Why lights?

Lumenous

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 7, 2003
Messages
162
Ok let's face it, you're a flashaholic! You've been collecting lights for a while now, you've modded or assembled your own lights, whenever you see a new light anywhere you wonder what kind of beam pattern it has....so why lights? Why not cameras or butane lighters or cars?
 

bindibadgi

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 14, 2004
Messages
1,203
Location
Australia
How about lights and cameras and butane lighters and cars, eh? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11,212
Location
Tulsa,OK
cars have lights.... cameras have lights (flash) and butane lighters have candlepower!... so all is lights! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif
 

Lumenous

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 7, 2003
Messages
162
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif Cars DO have lights. Errr I put that there on purpose to see who's a REAL flashaholic. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gif ..../ubbthreads/images/graemlins/oops.gif
 

Wylie

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 2, 2002
Messages
997
Location
Shoshone Idaho
Okay this goes back! Once upon a time I was a lowly fishing rod builder with a patent on illuminated fishing rods and a man asked me to build him a fishing rod for ice fishing (barring military grade laser expense) so I started a search for the best measure I could make of an L.E.D. modification and I landed here!
Night fishing fashlights well it all seem to fit.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Wylie
 

eebowler

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Messages
1,735
Location
Trinidad and Tobago.
I have a small thing for bicycles too(specifically MTB). I guess in our case, the object of our obsession is flashlights and in other peoples' cases, it can be any other thing imaginable. eg fetishes, dogs, cats, drinks food, music... any dam thing...

(Am I on topic here?)
 

KevinL

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 10, 2004
Messages
5,866
Location
At World's End
Why I Switched to Lights from Something Else...

10. Lights require less maintenance. Less debugging, too.

9. Lights did not come to us under the pretence of saving us work, then turn around and create more work for us when we are not looking.

8. Lights do not try to be 'user friendly' and be 'smart' to the point where they think they know what you want better than YOU yourself do.

7. Lights do not then try to do it for you without your permission believing that they are right and you wanted it anyway when neither is true.

6. Lights do not become obsolete the instant you buy them and then have their value depreciate to $0 in 2-3 years time. They have better resale value too.

5. A complete light costs 10 times less, too.

4. Older model lights still remain useful.

3. They're inexpensive enough to afford multiple models and therefore maintain a degree of redundancy.

2. The user interface does not require operator re-training with every new generation. In fact, we have trained multiple generations on the same interface.

1. Lights don't throw blue/black screens of death or Fatal Trap 12 messages at you for no good reason.



.. you can probably guess what Something Else is by now.
 

Greta

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 8, 2002
Messages
15,999
Location
Arizona
You can't fit a car in your pocket... duh!... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/au.gif



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif
 

_mike_

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 14, 2003
Messages
1,198
Location
Wa. State
[ QUOTE ]
Sasha said:
You can't fit a car in your pocket... duh!... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/au.gif



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, not one you can ride in anyhow. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

2dim

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
631
Location
Toronto, Can
Why lights? Well, if I lived in "The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave", it would be guns, knives and flashlights, in that order. Regrettably, I do not...
 

lymph

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 8, 2004
Messages
280
Location
Seattle, WA
Cheaper than guns.

(OK, OK, you can never have enough guns, but I have more/better guns than flashlights now, so lights need to catch up.) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I just worry about getting bit by the knife bug now...
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11,212
Location
Tulsa,OK
Also if you don't smoke you get jealous of those guys playing with their fancy lighters and when their fidgeting with it gets irritating you can take out your flashlight and blind them and chuckle silently saying... oooopf I'm sorry about that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif
The thing about cars is: if the lights go dim on them replacing batteries is a task compared to replacing a flashlight battery and you don't have to pay for a flashlight tag or insurance for liability on its use.... err yet, but maybe some of these modders should look into it in case they blind someone and they trip and fall . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Also you don't have to fill up the tank of flashlights with $2.00/gal unleaded to get them going.

someone should mod a toy car as a flashlight to fit in Sasha's pocket.
 

powernoodle

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 25, 2004
Messages
2,512
Location
secret underground bunker
It comes from the primal desire to manipulate one's immediate environment. The same thing that causes some of us to carry a gun and a knife along with a few flashlights.

best regards
 

Flying Turtle

Flashaholic
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
6,509
Location
Apex, NC
Gadget factor
"Hey it's a tool"
Object of art
Relatively cheap

I'd probably have as many radios and cameras if they were cheaper.
 

Kirk

Enlightened
Joined
May 2, 2002
Messages
440
Location
Central California
I like things that make light. Most flashlights are relatively inexpensive. They are useful. And even though people look at you strangely when you tell them you collect flashlights, they don't look scared like they would if you told them you collect guns or knives or swords or snakes or pitbulls! I like books too 'cause I are a intelecshul!/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
Kirk
 

Draco_Americanus

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
696
Location
Michigan
Well My resons are as follows.
I can take a flashlight out into a field or into the woods and "light it" with out people calling the police about that loud "boom" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
powerfull flash lights are easer to find then powerfull fireworks.
If you did your homework, your new home brew flashlight won't go up in smoke. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Otherwise I do collect cameras and lighters (I don't smoke but instant protable fire is as important as light!)
I don't generaly collect cars but their lights can be modded!
 

avusblue

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 26, 2002
Messages
699
Location
Saint Paul, Minnesota
[ QUOTE ]
KevinL said:
Why I Switched to Lights from Something Else...

8. Lights do not try to be 'user friendly' and be 'smart' to the point where they think they know what you want better than YOU yourself do.

2. The user interface does not require operator re-training with every new generation. In fact, we have trained multiple generations on the same interface.



[/ QUOTE ]

Didn't you ever own an Arc4? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cheers,

Dave

PS - another reason for me, is that it brings out the kid in me. My kids love flashlights as much as I always did (and do). Now that I'm grown old (notice I didn't say grown up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif) its fun to have these toys that are practical, useful, not too big or expensive, and beautiful to behold. Mostly it's "because I'm a geek, I know it, and am comfortable with it."
 
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