Good small LED flashlights

[notbob]

They know how much to stiff you. $5000 pair! I'll take a dozen, don't bother to wrap 'em.

How big a spot? Big enough to light a Bomber at 10,000ft?

I looked up a few LED floodlights. Flood what? A bathroom sink?

Perhaps. I'm not saying LEDs are NOT the future, but the future is not today. Today, I use what I know to work for me, not what marketers tell me works.

As I'm free to use an old fashioned two D-cell flashlight instead of my $30 3 LED headlamp, which currently lies collecting dust cuz the ancient $5 incandescent flashlight is more handy and provides more USABLE light. Likewise, you are free to use whatever you like.

nb

[Steve B]

What is the most used brand on the force, and how much does that light cost? Can they double up as a nightstick like the long MagLites and hold up? Or are they mainly used for close up illumination and paperwork? How far can they throw usable light, and can they be focused down to a small spot like the MagLite? I just ask because my SIL and daughter are PO's and she gave me her MagLite because she didn't like its bigness. I love it. I haven't had to hit anyone with it, though. Yet. All the LED's I have seen throw a halo of light, and not specifically focused down into any small circle. Maybe there are some out there that will do that. Are there? In any case, my dozens of $3 LEDs laying around the house, shop, garage, and cars work nicely, and for bigger than that, I have a 4 D cell floating light that will throw a spot for a long long way. $16, IIRC. One size does not fit all, and different lights work differently. I have a Ray-O-Vac headlamp that has incandescent, LED, and red filter on it. That one really works great, and was $12, IIRC.

Steve

visit my blog at

[notbob]

Yeah, the Police!! There's a good example.

Are those the same police that went from a single flashing red light to what now amounts to a blinding carnival of lights on top of their patrol car, none of which, judging by the total candlepower generated, is even remotely LED driven. Holy Christ! Those lightbars are generating enough lumens to signal Pluto and cause more accidents than they prevent. Drive by any accident site, late at night, with more than two black n' whites present, and it's safer to stare directly into the sun!

Is this the same Military that went from the .308 NATO round to a prairie dog cartridge and dumped the venerable Colt 1911 in favor of an Italian wienie gun? The same military that has GIs begging to bring back the M14 and buying .45 autos with their own money rather than get stuck defending themselves with an LED sized bullet?

nb

[JawBone]

Check this one:

[SMS]

You realize that the good LED flashlights are not cheap. Here's the best one: "

". Some other 2AA good ones:

"

" (single mode) "" (single mode) "" (6 mode)

While you're correct about AAA batteries, the problem is that it's a lot easier to make an LED flashlight that operates off around 3.6-4.5V than it is to make one that operates off 2.4 to 3V, which is why you see so many 3 AAA flashlights for sale. I.e. Costco sells a two-pack of a very good Cree LED flashlight for $20. They have two power levels, a strobe, and an adjustable beam (spot to flood). But they are AAA powered.

Costco also has some good C cell powered Cree LED flashlights, "

". The problem with LED flashlights is that most of them suck. The manufacturer puts in a very low quality, low power, LED (or a bunch of crappy LEDs) and sells the thing for $5 (or in the case of Harbor Freight Tools, even less), but it has a crappy lens and reflector along with the crappy LED. There are some excellent LED flashlights, but the high power comes at a price both in initial cost and in battery life.

[Stormin Mormon]

Try LED Mag lights, in the D cell version. They are very effective.

[Clot]

You are not joking either. I find passing them quite difficult and potentially dangerous.

Don't get me on those xenon 'fings. I'd love to poke a walking stick through every one of those that I come across!

I just cannot understand why they are allowed. Fuck you, I'm alright seems to be the mentality.

[Caesar Romano]

On Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:03:50 GMT, notbob wrote Re Re: Good small LED flashlights:

Yes, that's the one.

[notbob]

What's that "incandescent, LED, and red filter on it" headlamp?

I used to have the great Ray-O-Vac incandescent headlamp. Literally wore it out after 20 yrs hard use. Now, they no longer make it and it's a crying shame. The good news is, you can still find one (NOS) at Ten Square Racing:

The bad news is, they want $30! and it's been modified and no longer includes the battery holster, and end connectors. More good news, though. They rewired it for the rigors of sled racing and you can still get screw connector 6V lantern batteries (TrueValueHardware). You can also get a Krypton bulb for it. This is the same headlight used by Lance Mackey to win the Iditarod Dog Sled Race the last four years running.

I jes bought a one. Love it! Incandescent ain't dead yet. ;)

nb

[Stormin Mormon]

The mag original LED are expensive, but very effective. The lights retail about $30. I caught a sale, and bought two, which run on 3D cells. Brighter and whiter than the 3D Garrrity they replaced. I'm not sure if the Mag LED bulbs break, on impact. I had a filament Mag bulb go sideways when I dropped it in a parking lot. The light still worked, but the light pattern was a bit strange.

Nite Ize, and Garrity replacement LED bulbs emit blue fog sort-of light.

Other than Mag original, I find LED to be useful as close range light.

[notbob]

Hilarious!

I like this one better:

Let's see your El-EE-DEE flashlight do that! ;)

nb

[Nonny]

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message news:i0v6a0$m7c$ [e-mail]...

Maybe it's a difference in Harbor Freight stores, but I took the batteries out of 4 HFT lights I have sitting right her by my computer. I got them over the past 2-3 months with the free coupons. Every one of them has alkaline batteries in them, so YMMV. My friend and I joke that the batteries alone are worth the drive to get the free lights.

Nonny

[Nonny]

As I understand it, the primary limitation on light output from an LED is the temperature of the LED in operation. At output levels exceeding 3 watts, at the present technology, the internal soldered/brazed junctions melt and the LED fails. Due to the brief time a "flash" LED is illuminated, such is in a cell phone camera, heating isn't that much of a problem and higher output levels can be attained. Nonny

[SMS]

This is true. The semiconductor junction gets extremely hot and needs an elaborate heat sink, but there's only so much area of the junction that you can attach the heat sink to, so there's a limit to how much heat you can dissipate.

[Steve B]

I like just a little light. Some of my pet peeves are: People who need four Coleman lanterns (or one even) at a campsite. People who have those terribly bright dim headlights. People who have those terribly bright dim headlights who then find it necessary to drive with their "fog" lights on where there is clear skies and 50 mile visibility, making them look like they have their lights on bright, not dim.

If a person uses a small amount of light, it is amazing what they can see. When camping, I carry one of the one bulb LEDs with the button battery in my pocket. I have seen them for free at conventions, and get all I can. Everyone I give one to asks me if I can get any more, as they lost theirs or broke it, or people ask them for one. But some are afraid of the dark, or for whatever reason need to light up the area until everything is WHITE! It is amazing what one can see in only moonlight IF they keep the f'ing lights off long enough for their eyes to adjust.

Steve

visit my blog at

[notbob]

Yes, those can be a bit much.

What's amazing is that you assume what works for you also works for everyone else.

....or perhaps just be able to see!

Little known fact: Not everyone sees as well as you.

nb

[George]

Maybe you haven't kept up with LED technology. All of those new lighting systems you see on emergency vehicles are LED. They are small, take very low average power, require simple circuitry since high voltage is not required as in strobe lights.

Got it, you don't like anything you aren't familiar with and will just launch into an endless "see how about this other thing" whenever someone tries to offer you some information.

[Nonny]

It's amazing how much light is lost to cataracts. As I aged, I noticed that reading in restaurants became difficult and even when driving, it never seemed to be bright enough. Remember, also, that your dept of field decreases with the pupil increasing in size. Even with new lens implants, I still don't see as well in low light conditions as I did when younger.

YMMV

As for the Harbor Freight-type flashlights, I love them. They weigh little and are perfect for trips to the backyard to check up on the smoker.

Nonny

[George]

No idea what brands are used most. I am sure if you were doing finish painting it would be very clear to you that a Harbor Freight brush just isn't the same as say a Purdy.

Its pretty much the same thing with technology stuff. I am not big on wasting money and I don't need to be the first on my block with something. But I do appreciate good tools. A Harbor Freight flashlight is a novelty item when you compare it with a quality flashlight. I don't need to keep dozens of flashlights around and I don't need to put my Bat Belt on when going out because it is nice and small but very effective.

[HeyBub]

I disagree completely. The HF flashlights are cast aluminum (not extruded), not plastic or thin steel. The have a switch, not a sliding contact, they have 9 LEDs, not three or five. They are rugged, dependable, exhibit long battery life, and work under water.

Heck, I'd pay as much as a dollar for them if they weren't free!

A flashlight is (usually) a single-purpose tool. If it puts out sufficient light for the project, one has to call it good. There are few other considerations and what ones there are, are trivial (except, perhaps, cost).

And I *know* what a good flashlight is. During my cop days I carried a

5-cell Maglite. The company asserted that if the flashlight failed during its use as an offensive or defensive weapon, the company would replace it. I never had to take advantage of the guarantee!