Bored or Jaded With Your Lights? Possible Solution...

I actually got this idea when I remembered a thread off of a Corvette forum that I read a while back.

Basically, one Corvette owner said that when he got bored with his car, that instead of buying more modifications, he would park the Corvette and drive his Honda Civic (or whatever it was) beater car for several weeks, and not touch the Corvette. Then when he got back in Corvette weeks later, he'd be blown away by the performance because he'd gotten used to the Civic.


I bet this would work pretty well for flashaholics too. If you're bored with your lights and you're going crazy trying to always get the absolute latest/greatest, try this instead of buying more stuff. Go back to some old single-mode luxeon or 5mm lights from several years ago, and strictly use those lights for your EDC purposes. No cheating! (but you could carry something state of the art for emergencies so long as you can not use it otherwise :nana: )

After a few weeks of using your old 25 lumen mini-mag (or whatever), your ordinary boring Q5 or R2 light won't seem so boring anymore. For a while at least, then repeat the process.


(ps - this assumes you actually USE your lights )


Whaddya think? Would it work? I bet it would, and it'd be an easier option for those of us with limited funds rather than burning piles of money everytime a new light comes out just to fill the craving!

That trick works great for all kinds of things! Everything from your favorite food, alcohol, girlfriends; basically anything that's a hobby.

Would work well for anything with lots of throw, or just lots of lumens... any specialised low lumen lights wouldn't make that much difference, unless it has a particularly milky beam compared to say... an old style incan minimag.

I used an old incan minimag as my EDC for a week while house sitting, and then at my parents place got to use a 2 cell eveready light with mostly dead cells... got back to my place, grabbed the first light I could and just turned it on... I would put it on par with first hit of a cigarette after 2 days without one, or whatever your vice is. Will try this experiment again though... kinda like the minimag incans as they are to tell you the truth

get-lit said:

That trick works great for all kinds of things! Everything from your favorite food, alcohol, girlfriends; basically anything that's a hobby.

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LOL that last one made me laugh. But heck yeah, I go back to my L1D once in a while and I actually appreciate it more. I take a moment and remember the time when I first got it so far it has never failed me. Now back in EDC rotation!

get-lit said:

That trick works great for all kinds of things! Everything from your favorite food, alcohol, girlfriends; basically anything that's a hobby.

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Uhhh, no comment!!


:wow:

Stress_Test said:

Uhhh, no comment!!


:wow:

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You cant have the same kind of meat for dinner every day for the rest of your life. variety is a good thing.

back on topic

This is extremely true, However my example is a bit backwards: during last summer I drove my 74' Lincoln around as my primary mode of transportation. A few weeks later I borrowed my Grandmothers car "A 1989 Honda Civic". That thing was the fasted, best handling car I've ever driven "compared to what I had before". It's 60 H.P. was like having a jet thruster attached to the back of the trunk! Getting on highways was like racing an Formula 1 car around a track! I wonder what it would feel like going from a 70's ship to a corvette!!!!

Any who, I to do this for flashlights. Sometimes I use a Minimag around the house or Maglite outside for stuff. After that a P7 looks like a portable sun!

tekguy said:

You cant have the same kind of meat for dinner every day for the rest of your life. variety is a good thing.

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That's not true, I eat pizza and cheese sandwiches every day and they always taste good, not sure why though:thinking:?

man, how coincidental is that? i was just thinking this the other day and even got round to re-configuring my minimag back to stock, havent carried it yet though.

Hah, yeah I think with so many new and updated lights coming out now every time we turn around, some of us are going into brain overload and taking a break by looking back to see how far we've come!

I would do this but it is such a pain keeping my minimag AAA fed with batts and bulbs...that is one thing I have not forgotten about that little bugger But it was my first 'real' light, and a gift at that, so it ain't goin' anywhere.
:wave: <-- no

I think it is a good idea to take a step back and appreciate what we have from time to time, rather than always always being caught up with the newest stuff; no matter what method is used to achieve this, and spending some time using an 'old school' light is a good a way as any.

I have also noticed that a good cleaning/shining up does the same thing. Cars, appliances, lights etc that I get tired of, sometimes just a good cleaning job brings back the lustre and convinces me I really don't need to "upgrade" to the latest and greatest just yet.

Girlfriend!?! Do mean go back to the wife for a few weeks and remind yourself why you have the girlfriend? Careful, in the process, you may remind her why she has the boyfriend!

get-lit said:

That trick works great for all kinds of things! Everything from your favorite food, alcohol, girlfriends; basically anything that's a hobby.

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BOT: I never really have to remind myself of why I have and like lights. Only if I ever go a week or more without needing to use them or working on a mod to make one for a specific purpose do I start to lose interest. I have been focusing (yeah, I said it) on getting or making a mountain bike helmet light for a long time now, so I have been looking for something somewhat specific: neutral tint, focused beam, low spill.

Seems to work...what should i do if i drive a civic and i like it, if you know what i mean?

Anyways, i edc my mte p7 @ work and thats perfect for that...as long as i don't buy something with sst-50...^^

I agree with "downgrading" to a different light once and a while. I periodically grab one of my two drop-in-mod'd 2AA M@gs (a Niteze or teralux) for EDC and always very impressed with them, but then go back to my 24/7 EDC P2D Q5 and love it even more!!

i like this idea.

sometimes i just use an old incan just for the nostalgia.

Hmm what's funny is when I was in the navy I never got tired of eating Taco Bell, the local Chinese place, or Cup Noodles for two years straight. I still never get tired of Cup Noodles. That's basically all they had, there was no way I'd go to the base mess, waaaay too many E3's and below crowding up the place.

i'm no longer jaded! converted the minimag back to stock, slipped in 2xNiMHs and didnt see the light. Am now appreciating all my lights all over again.

hyperloop said:

................converted the minimag back to stock, slipped in 2xNiMHs and didnt see the light. ...................

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Well at least replace the blown bulb!

Just kidding.

I got Princeton Tec40 just to have an "old school" incan for knockabout fun purposes. Once you get used to it it's really not a bad light, and it runs quite a while on NiMH.

But then later, when I pick up, say, the TK11....

Stress_Test said:

I bet this would work pretty well for flashaholics too. If you're bored with your lights and you're going crazy trying to always get the absolute latest/greatest, try this instead of buying more stuff. Go back to some old single-mode luxeon or 5mm lights from several years ago, and strictly use those lights for your EDC purposes.

Click to expand...

might want to give this thread a read, it'll give you some tips to start off
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/188700

like actually going out and buying a stock minimag for example. I've accepted the fact that I lost perspective after going into MCE lights, but I intend to stay that way. I don't like to be out in the field using a light and be just as surprised as bystanders after readjusting perspective.