Grouping of flashlights by purpose ("binning")

Grouping of flashlights by purpose (\"binning\")

In coming back here to try and focus my useful flashlights, I've also updated my Web pages to discuss recommended and suggested lights.

I'm starting to think that we often spend lots of times comparing lights, but it's important to compare for a specific task or use.

Brightnorm's recent Vertical Throw Test was a good example. Kenshiro's great work a year ago on spotlights was another.

I've discovered about for "bins" of flashlights that I use:

(1) tiny, long-run, not much light: Arc AAA LE

(2) EDC, more light, less run: Arc sLS (wife) SF E2e/KL1 & L4 (me)

(3) Utility around the house: SL 4AA, SL 3C, Lambda Illuminator

(4) Long throw: 9P+SRTH (me), UKE SL6 (two around the house), SL TL-3 (my EDC, car)

(5) Longer throw, more light: Vector 137 (Banana)

(6) Beyond that, what? A Maxi Beam? and then a WWII aircraft searchlight?

What happens is things quickly escalate as the candela output needs to go up by the square of the distance covered. For example, to get 1fc at 100 feet, you need 10,000 cd. To get the same illumination at 300 feet, you need 90,000 cd. This jumps you from the long-end of the TL-3 (or short end of SRTH) to the Banana.

So how do you bin flashlights? I find I use them more when I select ones that are far apart. I get confused when they all cluster together.

Cheers,

Richard

Re: Grouping of flashlights by purpose (\"binning\")

Excellent idea. I've tried to do a similar organization for my EDC lights. It's around here somewhere.

Brightnorm

Re: Grouping of flashlights by purpose (

rlhess, sounds like you're using your head for something besides a hat rack, as my father used to say! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

Seriously, you're right of course, and instinctively you choose lights "far apart" so you'll end up covering a range of useful tools instead of focusing on mostly variations on a single tool. In the world of hand tools, for example, it makes lots more sense to have a screwdriver and pair of pliers in the toolbox, than to have a pair of big pliers and small pliers but no screwdriver!

I'm struggling with the same need for a classification system around here, but alas, I believe what we really need is some sort of multidimensional scheme. I'm pretty sure that any single "axis" of comparison inevitably gets too cluttered with arbitrary distinctions while ignoring other meaningful differences, and ultimately just doesn't withstand scrutiny.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

For instance, one axis might involve brightness, another throw, another pocketability (combination of size and weight), another ruggedness, another type of batteries, another runtime, another the amount of heat generated, and on and on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Even on separate axes, the classification process is daunting! And trying to compress all the above (plus more!) into a single axis is enough to drive one to flashahol! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

So the quest continues. But in the meantime I do have a clustering scheme (click to read more) that seems to take good care of me...

ONE CLUSTER = DIM + BRIGHT + LONG THROW.

That's it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway, works for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif