CPF actually made me buy crappy lights.

I was at Lowes today and they had Minimag 2 AA lights on sale for $9. I had to pic one up as a loaner. All the stories about idiots losing and wrecking good lights here have made me realize that I need lights I won't cry over if I lose. Againlovecpf

At the B2V I worked, some of my good lights left my hands and it was killing me to not to know where my C2 was even for just 5 minutes.

At least here I know others share the sickness.

Lol, when I saw your topic I thought: "That guy is probaly saying that they bought some good lights in the past but now realized that they were not that good"

I FAILED

but are u certain it is correct to use those crappy lights and keep your good lights as shelf queens or with minimal use? the reason behind building a light waterproof, shock-proof, HAIII, lanyard/clip, etc is so that they can weather the daily abuses and still function as intended. so i'll use my light in whatever nasty situation and if it gets dirty, just wash them. if they scratched, so be it. if they broke, then i can justify a better light

ruriimasu said:

but are u certain it is correct to use those crappy lights and keep your good lights as shelf queens or with minimal use? the reason behind building a light waterproof, shock-proof, HAIII, lanyard/clip, etc is so that they can weather the daily abuses and still function as intended. so i'll use my light in whatever nasty situation and if it gets dirty, just wash them. if they scratched, so be it. if they broke, then i can justify a better light

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He wants the minimag as a loaner.

Oddjob said:

He wants the minimag as a loaner.

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oh.. i knew... but i would still like to loan out even some bright ultrafires instead of an incan maglite to plant some flashaholic seeds in the other person. :naughty:

I've always been attracted to odd, perhaps "crappy" little lights. After finding CPF I probably stepped up my purchases, but part of that was the great increase in the number of LED lights available. In no small part, though, CPF has made it easier by giving me more information and some amount of validation. On top of this, it takes a really bad light for me to consider it "crappy".

Geoff

Oh I do loan out my good lights, to family and people I trust. My B2V trip I loaned my G2s to some friends because their shift was completely overnight. I know if they lost em they would be lost in the line of duty not just forgotten in a port-o-john.

Why I need loaners- Last weekend when I was doing vessel exam, a trainee needed a light to check a bilge. I handed him a G2. The switch did not work (LOTC, duh) so HE HITS IT ON THE CONCRETE DOCK 4 -5 times. Show him how you use the LOTC, and he says "oh huh".

I need loaners the great unwashed can use instinctively, but I think are semi cool, I do have standards

I like to have a loaner sometimes to avoid explaining "Double click it, like a mouse."
You get the strangest looks sometimes.

auxcoastie said:

Oh I do loan out my good lights, to family and people I trust. My B2V trip I loaned my G2s to some friends because their shift was completely overnight. I know if they lost em they would be lost in the line of duty not just forgotten in a port-o-john.

Why I need loaners- Last weekend when I was doing vessel exam, a trainee needed a light to check a bilge. I handed him a G2. The switch did not work (LOTC, duh) so HE HITS IT ON THE CONCRETE DOCK 4 -5 times. Show him how you use the LOTC, and he says "oh huh".

I need loaners the great unwashed can use instinctively, but I think are semi cool, I do have standards

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ruriimasu said:

oh.. i knew... but i would still like to loan out even some bright ultrafires instead of an incan maglite to plant some flashaholic seeds in the other person. :naughty:

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Sneaky :naughty:

auxcoastie said:

Last weekend when I was doing vessel exam, a trainee needed a light to check a bilge. I handed him a G2. The switch did not work (LOTC, duh) so HE HITS IT ON THE CONCRETE DOCK 4 -5 times.

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+1

If someone did that to my EDC I'd feel like [insert activity here which causes pain and/or premature demise] to them. That's one of the worst abuse stories I've ever heard.:shakehead Thank goodness for the G2, nitrolon bezel right?

Kestrel said:

+1

If someone did that to my EDC I'd feel like [insert activity here which causes pain and/or premature demise] to them. That's one of the worst abuse stories I've ever heard.:shakehead Thank goodness for the G2, nitrolon bezel right?

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Yeah it was Nitrolon, and he is not normally a bad buy, but

Whoa! The op had me thinking that he was recommended a light that ended up being a dud. :sweat:Good thing I read the post thoroughly...

I read another thread before about having some loaner lights around and it makes sense especially since I definitely don't want someone taking my Ti EX10 and bashing it against something because they didn't know how to turn it on. Yikes!

I now end up loaning either a JetBeam CL-E V2 or Fenix L1D or previously, a UF C3 (which I have since given to my building's super)... As ruriimasu said, sometimes you just have to plant the seed of Flashoholism...

I wouldn't classify a maglite as "crappy." When I think of a crappy light, I think something with poor build quality. Maglites are reliable, but they use out of date technology and are not very bright. However, I don't think that makes them "crappy."

I loan out my cheapo lights but not the good ones. Never, ever again -- too many close calls, too much time spent having to round them up, and almost never any thanks. Even with the cheapo's it depends on who's asking and how they ask.

In my old age I have learned a word that's brand new to many folks I meet. That word is "No."

me, i am going to have to classify a mag 2AA as crappy. costs more to upgrade it than a new light would.
Me, i have a few DX lights around for loaners. 1 mode, anywhere from 40-60 lumens, so bright enough for most situations a 'normal' person might need, and all take 1 AA, for easy battery replacement. None of them cost me more than $16. Im getting low on loaners though, since most of them never come home, lol.

My favorite loaner light these days is my Akoray k-106. 3 modes from "find stuff in a drawer" to "WOW". Got a couple of people at work now asking about lights

RGB_LED said:

I definitely don't want someone taking my Ti EX10 and bashing it against something because they didn't know how to turn it on. Yikes!

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I mean, that's pretty much on the same evolution level with 'Grog bang two rocks together to make fire'.

I just bought my third (this time a second hand) MagCharger.... as a loaner for use in the company! Whoever wants to take it any time, they're welcome. On ONE condition: if they break it, repair it yourself, and if you completely loose it (hard to imagine with such a bulky light, but you never know) then REPLACE it yourself. Don't agree with these simple rules? -> DON'T take it!

And from that moment, my SureFires are FORBIDDEN to EVER take them.

Life can be soooo simple, with a few rules :thumbsup:

Maybe I'll add a simple UltraFire WF-501B as a small backup, or for that cases a MagCharger simply is too long....

Timmo.

Oh man, I was just finishing reading the last post in this thread, and a good friend of mine (he's a great machinist, I've turned him into a flashaholic & gotten him hooked on Malkoff modules, so I think I'm OK) walks in to borrow one of my good lights for some kind of demonstration. I just can't resist folks getting impressed with these dang lights, I think I need my head examined...:tinfoil:

chmsam said:

In my old age I have learned a word that's brand new to many folks I meet. That word is "No."

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Unfortunately I'm not at that level of wisdom yet, my closest call is when I had to have my L1 returned back to me via mail. Dumb, yes, I know.:shrug: I guess I haven't had a bad experience yet (knock on wood).

ruriimasu said:

plant some flashaholic seeds in the other person.

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+2

auxcoastie said:

The switch did not work (LOTC, duh) so HE HITS IT ON THE CONCRETE DOCK 4 -5 times.

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Well, at least it was only a G2, not something expensive...