Are we all anal or just OCD ??????

Are we all just anal? I ask this because of how critical we are about ringy beam patterns and the perfect "surefire" beam.I mean in the real world,especially outside,it hardly ever matters.Usually the only time it matters is on a white wall.How often in real life do you go around just shining your light on a white wall?(if you are a member here don't answer that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)Here's a true flashoholic senario:wife-"Honey what was that?"husband- "What was what?" wife-"That noise?" The husband straps on the PT Ukon, whips out the modded mag3d,the Surefire,AND the arc aaa.(Headlamp,2 hands and one for the mouth)Man goes searching thru the house and comes back to the room.wife-"Well? What was it?" husband-"I didn't see anything,but check out these beam comparisons!" All I can say is:Man we need help! LOL /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif (by the way,Sasha's post just reminded me that the above role play could be reversed gender wise! Oh,also I'm talking beam patterns.Pee green luxeons are just plain wrong! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif)

Speaking only for myself... I'm just OCD. Sitting here at my desk, everything is very neatly arranged around me at just the right angles and on the shelf above me, all of my lights are very neatly lined up in order of height. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

The other night, we had a brief power outage. Without pause, I just reached up to the shelf and snagged the tallest light on the end and fired it up. Flipping it bezel up, it shown up into the turret (my desk is in an 8 sided turret) and illuminated the entire room. I then stuck the light in the flower vase on the table next to me and continued working on my laptop that was still running due to battery back up. I was quite disappointed when the power came back on about 3 minutes later. I wonder what my neighbors thought when they looked at my house and saw the glow of light coming out of the half moon windows in the top of my turret... I hope the light was at least symetrical... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

Sasha,if your like most of us,I'm sure your neighbors know all about your flashlights!I'm waiting for a knock on the door someday asking if I wouldn't mind not waking them up at night by shining the light on there house.Maybe they just think it's police patrol. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Out of 33 reads,I KNOW there are more of "us" out there.Come out and admit you need help.It's the 1st step in recovery! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif

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I'm waiting for a knock on the door someday asking if I wouldn't mind not waking them up at night by shining the light on there house.Maybe they just think it's police patrol.

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Actually... we've had to knock on their door several times at 2:30AM to ask them to turn off the spot light they have in their back yard and to stop tuning their dirt bikes... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif And if a light is shining on them, they know it's police patrol and they need to start packing their overnight bag 'cuz they're going for a ride. In case you hadn't guessed, my neighbor is a freakin' tweeker and they don't dare say anything about OUR odd behavior... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif

This was partially discussed in the "General" section in the "Backpacking Light" topic.

The answer, as so often is, it depends. Often, any light, even with a poor beam, will be sufficient. However, why would SureFire and other companies bother with the expense of producing lights with perfect beams if a need did not exist?

The value of a good beam has been proven to me and it often makes a difference in performance and, at the minimum, provides less eye strain. I have come to desire a good, even, beam and there is no longer any reason manufacturers cannot provide one.

Scotch Satin tape has resurrected many of my cheap lights and made them more useful for observing small objects. Perhaps better, younger, eyes can compensate for bad beams but I REALLY appreciate, and now REQUIRE, a decent beam or I won't buy the light.

I think there's a fine line between perfectionism and OCD...

I would say mild OCD,
Planning on doing a self-help project and thinning the herd. My Mr. Bulk Mini-LGI w/McFlood reflector is going to be shipped to my brother on Monday. He lives out in the sticks so needs a LED flashlight to walk around at night. His minimag does not work very well (shock and awe) so his plan was a Craftsman LED light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/faint.gif

One of the first steps of this sickness is to GIVE AWAY some of your lights! Heading to the desert for 4+ months in a couple of weeks and will GIVE AWAY a Dorcy AAA and Arc AA to folks in need. Granted, my other Arc AA will be on my lanyard (I ain't crazy)

We have Streamlight Jr. Luxeons at work and I GAVE AWAY mine to another girl that needed it. Granted, her SL is sitting in a minimag holster and my BB500 R2H minimag is sitting in a SL holster /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sssh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif She told me the SL is much better than her old minimag, it has much more power, it's whiter and has better beam quality. This was my hint that I am not crazy, just more informed.

If a 24-year-old girl notices the beam quality, can we all be wrong? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

OCD for my part. Flashlights,knive,swords,even marked down
VHS tapes, some of those are not even opened yet because I did not like the movie. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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Topper said:
OCD for my part. Flashlights,knive,swords,even marked down
VHS tapes, some of those are not even opened yet because I did not like the movie. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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Wait a minute.You bought video tapes that you DIDN'T like? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Hey they were on sale! I saved a bundle by waiting /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's not OCD if you call it a hobby. I love that quote.


Really, a good beam does make a difference if you can't move the light around. The rings in a beam create the illusion of shadows where there are none. You compensate by moving the light back and forth. Real shadows don't move with the light. It's a subconsious thing.

Re: OCD and hobbies; My wife has enough knitting yarn to fill a 9 foot x 12 foot garden shed. All of it's in see through 60 quart plastic bins. It's her hobby. If you try to convince her it's OCD you'd better duck.

Hmmmm We do have a hundred or so VHS tapes that still have the shrink wrap.... Hmmmm.

Daniel

what is a tweaker
where I work it is a non metallic little screw driver

Sasha is a flashaholic ?
I thought she created and runs the asylum

mark... a tweeker is a meth-head... or speed freak... a druggie. When they are spun out on drugs, they are said to be tweekin'... they do such things as build sheds in the back yard at 2:30AM... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif

Hey, I must be paranoid because by the topic name I thought you were all talking about me.

My sigline says it all.

Thanks gadget_lover.