i need your thoughts on a magnalight rl-11 or steamlight lightbox hid.

hi, i am wanting to purchase the magnalight rl-11 hid or a streamlight lightbox and before i do, i was wondering if anyone has one and or can tell me some of the good and bad about it. it sounds like a great setup and comes with a 3 year warrenty plus its made by an american company to boot.
im not interested in the ti l35 or the n30. 400.00 is my limit.
the ad description states it outperforms the hellfighter with a brighter and further throwing beam but i know its not as well built as the hellfighter. it sounds like a great first hid light. what do ya think? i cant find any reviews or beamshots besides what the ad shows. any links?

Re: i need your thoughts on a magnalight rl-11?

The light has been previously discussed here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/204497

FWIW it looks like a nice light. If it does what it claims it can do, it's an awesome choice. However I do have a few qualms about it...

Magnalight claims the RL-11's output is higher and the throw is greater than the SF Hellfighter, which at this point is at best marketing hype. They have no photos or data to back up this claim, and the beamshots of the light itself are inaccurate. In the test photo it shows the street at 2800', and in the next beamshot it's the same location, but zoomed in. Because of this it's impossible to make a direct and fair comparison. Frankly it's also very misleading to the average consumer.

The one detail that popped out was its supposed "instant strike" capability. If this is true, this one feature that is lacking in all budget HIDs would be a great reason to buy it. However, because of the above dubious claim it's hard to say if this is also accurate. The only reliable way to find out is to actually buy the item. I looked at Bright Guy (the other dealer selling the same light) and there is no mention of instant strike or comparisons to the HellFighter. Here's the link:

http://www.brightguy.com/products/Acro_A3100_HID_Rescue_Light.php

OTOH I'm not sure why you've eliminated your choices for the N30 and L35. They're both well below your $400 spending limit and they are backed by an amazing reputation for reliability here on CPF. If cost is the limiting factor, why are you going for the $399 RL-11?

Re: i need your thoughts on a magnalight rl-11?

thanks for the info, very well taken. after a little further research and thought, im leaning towards the streamlight lightbox hid. it weighs 10 lbs but i think the extra 6 lbs are not too critical, im not thinking im gonna be going on a night hike lugging it around anyways. it seems like its a favorite for firefighters. i think if they use them they must be well built and from the review i read they shine pretty well and far. any thoughts or experience on the streamlight lightbox would be greatly appreceiated. ive seen the beamshots of the n30 and l35 and was not really too impressed to tell the truth. im just trying not to pick a light and have that "if only i would have bought the other one debate". thanks for your inputs.

Re: i need your thoughts on a magnalight rl-11?

As your first HID you won't regret buying the N30 or L35. At less than half the price of both of the lights you mentioned and having similar output, I strongly recommend it. Beamshots can only tell you so much. If you ever get the chance to handle/see an HID, it will help you make a better informed decision.

It's not to say the RL-11 is a bad light. I just thought the way they compared it to the Hellfighter (which is in a class of its own) was off.:duh2:

Re: i need your thoughts on a magnalight rl-11?

i just dont like that pig tail dangaling out the back. a better soultion must be out there. also why cant they make it run direct of of a 12 volt lighter socket?