Engine Room Flashlight?

Hello Everyone!

I stumbled appon this Forum while I was searching the internet for a High quality flashlight.

I'm looking for a very high quality and reliable flashlight that can be used on my 28 day cycle at sea down in the engine room of our ship. The flashlight Im looking for will be small enough to fit in a pouch on my belt (7-9 inch range) with a good solid feel not too light or cheap feeling, something made from some high quality steel or titanium, whatever modern flashlights are made from today.

The light it emits is where things kinda take a turn. As you can imagine an engine room can be quite dark in areas, and not every dark area is easily accessable, So a flashlight with a good throw but a narrow or better yet ADJUSTABLE focus would be excellent! A wide focus light will be no use to me if I cant narrow it down in certain situations. At times I've found my old flashlight reflecting off pipes and other obstructions because the beam was too wide, which in turn made it diffucult to see past the glare to the actual subject im aiming at. At the same time a bright beam is ideal, Very little text is needed but I find a bright light is always good for finding leaks and reflections off liquid or drips around the work area (I'll leave the lumens rating up to the pros )

While being at sea for 28 days you can imagine the amount of batteries I would go thru if the flashlight wasnt rechargable so that is another must have for this specific light Im looking for.

I know its alot of information to buzz thru and it is also probably pretty hard to find something with all these qualitys, but price is no problem for a quality light that I will be able to use for at least a half dozen cycles.

I appreciate the help guys and girls! I've been poking around the net and this site and it seems to have alot of great information on it, I just need some hands on expierence with some of these lights to see what might be a good recommendation.

Thanks again everyone! Glad to be part of the forum!

p.s IF POSSIBLE some amount of water proof / resistance up to at least a meter would be good. we have several "bilges" that we inspect several times a day and there have been many guys drop their lights in there never to be seen again! hopefully if mine falls in itll stay light and I can fish it out promptly!

I Knew I forgot something! This might help sort out a good light!




1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__X__I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____Less than $25.
____Less than $50.
____Less than $100.
____Less than $150.
____Less than $300.
__X__I have no limit.
____I'm flexible, tell me what you gotJ.
____Other, please specify ________


3) Format:

__X__I want a flashlight.
____I want a headlamp.
____I want a lantern.
____I want a dive light.
____I want a portable spotlight.


4) Flashlight-specific format/size:

____Keychain size.
____Every day carry small (2-4 inches).
__X__Every day carry medium (4-7 inches).
____Holster carry.
____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____N/A


5) Emitter/Light source:

__X__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
__X__HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

__X__I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.


7) What battery type do you want to use?

____I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today's most powerful lights)
____I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn)
__X__I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA)
__X__I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.)
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens).
____I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
__X__I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).


9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.

____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
__X__5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
____150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).

____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
__X__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A "night-stand" light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
__X__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.


12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):

__X__I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
__X__I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

__X__A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
__X__I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.)
__X__I want SOS mode.
____I want a beacon mode.
____I don't care.
____I don't know.

( SOS or Strobe would be great on a ship! Although it wont be worth much if it isnt water proof! )


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
__X__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights).
__X__Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
__X__Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.


15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.

____Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
____Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
__X__Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

Unfortunately flood to throw tends to compromise waterproofness, luckily the remedy is pretty simple, get a throwy light and a removable diffuser. The Solarforce L2P would be a wonderful matchup as you can tailor it to your specifications. It's in your size range, waterproof (I tested mine submerged for an hour and no water intrusion), extremely durable with its hard anodized finish, and for runtime you can use 18650's (mine will run for 2 continuous hours on high), you can add a forward clicky, get a module with the modes you want (I recommend either an XP-G module as these are really bright on full power), and luckily a Fenix HP20 flip up diffuser fits right on it.

The only thing it doesn't satisfy is intrinsically safe. If this is truly for an explosives environment This light won't do, but being a former navy guy myself, engine rooms are not considered explosive environments, heck my old chief used to say he smoked in his old engine room right next to the diesel tanks.

Take a look at Lenslight.

I have similar requirements in my occupation as you do. Inspecting things, sometimes at distances, sometimes up close. Sometimes on a small scale (checking for leaks) and sometimes on a large macro scale (checking areas). The very best light I've found for this so far is the 4sevens brand Quark AA2 Tactical.

Here's what I've found was very helpful to me:

When I want light, I want it NOW. And I want the exact amount I need NOW. When you're climbing around, under, or into tight spaces, twisting your body into uncomfortable positions, it's really aggravating to have to select through various brightness levels to get to the one you want. The Quark Tactical series allows you to program your two favorite modes for quick access. For me, I like the 85 lumen high mode ready to go most of the time, with my secondary mode being the 5 lumen low for night tasks.

The Quark Tactical series also has the forward clicky switch. Push the switch lightly and you have instant on, release the switch and it turns off, push it further and the switch locks in and the light stays on. I like this feature for inspecting things as I'm walking around. A quick blast of light when you need it to make sure that bolt is tight, or that's not really a leak on that hose. With a reverse clicky switch you end up having to push the switch twice (once for on, once for off) which is a little annoying to me.

The 5.8inch length is a great hand size. Not too small to drop, not too big to be unwieldy. The knurling on the Quarks is great too. I've had mine covered in antifreeze (long story) in the middle of the night and was still able to hold on to it no problem. When I was done I just washed it off in the sink and it never missed a beat.

I run mine on rechargeable Rayovac NiMH Hybrid AA cells. You mentioned you needed rechargeable so I'd probably stick with an AA battery.

Other lights that would probably work for me that share somewhat this same feature set are the Fenix LD25, Fenix E21, and Jetbeam BA20 but none will be as feature rich as the Quark AA2 Tactical.

Just my experience and .02 for what it's worth.

I really like the beam and light emited from the Fenix LD25, Although does anyone know if I can get a focus attachment? or know of a light similar but with a focusable beam.

I know I mentioned the focus, but it really is a big part of the flashlight I buy. A coworker had a light with a focus on it and it was really a great tool compaired to a fixed beam flashlight.

These suggestions are great tho! if I cant find a focusable flashlight I think Im going to go with the Fenix LD25.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Considering the durability requirements i would have suggested something like a Surefire 6P with a Malkoff M61, no strobe/SOS, but can be manually strobed and completely indestructible.

Waterproof to at LEAST 10 meters, uses both single li-ion rechargeables as well as 2xCR123A primaries, and the beam is generally regarded as perfect for general use at most distances

I use a Fenix TK40 in the machineroom. Its waterproof for a dunk in the bilge.
At the workbench I use a 7 USD 3x AAA focusable Chinese flashlight.
Stick to the focusable: focused is great for looking into small openings, the flood is for general use.
The Lenslight (T1?) is on top of my wishlist, it would fit all my needs indoors, and most of it outdoors.

No budget limit? Get a pure thrower AND a pure floody light! The amount of lumens available from "small packages" these days is high enough that carrying two lights isn't crazy (it's not like having 2 Maglites on you...).

I would get a throwy hand held light and something like a zebralight headlamp so you can work hands free on stuff.