What is the best flashlight in the fog?
- Thread starter efka
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You'll probably get many responses about the warmer the led the better, but in my (admittedly somewhat small) experience nothing beats an incandescent. Any incandescent.
I've not yet had a really foggy night to try my M60W, but my Ra WW wasn't that great in fog and I'm not expecting much from the M60W since it's slightly higher color temp.
I've not yet had a really foggy night to try my M60W, but my Ra WW wasn't that great in fog and I'm not expecting much from the M60W since it's slightly higher color temp.
I don't know anything about incandescent, but a pretty convincing video of the merits of a warm white LED can be seen here.
Apart from that, I would say lots of throw held as far away from the eyes as possible. You want to look as little along the beam as possible. You want little flood as the reflections of the fog/snow only be the more blinding.
Apart from that, I would say lots of throw held as far away from the eyes as possible. You want to look as little along the beam as possible. You want little flood as the reflections of the fog/snow only be the more blinding.
Juggernaut
Flashlight Enthusiast
You want a low Kelvin color, "most likely Incan, and a narrow beam, though I wouldn't use anything super bright because the beam turns solid white and can not be seen though, the old school sealed beam bulbs "up to 8 watts" are some of the best for this and are used or reproduced with modern reflectors / bulbs in most firefighting lanterns / search lights:thumbsup:.
I can say by experience that the cooler the color, the worse it is, unless you're trying to signal someone. When I got my first thrower (very cool LED color) I used binoculars to see how far it could throw on a clear night, but all I saw was the beam and nothing else. I do take my TK40 out in the fog just to wow myself on how bright the beam is, however...
I did try some slightly more neutral lights in the fog this summer and they where a lot nicer, but still not the best, so I'd say incan will probably work best
I did try some slightly more neutral lights in the fog this summer and they where a lot nicer, but still not the best, so I'd say incan will probably work best
color is totally unimportant,
the amount of SPILL is important!
Thats why incands are said to be "better" in fog - nearly 2/3 of the emitted light go into reflector and thus directed.
normal Led lights are reverse - just 1/3, up to 1/5, depending on reflector/optic - gets directed, the major amount is direct spill
... and spill blinds You in fog.
If You have a nice led light You like AND have fog often: cut a round disc, about 1/2 the diameter of Your reflector, out of (black) adhesive tape and put that in the middle of Your front glass ...
... tadadaaaaaa much better fog-cutting light than anything else
[edit]
"color is totally unimportant" is meant in view of fog.
In General blue end spectrum is boring.
Anything not neutral or warm white is so bad, even the most extreme led-guy hates it
But that has nothing to do with fog
[/edit]
the amount of SPILL is important!
Thats why incands are said to be "better" in fog - nearly 2/3 of the emitted light go into reflector and thus directed.
normal Led lights are reverse - just 1/3, up to 1/5, depending on reflector/optic - gets directed, the major amount is direct spill
... and spill blinds You in fog.
If You have a nice led light You like AND have fog often: cut a round disc, about 1/2 the diameter of Your reflector, out of (black) adhesive tape and put that in the middle of Your front glass ...
... tadadaaaaaa much better fog-cutting light than anything else
[edit]
"color is totally unimportant" is meant in view of fog.
In General blue end spectrum is boring.
Anything not neutral or warm white is so bad, even the most extreme led-guy hates it
But that has nothing to do with fog
[/edit]
Last edited:
strinq
Enlightened
From the vid, it is pretty clear that the warmer TK20 totally outperforms the TK11.
It's just basically because in a fog/blizzard everything is white. Add more whiteness and you can't see a thing.
It's just basically because in a fog/blizzard everything is white. Add more whiteness and you can't see a thing.
Bingo!
One LED solution which would work is an aspheric (DEFT being the most extreme example), or a Fresnel lens. Otherwise incan/HID in a reflector narrows the beam better than standard LED lights. However there are some incands (i.e. Osram 64623) that are made for projectors and also have too much flood spill to be useful in such a scenario.
Outdoors Fanatic
Flashlight Enthusiast
Get a decent incandescent light, anyone.
lctorana
Flashlight Enthusiast
Juggernaut has already said the answer.
A sealed beam lantern. Ideally a low-power 2W job.
Anything else, ANYTHING else, is second-best.
A sealed beam lantern. Ideally a low-power 2W job.
Anything else, ANYTHING else, is second-best.
With respect to my esteemed colleague, living here in coastal CT a block from the beach, we get heavy fog a lot. We call it "pea soup" it gets so thick. Sometimes I cannot see the street light that is 25-30 yards away. I have experimented a lot with many lights.
The idea of old school low power/sealed beam is based upon the idea of minimizing typical spill effect &/or total output to prevent "white out."
I have used several of the highly promoted firefighter lights (even including Pelican Big Ed, Streamlight Survivor). I am 100% certain that there are better alternatives at least in the fog we have here. Ultimately, in really dense smoke or fog, nothing is going to cut through it....but I can see way farther with a well confined, minimal spill beam than a 2-4W light.
I'll try that next time we have fog to compare to other ones I have found as best so far. Thanks
lctorana
Flashlight Enthusiast
Wow. There is something with less spill and a more concentrated beam than a low-power sealed beam lantern?
That's nothing less than incredible. Do go on, I'm really excited.
kelmo
Flashlight Enthusiast
That all depends on your intent.
We really get socked-in in the the San Joaquin/Sacramento Valley area every once in awhile. When that happens you just wait until in burns off.
So my best light for the fog are anything with a HOLA; MN21, P91, P61, BOG Cree Premium drop-in, M60W, etc. It's too dangerous to be driving in it so I use the opportunity let my inner child run wild!
BTW welcome to CPF efka!!!
We really get socked-in in the the San Joaquin/Sacramento Valley area every once in awhile. When that happens you just wait until in burns off.
So my best light for the fog are anything with a HOLA; MN21, P91, P61, BOG Cree Premium drop-in, M60W, etc. It's too dangerous to be driving in it so I use the opportunity let my inner child run wild!
BTW welcome to CPF efka!!!
On a foggy night I took my TK11 R2, single-mode E2DL, and stock G3 into the corn field behind the house. There was no corn.
It's probably 120 - 140 yards to the other side.
The TK11 and E2DL were much brighter but all I could see was the beam.
The G3 put just as much light on the back of the field (tree line) and I could barely see the beam.
A 200 lumen incan and 200 lumen LED would be the best example.
The incan would make the LED look like a wimp in the fog.
It's probably 120 - 140 yards to the other side.
The TK11 and E2DL were much brighter but all I could see was the beam.
The G3 put just as much light on the back of the field (tree line) and I could barely see the beam.
A 200 lumen incan and 200 lumen LED would be the best example.
The incan would make the LED look like a wimp in the fog.
Illum
Flashaholic
well, that depends on what your trying to use the light for
are you trying to light up the fog or are you trying to light up something in the fog?
lighting up fog is wasting light...a light with 100% spill will do you no good except to impress bystandards
are you trying to light up the fog or are you trying to light up something in the fog?
lighting up fog is wasting light...a light with 100% spill will do you no good except to impress bystandards
