Flashlight newbie

LMT66

LMT66

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Jun 18, 2008
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I've never been into flashlights much. I have a bunch of Brinkmans Ive been using thru the years.
Last summer, the PD was in a field behind my house looking for something. Not sure what but he had a small to midsize flashlight that literally made the area around him look like daylight! I couldn't believe a small light could do that. Was as if he had a xenon car headlight in his hand.
Anyone know what these flashlights are? What kind of batteries they use and how long they last? Pro's / Con's?
 
Chances are a Surefire or Streamlight.
Most of the high power lights run off the CR123 batteries.
Incredibly bright lights with good range, but at the expense of runtime. My Surefire 6P is only rated for about an hour but even that is not all what you would consider useful light.
The LED versions have considerably longer runtimes though.

I have since switched to a LED model not made by one of the top names which uses AAA batteries as my primary light because of the greatly extended useful time, and now keep my Surefire as a backup or for "special" occasions.
 
There are flashlghts that use lithium batteries and they produce intense light. However it is for a short duration, usually 1-2 hours and then the battery starts to die.

A cheap and effective light is a Surefire G2 nitrolon. Also a Streamlight Scropion is another cheap and good one.

Just factor in cost of batteries, which those types (lithium) cost some $$$ and get eaten up quickly.
 
I have a fenix P1d it was about 50.00. I love it!
here are the specs

Introduction of Fenix™ P1D CE Q5 LED Flashlight
The Fenix P1D CE(Cree Edition) is a digitally controlled constant current multilevel flashlight Fenix has to offer. It has five modes: Primary -> Max -> Low -> Strobe Mode -> SOS Mode, which not only allows the user to select the best compromise between brightness and runtime for any given task but also has ability to aid in an emergency. The P1D CE does all this and still retains a very compact size. If you’re looking for solid reliability, digitally regulated brightness, and compact size, this Fenix is for you.

Features

• Utilizes a Cree 7090 XR-E LED with a life of 50,000 hours
• 5 Output Levels: 96 lumens (2.8hrs) -> 180 lumens (1hrs) -> 16 lumens (21hrs) -> Strobe -> SOS
• Digitally Regulated for Constant Brightness
• Uses one CR123A battery (not included)
• 7.1cm (L) x 2.1cm (D) ( or 2.8 in (L) x 0.8 in (D) )
• Made of aircraft grade aluminum
• Durable Type III hard anodized finish
• 27-gram (or 1.0 oz) weight (excluding batteries)
• Water-resistant (dunkable)
• Toughened ultra clear glass lens with AR coating
• Reliable twist switch
• Capable of standing up securely on a flat surface to serve as a candle
• Battery not included
• Includes a holster, a lobster claw, and a spare o-ring
 
CanadianWolf said:
Chances are a Surefire or Streamlight.
Most of the high power lights run off the CR123 batteries.
Incredibly bright lights with good range, but at the expense of runtime. My Surefire 6P is only rated for about an hour but even that is not all what you would consider useful light.
The LED versions have considerably longer runtimes though.

I have since switched to a LED model not made by one of the top names which uses AAA batteries as my primary light because of the greatly extended useful time, and now keep my Surefire as a backup or for "special" occasions.
Click to expand...

Thank you all for some insight!
How bright would the LED version be compared to the regular? Half? 3/4?
 
If you are really interested in the subject of high end flashlights I have written a great deal on them:
http://cpf.carrot.googlepages.com/flashlight_guide

Brands to check out are Surefire, Ra, Novatac, Inova, Streamlight, Nitecore, Fenix. There are a bunch of others but these are a good start. You have to be careful with Streamlight though, their flashlights can be a hit or a miss. The China-made Streamlights aren't as good as the American ones.
 
There is no way a LED can match those lithium lights. They are apples and oranges or toyotas and ferraris. LED means you get long lasting battery power, lithium gives you super bright light.
 
PorcupineMtns66 said:
Thank you all for some insight!
How bright would the LED version be compared to the regular? Half? 3/4?
Click to expand...

The 6PL is 80 lumens (a measurement of brightness) versus the 6P's 60 lumens. It runs maybe 4 times longer at its brightest output and more at some much dimmer brightness.
 
The LED are a whiter light, where in comparison the incandescent still have a yellow tinge to them. Hard to notice sometimes unless you compare side to side.
If you compare Lumens, then the LED's are right up there with the best other bulbs and in many cases surpassing them. Bulb life is another huge advantage of the LED.
I really can't think of any reason NOT to buy one with an LED, and other than I got a great deal on my 6P, I would have gone with one myself. Since upgrading our duty lights was an out of pocket expense, at the time I jumped on the good deal before doing the research.
Oh well... gave me a reason to buy another ! :D
 
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Get yourself the Surefire G2 LED and you won't be sorry. It lasts forever, is damn near indestructible, has a great customer service guarantee, can be used in cold (thanks to lithium CR123's) and fits the hand nicely. In a pinch, it makes a great impact weapon.

I have 2 6p's. One is the G2 LED and the other is an old school 6p with round bezel and older features. Both have never failed me. I switched to the P60L lamp in my older model an it breathed new life into it.
 
11x11x said:
There is no way a LED can match those lithium lights. They are apples and oranges or toyotas and ferraris. LED means you get long lasting battery power, lithium gives you super bright light.
Click to expand...

How about ones that have both? :)

Most of the lights coming from the relatively high end Chinese manufacturers (Fenix, Nitecore, Lumapower, Jetbeam, etc.) will accept just about any type of battery, including NiMh rechargeable, alkalines, lithium, lithium rechargeables, etc.
 
11x11x said:
There is no way a LED can match those lithium lights. They are apples and oranges or toyotas and ferraris. LED means you get long lasting battery power, lithium gives you super bright light.
Click to expand...

Lithium refers to the battery chemistry. Many LED lights are very bright at a small size because they used lithium cells. You should check out candlepowerforums for more details on this stuff.
 
k_estela said:
Get yourself the Surefire G2 LED and you won't be sorry. It lasts forever, is damn near indestructible, has a great customer service guarantee, can be used in cold (thanks to lithium CR123's) and fits the hand nicely. In a pinch, it makes a great impact weapon.
Click to expand...

+1, I absolutely love my Surefire G2 LED :thumbup: It's my first (and only, for now) relatively high caliber light. I do still like and use the simple LED maglites though.
 
LED technology is really taking off. Older LED's use to have good "flood" capability but no long range "throw". That has now changed and there are several LED lights that easily compare to the older incandescent Surefire lights. LED's have so many advantages over incandescent bulbs that I wouldn't buy anything but LEDs.

- LED's are inherently more durable / robust
- LED's last infinately longer (no bulb burn out - most are rated thousands of hours)
- LED's burn-time is typically much longer and will work even with almost dead batteries (unless they are regulated with a lot of step-up)
- Regulated LED's can really throw out light; they can also be designed for great "spill" and distance
- LED's can be made with selectable out puts, strobe and SOS options...excellent features!

I was using a single CR123 battery LED, Novatac 120 Mil, in Iraq and a couple of Blackhawk pilots thought I was welding from a hundred yards away; after they saw it they were amazed at how far it could throw out light and how bright it was for the distance it reached. Output is amazing. But the best feature that you can find with regulated LED lights are the different output functions. I like the Surefire G2 LED, but you only have very bright or off. Some Surefire's and several other makers have programmable lights where you can select the output from just a few Lumens to over 100 Lumens. I don't want to waste my battery power looking for an item in my pack or trying to find my shoes in a tent with a maximum-only LED light. I use the maximum output when I have to search a large area outside or for defensive purposes; everything else doesn't need full power output.

I would also add that your LED light will last much longer on lower-output levels for general lighting tasks.

Your high-end LED lights have taken all the advantages away from the incandescent models and I wouldn't consider anything else now.

ROCK6
 
11x11x said:
There is no way a LED can match those lithium lights. They are apples and oranges or toyotas and ferraris. LED means you get long lasting battery power, lithium gives you super bright light.
Click to expand...

That's funny, cause my Nitecore D10 LED flashlight is 130 lumens. :D
 
11x11x said:
There is no way a LED can match those lithium lights. They are apples and oranges or toyotas and ferraris. LED means you get long lasting battery power, lithium gives you super bright light.
Click to expand...

LED lights run on lith batteries. ;)

You're best bet it to pick up a SF (SureFire). Some people say try a streamlight or Fenix because they're a bit cheaper. I've used one or two, and really they don't compare.

LED versions of SF lights run the longest, and have great light output. They also make their own batteries, making it quite affordable.

Lithium batteries have numerous advantages over your standard AAA light. Resistant to temp changes, shelf life, power output.

The first one is the most important to me. I keep a E2DL in my truck, and in Michigan, the winters can get pretty cold. My light works perfectly all the time. Every tried using a maglight at -5 F ? It's not fun.

Pick up a G2L, or 6PL and you'll be quite happy. :)
 
Rock,
Do you like the Novatac over the Fenix? I am carrying a P1D right now and think it is the bees knees, if the Novatac is better I might be spending some money.

Porcupine,
If I were you I wouldn't even look at any type of bulb but LEDs, the performance and price are unbelievable. Also, as Rock already pointed out once you use a flashlight with varying run modes you will never go back to a light with just one output. I have 3 surefires and none of them get used anymore, my fenix just about does it all with less batteries, more versatility and never blows bulbs. Chris
 
I have two G2's from before the LD came out. They are awesome! I also have a Streamlight TwinTask with both LED and Incandescent bulbs. I love it and EDC it. I use the G2's as special occasion lights and now want a LED G2.
 
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