Why CPF? What do you get out of it?

I thought I'd start this thread, not just to satisfy my curiosity, but to also provide some feedback to the CPF Team.

Why am I here?
I picked up a couple of flashlights and some rechargeable NiMH's recently. I wanted to learn more about them, so I searched the web. Was I ever surprised by what I found!


What have I gotten from of my experience here?

• I learned a lot about my MAHA C9000.
• I learned about the dangers of using Lithium batteries.
• I discovered that I could have gotten better value for my money for my recent purchases.
• I'm a better consumer today than I was two weeks ago.
• And I took advantage of the CPF Marketplace Good Deals to pick up a couple of bargains!

So, why are you here and what do you get out of the CPF forum?
:thinking:

I get to shop and hang out (reading threads and joining in).

Well I learn about and purchase useful lights but I also garner quite a bit of information here in the Cafe as well.

The greatest word ever created is "why".

Flashlights, and CandlePowerForums are very interesting. After researching I have found they are similar in many ways to other hobbies I have also:
1. Throwing money at a problem doesn't always solve it.
2. Seeing light in a logarithmic manner.
3. Brand allegiance.
4. Ohms law.
5. Dealer loyalty.
6. Helping others find products that are correct for them while doing your best to put your own personal bias aside.
7. The moderation must be OK because I haven't been banned yet.
8. Flashlights for the most part are not extremely expensive, and I have found that the value of what you are getting per dollar (in my opinion) is hard to believe.
9. The power supply is key to driving the emitter of a flashlight.
10. I love electronics!

Why am I here?
CPF is often linked to by Dan over at Dan's Data. Read one of his flashlight reviews, found CPF, considered it a curious place but never really paid too much attention to it.

Later on I decided to splurge on a decent flashlight, so I remembered it and came here to ask.

It's gone downhill from there.

What have I gotten from of my experience here?

• 
  More than I can possibly write in a single post.
  
  Plus, I get to exercise my written english.

I find CPF very interesting and useful because I am fascinated with lights.

I really enjoy talking with other people who are interested in lights like me, and I like helping other members.

I learn so much about lights I don't have, and how my lights compare to them.

I also enjoy posting my opinions about my lights and telling about them, and since I have so many popular lights I really have fun discussing them.

CPF changed me from a normal human being into a freak obsessed with obscure flashlights. And I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've bought, I've sold, I've learned.

These days I can no longer keep up the pace I used to, so my participation is limited, but the lights are still here.

Dan's data got me lurking here in '02. Keeping up with the LED technology (and maybe contributing to the portable illumination side of it) has been a blast! The board has had its up's and down's. but it's always been here!

Thanks, Kell! (Oops, I mean Greta!)

Larry

to 1dash1 --


Welcome to CandlePowerForums !

:welcome:



CPF has LOTS of bright, intelligent people here.


They discuss lights, emitters, batteries, switches, reflectors, you-name-it.


Also talk about various Flashlight "situations", and usage. :candle:


This is something i've been interested in, for nearly half-a-century.



I've learned a great deal from this forum. :wave:

_

CRESCENDOPOWER said:

7. The moderation must be OK because I haven't been banned yet.

Click to expand...

:devil:
LOL

Burgess said:

to 1dash1 --

Welcome to CandlePowerForums !

:welcome:

CPF has LOTS of bright, intelligent people here.

_

Click to expand...

Burgess:

Thank you!

I'm, too, am impressed by the intelligence, creativity, and resourcefulness of the the members here.

I'm not a much of a flashaholic, most of my posts are here in the Cafe. What I get from CPF is exposure viewpoints and information on a wide range of subjects from very intelligent and kind people that live all over the world.

:buddies:

tvodrd said:

Dan's data got me lurking here in '02

Click to expand...

Another Dan's Data reader

How did you come across Dan's site?

I don't quite remember how I actually came to be on CPF. I think it was because I was researching getting a 6D Mag-Lite and I found this place. I still got the Mag, by the way. And then a Streamlight Scorpion.

I read about the Pelican 7060 on Engadget, wanted to know how much it cost, was flabbergasted, searched to figure out what kind of thing the officers would be getting, and found McGizmo's thread here with the preproduction model. Then I read about the Batt Station pre-order for CPFers and joined to get it. I could swing the $100.

Then I saw an aspheric mag thread and there was no hope of staying away.

CPF is to me (And others) what the mall is to regular people. I go here to hang out, talk, and shop.

I was brought to CPF in mid-2000 after Brock N. emailed me the URL.
I soon added the link to my website, after seeing that CPF was primarily about flashlights, LEDs, lasers, and other devices that blink, glow, flash, or otherwise emit EM radiation with a wavelength range of ~385nm to ~740nm.

Even though I'm a reviewer with a large website (content just under 1 gigabyte) about flashlights, LEDs, lasers, and other devices that blink, glow, flash, or otherwise emit EM radiation with a wavelength range of 253.7nm to 1,342nm with optical power outputs ranging from just a few µW (microwatts) to ~4.0MW (megawatts), I still learn things on here that I would not learn anywhere else. :thumbsup:

Fallingwater said:

Another Dan's Data reader

How did you come across Dan's site?

Click to expand...

Don't remember for sure, but prolly a link from amdmb.com where I was hanging at the time. I rapidly noticed the HBLEDs were here, and available! Instant new hobby!

Larry

Why am I here?

I started by just looking for better tools (lights).

Then I found out that it is probably the best place to answer questions about lights that their ads don't cover. The answers come from a very broad user base -- or often from the light manufacturers themselves.

I don't buy as much as I used to because I've pretty much filled in the gaps.

Then there's the batteries. I'm a battery wimp compared to many here -- but not compared to the general population. I charge well over 1,000 cells a year and CPF has helped me find and run a couple of great chargers. Ditto on my cells -- CPF info has gotten me deal after deal on cells.

I'm also not a very good communicator but my association with the good people at CPF has caused me to be less caustic in my writing. That's good for everyone.

I love this place.

I got here after deciding I needed to upgrade to a Surefire in the spirit of preparedness. I blame my discovery of CPF and the subsequent damage to my checking account on my brother, who told me about Surefire lights. As always happens, I found something more complex than I ever imagined that I knew nothing about and was sucked in. It was a fast decline into addiction...