Why more?

Hi All: first post as I just joined the forum.
The reason I put "why?" as my first post is easily explained. I bought yet another pack of LED flashlights last night while at Costco and my wife (typically) rolling her eyes (in fun of course) asked if I didn't have enough already? I have roughly 30 flashlights of various types and sizes, including the big beams and have an eye on another big 40M CP beam.

When I got home I started to surf looking to see if there were any forums that catered to our sickness and it didn't take long before I discovered that the flashlight collecting is world wide. Many people give other people those strange looks when they find out the things others collect.
I've had an interest in flaslights since I was a kid.....MANY moons ago.

So, even though I am a collector has anyone asked the obvious question "what is it about flaslights that make them so cosuming?" [no pun intended]

I also collect older transistor radios and I'm a ham radio operator. With that I collect, design and build mobile and dipole HF, VHF, UHF antennas

Welcome to CPF. Good basic question you are asking. I know that I found flashlights interesting when I could buy my own mag....., and I noticed that I could carry around one of those nifty mini mags, mostly just for the fun of it, and I could add an attachment to it to check out gun bores. From then on I drifted to larger flashlights, such as the rechargeable mags. It was fun to check out the throw of that light down the long driveway. Years past and I collected more and more lights, then in the 90's I discovered SF lights. WOW! That really got me going though I was also looking at little LED lights, tiny ones. They just fascinated me. In 2002 I discovered CPF, and later in 03 joined CPF.

Why I am fascinated by flashlights is beyond me. I do know that they present a cheaper hobby than one of my previous ones, guns. I certainly treat then the same way. I used to chronograph my loads and study ballistic charts for various loads for my rifles and handguns. Now I do runtime tests, lux, and bounce with lightmeter tests on my flashlights. Maybe a psychologist could give me the answer. Guns and flashlights, and knives too. LOL.

Bill

Thanks for the response. I know that people have asked why I collect old transistor radios and what is it that I like about talking around the world on my ham radio.

You mentioned that you did some run times tests and prior to my joining the forum I read where a few others had done the same.

I only did that once when I had one of those cheapy shakable-rechargable flashlights. Haha, only to find out that I ruined the battery because I allowed to drain too low. That would be one of those hated flashlights that you folks had in another thread.

I was at a ham radio flea market this past summer and had a couple of the bigger, used spotlights for sale on my table at a fraction of the price. No one was interested. I was offended. So, in retaliation I decided not to sell. hence my collection grows.

I suppose any one's hobby is a personal thing. My wife really question why I get a kick out of hearing high horse power from a properly tune exhaust. Or, what it is about old historic building that i take pictures of.

We're only on the planet one time. Enjoy what ever it is that makes your day.

It seems like a great bunch of people on the forum and looking forward to joining in conversations, but importantly, asking questions and learning about flashlights and spot lights

This is one of the few hobbies where anyone who earns a wage can have access to the sharp end of technological development in a way that is both fun and useful.

For under $200 you can set yourself up with a brand new, quality light, batteries and charger and be up there with your peers. You can't do that with anything else as far as I'm aware (unless you collect lint).

The world is full of darkness and violence and misery. Flashlights are the opposite of those things and I think there is a universal appeal to being able to shed light when it's dark in a way nobody else around you can.

I've been the hero on more than one occasion because I was the only person with a light on me.

The world needs people with light!

Lots of folks have jobs where flashlights are a valuable tool - I work in industry (pulp & paper). Always looking for a better "tool". Okay so I get carried away - realized that today when I went over my Surefire 6P with a coworker. Well okay it's not really a 6P - HAIII, bored for 18650, Moddoo triple XRE, imr 18650, Moddoo clip (AlTiN coated). Waiting for the Moddoo Ti tail (have the large trits for it).

He wanted one as bright for $18, I think I'm about $250 into it right now.

Because when you buy a new light it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.:candle:

Theres also the well I need one for when I wear these jeans and for that car or need a light for the other room in the house.
Honestly though they are just so damn fun to play with with limited experienced with electronics you can modify a simple body to be a fire breathing monster with glow in the dark trits.

It never ceases to amaze me how many different types and styles of lights there are. Battery types, LED's (bins, color, etc) sizes, styles, materials, makers..... it's endless. And just when you think you've seen it all something better comes out! I know one thing... my wife is getting ticked! Don't worry, she'll get over it in a week or two!

Well, maybe not. I'm going to PhotonFest 15 on Nov 6th!

Welcome to CPF!

BriteIdea said:

We're only on the planet one time. Enjoy what ever it is that makes your day.

It seems like a great bunch of people on the forum and looking forward to joining in conversations, but importantly, asking questions and learning about flashlights and spot lights

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Good point,we should enjoy today as our life is limited.Friend,i'm sure you will find lots of helpful info here.BTW:welcome:.

BriteIdea said:

I bought yet another pack of LED flashlights last night while at Costco and my wife (typically) rolling her eyes (in fun of course) asked if I didn't have enough already?

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Hey BriteIdea, FB OM sounds like you have a terrific XYL there -- Fantastic! Great to see another ham here on CPF. I'm in VE7 land myself.

Love the question "why" - when it comes right down to it, my reasons for getting into this are purely practical and to a lesser degree, initially at least, related to my long time love of electronics. I use lights all the time and lights are just terrific these days, where they were not so terrific ten or fifteen years ago.

I really, really, like this comment from down under:

Jash said:

This is one of the few hobbies where anyone who earns a wage can have access to the sharp end of technological development in a way that is both fun and useful ...

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Jash makes a terrific point. For not a lot of money someone can put a portable light in their pocket that is on the bleeding end, and if they want to go bigger, way bigger, that's within a lot of folks reach too.

Having a piece of technology that 99 percent of the planet doesn't yet have access to can be something of a thrill, and certainly can come in handy on a regular basis. There's another parallel to amateur radio, even if in this day and age of cell phones and wireless email that edge has been blunted some.

There's room for experimentation or just plain using, much in the way the amateur radio hobby sits today.

Welcome to CPF!
73
Mike

to BriteIdea --


Welcome to CandlePowerForums ! ! !


:welcome:
_

I read about a guy that was a specialist in "Brown Paper".

He had a huge collection and was able to examine any piece of brown paper under a microscope and different coloured lighting and say who made it and when it was made ... He knew the way that different makers laid up the fibres and he kept a record of paper thickness and weight per square metre ... He would become extatic if he discovered a new piece of brown paper for his collection ... He even knew which retailers were using a particular type of brown paper.

I guess more people prefer torches to brown paper.
.

I can't afford buying or modifying cars or bikes. Computers are mostly annoying, not fun. Tools aren't that versatile, and take a lot of space. Besides, I can't afford the things I'd need tools for. So lights it is. Even the ultimate HID lights cost less than a crabby old rustbucket of a car here.

jellydonut said:

I can't afford buying or modifying cars or bikes. Computers are mostly annoying, not fun. Tools aren't that versatile, and take a lot of space. Besides, I can't afford the things I'd need tools for. So lights it is. Even the ultimate HID lights cost less than a crabby old rustbucket of a car here.

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Interesting reason.

Well, I tell you guys something. I have been on many forums in my time and I' have never come across comments like these. And for the most part you all reflect my sentiments as well.
Acid87 warm and fuzzy is probably so close to the truth. I guess when the XYL decided to buy herself new pair of shoes, then we do our our thing.
Tandem I'm a VE3, mostly on 80M, and my morning QSO on VHF
Burgess I was working down in Niagara Falls last year and came across an older building, maybe call it a derilick building and saw the Burgess name on the front door from years gone by. All part of my historic-building-photography. I did get a picture of it and will post it (as soon as a I find it-in the back up hard drive somewhere)
All the others, thanks for your come back.

Idea,

Perhaps this all started long long ago..... when Ogh, seeing Ugh using a flaming branch to see around the campfire, tied some vine to another branch and doubled his torch's output. Maybe our obsession is just that basic.... wanting to see into the dark and having the best "flaming branch" means knowing if anything is creeping close or that we're safe.

BriteIdea said:

... came across an older building, and saw the Burgess name on the front door from years gone by... All part of my historic-building-photography

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Yep, that ol' Burgess gets around. Most of the buildings he's been in are historic, LOL.

Welcome to CPF!

BriteIdea, :welcome:!

I simply like the ability to light up the darkness, and always having one or more flashlights on me satisfies that desire.

My family and I stayed at the Lake Rudolph campground in Santa Claus, IN, this month. We stayed an extra night after the weekend crowd checked out, and it was almost completely dark since we were the only ones in our area. I got so much pleasure from walking around in the dark and then lighting it up with several of my lights. I was in total BLISS! It reminded me of how much I enjoy something as simple as a flashlight and how I appreciate what I have. I LOVE LIGHT!

A person who "needs" a flashlight will buy ONE, and be done with it.
The rest us here just can't understand that reasoning as we don't "need" them, we "want" them, hence the collections start.