hello all, need a good torch for exploaring a 1200 yard long tunnel

Hi, I'm Dan from the UK. I've had a obession with lights for aslong as I can remember, I thought I was the only one 'till I found this forum a few months ago, I used to have a large collection but the only surving ones I have are maglites... around 6.

I've just come back from the tunnel and I only went 100 yards in and had to come out because my 2aa maglite with the terralux cree bulb wasnt good enough. It's been brillaint for searching buildings etc but it was next to useless in the tunnel which is about 10m wide and 10m high.

I think a 1 million candle power torch will do the job but I have a 6d maglite and seen the expensive terralux conversion for it, the 600 lumen one and wondered if this would be brighter. I'm not sure which to buy, or if to get something differnt all together. I need to be able to carry it for a few miles, I've seen the cree bulb that I've got in my 2aa is also avalible for the 3d which I also have, I was thinking the extra cell and the bigger head would make it good enough to go into the tunnel with but I'm not sure, want to keep under £50/$80 ish, for now,

The TerraLux three-emitter drop ins wouldn't work well for your application, as they throw a somewhat narrow spotlight type of beam, not ideal to light a large space. Going slightly over your budget, the Fenix TK35 would give you a bright, broad beam, that would (on the medium setting) last for several miles of walking.

Yeah, funny how caves and tunnels really devour the lumens!! Something a bit floody with an XM-L emitter should do the trick. The TK35 would be ok. Jetbeam PA40/PC24, Eagletac M3C4, Sunwayman make some good stuff too. Check out 'goingprepared's YouTube channel for reviews and beamshots of just about all the top flashlights. Be warned though, you'll never look at your maglights the same way again..... [video]http://www.youtube.com/user/goingprepared[/video]

thanks, I'd only ever looked at the 6v tactical lights before, that one looks pretty good! 820 lumens wow! It is slightly over budget yes but I may aswell start as I mean to go on haha I shouldn't it for the walk to and from (if I make it back out alive) the tunnel as I'll be using very small light so I don't attract attention. I mainly meant it needs to be small enough to carry for the few mile walk, as there's some pretty big '20 million candle power' lights with car batterys haha, but that's certainly smaller than the 6d maglite I was considering using! Very tempted indeed

Thrunite Catapult, Olight M3x will light up quite far into the tunnel (they are over your budget). Although I think a headlamp will do the job if you are just walking around in the tunnel.

The Fenix TK35 is also a very good light, with very good performance, function and value. The TK41, or the TK60 is also great, especially the TK60 has very nice runtimes.

I would always have a backup light with me so if your primary fails, or runs out of battery, at least you can get out of the tunnel or just use the backup light to change the batteries.

You can check my website for comparison between different high power lights. A few of the comparisons does also include a incan 6D maglite, but it is very weak in company with modern leds.

jhn.holgate said:

Yeah, funny how caves and tunnels really devour the lumens!! Something a bit floody with an XM-L emitter should do the trick. The TK35 would be ok. Jetbeam PA40/PC24, Eagletac M3C4, Sunwayman make some good stuff too. Check out 'goingprepared's YouTube channel for reviews and beamshots of just about all the top flashlights. Be warned though, you'll never look at your maglights the same way again..... [video]http://www.youtube.com/user/goingprepared[/video]

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haha it is, thanks will check those out now. Don't worry I'm already looking for something to replace my work 3D maglite that I have to carry on my kit belt for 5+ miles each day

yliu said:

Thrunite Catapult, Olight M3x will light up quite far into the tunnel (they are over your budget). Although I think a headlamp will do the job if you are just walking around in the tunnel.

The Fenix TK35 is also a very good light, with very good performance, function and value. The TK41, or the TK60 is also great, especially the TK60 has very nice runtimes.

I would always have a backup light with me so if your primary fails, or runs out of battery, at least you can get out of the tunnel or just use the backup light to change the batteries.

Click to expand...

Thanks will check those out, TK35 is looking to be the one so far but will keep you all posted

HKJ said:

You can check my website for comparison between different high power lights. A few of the comparisons does also include a incan 6D maglite, but it is very weak in company with modern leds.

Click to expand...

Just had a look, quite amazing really how poor they are in standard form. Would be intresting to see the terralux conversion in there aswell.


Also good news, I've just had a £100/$160 dollar tax rebate, tempted to up the budget even more....
(don't worry I don't think I've ever stuck to a budget as long as I've lived, on average I end up spending double or more lol)

Bought a TK35 in the end because it was only $105 delivered, not bad. Plan is to use the maglite 2aa with the terralux upgrade as the back up but I may buy a surefire 6p copy from ebay, I've read mixed views on the copys though, spose it depends who it's from.

Good choice! For another backup I would buy a real surefire 6p incandecent and buy a malkoff m61 dropin for it. Aboit 40 bucks on eBay for the light and another 60 for the dropin. 100 bucks and totally bulletproof! You didnt go over your budget on the first one....why stop now??

In a 6D maglite you could throw in a fusion36 dropin, it's all flood, affordable but the tint is a little blue. Fenix has some great options depending on your battery preference
Welcome to CPF :welcome:

Great choice in the TK35.... start saving.... you can try the TK70 next.

I think you'll find the beamshots on the fonarik website highly informative...


- Syncytial.

I inspected the power tunnel at work the other day (I'm a Hydroelectric Operator; we only drain the tunnel about once per decade). Once you get into the main tunnel, it's only 1,900-2,000 feet and straight. Really sucks light, though. I had my Sure Fire GX2 and little 4sevens Preon2 that I carry all the time. We have a couple of (heavy) 12v sealed lead acid batteries at the plant, and I carried one of those 7" Collins Dynamics lights that they sold the fire departments a few years ago. The light has two H2 bulbs, one behind the other, so you can switch between spot and flood. The battery hanging over my shoulder was heavy, but it all worked out. Since it was a straight tunnel, I had enough light to walk, with no more than the Preon2 on medium setting. But inspecting takes more light.

BTW, our guys borrowed a couple of Pelican 9430 RALS (Remote Area Lighting System) flood lights from the Painters. Worked pretty well, but they are expensive.

Other guys with me had various head lamps, all LED these days. I should have brought the little Petzl that I carry on the motorcycle. For me, a modest flood was all I needed for travel, but a big spot (doesn't have to be a super tight spot beam) is the ticket for inspecting.

danr10 said:

Hi, I'm Dan from the UK. I've had a obession with lights for aslong as I can remember, I thought I was the only one 'till I found this forum a few months ago, I used to have a large collection but the only surving ones I have are maglites... around 6.

I've just come back from the tunnel and I only went 100 yards in and had to come out because my 2aa maglite with the terralux cree bulb wasnt good enough. It's been brillaint for searching buildings etc but it was next to useless in the tunnel which is about 10m wide and 10m high.

I think a 1 million candle power torch will do the job but I have a 6d maglite and seen the expensive terralux conversion for it, the 600 lumen one and wondered if this would be brighter. I'm not sure which to buy, or if to get something differnt all together. I need to be able to carry it for a few miles, I've seen the cree bulb that I've got in my 2aa is also avalible for the 3d which I also have, I was thinking the extra cell and the bigger head would make it good enough to go into the tunnel with but I'm not sure, want to keep under £50/$80 ish, for now,

Click to expand...

Fenix TK45 and of course if you don't mind the size, TK70
BTW, what kind of 1200 yd tunnel? I love caves and tunnels.:candle:

Welcome to CPF, danr10

I hope that tunnel isn't an old abandaned one that might be unsafe - please be careful!

You should definitely take TWO lights with you. If one goes wrong when you are 1,000 yds into the tunnel, it will suddenly be awfully dark unless you have a backup. Maybe consider taking a headlamp - thousands of miners and cavers down the years can't all be wrong...

StandardBattery said:

Great choice in the TK35.... start saving.... you can try the TK70 next.

Click to expand...

thanks and I have enough for it right now so don't tempt me just yet

syncytial said:

I think you'll find the beamshots on the fonarik[/URL] website highly informative...

- Syncytial.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that will check it out

Hamilton Felix said:

I inspected the power tunnel at work the other day (I'm a Hydroelectric Operator; we only drain the tunnel about once per decade). Once you get into the main tunnel, it's only 1,900-2,000 feet and straight. Really sucks light, though. I had my Sure Fire GX2 and little 4sevens Preon2 that I carry all the time. We have a couple of (heavy) 12v sealed lead acid batteries at the plant, and I carried one of those 7" Collins Dynamics lights that they sold the fire departments a few years ago. The light has two H2 bulbs, one behind the other, so you can switch between spot and flood. The battery hanging over my shoulder was heavy, but it all worked out. Since it was a straight tunnel, I had enough light to walk, with no more than the Preon2 on medium setting. But inspecting takes more light.
BTW, our guys borrowed a couple of Pelican 9430 RALS (Remote Area Lighting System) flood lights from the Painters. Worked pretty well, but they are expensive.
Other guys with me had various head lamps, all LED these days. I should have brought the little Petzl that I carry on the motorcycle. For me, a modest flood was all I needed for travel, but a big spot (doesn't have to be a super tight spot beam) is the ticket for inspecting.

Click to expand...

I normally have a petzl led lamp well I had 2 but one is a bit rusted after being under water and the other is in my house somewhere (lost) haha, I did think about carrying a small sealed 12v battery in my backpack and then 12v search lamp with a wire.

Pandorum said:

Fenix TK45 and of course if you don't mind the size, TK70
BTW, what kind of 1200 yd tunnel? I love caves and tunnels.:candle:

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It's a old train tunnel that nobody knows about as it's very hidden (it collapsed half way in 1960 so stopped being used) I've been doing a lot of urban exploaring recently but this one is a bit close to my heart because when I was a kid, I was always told to stay away from it, it was all blocked up (I'm talking about the other end that's only about a mile from my house, this open end is a good 3 miles walk to get to it) I always wondered what was like inside (obviously it's just a tunnel but you know what I mean lol). It's only recently I found on google that someone from a urban exploration forum managed to find it, took them a while, I never knew it was there, so last Sunday I walked there and found it straight away. I got such a amazing feeling that took me back to when I was a kid, can't wait to go inside now! here's a pic I took on my phone

DM51 said:

Welcome to CPF, danr10

I hope that tunnel isn't an old abandaned one that might be unsafe - please be careful!
You should definitely take TWO lights with you. If one goes wrong when you are 1,000 yds into the tunnel, it will suddenly be awfully dark unless you have a backup. Maybe consider taking a headlamp - thousands of miners and cavers down the years can't all be wrong...

Click to expand...

thanks
It is I'm affraid, it wouldn't suprise me if it caves in within 10 years, that's why I want to go before it's too late, it's a bit risky I guess becuase all the re-enforcement beams are rotten and falling out but I'd have to be very unlucky for it to collapse while I'm in there. It's been like it has for 50 years, though I do belive it's only a matter of time :O
I will definately be taking more than one light, if I can find my petzl then I'll take that because it's very small and bright
I think the main risk now is rock falling on my head but I sold all my old climbing gear

Hi Dan - where's the tunnel? I know one like this near Greenfield, Manchester. Myself and a mate who grew up around there explored it last summer. Yes, it ate the lumens up, my little Olight T10 which is normally rather bright just seemed to have an off day. I think it's because going from light to dark very quickly you need to let the eyes adapt, initially I think even a TK70 would seem dimmer than usual until your are dark adapted.

Be great to here the location - cheers Steve

Dan, I don't want to sound preachy or a killjoy, but nobody here wants to read about you in the papers as an unfortunate statistic who got buried under 10,000 tons of rocks when this thing caved in on top of you. Nor do we want to see rescue workers risking their lives trying to pull you out of there.

If this tunnel has been abandoned for so long, how exactly are you gaining entrance? Isn't it fenced or gated off, so people can't just wander in there? Is what you are proposing legal? It doesn't sound that way to me.

Too dangerous. You would not know if there are toxic gases inside as well. It is not only the light.