What flashlight do you keep in your vehicle?

[jacobd]

I keep a Malkoff MDC 123 in my car with a few spare cells. Although I couldn't find it last time I looked so I may need to replace that one 😐

 

[Monocrom]

Inexpensive LED headlamp in the glove compartment or center console might be a better bet for you. Though far from a worthy replacement for one of Gene's creations. Hope you find your Malkoff, very soon.

 

[jacobd]

Inexpensive LED headlamp in the glove compartment or center console might be a better bet for you. Though far from a worthy replacement for one of Gene's creations. Hope you find your Malkoff, very soon.

It's a sad loss! I'm sure its floating around in there, I need to have a proper investigation this weekend haha, I'll report back. I also keep a Skilhunt H150 in there since @jon_slider mentioned his, and I thought it was a great idea.

One day I'd love to be rich enough to keep a Haiku with CR123a in every corner of the house and car in case of emergency 😂

 

[Tungsten98]

not really a car or truck light, but it winds up in there whenever I'm in there.

Nitecore P20V2, not the UV model. Been using it every day for almost 5 years, working in a factory environment 5 days a week as a tech. It's been dropped a few times, has a lot of wear marks, but it turns on every time.

 

[PacificMoon]

I am putting my Pelican 2360 (one Eneloop inside) in my car today. Don't know if folks here would say it is the ideal car light but it's what I have right now. When I have more money to spare (hopefully some day in the not too distant future...) I may get a new flashlight (or two) that excels at a specific purpose such as this. But for now the 2360 will have to do.

 

[CatSan]

I keep a stream light sidewinder in my wife's car. Just finding that having the ability to have a right angled torch, that I can clip onto myself, is useful for repairs. Also the batteries seem to last for ages in it.

 

[Fuzzywuzzies]

Well. I need to spec a couple of emergency lights for a minibus.… Something that:
- Glows in the dark
- Is extremely simple to operate
- Has a very floody beam
- Will run on primaries (Longevity and heat-resistance)

Magnetic mounting is all the rage these days, and I'm a fan, but a fixed mount would probably be better. I'm pretty capable though so I should be able to make a mount pretty easily if need be.
Bonus points for anything else I haven't thought of.

Any great ideas fellas?

 

[Monocrom]

I'm thinking any type of Glow In The Dark headlamp.

 

[Fuzzywuzzies]

Yeah, I had in mind something like the Pelican 3310 or 3410 series, loaded up with lithium primaries. I don't know what the beam characteristics are like, but I can't see such a detail being an issue.
Headlamp is an excellent idea, I already have a Skilhunt H200 on the way for the utility kit in the rear.

 

[aznsx]

List of priorities for vehicle flashlight:

1.) Reliability
2.) ________
3.) ________

They typically live in an environment where they are exposed to vibration, and significant ranges and changes of ambient temperature and humidity. When needed, the conditions are more likely to be sub-optimal, and the potential for knocks / drops likely higher than average. When needed, the need is often of some priority or urgency, and the price of failure is likely higher than average.

Most other criteria are subjective or optional by comparison, but I ensure that I meet #1 first.

 

[aznsx]

not really a car or truck light, but it winds up in there whenever I'm in there.

Nitecore P20V2, not the UV model. Been using it every day for almost 5 years, working in a factory environment 5 days a week as a tech. It's been dropped a few times, has a lot of wear marks, but it turns on every time.

That speaks very well of that light. Often factory maintenance environments / conditions are not easy on equipment, or the techs using it, and the reliability requirement is high. I'm pretty 'beat up' myself, but I still turn on every time (as does my flashlight ;-)

 

[Fuzzywuzzies]

List of priorities for vehicle flashlight:

1.) Reliability
2.) ________
3.) ________

They typically live in an environment where they are exposed to vibration, and significant ranges and changes of ambient temperature and humidity. When needed, the conditions are more likely to be sub-optimal, and the potential for knocks / drops likely higher than average. When needed, the need is often of some priority or urgency, and the price of failure is likely higher than average.

Most other criteria are subjective or optional by comparison, but I ensure that I meet #1 first.

Very well put.
Funny, I'm so hooked on reliability that I downright assumed that was the first and most obvious point; but never actually said it! Vibration is a good point too.

For most of my lights, the list looks like this:
- Reliability
-
-
-
- Operational simplicity
- Colour rendition
- Anything else
It's got to be in working order, able to be found and turned on easily, and produce sufficient light in sufficient quality to get the job done. The rest is up for argument.

The brief for this one is mostly to be able to find it on the wall of the minibus when upside down in a creek or something, Lord forbid it ever happens. It'll mount beside the emergency glass breaker up above a window. Hence glow in the dark being the top of my list, after reliability.

 

[Tungsten98]

That speaks very well of that light. Often factory maintenance environments / conditions are not easy on equipment, or the techs using it, and the reliability requirement is high. I'm pretty 'beat up' myself, but I still turn on every time (as does my flashlight ;-)

I couldn't be happier with their products. Well, most of them. the "tube" light sucks, and their little AA or AAA (I forget which) pen sized light is just meh. Their cheap stuff blows but the stuff higher up the food chain is pretty good, I say. Bought mom and dad each an MH11 for christmas. He uses his during the week as an IT manager, and on the weekends as a shade-tree mechanic.

I also have another P20V2 mounted to an AK47, via an aluminum barrel clamp type mount, right near the gas ports. It too, takes it like a champ mag dump after mag dump.

So, naturally when I found out they were being discontinued, I bought two or three more to keep as backups. I've got several 18650 batteries and all their stuff seems to be moving towards the 21700, retaining very little backwards compatibility.

seems I'm starting to rant....

 

[Tungsten98]

pic of that p20v2 just because

 

[jon_slider]

A headlamp with Eneloop inside.
No LiIon because they self discharge in summer heat.

First impressions Skilhunt H150

Nice small light, just 53 grams w 14500 inside. Nice floody beam for close range. Headband is comfortable, and it is easy to snap the light in and and out of the headband clip. Outputs have useful spacing, the UI is pretty simple to figure out without reading instructions.. It memorizes the...

www.candlepowerforums.com

 

[ghostguy6]

Yeah, I had in mind something like the Pelican 3310 or 3410 series, loaded up with lithium primaries. I don't know what the beam characteristics are like, but I can't see such a detail being an issue.
Headlamp is an excellent idea, I already have a Skilhunt H200 on the way for the utility kit in the rear.

If I remember I will take a photo of the 3310 beam tonight. The beam has a hotspot in the middle but plenty of usable side spill. It is the only light that I find has a useful strobe mode at 1 or 2 flashes per second. There is one draw back to the 3310. They tend to crack slightly around the head because the reflector assembly is pushed in. It hasn't posed much of a problem but I would not take that light diving for that reason.

Edit since I will likely forget to take the picture I will post the link to this review what shows the light being used outdoors at around the 8 min mark

 

[ghostguy6]

I havent forgotten to take the beam shots. Everytime it gets dark the smoke from forest fires settles making it hard for my camera to get pictures.

 

[Burncycle]

Blackshadow Terminator

 

[GMT2330]

Varta Indestructible 2xAA. (Similar to Rayovac virtually indestructible). Running on Energizer lithium AAs.
Good: Cheap, reliable.
Bad: Terrible UI. Every time you switch it on it's in the next mode. Also the low mode is too high/not distinct enough from the high mode.
I'm planning to replace it soon.

 

[Fuzzywuzzies]

I havent forgotten to take the beam shots. Everytime it gets dark the smoke from forest fires settles making it hard for my camera to get pictures.

Looks like Pelican's shipping beat ya to it! The 3410MCCs turned up today, and completely blew away my expectations. The flood is excellent. These are actually a very realistic work torch, assuming the battery life is good - obviously these are only standby, so will (hopefully) never get much use.
Colour tint is a lovely neutral warm tone, quite incandescent looking - this is the "correct colour" version; Pelican's name for 90+CRI. You drop a bit of brightness with this version, but at least you can see with some accuracy. At the price I got them for I wouldn't complain either way.
The glow body is quite good, and the build quality is exactly what you would expect from Pelican - solid, but definitely not 'flashaholic-fancy'.

There's a strong neodymium magnet built into the back of the clip, and it's just right. It just begins to flex the clip before pulling away from even thin metal, like the side of a vehicle. They thought about this one.

It takes 3x 1.5v AAs, (not 4x, despite appearances) in a 2+1 configuration in the tamper-resistant housing; these will have lithium primaries in them. The single button is a press for on and off, and press-and-hold to switch between spot, flood and spot+flood. I like it.

The magnet holds the torch in place just fine, but I will make a bracket or something so they really stay put in case of an accident. - Kind of the whole point.
These are now on the absolute top of my "highly recommended for your vehicle" list!


Oh yes, photos or it didn't happen: (Beamshots are off the potato, so not exposure controlled, so it appears brighter than actuality. It's not the sun for sure, but for what it is it's very, very good)