I need a new Flashlight....

I got a Fenix LD 32 the other day. Stupid bright.

I popped for a Fenix TK35 a month or so ago...it is the newest version with 860 lumen. It is an awesome flashlight and I have no regrets. It is the household flashlight and has worked out well. I have also picked up a few different "cheap" lights off of Ebay, one uses a single AA and is rated at 600 lumen and the other two use a single 18650 battery and one is 1000 lumen and the other is 1600.
I got the 1000 for $17.00 with 2 batteries and a charger with free shipping ! And the 1600 for $9.00 without any batteries. The little 600 was less than $6.00 !
I am curious to see what the life span is these.

I think 600lm from 1xAA is a typo.

Since I have been finding/trying new flashlights, a friend challenged me to find him one that a) could be carried on his duty belt and b) would break auto (side, tempered) glass. With the amount of 'stuff' a patrolman has to fit onto his belt these days, this sounded reasonable. He said that he continues to carry an ASP mostly because it will (usually) break windows and would be happy to swap it for a compact light as long as window breaking wasn't sacrificed.
I thought 'How hard can it be to find?', turns out it is harder than expected. I can find glass breaking caps for full size 'D' cell lights which as we are learning have been 'put out to pasture' by the compact new LEDs, those lights don't live well on a belt. All the high performance, 'tactical' lights that I can find have the switch in the tail cap so the glass breaking button isn't an option. I have found references to glass breaking 'crenelated' bezels but no specifics on the websites and the references were mostly to weapon mounted lights. This is handy IF the person on the other side of the window NEEDS to have a weapon pointed at them but sometimes (rescue) that is not the case. There are plenty of lights out there with 'crenelated' bezels but unless they are really hardened, they are not that effective on tempered glass He already has a 'big' light (which mostly stays in the car unless it is expected to be needed) and a weapon mounted light.
Having spent 3 decades performing and teaching auto extrication, I have broken a lot of glass. For me it was easy to carry a spring loaded center punch in my turnout gear pockets with 'all that other handy stuff' but I didn't have to wear that gear throughout my entire shift.I can find plenty of glass breaking knives, some glass breaking pens, why no lights?
Finding a multi-tasking small light is harder than I thought, what is out there that I have missed?

Bruce

+1..... I thought the voltage was one of the main limiting factors on getting really bright light out of LEDs...

None of those are rated cor4rectly.

if he already carries an ASP, he should consider adding the ASP window breaking cap.


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/13...ow-breaker-4140-steel-with-ceramic-pins-black

while it might be possible to break auto glass with a traditional ASP using the baton part, it's obviously not the right tool for the job. you'll look like an idiot if it takes several strikes before it works.

if he's wearing it on his belt, he could consider the surefire 6PX tactical. not as expensive or modular as some of the other surefires, it's simple and bright.

http://www.lapolicegear.com/sf-6px-c-bk-320-tac.html

and it fits in the surefire v70 speed holster

http://www.lapolicegear.com/suv70spho.html

I was bad...

You might get 5% off with "MTSAVE5" for a coupon code too...

Let your geek shine
http://www.hexbright.com/

here's a pic of a few classic lights on my desk .. back when I was a flasholic ...

some of these lights are super rare ..

Surefire M6, L1, Xbin McLux, Surefire very early, original McLux, Arc LSH, Arc AAA, etc

^^ now I don't feel so bad...

Just ordered these - should do the trick!



Fenix PD32 T6 Ultimate edition 740 Lumens

Just killed my third Streamlight Stylus Pro, which I carry daily along with my Leatherman Charge TTi clipped on the pocket of my pants.

I think am ready to splurge on a "higher end" light. Need some reccomendations.

Desired features:

• must have clip, pocket carryable
• preffered AA/AAA capability, although not required
• nothing with only momentary button, want it to click and stay on
• multple modes a plus (flashing, continuous, etc.)
• a brightness dial/adjuster would be cool
• durable
• bright
• $50-$100 range

Suggestions?

O-Light S20 Baton

Very compact 2xCR123A. S10 Baton is even smaller / 1xCR123A

Fenix PD22

1xCR123A. PD32 Ultimate (2xCR123A) is outstanding but a bit long for the pocket.

Fenix LD12

As PD22 but takes 1xAA battery... therefore not so bright.

O-Light I1 (stainless version pictured)

cheaper and smaller; 1xCR123A; output still good.

I've had the LD22 for about 3 months. 190 L. max w/4 brightness levels, SOS flash, reg. flash, partial depress for momentary or full depress for on.
I had a problem when it was new that the lowest setting was too bright. I e/m them about it & got a response the next day that fixed it. Good customer service.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Have also looked at the Sunwayman V11R.

I'm a bit uneasy about using anything other than commonly available AA/AAA lights, just because i'm used to being places where it's pretty tough to find anything else. Carrying spares is an option, but there'll always be a chance I won't have spares when I need them. Could be worth the performance gain and variety available. Still on the fence.

Looks like the only AA light suggested is the Fenix LD12.

Any others?

CR123A batteries are not so uncommon now.

What sort of performance are you after?

If you want modern performance in a sensibly sized package EDC a single CR123A light and pack a Nitecore EA4 in the wilderness.

Check out Coast / Lenser lights Unfreaking believable performance with Alkaline D, C, AA, or AAA batteries
The agency I retired from got those for us a couple of years before I retired. Amazing performance. My first set of D batteries in a PL17 lasted 8 months and I worked mostly at night using it a lot. Good prices also.

My LD22 is 2xAA