Need your help and expertise with choice.

Scorpion1080

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Hello guys. I have been here, lurking in the shadows for a while and bought some great flashlights because of recommendations on here.


On to the point.
I am after a small flashlight which has good throw. I need to be able to see plane tails which are about 17-18m off the ground.

I bought an older style "lumapower MVR" but the clicky button has broken within 9months and it it is rather on the larger side and am now looking for something else.


Does anyone have any recommendations for good throwing little flashlight. Price range, I am happy to go between $1 and $150USD.

I was having a look at the new fenix T1 but would like to know if there is a better flashlight out there?


Thanks for your help in advance guys. I appreciate it.
 

Gunner12

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Dereelight DBS?

Throws further then the MRV and is easily upgradeable. 20 meters might be close for the light though, considering it can throw 200 meters. The Dereelight CL1H might work too.

Do you need a wider hotspot with a less of a "spotlight" like beam or a small hotspot with lots of throw?
 

Scorpion1080

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Do you need a wider hotspot with a less of a "spotlight" like beam or a small hotspot with lots of throw?

I was after more of a hotspot with lots of throw but do not mind too much.
I will have a good look at the CL1H you recommended.

Oh, and no light can ever be too bright so I will look DBS too. ;)
 

Burgess

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to Scorpion1080 --


Welcome to CandlePowerForums !

:welcome:


Good luck in your quest to find to "right" flashlight.


Most of us have been searching for years and years . . . .

:)

_
 

Yapo

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+1 for CL1H...although i dont have the actual light, but i have a dereelight 3SD Q5 droppin and with the smooth reflector it throws plenty...my backyard's approx. 17m to the fence and 23m diagonal to the corner according to google maps so i might get some beamshot when its dark later tonight!
 
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0dBm

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I upgraded an old Maglite 2C with a Terralux drop-in module. I've been quite satisfied with the throw that the larger reflector provides. I believe this would make an effective, economical option for your requirement.

The package included the $12.00 for the Maglite 2C and $24.95 for the drop-in module.

Certainly there are other, more expensive alternatives, however this package will likely get thrown around and the old Mag platform can take it. The 2C needs only the common alkaline C-size battery.
 

Patriot

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For ranges under 40m I don't think you nessesarily need a "superthrower" like the DBS or even CL1H. The penalty is their size.

Conventional reflectors are more than up to the task for that and the advantage is that they come in much smaller packages. Here are some a few great lights to chew on:

P3D Q5
https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_69_70&products_id=227

Olight T-20
http://batteryjunction.com/specialeditionolight-t20.html

Surefire L1
http://batteryjunction.com/l1-ha-wh-cree.html

P1D Q5 (twisty for ultimate compactness if you wish)
https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_65&products_id=354

There are so many more great, compact lights out there that will easily illuminate a tail structure under 40m. Maybe some other CPFers could offer some compact options beside the few that popped into my head. Actually, the CL1-H isn't all that big and I think it would be a good choice too.
 
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Monocrom

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Along with the DBS, take a look at the Tiablo A8 and A9 with smooth reflectors installed. (A8 if you prefer to use 18650 cells, A9 if you prefer CR123 cells. Both lights will work with both battery types but each one has a preference).

My A9 with the smooth reflector has excellent throw, with a very bright hotspot, in a very compact package. Length is the same as any 2xCR123 light, with a slightly wider reflector. (Although not as wide as the DBS).
 

Scorpion1080

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Thankyou very much for all your replies. I am going to have a look at every flashlight mentioned and look over them very closely.

The reason why I was asking about a flashlight with decent throw...
It is hard hard to explain... .. but at the airport, the conditions play funny games on flashlights. I am not sure if it is the flood lights, the other lighting, etc.

For example. The first version lumapower MRV was just enough for what I needed.

Thank you very much everyone... I really appreciate all your help.
 

0dBm

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Airports attempt to flood the entirety of the immediate area with ambient lighting designed not necessarily to be the most efficient but to give some modicum of illumination to avert total darkness to augment those supplied by the authorities in the happenstance of an actual emergency. Most of them use that yellowish mercury vapor lamp. As such, it tends to wash-out most average hand-held incandescent and LED flashlights.

The tight beams provided by flashlights with the larger reflectors do a better job of concentrating the spot to pierce the low-level yellow blanket of light provided by those mercury vapor lamps.

In the application that you described, a panel of light provided by a product with an orange-peel reflector would not be as efficient since the level of dispersion is greater. What you likely need is that larger smooth reflector of the Maglite to concentrate the beam into a tight intense spot with significantly less dispersion.

Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.
 

leon-qcg

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:)buy one you would like in use, in shape, it's enought, I think so. as there are really too many flashlights to choose, :whistle: it's really hard to choose the "best one"
 

Scorpion1080

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On the advice of 0dBm (thanks mate) I am now looking for a relatively small flashlight which has good throw.

Which would have the best throw out of
Regalight WT1
Fenix T1
Olight T20
and CL1H Deree

Thanks again for your help guys.
 

Monocrom

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Regalight comes closest to going up against the best LED throwers out there.

Get one soon.... Regalight discontinued the WT1 recently.
 

Zenster

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One more to throw into the mix would be the Novatac 120T which meets the price requirement, but the 120P would be even better.

60 to 80 feet is no problem at all for the Novatac, and since the OP is possibly a pilot, he might have some frequent use for the low lows available with the 120P for map reading without blowing out one's vision.
 

ltiu

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I was having a look at the new fenix T1 but would like to know if there is a better flashlight out there?

The FENIX P3D Q5 is a cousing of the T1 and is a very good small light. Awesome output and very long runtime on low, more than the T1.
 

Gunner12

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If the MRV just worked well, then you only choice would be the Regalight or the Dereelight CL1H. According to this review, they are the only ones that can match or out throw the MRV(the CL1H with the smooth reflector can hit 10,000 Lux).
 

Scorpion1080

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Thanks for all your replies.

I appreciate the time you have taken to help out and reply.

In the end... well... what can I say.. Instead of one light.. you guys made me walk away with two lights. ;)

I choose the RegaLight WT1 and the DereeLight CL1H

Though.. Curse you Zenster because I am seriously considering that 120T because as you said.. It would be a good EDC and useful in the cockpit.
 
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