When somebody tells you they have a flashlight but pulls out a cash register special

I have had it happen multiple times during different activities and usually after they try unsuccessfully to get it to turned on or turned on and stay on, I pull out my edc and do whatever it was we needed a light for. Usually I will take the opportunity and explain why it's worth buying a good light, typically it does no good but I try nonetheless.

The other night though I didn't give the person a chance. We were at my brother-in-law's high school soccer game and the breaker for the field lights tripped shutting off all the lights on the field and in the bleachers. I had my Solarforce L2 with a XHP50 with me and I was able to use it to light up the field and benches for the teams to get their stuff. Afterwards we were fixing to leave and we noticed the athletic director for his team was walking the field to make sure everything was picked up. Somebody asked her if she could see and she replied she had a light (yet wasn't using it and it was pretty well pitch black) so I thought I would help and use the L2 again. When I turned it on, the whole field was lit up and I heard her say "well that helps" lol.

Anyway I was just wondering what your guys responses are to those who say they have a flashlight and either pulls out their cell phone or the classic cash register special (the 3 AAA 9 led .99 cent lights). Also what's your response for those times when you are in a group of people and somebody asks if anybody has a flashlight or when you pull out a light and somebody says "that's a nice maglite."

I've only had a couple instances, but after showing them my light they get all impressed and want more information. But I'm sure 95% of the time those people forget about it 2 minutes later and never look back. To them, they're probably more interested in their own hobby, the weather, or what they're going to have for lunch tomorrow Pretty much anything but the flashlight. Odds are they just don't care like we do.

Yeah, most people are quite impressed, but then go into shock and say things like "$25 for a FLASHLIGHT?!?!?!", that's INSANE!


Some do get interested enough/appreciate the difference in performance enough, to follow up and GET a better light, but, they are the few, not the many.

TEEJ said:

Yeah, most people are quite impressed, but then go into shock and say things like "$25 for a FLASHLIGHT?!?!?!", that's INSANE!


Some do get interested enough/appreciate the difference in performance enough, to follow up and GET a better light, but, they are the few, not the many.

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That's the response I end up getting most of the time too lol. Although my best friend did finally call me the other night and said he needed a light like my little one (D25A2) and one like my big one (SX25L2T). I asked him what his uses were and and for the little light it was general purpose, I told him the D25A2 hands down, for the big light it's long range being for checking the river bottom where he lives. Thanks to all the info I have learned from reading your posts I was able to do the math and determine he needed a light that was at least 300k cd in order to have enough lux at the distances he wanted. Ended up deciding on a uf-1504 built by Richard at mountain electronics with an xpl hi at about 1300 lumens. Haven't gotten it ordered yet but it should be just what he is looking for. Surprisingly he was ok with the prices and thought they were reasonable!

Tac Gunner said:

Anyway I was just wondering what your guys responses are to those who say they have a flashlight and either pulls out their cell phone or the classic cash register special (the 3 AAA 9 led .99 cent lights). Also what's your response for those times when you are in a group of people and somebody asks if anybody has a flashlight.

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[Mick Dundee]Oy! That's not a loight! (pulls out LD50vn Fiat Lux or Oveready triple, *click*)
Now this is a loight! [/Mick Dundee]

Non-flashaholic response: :ironic:
Potential flashaholic response: oo:

That's why I like the little $3 zoomable ones. Cheap enough to give away, reasonably sturdy and bright, and worlds better than what a lot of people are making do with.

more_vampires said:

[Mick Dundee]Oy! That's not a loight! (pulls out LD50vn Fiat Lux or Oveready triple, *click*)
Now this is a loight! [/Mick Dundee]

Non-flashaholic response: :ironic:
Potential flashaholic response: oo:

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I like the Dundee reference!

Tac Gunner said:

I like the Dundee reference!

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There is a special place in my heart for watching folks struggling with less than 10 lumens and I hit it with something brighter than a 12v vehicle headlight.

To light it up like Chinese New Year makes me happy.

Tac Gunner said:

...
Anyway I was just wondering what your guys responses are to those who say they have a flashlight and either pulls out their cell phone or the classic cash register special (the 3 AAA 9 led .99 cent lights). ...

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It is gratifying to see a person equipped with even a simple flashlight. Most people don't see the value in carrying a flashlight. Same thing with carrying a pen or pocket knife.

When I draw a real light from my holster, people think I have a "police light" or a "military light" or something over the legal lumen maximum.

When they ask how much I paid for it, and I quote a price, they look at me like I am some kind of untreated, hopeless, late-stage terminal flashoholic.

Normies don't buy real flashlights, because they are spending too much of their money on unimportant stuff.

I'm a relative newbie to the high power LED scene. My first higher powered light was an LED Lenser Power chip. I liked it and it got me hooked. I still have some of those cheap lights around, but never use them since I usually have something better. Nowadays I EDC an 18650 light. I have a few that I rotate through but I like the size and the brightness that I get from them. I also usually have a little Thorfire 1xAA light that I use for up close work (I'm an aircraft mechanic) when I don't need to go flash blind from a reflection inside of a wing. I carried a Maglight X50 for a long time but got really tired of having to replace batteries.

I just realized that I wandered way off of where I was trying to go... One of those cheap lights is still better than not having a light at all when you need one

The only cheap light that I own is a car parts store shower head laser light. I keep it around for my nephew who is always picking up stuff and playing with it, oh and the cats. The light is probably in the 50 lumen range, but the laser is decent for the cats.

My EDC, either a Surefire 6P with dropin, or a Nitecore P20 is always with me. And No, people don't understand spending more that $20 or so on a light, so it's best off not telling them how much your light costs.

The light is better than nothing. Otherwise one of the TM06 or TK75, or LD75C lights gets used in the rare power failure.

richbuff said:

When I draw a real light from my holster, people think I have a "police light" or a "military light" or something over the legal lumen maximum.

Normies don't buy real flashlights, because they are spending too much of their money on unimportant stuff.

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I have heard the police or military line a couple of times too. My favorite though is when somebody says I have a police flashlight with a built in tazer and the only reason they say it's a police light is because it has "police" wrote all over it. I just laugh and say it's neat.

We think they spend money on unimportant stuff and not lights yet they think we spend too much on lights and not one other things. Guys give me a hard time because I would rather have a flip phone than a smart phone and they tell me all the time if I didn't buy so many lights I could afford a smart phone, I tell them that's the problem though, I would have to stop buying lights lol.

Unforgiven691 said:

..I also usually have a little Thorfire 1xAA light that I use for up close work (I'm an aircraft mechanic) when I don't need to go flash blind from a reflection inside of a wing. I carried a Maglight X50 for a long time but got really tired of having to replace batteries.

I just realized that I wandered way off of where I was trying to go... One of those cheap lights is still better than not having a light at all when you need one

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Welcome to the forums! What a coincidence, I'm in A&P school now and I carried a maglite XL50 for a couple years until I got tired of having to replace the batteries on a weekly basis. Since you said you are somewhat new to this world of lights and you mentioned 18650 and one of the many ****fire names in the same post, just double checking you aren't using ****fire 18650s. Would hate to see you experience a thermal run-a-way of a cheap battery while using the light.

I agree it's better that nothing and that for most people to even have a light is a plus but at the same time I can't help but wonder if they didn't see the section of lights at walmart, most of those are pretty decent budget options now-a-days.

How many of you have had somebody call every light you own a maglite just because it's a flashlight and that's what most people are used too? I have had it happen numerous times and I politely correct them lol.

Nice to see another A&P in here, and to ease the concern, the ****fire light just has a primary in it. My 18650s are all higher quality cells thank you for the concern though. I've been lurking for a long time and read all of the horror stories before buying. Currently have 2 Nitecores (P12, and P25) and a Klarus (XT12). Also have a Maratac 2xAA extreme in my desk drawer.

As an IT guy, I get that all the time, walk over to a printer and see a bunch of people crowded around with cell phone cams and BAM flip the Fenix blinding anyone in sight, I just burn the paper jam away

Cool story TAC, love the lighting the field up..............:laughing:

Even if others had lights, no way would any one shame themselves ...........totally inadequate feeling all around :laughing:

Unforgiven691 said:

Nice to see another A&P in here, and to ease the concern, the ****fire light just has a primary in it. My 18650s are all higher quality cells thank you for the concern though. I've been lurking for a long time and read all of the horror stories before buying. Currently have 2 Nitecores (P12, and P25) and a Klarus (XT12). Also have a Maratac 2xAA extreme in my desk drawer.

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There are a few of us around here. Sounds like you are good to go on the lights and batteries. I always think of charging my lithium batteries as we are taught in school to handle Ni-Cads.

ven said:

Cool story TAC, love the lighting the field up..............:laughing:

Even if others had lights, no way would any one shame themselves ...........totally inadequate feeling all around :laughing:

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Thanks and yea I think it would have been hard for someone to be able to out do my output to size ratio that night lol. When I first turned it on I shined it at the bleachers so people could get their phones out or whatever they may have tried using for a light and everyone just kinda went quite and looked at me lol

If I'm at a field, or work, or wherever and there's a need for a flashlight and somebody pulls out a dime store flash light or a good one, or somewhere in between I'm impressed that they even had one.

If need be I pull out one and lend a hand.

If they ask about mine I'll tell 'em about it. If not, the wheels on the bus still go round and round.

I think I've been a bit of a closet flashoholic my entire life. So my friends know I have a light with me.

So one day my friend calls me over and show me his new light he got. 5 gazillion lumens and made of aluminium. So I have a look, politely. Shine it across the yard, with its reverse clicky, and I show him that the lumen rating may be a tad optimistic, as it looks about the same as my 200 lumen light.

So he asks what mine costs. Cringes at the answer, and looks at his china special appreciatevely again.

If they aren't hobbyists, they won't understand.

I've tried to educate them. To them the advantages of a proper light simply doesn't compute. If it has a button and makes light, they're happy.

They scoff at my saying of "real men carry flashlights". Except when they need one.

People usually look to me for light. I use my always-available Fenix E15, or whatever else I might have with me. Never give them a chance to pull out the LOL lights.