Rubber coated AA or 123 flashlight...

I do a lot of string instrument work and have to use a flashlight to look inside the instruments many times. It is possible to drop my fenix and dent the top of an instrument, so I am in search of a small flashlight that is completely rubber coated to hopefully prevent from damaging an instrument. I know I will eventually drop it on an instrument (been there) so complete rubber coverage is important, not to just help hold on to it, but soften the blow when I do drop it.

LED preferably, 40+ lumens and AA or 123 batteries.

Thanks...

Might be faster to roll bicycl inner tube over your favorite light(s). Just get a size slightly smaller for a snug fit.

Or you could get a Preon II or LD05. Either wouldn't weigh enough to damage an instrument and slim enough and definitely bright enough to look at w/e you want of an instrument.

connortn said:

I do a lot of string instrument work and have to use a flashlight to look inside the instruments many times. It is possible to drop my fenix and dent the top of an instrument, so I am in search of a small flashlight that is completely rubber coated to hopefully prevent from damaging an instrument. I know I will eventually drop it on an instrument (been there) so complete rubber coverage is important, not to just help hold on to it, but soften the blow when I do drop it.

LED preferably, 40+ lumens and AA or 123 batteries.

Thanks...

Click to expand...

I am working on just such a light. Hopefully I'll get some finished here in about two months.

LoL!!!!

Dorcy 2AA Gel Brite with 3V Replacement Bulb. Dorcy has a smaller rubber coated flashlight but it is crap. You could use a Garrity Tuff light as host.

Get a headlamp with a good strap/harness.

m.........Icon Modus? Its a polymer body.....and a tir optic. May I ask what you work on?

Streamlight has an entire collection of polymer lights that are of a decent quality. They have another, the Scorpion IIRC, that is rubber coated but I believe that is just the handle.

srfreddy: I work in a large string instrument music store in Johnson City, TN. We do a looottt of repairs to guitars, banjos, violins, dbl basses, mandolins, whatever has strings on it. I'm presently using an older fenix L2P with a L1P head on it. I put the L2P head on the L1P body as it was supposed to be better regulated for longer run time. This was back in the good old days It works very well, it's just a little heavy if you drop it onto a wood instrument. I might go with a strong aaa light as it would be much lighter, and maybe do as the poster mentioned above and put some rubber surgical tubing over it. We try to be safe while working on other peoples instruments, but murphy's law always dictates that $#%@ will happen soon or later!

Thanks for the replys...

Connortn

Have you considered using a headlamp? That would all but eliminate the chance of dropping the light on an instrument.

Then I'd drop my head on it Good ideal but I have to view at odd angles through the soundhole/f-holes sometimes, and there are times I need to shine a light onto a mirrow inside the instrument to let the owner see what the problem is.

So I guess I'm looking for a 40+ lumen aaa with a single mode if it's a twisty, or a push button if it has multiple brightness levels. Don't want to have to twist the head two or three times to get to the brightest level. Doesn't sound like it would be a problem, but sometimes we are working under a time limit and it would get aggervating having to twist the head of the light several times to get where I wanted. Once to turn it on at brightest level would be OK. My fenix L2P is one level, push button.

Maybe use a neck strap or lanyard.
You can also use foam bicycle handlebar tubing and/or exercise equipment handle tubing if the light you want doesnt come with it.

See, the TK20 has a rubber grip, but that doesn't really help, since the thing is built, and weighs, like a tank. Hm.... ITP eos A3 standard edition? Its one mode, and unbelivably small.

here you go: http://www.safe-light.com/store/safe-light-star-led-flashlight.html

These are great little lights. THe led has a focus lens, and should work for what you want.

Now that is an excellent suggestion!
I forgot about those.

That looks like a good candidate, but it may not be bright enough. As it is, I have to turn off my workbench light to see really well inside an instrument with the L2P. I have trouble sometimes at the front counter when looking inside an instrument due to the overhead lighting.

I know it sounds strange, but sometimes you need to cut down the ambient lighting to see something well with a flashlight. I guess our eyes can't handle the dynamic range very well in this situation. It's like standing outside a tunnel in bright daylight and the tunnel looks very dark. Even when you shine a strong flashlight into the tunnel, it still is hard to make out features well in the tunnel. But if you shine a strong flashlight in a dark tunnel when it's almost dark outside, you can see details much better in the tunnel.

I don't know what the L2P lumens are, but I would guess around 30-40, and this seems to be the minimum I could get by with.

How about an angle-head light like the Fenix MC10, single AA, plastic bodied, light, 3 output levels.

I think if you take a look at the suggestions I gave, you would need to look no further. I strongly suggest the 4sevens preon 2 or the fenix LD05. They're penlights with more than enough brightness ans small enough to fit into anything. They're pushbutton and I doubt they'll weigh enough to damage anything. If needed, you can wrap them in surgical tubing. Check them out.

Preon is much brighter.