NYC Holiday Get-Together

Greetings fellow CPF members,

Why is it that people get to socialize with new people all the time, while our lights remain with our other same lights all the time? Isn't it time for them to come out of the scabbards, holsters, drawers, EDC pockets, to have a light's night out, and meet new lights? Well... wipe those tears (excess lubricant) from your lights, because there's a new get-together in town. Go where the light is. Be there, or be smeared (in darkness that is).

When is it you say? Where can my lights go for recreation and rehabilitation? What about me, the budding flashaholic, the knee-deep sober flashaholic, and the savy portable handheld lighting devices flashadrunkenholic expert? New lights, lights you've never seen, lights you are looking to get, and best of all, a support group for all your flashaholic woes. But please, shine responsibly. I cannot be responsible for over-the-legal limit flashahol intensity/runtime levels in your system. So according to the laws of physics, anything that runs too long or shines too brightly under "impossible conditions" are breaking the law! But laws can be amended, right?

Wouldn't it be cold in December for us flashaholics? Well, wear your winter coats. It'll keep you warm and give you more space for your lights.

Main feature: NEW PRODUCT NOT YET SEEN ON CPF! There is a relatively new commercial drop in for the 2AA Mini-MagLites that is not yet avaiable to you guys. Those of you who have extra 2AA Mag hosts, rejoice! It is intended to be application specific, but us flashaholics would have a field day with this one. I know I am! So what's the scoop? Is it regulated? You bet! FULLY regulated! Output is truly flat until the batteries can no longer support the regulation requirements, then it'll gradually drop, while still providing useful light. Sounds like an Opalec right? But it provides a bit more light than an Opalec, at roughly the same runtime. Already have Opalec and don't think you'll need something similar? Well, as mentioned before, it is designed to be application specific, and therefore, it has an entirely different usage! Does it entice you yet? I have it in my hands as I type! Want to know more? Come see it up close and personal at the GT.

Hey mister, how can I go if I don't have any information? Read next post.

This is the master post. Check it often for updates.

GT information:

Time:
Saturday December 27th, 2003
3:00 PM to 9:00 PM
That is the official start time, but you may arrive earlier if you like.

Location:
De Angelo's Pizzaria
Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Location information:
Many stores right on the same block and along the area. Deli, grocery, candy. Chinese food, McDonald's (greasy fries and such), other restaurants. Rite Aid for battery needs. It is a nice russian neigborhood.

Flashaholic group support and activities plan:

3:00 PM: We meet at the corner pizzaria, inside, where it is warm. There will be plenty of seats, as most people order their pizza to go. How do we identify each other? Hold your light brightly, and proudly. He who holds a light is a CPF member.

4:30 PM: Sunset. We head to the park. Start testing lights for their ability to perform under twilight conditions. Once dark, use only low level lights for the next hour or so. We start on the trail in search for "evil dark targets". We must get the enemies of light! This is the time for target practice. We can shine our way to the Unisphere and to the UFOs used in "Men in Black" the movie, and even further north if we wish.

7:30 PM: We head to the darkest open field for preparation of the flashlight showdown. "Hey, pardner, who's da fastest photon slinger in da west? Dere ain't enough room fer two. Let's go, you an' me". Longest throw, greatest flood, cleanest beam, worst output (stock Mini-Mag). May the best torch win. Also split into two groups for looooong throw. One at one end and one at the other. We will communicate with my Motorolla FRS radios. "Can you see the retina scorching blinding beam from all the way down there? What? You say you see 101 dalmations? Yeah, it's a good movie".

8:30 PM: Wrap things up. Back to the starting location we go.

9:00 PM: Park closes. Make our tearful (again, excess lubricant) goodbyes to the nice people and nice lights. Wave goodbye, little LED, wave.

Directions:

Your target destination is 63-29 De Angelo's Pizzaria at the intersection of 108th Street and 63 Road. Keep this intersection in mind as you read the directions. It is on the southwest corner of the intersection. You can't miss it. Because this is New York City, there are many ways to commute to the location, so transportation is very flexible.

Direction 1: This requires a bus transfer. Take the 7 train to 103 St-Corona Plaza. Leave the station. Walk one block east to 104th St and look for the Q23 bustop. Take the Q23 bus south. It goes only one direction, so you will not go the wrong way, even if you try. Keep your eyes to the left of the bus. Pay attention to the street signs. You'll see the pizzaria (63 Road). Signal for stop. The bus ride is about 10 minutes.

Direction 2: This is subway all the way. No bus transfer required. Take either one of these two trains listed: G or R to 63 Dr Rego Park. Leave the station, and walk east along 63 Rd for 4-5 blocks until you reach 108th St. Note: 63 Dr is the same as 63 Rd. You will see the pizzaria at the corner.

Car directions: With the use of a map, you will see that the location is near the Horace Harding Expressway and the LIE. An alternative to using the highways are to drive along Queens Blvd until you see 108th St, then go north. It should not be difficult to get there just by looking at street signs. For parking, you may park in the street if you find a spot. There is municiple parking. The location is near a "mini shopping center" which uses the municiple parking.

If you need more help with the directions, or would like to consider more options, murphquake will be able to help you.

I will be traveling to the destination by mass transit. Some of you may arrange to travel with me. Some restrictions apply. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. But seriously, if your path of travel is far from my path of travel, I may not be able to arrange that. PM me for more travel pool details.

Weather (Updated 12/26/03): No precipitation. High 49°F. Low 33°F. Max humidity 53-63%. Clear skies. Winds from North and Northwest at 8-12 mph . The moon will be a crescent on the 27th, starting from sunset and lasting throughout the evening (limited effect on our GT). Sunset 4:34 PM. These are averages. An hour by hour detailed report is posted on page 4 of this thread.

Postponement: The GT is a go! Event is on schedule, no postponement.

Let us know if you will attend. Jason and I will definately be there. Reminder: don't forget to bring your lights! "Oh my CPF god! I forgot!"

i've heard bad things of queens lately. we should find a indoor location, maybe we could all goto jersey =p indoor and huge huge places to test lights.

Whadda ya mean bad things about Queens? I'm down... nothing like wasting err spending time with total strangers in your own zip code much less while playing with nifty flashlights =-) BTW the proper address is 63-29 108th Street, which is at the south-east corner of the 108th Street and 63rd Road. As for Directions #2 when you cross from the south side of Queens Blvd. at 63rd Drive to the north side of Queens Blvd you are now on 63rd Road which you can then follow to 108th Street. Also if you are getting off the train at the 63rd Drive G,R,V station you can take the Q38 bus north (stand in front of Rite-Aid) to the south west corner of 63rd Road and 108th Street. The Forest Hills LIRR station is also across the street from a stop on the Q23 at the south west corner of 71st Avenue and Austin Street. In other words feel free to contact me if you need help finding the place, I know the area like the back of my 6P...
-bill anxiously awaiting the A2 he bought on ebay this morning... good ol impulse buys =-D

murphquake, I decided to leave out any connections to buses for directions #2 because some people prefer an all subway route, and any additional transfers to a bus would complicate things for them. A number of other buses does stop around the area, but why complicate things? One can be very creative in planning their own commute to that particular area. I'm just trying to keep it simple by providing just the prominent methods of travel. The address does not need to be changed. Only the 63 Dr 63 RD will undergo slight modfication.

Anyway, glad to hear you'll be coming!

I think I'm in. I might not go that early, but I'll catch you guys there around 5 or so. Anyone live near by? I don't really know that place if it safe to park our cars there?

To anyone who is going, wear layers of clothing cuz it will be freeezzzing~~ cold!

have anyone done this? I dont' want cops giving us any problem when he sees a group of weirdo shining strong @SS light all over the place. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Catapult,
I hear ya... just trying to give options. If people want directions you can steer them at me, i've got it pretty down for the area.
Ken,
Parking is no worse than JH, both in Forest Hills and Corona. At the pizza place you can probably find a spot on 108th Street at a meter or on one of the side streets. By the park there's usually decent parking around 113th Street or on one of the cross streets. I think we should all go in shorts and T-shirts =-D As for cops, maybe we can bring our own... anyone on the job? I'm just an EMT and i ain't workin anyway, however, unless everyone looks like a skel or we're flashin people in the face i don't think anyone will bug us. Hell maybe some of the cops will come to check out the high quality illlumination tools... plus if we go over by the Unisphere I'm sure it's pretty common for people to have lights and cameras on it and stuff.
-bill still waiting on the A2... hoping for thursday/fridayish =-) (fingers crossed!)

I might be able to attend... I'll know better as the days pass.

Someone ask for a cop? I'm not sure what my schedule is yet but heck yeah I'll try and make it.

Sweet! Thanks for the more advanced notice and the PM! I'm going to be there this time. Plus I have a whole crapload more lights now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ok this is great

looks like some of you will definitely show up.

It'd too soon to tell yet.......If no holiday commitments
crop up, I'll try to make it.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sssh.gif

Walt.

Won't be able to mske it... gotta work that night.

Rich

Hey Wave,
how's ar15.com board going? haven't been there in forever (then again, i don't gotsta... i was there on day 1 when Ed A. owned the site and the forum was a side project =-D ) Actually i was gonna give NYC-M4 a ring and see what he's about... hopefully you can come down (seems like Catapult is making this too easy... hell I can walk there (takin the bus tho...) As for scheduling, email me your command's phone number and i'll take care of everything (start looking for a new job though ;^p You could just tell them you know me... that's Bill the Uber-EMT... I'm famous in restaurants! Anyway there's got to be at least one other PO flashaholic out there... Once I saw a guy in the 104 with a SureFire M3 (At Rosa's on Fresh Pond, of course)

If people need help with directions etc, drop me a line [email protected] or IM me on AIM/AOL murfquake2 or murphquake2 (usually the first one, i can probably get on yahoo,msn,icq if someones really desperate, but i don't regularly use them... email for my ph# if directions make more sense over the phone...) I'd be happy to ferry some heads from the 71st/Continental Avenue Subway (E-F-G-R-V) and Forest Hills LIRR station, the Q23 bus stops there and about 10 minutes later we'd be at D'Angelos (passed it this eve, it's still there, let's hope our luck holds =-) If people wanted to meet early so they don't get lost I can be fairly conspicuous.

*** If you see other CPFers or people from the area from other boards or whatnot who may be interested I'd suggest inviting them along, some may not have checked down here for the thread, so PM, email or IM them and let them know. ***

I think b-de b-de b-de dat's all folks for now... let's make this work... either way i'm showing up for Pizza next saturday.

Jason,
Are you going back to SB afterwards if you go? My friend in CI is having a shindig so I'm probably trucking out there when we're all done lighting up the park. If you're taking the LIRR back we can shoot the shizzle...
-bill

Bill Murphy NREMT-B

murphquake, the e-mail campagin was conducted last week, with my long list of NYC CPF members. I still haven't received any contact from some of them. I know there are more hanging around here than what's on my list. When you asked if there were any LEO's among us, I knew I just had to contact Wave first!

Attendant list:
Confirmed: me (of cousre), BlindTiger, Chief_Wiggum, JasonC8301, murphquake.
Unconfirmed: CiTY, balticvid, Wave, lionken07, alanz, ufokillerz.

i will probably make it, the proble and question now is, do i lug my X990 along for the train ride? BTW if it rains i will most likely cancel. Snow is cool =)

Catapult; I got the email last week sorry I didn't reply.

ufokillerz, as stated in the master post, if there are restrictive weather conditions, the GT would be postponed. If you could bring the X990 over, it'll be great!

lionken07, don't worry about it. You made posts here, so that counts as contact.

x990? dang gotta do another search.... Ooooouuu sounds nice.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Looks like a bunch of big guns will be showing up, so that's a very good sign. Hopefully I'll be able to make it to see all the pretty lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Regardless, I hope this turns into a regular event with multiple meet locations! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Catapult,
Sounds good, my friend (another NYPD officer, just bought a sf m3 on another board, hopefully he'll come) just said someone he works with is a cpf member, gonna email him an invite too... at least we got 5 so far, should make for a fun outing. Drop me a line neighbor ( [email protected] )