Tales from a blackout

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-06/traffic-lights2c-houses-without-power-in-sydney/4299368
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/lights-out-for-sydneys-inner-west-20121006-2767o.html

So I was out to dinner on Saturday night. All of a sudden the lights went out. A few seconds later, people started to sing happy birthday but then realised that as there wasn't a birthday cake appearing that the restaurant possibly lost power. Well, it was worse than that but didn't know that at the time. It was a Brazilian BBQ and the waiters started to bring food around using just the light from the LED flash from their smartphones. Other diners started doing the same, interspersed with flipping the phone about to send SMS messages. Normally I would have a light with me but the only one I had was my E01 on my keyring. Shone up through the plastic flower arrangement on the table, it produced a nice glow and plenty of light to dine with. Candles were eventually broken out but it was good while it lasted. How can you tell if you are a flashaholic? You're the first person to turn on a flashlight.

Back home, the power was still out so the hardest decision was to decide which light to use. I started with my Maglite which had an XML drop-in. Bounced off the ceiling, it was actually too white and bright. So out of retirement came the LF2XT, H501w and the TK20 and the H51w, together they provided more than enough light in three rooms. Can I just say that the TK20 has the perfect warmth but together with the others, it was quite cozy. It was almost sad that the power came back on ...

Curious what percentage of the other patrons seemed to have flashlights?

Power outages are getting worse and worse around here (30 mls from NYC) due to weird storms and climatic change. We've lost power for a week straight two out of the last three yrs with a few days sprinkle around too. I have a little self contained RV with generator that minimizes the hassles though.

Yup lots of friends and relatives looking for flashlight recommendations.

reppans said:

Curious what percentage of the other patrons seemed to have flashlights?

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It would appear to be 0%. No one else seemed to turn theirs on if they did. Lots of glow from mobile phones though. The waiter was using the glow of the screen of his phone to write up the bill until I lent him the use of my E01.

Gotta have that one warm-tint light for cozy and welcoming family room lighting..

LOl, I've been waiting for the day that the power goes out while I'm out and about with friends. I've always been curious to know just how well my LD12 would light up the inside of a restaurant.

On a side note, I don't get why people feel the need to light up whole rooms adequately. Whenever the power goes out around here I try to preserve my lights as much a possible and do as many things as I can without them. I guess I just have that attitude from being in all the hurricanes and tropical storms when I lived in Miami. There have been a couple storms where the power stayed off for a week or more. Light can become as precious of a commodity as water at times.

Even if I had my HID on me, I would light the E01 first... test the waters. If no one reacts irrationally or an all out chaos breaks out, I would try something brighter. In a public situation, light up your loaner lights first. Something you wouldn't cry over if its taken from you or you had to lend it out in an emergency.

I carry a Surefire 9P with P90 running on 2x17500s and a L4 MCE warm white. Enough to put a dent in the darkest of dark places. But I like to carry an E01 and a off the shelf Energizer 2AAA penlight. In a public place, the penlight will come out first, if someone needs it, I light the E01

So far I have had to lend out lights on more than one occasion, sudden blackouts yes, in a restaurant I have yet to encounter.

Mr Floppy said:

Back home, the power was still out so the hardest decision was to decide which light to use. I started with my Maglite which had an XML drop-in. Bounced off the ceiling, it was actually too white and bright. So out of retirement came the LF2XT, H501w and the TK20 and the H51w, together they provided more than enough light in three rooms. Can I just say that the TK20 has the perfect warmth but together with the others, it was quite cozy. It was almost sad that the power came back on ...

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When there was also a blackout here, A coolwhite light on low or medium seems not enough and if put on max looks too much. A neutral or warm light that is on a low or medium setting is what is better light up a room but not much and would still give you that warm and cozy feeling. Too bad I sold my one and only ZL SC50w a few weeks ago:mecry:

Forgot to mention that I've found the police to be rather under equipped to cope with the black out. There were many traffic lights out and at the one on the way home one police lady was almost clipped by a car. She didn't have a traffic wand or light or high visibility vest or anything. Just using her hands to wave cars on. Her partner had an incan maglite 3D that had such a dull glow that I suspect the batteries were dying. Quite surprised really. I felt I should should have gone back there and loaned them my LD20 with the inappropriately shaped red diffuser cone.

Illum said:

I carry a Surefire 9P with P90 running on 2x17500s and a L4 MCE warm white. Enough to put a dent in the darkest of dark places. But I like to carry an E01 and a off the shelf Energizer 2AAA penlight. In a public place, the penlight will come out first, if someone needs it, I light the E01

So far I have had to lend out lights on more than one occasion, sudden blackouts yes, in a restaurant I have yet to encounter.

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That's a very valid point, Illum. I always kept 2 or 3 extra lights in a bag, but my bag tends to stay in my car when I go into various places. Plus, none of those lights are ones that I wouldn't mind loosing. I think I will start carrying a small, cheap AAA light on my key chain now.

Mr Floppy said:

It would appear to be 0%. No one else seemed to turn theirs on if they did. Lots of glow from mobile phones though. The waiter was using the glow of the screen of his phone to write up the bill until I lent him the use of my E01.

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Too funny. A year ago, a dinner with my extended family in your situation would have produced the same - one light in the whole place. Today, our table would look an Xmas tree.... my bother, the public service fireman, would be out lighting the rest of the restaurant up.... if not outside directing traffic.