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Raider
    
Not Gay
location:
Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Gender: Male
<Intelligent>
 |  |  |  | Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
< on 3/17/2004 5:43 AM >
|  | | | What types of flashlights does everybody here use? Which do you prefer and why. I know some people spend a lot of money for there flashlights to get a nice bright shine and others just stick with ones from the dollar store.
Two days ago I went to Canadian Tire and picked myself up a nice LED Flashlight for $25 Canadian dollars. Wow money well spent the thing is tiny and lights up any room. Here is a picture of it, its plastic and I kinda wish it was an aluminum or something but I've dropped it about five times already and it seems to be holding up 
Specification Description
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Brinkman LED
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Weight- 4 ounces
Half life brightness (70 deg)- 77.4 foot candles
Batteries- 2 AA
Battery life at 70 degrees- 18 hrs. 50 min.
Battery life at 0 degrees- 13 hrs. 9 min.
Dimensions- 6.8 x 1.7 inches
Focus type- Focused
Material- ABS plastic/rubber
[last edit 3/17/2004 6:16 AM by Raider - edited 1 times]
[13:54:15] <Agent_Skelly> Well, a friend of mine I had "benifits" with last fall was 420 lbs
[13:54:51] <Raider> Wow.... that is large.... now she doesn't crush you or anything? Not to be rude but seriously I'd suffocate
4:15:42] <bobtheallmighty> in my experiance there are very few things that are irregular when it comes to sex >_> |
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A Casual Fellow
I don't like UER.
location:
New York City
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 1 on 3/18/2004 2:19 AM >
| | | | I use a 4D maglite and a military anglehead. Never dropped them.
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F A S T
location:
Oakland, CA
Gender: Male
Coastal Wind
| | |  | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 2 on 3/18/2004 5:41 AM >
| | | | I never use LED.
I use a Legend LX currently, but I'm buying a Pelican m6 soon.
After finding these lights, I can't even look at a maglite anymore. These run off lithium batteries and incredibly bright. Check your local Walmart for the Brinkmann Legend LX. Should be around 20 dollars. Beware, batteries are expensive.
F A S T |
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NZero
 
I was gettin changed!
location:
Sleeping...
Radio Geek
| | | | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 3 on 3/19/2004 8:47 PM >
| | | | My battalion of flashlights.
-Maglite 3D Black - Clear Lense
-Maglite 2AA Blue - Green lense (outdoor for entry and stuff, anytime you hear me say "going green" im using/used that one)
-Maglite 2AA Blue - Clear lense
-Garrity 2D - Glow in the dark casing (my drain light)
-Brinkman 1M candella spot - (drains or tunnels)
-Brinkman 2D 4xLED (freakin bright, and waterproof)
[last edit 4/1/2004 4:09 AM by NZero - edited 1 times]
OPEX Is done, now wait for 1995
sean_at_school@hotmail.com |
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Heartless
location:
Dakota Territory
Gender: Male
nowhere is a state of mind
| | | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 4 on 3/20/2004 3:35 AM >
| | | | R@IDER, I own that flashlight, they sell it at Wal-Mart. I bought it for the LED's and the red lens attachment so I could throw it in my flight bag as a backup. It worked great for a while, gave off a decent amount of light for the size and the batteries lasted forever. However, if you intend to abuse it, buy a Mag-Lite. The switch cover at the bottom of the handle came off on me, and while it still worked after that, it was only a short time before the entire switch assembly was in ruins from use. Not exactly the most durable construction, but a good flashlight nonetheless.
Aren't there about 5 flashlight threads here?
"I hope that I find you in heaven, because I'm so lost without you down here..."
Lost Highway Photography |
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Viper
location:
Vancouver, BC Canada
Gender: Male
Trespassing On!
| | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 5 on 3/22/2004 10:19 AM >
|  | | | Posted by Heartless
R@IDER,
Aren't there about 5 flashlight threads here?
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Probably. I bought that Brinkmann 2AA single-LED light at Can Tire for $25. I used it on a mission tonight with the red filter and the light was not that bright. It put out decent light without a filter though. I wish the beam could either be adjustable or wider to put out a little wider beam. The 2D light they also sell with 4 LED's is probably better for $3 more, but also bigger. My main lights are a 3D and a 4C Mag, as well as a 2AA Mag for minimal light.
Earth, the world's most dangerous planet!
"The will to do, the soul to dare." -Sir Walter Scott |
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MacGyver
location:
St Paul, Minnesota
Gender: Male
"Someone go find me a paperclip, a D-cell battery, and a cheese grater"
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 7 on 3/22/2004 7:24 PM >
| | | | Here's a brief comparison chart I made up using my favorite light sources.
Ambient light: very dim light from a distant window on the other side of the basement and around a corner
4D maglite
Overall weight: 37.6oz (1066g)
Battery weight: 20.4oz (578g)
Power: 4x D cell batteries (not brand new)
Light: standard tungsten/vacuum style bulb
Brightness: A pretty potent light when the batteries are fresh (mine were a little dated). If you don't need the massive runtime, you could get a brightrer light and a smoother beam from a Legend LX. I doubt that anything could survive as much abuse as the classic D-series maglite. I've driven over mine with a car by accident.
Beam characteristics: Focusable from a spot to a flood. Good luck trying to find a focus setting that doesn't have a big dark spot in the center.
Backup features: spare bulb in tail cap. Somewhat tricky to change by feel alone in the dark.
2AA maglite
Overall weight: 3.6oz (104g)
Battery weight: 1.7oz (48g)
Power: 2x AA cell batteries
Light: miniature tungsten/vacuum style bulb
Brightness: just barely enough to be a good light. Given the weight, an advanced LED light would probably be brighter and lighter with more run time. Technology has advanced beyond the maglite.
Beam characteristics: Much like the 4d, the 2AA is focusable from a spot to a flood. It is difficult to get a focus on the beam that doesn't have a gaping dark spot in the center of the beam.
Backup features: spare bulb in tail cap. Somewhat tricky to change by feel alone in the dark.
Rayovac Sportsman 3-in-1 Headlamp
Overall weight: 4.3oz (122g)
Battery weight: 1.1oz (33g)
Power: 3x AAA cell batteries
Light: 2x red LED, 1x white LED, 1x Krypton bulb
Brightness: Krypton light is surprisingly bright, beating out the 2aa maglite. Red LEDS are also of excellent brightness for close range work. White LED leaves something to be desired.
Beam characteristics: LEDs are fixed. Red makes a nice smooth oval cast. White makes a pretty good even circle. Krypton makes a bit of a swirl pattern, but is focusable and generally probides a more even beam than maglites (which feature that lovely hole in the middle).
Backup features: redundancy of triple light sources, LEDs are invulnerable to burn out or breakage. No spare bulb onboard.
Brinkmann Legend LX
Overall weight: 5.4oz (153g)
Battery weight: 1.1oz (31g)
Power: 2x 3volt lithium camera batteries
Light: Xenon bulb
Brightness: Holy sunlight batman! Easily the brightest flashlight I have ever owned.
Beam characteristics: unfocusable. A fairly wide flood beam with a brighter area near the center. Excellent for shooting videoin the dark.
Backup features: none to speak of. No spare bulb onboard. Bulb supposedly can slide out of it's socket if the light is dropped hard on the front end (I didn't try this).
Like a fiend with his dope / a drunkard his wine / a man will have lust for the lure of the mine
"If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent." |
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foxtrot
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 8 on 4/9/2004 9:17 PM >
| | | | I personally use Surefire. Won't ever stray from it. I've got the Nitrolon and the C2 with the optional 120lumen bulb. The only thing I could ask them for is some longer battery time.
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tick
location:
Abingdon, VA
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 9 on 4/9/2004 10:31 PM >
|  | | | Yeah, the two things that have kept me away from flashlights like the Legend LX and Surefire lights are the incredibly short battery life, and the extreme cost of the batteries they use. It's possible to buy the batteries online now though, for a little over a buck a battery. But here's a runtime plot for the Legend LX: http://ftp2.itexas.net/Rbost/brink.jpg, and one for my personal favorite steam tunnel light, the UK 4AA eLED: http://ftp2.itexas.net/Rbost/uk4aa.jpg. Granted the Legend LX is bright as hell, and the eLED isn't (although it's a lot better than a mini-maglite), but there is around a 12-hour difference in the runtimes! I don't know, the idea of a pocket-sized flashlight that's brighter than a 4D Maglite really appeals to me, but if I end up stuck underground for an extended amount of time, I'd rather have a flashlight that can handle it, than one that needs new batteries ever hour.
I'm not bashing flashlights like the Surefire or Legend LX though. Hell, I'll probably give in and buy a Surefire G2 or Pelican M6 at some point (and I'd love to have a Surefire L4 Digital Lumamax), I just don't see them as practical for most exploring. Great for blinding intruders though!
Oh yeah, I have to give credit for the runtime plots to Roy of the Candlepower Forums, you can find more flashlight runtime plots here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=312457&page=0&view=collapsed&sb= 5&o=&fpart=1
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Duke
Noble Donor
location:
Awww-shitby, Ontario
Gender: Male
Move it or lose it
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 10 on 4/9/2004 11:13 PM >
| | | | I've found that for a tight space, LED is the way to go. Batteries last forever, and you don't have to worry about casting light 70feet ahead of you.
I have a Brinkman Rebel 4LED 2d flashlight and with all 4 LEDs on it's like sunlight. What I like about the LEDs is the fact that it's pure white light which seems to make everything look brighter, plus this thing's got little magnifying lenses over the LEDs to make them cast that little bit better. Also, you don't get those annoying rings you get from a halogen bulb with a cheap reflector on it. My buddy was driving down a country road, and me and my other friend were just laughing because I was pointing the flashlight out the window and you could see a MASSIVE white circle on the houses which were a good 30' back from the road.
Granted I also keep a 3D mag-lite rip-off in case I need to throw a nice long beam, and I keep a 2AA mag-lite as well for back-up because it's indestructable. HOWEVER I have a cheap-ass little Energizer headlamp with 2 white LEDs (magnified like the Rebel's LEDs) and one red LED. The Whites are brighter than my mag-lite by a great measure, and the Red is brighter than my Rebel with a red filter on it. it's TINY and it uses AAA batteries, AND it has an adjustable tilt. VERY handy to have since I don't really need some super-expensive 7-LED/Xenon headlamp runnin off a car battery. only complaint is it's not weather-proofed at all, though i don't drain so it's not an issue for me. I love the headlamp, it throws better light than my 2AA mag, and it fits in even the tiniest pocket.
All in all, it all comes down to prefferance. Different lights are good for different reasons and in different situations. Your best bet is to get as diverse a collection of flashlights as possible so you're ready for anything. And I dunno how that rayovac headlamp that was mentioned in this thread is, but I know that a cheap LED headlamp's definitley a great addition to your collection, ESPECIALLY for the price. Like I said mine's brighter than my 2AA and it was about half the price.
Contrary to popular belief, death isn't just for dead people. I know I was surprised too! It can happen to anybody! Horses, fiddler crabs, even a potato can die! - Tick
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Heartless
location:
Dakota Territory
Gender: Male
nowhere is a state of mind
| | | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 11 on 4/9/2004 11:22 PM >
| | | | I also have a keychain LED light, single bulb, total size = about the same as a nickel only fatter. It gives off enough light to light the way in a 12' - 16' drain, even better than my 2AA mini-Mag. Best part? It was free, my dad gives them to clients and people at lighting conventions
"I hope that I find you in heaven, because I'm so lost without you down here..."
Lost Highway Photography |
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MacGyver
location:
St Paul, Minnesota
Gender: Male
"Someone go find me a paperclip, a D-cell battery, and a cheese grater"
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 12 on 4/10/2004 3:32 AM >
| | | | My typical combo these days for drains, caves, tunnels, etc. is a Rayovac 3-in-1 LED/tungsten headlamp and a brinkmann legend LX. The red LEDs of the Rayovac are enough to navigate by in close quarters if you let your eyes adjust, and I find that they give very nice visual contrast in drains compared to a white LED. The Brinkmann is there to look into the distance, focus cameras, etc. Last night, I had a miniMag in my pocket as well, and I found myself using it quite a bit to compliment the headlamp's white LED in a big drain.
Like a fiend with his dope / a drunkard his wine / a man will have lust for the lure of the mine
"If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent." |
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tick
location:
Abingdon, VA
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 13 on 4/10/2004 4:36 AM >
| | | | Posted by Duke
Your best bet is to get as diverse a collection of flashlights as possible so you're ready for anything. |
Truer word have never been spoken.
At least when it comes to flashlights.
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Parepin
location:
Western New York
Gender: Male
MK is your new god. When will you admit it?
| | | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 14 on 4/10/2004 4:39 AM >
| | | | One of the best lights that I've used is the Military issued Fulton MX-991/U. Picked it up at a gun show at a surplus table for eight bucks. Awsome light beam, water proof, durable, strong belt clip, extra bulb and filters contaned in end cap, and Camoed so you can't find the damn thing when ya need it. Found an unissued, flat colored one here:
http://www.check6aviation.com/pages/fg/fgitempage/sg077t.htm
<reuben> somebody keeps jiggling the doorknob on my front door, then running away
<reuben> i don't know if i should call the police, or hook up some electricity to the doorknob
<cristobal> why don't you put ice on the stairs <cristobal> and heat up the door knob <cristobal> and swing paint buckets down from your two story foyer <cristobal> then a few years later, fade from the public eye..... |
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Servo
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 15 on 4/10/2004 5:55 AM >
| | | | I use the Surefire Z2 because of the compactness and the fact that the beam is flawless (especially now that I've gotten a replacement bezel, the last one was scratched by the previous owner). The only problem is, as others have said, you have to mortgage your house to pay for batteries if you use it for any extended period of time. This seems to be a problem with most of the tactical lights out there (and if anyone can suggest a light that's as bright as the Z2, as small as the Z2, and has a longer runtime, I'll be your new best friend).
I find it matches my UE style pretty well though, since I generally go places with enough lighting that you only need it for temporary illumination (so the short battery life is not as much of an issue). I plan to get an LED head for it when I can afford it, though. It's about a quarter of the light but about 4 times the runtime...
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Mark
 
Very Noble Donor
location:
South Carolina
Gender: Male
What is a lion, king of the savannah, when hes at the south pole?
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 16 on 4/10/2004 6:06 AM >
| | | | go to the surefire website and buy a case of batteries. They sell them for 2 dollars a pop instead of 7.
"If the threat level goes up its probably because of me." "I am looking for a girl who enjoys headbutting beltbuckles" |
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MacGyver
location:
St Paul, Minnesota
Gender: Male
"Someone go find me a paperclip, a D-cell battery, and a cheese grater"
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 17 on 4/10/2004 8:47 AM >
| | | | You can buy CR123As on ebay in packages of 20 for a little over a (US) dollar a piece. They're not a name brand, but the ones I picked up are working good enough for me.
Like a fiend with his dope / a drunkard his wine / a man will have lust for the lure of the mine
"If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent." |
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NoSuchPerson
Stop, or I'll ask you again!
| | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 18 on 4/10/2004 2:49 PM >
| | | | Well, my choice in flashlights is very dependant on the "mission" I'm on.
If I'm doing a drain, I want to be as bright as I can, this is where a Surefire Scorpion comes in handy. Slightly bigger than a 2AA light, but shoots out 1 million candlepower and is brighter than any maglight you'll ever see.
If I'm doing an abandoned building, I usually use a 2D mag-lite with some darkening filters (just some tinting from a car), depending on how bright I need it to be....I hate having to shove my hand infront of the light to reduce it.
I've never owned an LED light, but I'm considering getting one, just because the light is very "pure" and they seem to go forever. I think that light R@!D3R has would be pretty cool as a backup/spare light, although it looks beefy enough to use as your primary one as well.
-Ex
Unit calling radio say again? |
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Capone
location:
London, Ontario
Gender: Male
UEL
| | | Re: Types of Flashlights (LED, Mag, or older)
<Reply # 19 on 4/10/2004 3:16 PM >
| | | | My usual lights:
2D Maglite - Main UEing light, bright & reliable.
2AA Minimag - I carry this daily. Makes a great backup light, but I've used it as my main light on many missions.
Other lights I own but almost never use:
6v Garrity Lantern - Long-range light, really only worth the weight/bulk in a drain or large open building, and even then....
2AA Dorcy Krypton - Another backup
2C Garrity Tufflite - Another backup
2D Rayovac "Industrial" - Another backup
Single-LED keychain light (red) - Pretty weak light, I haven't used this once for UE.
2D silver metal light from the 1950s (maker unknown) - Haven't used this for anything yet.
So there I was, in this creepy old hallway... |
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