changes cost.

 

[Ratso]

Hello, Welcome aboard.

Underwater Kinetics makes some incredibly bright and tough "dive" type lights for great prices. So does Princeton Tec and Pelican. Many popular models here are the Princeton Tec 40, UKE 4AA, UKE 2AAA, and UKE SL6.
Lumen ratings at Brightguy seem a little inflated when compared to Surefire's ratings, but I believe Surefire is just modest (the lights speak for themselves).

Lumen ratings measure overall light output of the bulb. Usually this is relative to the watts (volts x amps), or the amount of energy used to power a bulb. Typically, for a good xenon lamps, watts multiplied by 15 can give a good estimate of lumens. A high efficiency lamp may be multiplied by 20 or more. Lumens gives a good measure of the brightness of the light, but not intensity or focus of the beam.

Candlepower is the measure of the intensity of a spot at a certain focus point. That means if you shine a light at the wall, a very tight spot will get a high candlepower rating, because the light is focused and intense. A flood type beam will get a lower rating. Candlepower is a very deceptive measurement, and many companies drastically inflate the numbers. Kohler-Brightstar/LSI comes to mind here. Generally candlepower is more suited to comparing brightness between "spot" type lights of the same brand. A higher number usually means a tighter spot.

There is no way to convert between the two because they measure totally different things. The ideal manufacturer would use both, and even more detailed measurements for best comparisons between lights, however, most companies just want to sell more lights so they use candlepower and inflate it. 12,000 CP sells more to the average person than 40 Lumens, for example.

Hope this helps,
-Ratso

 

[sotto]

Azman:

Here's another idea for ya'. If you want to have a little fun tomorrow with your new hobby, run down to your local Sears store (or Orchard Hardware if you have one) and spend 9 or 10 bucks on one of their stubby little black rubber 4AA cell flashlights. It's the one with the red plastic rings around the base of the bezel and the neato prismatic reflector. Also, pick up a krypton 3D cell bulb (I think the number is KPR103). Pop out the bulb that comes with the light and substitute the krypton 3D cell bulb. Put some fresh alkaline AA's in it and you'll have a smokin' bright light with a real nice smooth hotspot and a nice wide bright corona around it. A cool surprise with this combo is the LED built into the base of the flashlight that tells you the battery charge status. It also comes with a lanyard AND a spare bulb in a nice little plastic carrying tube. Have fun.