I need a flashlight. General LED question too.

I need a flashlight. I have had a couple of Mini Maglights for years and they have finally died.
I have seen a lot of references to LED lights having the same output as some of the old type bulb lights.
Cabela's has this: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...tt+LED+flashlight&noImage=0&_requestid=110069

Is it any good? Is there a better light for about the same price?
Do LED lights project a beam like the old type bulb lights do? Is it more the reflector than the light source?

I don't want to spend a hundred dollars on a light, but I am also tired of Mini-Maglights. They aren't very bright and their batteries don't last long.

Thanks,
Jim

Welcome to CPF With the amount of good P60 style LED drop ins available these days I'd be look at something that is able to use this style drop in. Cheap and easy to upgrade, nice form factor. Surfire or DX clone lots to choose from. Start looking here http://www.dealextreme.com/ Norm

Norm said:

With the amount of good P60 style LED drop ins available these days I'd be look at something that is able to use this style drop in. Cheap and easy to upgrade, nice for factor. Surfire or DX clone lots to choose from. Norm

Click to expand...

I know little to nothing about the technical stuff on flashlights. I can talk you through handloading match ammo for rifle and pistol, but I have no idea what a P60 style drop in is, what it does or what to use it in. Is this something I can put on my old Mini Maglight body?

Jim

Hi PepperB
Ya alot the CPF folks here have there own jargon than does not match
an image in my head either. At Walmart today I saw some led bulbs that'll
replace the regular mini-mag incandescent bulb. Cheap and a quick fix
for your mini's and they are bright enough for general applications
Anyway look around the CPF , skim the titles and you're sure to find
something of interest.
Look at my last post to 'New Dorcy 1AAA' in the section.

Luck

Hopkins

pepperbelly said:

I know little to nothing about the technical stuff on flashlights. I can talk you through handloading match ammo for rifle and pistol, but I have no idea what a P60 style drop in is, what it does or what to use it in. Is this something I can put on my old Mini Maglight body?

Jim

Click to expand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOjxkvYFhmU

OK, so the p60 is a module that contains the bulb, circuitry and reflector. If you buy a flashlight that is compatible with the p60 module then it allows you to use many different configurations without having to buy a new body. U can just buy a new module.

So when a new brighter LED comes out you can cheaply upgrade, also you can buy incandescent modules so you can have a multi-purpose flashlight.

There is a sticky about p60 hosts and modules at the beginning of the forum.

Another thing youll have to think about is what type of battery you plan on using. Li-ons tend to have better performance, but may not be as convenient as AA, C or Ds.

hope this helps.

You may find this thread helpful https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/193639 Norm

pepperbelly said:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...tt+LED+flashlight&noImage=0&_requestid=110069

Is it any good? Is there a better light for about the same price?
Do LED lights project a beam like the old type bulb lights do? Is it more the reflector than the light source?
Thanks,
Jim

Click to expand...

:welcome:


LEDs can be really throwy or have good spill, or neither, just like incandescent lights.

I have two of the Cabela's lights; I keep one with my secondary handgun. It's tough, easy to use, and bright. Good momentary tailcap switch. Not a lot of spill. Excellent for the price.

If you want to stick with the 2xAA form-factor, and you don't need forward-clicky for tactical purposes, I'd look at the Fenix L2D CE https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_69_71&products_id=195. Multiple modes, longer runtime, much brighter. If you use the "CPF8" discount code, it ends up being about $52 shipped.

:wave:... welcome to CPF!!

That Cabelas light is made by a Chinese company called Nuwai. They make tactical flashlights for Chinese law enforcement and are the OEM builder for many others as well. They sell the energizer version of that light at Wal mart for a little over $20. There are 2 versions of this light... one with an orange peel reflector and one with a smooth. I am not sure what the differences are, but you can see the reflector through the blister pack. They also sell the a lower output version for $18.

I came really close to buying that light the other day, but put it back... its a little too big for me to EDC. For the price, B&M availability, solid build from a reputable manufacturer, IMHO its a good choice.

The other thing you should realize is that CPF'ers tend to be a bit fanatical and on the eccentric side of "normal". The specs on the Energizer wal-mart light list it at 80 (advertised) Lumens, so its bright enough for most applications. Unless you are a CPF'er and anything below 225L is deemed a flickering candle. I have a 30 Lumen Dorcy and its plenty for simple use around the house.

Thanks a lot guys. I will probably grab one for around the house use.
I may also buy that Fenix, unless I find one of ya'lls super lights for a price I can live with.

Jim

:welcome:

1)
LEDs require ~3 .6V to work. As a result many LED torches use CR123A batteries because they are 3V and 2/3 the length of an AA. Unfortunately they are often costly at local stores. Find out how much they cost for you before getting one of them torches.

2)
Todays high powered torches do not run well on alkaline batteries. See how badly alkalines perform compared to NiMH or Lithium.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/155819
I suggest putting aside $30-$40 for low self discharge NiMH batteries (Eneloop, RayOvac hybrid & most labelled pre-charged) and a charger. Make sure the charger can charge 1, 2, 3, 4 batteries. Most of the cheap ones only do 2 or 4.

3)
1AA LED torches are more common than 2AA. They are 2" shorter and more pocketable. A lot of them are multimode. For example the L2D mentioned earlier has general mode (low, medium, high, SOS) and turbo mode (turbo, strobe). If you do not need the complexity you can get the L2T. Just low and high levels. About $8 less. 1AA versions:
L1D
Some less expensive reasonable quality torches are MTE 1xAA SSC-P4 42180-U & Romisen MXDL RC-G2

4)
Sometimes even 1AA torches are too big for pocket carry. Consider an AAA torch. A good one is the L0D Q4.
Here is a review of the original. The current one is 25% brighter.
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/fenix_l0dce.htm
Another AAA light is the new E01. It is as bright as a minimag with fresh batteries but it will stay that bright for 10 hours. (the minimag will drop in brightness from the beginning and be at 50% brightness in under 45 minutes)

EDIT
BTW there is a version of that light you linked to with the latest LED for $10 more. 140 lumens vs. 65 lumens or more than 2X brighter.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/tlf-3l2aa-.html

CRESCENDOPOWER said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOjxkvYFhmU

Click to expand...

Thank you for your video. It was concise and very informative. I knew nothing about the P60 module nor much about Surefires, so I found your video very useful.

Do you do reviews / voices professionally? Excellent oral communication!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...&noImage=0&_requestid=110069&_requestid=60528

The body is identical to the Rayovac 3W they sell at Wal-Mart for $25. Probably made by Favour Lighting of People's Republic of China.

The $15 2AAAEnergizer Home Inspection light (1.5 hours)
or $25 Minimag 2AA LED (3-4 hours)

are both pretty good lights. Those are pretty much the only ones I really use now a days.

Sorry for cross-posting, but these lights look like they might interest you.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2426702#post2426702

Heres the flashlightreviews review of the Nuwai:
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/nuwai_x-3.htm

Some info about LEDs(much of it has already be posted above)

White LEDs usually run between 3-4v.

LEDs today can be really bright and dim, all depends on the generation on how the LED is driven.

The beam pattern can also be very different. Just the LED itself(no optic or reflector) gives you a flood beam with no hotspot. A reflector meant for throw, like the one in the Dereelight DBS, will let the light from the LED project 200 meters and still be usable.

LEDs are sorted by bin code, which provides(at least) tint and efficiency/output info. Some companies also include Vf (forward voltage) and other relative info in the bin code. Each company has a different bin code.

The current gen LEDs have at least twice the efficiency of the last gen LEDs. That means for he same power, the current gen LEDs will output twice the amount of light.

Common current gen LEDs:
Cree XR-E P4-R2 bin.
Seoul P4 U-bin
Seoul P7 (C bin?)
Luxeon Rebel 80 and 100
Luxeon K2 TFFC

Last gen LEDs:
Luxeon I, III, V, and K2.

If you want good output, well, either don't use alkaline batteries, or find a current gen LED light that uses C or D cells.

Most good LED lights have a regulator/driver, that changes the voltage to something the LED needs. A LED won't light up on 1.5v and will probably fry at 6v, so the regulator lowers or raises the voltage to what the LED needs to run. Some also have different modes(low, medium, high strobe etc.).

Cheap/simple ones either have a resistor or nothing at all(LED connected directly to the battery). Most are 3 AA or 3 AAA battery lights.

Now more info:

Your minmag has around 10 lumen, that is around the low mode of the Fenix L2D-CE Q5. Turbo mode on the L2D-CE Q5 is around 140-150 actual out the front lumen, so much brighter. The Cree X-E Q5 can hit 250 lumen if slightly overdriven. 8% off coupon at Fenix Store is "CPF8".

As for the Cabels light, I would buy this one instead. Slightly cheaper and brighter. Also has a forward clickie(momentary on). It would take a minimal of two weeks for DX to sip to you though.

Now for a light you want:

What price?
How much output?
What runtime?
Multimode?(low, high, strobe etc.)
What batteries?

:welcome:

P.S. confused?

I am looking for a general use light that uses either 2 or 3 AA batteries. I have an almost unlimited supply of Dura Cell AA batteries that have been used for about 12-24 hours in a digital recorder(Medical).
I need a little flood but more of a spot. I always tended to twist my minimag light to a small spot when I used it.
I would like to spend under $30.00 for this light. Later I will be needing a much better light that I can mount on an AR15 for varmint hunting. I would expect to spend around $100.00 for that light.
If there is a light for around $20.00 that is good, but another for a little more is much better I would get the better one.
I would like a low-high switch so I won't burn through the batteries.

What I really want is a light the size of a single AA battery that uses a nuclear cell that never needs charging that puts out 10,000 lumen and can be dialed down to 15 lumen for use inside the house- for under $20.00.
I will settle for less.

Jim

Of course I just clicked on one of the banners above the posts here and saw this light- Fenix P3D Q5 Cree with 215 Lumens from Pacific Tactical Solutions for $64.99.
I don't mind having more than I need, and that price isn't too much more than I wanted to spend.
How is that light? Is there a comparable light for less, or a much better for a little more?

Jim

edited to add: I noticed that it doesn't use AA batteries, but the CR123 batteries. Are those rechargeable? How much are they and how much is the charger?
I guess I really need to get one of the 2-AA lights for now and get a better one with the different batteries later.
Jim

The P3D is a good light, but isn't AA as you suggest you're looking for. A similar light in AA is the Fenix L1D-CE or L2D-CE, difference being 1 or 2 cells respectively. It won't be quite as bright, but access to free batteries is a big perk. If you do a search on the forums you can find plenty of reviews and beamshots.

Welcome to the CPF. You will learn that there are lots of opinions around here. Read around until you find something interesting.
Go to the reviews forum and read them until you find a light you like.
Almost any modern LED flashlight will be better than the mini mag.
Take a close look at the G2l. It has a great beam, is a good starter light and will serve you for YEARS.
Do yourself a favor DON"T buy your first flashlight from a place like Deal extreme.
There are plenty of domestic sellers who will sell you a quality flashlight that will not take weeks or months to arrive.
Buy a surefire G2L or a fenix flashlight from a dealer like batterystation or the fenix store.
Do yourself a favor and stay as far away fro dealers who sell cheap crap as possible.
Yaesumofo

Norm said:

Welcome to CPF With the amount of good P60 style LED drop ins available these days I'd be look at something that is able to use this style drop in. Cheap and easy to upgrade, nice form factor. Surefire or DX clone lots to choose from. Start looking here http://www.dealextreme.com/ Norm

Click to expand...

I didn't know about Deal Extreme. Are they overseas?
I would reather buy from a dealer here in the U.S., and no, I don't want to wait months or even weeks.
I'll keep reading. I still might go to Cabela's and give that one to my kids when I find a good one for me.
Give it to 'em? Right. It will be in their grubby little hands before I need to change a battery.

Jim