Wanted: LED, good throw, compact reputable flashlight.

Hi, Everyone,
I've been searching the internet for a couple of weeks and I think I'm starting to shut down. I'm hoping this forum will speed things up for me. I'm still in the learning stage re flashlights so please bear with me.

I'm looking for a flashlight that will throw a good beam about 100-150 ft or more without too much spill. I drive taxi and it's needed to shine on the house numbers from inside my vehicle at night, often from some distance.

I'd prefer an LED weather resistant compact (but not necessary), good throw (essential), not too much spill, perhaps even tactical.

Price is not a problem but I doubt I'd want to go spending $400 for one. Just wanting a keeper.

I've found out there's a lot of enthuiastic flashlight fans out there, especially on this forum. It's so interesting yet often confusing to me, lol.
I came across an interesting flashlight in my travels and was wondering why that brand was never mentioned in all my searching/reviews.
It's the Coast LED Lenser Police Pack HP8407/K3. They say it throws 113 ft which would probably be good enough for me. I'm totally open to spending more on a higher grade flashlight but was just curious about the above
unmentioned brand.
Anyhoo, here I am looking forward to all your good advice, pointers, and replies whilst thanking you at the same time.
This is a great site,
Cheers,
Orca

I'll probably get beaten about the head for recommending an older light, but the Tiablo A9 seems like it would be a good fit if you can still find one. Just be aware there are some fakes out there.

Maglite MagLED 2D, which uses the new Luxeon Rebel emitter now. It fits your criteria very well and you would be extremely impressed by its throw at tight focus. The Stanley 5W LED rechargeable spotlight is another option if you want something more compact, however it is not highly water resistant like the Maglite.

Hi, guys,
I might be turning into a flashlight enthusiast with all this searching. At the end of the day I'm sure I'll be owning more than one.
Anyways, I like the look of the Tiablo A9 and was wondering if there's anything out there without the on/off switch at the back. Weather resistant or waterproof would also be nice. Meanwhile I'm heading out to Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire to see if they have the Maglite Led 2D.
BTW, I am willing to spend up to a couple hundred bucks for a real keeper of my original specs, if there's anything out there. Sure appreciating the help I'm getting.
Thanks again, Orca

Hey bud you might be interested in this one then.....smaller then the Magled of course and yes its a keeper. So start reading.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/248375

If you wanted it purely for throw and to look at house numbers without lots of spill into the windows at a range of 150ft, I would go for an aspheric LED.

I have the Tiablo A9 with aspheric head and at 150ft it will throw much more than enough light to show any sign.

Here is mine shone on a tree at 64 yards (192ft) and the edges of the square of light is roughly 2 yards (6ft) so at lower ranges will be even smaller.



Here it is again at 20 yards (60ft) on high with square sides less than a yard long.



The 20 yard pic looks too bright but it is just the camera I used and the beam isn't that fierce. If it is too bright though you can always use the lower 60 lumen mode and this will still be more than enough light at the range you mentioned. An aspheric light is perfect for the task you said you want the light for. Compared against a Fenix TK11 R2 for example which has good throw and some spill and could light up too much...




HTH,

Steve.

Wow,
I'm sure impressed with all the assistance I got in this forum.
I guess this subject is now closed because ol' happy me went and bought the
JETBeam RRT-0 (R2) Flashlight as it was truly exactly what I was looking for although I didn't come across it in my surfing. This forum sped everything up.
I'm impressed.
Thanks to all of you for your replies and Merry Christmas to everyone.
Cheers,
Orcaowl
PS: This was my Christmas present to myself, lol. :twothumbs

Now what kind of batts do you plan on using in the light......AA's can be had anywhere but the drawback is that they might leak which is bad for the light. I would go with a good set of rechargeables.

Hmmmm,
The battery thing never crossed my mind although the place I purchased from also includes an Ultrafire 3.6 volt or 3 volt RCR123 Lithium Battery Charger
and 2 @ AW RCR123a Protected 750 mAh Batteries.

I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on taking care of the flashlight and making sure I follow the manual to a T.

Thanks for mentioning that as I may have overlooked the consequences.
Orcaowl

Hey it also takes AA's as well...you will get longer runtime with an AA.

AA, AAA, flashlight is way to go coz they can be find everywhere and its cheap compare to CR123, 18650 to name a few.

orca said:

JETBeam RRT-0 (R2)

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you will be VERY happy.:twothumbs

great choice, small, compact and bright! I'd stay away from alkalines though, they leak. I predict that this is going to be the first of many purchases that RRT-0 is so compact that it will be your EDC (Every Day Carry) light and sit in your pocket or on or near you 24/7.

Then you're going to need a larger light for your vehicle and maybe one for home use, a cheaper light to loan friends etc etc ad infinitum

One more thing to consider, think about getting a cable so you can charge batteries in the vehicle while you're on the go.

Fenix TK40.

Size of a 2D mag, massive throw, good spill and can be used at four brightness levels so you won't need anything else if you're using it in your taxi. 8 eneloops, a charger and you're set.

I know you said you didn't want much spill, but it will make it easier to see those things in the dark you would never notice without it (think security).

No you can't put it in your pocket, but you can outshine pretty much anything anyone else will be carrying.

Hey, everyone,
I've been using this Jetbeam RRT-0 Raptor flashlight every night since I got it. It rocks. I use it whenever I need to shine on house numbers, check the inside of the vehicle, yada yada. I use it for everything. I've got a charger and the rechargeable battery lasts a long time. Real long. I'm impressed. I also carry around a stored AA somewhere in case I need it. This is the perfect flashlight.
I carry it in the inside of my coat pocket. I haven't been using the extension as I don't currently need it. During winter I keep the compact in my coat jacket, inside pocket. Seems there's only about two seasons up here. Winter and not winter. Not winter isn't very long, lol.
This flashlight will be with me forever. Thanks everyone for the feedback.
I'm very satisfied and very impressed by this flashlight. When it goes dim, and so far that's only been once since I bought it, I just slap in the spare rechargeable I keep with me in the glove box.
I'll never buy a cheap flashlight again. I'm even thinking of buying another different one for camping. That day will happen. Thanks again.
Cheers,
Orca

The RRT-0 is great. You should look into getting another Jetbeam - the Jet III Military is outstanding and the RRT-2 is also quite nice. You know you want another!!!

:thumbsup:

gilly said:

The RRT-0 is great. You should look into getting another Jetbeam - the Jet III Military is outstanding and the RRT-2 is also quite nice. You know you want another!!!

:thumbsup:

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Hehehe watch out for your wallet