How did you get started and what motivates you....

Hey guys...

I'm new and looking to see where this will take me....

I've always been interested in flashlights, and the subsequent strange looks from my wife when l look at them in stores, however have yet to venture out into the world that I see here.

I have a couple of LED Lenser's, which I thought were very impressive, however stumbling on this site has me realizing there's even more fun to be had....

How did you guys get interested in flashlights and where do you see yourselves going with it... ?

finally, what would you recommend as a first "real" LED flashlight for someone starting out... something powerful and with a good build quality, however able to use regular (AA, AAA) rechargeables....

What was your first real purchase ??

Looking forward to reading your experiences and ideas....

Cheers
A

I had a 2D incan my father gave me when I was 10 and it amazed me. I'd never used a flashlight before then and the fact I could walk outside and put light on things (as dim as it was) when it was dark was thrilling. Batteries were dead at an hour.

As I grew I bought some larger incan lights as the years passed, just cheap stuff that didn't last that long, though there was a 6D Arlec I had that lasted years. Even after the switch boot wore out I still used it and only replaced the bulb once.

Got married and my bro-in-law gave me a shining, red minimag that I thought was just awesome. I had to buy a new bulb for it so often I gave up and saw a single LED light that claimed a runtime of 50 hours on 4AAA's. After that it was a swift transition to buying a 4D LED Maglite, cost $39 and I couldn't believe I was spending that much on a light. I actually hid it from my wife for a few days because I couldn't believe I'd spent almost $40 on light.

I wasn't entirely content with the output from the legendary Maglite light and upon googling what sort of upgrade was available I stumbled across CPF. The rest is history, recorded in the 800+ comments I've made here on the forum.

Where do I see it taking me? I've slowed down on my purchases and I know what I want out of a light now (after around $1,500 on lights and another few hundred on batteries and chargers). In the next year there's going to be a few more Malkoffs added to the stable, that's about it. I'm going to hold onto my big hitter cash until something the size of a TK41 has the output and runtime of a TK70.

For a really good light that will impress, the TK41 is hard to pass by. It's smaller than a 2D Maglite and has enormous output on Turbo mode, throws like a beast and is built tough. Combined with a smart charger and pack of eneloops you can't go wrong. Others will have other suggestions which are just as valid, but I own a TK41 and it's awesome.

But it's not just high output, latest LED lights that do it for me. I recently bought a $10 LED lantern that puts out a measly 50 lumens, but on 3 D cells it will run for ages and ages. I like pretty much anything that puts out light and represents value.

This is the first light I got and still use it every day

The .2 lumens is very useful with night vision -

http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=297_305&products_id=1620

It started when I use to own mini mags and they kept burning out at the worst times. Even with a spare lamp it would fail me, so I decided that here had to be better out there. Oh the world of the internet brought me here, and has kept me happy with all of the great choices to buy.

I never had reliable lights growing up in Scouts and hunting with my dad. I got turned on to Surefire quite a while ago, but was upset when my old G2 incan lamp burnt out. I switched to LED Minimags for the price, but others I knew had better lights. I like to buy stuff that suits my needs exactly and works every time. After doing some research on better lights, if found CPF. The information here has been invaluable in helping me find good lights that deliver for the use.

I came across a Surefire 6P for 21.00, and bought it. Up until that time, I had only owned maglights. I was amazed at how bright it was. I kind of took the impression that you need CR123's to put out that kind of light. Imagine my surprise when I find out that there are brighter lights that run on one AA.

It all started when I followed my brother to pick his Olight M20. At that time I had no idea just how far flashlight technology had come
(up to then I'd only owned the 2AA Maglite).
Well, after playing with his new toy (the M20) for a bit I decided... hey, this is super-cool. I just had to get something similar for myself - only brighter!!
Well... one thing led to another and... I guess y'all know the rest.

I got started when I clicked my McClicky tailcap and I'm motivated by SureFire CR123 lithium batteries.

The goal for me is the brightest light in the smallest package. That's really all I want in a flashlight. Until I discovered this forum I thought I was forever doomed to carry enormous lamps if I wanted decent output (I even had one with a shoulder strap!!) Pocket lights were plastic, not very bright and so unreliable they ended in the bin after a few weeks. Then I found CPF and realised that new technology meant I could at last get a reliable, pocket sized light which was brighter than I ever imagined.

You can't go wrong with the Fenix LD10 as a first 'real' flashlight. But if you have the cash to splash, you will find lots of Surefire fans on here who are happy to help you spend your money!

In my experience there is a lot of fun to be had researching which light to buy, so don't rush into your first purchase. Read up on these forums and have a look at some of the great videos on Youtube. Good idea to start with a AA light to begin with, especially if you are not familiar with Li-ion batteries or want to avoid the expense of CR123s.

I was hooked for as long as I can remember.
I owned several mags, I saw an add for a Surefire light in a magazine in my ortho's office when I was about 11, I fell in love with it, but it was really expensive. Fast forward 10 years and I saw a pocket-dump thread on a car forum, several guys were carrying Surefires, I went to my local store, bought a E2D. Then 20-30 other Surefire lights, customs, batteries ....

Same old story a dozen Mag's for work back in the min 1980's so I had a life time of lamps, figured one good long running led so bought a TK 41 in the search found this forum Hmmmmm now I need a EDC,
Long story short I have a half dozen LED lamps and Two more in the mail.
So be warned if you have a addictive type personality stay away from CPF

Like many here I've always had a strange fascination with flashlights. Always had a few cheapos and some maglites. But about a month ago, I wanted to learn more about flashlights and stumbled here ready to buy some higher quality lights. This place has unleashed my inner flashaholic. It's been about a month of me lurking and I've already spent close to 1000 on lights/batteries/accessories -_- My first purchase was a 6P followed by an M61. Who knew flashlights could be so small and yet so powerful. And first post!

I remember being 6 or 7 years old and using birthday money to buy a 2AA penlight. It looked like a silver cigar. I woudn't say I was facinated with flashlights at that point as much as I was amazed how small it was compared to a regular flashlight. Since I have come the way of mini mags and small squeeze lights with button batteries. I hadn't realized the overall importance of a flashlight until I became a first responder. As a law enforcement officer and instructor I preach the importance of EDCing a good light on and off duty. About 7 years ago I bought my first real LED flashlight, a surefire, and carried it everyday for 5 years. About 2 years ago I decided to see if there was anything smaller out there, which brought me to this web site. The rest, as they say, is history. Novatac, Nitecore, Jetbeam, Eagletac, HDS, etc... I was blown away. I have since bought and carried every brand I had just mentioned and then some. Right now I have settled on a HDS 170Cn which I carry everyday and a few others as backup which I rotate as needed.
As far as where I see myself going from here, I guess I will keep checking CPF to guide my destiny (ok, getting a little too dramatic). I guess I am always looking for a light that is smaller, brighter (and yes, this forum has got me considering tint as well) and more durable.

I have been fascinated by flashlights ever since I have known myself. I am not that much into LED's I am more into incandescents but I have a few LED's 4Seven's or Quark (whatever the hell it is called) makes some decent LED's that take AA batteries and that's probably what I will purchase when I can afford it. My first "real" flashlight and my most expensive was a streamlight scorpion. Right now it is out of bulbs and batteries, which it is just sitting on my shelf and looking pretty. For the money, if you are on a budget, though I would reccomend a 2AA Duracell Daylite (they sell them at Rite Aid and Radio Shack) or an Energizer Tactical 3 Watt LED (those are now hard to find as they have been discontinued).

I guess my interest started when my uncle gave me a old RAF angle head torch (flashlight) when I was about 9 or 10. I loved that light but eventually it got lost. It wasn't until I became a paramedic that I found the need for something better than we had on the ambulances. As for penlights they were something of a mystery 25 years ago. Eventually, I discovered Maglites which at the time were probably the best light available in the UK and far, far, superior to anything in use in the UK ambulance services. Of course, eventually I discovered Surefire which were and remain very, very expensive over here. However, to this day nothing other than the Firstlight Flashlights has ever impressed me as much as Surefire has. Of course when LED's came out I was quickly converted to adopting these in my Surefire's but was disappointed in the output and the well known problems of color tint etc. Like everything, someone or some other maker fills the gap in the market and when Malkoff started producing his drop-ins they quickly became the dropin of choice for my growing collection of lights. At Present I've still got a few Maglites (all with LED dropins). I've also got got 5 incandescent Surefires, also with LED dropins and one standard E1B. As I mentioned I've also own a Firstlight Tomahawk and Liberator which I find to be of superb construction but perhaps just a little underpowered? I also own a Pelican 8060 which I still regard as a great light for walking the dog. However, with the forthcoming release of a new line of Surefire rechargeable lights I'm now eagerly awaiting what else will joining my collection!

Started when I was 9. Dad says "Get over here boy and hold this" I come over and grab this silver body with red bezel Ray-o-Vac , then dad says "Ughhhh,turn it on!" . I push up on the red switch with my thumb and like my first hit of crack,.....I'm hooked. That light went dead that night by 8pm. Fast forward to my 20's and I started working night clubs and the old sickness comes back. Then I walk into Lighthound one day at the invitation of the owner to fix my stinger and he shows me this little 1xAA Fenix light. Damn. Here we go again.

Now I have about 75-80 lights. I give some away, aquire new ones so it never really stays at a certain amount. I have a handful that will never leave.

I go for super small and bright, super big and bright, looks, unique U.I. No ryhme or reason. Just whatever hits me now.

I've always had an interest in flashlights, where I used to live, I lost power ALL the time, so I was always given a flashlight to use, usually a 2XAA minimag, and then when I moved, I was given my own minimag, I LOVED it! Then one day, wound up loosing it. That was when my mom bought me one of those really cheap 3XAAA LED flashlights, come to this year, I'm 23, and always wondering what I should get next! Since September, I've been registered here, and I can't/WON'T turn back!

Im not sure when my started. Probably a few years back, I have had a few flashlights but ive never had a real need for them, then i had happened to find a 6D maglite. I loved it, it was always in my car and I used to even carry it and got weird looks for carrying such a large flashlight. I just had that one primarly, but then I had found a black and decker 2 million cp light and that was awesome when i lived in maine out in the booneys. I've referenced back to this site many times over the years and just with in the last month has it turned into a obsession. Had found some discarded lights that had varying problems from switches to batteries to led boards with bad soldering and fixed them up and thats when i realised that the 6D just didnt seem as bright anymore, it had lost it luster. I have a 2d maglight that was brighter and lighter with a led in it. I had never liked led flashlights because it had always seemed to me like they just had no throw and were all flood. Now I have just built my first modded light, a 2D ROP Hi. Now I think I have a problem....LOL. I cant stay off of this site and its to the point where my wife notices im on here all the time and surfing the web looking at flashlights. Im not sure what exactly im after, but now i cant help but want brighter lights....If only it was in my budget. I guess im stuck in the race for more throw and output like alot of people here. The weird thing is I really dont even have a need for so much light besides wow factor i guess. But maybe its just me with a obsessive personality....because im always wanting to build something cool like my air cannons and various other projects I have all over the place in my basement.

I've always had a facination with flashlits. Going back to the 2D incans. All of these new(to me) LED lights with different lumen levels and color renditions causes me to look at my wallet before logging on toCPF.

Earliest memories were with some kind of stamped sheetmetal rayovac 2D. Then one Christmas, a set of Durabeams shows up, 2D and 6V (huge reflector). Years later in summer camp I saw my first Mini Mag - man that was amazing. When it came time to outfit the truck, I picked up full size Mags, a 4C, 6D, and 2D. The 2D got the most use and was later upgraded to an ROP.

Shorter after finding CPF, I picked up a Malkoff for the 4C Mag. Wanting a second, smaller light with the same quality, I looked what else Malkoff had, the original M60. But I needed something to put it into, so I picked up my first SF 6P.