Multi emiter or One big emiter?

So, as usual, Sunday eve, animal rescue. no kittens today.

ive got in my head that a bigger torch circa 2200-3000 lumens would be usful.

here is an option, multi- or single- emmitter....

whats gonna be the difference?

In very simplified terms, a multi-emitter head will give a lot more spill than a single emitter unless the head is designed with some deeper than normal reflectors. Usually, that makes the head larger than most users want, so it isn't dome. A single emitter head can more easily have and is more likely to have a deeper reflector, which will give more throw with less spill. The controlling factor in spill vs throw is the the reflector. How deep is it and how wide is it. The deeper it is, the more throw and less spill. The width of the reflector mainly controls the size of the hotspot at the center of the beam.

What perceived deficiency leads you to believe you will need two to three thousand lumens of light? Some examples would be helpful. The more we know the better advice we can give.

Off the top of my head, seeing animal resecue, I would say the Nitecore TM06 would be something to look into. Small and compact, 3000 lumens, an ANSI throw of 300+ meters, and a wide, floody beam with a nice spread of light levels would seem to be ideal. And the price isn't bad either.

Following what Timothybill said:

Multi-emitter: typically more total light output (measured in lumens), but the light won't focus as much. The hotspot will be dimmer. This means the beam doesn't throw as well (measured in lux).
Single emitter: typically dimmer, but throwier. the hotspot will be narrower but brighter.

So the answer is "it depends".

Rather than focusing on having a single or multi-emitter light, it would be better to think about the following:
* How do you intend to carry your light? Is it going to sit in your pocket? Clipped to a belt? Handheld? etc.
* What kind of use do you intend for your light? Do you want a spotlight capable of illuminating something far in the distance or a floodlight that illuminates everything up close? Do you want a pocket rocket for wowing your friends with immense lumens? or something more practical with longer runtime?

Based on the above, we can recommend you lights with various battery and LED configurations.

Timothybil said:

... Off the top of my head, seeing animal resecue, I would say the Nitecore TM06 would be something to look into. Small and compact, 3000 lumens, an ANSI throw of 300+ meters, and a wide, floody beam with a nice spread of light levels would seem to be ideal. And the price isn't bad either.

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Better choice might be the Noctigon Meteor M43. It's the same price as the TM06, but better-built, smaller and has twice the output.

prnguinpoo my friend for a light like you are describing your budget better have an extra few hundred dollars in it. OR just go to Wal Mart and buy a Coast HP550 variable focus LED light. 1000+ lumens and extremely long run times. Very darn bright spot throw beam pull back on the head for massive flood beam. 60 bucks...

I thought I read somewhere that the Coast was a keychain light

-Chuck

chuckhov said:

I thought I read somewhere that the Coast was a keychain light

-Chuck

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Coast is a brand, not a specific light. Coast makes many different models of lights, ranging from keychain sized lights to much larger lights.

The Coast HP550.

It was a joke about what was posted about it earlier today.

Celtic himself, said it was his keychain light.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?402759-LEd-flashlight-that-provides-flood-type-beam-but-throw-as-well-budget-150-AUD&p=4672287#post4672287

Post #10.

Sorry for the confusion...
-Chuck

Another thing to consider is beam quality. A multi emitter light is generally going to have a rather messy beam due to the fact that it has multiple emitters and a rather complex reflector. But a single emitter light is going to have a more conventional beam with a center hotspot (although probably a large one) and outside spill.

Tint could also be a consideration. Strictly speaking, tint doesn't depend on the number of emitters. But it does as a practical matter. Most multi emitter lights use cool white XM-L/XM-L2 emitters. And the choice of other tints (like neutral white) is generally not available as it is on smaller lights. Some people don't mind this. But lots of people don't like cool white XM-L/XM-L2 emitters due to their unpredictable and often nasty green/yellow/blue/purple tints and the fact that they make colors appear monochrome and 'washed out' (a potential problem if you're trying to determine whether that kitty is a stray orange tabby or the neighbor's brown tabby). On the other hand, in the output class you are looking at, many single emitter lights are going to use the MT-G2 - an emitter known for its excellent tints. Because of the tint and beam quality factors, I would go for an MT-G2 rather than, say, a triple XM-L2.

StorminMatt said:

Another thing to consider is beam quality. A multi emitter light is generally going to have a rather messy beam due to the fact that it has multiple emitters and a rather complex reflector. But a single emitter light is going to have a more conventional beam with a center hotspot (although probably a large one) and outside spill.

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Personally I think this is a non-issue. I have many lights with multiple emitters using Carclo optics. the beams blend together and produce a homogenous beam at any distance past 12 inches.

Tint could also be a consideration. Strictly speaking, tint doesn't depend on the number of emitters. But it does as a practical matter. Most multi emitter lights use cool white XM-L/XM-L2 emitters. And the choice of other tints (like neutral white) is generally not available as it is on smaller lights. Some people don't mind this. But lots of people don't like cool white XM-L/XM-L2 emitters due to their unpredictable and often nasty green/yellow/blue/purple tints and the fact that they make colors appear monochrome and 'washed out' (a potential problem if you're trying to determine whether that kitty is a stray orange tabby or the neighbor's brown tabby). On the other hand, in the output class you are looking at, many single emitter lights are going to use the MT-G2 - an emitter known for its excellent tints. Because of the tint and beam quality factors, I would go for an MT-G2 rather than, say, a triple XM-L2.

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Tint matters, especially to flashaholics. But there's nothing integral to multi-emitter lights requiring them to have worse tints than single emitter lights. However, it is true that there are more single-emitter lights available, so it may be easier to find a single-emitter light with good tint.

If you're in a position to customize your light and choose the emitters, you can sometimes produce better tint with a multi-emitter light. This is because you can mix and match multiple tints in the same light. They'll blend together and produce a very nice beam.

Fireclaw18 said:

Tint matters, especially to flashaholics. But there's nothing integral to multi-emitter lights requiring them to have worse tints than single emitter lights. However, it is true that there are more single-emitter lights available, so it may be easier to find a single-emitter light with good tint.

If you're in a position to customize your light and choose the emitters, you can sometimes produce better tint with a multi-emitter light. This is because you can mix and match multiple tints in the same light. They'll blend together and produce a very nice beam.

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I did mention that, strictly speaking, tint is not affected by the number of emitters. But the reality is that finding an off the shelf multi emitter light (such as a triple XM-L2) with neutral emitters is going to be difficult to impossible. Unfortunately, such lights tend to be focused on output. And it seems that most manufacturers would rather gain a visually insignificant handful of lumens by going with cool white rather than neutral. As you say, customization would be necessary. And it is up to the original poster to determine whether this is a route to take. On the other hand, a single MT-G2 would give the lumens desired with excellent tint and beam quality right out of the box.

So far we haven't heard back from the OP as to what he is looking for in a light. I see animal rescue and 2k lumens as the only facts so far.

To me, animal rescue says that a local floody light with a good tint, with the ability to throw maybe 100 meters well, is going to be more useful than a real thrower. I see use in crawl spaces, thickets, brush and trees, alleyways, empty buildings, underneath vehicles; all places that would need a floody light and several well-spaced modes to keep from overpowering the eyes. A neutral tint would be good, high CRI would be even better but would probably require a multi-emitter setup for sufficient output. I think 100 meters of useable throw should be more than adequate, and will suggest using the 'rule of 3' here - divide the ANSI throw rating by 3 to get a more useable figure. So a wider hotspot would probably be better for locating and identifying at a distance as well. To handle the power requirements will take a multiple 18650 power source as well.

Until the OP further clarifies the requirements, we really can't get down to some useful suggestions.

Timothybil said:

So far we haven't heard back from the OP as to what he is looking for in a light. I see animal rescue and 2k lumens as the only facts so far.

To me, animal rescue says that a local floody light with a good tint, with the ability to throw maybe 100 meters well, is going to be more useful than a real thrower. I see use in crawl spaces, thickets, brush and trees, alleyways, empty buildings, underneath vehicles; all places that would need a floody light and several well-spaced modes to keep from overpowering the eyes. A neutral tint would be good, high CRI would be even better but would probably require a multi-emitter setup for sufficient output. I think 100 meters of useable throw should be more than adequate, and will suggest using the 'rule of 3' here - divide the ANSI throw rating by 3 to get a more useable figure. So a wider hotspot would probably be better for locating and identifying at a distance as well. To handle the power requirements will take a multiple 18650 power source as well.

Until the OP further clarifies the requirements, we really can't get down to some useful suggestions.

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Based on what you suggest, it sounds like the ideal light for the OP would be a Noctigon Meteor M43 with 12x Nichia 219B

Or for a substantial jump in output, wait till August or September and replace the 219B with much more powerful 219C. They should be available by then.

Timothybil said:

So far we haven't heard back from the OP as to what he is looking for in a light. I see animal rescue and 2k lumens as the only facts so far.

To me, animal rescue says that a local floody light with a good tint, with the ability to throw maybe 100 meters well, is going to be more useful than a real thrower. I see use in crawl spaces, thickets, brush and trees, alleyways, empty buildings, underneath vehicles; all places that would need a floody light and several well-spaced modes to keep from overpowering the eyes. A neutral tint would be good, high CRI would be even better but would probably require a multi-emitter setup for sufficient output. I think 100 meters of useable throw should be more than adequate, and will suggest using the 'rule of 3' here - divide the ANSI throw rating by 3 to get a more useable figure. So a wider hotspot would probably be better for locating and identifying at a distance as well. To handle the power requirements will take a multiple 18650 power source as well.

Until the OP further clarifies the requirements, we really can't get down to some useful suggestions.

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Absolutely spot on! every sentence is exactly right: location of use, higher CRI is useful [often overlooked in SAR], spaced out modes. Really, your description is as if I had sat down and thought about it. I have nothing to add to your description.

In fact, only people who actually do SAR realise how useful higher CRI is, I guess you are either into the flashlight trade selling flashlights to SAR, or actually do SAR yourself?

[for any one wondering: SAR = Search And Rescue. In my case its for Animals]

Actually, I'm just an old retired fat guy, sitting around the house killing time by making myself obnoxious on forums like this. :thumbsup: But I was raised on a farm, and am familiar with trying to find things in the dark, hidden in bushes and weeds, and other nooks and crannies. I spent most of my working life as an IT wonk, working inside PC cases, under raised floors, over suspended ceilings, etc. You get the idea. If you've ever done your own plumbing in a crawl space or crawled around an unlit attic trying to find the top of the right wall to string some wire, you've got an idea of the kind of light one needs in confined spaces. Coleman used to make a really nice 6v lantern that had the typical incan head on the end, and a 6" fluorescent tube down the side that was great for that kind of stuff. And as far as long range, if they aren't disabled or almost dead, if they are more then 10-20 meters away you won't catch them anyway.

Since I seem to have made the description, let me give my recommendations. In the middle, a Nitecore EA41 in neutral white would work very well @ $70. It is not a high CRI but does do a reasonable job. If you want something a little smaller, with less throw (but still enough, IMO), look at the Lumens Factory Seraph 6 in 92+ CRI. Right now it is on sale for $40. For something bigger, the Nitecore TM06 will give a nice flood of light right in front of you, while still being able to see what that was at the other end of the football field. That would be at the high end as far as price goes, at $160 to $200. For really close 'at the end of your nose' type work the Terralux Nightstar 80 at 60 lumens and around 80+ CRI is not a bad buy @ $20. (If you like it in white, you can get two for $25 at Battery Junction).

Good luck on your quest. Let us know what you pick and how it turns out.

I share my life with three rescue cats. Sometimes light freezes them in place, other times they bolt once spotted.

For a neutral tint light with good throw on high and a low almost moonlight mode on low, the Nitecore P36 with the Mt-G2 emitter works good.

Both Nitecore and Fenix make lights that are look a likes, P36 and TK36UE. The Fenix doesn't go as low on light as the Nitecore. Both lights are fed by two 18650 or four Cr123 batteries.

What about the Acebeam T25? 3050lm with 680m throw.
Powered by 2 26650 batteries.

My EagleTac MX25L3C with the 6 Nichia's performs well for flood and throw.

• 6 x Nichia 219 D220 LED (CRI 92) (4500K)
  • Center lux: 25,000 lux
  • Center spot angle: 7.2°
  • Spill light angle: 63.9°
  • Beam distance: 347 yards / 317 meters
  • LED lumen: 2550
  • ANSI FL-14​ lumen: 1810

OP, perhaps consider a JetBeam WL-S4? I just got mine yesterday. Runs on 2 x 18650s. One Cree MTG2 emitter in a 63 mm head. Forward clicky tailcap button w/ side switch near the head for mode selection: 2600/1050/360/100/5 lumens. Nice tint, throws 380 meters, 36,000 cd. Just my 2 cents' worth...