light with big hot spot / flood light suggestions?

adrianmariano

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I was thinking of getting a light to use to provide low angle raking light in my workshop so I can see flaws in finishes, while sanding, and the like. I tried a plug-in task light, but it didn't seem to be great for this. I tried a Zebralight all flood head lamp but it was too dim. I tried a Fenix L1D and it does a good job but only in its hot spot. My best so far is a streamlight propolymer 4AA, though it doesn't have the cleanest beam.

I'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions of lights with really big hot spots or very floody beams that are bright, and not bigger than the 4AA streamlight.
 

goose2283

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If you don't mind an 18650 battery, the Spark SL6 lights will do a great job for you. I would suggest the neutral tint SL6-740NW, as it provides better color rendition than the cool tinted SL6-800CW.
 

tolkaze

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If you want all flood, and a bit of power, perhaps something like an sst or similar light, then take out the reflector. I use my p-rocket like this and it is just a bright circle of light. Very useful. If you wanted something commercial, perhaps a flood to throw light. They tend to be a bit dull, but the beam is generally smooth. If you want really bright, mostly even light, then get a tripple and a 6P.
 

adrianmariano

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I'm not set up for 18650, so it would increase costs (to buy the charger) but I could consider it. Does the 18650 battery hold its charge while not in use? If I don't use it for a couple months will it be dead?

If you take out the reflector doesn't that mean you're losing a bunch of light on the sides/back? I would think that would decrease efficiency/output. Is removing the reflector from the p-rocket a simple, reversible operation? (e.g. it's not glued in or something.) When I looked for the p-rocket sst I saw something from about a year ago that was described as very floody in reviews, but what I saw on the shiningbeam sight was called the X-thrower and had a bigger head. What's the "triple and 6P"?

Note that what I need isn't really super bright but that the light be broadly distributed and as bright as the streamlight 4AA everywhere. I'm trying to light up to a range of about 5 feet, tops. The Streamlight 4AA isn't a particularly bright light, but it does fairly well at this, but only along a line. I need something like the zebralight floody headlamp with its 80 degree (?) beam but which is brighter. (Actually I suppose the ideal would be something where the beam was focused in a narrow spot along one axis and a wide flood along the other. Anything like that exist? A light with a row of LEDs? :) )
 

jhc37013

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Li-ion can hold a charge for years so a couple months is nothing, I assume you was using one of Zebralight AA models? If brightness was the issue but you liked the functionality for your task look at the Zebralight H60, this is a 18650 version.
 

adrianmariano

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I'm not seeing an H60 on the zebralight page. There is an SC600. That is listed as having an 80 deg spill and 11 deg hot spot, so it's not the same beam pattern as the one I was testing. There is an H600 listed as coming out in september, which looks like the headlamp version of the SC600. And I noticed the H502 also forthcoming and using the same LED, the XM-L, but no output levels listed.
 

jhc37013

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I've noticed a couple Zebralight's not listed on their page, I guess maybe they are just gearing up for those future releases you mentioned. I will look around a a few of the dealers and see if I find it in stock if you want to look it over.
 

Gregozedobe

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Ive had good results looking for scratches and flaws in the paint of my cars using a Romisen RC-C6II Q5 from Shiningbeam. When adjusted to the full flood setting it has quite a lot more more output than my Zebralight H501, but a similar beam pattern. You have to get used to holding it at the right angle, but once you do it really shows up any blemishes.
 

adrianmariano

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I see the Romisen uses cr123 batteries as opposed to the 18650. Thus far I've been using all eneloop AA and AAA. I am not going to use primaries, so I'd have to use rcr123 which I see "work but are not recommended" in this particular light. What's the deal with that? Which is better, rcr123 or 18650?
 

adrianmariano

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It looks like going with 18650 batteries really drives up the cost of the setup (2 batteries plus charger) which I was hoping to keep under $100. I've also noticed that there seems to be a big focus in the marketplace on lights that are really small, and I can certainly understand the desire to have the light of the sun in your pocket. But for my application size is not very important. Does anybody make 4AA lights any more? Or even 2AA? What about lights with multiple LEDs like the old Streamlight 4AA I mentioned?
 
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