If you only had one light?

If the flashaholic police came by and asked you to give up all your lights but one, which would it be?

I've often thought about this because I seem to favor one light more than the others, even though I like them all and they all have their own purpose.

I love my Photon II on my keychain. I actually like it better than my Arc AAA - about the same brightness, two-mode switch, smaller, and about as durable. But neither one is my choice of the one light to keep.

I love my Innova X5. Extremely cute. Great tail switch but the five-LED head and the straight barrel design become a lot less appealing after a while. It's not my one choice.

I love my Infinity Ultra and Ultra-G as great little AA task lights, but if I could keep only one light, this wouldn't be my choice because it doesn't have sufficient light output for much beyond close-in use.

I love my Surefire E2e/MN03. Great feel, strong incandescent light, good throw, great tail switch, and Surefire quality. It would be my second choice, if I had a second choice.

I love my Mini Maglite mods - Inretec and Badboy 400/Q3. Nice and bright, functional over a wide range of uses, uses AA lithiums, but I just don't like the slick polished feel of the the Maglite, it's size/shape, or the uncomforting cheap feel of the twisty head switch (no tail switch either)- or the plastic lens.

All my POS lights -- EverReadys, RayOVacs, C-D cell Maglites, non-mod Mini Mags, and no-names - don't count.

Finally, I love my Surefire E1e and KL1 head. It's a Surefire, it's rugged, it looks good, it feels good in the hand, it's small size is perfect anyway it's carried, it's output is about as bright as the Maglite mods, and the tail switch is the best. It's functional over a wide range of uses.

If I owned an Arc LS, I would be comparing it to the E1E/KL1 but I think I would have a problem with the Arc's simple barrel construction and the awful (IMHO) tail switch - and high price. Size and light output would be relatively comparible.

My E1e/KL1 is my choice of the one light that I would keep if all my other lights were taken away. What's yours?

I could live with the Infinity Ultra. Otherwise: Over my cold, dead body!

After the LS4 is out, that may be the only light I need.

i think i would just have to go to jail /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif i don't think i could handle giving any of them up. but for the time being, my Blaster III is pulling favorites

Al,
Hmmmm, that seems to be an interesting concept, you can only have one! I have a Brinkmann Q3L and change out the McFlood optics and NX05 on occasion. Really, really like that light but if I could only have one.
I would cheat! As the cops looked over me, I would order a unobtainium S4L Luxeon to slap on a BB500 regulator for max output. It would slide into the Brinkmann Legend 2AA with glass lens. The head would be threaded to accept my optional 30mm optics to go along with the McFlood and NX-05 optics. You said one flashlight, did not say what optics it would use. Think of it as a "kit". Small enough to carry around with flood, stock and spot beam optics for whatever requirements I have at the time.
Now to get back on figuring out how to adapt a Nexstar 2C head and adapt it to a Brinkmann Legend 2AA head.

If I have to keep one light, I will keep my E2E-HA. I can always use it with the KL1/KL4/MN02 and have several filters available. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I do like my Arc-LS very much, but the E2E can easily replace it.

[ QUOTE ]
alberto said:My E1e/KL1 is my choice of the one light that I would keep if all my other lights were taken away. What's yours?

[/ QUOTE ] Easily my E2e-HA.

No doubt: PT Attitude!

It almost HAS become the ONLY light that I use.

Even though I own an ARC AAA, CMG Infinity Ultra, Rage, UK 4AA AS2, Surge, Photons, BB400 w/MiniMag and a few others.

BentHeadTX:

Great concept - a "kit" - this is getting good.

OK, if I kept the E2e/MN03 and hid the KL1 in my pocket, I'd have a stong 60 lumen incandescent with an option to quickly convert it to a long-running, moderately strong 17 lumen LED -- about the same as the E1e/KL1 combo (16 lumens) with considerably longer battery life. And I could include a MN02 longer-life bulb for a 25 lumen option, as GreenArcher suggested.

Now, if I also put a E1e barrel in my pocket, I'd have an option for a 15 lumen incandescent (w/ MN01) and a 16 lumen LED (w/ KL1). But what's the point, because I'd already have a 17 lumen option with the E2e/KL1. Forget it.

So, with one light (E2e/MN03), plus kit (KL1 and MN02), I'd have the following options:
- 60 lumens, 75 minutes
- 25 lumens, 2.5 hours
- 17 lumens, 4 hours, regulated, 11 hours reduced light.
And when batteries are exhaused in incandescent mode, switch to KL1 and get many additional hours of LED light.

It's not a very practical choice but I could never part with my McLux (/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif to McGizmo). There is nothing else that expresses flashaholism so perfectly.

The most practical light I've gotten recently is the Princeton Tec Blast. It's probably what I'd pick if I were a non-flashaholic. My mom likes it better than the Arc LSL-P that I gave her for mothers' day, so we're going to trade. Her problem with the Arc is that the pushbutton switch is too stiff. I might put a 123 twist pack on it if I can find one, and see how she likes that.

I would have to say me C3 Centurion, with my E2e a close second.

I'd probably keep my Dorcy 4 AA mod. It's got a copper pipe bulb with 4 Nichia 9000mcd leds running at 30ma. And a faceted reflector. This thing gives months and months of strong flood before noticeably dimming. And it's waterproof as well as nearly unbreakable.

Right now, my E2e. Friday my ARC LS will be here and that may be my choice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif But they are gonna have to catch me to take my lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If I had no choice but to give up all but one light, I'll probably keep my X990... The McLux (TK unit, or head mounted to an E2 body with a Copia 168B) is a very close second (maybe I'll be able to hide it where the sun don't shine, fool them authorities)...

But definately, the X990 stays...

I'd just grab my UBH Spy Kit! The brass E>C converter is not shown.

Dang roy, you beat me to it! I was going to say the same thing. Oh well, since I can't use my ubh kit, I could probably "survive" with just my A2. I guess. I wouldn't want that to ever happen though! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Roy said:
I'd just grab my UBH Spy Kit! The brass E>C converter is not shown.



[/ QUOTE ]

Very cool kit /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I have not tried all that many lights yet, but of the ones I have used so far I find the Surefire E1 the most useful. I can't count the number of times I use it in a day. It is small, bright, only uses one cell so it's very easy to have a extra cell on you for it. With the battery that's in it and a extra battery in your pocket you can run it for 3 hours. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I just love my little E1.

Before I found this place my EDC was the AA maglight.
The E1 has take it's place. I still get a good laugh when I shine the AA mag on the wall and then the E1 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
alberto said:
BentHeadTX:

Great concept - a "kit" - this is getting good.

OK, if I kept the E2e/MN03 and hid the KL1 in my pocket, I'd have a stong 60 lumen incandescent with an option to quickly convert it to a long-running, moderately strong 17 lumen LED -- about the same as the E1e/KL1 combo (16 lumens) with considerably longer battery life. And I could include a MN02 longer-life bulb for a 25 lumen option, as GreenArcher suggested.

Now, if I also put a E1e barrel in my pocket, I'd have an option for a 15 lumen incandescent (w/ MN01) and a 16 lumen LED (w/ KL1). But what's the point, because I'd already have a 17 lumen option with the E2e/KL1. Forget it.

So, with one light (E2e/MN03), plus kit (KL1 and MN02), I'd have the following options:
- 60 lumens, 75 minutes
- 25 lumens, 2.5 hours
- 17 lumens, 4 hours, regulated, 11 hours reduced light.
And when batteries are exhaused in incandescent mode, switch to KL1 and get many additional hours of LED light.


[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget, along the lines of you E1E body, you could get a cell-spacer to use in the E2E, so that you can use the MN01.

I'd make it a Bud Light!

This is really a tough question, one that I hope I never really need to answer. If you really really mean only 1-light (and various combos and accessories could be included, it would have to be the E2E/E2O. There are just so many options with this base light, taking it from LED driven to incandescent. You can go from the 16-lumen MN01 all the way up to 120-lumen modded P61. OK, so maybe that's not stock, but even OEM you have so many choices.

Again, I would never want to be forced into this decision, ever.

Blaster III. Very long runtime at high brightness, and lots of hours at reduced light. Would run days, and easy to find D cells. For lower output, put in a dummy cell, and run forever on 2D's. Bill