Puppeteer

Author Topic: High end Flashlights/torches  (Read 27797 times)

Stan

  • Guest
High end Flashlights/torches
« on: June 19, 2009, 12:34:30 AM »
To continue on from the previous topic.....

Yup, I love my Olight M20 Warrior, and the ITP lights are made by Olight as well.

I'm lusting over a Lightflux L2XT (the new little one that's single AAA or 10440 cells)

The new Olight M30 at something like 500 lumens is next on the list  ;)

These things are as addictive as Listers.

Do you haunt CPF as well?
Stan


SHIPCHIEF

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 728
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2009, 04:23:45 AM »
Stan;
What's the shelf life of batteries for these flash lights, if a new one is purchased and put 'unused' in your survival capsule?
I have a specific 'like' for flashlights and lanterns, so right now for me the lighting topic is 'which one will last the longest in storage before you start using it?'
Those Russian dynamo flashlights are interesting, but continuous sqeezing for light sound like carpotunnel in the wrist to me.
I really would like to find a battery that has an extended shelf life 20 or 50 years when purchased new before the first charge. Haul it out of the capsule after the big earthquake and charge up the batteries via Listeroid or solar charger.
Right now I keep the batteries in continuous circulation (Ni Mh) to try to keep them up, and buy a 48 pack of Costco's finest AA every now and then.
Ashwamegh 25/2 & ST12
Lister SR2 10Kw 'Long Edurance' genset on a 10 gallon sump/skid,
Onan 6.5NH in an old Jeager Compressor trailer and a few CCK's

Stan

  • Guest
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2009, 05:52:21 AM »
The Lithium Ion batteries have the longest shelf life of any of them, in the 10 to 20 year range.  I use 3.6volt Lithium Ion RCR123 cells that are rechargeable in special yet cheap chargers (<$10) that will last for a few years in a cool place before needing recharging.  They have a lifespan of hundreds of charges if treated properly.  So you can get say, conservatively 5 years between charges, and charge them up (again conservatively)  300 times so they will last maybe 1500 years or so.  All you need is a relatively small solar panel and a 75 watt inverter and you have power basically forever!

My Olight M20 Warrior Premium R2 flashlight uses 2 RCR123 cells and on high (240 lumens) can blind you or light up a racoon in a tree 200 yards away on a dark night, yet on it's lowest mode (it has 3 light level modes, a strobe and an SOS mode) it will last continuously for at least 5 days, continuous light.  The low mode is about 8 lumens which is enough to walk along a trail in the bush in the dark safely.

If you want a light just to put away in the "kit" and forget about for years and years you should get one of the original Nightstar flashlights ..... http://www.nightstarflashlight.com/comersus7f/store/comersus_index.asp

They are indestructable, will last forever with no batteries, never need recharging, are not very bright, maybe 10 lumens but still bright enough to walk safely in the bush with, but did I say they will last forever?  I have one in my grab and go bag cause my wife can operate it easily unlike some of the more complex battery lights.
BUT DON'T BUY ONE OF THE KNOCKOFFS!  They are junk!

Stan


LowGear

  • Casey
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2130
  • What? My diesel had fries for lunch?
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2009, 09:26:57 AM »
Stan!

The Olight M20 Warrior flash light retails for $95.  What kind of lust are you leading us into?

Can you imagine if I said I'll trade you 12 flash lights for Penelope?  That dinky box of flashlights for all this cast iron.
 
Casey
NPR Tipper/Dump Truck
Kubota BX 2230
Witte BD Generator
SunnyBoy 6000 + SolarWorld 245

AdeV73

  • Guest
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2009, 10:00:23 AM »
Crazy people!

Pretty well the last torch I bought was one of these:


I think I was about 13 at the time  ;D

I was given a wind-up torch a few years ago, which I have around the place somewhere; it has a whopping big spring in it, and lasts about 5 minutes on a wind.

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2009, 12:23:13 PM »
To continue on from the previous topic.....

Yup, I love my Olight M20 Warrior, and the ITP lights are made by Olight as well.

I'm lusting over a Lightflux L2XT (the new little one that's single AAA or 10440 cells)

The new Olight M30 at something like 500 lumens is next on the list ;)

These things are as addictive as Listers.

Do you haunt CPF as well?
Stan



LOL !! Just googled CPF !!  Candle Power Forums !!  Now I just CANNOT join that forum , I have a bad enough gadget habit without walking straight into the jaws of temptation !! 
The worst thing about my torch addiction is that I rarely actually need one !! Although I suppose need has never been  relevant for boys toys !!
The one I use the most is the Inova single 1 watt LED. When I'm away from home and have the need for a torch I take the Surefire , it always impresses a crowd & pulls the chicks !! LOL !! 
Having said I have no serious requirement for nocturnal lumens an itch has developed for the Inova X03 , 5.8 watt led !! Check it out ,  http://www.inovalight.com/x.html
But then , some of the latest Surefire range is exerting gravitational pull !!  I need to wait for the buck to weaken though , the one I'm after is $499 !!



Crazy people!

Pretty well the last torch I bought was one of these:

I think I was about 13 at the time  ;D

I was given a wind-up torch a few years ago, which I have around the place somewhere; it has a whopping big spring in it, and lasts about 5 minutes on a wind.

Your life is not complete without a high end lumen device !! You will give in eventually !!

I'll start a thread on multi-tools next , Leatherman Skeletool CX , gimme , gimme !!
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

Stan

  • Guest
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2009, 03:03:11 PM »
Casey....Penelope only cost me 1 Olight Warrior M20  ;D

You should look up the JetBeam line of lights.  They are also very good!

I love it when you hand a buddy a high end 240 lumen flashlight, they turn it on and then, inevitably, they point it directly at their face and look straight into it!  Now I ask you, if I handed you a nice little glock model 26, would you point it at your face and pull the trigger?

Stan

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2009, 03:16:05 PM »
Those Jet Beams are sex !!!  I feel the chill of irrevocable temptation !!  Only in the USA could there be so many exotic flashlight manufacturers !!
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

Doug

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3386
  • Why don't pictures ever work for me?
    • View Profile
    • Doug's Petteroid Stuff
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2009, 05:14:07 PM »
Everything I own Stan runs on liquid fuel.....

And you may have seen me talk about the 237 Empire multifuel at that CPF forum.

237 king of lanterns....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JFkV7YBCk0&feature=channel_page
It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken

LowGear

  • Casey
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2130
  • What? My diesel had fries for lunch?
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2009, 07:12:45 PM »
Gentlemen.

I'm just out of my league.  About half way through watching two Coleman lanterns do almost nothing for two minutes it came to me like a light.  My wife is right.  I'm just too stupid to really appreciate what's going on.  (This has even including driving a car.)  $100 flashlights. 

Carry on men.  Good fortune on your expedition.

LowGear
NPR Tipper/Dump Truck
Kubota BX 2230
Witte BD Generator
SunnyBoy 6000 + SolarWorld 245

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2009, 07:45:17 PM »
And I thought cement drying was boring to watch , now I know watching light shine is worse !!
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

Stan

  • Guest
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2009, 01:38:29 AM »
BTW...Casey, I didn't buy an Olight M20, my son gave me it for my birthday.  I did buy my ITP C9 for $40 US, but I did it with some US currency I bought at $1.06 in Nov 07 so it was something like $30 +.

HOWEVER!!!   ;D  Do some research on the Lightflux LF2XT if you are interested.  My "next" acquisition, maybe.....Just about the size of my little finger (just 10 mm longer, but slimmer), puts out mega lumens, and has the most complex programming system of any flashlight known to man.  Yes, programming!   Uses 1 AAA.  Here's a portion of the manual on how to program it to do different things.

Compact User Interface : (Factory default)
the LF2XT always turns on at the user mode.
User mode : 50% output.

Click = C, Press & Hold = PH

1C - to turn on/off in user mode.
1C+PH - 100% MAX output. repeat to return to user mode.

2C - 1% MIN output. repeat to return to user mode.

PH - to increase brightness of user mode. repeat to decrease brightness of user mode. the chosen brightness will be automatically saved in the user mode. also brightness of user mode is retained even after jumping to MIN or MAX output.

PH - to increase brightness when in MIN mode or to decrease brightness when in MAX mode. the chosen brightness will NOT be save when in either MIN or MAX mode.

4C - to turn momentary on/off. * #
4C+PH - to turn over discharge protection on/off. *#

5C - report the battery voltage (2 decimals) under load.
5C+PH - to switch between CUI & FUI.

8C+PH - to turn auto-off on/off. * #

* this is a toggle operation. i.e. on/off. no menu to enter or exit.

# slow flash (1Hz - 1 flash in 1 second) - represent the chosen function is turn OFF.
# fast flash (2Hz - 2 flashes in 1 second) - represent the chosen function is turn ON.

no strobe, beacon or SOS to cycle through or tinker with.


Full Function User Interface
the LF2XT always turns on at the user mode 1.
5 user modes.

Mode 1 = 50% brightness output
Mode 2 = 15% brightness output
Mode 3 = 2% brightness output
Mode 4 = 50% brightness double flash beacon
Mode 5 = 15% brightness SOS

Click = C, Press & Hold = PH

1C - to turn on/off LF2XT in user mode.
user mode number is selectable. (min 1 mode. max 5 modes)

1C+PH - random strobe. release to return to user mode.

2C - to switch to the next output mode. cycle operation (i.e. mode 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> 1 -> 2 -> 3.....)

PH - 100% MAX output. release to return to user mode.

3C - to exit both "brightness/strobe/beacon/SOS adjustment" menu AND "select user mode number" menu WITHOUT saving any changes.

3C - if auto-off is enabled, this command is also use to temporarily disable the auto-off timer until the light is switch off.

3C+PH - to enter "brightness/strobe/beacon/SOS adjustment" menu while in user mode.

3C+PH - also use to save changes and exit both "brightness/strobe/beacon/SOS adjustment" menu AND "select user mode number " menu.

4C - to turn tactical momentary on/off. * #
4C+PH - to turn over discharge protection on/off. * #

5C - report the battery voltage (2 decimals) under load.
5C - report the brightness % only while in "brightness/strobe/beacon/SOS adjustment" menu.
5C+PH - to switch between CUI & FUI.

6C+PH - to enter "select user mode number" menu.

7C+PH - to turn last mode memory on/off. * #

8C+PH - to turn auto-off on/off. * #

10C+PH - FACTORY RESET.

* this is a toggle operation. i.e. on/off. no menu to enter or exit.

# slow flash (1Hz - 1 flash in 1 second) - represent the chosen function is turn OFF.
# fast flash (2Hz - 2 flashes in 1 second) - represent the chosen function is turn ON.

Reporting format.
both battery voltage and brightness report uses the same format.
1 flash = 1
3 flashes = 3
.
.
9 flashes = 9
2 quick flashes = 0

for example,
0.95V is 2 quick flashes, blank 1 second, 9 flashes, blank 1 second, 5 flashes.
100% is 1 flash, blank one second, 2 quick flashes, blank one second, 2 quick flashes.

while in the FUI, there are 4 types/styles of output in LF2XT.

1. Constant brightness
2. Strobe - 8 frequencies + random frequencies
3. Beacon - single flash & double flashes with 8 frequencies for both.
4. SOS

the brightness of all 4 types of output is user adjustable from 1% to 100%.

the output of all 5 user modes in FUI can be change by user to the above mentioned 4 types/styles. for example, you can set all 5 user modes to have

5 different % of constant brightness or
5 different frequency and brightness of strobes or
5 different frequency and brightness of beacon or
5 different brightness of SOS or

any combination of the 4 types/styles in ANY order you preferred.


Logarithmic plus Linear Brightness Adjustment.

the LF2XT has both logarithmic and linear adjustment for the brightness setting. Logarithmic adjustment to quickly jump to the level you want, and linear adjustment for macro adjustment to the exact output level % desired.

the exact output level % can be determined using the brightness % report (5C) while in the output setting menu.

each logarithmic increase steps raises the output by 50%.
eg. 10% -> 15% -> 22% -> 33% -> 50% -> 75%

each logarithmic decrease steps reduces the output by 33%.
eg. 75% -> 50% -> 33% -> 22% -> 15% -> 10%

LowGear

  • Casey
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2130
  • What? My diesel had fries for lunch?
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2009, 03:09:43 AM »
Hi Stan,

Your son would, I believe, be called an enabler.

LowGear
NPR Tipper/Dump Truck
Kubota BX 2230
Witte BD Generator
SunnyBoy 6000 + SolarWorld 245

Stan

  • Guest
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #13 on: June 20, 2009, 03:51:40 AM »
Hey, I rarely drink, I don't gamble, I don't carouse with loose women so let me have a couple of compulsions eh?  ;D
Stan

xyzer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1058
    • View Profile
Re: High end Flashlights/torches
« Reply #14 on: June 20, 2009, 04:39:11 AM »
For the past 15 years at every garage sale or flea market I would buy up any 25-50cent old flashlight I ran across. My family started doing the same, and give me an oddball for my birthday or Christmas I hadn't run across. Now I have hundreds of different flashlights. My wife even let me put the really neat ones in the entertainment center for display. Now I see there is a flashlight forum....I'm a goner! They will commit me for sure. They threatened me if I get another generator! Looks like I’ll have good company
Vidhata 6/1 portable
Power Solutions portable 6/1
Z482 KUBOTA