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UER Forum > Private Boards Index > Flashlights, Torches and Light Painting > Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here! (Viewed 17140 times)
metawaffle 

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Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< on 2/4/2009 5:20 AM >
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Say Hello Here!

When do you use your lights? What do you use them for? What lights do you take with you on an expedition, and how did you end with them?



[last edit 2/11/2009 3:23 AM by metawaffle - edited 1 times]

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metawaffle 

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Re: Your exploring light autobiography!
< Reply # 1 on 2/4/2009 5:50 AM >
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The Olden Days

I'm a night photographer, and once upon a time, so many years ago now, I shot either by ambient urban light, moonlight, or starlight. I still needed lights to find my way around, though. I would carry a tiny keyring light, and maybe a 2D cell cheap plastic light with a weak, weak beam, but a reasonable battery life.

Eventually, I got myself a series of little LED headlamps, which were sold at my local supermarket. They were good. Actually, I'm wearing one in the picture below!


Big Stuff

Eventually, I got it into my head that I needed a big light, and so I bought a big yellow plastic brick of a thing, with a glorified car headlight on the front. The rechargeable battery would last twenty or thirty minutes at best, and it was horrible to carry around.

Here it is (with apologies to Happydude198, whose photo this is:



I also ended up with a reachargeable full-size fluoro lamp, which I have tucked under my elbow in this shot:



Actually, that's the big yellow light slung around my back, too. I was getting into draining about this time, and as you can probably guess, this was just lunacy to carry around, especially through low tunnels.


The CR123 Era!

After exiting the drain pictured above, I hurled the yellow light into a dumpster in disgust, as it had drained from full charge in the space of two minutes, and so started the search for another light. I put the fluoro away, and looked into these strange new high-power LEDs that all seemed to run on CR123A batteries.

I ended up with a Solarforce T7 (very similar to the Fenix P3D, for those playing at home), which pumped out enormous amounts of light for such a tiny little thing.



Now, the T7, like the Fenix, turned out to be particular in which batteries it would use, so I ended up with a whole bunch of rechargeables that wouldn't fit. So, I started buying all sorts of CR123-based lights to work with them. Unfortunately, most of them no longer see much use, as they have been replaced in my affections:


The 18650 Era! (The Present Day)

I lost my T7! So, I needed another 'good' light to replace it, and it was to be my opportunity to resolve the main issue I had with the CR123 lights - battery life. I ended up essentially ditching my CR123 batteries and lights, and picking up 18650 batteries instead, which were much like two CR123s, but with more capacity.

And so my excitement with JetBeam began - first it was the JetBeam Jet III Pro, then the JetBeam Jet III ST, two programmable LED lights that run on 18650s. Those are the lights I use now. I do have one or two other lights that take the same batteries, but the JetBeams are the things I use when I just need a light to do stuff.

Long-winded, I know! Thank you for your attention




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programmer437 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography!
< Reply # 2 on 2/4/2009 6:56 AM >
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The Past:
I started exploring with a 2AA minimag. It provided enough light for evening exploration of abandoned buildings, back when I didn't know any better.

I soon started borrowing my roommate's off-brand 2D LED "maglite" style flashlight. It provided around 70 lumens, and had decent battery life, but the thing was bigger than my tripod and just weighed too much.

The Luxeon:
Trying to find equal power in a much more practical case, I eventually broke down and bought a surefire G2L. Rated now at 80 lumens, it's provided roughly the same brightness and life, though it runs on CR123A's. I still use this flashlight as a primary today. Sure, it's not the brightest, but it's stable and long lasting.

The Cree:
This past year I also bought a WF-606A with a Cree Q-5 (rated at 200 something lumens, though the output isn't nearly that high on AA's). While it's at least 50% brighter than my G2, it's battery wears down to around the G2's power within 40 minutes, and then dies within another hour.

The Future:
The 900 lumen LEDs appearing on deal extreme have caught my eye, though I'm hesitant about switching to 18650 batteries. For one, I've heard that rechargeable lithium cells can explode, or can be ruined easily by overcharging. Similarly, I'm hesitant about using lead acid batteries.

I eventually want to buy and HID for draining as well.

I use my minimag for infiltration, mainly. When I want to read the LED on my camera while sneaking onto a rooftop, or when I don't really want to send off a beam of light.

I use the G2 for EVERYTHING. It's my daytime-running light for seeing corners in abandonments, but it can still be my general light for dark drains or night explorations.

I use the WF606A when I need something really bright. Mainly, it's for nightime exploration in the woods, where there's no natural light at all, or when I'm trying to see how far a drain goes that has no light sources at all. It's really a bit of overkill when it's actually charged, and it has no where near decent battery life.

I also have a 25 lumen Generic-LED AAA headlamp I bought for 20 bucks at REI, though I only use it when I need my hands free. It's about as bright as the G2's spill area, but it has no distant focus whatsoever.




"I don't care if you're urban explorers or urban infiltrators or URBAN LEGENDS!"
velcrozeppelin 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography!
< Reply # 3 on 2/5/2009 9:53 PM >
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HAY YOU GUYSSS!

That's all, for now. Will post more on my lights/lighting/etc later.




Me goin' legit would be like JarJar on speech therapy.

I'm on Flickr now! My Flickr Stream | I'm about as thick as a Bryk.
velcrozeppelin 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography!
< Reply # 4 on 2/6/2009 3:09 PM >
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The flashlight that got me into flashlights: My Dad's 4D Maglite. Nuff said.

First flashlight I bought for general use: 2AA Rayovac Xenon bulb flashlight. More penetrating power in the dark than any other 2AA flashlight I've ever used. TONS of throw for a tiny 2AA flashlight. Was unable to get my hands on the 2D version before everyone stopped carrying it.


Once I started exploring on a regular basis, I quickly picked up 2x 2D flashlights from everyone's favorite big box retailer on clearance, an Eveready 3LED and a Rayovac Heavy Duty, which is rubberized and impact resistant to 15 feet.

Eveready 3LED - uses 2 D cells and has GREAT flood ability, especially for a handheld flashlight.

Rayovac Heavy Duty - Single halogen, uses 2 D's, and has great focus, although not much throw.


I picked up a Stanley 369 Tripod flashlight, which can run on 3, 6 or 9 AA's and uses 6 LEDs. I liked it enough, especially since I could set it down and use the tripod feature when photographing. It had awful throw and only OK flood, and was awfully blue. I wasn't too sad when I lost it traipsing through a foot of snow in the woods while scouting an entry point at a local Rochester location (which also happens to be the only place I've ever gotten caught). I'm sad that I lost a moderately expensive flashlight, but glad I lost it before I got caught by the cops. That way, I only had my camera on me.

Was given a Garrity hand-held crank emergency flashlight for Christmas. Awfully bright, good flood, and 10 minutes of light on a minute of solid cranking. Only limited use for this one so far. Cranking a light is not that fun in an abandonment. Will likely take it draining next time I go.

Just purchased 2x Garrity 4AA Luxeon LED Spotlights from Woot this past 2-fer Tuesday. These lights supposedly offer AMAZING penetration, especially for 1 Watt Luxeon LEDs that run off 4 AA's.

Looking to purchase a xenon Smith and Wesson flashlight in the near future, and maybe a bigger, million+ CP spotlight for draining.




Me goin' legit would be like JarJar on speech therapy.

I'm on Flickr now! My Flickr Stream | I'm about as thick as a Bryk.
manehawk 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 5 on 2/11/2009 10:11 PM >
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Cabelas headlamp - bright, light weight. 2AA


[don't need a photo]

2x 2AA maglites, They're so handy and perfectly pocket sized.




2x Generic spotlight - pretty heavy and bulky, but great for lighting up long tunnels and hallways or signaling sattelites. I bought two because they were $7.99.

When I bring it exploring and the battery dies mid way through my trip, I just hide it somewhere and pick it up on the way out.



[last edit 2/11/2009 10:13 PM by manehawk - edited 1 times]

Air 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 6 on 2/25/2009 8:03 PM >
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Posted by metawaffle


http://lh4.ggpht.c...0/SAA_9166b-sm.jpg

Now, the T7, like the Fenix, turned out to be particular in which batteries it would use, so I ended up with a whole bunch of rechargeables that wouldn't fit. So, I started buying all sorts of CR123-based lights to work with them. Unfortunately, most of them no longer see much use, as they have been replaced in my affections:



I just wanted to say that is a stunning shot.





"The extraordinary beauty of things that fail." - Heinrich von Kleist
paleomino 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 7 on 3/10/2009 8:09 AM >
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I know the Mini-Mag has a bad reputation, but if you screw the top off it gives very even light. The downside is it is very dim and will only illuminate nearby walls. You'll need a tripod and about a minute of time to kill to get a good shot. Compare the two photos below of a bleach chamber from a pulp mill. The second photo shows about how far you can expect the light to travel. This room was pitch black inside.

1.


2.






mortimer 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 8 on 3/10/2009 4:32 PM >
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Hi. I like to take pictures. So much so that it's both how I earn my living, and how I fill some of my free time.

For work (community newspaper) I use a handful of Nikon speedlights with peanut slaves (screw pocket wizards, too much $), and a Joby gorillapod, possibly the greatest photographic invention of the past decade - but that's another story.

For drains, I've tried a bunch of different setups, including the speedlights, and have settled on what is now my standard lighting kit for underground. There's two Garrity spots (a 1 million candlepower and a 2 million), two Noma LED rechargeable worklight didlos, a cheap duracell headlamp, and 1 or 2 generic interchangeable handhelds, depending what I feel like bringing and what's not broken. Speaking of which, those Stanley tripod lights seemed like such a good idea at the time, but the wiring for the lights runs through the hinge for the head, bad design. Three of the six LEDs are not functional on mine, not to mention one of the battery cover/leg caps is cracked, and none of the seals are very good. It seemed like such a cool idea at the time though. My favourite flashlight of all time was my PrincetonTec Tec 40, which was sacrificed along with a Nikon battery to Garrison Creek last winter.

So that's that. Here's a link to the 'underground' section of my photoblog's archive (where all the lit stuff goes): http://jonmuldoon....=browse&category=2

Edit: forgot to add, I usually bring a Vivitar 283 with wide angle adapter and coloured inserts as well.



[last edit 3/10/2009 4:48 PM by mortimer - edited 1 times]

yep.
metawaffle 

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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 9 on 3/10/2009 4:48 PM >
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Posted by mortimer
So that's that. Here's a link to the 'underground' section of my photoblog's archive (where all the lit stuff goes): http://jonmuldoon....=browse&category=2


There's some nice stuff in there - I really like that bright, cheerful style you have going in your drain shots.




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mortimer 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 10 on 3/10/2009 4:49 PM >
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Well I am a bright and cheerful person.




yep.
snoops 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 11 on 3/11/2009 2:18 PM >
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Hey guys,

Pretty new to the UE scene but been mucking around with night photography with varying results for a while. Having found this forum has already given me the motivation to remove my ass from the couch, find some new subjects and get back in the saddle.

Current lighting gear consists of Petzl Tacktikka (the something or other model) headlamp with the red filter which is quite handy.

Main light is the Led Lenser P7.

128158.jpg (23 kb, 440x440)
click to view


Adjustable beam focus and 175 lumens does the trick more often than not. Could use some kind of diffusion at times.

Also keep a 580EXII with some coloured gels handy.

Anyways, I hope to learn lots more about the art by hanging around!




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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 12 on 3/21/2009 11:51 PM >
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My portable lighting bio is, sadly, nowhere near as impressive as most here are.

I bought a 6D Maglite clone from DealExtreme a long way back, fully intending to use it when I started draining, until I realised it would never fit in my backpack. Shortly after this, I purchased a 5-LED caplight - not a bad buy - then a 3D Mag, a 2AA Minimag, and a cheapie 6V light. When draining I've used the 3D Maglite (with very limited success), 6V light (with much better success, far better weight vs. output tradeoff), 2AA Minimag (as a secondary), and the caplight as a nice "see a few feet in front of you" light.

I've been meaning to purchase a proper LED light sometime, but haven't quite worked out which one to commit to!




- Crumpet (http://www.urbanillusions.org)
[from micro's "drainer rules"] 3rd RULE: If someone says "rain" or "thunderstorm", the draining is over.
AlphaCueUp 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 13 on 3/27/2009 5:12 PM >
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hi ppl...

i got into the photography thing through splorin...i used to not bring a light or camera, i would use the light from the other ppl i was with...

then i got a shit camera and took mostly videos, and some boring ass pictures...
so i went through a bunch of cheap gas-station variety flashlights so i could go off and do my own thing...


i eventually found a cheap red LED flashlight that i still use for exploring/lightpainting...

i ended up getting a decent camera for low-light environments, where i could adjust the shutter speed



i also got a 2 million candlepower floodlight for shootin vid in tunnels/boarded buildings...i also use it to lightpaint corridors and rooms n shite..





i also like taking ghost/twin shots...
(i dont know what they're really called)







i also like taking lightpainting from cars





and sometimes fiyah



and my first and only attempt at a light painting stop-animation



i got more shit to post..just ot on hand..



[last edit 3/27/2009 8:10 PM by AlphaCueUp - edited 2 times]

digital_me 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 14 on 3/27/2009 7:33 PM >
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Damn...that last one is trippy!




Swiffer 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 15 on 3/27/2009 8:10 PM >
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Sweet shots Alpha. I believe the "ghost" shots you're in reference to are double-exposures.




We avoid risks in life so we can make it safely to death.
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BUTTHURT! BUTTHURT EVERYWHERE!
metawaffle 

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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 16 on 3/27/2009 10:00 PM >
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Those animations are an interesting idea - nice to see something a bit different!




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SeeThirty 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 17 on 4/15/2009 12:56 AM >
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Hi, I don't light paint (or haven't as yet), but I am a tinkerer, gadget hound, and all around flashaholic. I used to use lights for camping, but not much in the way of camping space these days, with condos popping up everywhere. I tend to explore in the daylight, but I do go at night sometimes. I've never drained, as there aren't any stand-up drains nearby.

The beginning: My first light-light was a G.I. 'crookneck' in black plastic. It had a screw-on part on the bottom which held an extra bulb and a few colored filters. The opaque thick white one (diffuser I think) was horrible. The light was absolute garbage, but it cost me $13-$14, and even when the slide switch no longer worked, the thumb pressure knob thing continued. Tough light to kill.

Adolescence: Adolescence, in terms of I knew a bit more about lights, but was still pretty much an idiot noob. My next light was a dynamo light. It was also incandescent, but you had to noisily crank your hand to give light. I soon discovered that this, while cheaper than buying batteries, was a really dumb idea for a light. It was reasonably bright, but who can sit there and crank for an hour? Two? Not me. My knuckles would ache just after a few minutes. I have no idea where my crookneck went, but I would bet you $100 it will still light even after all these years. They built those things to last through anything.

The Mag era: My next phase in evolution led to my buying a massive 6D Maglite. It was rugged, I could bash it on stuff. It was bright, adjustable beam, everything was lovely. However, that whole "candle" thing they advertised was a complete lie. If you stood a light that heavy on it's cap, outside, chances are it would fall over and the bulb might shatter on something hard/sharp. Plus, it was HEAVY! Seriously heavy. It's a significant load, plus carrying around a light that big tends to attract attention. There's also the burnt-yellow color.. The 6D is leaning against the wall in my hallway as of right now. I'm probably going to sell it. It works fine, but with my gear I don't really need it.

LED #1: I realized from my ordeal with the Mag that I wanted small, bright, manageable, and clean. I settled for a small AA-powered light from a not very well known company named Fenix. Chinese. This thing runs flawlessly on a pair of AA's. Not too bright, but not dim. Nice clean beam, good hotspot, and runs for over 2 hours (I think it is about 2.5 hours). I was hooked! I had no complaints. It cost me about $50, but I was happy with the price. The Fenix L2P puts out a constant regulated output over the life of the batteries. What that means, is that you don't have a bright light, and then a dim one later on. All of Fenix's lights tend to 'strobe' when they run down. This is your warning to change batteries. Takes some getting used to, but it's not so bad. The L2P is waterproof. I have no idea how far it can be submerged, but I can guarantee that unless you have an o-ring seal problem, it will survive any puddle, and probably the deep end of a swimming pool. These things are built to last. I still use this light occasionally.

LED #2: I have always wanted a Sabrelite, by Pelican. However, I just never got around to getting one, and I was browsing one day, when I noticed they had a new line of LED 'tactical' flashlights. I saw the M1 model. It was tiny, ran off of one CR123A lithium battery, and did so quite well. I liked that after it ran down (I think about 2 hours peak runtime), you still had a few minutes of dimmer light to find spare batteries or get another light, whatever you wanted. The M1 is regulated output, like the Fenix L2P, which again means you get constant brightness for the peak runtime. It lasts a little bit less than my L2P, and is supposed to be slightly dimmer, but the only difference I notice is the beam. The L2P has a wider spillbeam and a narrow hotspot, while the M1 has a wider hotspot and a narrower spillbeam. Either way, both lights are plenty bright, last a while, and fit easily in my pocket. The M1 also comes with a nice holster with a spare battery pouch. The L2P only came with an elastic belt/neck sheath. Curiously, Pelican does not rate the M1 as waterproof. I can, however, confirm that mine will easily survive a splash and dunk test down to 12 inches of depth. Good enough for a deep puddle, at least.

LED #3: After a while using these LED lights, I started shopping around for what might come next. I found it, in another Fenix. This time, the P3D. It uses two CR123A batteries, and for the size is absolutely incredible. Not only that, but you can switch between 6 different output settings and runtimes through a combination of bezel twists and switch presses. On low, the P3D will last through days of constant-on. In addition to 4 output levels, it has a morse-code style S.O.S. feature, and an eyecatching strobe. I've heard the strobe can be disorienting for tactical purposes, and I would not disagree, although I doubt I'd ever need that. On highest output, the P3D is so hot that Fenix recommends not using it for more than a few moments at a time. I believe that. It gets very hot to the touch, and there is a danger of damaging batteries, springs, or the lamp if you use 'turbo' mode without thinking. I don't use maximum for more than a moment, anyway. Besides, the 2nd and 3rd settings are plenty bright for all needs, and at those settings, your light will last several hours. I tend to use such a light intermittently, not constantly on, so a set of batteries will last me weeks/months if I am conservative. Like the L2P, this Fenix light is waterproof, and dunkable. It is not a dive light, but I have no doubts you could toss it in a swimming pool deep end without ill effects. The P3D also includes the rather boring elastic belt/neck sheath of the L2P, which is my main complaint. These sheaths fit snug, but there are lots better ones out there. My only personal problem with this particular light, is I am not very fond of 'modes'. If I click a light on, I'd rather it be at the setting I want. The P3D does not have 'memory' of what setting it should be on, so it starts at lowest by default, or turbo mode if you have the bezel 100% tightened. I know several lights have memory or more precise controls so you get the mode you want from the start, which I think I'd prefer. Still, I believe this light will be with me for years to come, even if that role is as a backup for another light.

Current Projects: I'm building my own light, based on the Surefire's P60 architecture. What the P60 system does, is gives you the opportunity to swap out lamps, in the basic sense. This means if you pay for a light, and the lamp cracks, burns out, or something else happens to it, you can replace it rather than dispose of the entire light. This is in theory cheaper than buying a new light, but some of the lamps can be rather expensive. Another advantage to the P60 system, modders and gadget hounds can drop experimental lamps into their flashlight, to alter runtimes, outputs, or other features. Pretty neat, huh? The one I'm building will (eventually) be capable of running off of one, two, or three CR123A cells, or rechargeables, and be configurable between several different lamp heads. So, if I need small, I get small. If I need blow your retinas out brightness, I get that too.

The Future: I have been a fan of EagleTac for a while now. They make very bright LED tactical lights. When I say bright, I mean supernova bright. What I didn't know, however, is they make something called the M2 'MegaLight'. This is absolutely being added to my shopping list. It's extreme, costs about $150 retail, and can grant either 800 or 900 lumens, depending on the model. The M2 is also adjustable output/runtime. so if you don't need to turn night into day, you can dial output down, and make the batteries last longer. At maximum output, the light lasts a little over an hour, but on low (about the same output as my Fenix L2P, I think) it will last over a day. The M2 uses either four CR123A batteries, or two long rechargeable 18650 batteries. The really wonderful thing (to me) about this, I've seen lights that have less than half the M2's output, being offereed for over $400. This makes it a rather nice setup. Rechargeables used, it could be very handy.

Well that's my flashlight bio.




12/17/2007 (somewhere in AvChat)
[10:29:47] <Lexi> Personally I don't really like her music
[10:29:50] <Lexi> But goddamn [10:29:59] <Lexi> I'd lick her dry.
strangePlaces 


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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 18 on 4/17/2009 2:50 AM >
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My urbex lighting began with a tiny keychain light from dollarstore for the first unplanned trip to one of the drains. I later came back with a blue Dorcy light for 7$ and a Nexx 4AA light. I explored with these in my initial stages before i knew anybody from uer.
Second stage began with me trying rechargeable 1.000.000 ca lights from CanTire - I never ended up taking those to trips b/c of their ridiculous burn times (15 mins or so). Black and Decker from walmart was a bit better - offering 30 mins. It was more high quality as it was eveident from the way it was made - but it was still returned back to store.
Third stage. Accidental purchase of 15$ for pair of Costco's Lightmates 3 wat LED torches opened my mind for led lights. These leds were light and efficient, but they were completely unacceptable for any photography (its not that i had a decent cam then=)
Trying to combine briteness+time, I started experimenting with Cantire lights, (namely Sunforce for 8$ on Xmas sale). The idea was to throw out the original bat and use external one that be carried in a backpack. My 7 ah 12v ebike sla's were great for that. However, the bulb in Sunforce (which was soldered in btw) was 6V. Not to burn it out, i tried to put a res in series (easy enough), but apparently, no resistor can handle that many amps (~4) at such low resistance (wattage ratings were way too low). The great solution was to dissipate that energy over larger area (length) so i used 4 m a crappy conducting wire crammed inside the flashlight. The final epic setup was: a wooden box with 2 paralel sla's, wire to the light which housed additional meters of wire... The thing was so friggin heavy that i used it for 1 trip (gave more than 3 hrs shine) and later opted for only 1 sla.
Fourth stage. Setup included putting a 12v 50w bulb to 1 sla for 1.40 shine in the same Sunforce case. Done most explorations with this+litemates to this point. (not counting streamlight headlamp)

Hopefully, with order of Fenix tk40 incandescent era will come to an end. That beast should satisfy most of my litghting needs. I will review it when it be received...




metawaffle 

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Re: Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here!
< Reply # 19 on 4/17/2009 1:10 PM >
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Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by strangePlaces

Hopefully, with order of Fenix tk40 incandescent era will come to an end. That beast should satisfy most of my litghting needs. I will review it when it be received...



TK40! Woohoo! That looks to be quite something...




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UER Forum > Private Boards Index > Flashlights, Torches and Light Painting > Your exploring light autobiography! - say hello here! (Viewed 17140 times)
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