need advice on buying a new flashlight

nikwave

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
6
i already have a pelican 8060 and now im looking for something more powerful.i filled the form below hoping to hear some expert ,thanks!

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__x__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! :)

____Less than $25.
____Less than $50.
____Less than $100.
__x__Less than $150.
____Less than $300.
____I have no limit.
____I'm flexible, tell we what you gotJ.
____Other, please specify ________


3) Format:

__x__I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a dive light.
____I want a portable spotlight.


4) Flashlight-specific format/size:

____Keychain size.
____Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
____Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
____Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
__x__I don't care.
____I don't know.
____N/A


5) Emitter/Light source:

__x__LED
____Incandescent
____HID


6) Manufacturer:

___x_I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this option can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs.


7) What battery type do you want to use?

____I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today's most powerful lights)
_x___I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
____I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
____I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
____I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
____I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
__x__I walk ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).


9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.

____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
_x___150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).

____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
__x__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A "night-stand" light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
__x__Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.


12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):

____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____I want a twisty switch (twist head to tighten, and the light will stay on until head is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
____I don't care.
__x__I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off is fine for me.
____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
____I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)
____I want SOS mode.
____I want a beacon mode.
____I don't care.
__x__I don't know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (hard anodized) (this is the most common for today's flashlights).
____Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don't care.
__x__I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.


15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.

____Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
____Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments
 

jhc37013

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
3,268
Location
Tennessee
Hello and :welcome:

You've come to the right place their lots of great info here hope you stay around and enjoy.

So you want to basically use NiMh rechargeable AA,C, or D is this correct? It seems you want a lot of output for around 1.5-2hrs. Using these types of battery's is really going to limit your choices and you said you don't want a custom like a custom Maglite. You may first want to look at the Eagletac P20A2 MKII and a Quark AAx2 and see if these are bright enough for you.

Edit- oops I see now you said ~800 lumens look at the Fenix TK40 it's actually around 600 lumens but if you want to use NiMH it's about your best option.
 
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photonstorm

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
118
Location
Mississauga
Here are a few suggestions for your new light

Fenix TK45
Solarforce Masterpiece
EagleTac M2xC4

or

The yet to be released highly anticipated 4Sevens Maelstrom S12
 

red02

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
975
The best production AA thrower at the moment is the Dereelight Javelin. It will probably hit 100m without a problem, but 150+ is difficult for any AA light.

Unlike the Tk40/45 its a dedicated thrower which will reach what ever your aiming at with a tight beam. These lights will -not- out throw a Javelin, but they will light up more area up close.

Here are a few suggestions for your new light

Fenix TK45
Solarforce Masterpiece
EagleTac M2xC4

or

The yet to be released highly anticipated 4Sevens Maelstrom S12


I didn't realize that the Maelstrom, Eagletac m2xc4 and Solarforce Masterpiece are AA/D operated...
 
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nikwave

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
6
what about the chargers,i really like the pelican wall mounted charger,all this flashlights im looking at ,i will have to open and take the batteries an put them on the charger,and most of them hold 8 aa batteries and the charger holds only 2?i will use it every night and i need it to be charged and ready to go .what about the UltraFire TH-1300L is 1300 lumens real ?or the trunite catapult v2?

 

nikwave

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
6
any of this have the holder-charger or i have to take the batteries out and put them in the battery charger?
 
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