first place you test your new light?

I haven't seen this before, of course i'm new. When your new light comes, i'm expecting two today, where do you go to test your new lights. Usually it's daytime and I have a perfect area under the house, which is on a hill which means I don't have to crawl anywhere. I just walk through a simple doorway opening, and there it is, total darkness and plenty of floor joists and dirt, all waiting to be exposed.Heh, Heh, heh, anyone jealous? I went to my dentist yesterday and showed him my ARC LSH, which he of course had never seen before,(he says his wife gets him cheapo target flashlights) as we dipped into this very small closet together, pretty hilarious, and all he could say was WOW, this light is really neat, I said i've got plenty more to show you and he says, I can't wait. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I get most of my toys shipped to me at work. I then go back in the wharehouse and turn out the lights. 10,000 square feet of dark. A little light leaks in around the dock doors, but it is far less than ambiant light on most nights. I have a straight throw of about 125 feet across. Works great.
Patrick Hayes

Shucks. All I have is a little 3x6 foot powder room.

I use the six foot optical bench in my darkroom. Set it up thirty-five yeaars ago when I was making lenses and mirrors for telescopes. Haven't used the photo side for anything since I started doing everything on the computer about a dozen years ago.

I have a crawlspace, but it's tiny. When the darkness falls, there is a 100' "tunnel" in the trees beside my house. Very nice throw test.

I also occasionally crawl about Indiana Jones-style in tunnels, conduits, culverts, and the occasional civilized raised floor.

under the sheets with a magazine!

Right across my block 50 meters away, and the next block 100 meters away. Neighbour seldom see the lights I'm testing since at that distance, it's rather dim already.

For beam shape on the "reference" cieling over my desk.

For throw generally at my buddies place down by Pearland where it's plenty dark.

Sometimes from the side of where I park my pickup to the back fence - some 75 feet or so.

Bathroom all the way, baby!

For me, my broom is all enclosed, with no windows. So it's dark as hell...

My lights get delivered between 10;30AM and noon so I go to our walk in bedroom closet, about 10 feet deep. Today my Blaster II came and I was able to shine it on the living room wall. Most of my lights won't pass that test.

The garage...not a drop of sunlight can make it in...

My small bathroom - my testing area. A small sliver of light comes in; it doesn't bother me!

Dan

I do like most jackasses do and shine the new light in my face first. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
But if I need it really dark to check out a new flashlight, I can duck into the bathroom and slam down the toliet lid - just in case I drop the flashlight. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
There's no window in there, so once I shut the door and turn off the vanity & ceiling lights, it's pitch black in there regardless of the time of day.

First testing here, is in recreation room in basement, where my computer is, and I practically live down here. I have black garbage bags thumbtacked over the small windows (west window puts fierce Sun glare on my monitor). It is more than dark enough even in daytime, with lights out.

Second test is outside. Reserved for Tuesday nights: trash night, as pickup is 0300 wednesday. Perfect for getting a sense of how well lights work, as there is ambient light in the neighborhood.

That's all the tesing I do. It suits my purposes.

the "eyes test" first, followed by "unsuspecting friend eyes' test" following by a "let's see how well it will light up the toiletbowl" test. no kidding, light up the water in the toilet bowl, very kewl.