What was the ONE light that got you hooked...
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Daekar
Enlightened
I actually had two at different times of life. Looking back I realize that I've always liked lights, but the first one to make me go "Wow!" was a Boyscout branded incandescent that had a 3"+ reflector and ran on 4 D cells. It was the brightest darn thing in the woods, and the first light I had ever seen the beam on. We decided it was practically nuclear-powered when it had new cells in it. 
Of course, I didn't have the money to spend on more, nor would my parents have understood if I had asked for a Surefire if I had somehow found out about their existence.
Later, in college, I was a frequent visitor of the SKSboards, a firearms forum, where I learned a bit about preparedness, CPF... and Surefires. After a good bit of research, I got an L2 and a spares carrier. I couldn't believe how bright that light was! That L2 was really the tipping point - it was all downhill from there, and I stopped trying to keep track of how many lights and accessories I've purchased. Let's just say I've done my part to stimulate the global economy.
Of course, I didn't have the money to spend on more, nor would my parents have understood if I had asked for a Surefire if I had somehow found out about their existence.Later, in college, I was a frequent visitor of the SKSboards, a firearms forum, where I learned a bit about preparedness, CPF... and Surefires. After a good bit of research, I got an L2 and a spares carrier. I couldn't believe how bright that light was! That L2 was really the tipping point - it was all downhill from there, and I stopped trying to keep track of how many lights and accessories I've purchased. Let's just say I've done my part to stimulate the global economy.
Danielight
Enlightened
4Sevens Quark AA2 (non-tactical). Since then I've bought six more, sold one. My buying has slowed down for financial reasons 
but I'm still looking anyway :naughty: ...
but I'm still looking anyway :naughty: ...
NeSSuS-GTE
Newly Enlightened
LoL! Dare I say it?
Wicked Laser Torch
I was one caught in the whirlwind of impracticality. It has been a fun ride! Journey made possible by Mac, FiveMega and LuxLuthor, among so many others. Thank you so much guys!
Wicked Laser Torch
I was one caught in the whirlwind of impracticality. It has been a fun ride! Journey made possible by Mac, FiveMega and LuxLuthor, among so many others. Thank you so much guys!
Johnbeck180
Enlightened
The first light that got me hooked was the Eagletac T100C2, nice well built light with decent throw.
Lumens Industry
Newly Enlightened
I would say a surefire G2 incan. I use it for work and wanted something a little brighter and I found this place and never looked back : )
Lumens Industry
Lumens Industry
fisk-king
Flashlight Enthusiast
+1. I was amazed something so small could produce that much light. Just wish it had more threads on the body....
OCD
Enlightened
For me it was an impulse buy of a Brinkmann Legend LX. It was my first lithium powered light. I was impressed that a light that small could be brighter than a 2D Mag. I was surprised that I only got about an hour of run time out of it. And even more surprised that batteries were $5 each (from the B&M store....I was unaware of anything flashlight related on-line at that time!)
Lumens Industry
Newly Enlightened
I would say a surefire G2 incan. I use it for work and wanted something a little brighter and I found this place and never looked back : )
Lumens Industry
Lumens Industry
Lumens_kid3331
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2011
- Messages
- 7
Coleman 3aaa RWB with a magnetic control ring
walterr839
Enlightened
I'ld have to say the Surefire M6. I bought one about 10 years ago on a whim. I heard about it somewhere and thought for $600 it must be good. I had to have one. Back then it was the brightest light I had ever played with. That led me to the A2 Aviator that I used for preflighting at night. I still have both those lights but have added the PhD M6 battery pack to the M6 and a calipsoii red and warm white ring to the A2 and run it on 16340 IMR cells. I still get a kick out of the M6 and use the A2 as a night light.
Years ago: the River Rock "1/2 watt" LED. I was in Target and saw their flashlight/battery rack. I thought about getting a mini-mag in red, but poked around a little more, and they had the River Rock 2AAA LED light for $7.99 [a lot of money for me to ask a parent for, I thought]. I knew about LED's, a little, and knew they were brighter and didn't burn out, so I managed to convince my mom that she should buy it.
It was the brightest light in the house, lol, at about 10-12 lumens with a purple/blue tinted hotspot and very little spill. But it threw out an impressive [at the time] beam of light, ran forever on a pair of Duracell AAA's, survived a few trips through the wash. It couldn't be beat.
I started googling around, looking for a review, and found the flashlight reviews archive page. I spent hours poring over the various pages of lights, reading every review, comparing lights features, outputs, prices... The one I found most impressive then, was the then-new HDS EDC Ultimate 60! I knew I just had to have one, but at many, many times the cost of my river rock, I knew that was impossible. So I had to sate my appetite with online reviews.
A few years later, I found the reviews section on CPF [really weird, a website where people talk about "flashlights"]. Seeing the march of time and technology, I began searching anew. About a year after that, I was in Scouts, so I needed a good light or two for camping and hiking. I stumbled upon a great deal on a princeton tec Aurora headlamp [it was $30 retail, way, way too much for me to spend] at a yard sale for $10, so I snapped it up. I've used it for years, until about last year, when a set of Duracells leaked in it and destroyed it...
I wanted something bright and impressive. Then, as now, most lights seemed to run on CR123, which were $15 a pop at my local rite-aid [and still are, lol]. So I needed to stick with AA powered lights. After months of research, I settled on a Fenix LD20 premium Q5. Great light, excellent output and throw, considering it is literally the size and weight of a mini-mag. Reading more of the cons of using alkaline batteries, and experiencing <10 minute run times on turbo with fresh duracells, I invested in a duracell "duraloop" Ni-MH charger and a few sets of batteries.
And since then, I've collected various HDS lights, a Quark Ti AA, a Surefire E2L turned Milkyspit Expurgator, and E1E, a Surefire KL1 head, a lumapower D1... And am still looking. Nothing has jived right as my HDS lights, but I still like to collect, even if I'm more "catch and release" style now, due to the expense.
It was the brightest light in the house, lol, at about 10-12 lumens with a purple/blue tinted hotspot and very little spill. But it threw out an impressive [at the time] beam of light, ran forever on a pair of Duracell AAA's, survived a few trips through the wash. It couldn't be beat.
I started googling around, looking for a review, and found the flashlight reviews archive page. I spent hours poring over the various pages of lights, reading every review, comparing lights features, outputs, prices... The one I found most impressive then, was the then-new HDS EDC Ultimate 60! I knew I just had to have one, but at many, many times the cost of my river rock, I knew that was impossible. So I had to sate my appetite with online reviews.
A few years later, I found the reviews section on CPF [really weird, a website where people talk about "flashlights"]. Seeing the march of time and technology, I began searching anew. About a year after that, I was in Scouts, so I needed a good light or two for camping and hiking. I stumbled upon a great deal on a princeton tec Aurora headlamp [it was $30 retail, way, way too much for me to spend] at a yard sale for $10, so I snapped it up. I've used it for years, until about last year, when a set of Duracells leaked in it and destroyed it...
I wanted something bright and impressive. Then, as now, most lights seemed to run on CR123, which were $15 a pop at my local rite-aid [and still are, lol]. So I needed to stick with AA powered lights. After months of research, I settled on a Fenix LD20 premium Q5. Great light, excellent output and throw, considering it is literally the size and weight of a mini-mag. Reading more of the cons of using alkaline batteries, and experiencing <10 minute run times on turbo with fresh duracells, I invested in a duracell "duraloop" Ni-MH charger and a few sets of batteries.
And since then, I've collected various HDS lights, a Quark Ti AA, a Surefire E2L turned Milkyspit Expurgator, and E1E, a Surefire KL1 head, a lumapower D1... And am still looking. Nothing has jived right as my HDS lights, but I still like to collect, even if I'm more "catch and release" style now, due to the expense.
edpmis02
Enlightened
I saw youtube videos of Fenix L0Ds that out blasted 3D maglights.. L0D Q4 "Christmas edition" was my first non MegaMart light. Hate to admit it.. but it replaced a Mag Solitaire on my keychain.. Yes.. slight upgrade!
vee
Newly Enlightened
HDS. Bought 2 B60's within the first month of joining CPF! :naughty:
A little Streamlight keychain something or the other, can't remember exactly what it was. But it was an LED that ran on four button cell batteries which cost more to replace then the price of the light. While I was "wowed" by the brightness(I didn't call it output back then) the cost of the batteries was twice the cost of the light. There must be something better then this.....
qwertyydude
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
- Messages
- 1,115
Mine definitely was the Inova X1 gen. 1 with the Tiros lens. That flashlight is still cool cause it had a just about perfect and uniform circle of light in actuality it's quite a bit less useful than the standard spot and spill. I wish I could still find one since I lost it camping.
