Best Light for close up work.

LOTL

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Mar 18, 2004
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I'm looking for a light mainly to be used for close up work in electrical panels and for machine service.
I was considering one of the LED lights for longer battery life, and also to just try an LED light.
I think i have narrowed it down to either the Pelican M6 LED, Streamlight TL-2 LED, or the LedXtreme Predator.
Have read all the reviews here and at flashlightreviews.com, and the ledmuseam.
I think the Pelican light is the best deal with the included holster at $59.95.
I was just looking at this thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=482383&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
and im starting to think that a 1W Luxeon light may be to bright for close up work.
If that is the case would anyone like to make a recommendation for what lights might work best for close up work.
Thanks
 

SilverFox

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Hello LOTL,

Welcome to CPF.

I regularly use the ARC LSH-P for inspection work. The BB400 is also quite good in that service.

I would suggest that you look at Doug's (Quickbeam) chart and check out lights with similar throw and output.

Tom
 

daloosh

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Welcome to CPF LOTL!

Your supposition is correct, I don't have a PM6 LED, but got to play with inluxication's last weekend, and it's amazing. Inexpensive, pretty tough, very bright and great throw. Not as great as a incan PM6, but darn close. Sounds like overkill for your purposes, as well as blinding and not efficient with the lithium batteries.

I know you'll get numerous suggestions here, so let me jump in with mine.

The Streamlight TT2L is the poor man's hybrid (those of us that can't afford an A2, which is in a class by itself). It offers a fair incan for when you need it and three LEDs for utility work. You'll find many people, myself included, keep it in the car. ($30)

Inova X5T is a great all around light, perfect for trails, camping, and general use. It has a nice flood, not searing bright and will suck lithiums dry, so you'll get good runtime from your batteries.

The Eternalights are interesting, as they range in price and features, but with small size, multiple levels, easy to use, and stands on end, they have many general purpose functions.

Finally, if cost is a concern, an Opalec or Inretech drop in for an old MiniMag 2AA you might have lying around gets you good runtime, nice light and 2AA use in an LED format instead of the old tired Mag incan. It's also easy to pocket or put on your belt.

Now, once you start down this path, you can always buy an Arc4+ later for the 16 levels, and a VIP for three, or a Surefire L1 with 2 levels, and that PM6 LED from batterystation for $45...

Good luck and welcome again LOTL,
daloosh
 

Doug Owen

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I'd suggest you consider the UK 4AA eLED.

Up front, it's an insulator, not a big piece of aluminum you're gonna be shoving into the box of snakes from time to time....

It's PLENTY bright for what you need, tough as nails, long run time (ten regulated hours plus) on AA cells, works with NiMH, waterproof, half the price......

New design, very neat Luxeon SE at about 'half blast', Brightguy has them at prices too good to pass slowly.

Doug Owen
 

LOTL

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Thanks for the replys folks. Yeah Doug i was thinking the same thing, and i was considering Streamlight's ProPolymer 4-AA LED. Is the UK 4AA LED similar?
 

Greymage

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The Streamlight is brighter and is more of a flood, the UK has more throw. But the Streamlight is not regulated and fades quickly, the UK will last longer at initial brightness.
 

juancho

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Hi LOTL, I have both lights above, they are very similiar but the Pro-Polymer have more flood, (which is better for close work)
Now, why you don't consider a head light also, it will let you use two hands, I like the Tikka by Peltz and the Priceton Tec "Aurora" which have 3 levels of illumination and is also adjustable for angle. Those lights are very light and run forever in 3 AAA batteries.
My car broke a fan belt the other night, I was pocking into the fan with my fingers trying to grab pieces of the belt wrapped around the fan, while holding a Pelican M-6 incandescent, very frustrating. I bought for the next eventuality like that, a headlamp from Cabela's that work at two levels, 4 and 8 LED's, I loaded lithiums AA (4) by Energizer, and now that lamp resides in my trunk. big floodlight, ideal for changing flat tires and poking fingers in radiators fans.

Hope it helps.

take care.

Juan C.
 

UnknownVT

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[ QUOTE ]
LOTL said:
im starting to think that a 1W Luxeon light may be to bright for close up work.

[/ QUOTE ]

The first thing most people look for is the brightest light - as in more is better.

Well, it really depends on your environment and your eyes.

For close up work where the flashlight is going to be only inches away - a 1 watt may well be - as you are beginning to suspect - a bit bright.

But then again it depends on your work enviroment - if the basic environment is very bright - like right by a window during the summer or outdoors - then to light up the shadow areas in circuits/wiring might well need a very bright light - since your eyes will have already adapted to the bright environmental conditions.

However under normal room/office lighting - all that's probably necessary often is a regular single LED like the power of say a white Photon to see details - other lights that spring to mind are the ArcAAA, Ultra-G, Photon or Inova Microlight white - or even better if you can find them - the Dorcy 1LED 1AAA for under $6 (1/10th the price) from Wal-Mart.........

Probably the best thing to do is to try the flashlights and see for yourself.... if you don't have access to the models suggested - then you could try say a regular 2AA incandecent - like the Mini MagLite 2AA (they're very common - borrow one) - if that seems bright enough - then the regular lower powered LEDs I suggested above will do the job - if you need to resort to a 2 or 3 D celled Kyrpton (like the 2 or 3 D celled MagLites) then you probably need the 1 watt Luxeons.....
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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Get Milkyspit to make you a Milkbone! 2AA Plastic light made on a Rayovac 2AA with a 1W LED. Mine has a very plesant tint to it, and isn't over bright up close! About 35 bucks.

A good light cheap (relatively) is the SL Pro Poly 4AA 7LED. About 25 bucks.
 

popsgee

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I do a similar job, repairing machines. I first had a Princton tec altitude ( 3 LED )but sometimes it wasn't quite bright enough. I now use the UK 4AA eLED, a bit brighter. My main requirements are, non conductive, won't go out if it drops and long battery life. They are also both $20 or less.
 

Owen

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Consider a headlamp like the Streamlight Septor, or a Petzl Tikka or Tikka Plus for less bulk.
Great for closeup work, and you can keep both hands free, which would be a big consideration for the kind of work you're describing.
A headstrap for using with a "normal" light could give you even more versatility.
 

HarryN

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One of the things about LED based lights that is often overlooked is how they work with wire color codes. If you are working in an application with a lot of wire colors (like a phone repair box), you might want to carefully test your ability to identify the wire colors with the light type you are using.

Lumileds makes a special "warm white" Luxeon with a 90 CRI rating. It is less "efficient" (in Lumens / watt), but has spectrum which is close to an incan. Normal white LEDs have some holes in their spectral output - makes them brighter at the expense of color rendering.

I am a big LED fan, but if you need really good color rendering, HID is actually better. (for now).

There is a thread somewhere on the forum where someone used different lights to show up a large box of crayons to compare color ID - pretty interesting.
 

gadget_lover

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I find a nice bright light with some throw may be required to illuminate crevices, look down ducts, etc. A nice dim (but white) light is all that's needed for up close work like examining the end of a connector, looking in a PC or finding the part I just dropped (again!). It's amazing how useful less than 1/4 watt can be in a luxeon.

Many of the newer lights have two or more brightness levels. Mods are being created to allow lights like the Surefire L4, ARC LSH, Firefly and some mini-mag based lights to have 2 or more brightness levels as well as longer battery life. Sometimes the best solution is two seperate lights; one bright and one dim.

For your uses, a tailcap switch will probably be very important, as you won't have two hands available sometimes.

Daniel
 

Stanley

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Agreed with most of the above... but also, how about an Opalec drop in module for a MiniMag? Nice even flood for closeup and regulated for approx 10 hrs or so, plus running on 2AAs won't burn a hole in your pocket! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

jbrett14

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I would agree with Owen & Juan's suggestion. I too do electrical work in panels & have finally discovered that the only way to go is a headlight. Unless you are only inspecting, then I would recommend the SL Poly 4AA 7LED. But I use either the PT Aurora or the Petzl Tikka. For years I used handhelds, and just learned to make do, often trying to position the flashlight on something to get it aimed exactly where I wanted it. After buying my first headlight last year, I will never go back to handhelds for this type of work. These little headlights are so comfortable that you don't even notice them. Best of all you don't waste any time trying to position your flashlight or working with one hand. Wherever you look, bam, you have light.
 

LightScene

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The Propoly is kind of heavy and bulky. A small Luxeon with a suitable headband, like a NitIze, would have you covered for both inspections and work.

Going with your original plan, the Pelican M6 should be great for inspections, and a headlamp would be great while working.
 

Kercheval

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Actually any of the lights with a McFlood installed are great.

Get one of Wayne's sandwiches (low mA) and a McFlood from waynes shop and throw this into a cheap (any color you want) Mag AA. When you have beat the stuffing out of the light (in a couple years) just get a new host.

A McLux with the same optic (like the TK units) would give the same light pattern.

This is the very best closeup light optic I have ever used. Very wide and even light for closeup work.

jbk
 
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