Need light recommendation for work

nakahoshi

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Some weird new forum host voodoo going on here!!! My post was bumped up to number 1. This is the Orignal post :
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Im looking for a new light for work, im an electrician and spend a lot of time in poorly lit hospital T floors and attics.

Right now im using a pelican supersaber light, i like it but id like something a little more powerfull.

im looking for sujestions, price isint really revelant as the boss will be picking up the bill, however i would like something that dosent need new batterys every day, and something that dosent use 123a's as theyre pretty pricy to have to be replaceing constantly
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(EDIT - This post was supposed to be #7)
As suggested above, the Fenix L2T V2 Is a great Choice.

-Simple to use (2 levels by turning the head)
-Runs off of 2 AA of any type (NiMh and Regular Alkaline)
Very bright when you need to see and decent output on lower mode for general usage.

I used this light for quite awhile (I also am an electrician) and its a great choice. My father (also an electrician) loves his. A few of my co-workers also use this same light now that I think about it.

Also, if you get it from 4sevens.com you get a lifetime warranty and Free shipping. (Dont forget the coupon code - CPF8 for 8% off)

Dont mess around with mods or drop ins, this light works right out of the box.

If you dont want to deal with a mini-mag length type light, they also make this light in the single AA form factor (with reduced output and runtime)

Link

-Bobby
 
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RobertM

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Being an electrician, you might want to go incandescent over LED. While not an electrician, I work in IT and am often having to work with wiring in dark places. I've found that the better color rendition of an incandescent is quite valuable to me (distinguishing a red stripe from an orange stripe, etc).

Here is a blog post I made a while back briefly showing a comparison:
Lithium Flashlight Color Rendering - Incan vs LED

With that being said, you'll probably want to go rechargeable. I strongly urge you to read mdocod's excellent post found here:
MDs Lithium-Ion>Incandecent guide, +compatability/comparison chart

I'd recommend a SureFire G3 (or 9P if you want aluminum, or C3 if your want hard anodized aluminum with a pocket clip; otherwise they are pretty much the same). You can run it on 2x17500 protected rechargeable Li-Ion batteries or on 3xCR123s if you're in a pinch. It is quite bright and will run for ~1 hr. If you actually find it to be too bright, you could also put in a lower output Lumens Factory D26 ES-9 lamp and you would increase your runtime too.

Just be sure to checkout the above two links. Good luck in finding your light!

Robert

EDIT: Something is definitely not right on the forum; stuie25's post below is the original post.
 

hyperloop

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As an electrician, you may want something with a slightly warmer tint, that makes it easier to tell the different colors on the wires, cables. Also it runs on 2 modes to conserve battery life and yet still have a high power mode if you need it.

Here is a pic of the Fenix TK20, runs on 2 x AA cells and a comparision shot with a SF E1B, think the picture speaks for itself.

You can get this light from 4Sevens.

tk20vse1b1000jpglv5.jpg
 

sappyg

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i'm a builder and i constantly look at and work in dimly lit spaces. if most of your work in during the day with a good deal of ambient light go with an LED with as many lumens as you can get. i switch my LED drop in into a g2, g3, 6p and c2. you can't beat the SF G series for work. i use AW rechargables. you can get both the drop in LA and the AW's from a lot of places but i get mine from lighthound.
i also carry A nitecore d10 and or a fenix p2d q5 for when i get in tight spaces like cabinets etc. the d10 is great but i'm not completely sold on the piston drive deal
 

stuie25

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Saint John NB.
Im looking for a new light for work, im an electrician and spend a lot of time in poorly lit hospital T floors and attics.

Right now im using a pelican supersaber light, i like it but id like something a little more powerfull.

im looking for sujestions, price isint really revelant as the boss will be picking up the bill, however i would like something that dosent need new batterys every day, and something that dosent use 123a's as theyre pretty pricy to have to be replaceing constantly
 

CLHC

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Dec 25, 2004
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im looking for sujestions, price isint really revelant as the boss will be picking up the bill, however i would like something that dosent need new batterys every day, and something that dosent use 123a's as theyre pretty pricy to have to be replaceing constantly
How about either using rechargeable 123s or purchasing bulk like SureFire 123s and the like from BatteryStation? If possibly so, then maybe a SureFire 6/G/C/M series with a Malkoff LED drop-in.

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!
 

stuie25

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i have a little headlamp that's 3 AAA but it does not have a good battery life.

im looking for power in a short range, im never outdoors so throw distance is not something i need.

id like rechargeable, however i dont know much about rechargeable other than AA's.

the 3C pelican light i have now works well id just like a little more power.

the C maglight with a drop in would be nice but i dont know anything about the drop ins.
 

Hooked on Fenix

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As the son of an electrical contractor, I'm familiar with the needs of that profession. I've helped my dad on many jobs as well. First, you aren't going to want an aluminum flashlight while working with electricity. Get a plastic light like the one you've been using, no metal. Second, you need good color rendition to identify wires. While incandescent is best for this, it won't give you the runtime you desire. Luxeon Rebel and TFFC K2 lights tend to have a warm tint similar to incandescent as well as certain bins of Cree XR-Es. Stay away from 5mm l.e.d.s. They tend to be too bluish for this type of work. I know you want a bright light that will work for your job, but remember that in a plastic body, heatsinking is a problem so plastic lights won't be as bright as aluminum lights. In a plastic light, you can still get a good balance of brightness and runtime that is better than what you're used to, but you're not going to get 200+lumens. Sometimes, if not all the time, you may need your hands free to get the job done. My first suggestion would be a Princeton Tec EOS or EOS II headlight. They run at a 50 lumen high for 2 hours regulated (and many more hours after dimming slowly). Medium on the EOS is about 20 lumens (10 hours regulated). Low on the EOS II is 10 lumens and on the EOS 5 lumens. The EOS II has only two levels, is Class I Division I rated, and comes with a spare rubber strap for a hard hat. The EOS is three levels plus a strobe, is Class I Division II rated, and is the cheaper of the two. Both are water resistant and UL listed. Both use a Rebel l.e.d. and should have a neutral or warm white tint. Another light that might work if you don't want a headlight is the Princeton Tec Amp 4.0. It's about $35, is about as bright or brighter than the EOS headlights, uses 4AAs, and is also plastic. It should have much better runtimes than the EOS headlights since it takes 4AAs and the EOS lights take 3AAAs. There is an Amp 5.0 that has the Rebel l.e.d. and 3 5mm l.e.d.s. The important thing about the 5.0 is that it has a clip and you can probably clip it to something to aim where you're working. All of these lights can take alkaline, lithium or rechargeable batteries (that are available in stores).
 
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Wyeast

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Ditto on the plastic bodies, especially for electrical work. I work in dark crawlspaces/attics all the time, and feel quite comfortable with lights in the 60-100lumen range, so I think you can get away without needing an eyeblinder for sake of keeping the temps down in a plastic body.

I usually use a MyoXP headlamp (the newer ones have Seouls I think, so even brighter than the one I have) which is handy for going hands-free. Multi level, plus a diffuser which makes it handy for switching between closeup/distance. That's probably my suggestion.

There are Pelican LED lights, tho' they usually have very tight beams trying to make the most of their old LUX emitters, so I dunno if that's what you're necessarily looking for.
 

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