Challenge Week #1: Incandescent Only! (2021 edition)

Stress_Test

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Intro: Kicking off a new series of CPF Challenge Weeks for 2021! If you haven't seen one of these before, a little background:

Originally started by CPF member Carrot approximately 10 years ago, these challenges each have a different "theme" which restricts or limits your flashlight usage in some way for the duration of a week. Why do that? To get people to try new things and get creative in meeting the requirements of the challenge, and to have fun along the way! You might even gain a new appreciation for a type of lights you've mostly ignored in the past, or perhaps appreciate some of your other lights more!

The Challenge:

We'll start off with a warm-up challenge, in more ways than one: Incandescent flashlights ONLY! It can be any configuration, battery type, brand, etc. The requirement is that they all are using that hot-glowing filament to produce light!

Switching between different incan lights is fine; in fact, carrying a backup incan is a good idea to keep from failing the challenge, because if you're unlucky enough that your incan light blows its bulb and you have to pull an LED backup, then you FAIL! So be ready to back up your incan with another incan.

We'll make the official start day as this Sunday or Monday (10th/11th), depending on what you want to call your "week"; a full 7-days or just a "work week" M-F. Of course, you can do this whenever so don't feel like you missed it if you're late to the party!

And if you don't have any suitable lights for this (or other) challenge, don't worry! You don't have to run out and buy anything, because I've got several more challenge ideas in the works, and so do some of the other members here. We're going to cover a broad range, so everybody gets a chance!


And now, the "Rules", and some answers to FAQs. Read through these, and let me know if there's anything else. Good luck!

:candle:
===================================

1. Safety First! While attempting to meet the challenge:

a. Don't do anything that would endanger yourself.
b. Don't do anything to endanger others.
c. Don't put any property (yours, or others') at risk
d. Be nice to animals.
e. If you DO cause some disaster, be sure to get good video.
f. Don't get fired from your job. (job security is safety too!)


2. You can carry additional lights etc for emergency needs in support of rule #1.

a. For example, if your job requires some particular light use outside of what the "challenge light" can do, that's okay. However! Report any such usage by posting in the challenge thread, so your fellow flashaholics can judge you innocent or guilty :D


3. Rules for the FAIL

a. You fail for using any other light that falls outside the rules of the challenge. If you grab the "wrong" light but stop yourself before you actually activate it, you're still good. If you click it ON, however, you have FAILED!

b. Item (a) above applies 24/7 for the challenge week! No excuse for waking up in the middle of the night and activating the "wrong" light.
c. If you fail, you must post your failure to the Challenge thread. The first thing in the post should be the FAIL smiley :fail: to make sure the offenders' posts don't get lost among regular update posts! :D

d. A fail doesn't mean you are "out" or "disqualified" or anything. By all means, continue the week if you wish!


3. Post any relevant/interesting pictures if you're using something uncommon, oddball, etc.


4. No "playing" with flashlights that fall outside the rules of the challenge. Even if it's not "actual" use, ie, sitting watching TV and clicking the light on and off.

a. "Function Testing" of a newly arrived light is okay, because of the time-sensitive need of getting a replacement for a defective light within the window for returns.

b. No cheating by abusing the Function Test clause! :tsk: For example, if we're doing an old-school 5mm LED challenge, that doesn't mean that you can go out and buy a 10-mode-Mega-Lumen-Ultra-Light and then "Function Test" it during that week! We have the FBI on contract to monitor all participants by using drones and satellite imagery so don't try it!
:whoopin::twak:


5. Rewards for Successful Completion of the Challenge:

a. Bragging rights on CPF
b. Respect from your fellow CPF members (nah, probably not)
c. A depleted bank account if you go nuts buying stuff for the challenge


6. Misc other Stuff

* "Duration" of the challenge: The week can be the full seven days, or just the work-week Mon-to-Fri if you prefer. Don't get too hung up over missing a day or two and having to start, say, on Tuesday. Main idea is to get in a routine, at least for several consecutive days, of using the challenge light(s).
a. As Pirate Captain Barbossa would say, these are more "guidelines" than actual "rules", so don't take any of this too seriously :D
b. Have fun
c. Bust out of your flashlight comfort zone and learn stuff you might not have known! The spirit of the challenge is to create arbitrary restrictions that force you to be creative, adaptable, and flexible! Photographers do this frequently with similar challenges to use only one focal length lens, only 35mm film, only black-and-white, etc etc. Keeps things fresh, boosts creativity, forces you to look at things in new ways, and so on.
======================

Addendum to Original Rule Set:

A1. The "courtesy clause". There's an exemption allowed if you must violate challenge rules in order to maintain polite relations with friends, family, coworkers, etc. So, for instance, if someone offers you a light that is outside the boundaries of the challenge, you are allowed to accept the light for that situation, since it could be considered impolite to refuse.

---------------------------------
 
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nbp

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I'm in! I will have to start Monday since I might be visiting a buddy tomorrow to test some lights out so I don't want to Fail! before I start. For pocket duty I'll be using a Lumens Factory E series build running a 90 lms bulb on 16340. For max output if needed I will use my old skool ROP hotwire in a Mag 2D using a 6AA Eneloop caddy.

dPQp1BE.jpg
 

bykfixer

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Some lEgo to make my aviatEr incan.

7-A478-C60-6-E6-E-4-E4-F-8717-0-FBCE53-B26-DC.jpg

40 lumen Lumens Factory E1a from my cross hair E1 replaces a 100 lumen Tana SingLED that was in the aviatEr.
Above that is my favorite flashlight, ever. Bright Star made 2c generic with a Tung Sol PR-6

4523-F3-D7-1-F01-4-D77-AA64-0-F39-EC4-F118-F.jpg

The aviatEr reassembled
Incan E-head and scout tailcap. Oh and that's a Gala apple.
 
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bigburly912

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I feel like I'm cheating on this one because I use multiple Incan every week of my life. It would be easy to eliminate a few LED.
 

novice

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I'm in. Even though I've been around for awhile, I haven't done this kind of challenge week before. I have enough led lights that I don't use my Surefire incans very often. So, primary light will be a Surefire E2x with 2x16340, a Lumens Factory EO E2R bulb, and a Lightsaver miser tailcap/switch.

Backup will be a"lego" with a Surefire E2E-HA bezel with a Fivemega T1.5 bi-pin base adapter holding a TL-3 bulb, a Rothrandir "18mm split body" with 2x18350, and a lightsaver miser tailcap.

The lightsaver miser tailcaps almost makes it feel like cheating already.

I'm feeling a little insecure putting my Ra clicky aside for a week, so I've also got a C2 on a 16650 sitting on my desk with a no-name 3.7v D26 inside.
I do have to say I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like to be on incan for a week.

 
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LeanBurn

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I only have one incan....Mag 2D. :candle: It will have to do.

Edit:
Actually...I do have that 3D I found...just have to swap the LED drop in back to incan...now I have 2 to choose from.

I'll give it a whirl.
 
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Stress_Test

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Off to a good start it looks like; we've already got ROP Mags and SureFire lego lights in the lineup, and a few other unique odds-and-ends! :D

Man, I can't remember the last time I saw an ROP Mag mentioned on CPF!

I've got to get a P90 lamp out of the closet and try to remember which spring it was that made it work with the 2x18650 Solarforce rig. :thinking:
 

nbp

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Agreed! We can argue about tint shift and PWM till the cows come home but for me the real fun had always been talking about USING lights. How do they work, feel in the hand, how are the UI to navigate, are they fun to use, did they do their job?? That's the meat and potatoes of the hobby, and why I love these kinds of threads. It's about the love of the game and the stories that come with it. :)
 

Stress_Test

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Well said nbp! :) I'm hoping there might be some interesting stories when using some of these high-powered incans around other non-flashaholic people.

Most people are used to LED lighting now, so it'd be funny to blow someone's mind when they realize "holy cow that's an old incandescent light?!" :D
 

bykfixer

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Yesterday was National Law Enforcement Day so I plucked an old cop light off the shelf and fired it up. A 4D light built in the old Kel-Lite factory right after Streamlight bought them. It was made some time around 1983 or so. It still has the original bulb made by Phillips.

Up to that point I had not realized the clicky is a reverse one. In other words to signal with the light you click it on then you can use it for signaling. Kinda surprised me that I had never noticed that before.

I also fired up the once very popular Maglite 3D with a bi-pin xenon bulb. It's hard to imagine in 2021 how those were standard flashlights across the world now that a keychain sized light can put out about the same amount of light. I didn't use either beyond beaming across a room to dial in the hot spot because I did not go out doors after the sun went down. Yet it was nice to reminisce for a bit. Back when the Streamlight was made I was the kind of kid who at times ended up on the down stream end of the beam "halt in the name of the law"…… so on national law enforcement day I sent out an apology prayer for my part in any hyjinx that took place resulting in a foot chase by my city's men in blue. It was mostly harmless pranks by bored teenagers that never resulted in saying "please mr officer take me to jail, just don't tell my parents" lol
 

Olumin

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I'm in. Should be easy enough. I'm gonna set aside a 6P for around-the-house illumination and a Malkoff MDC with a E-series head and bulb from LF as my EDC. I have been EDCing the Malkoff as my only light for a while now anyway, so it's not really much of a challenge. The challenge will be mainly to not play around with other lights by accident.
 

Katherine Alicia

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Central UK.
I`m in (for this week at least), these will be my carry:

incan-week1.jpg


a 5D and a 2x protected 16340 running a 6v @1A regular bulb and a 7.2v @700ma Krypton respectively.
 

Stress_Test

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...... ....

I also fired up the once very popular Maglite 3D with a bi-pin xenon bulb. It's hard to imagine in 2021 how those were standard flashlights across the world now that a keychain sized light can put out about the same amount of light. ........

Ah yes, back around mid 90's maybe, my Dad bought two of those 3D Mags, both red. I took one with me off to my first year of college. Actually put it to good use one day when there was a total power outage in the large dorm I lived in on the 9th floor. Naturally, the stairways were dark! I used that Mag to get downstairs to go to class.


......... The challenge will be mainly to not play around with other lights by accident.

Yes, we've gotten used to having all these little LED lights that we just grab automatically when we need a 2-second look in a closet, under the bed, etc. Very common way to Fail the incan challenge! :D
 

Stress_Test

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I`m in (for this week at least), these will be my carry:



a 5D and a 2x protected 16340 running a 6v @1A regular bulb and a 7.2v @700ma Krypton respectively.

Wow, nice! Between you and Bykfixer, the vintage category is well represented! :thumbsup:
 

tech25

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I'm going to give this a shot.

AA minimag with DC-fix to clean up the beam and Surefire e2e with diffuser. Covers low and higher modes.

Surefire 6p in my jacket and a maglight 3D on standby, just have to swap out the Malkoff drop in.

(I will keep my HDS as backup on my belt)

I will miss my headlamp- maybe I will buy an incandescent one.
 
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