Flashlight Suggestion!!!

OK guys! I've been poking around here for quite some time and I think I've narrowed my choices down to 2 lights: Streamlight Ultrastinger or the Surefire M3(or M3T).

Basically, I have a small boat that I take out on the ocean at night and need a light that I can use to flash-burst another boat if they are getting too close for comfort. The light needs to be durable and can handle being splashed. It also needs to be small (smaller the better) so it can be stowed out of the way easily. Its a small boat. It needs to throw a good distance and should be able to grab another boater's attention quickly. Run time is not really an issue, since it will be used for short time intervals.

The Pros of each:
US - Very bright, inexpensive compared to the SF, and small, rechargeable (not 123s), possibly outperforms the SF?
SF - Even smaller than US, more compact, more durable, waterproof, cooler looking , can use it for my handguns too.

The Cons of each:
US - Not sure how weather resistant it is??? Needs to at least take spray and splashes.
SF - Very expensive compared to US. Uses expensive 123 batteries compared to rechargebles.

So guys let me have it. What are your comments. If I'm completely off base feel free to make another suggestion.

Get a PT Surge! It's cheap, uses 8 AA batteries, waterproof to a couple of hundred feet, and is very bright!

While I'm a SureFire fan, I would suggest you check for a water tight light that will float. If you are going boating, you just gotta expect that your light will go swimming at some point... usually the point in time when you need it the most. A water-proof free-diving light won't do you much go either (that is unless you like free-diving too. I noticed that Koehler-Bright Star Lantern 6V floats and is water-tight... 50,000 CP for a measely $14.

Then there are a bunch of UnderWater Kinetics lights. I don't know which ones, if any, float but they are designed for marine use.

Now, with all that cash you saved you can pick up a real nice EDC E2e and optional KL1 head.

Byron

UK SL6. Long throw, waterproof to 500 ft, durable, cheap, low running cost, long run time. It is quite big though. The SL4 is about 2" shorter, with similar characteristics.

If you go for the SureFire M3T, remember it comes with a lanyard - you'd be advised to attach it to a gear-keeper (such as you would your GPS or NVGs etc) because it would be a same to loose it to the deep (or not have it on your when required)

The Surge can't get close to the M3T in terms of light output or more significantly beam throw. I have a surge, it's heavy and not very easy for me to grip even with warm dry hands.

The UKE SL6 - I have no idea but have read good things.

The M3T is a "tactical" light.
The UltraStinger is a "duty" light.
I agree, you should check out "dive" rated lights such as UKE and Pelican for starters.
I would personally use one of my M6's with the MN20 lamp...

Regards,

Al

Originally posted by Roy:
Get a PT Surge! It's cheap, uses 8 AA batteries, waterproof to a couple of hundred feet, and is very bright!

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I second the Surge or even a PT 40 with a narrow reflector. Both are watertight, come with lanyards, use common readily available, inexpensive AA batteries and standard PR base bulbs that are available just about anyplace that sells flashlights. I have these lights and I'm please with both of them.

PT40 seems easier to grip. Surge is really a bit hard to grip, very loose. Maybe the should come up with some kind of rubber grip like what MAG did for their C and D size torches...

How about one of those "1 million CP" lights? It is cheap, rechargeable, and WAY brighter than either the US, or M3.

Sorry to pick something else but...
For a boat I would get a PT Surge. Waterproof and only cost $23. Brightness is very good.

The Ultrastinger will out throw the M3T easily if you are looking for a long range, night peircing tight beam that is also adjustable to flood light. I don't think it's more than water resistant though.

The M3T is an outstandingly built light that is very bright for it's small size but is way overkill price wise if you are just using it on a boat, you would be out alot of cash if this fell overboard, and waterproofness is not guarenteed, they have been known to leak underwater. You can get one depth certified by Surefire though.

A cheap 1 million CP spot light would be another good choice, easily outshining the others and very cheap (like $15).

The problem is the M3T & Ultrastinger are expensive lights to have on a boat when the PT surge will do the same thing, just not as bright, but bright enough to do the job.

How about going against all conventional wisdom and getting an Eternalight Marine? Not incandesent, but shouldn't 4 LEDs flashing at you get your attention??

On our boat I used a rechargeable 1,000,000 candlepower LSI spotlight and never felt that it was too bright. Today, I'd carry the UKE 100 Light Cannon and use the LSI as a backup. In my opinion for the purpose you propose, MORE LIGHT is GOOD.

UKE light cannon!

That would definately work.

UKE or PT - I have the same use case (boating on SF Bay) and use a Tec40 and a Surge, both Princeton Tec, depending upon the occasion. But I am getting ready to try a UKE light after having read so much good stuff about them.

I wouldn't use SF for that - the environment is too nasty for such a good looking light and if you lose it over the side (thats happened to me before...) it's a good bit of $$.

Only problems with a UKE lightcannon is: Drop it 3 feet, bulb breaks ($80); Takes ~20 seconds to turn on fully; Dive-light (presumably doesn't float).

The people are ignoring your running lights, eh? Idiots behave the same here in fresh water. They seem to think that buying the boat somehow automatically make you a sailor. If your boat has a 12V power supply, you should get something on the order of a Q-Beam. Check in a marine supply store or catalog for one with a bail, the can be mounted to your console, so you don't have to worry about loseing it.

There is also a lot of merit in the suggestion of a 6V floating lantern. Those can be obtained at KMart, WalMart, or Target of under $10.00, and frequntly less than $5.00. A lanyard from the handle to a gunwale will prevent it's loss.

You can also use a 12v strobe (likely orange/amber). Simple alarm-system type works fine. Check with local laws, of course.

I'm not sure all of the CP ratings as published match reality.

My 1M CP Vector CO137 (which is very bright) measures out to 100,000cp. The UKE SL6 is about 13,000 cp and very bright, tight. 6 C cells.

I've had two reports. One is that the SL6 is about as bright as an US on tight and fairly close (i.e. not as close as the first report).

I think niggling over a few percent (10-30%) isn't the big difference. I think of lights in terms of steps of 3-10x the brightness.

So if the Surge, SL6, US, or whatever aren't bright enough, then you've got to go to a "spotlight" -- some are waterproof, many aren't.

My Brinkmann 1M CP is actually only 65,000 CP, by the way.

Cheers,

Richard

When you said too close for comfort, what distance are you refering to? Would be good if you had told us how far a throw you want the light to have.

Having said that, i agree that the Surge is probably a good buy. It's cheaper than the SF,
water proof, uses cheaper batteries, and has
further throw than the 9P, D3, C3, Z3 of the
SureFire line. Of course, the M3T has further
throw, but it's way overkill (very expensive).
Forget about the 1million candela lights.
They're for search and rescue...

I also would suggest leaning towards a rechargable spotlight, my personal favorite is the Optronics 2 mil CP light, about 50-60 $.

BUT, I have seen 1 mil and even 500,000 CP lights for less. At Big!lots, I saw a 500,000 CP light for 9.99.

While I do not own a boat, my neighbor does, and, while he is envious of my lights, he says that he would never purchase a light as expensive as mine, because most of his lights end up falling overboard at one time or another.

So, since you are on a boat, you can easily re-charge your light, I would think one of those spotlights would be the way to go.

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