Flashlight Database

It would be nice to have a community-maintained comprehensive database of flashlights.



I looked around for previous discussions of this and didn't find anything that went anywhere, though plenty of desire for it (e.g. 2008: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=193619, 2006: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=114874, 2004: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...ad.php?t=54621, even (but for personal not public) 2002: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...ead.php?t=1129).



Most CPF and related references to a database are just simple static lists of info/pics.



CPF discussion threads are great, but when you just want a list of lights that meet some set of criteria, it can be slow going.



For one thing, such a database would address half the newbie questions - combined with the newbie checklist, they could do their own initial searches.



I don't mean just a simple static list of lights. I mean where each light has a large number (hundreds) of attributes (fields or properties i.e. columns in spreadsheet terms) starting with model, size and battery type, and you can search, sort, and filter on one or more values of one or more attributes and display just the fields of interest with a flexible interactive reporting system in your browser.



I started a list in a personal spreadsheet for this purpose but it's unwieldy, nobody else can use it, and it just doesn't have the flexibility that a database would.



Is anyone aware of some generic web database system that could be used for this purpose? I looked around and couldn't find anything that looked simple to adapt for this purpose.



Seems like this would be a common need for many forum communities - why doesn't Vbulletin have something like this built-in?



The closest thing for flashlights I found to what I'm thinking of was: http://database.flashlight-fan.com/d...md=ssc=data_4 which allows sorting but has few fields, has no filtering except search patterns, and is out of date.



Closer in concept is the Aqualab LED driver database which has more fields and filtering: http://www.videofoundry.co.nz/ianman...driverlist.php

Rest of the original thread as recovered from cache

Re: Flashlight Database
Written by cistallus on 01-09-2011 04:59 AM GMT

(reserved)


Re: Flashlight Database
Written by n0k1a on 01-10-2011 09:05 PM GMT

That is a superb idea! It would require substantial work to keep it accurate, but it would be a tremendous resource.

I've used online product selector guides for microcontrollers, which offer lots of checkboxes and such for what features you want; the more you select, the more it narrows the list down. Something like that for lights would be great.



Re: Flashlight Database
Written by tandem on 01-11-2011 02:31 PM GMT

I've mused about writing this myself and making it available to the community on one of my servers. A system that allows a faceted search would be very helpful - filter by AA size cell, bezel ring or smooth bezel no crenelation, neutral white, output > 150 lumen.

It could work if the community were responsible for adding data; there'd have to be a facility for managing the edits. Could become chaos and anarchy too. Or it could be filled up with Ultrafire models within days.

But then I wake up and realize that I've already got a bunch of pro bono projects underway or in the idea pipeline.

Google Doc's can be used for this. If you send me the "Fields" you'd want covered, I can build it, and you could post a link in the main post, and anyone could go in there and add a light and fill in the blank fields.

An idea of fields would be Type (LED/Incan), Cells, UI, etc.

Can you flexibly report/filter on multiple values of a field (column) - that is, multi-select - and ranges?
For instance, given a sheet with Cell, CellCount, CellChem, Length, and Price fields could you for instance say "Show me all lights using 2 AAA cells or 1 AA cell, accepting both NiMh and Li type cells, length less than 4.9", with a price between $45 and $70"? And then easily vary those parameters?

I know it can be done in excel...not sure about Google spreadsheets. I'll do a quick test-DB, and fill ti with some generic lights, and see how it works (test run?)

Geez, I register one day, and the whole site crashes the next! Bad karma.

Anyway, I was wondering if there is an (up to date) flashlight database around. I heard a rumor there is one. I started on a database for Single AA LED flashlights and will post it if nothing better appears.

Thanks,
-P

There's not a good current comprehensive one I know of, see: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?307124-Flashlight-Database

That said, http://light-reviews.com/ is a good place to browse, as well as http://www.flashlightreviews.com/ and other sites.

PM sent cistallus

Got one up and running (kinda) in google doc's. Check it out and let me know what it's lacking. Also, keep in mind, KISS. Don't want to overwhelm the newbies...

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ave0t_U3dz9ddEE4QUJMTWNLNDJGS3RObDcxbi14T1E&hl=en&authkey=CJGX_8kK

Oh, and feel free to start adding lights, etc...once we get the meat and taters in there, it will be easy to manipulate the data.

sry for edit

i'll try this again : here's a starter for some info... http://light-reviews.com/reviews.html not sure if this is any help...but it has the basics for quite a few lights

2 threads merged - identical titles.

AoW, I added a few SF lights to the spreadsheet. It was fun but I couldn't help feeling like it was going to be a total mess once the number of lights and people editing the thing goes up.

Anyway, some questions to consider, some are specific to the spreadsheet set up by AoW, others are applicable to any future implementations of a 'flashlight database':

• Is there versioning for this thing, i.e., if I decide to wipe the entire thing now, can you revert to an earlier intact version?
• What does 'ORIGIN' mean, country of manufacture or country of brand origin? That would mean companies like 4Sevens, Inova and ArmyTek go under China.
• The same light appearing 3 times (e.g., E2L-AA) to denote the different compatible battery types isn't an ideal solution, IMHO.
• How do you ensure that there are no duplicate entries?
• What is the criteria for a light to make it into the database? Can I list my generic plastic 2xAA Eveready torch that I purchased yesterday at the convenience store for 3 bucks?

Just some thoughts off the top of my head while keying in those SureFires. This is a great idea, and if done properly will prove to be an enormous resource for everyone.

A thought: why don't we start small and just do SureFire lights?

Good points, machete, and thanks for the feed-back.

On the points you made:
-Versioning; I have Office Pro on my PC, and once we get a good solid DB, I'll post a version number, and lock it except to limited (interested) individuals, but will keep back-ups of the data in Excell on two of my hard drives.
-The country of origin was just an weak idea, as some people seem to be interested. I put it in there as a field as a trial, but don't really think it's necessary.
-Same light appearing 3 times; I did this so that when filtering for a light, the E2L-AA would appear whether filtering for AA light, or an L91 light. The only other way to do it would be to have battery types composited (i.e. "AA/L91/RC"), but, then again, if some one were looking for JUST a AA light, the E2L-AA would not appear at all. I think this approach would be more useful for the newbs, who may not understand all the battery types/options right off the bat??? But, more opinions would be welcome on this, as this was the one field I really struggled with as far as how it should be presented...
-Duplicate Entries; When I go to save an un-editable version, I would just filter it by model, and visually scroll through it real quick. To make it easier for people to add stuff, once we got a solid version done, we could build a "New entries" DB, where people could freely go in and add new lights, etc., and after enough lights were added, myself or a "mod" could go in and add the entries to the "legacy" database, and then the "New Entries DB" would be started from scratch. Make sense?
-Criteria??? Didn't put much thoguh into that. At first I was figuring just hand held lights from mass mfg's., including HDS, SF, SL, Pelican, Mag, Fenix, Jetbeam, etc., etc., and, if it worked out good, we could then work on a seperate DB for headlamps and the such.

I few thoguhts of my own after reading yours MG;
-If we get a few "brand loyalists" that want to participate and log that brand of lights in, I could then limit access to certain individuals. "Who wants to load the Fenix's in?" "I will", etc. Kind of a volunteer approach, until the bulk of the major lights are in there. I myself could probably load the whole SF catalog in off memory...LOL!

But, yeah, If you want to get some more SF's loaded, I can do some more when I get home. I can't access Google docs from where I'm at now.

Thanks to those who have added so far...it's really starting to take shape. Anyone wanna volunteer and load some of the Fenix models?

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ave0t_U3dz9ddEE4QUJMTWNLNDJGS3RObDcxbi14T1E&hl=en&authkey=CJGX_8kK

Updates made to DB including added fields. To view the Database as it's meant to be used, use the "View" drop-down bar, and select "List View"

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ave0t_U3dz9ddEE4QUJMTWNLNDJGS3RObDcxbi14T1E&hl=en&authkey=CJGX_8kK

I love the idea - has real potential. I wondered why there wasn't something like this. I am also a camera fan and this site has been helpful in getting basic info.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraList.php

Don't know how hard it is to set up a web page like that.

Awesome link styx. Only problem I see with getting this one to look like that, is a server. I have office pro, but am not really sure how to 1) Use Access 2) How to publish it on the web/to a server. I'm pretty efficient with excel and "information managment", but my "web publishing" skills are lacking. But, the google spreadsheet is CURRENTLY editable by anyone, so go in there and add stuff if you feel the urge. I'll add stuff as I get the time, but most of my light knowledge is limited to Surefire, so I'm relying on others to fill in the data on the other light Mfg.'s.

The week-ends almost here...maybe we can get the list populated with some other Mfg.'s???

Thanks for getting the 4 sevens lights added! (Whoever it was...LOL)