Where did all the oldtimers go.

[Steve K]

.... I seemed to hit a critical-mass of knowledge, expertise, and spare parts in 2015, because my collection absolutely exploded last year. .....

sounds like you need to invest in a better charger for those lithium batteries...
(sorry)

 

[psychbeat]

sounds like you need to invest in a better charger for those lithium batteries...
(sorry)

I think it was his hoverboardz that blew up his flashlight collection

 

[Zman]

I haven't really been here much in years, I just stop in once in a while. Arc LS was my first 'premium' light. It was super exciting getting in on all the custom lights. The VIP, the Lionheart, the original Muyshondt light all are classics. I bought tons of modding circuits, heatsinks, stars, collimators, and they never were built into things.

I blew through so much money on flashlights back then pre-children. Now funds aren't so disposable...

 

[bykfixer]

Dunno if I count as an old-timer yet, but I've been busy throwing my money at my RC collection for the past 3 years. I seemed to hit a critical-mass of knowledge, expertise, and spare parts in 2015, because my collection absolutely exploded last year. I have 27 vehicles now, one of which is an airplane with a 5-foot wingspan. It uses a discontinued rotary engine, the only one ever made for RC use, which I have three spares for. In the past month I've been selling spare parts that I'd been accumulating since last summer, all of which were sold at a loss, and still recouped over a thousand dollars. All of that has been spent on new parts, some upgrades and some spares. I've had to make a no-new-vehicles rule, but that's not too hard to enforce because 1) I bought all the vehicles I wanted just before implementing that rule, and 2) I'm out of shelf space. I'm going to be paying-off all that stuff for a long time. It sounds financially unwise, but after a series of severe panic attacks in 2013-2015, I realized that if I die tomorrow I'd rather die having had the opportunity to own the toys I've wanted since I was a kid instead of dying debt-free.

A couple years ago I had a scare that caused me to re-think life in general. I took on your perspective.
Now to be fair to my wife I have a Mason jar buried that if the worst occurs will take care of said debt so she won't be stuck with paying for my toys.

 

[ledlurker]

Still around, I do not modify flashlights any more. Once the tech was available on the shelf that hit 200 + lumens, I was done. Recent purchase is a a Fenix rechargeable which fits all my needs and the my wants have tempered with time

 

[ledlurker]

Its been a while, where the old timers at?

You might be an oldtimer if.....

A 15 lumen luxeon star was the brightest LED when you joined CPF and it took 3AAs to power it.
Your first ''nice'' flashlight was a Photon Micro or Inova X5

BINGO

still have stuff like that laying around

 

[JasonC8301]

BINGO

still have stuff like that laying around

For sure. I remember even before the Arc stuff and the go to was an SF E2. No LEDs all incandescents.

Times have changed but I still like the older SF lights. I recently got in on the Surefire 6P deals and bought 3. I keep one on my duty belt with a malkoff and a second one in my edc bag with a sporttac drop in. Not sure what to do with the third one (still in package.)

My bail out bag has a SF C3 in it with P90 bulb in it. Was on my belt before with a malkoff but just something about the P90 beam color...

 

[Bogie]

My contribution to you might be a old timer. Including a Dorcy 1 Watt, Sharper Image 1 Watt, the Gerber I have worn daily for more years then I care to admit and some spare CMG's [emoji2]

 

[Pellidon]

Its been a while, where the old timers at?

You might be an oldtimer if.....

A 15 lumen luxeon star was the brightest LED when you joined CPF and it took 3AAs to power it.
Your first ''nice'' flashlight was a Photon Micro or Inova X5

Don't forget the "cat pee green" :green: Luxeons or the Luxeon lottery.

 

[Denix]

Just noticed this thread. I joined when I got my first real light, a Streamlight Scorpion. I was totally amazed at 60 lumens from 2 CR123 batteries. The bulb only lasted for a few battery changes before blowing up.

Then I discovered the Arc AAA like most people here, and have bought several dozen lights since then. I've been fairly quiet since I got my MBI HRF. 600 lumens in a tiny package, with a usable low and high.

Glad to see a lot of the oldtimers are still here.

Guy

 

[Xrunner]

I had a few pea/pee greens.

Good to see some familiar names still around. I even remember the occasional Surefire green-tinted "white" LEDs!

 

[Blades]

My contribution to you might be a old timer. Including a Dorcy 1 Watt, Sharper Image 1 Watt, the Gerber I have worn daily for more years then I care to admit and some spare CMG's [emoji2]

I wish I had some spare CMG's. Nice.

 

[FNG]

For sure. I remember even before the Arc stuff and the go to was an SF E2. No LEDs all incandescents.

Times have changed but I still like the older SF lights. I recently got in on the Surefire 6P deals and bought 3. I keep one on my duty belt with a malkoff and a second one in my edc bag with a sporttac drop in. Not sure what to do with the third one (still in package.)

My bail out bag has a SF C3 in it with P90 bulb in it. Was on my belt before with a malkoff but just something about the P90 beam color...

What's up, Jason? Glad to see that you're still around. I remember us chatting on AIM or something way back.

Just checking in after seeing a link from Kestrel in another thread. I found CPF after being in awe of the Streamlight Stylus AAAA that my brother had. My first light was the $30 (?) Arc AAA which was pretty expensive for a HS Junior working for minimum wage at the local K-Mart. It eventually was replaced by a Fenix L0D in ~2008 after flickering issues but I probably have it in a box somewhere for nostalgia. The L0D still rides on my key fob but I don't even use it as a light anymore. The last battery died sometime last year and I haven't felt the need to replace it. I also had an Arc LS but don't remember the reason why I sold it.

One of my first SF lights was the G2Z. It rides in the car and everything is still original except I swapped the LA for a Lumens Factory HO-6 at least a 5 years ago (I don't remember when I got it). The output is somewhere between the P60 and P61 and still has that nice incandescent beam which I still much prefer. I don't use it much (or any flashlight for that matter, hence the dead L0D) so it's still on the same set of batteries for at least 12 months. I've been thinking about buying a metal head with a really high output LED but see no reason to.

The M6 collects dust and I probably play with it once a year. I lost/misplaced the A2 a while back when visiting relatives from out of town. Another light I used to have that you guys probably remember was the TigerLight. Remember it being all the rage? I sold it after realizing that I don't have a need for rechargeable lights and have stuck with primaries ever since.

I recently started looking at flashlights again after a few years of being away and picked up a LUMINTOP IYP365 Nichia (2xAAA) and NOS 4Sevens QTL (1xCR123A) this month. The QTL is the perfect "tactical" EDC with its perfectly simple UI with forward clicky. I leave it on strobe with the head tightened (246 lumens) and medium with it loosened (26 lumens). The medium is bright enough for most everyday tasks but if I need more light without reprogramming, the pen light can output ~100 lumens with just a few clicks.

 

[generic808]

Any oldschool katz still around?

What up everyone! It's been a very long time since I've logged in and I just wanted to see if there were any old school guys from 7-8 years ago still around. It's crazy how things have changed since I've been out of it for so long. Any of my old customers still lingering?

 

[bykfixer]

Re: Any oldschool katz still around?

Scout is one of the bosses now, PK left SureFire and Greta has a new tattoo.

Oh, and 1000 lumens is no big deal anymore.

 

[aginthelaw]

Re: Any oldschool katz still around?

i'm still here. been here since 2000. got an account in 2007. still haven't made over 600 posts yet. i still have no tattoos. cant decide which flashlight to make one out of

 

[scout24]

Re: Any oldschool katz still around?

See brighterisbetter's avatar... :nana:

 

[Blades]

Re: Any oldschool katz still around?

I'm not dead yet.

 

[kaseri]

Re: Any oldschool katz still around?

I'm still around, sporadically. Still love lights. Just too busy to spend hours on CPF.

 

[Icarus]

Re: Any oldschool katz still around?

I still login almost every day.