The partial disappearance of our advantage over the neophytes?

ryaxnb · Aug 13, 2010

I look around at store bought light options and i see some pretty good choices. I see lights outputting 85 lumens in a format small enough for EDC, i see infinitely variable lights with PWM, I see two-mode lights with hours of runtime, i see large lights with 160 lumens, and i even see the occasional 123A flashlight.
I begin to wonder, with all these nice regulated lights out there, is our advantage compared to the general flashlight buying public shrinking? Sure, our lights can output 160 lumens in the EDC format, but thats not THAT much brighter, whereas the difference between say an old early Fenix or Surefire 6pL and a Maglite Incandescent was just huge. These new beams are often fairly free of rings and brightness stays similar throughout the lights run. Sure, we'll always have the latest tech here at CPF, but is the days of wowing our friends with a 1 cell light thats brighter than their 3 D cell mag over? I think so
:sigh:

.

carrot · Aug 13, 2010

When the Maelstrom S12 comes out you won't have to worry anymore... at least for another few years...

Roger999 · Aug 13, 2010

Come to Australia! Most people around here are still using big old energizers/m@glites or the "13 LED lights" for $5....or their cellphone :devil:.

wyager · Aug 13, 2010

carrot said:
When the Maelstrom S12 comes out you won't have to worry anymore... at least for another few years...

What's the maelstrom S12? A search didn't turn up much, just some people saying they wanted it. What battery/output is it?

jp2515 · Aug 13, 2010

wyager said:
What's the maelstrom S12? A search didn't turn up much, just some people saying they wanted it. What battery/output is it?

A Google search turned up the following:

http://chows.smugmug.com/photos/842886949_Subgy-X3.jpg

wyager · Aug 13, 2010

jp2515 said:
A Google search turned up the following:

http://chows.smugmug.com/photos/842886949_Subgy-X3.jpg

Good looking! Are there any specs out there?

jp2515 · Aug 13, 2010

wyager said:
Good looking! Are there any specs out there?

Ask the orange man Carrot, he should have more info.

jp2515 · Aug 13, 2010

Roger999 said:
Come to Australia! Most people around here are still using big old energizers/m@glites or the "13 LED lights" for $5....or their cellphone :devil:.

Nothing unusual about that, sounds like the norm around here. The usual attitude is A flashlight? Who needs one of those? or you'd be called a gadget geek. Turn about is fair play when there is a power outage and those people are left in the dark and you make out like a bandit with your light.

wyager · Aug 13, 2010

carrot said:
When the Maelstrom S12 comes out you won't have to worry anymore... at least for another few years...

OK, I was advised to ask the orange man carrot so here I go. What are the specs? :nana:

carrot · Aug 13, 2010

wyager said:
OK, I was advised to ask the orange man carrot so here I go. What are the specs? :nana:

Its not set in concrete yet but the prototype was around 1200 emitter lumens with the Luminous SST90 for about an hour of runtime and will fit easily in your fist or cargo pockets. I got to caress a prototype at SHOT 2010 and also PF14 and it took some serious threatening from David to make me let go of it. This is going to be my one big purchase in 2010 and I suggest you make it yours too. Its more floody than throwy but 1200 lumens is still 1200 lumens

wyager · Aug 13, 2010

Whoa! 1200 lumens! What kind of battery does it take? I'm certainly getting one if the price is right.....

m3flies · Aug 13, 2010

ryaxnb said:
I look around at store bought light options and i see some pretty good choices. I see lights outputting 85 lumens in a format small enough for EDC, i see infinitely variable lights with PWM, I see two-mode lights with hours of runtime, i see large lights with 160 lumens, and i even see the occasional 123A flashlight.
I begin to wonder, with all these nice regulated lights out there, is our advantage compared to the general flashlight buying public shrinking? Sure, our lights can output 160 lumens in the EDC format, but thats not THAT much brighter, whereas the difference between say an old early Fenix or Surefire 6pL and a Maglite Incandescent was just huge. These new beams are often fairly free of rings and brightness stays similar throughout the lights run. Sure, we'll always have the latest tech here at CPF, but is the days of wowing our friends with a 1 cell light thats brighter than their 3 D cell mag over? I think so
:sigh: .

Why consider it an advantage? I think the more people out there who buy and enjoy quality flashlights, the better. I'm sure you also had a point where you crossed over. C'est la vie.

leukos · Aug 13, 2010

I'm sure it will still be sometime before we see Ti lights in blister packs....
Also, there isn't an LED light out there that has the internals of my HDS/Ra lights.
Maybe the "wow" factor won't be as big, but the mass market will probably always lag behind in the quality we have available through this forum.

wyager · Aug 14, 2010

leukos said:
I'm sure it will still be sometime before we see Ti lights in blister packs....
Also, there isn't an LED light out there that has the internals of my HDS/Ra lights.
Maybe the "wow" factor won't be as big, but the mass market will probably always lag behind in the quality we have available through this forum.

Agreed. This applies on almost any forum, on DIY-able forums like CPF or LPF this is very apparent. The "specialists" you get on forums almost always are on the cutting edge of whatever field they're in to.

kramer5150 · Aug 14, 2010

No.... the CPF boutique builders are still thousands of lumens ahead of the B/M retailers.

carrot · Aug 14, 2010

wyager said:
Whoa! 1200 lumens! What kind of battery does it take? I'm certainly getting one if the price is right.....

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say. I believe it will be packaged as a rechargeable solution.

wyager · Aug 14, 2010

carrot said:
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say. I believe it will be packaged as a rechargeable solution.

OK, cool. I suppose you mean internal lipos or something.... time will tell

Jash · Aug 14, 2010

Roger999 said:
Come to Australia! Most people around here are still using big old energizers/m@glites or the "13 LED lights" for $5....or their cellphone :devil:.

O ain't that just SO true. I took my son on a group camp a few months ago and the Fenix E20 I gave him to use absolutely blitzed everything else (except my TK40).
There was one guy showing off his red 6D mag with the stock 3w led. I can't describe in words the look on his face when I pumped the TK40 up to turbo.

Flying Turtle · Aug 14, 2010

We all escaped from the dark side at one point when our Mags just couldn't cut it, found CPF, and now bask in the glow. I think the increase in good lights at local stores has been a large part behind the growth of CPF.

"We have met the enemy, and he is us".

Geoff

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