I need a new Flashlight....

[EvilGenius]

It came in yesterday!


Next to my ZT200.



In my hand.



At ~10' the spot is about 8" across.



Same distance the flood beam is about 8' across.



They claimed about 300 lumens from this LED. Judging by the ocular check and the heat it generated after playing around for about 3 min, I'd say it's probably between 200-300. However, the beam on the wall doesn't seem as bright as that. Maybe 100-150. I suspect it has to do with the focusing lens.

Here's the spot next to direct sunlight.





Over all the casting and threads are a bit rough, however it feels solid, has some heft to it, all the various seals seem to be decent quality and the sliding focus ring has a good consistent movement with no rattling.

For the money it seems like a fantastic buy, but we'll see how long it lasts.

[seuadr]

all broken links..

[EvilGenius]

Fixed!

[Sniper X]

Originally Posted by EvilGenius

Fixed!

BTW one can have a lot of fun with a flashlight and a cat if the torch does strobe......

[EvilGenius]

Well it lasted a whole week and a half before my gf confiscated it to use as her duty light.

We'll see how long it lasts.

[A-Bone]

Originally Posted by EvilGenius

Well it lasted a whole week and a half before my gf confiscated it to use as her duty light.

We'll see how long it lasts.

Well, the upside is that it means you can start looking for a nice replacement...

[Fire Escape]

My most recent two happened to both be Streamlights.
I have had the ProTac HL for a few months now. Aluminum, uses 2 123 batteries, has high, strobe and low modes, high is 600 Lumens. I didn't think that the extra Lumens would be a dramatic change over my other 100 +/- Lumen lights but ..... the brightness is amazing (at least to me), when there is no visability nothing helps but this cut a swath across a smoky basement that was impressive. Battery life has to suffer to get that power but the originals are still going strong after a couple of months of what is for me 'normal use'. The strobe doesn't have much use for me (except to play), but I think that it would induce vomitting!
The PolyTac 90 is new this week, also uses a pair of 123s and has the same 'modes' but only a 'normal' 100 lumen output (I think) on high. It came packaged with the retractor on a BoTach 'special' for $49. My plan for it is to be clipped to my turnout coat, the pocket clip should keep it pointed more or less in front of me and when I unclip that for special use, I should still be able to keep it because of the retractor. Time will tell how that all works out.

I don't get it, the picture was wider that I wanted so I went back and cropped it, copied the code but I keep getting the original when I paste it here. I will try and get it right first time, next time because 'fixing' it sure isn't working for me.



Bruce

[tony the tiger]

Originally Posted by Fire Escape

My most recent two happened to both be Streamlights.
I have had the ProTac HL for a few months now. Aluminum, uses 2 123 batteries, has high, strobe and low modes, high is 600 Lumens. I didn't think that the extra Lumens would be a dramatic change over my other 100 +/- Lumen lights but ..... the brightness is amazing (at least to me), when there is no visability nothing helps but this cut a swath across a smoky basement that was impressive. Battery life has to suffer to get that power but the originals are still going strong after a couple of months of what is for me 'normal use'. The strobe doesn't have much use for me (except to play), but I think that it would induce vomitting!
The PolyTac 90 is new this week, also uses a pair of 123s and has the same 'modes' but only a 'normal' 100 lumen output (I think) on high. It came packaged with the retractor on a BoTach 'special' for $49. My plan for it is to be clipped to my turnout coat, the pocket clip should keep it pointed more or less in front of me and when I unclip that for special use, I should still be able to keep it because of the retractor. Time will tell how that all works out.

I don't get it, the picture was wider that I wanted so I went back and cropped it, copied the code but I keep getting the original when I paste it here. I will try and get it right first time, next time because 'fixing' it sure isn't working for me.



Bruce

Nice lights.
Try clearing your browser cache then checking the pic - probably not updated...

[Fire Escape]

Originally Posted by tony the tiger

Nice lights.
Try clearing your browser cache then checking the pic - probably not updated...

Thanks, I am pretty much computer illiterate. I ended up re-cropping the original and saving it which gave me a new code. All because I lack the knowledge to clear my cache! Oh well. Thanks again for getting me on the right track.



Bruce

[tony the tiger]

Originally Posted by Fire Escape

Thanks, I am pretty much computer illiterate. I ended up re-cropping the original and saving it which gave me a new code. All because I lack the knowledge to clear my cache! Oh well. Thanks again for getting me on the right track.



Bruce

[welder]

anyone have any experience with greenlee flashlights? http://www.greenlee.com/products/FLA...%2540cLED.html

[Fire Escape]

I don't recall seeing much mention of what to put in all these hi-tech flashlights.

In years past, I did pretty much what the commercials said, unless unavailable all my lights got Duracells (like most every other first responder did).
My childhood memories said that Eveready was OK and every leaky battery I destroyed a flashlight or toy with was a Ray-o-vac but we're talking 4 to 5 decades ago there.
I saw some of the Eveready AA Lithiums a while back, tried them in the GPS and have been using them since for all things AA battery. My newer lights take CR 123s. I honestly haven't used up many 123s to even have a good guess as to what is good/better/best. I bought a package (6, 10, 12??) of Surefires a few years ago at Cabela's (after paying $8 each for whatever brand I could find at a hardware store in the keys, didn't want to get 'caught short' again) and just put the last two of them into a light this week. I haven't used any yet but grabbed a 20 pack of Rayovacs (despite those long ago memories) from BoTac because they were cheap ($22) and what showed up were Streamlights.
My use of lights is so sporadic and spread between several different ones that I can't make a reasonable evaluation as to what is 'good'.

Who knows (or has an opinion) what works?


Bruce

[snofrog]

I made a deal with an ebay vendor for 20 Saik sa-7`s . I sold half of them to get my money back . with rayovac lithium 123a batteries they are bright

[sailah]

Regarding batteries, have you considered getting rechargeable batteries?

Fir about the same money you could have bought a charger and a couple batteries from battery junction. I have the ultrafire series and really like them for the price

[Fire Escape]

Originally Posted by sailah

Regarding batteries, have you considered getting rechargeable batteries?

Fir about the same money you could have bought a charger and a couple batteries from battery junction. I have the ultrafire series and really like them for the price

I did give it a little thought.
Back when I was able to dive (pre sinus block) rechargeable batteries/lights were the 'new thing' and everyone had to have one, being contrary, I used an old school 'Bug Diver 400' that took 10 'D' alkaline cells (as I recall), heavy, cumbersome and expensive to 'refill'.But as a night dive went on the rechargeables would suddenly 'die' as the voltage dropped and I'd find myself in the center of a really tight crowd. The all until nothing nature of rechargeables didn't suit 'serious' use in my mind. While I am not going to find myself 40' underwater with a rapidly dimming light very often anymore, I spend much of my winter 'off the grid' where recharging isn't convenient. At present I'd need 11 of those 123 rechargeables for my lights plus 2 for the Eotech and that doesn't account for spares to be in the charger and ready. I have watched plenty of rechargeable lights, tools and defibrilators pass through service as a first responder, great when new out of the box, pia after a couple of years and gone after a few more because battery replacements cost more that a new device (not so much the defibs, we'd throw hundreds, probably thousands at more spare batteries and better conditioners because the unit was so $$$, while waiting for the next big improvement to justify replacement).
If time spent swapping and inconvenience (or worse) of having one 'quit' at the wrong time don't figure highly in the equation they are probably money well spent. For my wifes CD player (yes, we are old) they work fine but they aren't what I want in my light as I crawl down into a smoky basement.


Bruce