Do you still use "old" flashlights??

Hello,
I became a cpf-nut in 2006 and I still use a fair number of the "old" lights I bought back then in 2006 as I still find them very useful. Some of these lights have no real successors (especially those with colored leds):

- Surefire L2 (luxeon V led): because of the very useful flood (wall of light) and the well chosen output levels: 15 and 100 lumens. At 15 lumens this light is quite excellent for walking around in the house, at night, and the L2 has a superb form factor. (I feed mine with a 14670 cell)
- Terralux colored led kits (TLE5) red and green for the Maglite Minimag.
- ARC AAA turquoise and blue led.
- Peak Fujiyama (stainless) - several ones - different led-colors
- Maglite 3C with a NiteIze 1W led kit (30-40 lumens?)
- Tiablo A9 Q5: sufficient output and throw and a lot lighter (handier) than my Dereelight DBS V3

Am I the only one who still uses "oldies" or am I the only melancholic cpf-er?

Kind regards,
Joris

After playing with the various neutral, warm, and high-CRI XPG M61 emitters from Malkoff, I've decided that the older XRE LEDs in the M60W series have a nicer color temperature / spectrum and beam pattern. The difference in apparent brightness is not that big since the XPG has a wider beam, so the XPG isn't as useful for distant objects as the "dimmer" XRE. And up close, 250+ lumens is actually more than necessary. I would think that the XML series is the same, but more so, unless you go with a "turbo" head which isn't very practical for EDC.

Sometimes I'll use my cheap plastic 2xAA 4-LED light to get around the house after dark, or work on cabling behind the home entertainment center. I have a minimag with the 1W Luxeon drop-in stashed in my sock drawer so I can see the color of my socks (navy blue versus black.) I've got Harry Potter and Hermione Granger replica wands with a dimmable LED in the tip. They are activated by tapping the wand on something, or by a sharp flick of the wand. When lit, they look amazingly similar to the special effect in the movies. Yes, they are fun to play with .

All the time, in fact, most of the older lights are a "best buy" on the B/S/T forums, especially the older Peaks. Honestly, I've gotten too many green tinted newer LEDs and I'm not a neutral fan at all, so some of the pure white bins int he older lights are much more preferable. I also agree with Max above when it comes to the Malkoffs, although I will say that the M91 is tops.

Same thing with the designs, is there anything as sweet as a 4 flats L1?

Anyway, I know that efficiency is where the real improvements are, but lumens are lumens and not everyone "needs" 300 of them everytime when 25 will do.

Count me in, I'm a huge fan of older lights!

I'm a bit of an old light fiend. Partially because I'm not a natural early adopter of the latest thing, and partially because I can't afford the latest thing either, so I have to wait until one of the lights I want comes up on various BST threads.

My current EDC (and for the last six to nine months) is a old ARC LSHP, not stock though, it was modded a few years ago with an SSC P4 led and a multi level flupic V2. Also the thing was blinged up with a nickel plating which still stands up to everyday abuse by me! With an AW RCR123A up the wazoo, it is still quite the performer.

Sure, I like flashlights of all kinds and from every era of technology. I don't tend to buy them frequently, but they do have a tendency to pile up over the years, so most of mine would be considered old and outdated. Be that as it may, however, with the way I view things they're just as useful as they ever were.

22hornet
I became a cpf-nut in 2006 and I still use a fair number of the "old" lights I bought back then in 2006 as I still find them very useful. Some of these lights have no real successors (especially those with colored leds):

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The problem I have with the older lights are the power usage of them. I too have a L2 and love it. I agree that the flood is great and also the low is perfect but my L4 eats batteries like no other. All that change with the XR-E at least for me anyway.

All my "old" lights are Maglites of various sizes all converted to NiteIze 1/2w or 1w dropins. They still get plenty of use.

--flatline

I still use various older 5MM LED lights and Mags with Magled or older TerraLUX modules.All of my incan lights are "old" now I suppose but I also use them from time to time.In fact I have found that some of the lights I like the best are lights that have been discontinued and the new model is not as appealing.I have to agree with 22hornet there really is a lack of lights with colored LEDs so if you use one you are often restricted to older models.

For my brighter lights, XRE-Q5 is about as far back as I care to go. Anything older and less efficient than that and I start to really feel like the run time takes a major hit, in order to obtain the lumens.

I dont mind going back a bit further in time for my Nichia 5mm, low output lights. I still use a SF-A2 and a Fenix E0 Dart. I wouldn't mind picking up a CMG or Gerber UI too... ancient design by todays standards.

I'd still be using a AA minimag with nite-ize dropin, if the Alkalines hadn't puked all over it.

I still EDC an old blue Arc AAA and an Arc LSH. The AAA is on my keychain and the LSH is in my bag. Two great lights, I don't think they'll go out of style.

I use lots of old lights. My lights were selected and purchased very carefully. Each one was selected to fulfill a specific need. They still do a bang up job for the tasks that they were purchased for. New developments have nothing to do with it. It's like if I had a set of Snapon tools and they announced that they were coming out with a new line that was lighter. Would that make my old wrenches obsolete? Not mine. Mine would still do everything that I bought them to do.

Yup, regularly, but I'm down to just one...unless you count SureFire incans...and that really doesn't count, does it? I think the E2E w/an MN02 is just great. And the A2 red or yellow-green are tops. But I don't believe these are in any way obsolescent, which I think is the point of the thread.

But then I have my Streamlight Twintask TT1L. Pretty much defines obsolescence, in both incan and LED mode. Actually, it's not a half-bad incan very short-range flood outdooors (the beam pattern on a white wall is bad enough to give you a migraine, though) and I just love that seriously purple haze from the LEDs. Don't really know why, but I just get a kick out of using this light.

I still have a black e1e that I carry around. As well as an old school scorpion. Sold off (or selling... One still for sale) all others.

Yup, got a 2D Rayovac sitting on the shelf right now, next to an old 2D army light. I use the 2AA to 1D adapters, D batteries are a bit pricey and I always have a lot of AA's around!

I don't use the "old" lights much, except for dirty jobs, e.g., working on my tractor or underneath a truck. My Sears Craftsman LED light is stained with silver anti seize compound, for example.

My wife likes to borrow my older, less cherished lights in case she drops or loses one.

Older lights make good gifts for giving, too.

I love my old incan Minimag. Can't beat a CRI of 100…

I also use a single AA from the 70s for a bedside light when I leave my warm white Quark in my pants.

Yes!

My Arc AAA has displaced my Aeon as my EDC this summer. I use my 6P (old school round body) and E2O as my main hand helds. I still use my 12ZM when I need to pack a thrower.

When I need a light for work (IT stuff), the Pelican 7060 is my go-to light. It's not the brightest light I have, the beam is not so clean, and it's only single output, but it does not roll away! I can set it on any surface and don't have worry about it rolling away if I bump it or knock it over.

Yes. My only EDC 90% of the time uses an "ancient" P4, back from when they were recently released and the bees knees.

I used one cree Q5 LED flashlamp,It is enough for me to us