newbie, newbie question

Just discovered this forum. Never would have expected this level of intensity on the subject of flashlights! Probably you guys can help:

I am a pilot and in need of a medium intensity flashlight for night time preflights, etc. outside the airplane. White light for sure, a red option would be nice but I am covered for red cockpit lighting so it is not critical.

I have been trying to use some of the ubiquitous Chinese cheap-o flashlights. You know, the $5-7 fat aluminum 4xAAA ones about 4" long with 8 LEDs. The form factor and brightness are about right for me, but the reliability sucks.

The problem, in addition to cheap switches, is that they try to conduct electricity by making pressure contact to aluminum. As soon as a little oxide forms in the contact area you have an insulator layer and a flaky flashlight. I have tried sanding the contact areas and using the aluminum contact grease sold for aluminum house wiring connections but this is only a marginal improvement, not a fix.

Can you recommend a similar size flashlight that does not rely on this type of connection? i.e., real nickel or copper plating where there are pressure contacts to be made? AA or AAA batteries would be nice, too, as I already carry them. I don't mind paying thirty or forty bucks but I don't need or want to pay for an expensive "tactical" marketing strategy. None of my pistols have rails anyway.

TIA

I would go with a fenix brand light ! They are prettie awesome and I would guess the o-rings would keep it from becoming freaky like you say .

https://www.fenix-store.com/product...d=335&osCsid=56c1fc9a45620d2c93d065fe9ffe0fa0

go to the fenix store dot com,,, they will build it and you will come...lol

The problem with those ultracheap chinese lights is that they use a relatively pure aluminum with oxidizes very fast. You might be well suited with the Rayovac 1 watt Sportsman Extreme/Highbeam available at Kmart and Walmart for $20.

http://www.rayovac.com/flashlight/selux2aa1w-b.shtml
http://www.rayovac.com/flashlight/lux2aa1w-b.shtml

They aren't the latest or greatest, but they are robust and a good value available at common chain stores.

:welcome:

kennieyk said:

I would go with a fenix brand light ! They are prettie awesome and I would guess the o-rings would keep it from becoming freaky like you say .

https://www.fenix-store.com/product...d=335&osCsid=56c1fc9a45620d2c93d065fe9ffe0fa0

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jinks......you owe me a coke...lol

seriously the Fenix lights are the best compromise of cost to quality you will find and they are compact too great for traveling

olrac said:

jinks......you owe me a coke...lol

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No problem :thumbsup:

mitty said:

Just discovered this forum. Never would have expected this level of intensity on the subject of flashlights! Probably you guys can help:

I am a pilot and in need of a medium intensity flashlight for night time preflights, etc. outside the airplane. White light for sure, a red option would be nice but I am covered for red cockpit lighting so it is not critical.

Click to expand...

I'm a pilot and know exactly what you're talking about.

It's a little more than you're talking, but once you figure you've bought three or four of the cheapies, you've already spent this money:

http://batteryjunction.com/t15-olight-aa.html
OLIGHT T15 with Cree LED 5 output levels, 3 modes, 90 lumens! 1 X AA
Item#: T15-OLIGHT-AA
Sale price: $47.95
Output & Runtime Information: Illumination - Five output levels: 90lm(.8h), 70lm(2h), 40lm(5h), 20lm(12h), 8lm(25h) Strobe: 90lm(1.5h)

olight is a great light too!

Q5's Rock!!!

olrac said:

olight is a great light too!

Q5's Rock!!!

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I've got a T-20 and I'm ordering a T-10 for just this reason

I also have enough 123A battery flashlights that I'd prefer staying with that particular battery or I'd get a T-15 as well.

I like the P2D, mutiple settings very good light. I like mine a lot.
Maybe a cheaper note they have some decent .5 and 1W ones at targert river rock that might fit the bill 10-20 bucks.

Well Sky Pilot....How high can you fly...........you'll never reach the sky......but at least you can illuminate it....LOLLOLLOL.........i crack myself up

I would also go for a Fenix light, mostly the L2D-CE Q5, but the Surefire A2 Aviator might be better. Fenix Store has a 8% off coupon for CPF users, "CPF8".

There is also this light(MTE 20 mode) with a lower low then the Fenix but the MTE might be hard to use due to the user interface.

:welcome:

Gunner12 said:

I would also go for a Fenix light, mostly the L2D-CE Q5, but the Surefire A2 Aviator might be better. Fenix Store has a 8% off coupon for CPF users, "CPF8".

There is also this light with a lower low the the Fenix but might be hard to use.

:welcome:

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I have that DX light and yes it is not the easiest to switch around.... especially with a gazillion tons of flying aluminum underneath you

subscribe to KISS methodology

OK, a boatload of replies in just 30 minutes. Thanks much.

I found some internal pictures of the Olight and it appears to use the same aluminum/aluminum connections that the junkers use. Can't find pictures of the Fenix units. Do they also connect the negative end of the batteries to the LEDs by screwing down the aluminum cap onto the aluminum body and using the body as the conductor? The symptom of the problem that I have been seeing is you have to unscrew and retighten the back cap or the front of the flashlight to restore contact. PITA and sometimes it takes sandpaper to clean the oxide before the contact is reliable. Do you not have this problem with the Fenix/Olight class of product? & how do those two brands compare for reliability?

Re the Streamlight, it's more brightness, more size, and more money than suits.

Like I said, the cheap, pure aluminum lights have that problem, among others that cause that buildup. The better lights use high grade aluminum alloys sush as 6061-T6. Just about every flashlight either uses an aluminum body to conduct the current, or a brass strip. Either way, cheap lights will eventually corrode if you don't take care of them. Quality lights won't corrode. Also, clean the contacts with a swab and alcohol. Also, if you treat the contacts with a little pro-gold, conductivity improves greatly.

Even expensive lights use an aluminum connection to complete the circuit.

You can't really tell what kind of Al it uses just by looking at it.

Almost all lights with a metal body uses the body as a conductor or electricity. There is a reason why most of us periodically clean out light/lights. Fenix, Olight, and many other lights should be fine and there is a good contact between the tailcap and the body.

Gunner12 said:

You can't really tell what kind of Al it uses just by looking at it.

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Not the specific alloy (there are over 20000), but you can put it in the proper class. Pure aluminum is very easy to tell apart from a good 6061 or 7075 series aluminum.

Thanks again.

"pro-gold" ??

& I like the idea of a brass strip. Can you tell me who uses this method?

Re cleaning, it is something that just does not get done. The flashlight lives a dark, dismal, and lonely life (dry, though) in the flight bag until it is called upon to do its duty.

mitty said:

Thanks again.

"pro-gold" ??

& I like the idea of a brass strip. Can you tell me who uses this method?

Re cleaning, it is something that just does not get done. The flashlight lives a dark, dismal, and lonely life (dry, though) in the flight bag until it is called upon to do its duty.

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Those cheap 50 cent Eveready lights at the local grocery mart use brass strips, which corrode in time. I meant clean the contacts when you first get the light, and it will live a much happier life.