Photon Lights

Hi, I'm addicted to Photon lights and UKE so whenever I have more then 1 piece of clothing on my body I carry a Blue Photon light with lanyard clip (2 batteries type) which in darkness produces adequate light to find your way around in a room or dark parkinglot.
If I have more then 2 pieces of clothing on my body I supplement this with the UKE Micro 2AAA flashlight which in my opinion gives twice the amount of light as a 2AA maglite does with less then 1/2 the size and less weight. When I wear my "expedition" vest I also carry the UKE 4AA flashlight stuffed with 4 Lithium cells this combination really lights the place and the extra weight is only small. Visit Brightguy.com for UKE and a 200% service and Frank from Little River company for Photons and also 200% service
Cheers, Bagheera (Holland,Europe)




[This message has been edited by Bagheera (edited 29 June 1999).]
 
For someone (like me) who doesn't have one of every different kind of flashlight, is there any site that compares all the various (Photon, Maglite, UKE, Pelikan, Surefire, ...) lights in a quantitative way. That is, I don't want to just see people saying "X sure seems brighter than Y to me." I would like actual candlepower figures. Then if the figures don't tell the whole story, I'd like to know what they miss, but there's no substitute for numbers.


------------------
Paul Neubauer
prn@bsu.edu

 
I believe that brightguy.com has a search feature that allows you to narrow your search by amount of candlepower put out by the light. that should help a little bit.

most of their product pages list candlepower as well. i have bought all of my photons thru brightguy, since they are ohio based, and get me my stuff in a day or two at the most
smile.gif
they also seem to have a good stock of other lights, but since I haven't figured out if I want a Surefire or not, I haven't looked into it much.

...tm

(wow, this was my 100th post! i hope it was at least useful to someone
smile.gif
)

[This message has been edited by TomMarker (edited 29 June 1999).]
 
Paul

The closest your gonna get to a review/comparison is:
http://www.equipped.com (sorry about the spelling earlier.)

If there is anything else out there I haven't found it.

Candle Power and Lumens is a tricky thing. Your best bet is to go to a store and see if they'll let you try it out or if they have a good return policy. Or rely on member like me and trust what I recomend. Here are the brands I recomend in order of brightest and best quality beam on top:

Sure-Fire
Streamlight
Underwater Kinetics
Ike Lite
Pelican
Princeton Tec

The first 2 are considered Tac lights and the last 4 are considered dive lights. Mag Lites are really poor for anything but around the house. They're too big for Tac lights and not water proof enough for dive lights. (Why do they put o-rings in them?) But they have longer run times and you can buy halogen, xenon, or kryton bulbs for them from Carley Lamps to make 'em brighter. You can even get xenon bulbs for the Mini-Maglite from Brinkmann.

Watch your run time with recommended batterys. DL123A's can get very expensive and Sure-Fire Lithium lights have only a 1 hour runtime! If run time is a consideration most of the above manufacturers make a rechargeable version of their lights.

Judging by the response from my original question there should be a flashlight forum
smile.gif
with reviews and member experience. I would have a lot more money now if I didn't go crazy in search of the ultimate flashlight I would have more knives and less flashlights. At least a Misc. forum other than knives. Maybe a bright shiney object forum.
smile.gif


[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 29 June 1999).]
 
On a similar note, I have the 2 AA mini Maglite. It's okay - I like their adjustable focus, but it's not really all that bright for it's size. I'd like something that's about the same size, brighter, and without the cost of something like the Sure-Fire's.

The smaller Streamlights, Pelicans, and UKE's look good, but I couldn't find candlepower ratings for all of them (if anyone knows a site that has these, please post it). Otherwise, I'd just like a general idea of which flashlights people like in this size.

------------------
JP Bullivant
 
My little UKE 2AAA light is brighter than my 2AA Maglight. So are my turquoise Photons. Both have an amazing power/size ratio IMHO.

------------------
Kelly
home.sprintmail.com/~maddash
AKTI Member #A000289

Deo Vindice
 
I highly recommend Photon lights. I bought a yellow one in 95' for $15 and at first it seemed a little expensive for a tiny light but I use it almost every day. It is extremely tiny and has good brightness. It is the single, most useful purchase of my entire life. I've never even changed the battery and it's still going strong.
 
I bought an orange photon for my self and a turquoise one for my wife from Frank at little river. His lights all include the lanyard and a velcro dot that I think could come in handy in some instances. At first I played with the light almost constantly. My children like them too. Now I find myself using my photon almost every day. This weekend I went on a dinner train ride with my family. After using my light to locate a crayon, I got asked to borrow it by two others who needed to look under tables. Pretty darn handy.
On a related note, the Eddie Bauer catalog listed white and red photon IIs for sixteen bucks for two. I don't know if this was correct. I guess I should check it out for gift giving.
 
Well guys, thanks for the kind words! The checks will be in the mail!
smile.gif


For anyone who is interested in the Photons and Krills, check out my sale starting on July 1 at: http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000443.html

Thanks!

------------------
--
Regards,
Tim
Nor'east Knives

There are two rules for ultimate success in life.
Never tell everything you know.
 
Keep in mind that the Photon is not water proof, whereas the ASP Sapphire is. I have personally tested the ASP and the Photon, and the Photon is just a toy. Try this with your Photon, step on it. Then step on the ASP. My money is on the ASP still working.
 
Yeah, but the ASP is a lot larger and you have to send the batteries back every time they die, major pain in the ass IMHO.

The photon may be a toy, but if I was still in the military, it would be riding my top left pocket button, inside my shirt. It doesn't have to be bulletproof, it just has to be there and work, and it's small size makes it pretty convenient.

Spark

------------------
Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
Hi Nam,
I've done the same deal, and trust me, the Photon isn't a toy and more than the ASP is(and I'm not saying this because I sell them- I sold the ASP's as well). The ASP runs on the same 2 batteries as the Photon and uses the EXACT same blue LED the Photon USED to have before they got a brighter one/newer model LED.

As for structural integrity, I've run over my Photon (on purpose) a bunch of times and it's still fine- if a bit more scratched up. I'll see if I can get a photo of it in the near future. The ASP should be able to take the same punishment, but I got rid of them fast once I read the rest of the warranty.

I don't recall seeing where the ASP said it's waterproof, but, well, it's not. If you look at the bottom edge, you can see that it's pretty OPEN. The glue is only around 3 edges, not the bottom, nor are there any waterproofing agents/baffles/gaskets inside- just 2 batteries- CR2032's. Pop a crewdriver in the slot and twist and voila! Open ASP- you need to reglue it to seal it again- and you just voided your warranty. I tossed it when I was done.

Also, each time you kill the batteries (if you can squeeze the thing for 15 hours, you will), you have to pony up $3 (or was it $5?) for shipping, as well as the fact you're without your light for 4-6 weeks (IIRC)- this according to the packaging, which admittedly I haven't seen since around Jan 1 when I sold the last of them. I went looking for my post on the topic back then, but without the search function, well, let's just say "please check your own packaging and correct me for any misquotes." As I recall, It was Spark's query about the ASP, but I can't find it. I'd much rather have the option to truck on down to Radio Shack and pick up a couple of bateries and install 'em in under 2 minutes with a simple screwdriver than wait for a month while the light is MIA.

It's also a nice feature to be able to LEAVE THE LIGHT ON, as opposed to the ASP, for which you need a clothespin or somesuch to keep it on. The ASP is also twice the size of the Photon. And with the ASP, you can get any color light you want- as long as it's blue, versus the Photon's 7 colors + Infrared.

Now, the ASP IS cheaper, and it does have that little clip, which is kinda cute- but I still wonder how durable that tiny spring inside is. Looks? Hands down, the ASP is prettier, what with all the nice colors- well black is the most prevalent after the color flaked off a lot of them. Packaging on the ASP is WAAAAAAY better/classier. Has a much nicer dealer display than the Photons.

I guess I'll have to get a couple in my next order and rip one apart again and take pictures this time. I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference on what you want/expect of it. The Photon, IMO, has more going for it, which is why they have sold about 500:1 over the ASP- and I didn't get many of them in. There is more to the background of the ASP/Photon story.

Don't take this as a rant, just as a very long, convoluted response. Thanks for reading.

------------------
--
Regards,
Tim
Nor'east Knives

There are two rules for ultimate success in life.
Never tell everything you know.
 
I love my Photon II's w/green LED. I've also given away a dozen or so as gifts, and ALL of the recipients love theirs as well. One of the few, really usefull tools I've run across in years... as a result, my wife and I have one on every keyring we own.

Get one (or more)... you can't go wrong!
 
Hmm.. a little off-topic here, but I saw a site selling new modified P61 bulbs for the Surefire 6Z Combatlights that are replacements for the regular P60 bulbs.

The P61 module supposedly has 120 lumens output compared to the 65 lumens of the regular P60 lamp. But it also runs down the 2 DL123A batteries to just 20 minutes instead of the regular 1 hour runtime for the 65-lumens version.

AGHHHH.... I have two Surefire 6Zs here, wonder if it would be worth the upgrade on the lamp.
 
Speaking of LED flashlights, has anybody seen these yet?

flt10096cw.JPG


It has 6 LED bulbs, and comes in different colors... uses 2 AA-size batteries as power source...

Company is LEDTronics??

Dan
 
DannyC,
To continue on the slightly off-topic wending, the SureFire lamps that are fairly recent, the [edited]P61 and the [edited]P91 are REAL bright. According to SureFire techs, they double the light output (130 lumens for the 6P/Z- versus the stock 65, and 210 lumens for the 9P/Z- versus 105 for the stock assembly) but cut the burn time in HALF = 30 minutes, and you'll probably see some degredation after the 20 minutes you suggest as the DL123's wane. Another consideration is the the heat generated by these new lamps. They run considerably hotter and in the 9 series can warp/melt the lens (at full retail it's a $3 easily replaced item). Aside from those considerations, they seem like winners to me!
smile.gif


[thanks for catching my typos Dan- the R lamps are for the rechargable models only]
------------------
--
Regards,
Tim
Nor'east Knives

There are two rules for ultimate success in life.
Never tell everything you know.

[This message has been edited by Tim Flanagan (edited 01 July 1999).]
 
Dannyc:

Tim is right on re: the Surefire lamps. I have both lamps for my 6P and 9P, and yes, they are BRIGHT. With the P61 lamp, a 6P is as bright as a "normal" 9P (which in a close quarters situation, is pretty darn bright!) A 9P with the P91 lamp will give whatever your object is a good sunburn! I see my Surefires as "tactical" lights, not really utility lights (that's what Maglights and UKs are for), so my goal would be to have as much light as possible (to light up a room, a yard, etc, - or to temporarily blind a bad guy. I believe I paid $12 and $15, respectively, for the lamps. I recommend them highly!
 
Tim Flanagan, here is a test for your Photon. Step on an ASP Sapphire with the heel of your foot then put your full weight on that heel. Now do the same to the Photon. Which would you bet on that will still work afterward? I won this bet many a time during Desert Fox. The pressure in your car tires is around 30-40 psi, and that is the pressure being exerted on the Photon (multiplying the Photon's area by the applied pressure).

Another test: drop an ASP Sapphire and a Photon into a glass of water, wait 10 minutes or an hour, which do you think will still work afterward? If both do not work (I highly doubt that the ASP will not work), which company do you think will give you a replacement free of charge? I have seen the Photon stop working from the body sweat seeping out of clothing.

Another test: drop an ASP Sapphire and a Photon from a height of 30 feet. Which do you think will still work afterward? I won this bet a couple of time.

I carry the ASP Sapphire as an emergency light and therefore it has to survive an emergency environment. I don't own 1 ASP, I have about 30 stash all over the place. I do not send them back one at a time for part (e.g. battery) replacement. I wait until I get five or ten bad one then send them back. So far, I have not have to send any back to ASP. When I am out in the field I do not carry spare batteries, screw driver, etc., for the Sapphire. I carry multiple Sapphires. Do you really want to change the Photon batteries in the dark (assumming you have the necessary tool) in an emergency environment.

I use to carry the Photon until I saw the light with the Sapphire. In a side by side real world comparison the Sapphire is the one I will trust. If you are a dealer then you should contact your distributor for a full brochure of the Sapphire's capability. I would like to see the stat on your 500:1 sell ratio with respect to when the Photon first came out and when the Sapphire first available. Please use any and all business jargons, charts, formular, etc.

I am not associated with ASP in any way except as a user of their products.
 
More off-topic messages.. hehehe..
smile.gif


Tim, aren't the R-series lamp assembly for rechargeables? I only saw the P61 at 120 lumens supposedly for the 6Z Combatlight.
Will the R61 work with the 6Z?
smile.gif


Squid, you're right... these are not really flashlights at all, but more of tactical lights, so one can pretty well use them to blind someone temporarily, and it works wonders when combined with my Glock.
smile.gif


I tried asking someone to flash that thing on me, and I can barely make out the silhouette of the guy behind the light. I guess that's part of its function being tactical and all.

Dan
 
Dannyc,

Since NDSProducts scans their own pictures I know exactly where you've been looking. At $30-$75 a piece I don't think I'll be getting one. I have examined them at a local store called Eagle Enterprises mentioned on equipped.org who sells them at full retail. Same as NDSProducts. BTW I did buy two Tekna Splaslights and an LED bulb that fits a regular flashlight from NDSProducts and they have good service. Only regret the LED bulb. Even in a 3D cell Maglite!

NamViet
Vo,

At such low prices one could buy and carry a Photon, Saffire ASP, LedTronics KeyLED light, Kilite, etc, etc. I like your enthusiasm though. Have you tested any knives as thoroughly as your ASP?

[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 30 June 1999).]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top