Time to upgrade, could use a recomendation

brewchief

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
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4
So I have decided I need to upgrade my flashlight selection, the current choices have my head spinning a bit however, I'll do the checklist then explain what I need it for.


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 ______________.
____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.
____Less than $150.
____Less than $300.
____I have no limit.
____I'm flexible, tell me what you gotJ.
____Other, please specify ________


3) Format:

____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.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____N/A


5) Emitter/Light source:

____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

____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 path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.
this could go either way

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)
____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).
____I want 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)
____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)
____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max 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).
____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 (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap 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.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


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

____A simple on-off with only one output level 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.
____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) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish 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.
____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


Colored filters or lack of would not be a deal killer but would be a nice feature.

Something to make carrying easier would be nice, doesn't need all three options thhough.


Right now the best light I have is the 3W bushnell, I've searched and found some older threads here about it and it seems it's a decent light, around 80 lumens, I would like something with a bit more reach and a couple of brightness levels that are actually different.

I'd like something that handles rechargeable batterys well, I have no charger or cells at this time so size/type is open, would like a recommendation for for charger/cells as well.

Light will be used for general use as well as hunting, needs to be able to withstand a dunk in the water once in a while as well.

I don't care about brand as long as it's well built, would prefer USA built but not a deal breaker if it's made offshore as long as it's not crap.

It will cost what it cost but I'm looking for a good value, not cheap but good bang for the buck(I'm not opposed to spending a decent amount but don't want to spend 200$ on a light and find it's no better than a 50$ light)

Thanks for any advice you can give me.



.
 

Flint&Steel

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Feb 5, 2010
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Have a look at the offerings from Fenix and Quark.

Agreed, both brands offer a variety of battery (AA, CR123, 18650), tint (cool, neutral) and size configurations. Either brand would be an excellent next step, and they both provide good bang for the buck. My first post-CPF light was a Quark 123-2T, and it's still my favorite. Be sure to spend some time reading the reviews and comparisons on CPF, this is a forum like no other!
 

DM51

Flashaholic
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Oct 31, 2006
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Welcome to CPF, brewchief :)

You say you are looking for a LED Flashlight, so I'll move this to the relevant sub-forum.
 

kaichu dento

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Apr 5, 2008
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Right now the best light I have is the 3W bushnell, I've searched and found some older threads here about it and it seems it's a decent light, around 80 lumens, I would like something with a bit more reach and a couple of brightness levels that are actually different.

I'd like something that handles rechargeable batterys well, I have no charger or cells at this time so size/type is open, would like a recommendation for for charger/cells as well.

Light will be used for general use as well as hunting, needs to be able to withstand a dunk in the water once in a while as well.

I don't care about brand as long as it's well built, would prefer USA built but not a deal breaker if it's made offshore as long as it's not crap.

It will cost what it cost but I'm looking for a good value, not cheap but good bang for the buck(I'm not opposed to spending a decent amount but don't want to spend 200$ on a light and find it's no better than a 50$ light)

Thanks for any advice you can give me.
I'd say that the Ra Clicky is just what you need based on your description here. You can get a 120, which believe me, is plenty to do anything and everything, and since you're going to end up with one anyway, you might as well get one right off the bat so you don't kick yourself later like I did.
 

CarpentryHero

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Jul 4, 2010
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Edmonton
I'd say start with a Quark 123 2 turbo.
I have a Quark AA 2 and if the beam was a little tighter it'd meet the majority of your criteria.
The Quark RGB head could give you the different colors without lens swapping. The max output is a little lower, 150 lumens instead of 200 lumens.
But it'd be fun.

Surefire 6p defender with a 3 mode sst-50 or MC-E
Would be wicked too ;)
(solarforce are a good alternative to Surefire)
Incase your not sure if you want to run an 18650.
Solarforce will run it stock. You'd have to buy a bored surefire from a place like OverReady.
 

Belstaff1464

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Sep 6, 2010
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I'd say that the Ra Clicky is just what you need based on your description here. You can get a 120, which believe me, is plenty to do anything and everything, and since you're going to end up with one anyway, you might as well get one right off the bat so you don't kick yourself later like I did.


+1 on the Clicky but go with the 170 if your finances will allow it. The reason being you'll get hooked and you'll be wanting the high CRI down the track as well. The 170 complements the high CRI better :poke:

Another to consider is the Malkoff MD2 with the high/lo ring.
 

AusKipper

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Nov 11, 2008
Messages
723
-One of the Quark Turbos (AA or CR123) along with the flat tail switch (the 123 turbo with flat tail switch is my EDC, and I love it. You may prefer AA though. You loose a couple of lumens but i'm not sure it will be "that" noticeable)

-Fenix TK-Something (TK11, TK15, TK12). TK15 looks really nice but its not quite out yet.

The above would be my top pics, but there's plenty of other good choices.

Surefire meets your made in USA thing (i think), but they are $$, and i'm not entirely sure they are worth the $$ as far as the product goes.
 

brewchief

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Oct 24, 2010
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Right now the quark 123 2 is near the top of my list, fenix tk 11 or 12 also looks promising.

Do the colored filters help with seeing blood? I have a slight color blindness in regard to red, makes it hard for me to see blood at night trailing deer/bear/etc.

The cr123 cells are fine with me as I have other lights that use them but whatever I buy I would like to be able to use a rechargeable cell as the cr123s get a bit pricey. I did just order a 50 pack from battery station as buying local is hard to swallow at $3-$4 a cell.

Ra Clicky looks sweet but I don't know if I would use all the features it has.
 

brewchief

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Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
4
The quark 123 2 is near the top of my list right now, fenix tk 11 or 12 looks pretty good also.

Ra clicky might be more light than I need, not sure I need all it offers.

The 123 cells are fine with me as I have other lights that use them, I just ordered some so I'll have a decent supply but would like any new lights I buy to be able to use a rechargeable cell.

Do the colored filters help with seeing blood? I have a slight color blindness with reds and finding blood at night can be a challenge. Does a neutral or warm light help?
 

kaichu dento

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+1 on the Clicky but go with the 170 if your finances will allow it. The reason being you'll get hooked and you'll be wanting the high CRI down the track as well. The 170 complements the high CRI better :poke:

Another to consider is the Malkoff MD2 with the high/lo ring.
I agree with this reasoning to an extent, but if someone doesn't like cool tints and narrower beams then they might end up deciding that the Clicky isn't for them, and although hard to imagine, is a possibility. That's only one of the reasons that I feel the 120 Clicky to be one of the best first-lights for a person to acquire. Other reasons would be it's beautiful P4 beam pattern and it's comparably low price range.

It's also a good starter light that someone can have modded to their preference of XP-G or high CRI P4, and still come in at less than $200.
 

brewchief

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Oct 24, 2010
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Is the clicky that much better then the quark or fennix? What makes it worth the extra cash?
 
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