What's most Important?

RevDavid

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Aug 27, 2003
Messages
464
Location
Colorado Front Range
What\'s most Important?

In your favorite lights, what is most important, and what is of secondary importance to you?
Throw?
Color?
Total Beam Quality?
Construction Quality?
Feel?
Something else?

I see so many threads on throw and color, it seems as if they get the most attention. What do you like?

David <><
 

robk

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Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
608
Location
Near Daytona Beach, FL
Re: What\'s most Important?

Run time. I have no use for super-bright lights that burn up a CR123 in 15 minutes. I EDC an ARC LSH, I'm satisfied with 2 hours of light, but I prefer more. My favorite lights are 2D Mags with ZLT+ and Q3J LS - 10 to 15 hour runtimes when driving the LS at ~400mA. Plenty of light and no worry about leaving it on for long periods of time. My second favorites are ZLT+ sandwiches in Brinkmann 2AA bodies - about 2 hours on a pair of 1800mAh NiMh rechargables.
Rob
 

onelight

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Joined
Feb 21, 2003
Messages
437
Location
oklahoma city
Re: What\'s most Important?

Construction quality,portability,regulation, LEDs have enough throw for 99% of my light use.I want predictable output as much as possible for the life of the battery I like single cell lights,they are smaller and only need a single spare. I enjoy really white lights but all the white LED lights I have are better for wiring color discernment than the incandescents I used to use.LED lights feature no burn outs or broken filaments smooth wide beams and the moon mode on dieing batteries.I have been caught in both attics and basements with no light when I was carrying-2-incandescents both went dead /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif........................................ I LOVE LED LIGHTS /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif PS I edc ARC-AAA,LS with twisty & SF-L1
 

Charles Bradshaw

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Messages
2,495
Location
Mansfield, OH
Re: What\'s most Important?

Well, it is usually a combination of things. Though, above all for my needs, it must be LED (1 exception = Legend LX).

For the rest:

Throw - must be reasonably good

Color - White preferred, though I expect some variance from pure white

Total Beam Quality - within reason

Construction Quality - good (at minimum) to excellent

Feel - usability is key. If I can't operate it, it isn't much good to me.

Something else - generally I factor all of the above into any given light.

runtime - very important to me. The longer the better.
 

NewsFlash

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Joined
May 14, 2002
Messages
202
Location
greater Chattanooga, TN area
Re: What\'s most Important?

Total beam quality, with construction quality a close second. Runtime would be third, but is really dependent on which choice of light (MNO2 vs. MNO3). The E2e with MNO2 is my favorite light right now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

The throw is great with the MNO2 as well! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

Double_A

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
2,042
Re: What\'s most Important?

TotalBeam quality
Color
Runtime
Throw
Construction

I buy a flashlight to make light, as long as it's construction will allow it to be reliable, it's sturdyness is at the bottlom of my list

I'd like a light that produces an even beam with the best color and runtime as possible.

I use flashlights to illuminate things closer than 30 feet so throw is not as important.

When I need throw I pull out a spotlight. When I need to flood an area or room with even light I use a lantern.


Hence my sig.......
 

Craig720

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Joined
Oct 17, 2000
Messages
298
Location
Collegeville, PA, USA
Re: What\'s most Important?

All those factors are important to me, and they all add to the overall feel I get from a light. If the feel-good factor is high, I buy the light. A flashlight might not be "perfect," but my purpose may be quite specific.

I bought a flat, rather fragile flashlight several years ago in our grocery to keep up front with me in my car. I wanted a thumb switch and not to spend much money on it. It isn't tough, so I treat it gently. If it falls out of the car and break, I'll buy a new one. It's perfect for seeing the hood and gasoline door pull handles down by the side of the driver's seat. The overhead dome light won't reach there, and I need something that WILL NOT roll and is easily turned on. Problem solved.
 

Cmoore

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Aug 27, 2003
Messages
236
Location
Northern VA
Re: What\'s most Important?

Size and weight are my most important criteria for personal use flaslights. Of course I also want brightness, throw, smooth beam, construction quality and lengthy run times. My flashlight purchases go towards the best mix of these I can find in smallest and lightest packages available.
 

outlaw918692000

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Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Messages
144
Location
Odessa Texas
Re: What\'s most Important?

Total brightness first and looks (of course durability usually goes with looks nat.hard ano.)second. I really want a light like some of the concepts I have seen that can be used as a weapon for duty carry with teeth around the bezel /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif
 

brightnorm

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
7,160
Re: What\'s most Important?

Depends on the circumstances. Take EDC for example. For me, EDC can also stand for Extremely Daunting Circumstances, so I want the smallest, lightest, brightest and longest burning lights and I only carry very small lights. I balance brightness and burntime with 3 LED lights plus a very small, very bright incandescent either for brilliant moderate throw or very long throw. For example, NAS-MOD E2E/P61 for massive brilliance or the TL-2 or NF-2 for the smallest longest-throw light in the "2nd tier" of ultra-throw 2x123's.

My LSH-P on two lithium AA's gets about 5hrs regulated. I have found an ubobtrusive way to carry extra batteries: two 123's (for incandescent or L4), two lithium AA's (LSH-P) and one AAA (ARC AAA), giving me a minimum of 22hrs of light, much of it quite bright and some of it extremely bright. I feel prepared for most contingencies, though I'll probably eventually replace the short burning NasMod E2E/P61 with my mini superbright, but I hate to give up that amazing little monster!

Other situations call for different lights with different
capabilities.

Brightnorm
 

RevDavid

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Joined
Aug 27, 2003
Messages
464
Location
Colorado Front Range
Re: What\'s most Important?

[ QUOTE ]
onelight said:
I enjoy really white lights but all the white LED lights I have are better for wiring color discernment than the incandescents I used to use.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow... that brings back memories. I can remember some colors of wire that were very hard to discriminate with my headlamp, and even hard to distinguish with my SF 6P.
Dark Orange and Red, in particular, as I recall, but also white and yellow if my headlamp didn't have fresh batteries. I wish I had the TW4 back then. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

David <><
 

onelight

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Joined
Feb 21, 2003
Messages
437
Location
oklahoma city
Re: What\'s most Important?

LED lights have made life so much better. Before I found them I tryed mags of different sizes pellights asorted lanterns some were to big or dim had poor beam quality or tiny hotspot and no spill or so full of rings and splotches they made seeing accurate colors hard and they would burnout or go dead at the worst possible times.Sorry I am repeating myself. I do like the LEDs 5mm 1-watt or 5-watt I like them all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Messages
11,041
Location
Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
Re: What\'s most Important?

Talking EDC here...

Size is number one (if the carry method is good) I can and have carried 1: M*g Mini with Madmax, and Ram 2: PT Blast (in a >can't remember< sheath..- the Lanyard makes it so.) 3: TT1L in a Gerber knife sheath - Lanyard again. and 4: TT2L (carry most often) in a Ripoffs Holster.

Quality helps a lot! SL wins that battle!

Amount of light.

But anything 2L or smaller that carries tail down, but has a lanyard for easy FAST extraction is good... I just find SL TT series GRRRRRRREAT!
 
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