Why lights?

Hi all.
I came across this forum while looking for a light for my mom for Christmas (she went back to school after us kids left the house... needed a light for walking to the car from her night classes). Anyway, I settled on Fenix L0P SE based on views given here.

I gotta say, this thing is bright. I'm fascinated by the small size and brightness... but I think there's also some intangible quality to these lights as well... Anyway, this little light from Fenix hooked me . Suddenly, I find myself on the forums reading about more lights, and looking to buy more lights for other people (family, girlfriend, random strangers on the street, etc.).

What hooked you guys on lights? Why do you like them so much? Why collect lights? Why not collect stamps? Or coins? Or (well, a lot of you guys collect these) knives? Or *insert other item that has fanatical following*?

Second question: What do you guys use your lights for, especially your EDC lights? Do you have a real need for carrying a light around? Or is it that you like to have the light, just in case?

The reason I ask is that I'm trying to justify buying lights for others/myself for Christmas. When my girlfriend opens her light and asks me, "Why did you give this to me?" I'd rather have something to say besides, "Because I developed a recent, passionate love for lights."

Thanks for the help everyone! Have a happy holidays and a merry Christmas! :santa:

Nick

i collect useful things: knives, lights, tools, general equipment and information

tell your girlfriend she can use the light to refresh her makeup even in total darkness, that should convince her instantly

PANZERWOLF said:

i collect useful things: knives, lights, tools, general equipment and information

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I couldn't agree anymore...Actually I have always been a dihard knife guy myself and when people talked about flashlights on the knifeforums I always thought they should spend their money on knives instead, lol, but over time after reading more and more I got hooked...

I think for most of us the love of flashlights developed when we were quite young and has been greatly reinforced by CPF. Many people, myself included, have commented on the good feeling (maybe relief) on first finding this forum and the other sites like The LED Museum and Flashlightreviews.

Geoff

Well, you could use the line... "you carry an umbrella when there's a 50% chance of rain... well, there's 100% chance of darkness tonight."

I work nights on campus, so I really do need a flashlight. Some parts of campus are very dark. On the other hand, I also believe everyone needs a decent light because when you really need a flashlight, nothing else will do. Just try lighting up an area with a lighter. It works but is severely impractical, albeit sometimes dangerous.

I don't really like the term collector, as all of my lights see some use and are never considered shelf queens, but I suppose I collect lights because they are a useful thing and once you begin to appreciate the subtleties, one light just won't do, because it might have a particular deficiency in one aspect or another.

Stamps and coins I don't collect because I think they are pretty useless. What am I going to do with a stamp? A coin? I'm a technical person so I find myself intrigued and fascinated with flashlights and knives.

It's really a logical progression of hobbies -- if you start to collect lights you'll probably end up with *at least* a knife or two... and if you collect knives, you'll probably end up with a few expensive lights.

Me earliest childhood memories involved playing under my covers with a flashlight staying up past bedtime to play with my toys or later to read comics. Lights are incredibly useful and more people should carry a good light with them everywhere. Why? Here are 10 reasons why flashlights off the top of my head.
1. someone here had a sig line that said something like, "you carry an umbrella when theres a 50% chance of rain. There's 100% chance it'll get dark tonight"
2. Tall office buildings / twin towers and 9-11 report that attributed great value to individuals with flashlights.
3. blackouts at home
4. to signal for a cab.
5. blackouts anywhere it's dark
6. to be seen better when crossing the street at night.
7. #1 cause of accidental deaths is falling down, many because people are stumbling around in the dark.
8. Cause flashlights are works of art that work.
9. To signal for help in an emergency.
10. A flashlight can be used to blind and disorient an assailant and help you aim your weapon better.

You said it yourself:

"I'm fascinated by the small size and brightness"

Useful little bundles of energy.

I have just recently (2 months) started EDC'ing. I am shocked at how I got along without a light on me.
I use it every night when around the house instead of turning lights on when I am up and about. I use it for parking lots, and I use it at work when taking apart computers and printers.
It used to be that I would have to hold things at strange angles and try to take things near lights to be able to see to work on them. Now I bring the light to the item I am working on. Efficiency is greatly improved!

I can't wait for my P1D CE!

I think the draw is something that some people are just born with. But the inate attraction is not to lights per-se. Lights are just a convenient outlet for a fascination with TOOLS.

Putting aside folks who need a light for their work, I think most of the people on this forum just have a general interest in and fondness of TOOLS. I'm in that category for sure. I love a finely honed plane, a well balanced saw, even a good snowblower (even though I hate blowing snow). I have a shop full of great tools but I hardly get a chance to use them, having left the Trades years ago.

To people like us, there is something irresistible in a tool perfect for its purpose. What else could explain my owning ten or more expensive lights? Surely I could pare that down to two and leave no actual NEED unmet. But it is the perfect application of technology to a particular problem that fascinates me. And lights are a thing that can be used ALL DAY AND NIGHT by folks like me OUTSIDE of the building or other "tool intense" Trades.

I think there was always a strain of people who were more driven to technology for its own sake than others. It's that trait in humanity that has led to our progress and wealth: the inventors on the one hand and the early adopters on the other.

Anyway, that's my two-cents.

W.

Here's a few ways to convince yourself and others that having flashlights on hand is not a bad thing:

Find the breaker box and turn off everything in your house. Then go in the bathroom and try to use it. Or, go for a night drive down a secluded road. Now change a tire.

Others might see it as a strange hobby, but who really cares? When the lights go out you will be ready. In fact, we just had a power outage last night. All of a sudden I find myself needing *more* lights!

A well designed and executed flashlight is a work of art that has the added dimension of being useful to boot. A good light is the epitome of " form following function" .

Besides, it just feel good to have one.

I am a knife guy far more than I ever will be a light guy but the thing that got me initially was the build quality of Surefire lights. They are attractive items aside from producing light. So I bought some and one thing leads to another.

Because your lights are brighter and kewler and sexier than anyone else you know!

What hooked me was work. I work security at a hospital and we used to be contracted by the college that is across the street for security. I work 12:00am to 8:00am. When I started, we were issued mini mags from the department. While at the college, the campus was not lite very well and the buildings were pretty dark. The little mini mag just didn't have the power to do much. So, I went checking around the local stores and came across this neat little light called the Surefire G2. About the size of a mini mag but way way way brighter, I was impressed. I used that at work and just couldn't believe how well it worked for such a small light. I then started looking for online forums about flashlights so I could see if there were even better lights available and I found CandlePower Forums. I discovered all sorts of lights and learned alot about them. I am now addicted and as you can see in my sig line, I've added a few to my collection. I never really knew there were so many lights out there than what you would find at a store such as Walmart. I never thought there was anything better than a large maglite, wow, I was wrong.

carrot said:

Well, you could use the line... "you carry an umbrella when there's a 50% chance of rain... well, there's 100% chance of darkness tonight."

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Carrot, I always love that line.



For me: I use lights. I collect lights. I appreciate different lights for all sorts of reasons.

There are all sorts of lights which are great for all sorts of reasons and applications. For automotive/pluming work there's the CentraLED. For EDC, there's all sorts of lights with the PD at the top of my list. For keychains there's also lots of custom ligts like the Raw, Draco, Exolion, etc. For playing w/ 'lego' there is the Surefire/pineapple/mclux lights. There are lights for my collection like Porcupines and the PKEF for Surefire development 'history'. There are campsite lights like fluorescent tubes and the GD lantern. I use my Milky M180 for walking/ hiking at night. I use Barbolights for diving. There are HIDs for extreme brightness like the Helios. The list goes on and on.

As for what to do w/ your GF... Just don't tell her how much you spend on lights as your flashaholism progresses.

Idunno445 said:

Hi all.

What hooked you guys on lights? Why do you like them so much? Why collect lights? Nick

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Well, Nick, I recently got a wonderful answer to your question from another list member in another thread in response to my statement that he occasionally has his head up his butt. Here is what he responded:

Name deleted to protect the guilty said:

Doug,
If it went to my head then my head might get stuck on one of those frequent visits of introspection of which you made comment on. Although anatomically difficult if not impossible literally, figuratively, it's a place I call home. :nana:

(Why do you think I like lights?!?! It gets dark where I go and open flames are a no no! )

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So, Nick, I hope this helps answer your question.

Idunno, welcome to the forum and systematic diminishing size of your wallet.I can't find my topic on this very question, but why lights? In the past few years, light technolgy has changed just as much as any computer technology.

They are brighter, bulbs last YEARS longer, shine MUCH longer on the same batteries, and run cooler. Plus good lights are regulated and don't diminish as quickly as regular incandescents.

So yeah, emerging flashlight technologies are a fascinating hobby these days. If anyone smirks at you funny and says, "How cute.", blind them with the strobe on your Fenix LOP-Se. .... that's why it's there!

Idunno, welcome to the forum and systematic diminishing size of your wallet.I can't find my topic on this very question, but why lights? In the past few years, light technolgy has changed just as much as any computer technology.

They are brighter, bulbs last YEARS longer, shine MUCH longer on the same batteries, and run cooler. Plus good lights are regulated and don't diminish as quickly as regular incandescents.

So yeah, emerging flashlight technologies are a fascinating hobby these days. If anyone smirks at you funny and says, "How cute.", blind them with the strobe on your Fenix LOP-Se. .... that's why it's there!

Hi Idunno445.

I got into flashlights because I love batteries, and I needed something to put all of those batteries in. What I'm finding is that flashlights and batteries have a synergistic relationship--they build off of one another. The right type of battery can make a great flashlight even better. And you might use the same flashlight with different batteries depending upon what you need at the time (ex. run-time vs. brightness).

But flashlights really are useful tools. Now that I carry one, I find myself using it for more and more things. If you give one away as a gift and someone asks you why, pretend like you think they are crazy for not just knowing

Thanks for your great responses guys. Looks like my girlfriend might be getting a light for Christmas

And a couple for me

Nick