Caller ID flashlight recommendation?

OK, Xmas shopping for sis....A few years ago, I gave her an E2. What does she mainly use it for? To check her caller ID in low or nighttime lighting. This is way overkill for the light and needlessly depletes the batteries. I have been trying to come up with a suitable replacement. Obviously LED, obviously doesn't have to put out a lot of light. But it has to be compact and able to easily stand on it's tail or bezel without falling down. Also have a no-brainer type of switch that is instinctively and easy to use (like the E2 in which I have given her a clickie for it) and take regular batteries. For an instance of a good light that won't work, I thought of my river rock 2AA 0.5 W which certainly puts out an adequately amount of light. But it is skinny and will get knocked down easily plus I think it's too slippery. She keeps the light on the corner of the sink counter near the phone and a light like the river rock will get knocked down to the floor easily. I thought about the pak-lite but not owning one, I wondered if the slide switch may be a but cumbersome in use. So give me your ideas if you have the time. Oh, I really don't think I need to spend $50 on this type of light.

QIII, Eternalight Derringer, Infinity Ultra, Fenix ?

How about a Dorcy 1LED 1AAA? It stands nicely on the bezel, the switch is easy to use and the light can be easily held between the lips, freeing one's hands to use the phone. In this application, the single AAA would likely last for a couple or three months. Under $8 or so at Walmart, etc.

How about one of those little LED lights that snaps over the contacts on a 9v battery? Won't roll, can stand on end easily, and is ultra compact.

Alternative is a PALight Same 9v, has an 'always on' ffeature so you can find it in the dark but it still runs like 2yrs on a 9v, and is only a bit bigger than a straight 9v. You can get them for 12-20$ if you shop it around.

The PALight is an excellent long-running emergency light. I have these on every nightstand in my house, and will be giving a bunch for gifts.

There's a 50% CPF discount running though October:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/93944

or you can just get her a backlit Caller ID... lol

Why not put the MN02 lamp assembly in the E2. Cuts the battery usage in half, yet she'll still have a capable flashlight, if she really needs one.

oldgrandpajack

If you are in the mood to fork out some dough, the HDS EDC series lights should all be great for that. I know my HDS Utlimate 60 is, as I've used it for that many times, only one of my phones has a backlight. And the HDS EDCs can do much, much, more than that, too!

On the cheaper end, at 30-35 bucks, is the Streamlight Twin Task 2L. It has three LEDs and an incan. The LEDs would be great for checking out the I.D. Only thing is the switch. It's a kinda three way clickie. Example: First click turns on LEDs. Second turns light off. Third turns on incan. In other words once you turn on the LEDs and then turn them off, you must turn the incan on and off to get back to the LEDs. You an also get a Twin Task 1L, which used only one CR123A battery instead of two, like the 2L. Not sure of the price though.

At the bottom end try this www.harborfreight.com
#3852-BVGA $1.99

For a while, HF carried a 1x123 xenon w/clickie for 9.99. I got a couple of them. They worked fine. Gave them as gifts. Wish I'd kept one.

Due low vision, I have to have help in desk drawers, etc. My current desk light is a MM w/NiteIze and kroll. Not too bright for close work but enough light to be useful otherwise. And (awaiting stones and arrows) the MM feels good in the hand, tho not nearly as good as the E2E.

Get her a BUNCH of pallights to keep around the house. They're always on and not too bright.

How about an Inova 24/7 stuck somewhere near the phone / caller id area?

I thought about the pak-lite but not owning one, I wondered if the slide switch may be a but cumbersome in use.

Click to expand...

The PALight Sure Lite has a simple On/Off button. Or rather On/Dim in the case of a PALight. It also dims automatically after about 30 minutes. $14 from glowbug.

The Sure Lite (AKA Workman) model was discontinued some time ago, unfortunately, so you can't order it from PALight for a 50% discount. All current models have several modes.

Inova x1. It's pin spot beam is bright enough she can light it up without filling the room with light. VDG

Hey thanks for the suggestions. I am not getting another family member any light that uses CR123's because ultimately I am the one who supplies them with the batteries despite my insistance on how cheap and readily available they are on the Internet.

How bright is the Dorcy AAA? I bought one when they first came out a couple of years ago and have since lost it. At the time, I thought it was "roughly" equivalent to the standard Arc AAA at the time. Are they brighter now?

Also, anybody ever try sticking a magnet on a Eternalight model that does not come with one? Buying maybe a Derringer and sticking a magnet on it so she could stick it on the fridge might be a possibility. Fridge is right next to the phone.

Although they might work, the Inova X0 and Pal light have too narrow beams in my opinion. Still haven't ruled out a pak-lite. Maybe I'll have to buy one and evaluate it myself. One can never have enough lights, right?

About the backlit Caller ID suggestion, current one is part of the phone and doubt sis would want a separate additional one.

Geepondy....you would be amazed at how long a battery last in the U60, I thought that my battery tester was messed up!! A battery would last for months if left on low battery to simply check the caller ID, imo! One heck of a light!

Geepondy, what about the Photon Micro lights, by LRI? I just got mine back from them under warranty repair (great folks to work with!), and got it upgraded to the 2xbright white LED. MAN! It is VERY bright! Runs on 2x2016 watch batts, and there are multiple color choices of LED, and 3 different versions of the Micro, and some even can come with a beam diffuser attachment. Less than $20, and the Photon Freedom looks really nice with multiple modes of operation. The new 2x bright LEd white is a serious improvement in a light the size of a nickle...

If I get any HDS light, you can be sure it will be for personal use and not for a caller ID! I agree the Photon micro lights are great gift ideas although I run into the same family problem with the batteries. I have bought a bunch of the CR2016 batteries off of ebay and usually package a few along with the lights when given as a gift. Still I end up changing the batteries for them when I see them. I cannot convince my sister to change the E2 batteries before it gets down to a very pale dim, amber glow.

If anybody does have experience attaching magnets to eternalights, I'd like to hear it.

geepondy said:

If anybody does have experience attaching magnets to eternalights, I'd like to hear it.

Click to expand...

You'll probably get the best answer from Eternalight. They can tell you about the magnet they use on the EliteMax, and maybe even send a magnet with the Derringer. You can email them at [email protected].

They also have their own forums at http://www.techass.com

I think the Derringer is a fine choice. Not only will your sister have a caller id light (LOL!), but she'll have a good, long-running emergency light as well.

As far as the Pak-Lite Basic, the slider switch isn't cumbersome, but that might depend on the length of your sister's fingernails.

If you're still thinking about the Dorcy AAA, there are other good cheap lights made in China. Advancedmart, Emilion, Lighthound, and Dae all carry good cheap lights. Here are flashlightreviews.com's reviews of the Ghost II (AKA Blue Ghost II) and 8-led xnova. Both reasonably bright lights that run on single AA's.

I know you already know this about PALights, so this is just general info for lurkers: For a wider beam on a PALight, gently pry out the lens with a small screwdriver and flip it over. Use Scotch Satin tape to smooth out the beam.

Tell ya what, buy her a HDS U85, she will not dig it's overly complicated menu, and i will trade here a new in box Inova X-1 I think that sounds fair! VDG

I made a circuit ( Originally called SatCure ) only because the original information came from this chap WAY WAY back when this forum just was getting started.

It runs 3 months or longer on 1 D cell if you use the right value for the resistor.

I use it in a hallway for checking temp. I made a hookneck out of some wire, shrink tube the size of Led. It looks like one eye monster.

Actually I made 2 of these. I put one in the head of one of those boat electronic flashes. I gutted the head of it and put in this circuit and gave to my daughter for night light.

It is fairly easy to make, 1 transistor, core, wire, resistor,led. You need to enjoy tinkering to do it as wire needs to be really small.

I should have the parts somewhere if you are interested. I could post to you if you want to try. They are cheap, but just hard to come by.

Ken

Edit.
I changed my mind. This was back in the era where very little was available in led flashlights. I think it was even before CCrane had their lights. You might not want to waste your time unless you really enjoyed dinking around and had a breadboard to play with.
I would probably buy a derringer. CHEAP and does the same thing more elegantly!