Just so you know...

...you are all costing me a lot of money. I've gone from being totally satisfied with my Fenix LD10 to wanting to order a couple of ZLs in the space of about 2 weeks. Flashlights are great and so is this forum, but flashlights are also terrible and so is this forum. You should feel proud/ashamed of yourselves!


This place has really rekindled a long-dormant apsect of me that loves gadgets and technology. I've been going for walks at 1 in the morning just so I can try out my new light at a nearby school (I'm a past pupil and was briefly a teacher during my undergraduate work experience, so it won't be an issue). It has big grounds with plenty of trees, so there's lots of scope for trying it out.


Anyway, I'm totally addicted, and it feels great and terrible at the same time!

Just take it slow, Phil, so you and your wallet will only feel great. The available lights aren't going anywhere, and new ones are getting better and better.

Geoff

+1, Slow and steady. Easier said than done, but good advice nonetheless... :welcome:

I feel your pain/glee Philonous. I stumbled into CPF looking for reviews of a simple two-mode LED light for around the house. Poked around, just following links at random. Random became a quest to understand better and once I had a decent grasp of the industry I simply HAD to play the game as well. So, let's say a month into the whole process I have 3 torches, one off-the-shelf big lumen affair, one semi-custom EDC and one totally custom EDC. One nice aspect of having a snazzy light at hand at all times is my light bill is likely going to go down, I wander the house at night with moon-mode rather than using the overheads.

Flying Turtle said:

Just take it slow, Phil, so you and your wallet will only feel great. The available lights aren't going anywhere, and new ones are getting better and better.

Geoff

Click to expand...

Don't worry, when I say 'addicted' I mean it in the lightest (no pun intended) sense possible. I think the ZLs are it for me - I love the feature set, and the aesthetics of the lights really appeal to me. Granted, they were purchases I hadn't intended on making, but in a way it's the amount of time I've spent reading about lights that feels like the biggest cost. I mean, seriously... hours and hours... =)

Five years ago, I thought I had the last flashlight I'd ever need with my ROV combo flashlight. Then I got the matching headlamp and thought it was it. The next year I discovered they had a 45 lumen flashlight and had to get one... no two after trying it out. Then the matching headlamp again... no two, one for the BOB. Then they had a 180 lumen flashlight and I knew for sure it would take a long time before better comes out. Then I discovered a 2 AA Terralux at 120 lumens and in the same month Fenix with the 180 lumen L2D. Then I discovered CPF... Just from this month, I have a UV flashlight and 2 Zebras in the mail and I'm waiting for the expense account to come in to order my TK70 and probably 2 more Zebras.

Slow and steady: you start slow, then with steady acceleration, you end up with lights that are worth more than your car and computer combined.

I feel your pain also.

My journey started with a mailing from NorthernTool about the Klutch. Came here and found out so much more.

I try to keep it as cheap as practical. I think I am going to look into some drop ins for d cell mag lights soon.

I'm trying to keep myself to 1 light a year now that I've got my basics covered.

If I stick to the schedule, I'll purchase another light sometime next February.

--flatline

You really can't go wrong with the ZL's, they are great lights, cheap and small enough to be easily used in lots of scenarios.

You know you have a problem when you are sitting (like me) with some fairly high power stuff you have no use for (SR90, Firesword, searchlights etc) wondering how this happened!!

LOL!!!

We all have started this "thing" very similarly. I lost my 50 lumen River rock from target. Then I searched up lights in target and saw a fenix pd20 I believe. Long story short, I ended up with a TK20 and never came back to these forums ever again. An year later I was back, and got lights like TK41 and 18650 batteries and its crazy! My father told me that nowadays, we don't get satisfied with $5 flashlights. We get satisfied in the $20, $50 $70 $130 range LOL! Watch, in 2 years I will have like 53 Polarion PH50's and still have 7 other lights being shipped to me LOL. (just kid, at $3000 each, I probably won't even see one in my lifetime)

Im sorry, its just so funny thinking about this.

Just remember you only have 2 hands and one mouth. You do not need more than your LD10 and 2 ZLs. You can take a break from CPF now.

LEDninja said:

Just remember you only have 2 hands and one mouth. You do not need more than your LD10 and 2 ZLs. You can take a break from CPF now.

Click to expand...

But what will I put under my armpits? =(


Seriously though, even the SC51 is a toss-up right now, as the LD10 is perfectly satisfactory for what I want the SC51 for. However, it's just a really lovely-looking (and high-performing) piece of design, so I'm still very tempted, especially as the exchange rate is really good right now. I've ordered the SC600 because I really want it, but whether I put up money for the SC51 remains to be seen.

Philonous said:

But what will I put under my armpits? =(

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You gonna end up looking like Paul Kim.

I'm pretty good at this internet stuff and that sure looks shopped. Just sayin'

I am glad I found this place. I use flashlights everyday, and I have been looking for lightweight options for the field. There is a ton of good info here.

He's going to damage his nice lights with that ugly multitool.

SlickSlabMcKnab said:

I'm pretty good at this internet stuff and that sure looks shopped. Just sayin'

Click to expand...

Paul Kim is the VP of research at Surefire. After the company made a few models of lights PK decided to mount on of each on his rifle. The photo was before my time. According to The_LED_Museum only 2 things were shopped. I am still trying to locate a pre-shopped version of the photo.

Cataract said:

...Then I discovered CPF... Just from this month, I have a UV flashlight and 2 Zebras in the mail and I'm waiting for the expense account to come in to order my TK70 and probably 2 more Zebras.

Click to expand...

:welcome:

LEDninja said:

Paul Kim is the VP of research at Surefire. After the company made a few models of lights PK decided to mount on of each on his rifle. The photo was before my time. According to The_LED_Museum only 2 things were shopped. I am still trying to locate a pre-shopped version of the photo.

Click to expand...

All the lights are real bar the big one on the left. The things that aren't lights (keys, suction compass, multitool, Rolls Royce mascot) are also 'shooped'.

I started with a Fenix E21. Now have more that that I will tell you. My latest is a SC600 that's it for me My first 18650 battery format (makes me a little nervous still). Oh hang on they are now making.... and here it goes again.

Have you showed anyone your lights and started telling them of run times in the certain modes, they pull out you backup from the other pocket then show them the one on your key ring.

And they just look at you with the.... what the.... look.