Light Advice requested

Due to the recommendations of this group I've purchased an ARC AAA, Proton Freedom, Streamlight TL-3, and a couple Streamlight 4AA lux version. I really like the quality in all these lights. Thanks for the recommendations.



What I'm looking for now is a small nightstand type light with little output. Mainly to be used for walking around in the bedroom while the wife is sleeping. So hopefully I could get a light with long run time and a regulated light is a must (I've been spoiled). I'd prefer to spend less than $20 bucks if possible. The last requirement is my main reason for asking for advice. I'd like a light that will rest / sit upright (i.e. lighting the ceiling). Any recommendations?

I'd go for a MiniMag with Nite-Ize from WalMart. Approx $14 and it'll run off any old AAs you have lying around (like the dead ones from your ProPoly).

Not the best tail stand in the world, but a reasonable light for a decent price.

Maybe you might want to try checking out the River Rock LEDs from Target. Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

Delivered, it may come to a few bucks more that $20, but, from your description, I think that the Gerber Trio is what you are looking for. Three LEDs produce between 10 to 15 "floody" lumens for eight regulated hours from 2AA alkies. It has a rear tactical style twistie with a push/squeeze for momentary on. I think that the Trio is a very nice low level flashlight.

73
dim

All great suggestions. River rock line has several good choices. How about the PT Attitude? I don't believe it is regulated but its runtime is advertised at 150+ hours. Also there's the Dorcy 1AAA which may be perfect for your needs and the price is right. Good luck!

The Opalec New Beam might work for you. It has three white LEDs. It is regulated and has about 10 hours of constant brightness before it begins to dim. Then a red LED comes on telling you it's time to change the batteries.

It fits in a 2AA MiniMag and can be used in candle mode.

Roy's runtime plot shows 9 hours & 43 minutes.
http://ftp2.itexas.net/Rbost/opalec.jpg

$17.50 at BrightGuy
http://www.brightguy.com/detail_int.php?Sku=OPA3W

Check out the Eternalight Derringer. Three brightness modes for two white LEDs plus two levels for one red LED. Also some blinky modes that I never use. It will tail stand, but it's not regulated. They're not much more than $20.

Geoff

Perhaps one of the Gerber Infinity Ultras fits the bill. I don't own one (I like my CMG versions too much), but I believe that one plus for the redesign is tailstanding. IMHO, I wouldn't go with the Trio as dim mentioned as I would find it too bright for a "middleofthenightpee" light. Actually, even the Ultra might be too bright for this. Personally, I prefer either a highly variable dim white light (Photon Freedom) or a red light (a red Infinity or the like- I use a nice Dorcy AAA mod).

All of the lights mentioned can be found for under $20.

It might still be possible to get one of the old non-Ultra Infinity lights by CMG (with the front twisty). Some sites appear to still have them in stock, and at a $10 closeout price. That is probably the best non-bright LED made - tough, 40+ hours, and elegant - and an unbeatable value if they're telling the truth and still have them at that price.

Green is the brightest and yellow is the dimmest, I think. I am SO happy I got a few of the green ones before they disappeared.

Another one to look into may be the Streamlight 4dbA ProPolymer Solid State LED. Not the Luxeon one now. That may fit the bill. It does a tail stand and isn't too overly bright though plenty to see. Maybe a tad bit more than $20.00 and under $30.00.

This is a bit of a different type of light to the others suggested, but for your use I can't recommend it strongly enough.

The Pak-Lite Super is perfect for what you want. On low it puts out ample light for walking around the house with night adapted vision without waking others, and on high it seems positively bright. It stands up very solidly, and if you get the glow in the dark model it is very easy to find at night.

It isn't regulated, but using a lithium battery it runs for 1,200 hours on low (600 hours using an alkaline) and the lithium delivers a semi-regulated style output curve.

The minus, it is a few dollars more than $20, and for what it is I do agree it seems overpriced (there is the $13 Pak-Lite Basic also). Despite the cost, I still have to recommend this thing, I find it SOO useful for just what you are after, and incredibly inexpensive to run!

Andrew

Edit: the runtime on low for alkaline is 600 hrs, not 800 as I originally posted.

+1 on the Gerber Infinity Ultra. Nice, low cost flood and runs on a simple AA. I haven't seen the CMG version lately..

Thanks for all the suggestions many of which are new to new. Fortunately I'm home from a kidney stone AND it passed quickly So I have time to research them today. As Carrot noticed its a Photon Freedom I'd previously purchased.

Ditto on the Paklite if you don't mind using 9 volts. On the 9 volt front, Rigel systems is opening up a group buy for $5 off for CPF members (and will hopefully be printing the lights with the CPF logo!). These could also be a good option since they are a bit bigger (easier to grab in the dark) and have a nice large dial that adjusts through infinite dim levels of both white and red LEDs (full high gets 12 hours per bat, dimmer levels will get much, much more). I'll probably be picking one up once it's announced how to get them.

Honestly, I have a lot of lights and I have three favorite 'not TOO bright, around the house' lights and they are:

#1 Solitaire modded with a Nichia CS LED that's been sanded down to give a HUGE flood. I run it on a single 10440 LiON cell.

#2 Same basic thing, but in a Quest minimag clone host which runs on a 14500 LiON cell and a dummy spacer. This one has a clickie so it won't tailstand, but you could do the same thing in an acutal Minimag and it would stand.

#3 A cheap plastic 2AA PR base light I got from Walmart for $.94 or $.97. I put one of the Sino Union PR-base 5mm LEDs in it and I LOVE it! It came with a faceted reflector which I then sputtered and I think it's the only light that I own that puts out a wider spillbeam than an Infinity Ultra. Runs just about forever on 2 alkaline cells.

For stock lights, I think my prime suggestion would be the Nuwai TM-317X which has a beam similar to the River Rock 2xAAA light but runs on a single AA cells and has a 2 stage output. The clickie is on the body rather than on the tailcap and I think it's about the only one of the .5W lights that can easily tailstand. I got mine (which I actually donated to the Christmas giveaway) along with the tailclickie TM-313 for about $26 or $28 shipped j2led in Canada. The 2 stage is handy though the low seems nearly as bright as the high though it gives a LOT longer runtime.

Here is the review.

Some of the other lights mentioned would no doubt work just fine but for an around the house or nightstand type light, I don't prefer a very bright light.

JimH and I both have the tiny Peak N-Cell Shasta 3-LED models. I have the old discontinued model and he has the new higher powered model.

My old style drops the LEDs down into the holes so there is no sidespill so as not to wake up your significant other.

Kewl thing though is that we both run them on a 10280 LiON battery if we want to get the higher output. It's pretty impressive for such a tiny package and it tail stands like a champ.

Check out River Rock at Target. I read on another post there is a sale.

RR 2AA would be good.

How about the Pal-Light? https://www.safe-light.com/index.html

I don't have a Target nearby so the River Rocks are out (I couldn't even find them by searching on Targets web site?!?!?). Anyway I'm leaning toward the Eternalight Derringer suggested by Flying Turtle. The Pak Lite suggestion almost caused me to spill coffee on the keyboard from laughing. So to heck with the budget I'll probably get both. They both look like they would make great gifts as well.