FavouriteCheapie Flashlight?

What is your favourite cheap flashlight? For purposes of this discussion I think of Mag-Lite quality and above as "non-cheapie"

My favourite cheap flashlight is the Ray-O-Vac Workhorse. Mostly the 2D model, but the 2C is nice, as is the Side-By-Side AA.



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Clay Fleischer
[email protected]

"More light!" -Goethe

I like the smoothly tapering cylinder, 2D usually, big round push button. Usually around $8 to $10.


DaveH

I bought 4 yellow 2AA Eveready flashlights at Home Depot for $1.99 each. Threw away the bulbs and put in .75 amp Krypton bulbs. They have Energizer or Duracells in them. Very bright. I'm ashamed to say they're as bright or brighter than my Streamlight 2AA ProPolymer.

(None of these flashlights are for me. I bought them for my kids )

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb

[This message has been edited by DavidW (edited 08-19-2000).]

My all time favorite is my little energizer flourescent/flashlight combo. Black sleek indestructable, and ran off four AA's. I took it on many deployments, field ops, and cold weather training. When we were out on our 3 day survivial package everybody would come over in the morning to get dressed under it, including the CO. It came in very handy since we were usually the last to get our GP tents hooked up with power. I put a pre-focused mag bulb in it and it throws out a good beam. I still use it out back at night when I'm out grilling late.

Photon 2 knockoffs are my fav cheapies.

Mine is a $2 Ray-o-Vac (I think?) rubberized 4AA that I found at the local "Big Lots" surplus/clearance store. It's got the same general form factor as a turtle lite and a wide, deep reflector and a nice clickie button.

The spot isn't as smooth as more expensive lights but I'd wage it has more throw per dollar than anything out there.

Jon

WHOA. Who resurrected THIS old thread?

I like the cheap clickie 1 AAA thingies for promotions and giveaways.

Dan

I've never had a cheap 2D flashlight that I thought was any good. The crappiness of them was what turned me into a flashaholic for good lights. I think they've gotten better in the years since then though. I do like the 4C plastic light that Radio Shack gave away a few years ago. Except somehow the lens melted, and not from heat of the bulb! It may have just been sitting in the sun or something. The lens was just some flimsy plastic, like it was stamped out of a 2 liter Coke bottle or something.

My favorite cheap lights are all small. The disposable AAA penlights where you press the clip against the barrel to turn it on; the "Bullseye" 2AA lights with the #222 threaded base bulb in a big reflector and enough space inside to glue down a spare bulb; and now the $1 knockoff of the Photon 1 that Countycomm is selling on its web site.

I do like my Mag 3D a lot, even though Mags are unpopular here. I guess by CPF standards the Mag is a cheap light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

photon II, cheap but not in quality.

[ QUOTE ]
Mine is a $2 Ray-o-Vac (I think?) rubberized 4AA that I found at the local "Big Lots" surplus/clearance store. It's got the same general form factor as a turtle lite and a wide, deep reflector and a nice clickie button.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto that, except my is a "Compasslight". $2 at WalMart on clearance including 4 AA alkaline ROV batteries. Add some writeright to the lens and it's a real winner.

What is writeright? Thanks.

http://thelightsite.cruxial.com/reviews/writeright.htm

It's PDA screen protector film. Works much better than any other film when applied to lenses, including satin tape or clear shelf paper, but it's more expensive.

Compasslight beam pics before and after application at page bottom.

If you get some it has to be for monochrome PDA'a not color PDA's. The color PDA film doesn't have the texture needed.

I paid a buck for a package of 12 sheets for the Palm V at Walmart on clearance. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Ya know I'd just like to point out that as far as PDA screen protectors go I hate Writerights and would reccomend the G2 screen protectors over the Writeright any day.

Why? Well the Writerights smooth the beam on your flashlight, which is great, they also make your PDA screen blury and wear out fast /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


G2. Terrible beam smoother, excellent screen protector.


I like the Energizer Folding LED lots!

LOL! I never said to use them on a PDA!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

I use laser printer transparancy paper cut to shape and slipped under the edges of the screen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread...

I wonder how that would work to smooth out/soften a Tigerlight beam?

Surefire G2 ... price is realitive

Billmanweh,

Chris at Flashlightlens.com had some modified TL LA's for a while that had their reflectors "texturized" with a bit of heat-resistant clear enamel (or similar) applied. I bought a few of those and they do have a smoother beam pattern at the expense of some throw capability. I like them.

Lambda I believe was the first to post info on that little trick for reflectors regarding one of his LS mods.

You can do it yourself. Different effects can be had depending on how the spray is applied. I won't go into detail on what I've learned about this in the interest of brevity.

You might contact Flashlightlens and ask if he'd be interested in doing yours if you don't want to mess with it yourself.

John

[EDIT - Sorry for getting way off-topic...]

I wonder if Flashlightlens could develop lenses with the crystalline texture of Writeright. It looks like there would be some demand for those; at least from CPFers.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I think if you just rough up your lens with some extra fine sandpaper it would have the same effect.

$1 no brand 2AA flashlight,
mine, that could stand up, become candle mode.