Pocket vehicle inspection lamp

CaptCarrot · Oct 9, 2015

Hi.

Been a while, but I'm back with question.

I'm in the market for a new light, but I am a little clueless as to exactly what I need.

I will be using it when doing early winter morning walk round checks on my bus. The yard is lit by a few flood lamps, but they end up casting more shadows from the other vehicles than illuminating the one I am checking.

I am thinking that a high CRI would be beneficial as I will be looking for defects in the paintwork and tyres. If it makes any difference, the paint is a custard yellow sort of colour, maybe a little lighter.

It needs to illuminate a wide area at close proximity (No more than 3m away, but most inspections are carried out within 1m)

I have no idea on temperature, although neutral "sounds" good, but I want a flat beam with as little hotspot as possible.

I have no idea on lumens - I know there are those who say you can never have enough, but based on my above requirements, can you recommend a lumen level?

It has to be pocket-able, and preferably clip on to things. I'm not fussed on battery chemistry.

So far my eye is drawn to the Zebra Light H502 or the H600F. I like the 90o angle on the torch, and the 120o flood is even better, but at what cost to range.

So, if it was the ZL, would you go for the H502 or the H600F? And "c" or "d"

If neither, what you recommend as an alternative?

mckeand13 · Oct 10, 2015

Because it's on sale, I'll suggest the Eagletac D25C Ti 219. It's a great light, and at this fantastic price you can't go wrong.

The 219 emitter gives you good color rendering, it's a bit flood, very small.

http://www.illumn.com/eagletac-d25c-clicky-nichia-219-titanium-2014.html

chriscorv58 · Oct 10, 2015

I'm an automotive wholesaler looking at multiple cars each day, I find my olight s1 baton perfect for the job. 500 lumens hardly any hot spot I can shine down in an engine bay and it illuminates everything with ease.

KeepingItLight · Oct 10, 2015

Sounds like you need a mule! This video was shot by CPF member Stefano. It shows the Zebralight H602w in action, with a comparison to the non-mule Zebralight H600w. Pocket clips are available, but are sold separately.

WigglyTheGreat · Oct 10, 2015

I have both the H602w and the H600w. The H602w is useful for up close work so it will definitely work well for your purpose CaptCarrot. The only thing that limits the H602w's usefulness is its limited throw, but if you are OK with that then it is a great light within its working range. I would also consider the Floody frosted lens version as that would do the job fine too, but with the benefit of having a more useful overall beam particularly when outside. Also you can use the diffuser film or tape over a H600w to effectively make the beam like the frosted lens versions. You can decide which beam style you would likely get more use out of and make a decision from there. Or like me order one of them and a week later order the other lol.

LAtraffic · Oct 10, 2015

mckeand13 said:
Because it's on sale, I'll suggest the Eagletac D25C Ti 219. It's a great light, and at this fantastic price you can't go wrong.

The 219 emitter gives you good color rendering, it's a bit flood, very small.

http://www.illumn.com/eagletac-d25c-clicky-nichia-219-titanium-2014.html

Great light at a great price there. Small, premium quality light, great tint beam, and its TITANIUM!!!!! Thats always a plus for me .

Str8stroke · Oct 10, 2015

I concur on the D25C or D25A in the 219 version. Super easy to carry!!

If you like the angle lights, check out the ArmyTek Tiara Pro warm. NICE light that is built like a freaking tank! I prefer it over the Zebra light. That is just a personal observation, nothing wrong with the Zebra too. I guess, I like the feel of the ArmyTek.

bykfixer · Oct 10, 2015

Not being familiar with either light you are interested in Capt, I went to the ole search engine and found that both have what were called "cool" beams...
Now if you seek something that shows whether a recent paint job matches color for color, that may work fine. It'll definitely show dings and tire blemishes etc...especially like you say, from 1 meter.
The right angle head is an acquired taste for most. But if that's the configuration you prefer, go for it. Kinda like a Korean War era looking light.
It seems cave explorers swear by either of them. Apparently there's a head lamp kit as well.

Seems like the 502 would be the way to go for what you seek.
1 aa battery that likes eneloops. That way in winter, the non alkaline battery will function in cold temps.

I like what wiggly said...buy both.

CaptCarrot · Oct 10, 2015

mckeand13 said:
Because it's on sale, I'll suggest the Eagletac D25C Ti 219. It's a great light, and at this fantastic price you can't go wrong.

The 219 emitter gives you good color rendering, it's a bit flood, very small.

http://www.illumn.com/eagletac-d25c-clicky-nichia-219-titanium-2014.html

LAtraffic said:
Great light at a great price there. Small, premium quality light, great tint beam, and its TITANIUM!!!!! Thats always a plus for me .

Str8stroke said:
I concur on the D25C or D25A in the 219 version. Super easy to carry!!

If you like the angle lights, check out the ArmyTek Tiara Pro warm. NICE light that is built like a freaking tank! I prefer it over the Zebra light. That is just a personal observation, nothing wrong with the Zebra too. I guess, I like the feel of the ArmyTek.

Hmm, Interesting. Pity I'm in the UK so the sale price may not be that helpful

Also, it's a standard shape - yes that's my fault. I forgot to mention I was specifically looking at angle lamps (because I need it to be hands free by either head band or pocket/belt clip).

@Str8stroke - Thanks for the heads up re the ArmyTek, now I'm even more confused. Will need to do some more research (already found this thread on the AT Wizard

chriscorv58 said:
I'm an automotive wholesaler looking at multiple cars each day, I find my olight s1 baton perfect for the job. 500 lumens hardly any hot spot I can shine down in an engine bay and it illuminates everything with ease.

A baton is a bit large, this needs to be a single cell or 2 cell max.

KeepingItLight said:
Sounds like you need a mule! This video was shot by CPF member Stefano. It shows the Zebralight H602w in action, with a comparison to the non-mule Zebralight H600w. Pocket clips are available, but are sold separately.

KeepingItLight said:
youtube;x79l9Ls7-lw

WigglyTheGreat said:
I have both the H602w and the H600w. The H602w is useful for up close work so it will definitely work well for your purpose CaptCarrot. The only thing that limits the H602w's usefulness is its limited throw, but if you are OK with that then it is a great light within its working range. I would also consider the Floody frosted lens version as that would do the job fine too, but with the benefit of having a more useful overall beam particularly when outside. Also you can use the diffuser film or tape over a H600w to effectively make the beam like the frosted lens versions. You can decide which beam style you would likely get more use out of and make a decision from there. Or like me order one of them and a week later order the other lol.

BLOODY HELL! - That H602w definitely has the type of beam pattern I want - the H600w has too much hotspot and too narrow a beam. But I wonder what it's CRI is like? *runs off to check specifications*

bykfixer said:
Not being familiar with either light you are interested in Capt, I went to the ole search engine and found that both have what were called "cool" beams...
Now if you seek something that shows whether a recent paint job matches color for color, that may work fine. It'll definitely show dings and tire blemishes etc...especially like you say, from 1 meter.
The right angle head is an acquired taste for most. But if that's the configuration you prefer, go for it. Kinda like a Korean War era looking light.
It seems cave explorers swear by either of them. Apparently there's a head lamp kit as well.

Seems like the 502 would be the way to go for what you seek.
1 aa battery that likes eneloops. That way in winter, the non alkaline battery will function in cold temps.

I like what wiggly said...buy both.

I am looking at the angle lamps for their hands free capabilities. I'm not "overly" fussed about the "temperature".

I'm not matching paint jobs, but I am looking for defects like scratches and dents - and cuts in tyre sidewalls.

I definitely don't need it to throw.

Between the 2 I listed, the H502c/d has a better flood (120o) and takes an easier to source battery (AA) and is cheaper, whereas the H600Fc/d has a significantly brighter output (870 or 800 vs 190) and longer run times (2 hours on max vs 0.9 hours on max) on the 18650. Thats double the run time for 4 times the output. - BUT DO I NEED THAT MUCH OUTPUT ???

As yet I don't own any 18650 (and therefore no chargers), so that's another plus for the H502, as are the cold weather issues you mention.

Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy both. So a lot more research beckons.

davidt1 · Oct 10, 2015

I have H502w and H52w. There is a lot of wasted lumens in the large and diffused 120 degree beam. For up-close detailed work, I have to run my H502w on high to be able to see. On high run time is something like 40 minutes. If you like 120 degree beam, go with the H602/H600F for more brightness and run time.

bykfixer · Oct 11, 2015

For close up work, the more the merrier is not always a good thing.
More can become too much very quickly.

That's why my favorite daily's have lo/hi features.
I use low (15-30 lumens) 99% of the time.

And when I use my 220 lumen Coast HP1 I focus on full flood to spread out all that brightness.

Sp@rky · Oct 11, 2015

The 502c runs out of usefulness pretty quick if you aren't in a properly dark situation. A tiny bit of ambient light kills it. And it gets ridiculously hot after about 15 minutes on high. Like ROP hot. I didn't lock out the tail cap when I first got it and it came on in my pocket. Left a mark on the plastic on my car key.
Unless you really need something to put on your head I would get a light with a bigger heatsink.
It's a shame because the tint on it is superb.

CaptCarrot · Oct 11, 2015

bykfixer said:
For close up work, the more the merrier is not always a good thing.
More can become too much very quickly.

That's why my favorite daily's have lo/hi features.
I use low (15-30 lumens) 99% of the time.

And when I use my 220 lumen Coast HP1 I focus on full flood to spread out all that brightness.

davidt1 said:
I have H502w and H52w. There is a lot of wasted lumens in the large and diffused 120 degree beam. For up-close detailed work, I have to run my H502w on high to be able to see. On high run time is something like 40 minutes. If you like 120 degree beam, go with the H602/H600F for more brightness and run time.

Sp@rky said:
The 502c runs out of usefulness pretty quick if you aren't in a properly dark situation. A tiny bit of ambient light kills it. And it gets ridiculously hot after about 15 minutes on high. Like ROP hot. I didn't lock out the tail cap when I first got it and it came on in my pocket. Left a mark on the plastic on my car key.
Unless you really need something to put on your head I would get a light with a bigger heatsink.
It's a shame because the tint on it is superb.

All noted, thanks.

CaptCarrot · Oct 13, 2015

mckeand13 said:
Because it's on sale, I'll suggest the Eagletac D25C Ti 219. It's a great light, and at this fantastic price you can't go wrong.

The 219 emitter gives you good color rendering, it's a bit flood, very small.

http://www.illumn.com/eagletac-d25c-clicky-nichia-219-titanium-2014.html

Hmmm, I might be warming to this actually.

Can anyone link me to any beam shots with the Nichia 219?

I'm finding everything but right now.

chriscorv58 · Oct 13, 2015

CaptCarrot said:
Hmm, Interesting. Pity I'm in the UK so the sale price may not be that helpful

Also, it's a standard shape - yes that's my fault. I forgot to mention I was specifically looking at angle lamps (because I need it to be hands free by either head band or pocket/belt clip).

@Str8stroke - Thanks for the heads up re the ArmyTek, now I'm even more confused. Will need to do some more research (already found this thread on the AT Wizard

A baton is a bit large, this needs to be a single cell or 2 cell max.

BLOODY HELL! - That H602w definitely has the type of beam pattern I want - the H600w has too much hotspot and too narrow a beam. But I wonder what it's CRI is like? *runs off to check specifications*

I am looking at the angle lamps for their hands free capabilities. I'm not "overly" fussed about the "temperature".

I'm not matching paint jobs, but I am looking for defects like scratches and dents - and cuts in tyre sidewalls.

I definitely don't need it to throw.

Between the 2 I listed, the H502c/d has a better flood (120o) and takes an easier to source battery (AA) and is cheaper, whereas the H600Fc/d has a significantly brighter output (870 or 800 vs 190) and longer run times (2 hours on max vs 0.9 hours on max) on the 18650. Thats double the run time for 4 times the output. - BUT DO I NEED THAT MUCH OUTPUT ???

As yet I don't own any 18650 (and therefore no chargers), so that's another plus for the H502, as are the cold weather issues you mention.

Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy both. So a lot more research beckons.

Are we talking about the same light?

CaptCarrot · Oct 14, 2015

chriscorv58 said:
[snip]

Are we talking about the same light?

Pass, depends which part of that multi-quote you are referring to.

However, I would be interested to know what that light is, what LED is in there and what it's output is like.

WigglyTheGreat · Oct 15, 2015

CaptCarrot, you are doing the right thing by taking your time and weighing your options before making a purchase. Having the headlamp options is really what takes a nice flashlight to another level in terms of usefulness and these 90 degree lights work great for that. Initially I considered the Zebralight H502w instead of the H602w, but I mainly wanted more runtime. I typically don't use the highest modes 1020 or 620 lumen modes and stick to 330 lumen and below, but I really appreciate the longer runtimes that you get with the 18650 model. I believe the CRI on the H602w is ~75 . It helped my decision that I already had some good chargers and good 3,400 mah 18650 batteries already so there was no extra cost there.

Now that I've used my Zebralights for a couple months I know that I made the right decision for me by getting the 18650 models. I use one or the other Zebralight every single day at work and outside of work. I searched high and low before getting them and bought many different flashlights in my search for a perfect every day use light for me. The only thing I see out now that gets my attention is the Zebralight H600Fc III which caught my attention because of the ~85 CRI and at 4000k. It is something that is on my wish list, it's not something I need. Good luck in your search.

tom- · Oct 15, 2015

Surefire L2, been using one for about 10 years for hvac service-you won't regret getting one-have you considered a head lamp?

CaptCarrot · Oct 15, 2015

tom- said:
Surefire L2, been using one for about 10 years for hvac service-you won't regret getting one-have you considered a head lamp?

Yes, that's why I want an 90o angle lamp. Because of it's versatility of being head mounted, pocket mounted, belt mounted, hand held and possibly even tail standing depending on the features.

Looking around I've been seduced by beamshots of the 219's - but getting a 219 mule seems to be really difficult. OK, Oveready does them for the Eiger (and that is tempting) - but I can't find a single 219 right angled light.

Short_Circuit · Oct 17, 2015

CaptCarrot said:
Pass, depends which part of that multi-quote you are referring to.

However, I would be interested to know what that light is, what LED is in there and what it's output is like.

He was referring to this statement of yours:

A baton is a bit large, this needs to be a single cell or 2 cell max.

The lamp pictured is the S1 Baton by Olight. There are several reviews and beam shots of that particular torch on you tube. It's apparently a great little light. Why they chose the name "Baton" for such a small line of lights I have no clue.

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