Flashaholic progression

Has anyone else noticed a definite progression to their flashaholism? Back in April I found this place and I had a desire awakened in me that I had never really recognized. I started with a few incandesents from Surefire (G2, 6P, 9p) and then quickly moved on to an E2E. Once I'd ordered a KL1 head I became a fan of LED's. When the HDS's went on sale I knew I had to have one (actually two). Now I've just ordered my first McGizmo and I'm wondering if I'm going to be spoiled once I get it. I find myself going to the McGizmo page first to see what is going on. Can you really go back to all the other flashlights or is McGizmo the pinnacle?

So where do I go from here? Have any of you seen a similar progression in your flashlight buying and where did you go next? HID? Mods?

Mine started as a kid wanting a brighter flashlight to win the 'flashlight wars' in camp. Several 4 aa - 6 volt halogen-then krypton-then xenon... wal-mart lights came in quick succession. In 1993 I bought my first Surefire, a 6p. I thought it could never get cooler than that. Then I bought a extender to make it a 9p, than a 9n,M3 ect. The last few years have seen a 10w hid and today I bought a pila gl4 with a 550 lumen bulb. I have sold or given away all the others.


I do not think it will ever stop until I can buy a Skytracker spotlight trailer $67,000 (thanks Kromatics) and a truck to pull it with...also I would like McGizmo to make me a inova X5 with all cree leds (although he seems rather busy right now) and AW to make the cells to power it - all in the same body size.(DON'T TELL ME IT CAN'T BE DONE!!!)....Once these things happen I PROMISE I will be satisfied.

I'm 53 years old. Have *always* been a Flashaholic.

For 22 years, i carried my Mini-Mag 2AA flashlight every single day.

Always felt very comforting, knowing that i was "prepared".


But now, after stumbling onto CPF early this year, i've been EDC carrying:

- Mini-Mag LED 2AA
- Nuwai X-3
- Fenix Civictor V-1
- Fenix E-1
- Fenix E-0
- Photon FreedomMax yellow (covert-nose)
- Inova X-1


By my count, that's half-a-dozen MORE than i carried previously.

Gee, Doctor . . . . What's *wrong* with me ? ? ?


Useta' think that ONE was sufficient. Now i can't get enough !

Does this sound like an addiction to you ?


(But i certainly *DO* enjoy all of my lovely new lights.)

I never used to EDC lights. Just had them handy at work. Since I was looking for a new LED light a few months ago I stumbled across this place and have been hooked ever since. I originally thought that one good LED light for about $30-40 USD was all I needed. I have since progressed to $45, 120, 139, 240, 255, 290 and am now waiting for a $420 light to become available. I think I have gone nuts sometimes but I just can't resist.

I think I am progressing to another mortage!

I take a photon hit off my Mag Solitaire twice a day, and had done so for years without moving on to harder EMR. The Inova X0 got me started on LED light, then a neighbor exposed me to his 3xAA led MiniMag and flashlightreviews.com and 4 hours later I orderd a Fenix L2t w/cr123a body. It's all the flashlight I should ever need, so I've bookmarked the P1D; Inova T3; MiniMag 3xAA led; rechargeable cr123a cells and charger; all for after Christmas. I think I can convert the top drawer of my oak dresser into a flashlight storage/display/charging/modding unit with outlets for my chargers, tools and worklight. If I push my pc into the hall I should have room for a good backdrop to test throw/lumens/my fiances patience. There might even be a market for for this stuff.

I think my disease has progressed slow but steady, like a turtle. I've always leaned toward the small, odd, and preferably cheaper lights. This hasn't changed much. There are a few big and bright in the stable, but I mainly like pocketable. Thanks to Fenix it's been easy lately to upgrade and still keep the spending sane, well maybe sane for one of us. I look forward to many more years of plodding flashaholism.

Geoff

When I worked for a famous theater, I had an obsession with bright lights. Bought 3 cell and 6 cell aluminum lights. Too long of storage with the 6 cell had the batteries leak and get stuck. Damaged the light trying to get them out and threw the thing away.

But my 3 D-cell Streamlight with Krypton bulb satisfied me for a long time as the "brightest 3 D-Cell" light in the world.

Wasn't until the discovery of LED that I wanted to buy flashlights again. Meanwhile, my old Streamlight friend now has a Xenon bulb and has never been happier - unless I find a compressed Xenon bulb! :naughty:

I don't have many lights as of now, but I'd like to think that my progression of lights won't be linear, but rather filling up the gaps. I hope to have different lights for different tasks, and as a collection of tools.

If I'm wrong, I'll end up with having lesser lights than I want. Then again, there will always be new releases that I probably won't be able to resist.

I'm a little nervous as to how this addiction progresses. I've been on the forums less than a month, and I've already acquired a:

SF L7
Fenix LT2
JetBeam I MKII (on the way)
Fenix P1D CE (pre-ordered)

Not to mention the Extech 401036 light meter that should be delivered today, new batteries, new chargers, etc. And I only came here to read information on the Maha MH-C9000 I had pre-ordered from Thomas Distributing.

Where it goes from here, I don't know--purchases trailing off, probably. With what I've purchased, I have choices for an EDC and enough lights for me, my wife, and my son during a power outage.

But for now I need to go read more on McGizmo.

You know the addiction gets bad when you haven't had a fix in a while and you start shaking when somebody mentions a promising prospect.

At this point in my flashaholicism I find myself with more lights than I need, but less lights than I want. During the day all I carry is the Surefire E1L (ignoring keychain lights) but at night depending on what I'm doing I might find myself with 5 full-size lights distributed amongst my pockets.

My progression:

Tiny keychain incandescant - 1969/70 (with Union Jack sticker)

1AA plastic torch with scary glow in dark masks to be attached - also '70

1AA plastic gun type - lensed type bulb

Various cheap 1AA or AAA type torches, Everready, Pifco, Philips etc. - early to mid '70's

Pifco 2D blu plastic torch - party gift in 1975 ( I still have this with a PR LED installed - great throw. )

Various freebie medical pen torches ( My Dad was a radiologist )

2AA bronze minimag - 1984!!!! (lost!!!)

Surefire 6P - 1989 or 90 or even 91. (well lost!!!)

Various other Mag products thru the nineties also dive lights UK, Peli etc...

ASP blue sapphire keychain led - 1999 ( LED is here! - I still have this)

Various cheap leds through - 2000-2004

ARC AAA-P and ARC +4 - 2004

Various led's: Infinity ultras, Led lenser, CMG Reactors, Sonics, Petzls etc.

Join CPF Feb 2006

Many many more since then, and much more expensive! Peaks, ARCs, Orbs, Surefires, Fenixes, Chinese lights, Ebay lights, Mods, drop ins, lithiums etc.....

When others in your community are spending $300 plus for torches, mine seem cheap in comparison, so it's easier to buy more of them.

It doesn't seem to be letting up.

It's fun and all, but I can't help feeling the wake up call isn't far away.




Tempus Fugit...

Now then, what's new at Lighthound this month???? :lolsign:



Be lucky...

gdhumphreys said:

I don't know--purchases trailing off, probably.

Click to expand...

Oh, you'll be lucky!!

My purchases have trailed off lately. We'll see whether they start back up. I am, however, greedily eying the new P1D CE :naughty:.

I don't know. I've found my flashlight purchases tapering off lately too but they're just getting more and more expensive. When I first found this place $100 seemed like a really lot of money to spend on a little old flashlight. I bought 2 HDS's, each for around $100 because they were on sale. They're both fantastic lights and I EDC one of them always. Maybe I've come to far too fast. With my McGizmo purchase I feel there is no looking back. I mean come on....$400 for a flashlight? I know, I know they're world class flashlights and works of art. I agree with all that but what do you tell your friends when they ask if they can borrow your pretty, shiny flashlight for a little while? Do you tell them no because it cost as much as the tires for my car?:huh2:

Does a master carpenter really ever have enough tools?

Does a master painter ever really have enough brushes?

Does a scientist ever really have enough inquisitiveness?

Does a comedian ever get enough laughs?

Does a writer ever have enough words?

And, does a dog ever have enough fleas?!

------------------------------------------------------------

"The Troops" ain't invented just to be brought home.

I wish there was an end to the maddness. Been playing for years (since the days of the free 5 cell Radio Shack Lights and battery club cards ) and like many have mentioned here, have slowly progressed through SF and onto the custom light makers. I think the limit is more related to one's wallet (which I keep forgetting to hide) than to what is available. With great stuff from SF, Peak, Arc, etc etc etc, and custom makers like Orb, Mr. Bulk, McGizmo, or speciality stuff like Mac's Customs, MillerMods, or to all the super modders out there - I know I am not mentioning them all - why can't you just all send me your lights so my collection will be complete? I mean always more lights, newer, brighters, smaller, cooler, new materials - oh it is so agonizing! When will it end??????????????????????????????????????

Hopefully never! Gotta love the hobby (as pricey as it can be) and the community!

I have a feeling that this forum and flashlightreviews.com have contributed to my demise. My problem started about 2 years ago when my lovely bought me a SF L4 for Christmas. That light was "it" for a while, but sometime thereafter, I happened upon this forum. Now, a couple of G2's, KL3 heads, clickies switches, 6P, 9P, E1L, E2L, P1 and MK-II later, I'm wondering if I have a problem. At least my wife was happy to receive the P1 I gave to her, so I'm not totally alone in this.

Flashaholic's Progress

Dear Flashaholics,

It has been one week since I purchased a light. Absolutem.

When I was a kid in single digits, about half a century ago, I enjoyed lighting the room at night, with some D-cell lights my Dad brought home from The War, as WWII was known in our home. One of them was partially relieved of duty last week, when my Inova T2 arrived. I don't buy shelf-queens, only users, as I tell myself to avoid severe depression and guilt for lusting after yet another "perfect" piece to "round out the collection" which serves a "purpose that the others don't quite match". Right.

If you too find yourself using such language, particularly with a wife, significant other, insignificant other... then, Friend, you are hooked. Accept the painful truth, and consider that it could be lots worse.

Now I try (I said 'try') to avoid the latest fad, and limit myself to only one medium power LED (I love the Inova T2), one moderately bright HID (for moonlit nights out walking/hiking), one ridiculously bright HID for those DARK winter nights outside, and the old dependable 2 D cell Everready with xenon bulb, that I have been feeding batteries for longer than most of you have been around. Oh yes, there is the 5 Dcell light from my junior high days that I keep in the bedroom closet, the camping lantern that is waterproof, etc. Sure they are low tech and feeble of output, but have historical charm, like an old uncle who can't recall his name, and the Everready rests next to my bed to get me to the BR at 2AM without injuring a toe on the BR doorframe (after two broken toes in one year of marriage, the wife suggested a flashlight). The wife's suggestion plus CPF, and we had the perfect storm.

Will it stop? See answer below. You will not likely be any luckier, but you and I are it seems in good, decent company. And that alone is worth the price of admission.

All Hope Abandon, Ye Who Enter Here.

Canto1, The Inferno, Dante Aligheri

-Harvey K.

These are typical stories of flashaholism. I have never thought I would paid more than $30 for a flashlight a few months ago. I must admit that I have reached the $400+ scale - a dozen or so LED lights later - very quickly and unnervingly so. I have never felt that way before. I guess the CPF community is giving me a sense of security that it is ok to spent that amount. I am unsure if this is a good thing. I will have the answer when I am sober.

Newbie here. Since I was a kid, I've had a flashlight fascination. I used to get all kinds of lights as gifts, from MagLites to all sorts of oddball rechargables. From high school up through my early 20s, I had MagLites mostly. Then I discovered SureFire and gave away all my MagLites.

SureFire 6P and G2 lights, and I still daily carry the 6P and have G2s scattered around in the house and vehicles.

Picked up a DigiLight T12 (228 Lumen). Nice light, lives in my truck.

Have a few little Streamlight KeyMates around because they are bright and freakishly small. I outshined a 2D Maglite with the KeyMate, and the 2D owner instantly converted to my way of thinking.

Just ordered a Pila GL4 550 lumen. I can't wait to get it!

Greetings all! I look forward to lurking and learning!