flashlights

[tomh1426]

Ive been looking at flashlights for a while and my head is spinning.
All I want is a bright light, can any flashlight nerds help me?
I dont care how big it is, Id like it to use regular batteries and be less than $50
Oh and I dont wanna have to buy this this and that and trick out my flashlight, I just wanna put batteries in it and see bright light
Thanks, Tom

[black bear 84]

Flashlight nerd to the rescue, here!

Why you don't read a little of my thread, "Light for law enforcement"?

Just to get an idea of what it is available and how they perform for you.
Here is the link
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=239165

Less than $50 is a problem, when lights are very bright they need especial components to cope with the heat, there are not cheap and bright, high lumen output.

SMALL LIGHTS

Fenix L1D (1 AA) from 9 lumens up to 90 lumens

POCKET SIZE

Streamlight Poly Pro 4 AA Luxeon 75 lumens

BIGGER THAN POCKET SIZE

Bear Cub rechargeable 220 lumens

CAR SIZE (12 1/2 inches long)

Magcharger 200 lumens
Streamlight Ultra Stinger 295 lumens
BOREALIS rechargeable 1050 lumens

Hope this help[
All the best
Black Bear

[Dave P]

If you have these guys in town: http://advanceauto.shoplocal.com/advanceautoparts/

This light will knock your socks off!

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19.88 EACH
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thru Sep 29

• 10x brighter than standard LED
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#APF708

[dwatts47]

my life's worth more than the convienence of regular batteries.

Get a surefire. most any model they make is bright enough to momentarily blind an attacker.


the G2 is only $32 and comes with new lithium batts.

[Alaskanmonte]

I have a streamlight propolymer I bought from Midway for Appromimately $35.00. It takes 4 AA batteries and has a seven bulb LED light system. Its a nice cheap light (and its waterproof).

[MyXD40]

I have a 2 D-Cell LED 3watt flashlight, made by maglite.

Now a 2 D-Cell battery maglight, with the typical bulb sells for $16.99 at walmart. This pushes out 34 lumens (how bright it is). Almost everyone has had one of these flashlights, and I'm sure you can remember how bright it was. You can buy the LED version at walmart for $32.99 which pushes out 140 lumens. nearly 4 times brighter, lasts hours longer on the battery.

I loooooove my maglite. I use mine as a hammer being I don't need to worry about a damage to the bulb, being it's LED. I'll get pictures of mine tonight, I've had it for 2 months and it's showing some ware! scratches, dents, nail marks (used it to hammer nails for hanging up pictures)

[tomh1426]

Thnk you, everyone
alotta good info
This isnt for blinding people or fitting in my little pocket, its for camping and providing me with bright light.
That BOREALIS is very cool, a little out of my price range thow
I think a maglite might work for me, I had one a while ago and it wasent that bright, I didnt know they improved that much
The more I find out the more I want and the more $ this is costing me

[MyXD40]

a maglite is your cheapest for a light. Like I said, get the 3 watt LED version and you'll be VERY impressed, trust me. if not, return it and get your moeny back. Thats one reason I love walmart LOL

[tomh1426]

That is true, I really cant go wrong.
I just got back from Walmart too
Is the 3 or 4D brighter than the 2D or is it just longer run time

[MyXD40]

They all run at the same lumens. Battery life..I dunno..they say my 2 Dcell light runs at around 20 hours which is doubble of the hologen bulbs maglights used to come in...so I dunno how much longer it would last with one or two more batteries

[itman]

Wal Mart sales a few nice LED flashlight. I picked one up for my son so he would stop useing up the batters in my surefires.

But take a look at the surefires are vary vary nice and in your price range. the batterys are not that bad eather. Just order them from userfire. You can get 12 for ~$21.

[PPGMD]

I use a Surefire G2Z as my bright tactical light, and use a Fenix P1D as my general light.

[FirstFreedom]

Read my sig line, and Black Bear 84's threads.

[wuluf]

No, Not Back up, i'm a pest control technician and i need a very bright light to help find hidden critters. I use a Streamlight stinger. It uses rechargable batteries, and costs about 80.00 but otherwise it's just what you need. It's VERY bright!

[PPGMD]

Read my sig line, and Black Bear 84's threads.

Black Bear lights look like fantastic car lights for officers, and other people that use their flashlight on a daily basis, but I honestly don't think that NiMH or even alkaline flashlights are a good idea for the average person considering that often they buy a light, toss it somewhere, and only pull it out when they need it. And more often then not the batteries are either dead or dieing.

I use NiMH in my flash units for my photography, I always have to be sure that I charge the batteries (both my AA's and my large belt mounted high voltage pack), the lithiums that I keep in the battery bay in one of my flash units (the one that I use the high voltage pack with), have lasted over a year and are still chugging along, while after a week or two my NiMH can barely charge the capacitors.

[dwatts47]

I'm sorry....

I think, in stock form, the maglite is a peice of crap.

I've thrown away enough of them to have double my surefire battery supply.

The black bear light is amazing as the pictures in his post prove, but I'm not dressing to conceal a 12" long light.

I'm a surefire snob, but only because I've seen the abuse they'll take. Besides, you got a $2900 1911 and a $300 iphone... buy a good light. It bighter than it has a right to be, and its smaller than your spare mag.

[black bear 84]

PPGMD,
NIMH batteries had taken a few steps forward lately, they are now enhanced with some new developments, and last much longer than before.

The new POWEREX AA 2700 mah have a very low self discharge and are actually the best in the market, better than the Sanyo HR-3U batteries.





The new Sanyo Eneloop 2000 can stay charged for months and they are very high current and cope very well with the demands of the super-bulbs.

Of course, as you have experienced Lithium Ion are even better at keeping the charge for a long time, but they are not as super safe as the NIMHS, as you probably have heard lately, with all this computer and battery recall problems.

Respectfully
Black Bear

[PPGMD]

I was speaking on lithium primary batteries, which are much safer since they are single use.

Even still, you are talking months where as I am talking a few years without loosing a useful charge. The last time I pulled out the Maglite in my car for anything was when I pulled it from my old car and put it in my new car. I changed the batteries of course, but that was still two years ago since it has left the compartment for more then 5 minutes to take the batteries out.

This is not anything bad about your light, your design appeals to your main market, LEOs already using rechargeable lights like the Magcharger.

[tomh1426]

I think Im probably gunna get the 2D maglite
i read everything their was to read and havent heard anything bad about it plus it fits exactly what I was looking for.
Im still amazed at that Black Bear Light , Its like a hand held helicopter spot light.
Could you imagine flashing a BG in the eyes with that

[j0hnnyb]

For what its worth. I have owned Mag-lites for years and have found them to be pretty much indestructible. The only thing that annoys me is the first time you drop one the beam splits. I have 3 now and all of them have a sloppy beam. I have never owned a LED model those might not do this.

[dwatts47]

That shows the poor shock isolation measure that mag lite went to.

When my Surefire M4 Devastator was brand new ($389) I turned it on and went to the top of the local FD's 4 story structure fire building and threw it stick grenade style, as far as I could onto the gravel below.

Small nick in the end cab and bezel (duh)... thats it no split beam, no cracked glass, no damage.

Thats what you need in a light.

[tomh1426]

Its good to know if you fall off a 4 story building your flashlight will be fine JK
Thats pretty cool

[MyXD40]

dwatts, I toss my maglite off my 2nd floor roof. I'll get video of it tonight

I often toss my flashlight. It's sooooo beat up.

Like blackbear lights are amazing, I can't wait to get enough cash to buy one. Until then my LED mag will do me well

[tomh1426]

looks strong enough for my uses http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAch-TMC9i4&NR=1

[black bear 84]

The Borealis got shot in this video

http://blackbearflashlights.com/torture_test.htm

Black Bear