Can someone gimme a basic flashlight primer or something?/

This is my first post here..reading the other posts I must admit I am a little lost and intimidated with everyones understanding of flshlights(lumens etc). I love maglites since I started working as a sec. Guard , I carry a 3d,but I also have a streamlight scorpion because once a coworker showed me his I had to have one. So with that bckgrnd I have a few questions:
1. Can someone provide me with links to posts or sites that can provide me with a basic understanding of how flashlights work etc..I know this is a very general question
2. Maglites: Is there any bulbs or other equipment I can buy to make the light perform better?
3. Is there any other brand of flashlight that can function as a self defense tool and a flashlight..like a maglite.
4. What lights would you consider the bare essentials to own ?
Thanks in advance I know these are all pretty general ,but reading some of these posts you all seem like physics professors

John

Unless your employer will supply lithium 123 batterys (yeah right) I'd say to go with a rechargeable. When I first started in the "EXCITING FIELD OF PRIVATE SECURITY" After 4 months of using what I had (2d and 6d Maglite) I ordered the Streamlight SL20 XP http://www.brightguy.com/detail.tpl?cart=102176472181824&sku=STR25006

There are lots of lights that can fill the need and you'll get lots of suggestions but I would stick with a rechargeable light of some sort.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Johnny Maglite:
2. Maglites: Is there any bulbs or other equipment I can buy to make the light perform better?

3. Is there any other brand of flashlight that can function as a self defense tool and a flashlight..like a maglite.

4. What lights would you consider the bare essentials to own ?
Thanks in advance I know these are all pretty general ,but reading some of these posts you all seem like physics professors

John<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You can buy Carley bulbs and reflectors to put into mag-lights http://www.carleylamps.com/
I do not own any of these, but when I first started hanging out here, I asked the same questions as you did, and these are supposed to be the best incandecent bulbs and reflectors that you can buy. They recently dropped their $50.00 minimum charge, so check it out.

For a superior light to a standard mag, check out the mag-charger, Streamlights, and SureFires.

Everyone here raves over SureFires. Expensive, but they are supposed to be the best of the best. http://www.surefire.com/

Check out the Streamlights though, esp the SL-20x and SL-35x. If the SL-35x is too long for you, you can put the SL-35x bulb/reflector into the SL-20x http://www.streamlight.com/
The UltraStinger has a 75,000 CP rating, but I hear the beam is very narrow. If I had to choose one Streamlight, it would be the SL-20x with the SL-35x bulb/reflector.

You might want to consider a baton-light combonation. They are small and lightweight, but you extend the baton, and you have a much bigger stick to use. I think the ASP Triad is one such light. Do a search here on Batons for more info. I don't know any more than what I am writing here.

A favorite here is what is called an EDC light. EDC stands for every day carry.

Several popular EDC lights are the ARC AAA (fits on a keychain), the SureFire E1 and E2 and E2e, the ARC LS, and the Brinkmann Legend LX.

Lights are like tools, different tools for different needs. Spend some time reading.

go to www.brightguy.com for lots of different lights.

That said, here are some of my lights:

Princeton Tec:
Surge (2)
Attitude (3)
Aurora Headband light
ARC:
AAA LE CPF edition (Keychain LED light)
LS second (coming soon)
INOVA:
X5 (5 led light)
microlight (2-2016 coin powered light)
Brinkmann Legend LX (2)
Energizer Arc White light (5) (great light, lousy physical light)
Opalec Newbeam mini-mag conversion

Do searches on any of these lights for hours of reading!

LED lights are all the rage and are new technology. The technology is evolving and things are improving all the time, so things will change, but here is where LED's are now.

If you are using a flashlight for 0-100 foot range, the LED lights (depending on the model) is a better choice than an incandecent. They put out this bright, very white (not yellow) even "glow" that someone else here said that "tosses" out light, as opposed to throwing out a beam.

When walking my dog, I carry both, and they do compliment each other very well. To see a readily avilable nice LED light, buy the Inova X5. I would say that this is the 3rd or 4th brightest LED light that you can buy, and is available all over. If you want to wait for the new version, give it about a month. The new version is supposedly 15 % brighter, and uses a tailcap to turn on and off, as opposed to twisting the head. If you have to twist the head, that is the old version (very nice light BTW!), if it has a tailcap, it is the new version, but again, not available for several weeks.

John,
Welcome to the forums, here is a link to discussion on how to make the 3D MagLite brighter.
I use the HPR53(halogen) bulb in my light and like the improvement. The halogen bulb does not seem to focus as tight as the xenon bulb(XPR103), but gives a smoother, larger, hot spot which I prefer. It doesn't give up much in throw distance either. You may have to try a couple of halogens for best focus. The one in my 3D mag does not focus as well in my 3C (it has the XPR103 in it now). These bulbs are good improvements over the stock bulb. The HPR50 bulb in a 4D MAG is another step up.

Regards,
Greg

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by *something ridiculous ?:
Which lights does one need is a difficult question ......
The best answer I can give to that is start reading, and save up some cash !
lightlover<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I thought this statement deserved repeating. Especially the part about saveing some cash. TX

Save up some cash? Better make that a lot of cash. Once the bug bites, there is no cure.

Reiterating a couple of other posts above, perusing the brightguy.com web site is a great starting ground. That site is the best I've seen that displays and describes a variety of lights and accessories from different manufacturers, plus it is easy to narrow your search to a specific manufacturer, "brightness," etc. Sadly, they don't carry "every" flashlight line, but as noted, it is a great place to start. Customer service is great, and they provide timely replies to questions.

Gentlemen ,
Thank you very much for the quick replies ,links and info... With that said I'd like to say my name is John and I am addicted to the purchase and use of flashlights .Originally ,I just wanted to buy the best select few...now I must have them alll...I will have them all!!Quick story: I loaned my scorpion to my sister when she drove down to Fla. She dropped some folded money in a dark pkng garage and used the scorpion to locate it. She said, " now I understand why youll spend 50 bucks on a flashlight.It turns night into day"Thanks again.


John

Welcome aboard !

It can take some time to get accustomed to the wacky world of lights. These links will provide you with lots of info:

Don Klipstein's Web Site @ http://misty.com/people/don/index.html

The LED Museum, @ http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/

HDS Systems Inc. makers of the Action LightTM have an interesting site @ http://www.hdssystems.com/Products.htm

International Light, Inc. have a really useful Light Measurement Handbook @ http://www.intl-light.com/handbook/index.html
(You have to register to download this now - I couldn't find it online as HTML.)

SureFire's Candlepower versus Lumens FAQ is @ http://www.surefire.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?pgm=co_disp&func=displ&pgrfnbr=65&sesent=0,0#1
(and there are a lot of topics about that on CPF itself.)

and CPF's own links page @ http://www.candlepowerforums.com/Flashlight_Links/

If you look through the topic headings on the General Flashlight and Headlamp Discussion forum, you'll find a few topics on improving the Mag's performance.

Which lights does one need is a difficult question ......
The best answer I can give to that is start reading, and save up some cash !

lightlover

Buy lottery tickets.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Johnny Maglite:
She said, " now I understand why youll spend 50 bucks on a flashlight.It turns night into day"<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Now if there were easier ways of making people understand...