Challenge Week #1: Incandescent Only! (2021 edition)

nbp

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I'm starting today. The worst part for me is going to be lacking modes. I will miss my sublumen lights for kicking around late at night. My options for modes this week will be 90/700. Lol
 

Katherine Alicia

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I got out my 2xAA maglite clone as well because 6W and 4.5W are a bit too much light for some things. it Has made me start wanting to buy more incans again though! in fact I`m waiting on an offer for a brand new 1960`s Pifco light as a I type. LOL
 

bykfixer

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Re: Challenge Week #1: Incandescent Only! (2021 edition)

Incan use in daylight:
Lost my pack of smokes after helping a motorist plug a tire at my work. When we were done he lit up a smoke from his pack. He offered me one but I don't dig on menthol so I lit one of mine. Later on I wanted one after lunch. Checked everywhere to no avail. That usually means whatever I'm looking for has fallen into the abyss between the seats of my work truck.

Whip out the 1 cell aviatEr with lumens factory bulb, click it on, shine into the abyss and……tadah!! Along with about a buck in change, a couple of peanuts and a BiC lighter I gave up looking for back in the summer.
 

carrot

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Count me in. Those posts by nbp about LumensFactory Xenon saw me prepared for this event. And all those guilt-free lumens, to boot.
 

bigburly912

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I'll be impressed when somebody busts out the ol Tom Thumb for a full day. I've been hunting the right one for a few years.
 

gravelrash

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I've never carried my A2 - I AM LOVING IT!

BUT I am using primaries (I know I can use a skinny lipo in it). What currently available rechargeable incan setups are y'all using? I looked at a LF E1P pineapple setup but it's a bit of a stretch at around $150 for the parts I picked out. I like the size though.

Some future challenges maybe?
Use only dollar store lights w/dollar store batteries
Use any light but give it away at the end of the week
Only headlamps
Only keychain lights
Only lights you "rescued" from a thrift store and refurbished
 

Katherine Alicia

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I will state from the outset that I will Not use primaries for any of these challenges, and will gladly forfeit rather than poison the planet further.
 

bykfixer

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I'll be impressed when somebody busts out the ol Tom Thumb for a full day. I've been hunting the right one for a few years.

Tom Thumb model or Tom Thumb style?
My former nightlight was a HIPCO Tom Thumb style with a #222 bulb that put out about 1 orange lumen.

This year I chose to use the Solitaire for my 2am light during the incan challenge.
 
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novice

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I will state from the outset that I will Not use primaries for any of these challenges, and will gladly forfeit rather than poison the planet further.


I am in agreement with you there, regarding incans, although I will consider primariies for long-lasting leds. Generally, my main criteria for accumulating some Surefire/other brands of incandescent bulbs and lamp assemblies is whether or not I have a convenient configuration for running them on rechargeable cells. I don't have an LiFePo4(?) charger. Fivemega's parts have helped a lot. P90s can run on anything from 2x16340 to 2x26650. I have acquired some P60s and P61s only because I have an FM 3xAA body to C head (although I could run them on 1x Li-Ion). If I had convenient rechargeable options for the Mn01, -02, and -03, I probably would have collected some of those, too.
 
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bykfixer

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Another step towards total incan dominance in my humble abode was to remove the insurectionist LED lights from my jar of flashlights on my table and install incan minimags to ensure any LED light that dared speak out against the goal was silenced.
Mwew-ah-ah-ah. By weeks end those dastardly LED lights will have no choice but to bow to the will of the mighty light bulb once again.
 

Katherine Alicia

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has anyone else noticed that their Incan lights seem to be a lot brighter now than they were on Sunday? it`s purely a perspective shift, but some of mine seem Really bright now.
one of My P60s has arrived today also, it has a 7.4v 10W lamp module and takes 2x 18350 batts easily, but OMG is it ever bright! I never knew little hand held incans could do this! I had to double check the module because I thought it was a LED (it isn`t) and the beam is so perfect! this is my first ever modern incan and if I`d have known they were this good I would probably have never even considered buying a led light.
I am Seriously impressed!
This challenge suddenly got a LOT easier! :D
 

nbp

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Indeed. The P60 is to a Maglite zoomie as kobe beef is to a Big Mac.

One thing I've learned by my second day of this challenge is how inefficient incans are. I'm glad to be using rechargeable setups - I burned through a 16340 just yesterday in my LF E1 Pineapple trying to finish a laptop repair. The color was lovely but I would have preferred less light and more runtime!! Haha
 

desert.snake

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In short, I give up, these dynamic flashlights are only suitable for survival after a nuclear war, for more than 20 minutes in a row my hand gets tired of lighting + this hand falls out of work. Have to start something on batteries, like Solitaire
 

Stress_Test

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................

one of My P60s has arrived today also, it has a 7.4v 10W lamp module and takes 2x 18350 batts easily, but OMG is it ever bright! I never knew little hand held incans could do this! ................


......................

One thing I've learned by my second day of this challenge is how inefficient incans are. I'm glad to be using rechargeable setups - I burned through a 16340 just yesterday in my LF E1 Pineapple trying to finish a laptop repair. The color was lovely but I would have preferred less light and more runtime!! Haha

Good quality, readily available, rechargeables really changed the incan game I think. Two Li-Ion cells provide enough voltage to really make an incan impressive in a small form factor.

Even Eneloops improve things a lot with their high current capacities and easy no-fuss recharging. Just topped off the 4 "Duraloop" AA that I use in the 4-C Mag. I like these AA-to-C adapters. Not fancy, but they allow direct contact from one battery to the next, so no voltage drop going through extra springs or anything.

Almost screwed up when I cut the tailcap spring; I reduced the overall length so there wouldn't be too much force on the little AAs, but cut it a little too short and it was almost too loose. But it works.

Back in the Mag they go!

vODOTIu.jpg
 

bigburly912

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Tom Thumb model or Tom Thumb style?
My former nightlight was a HIPCO Tom Thumb style with a #222 bulb that put out about 1 orange lumen.

This year I chose to use the Solitaire for my 2am light during the incan challenge.

Sorry just saw this. The Tom Thumb I'm most familiar with is the Fulton brand however I see they have been made by several companies. Neat little lights.
 
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