DELIVERY DRIVER KEYCHAIN LIGHT

bykfixer

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A 14500 is basically a 3 volt battery the size of a double a. And by powerful I mean capable of producing a bunch of electricity all at once. Enough that a 1aa size flashlight can put out 900 lumens briefly.

Now I like the Manker T01 with just a regular 1aa battery for this request as it should be able to light up house numbers from 75 yards away using a store bought battery.
 
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A 14500 is basically a 3 volt battery the size of a double a. And by powerful I mean capable of producing a bunch of electricity all at once. Enough that a 1aa size flashlight can put out 900 lumens briefly.

Now I like the Manker T01 with just a regular 1aa battery for this request as it should be able to light up house numbers from 75 yards away using a store bought battery.

I performed delivery work for a lot of years. The ability to illuminate a house number from 75 feet would be plenty.

If I was still a delivery technician, I'd want a three cell Mag equipped with a taser on the other end. FLASH! BZZZZ! BAM!
 

fulee9999

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dedomed 519A 5700K or the 4000K SST-20 but one could go for maximum throw with a W1 or W2.
huh? what do these number mean

519A = Nichia 519A // Nichia is a japanese LED manufacturer, they created one of the best color-rendering LEDs out there the last decade, 519A is the model of a LED, dedomed means the squishy rubbery half-dome on the LED is removed, allowing for a tighter beam of light
5700K = color temperature of the light source, sunlight is around 5500K-5900K, meaning it's fairly neutral. a candle would be around half of this, anything above would be considered "cool white"
4000K = see above, only a bit warmer
SST-20 = Luminus SST-20, Luminus is the manufacturer, SST-20 is the model
"W1 or W2" = Osram W1 or Osram W2, same as before, manufacturer and model number, Osram LEDs are usually brought up for maximum throw ( tight beam ) situations
 

Buck91

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Wuben E6 is very pocketable, ALMOST keychain sized...
 

bykfixer

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Folks,
We need to remember that often times the new folks don't know the lingo so when we say "the PDQ36B with 5700 R22" they have no idea what we are talking about. We have to say something like "the BrushFire PDQ36B with a 5700 kelvin tint beam from a gladiator R22 LED" or something.

Used to be you carried around a big ole Maglite that would roll around on the floor board until you hit the brakes then it would roll out from under the seat so you could grab it then you'd notice the bulb was blown from all that jostling around and have to fix it.

These days we have choices.
 
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alpg88

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Surefire sidekick. I have few keychain lights, this one is the best, it is the size and shape of a car alarm remote, 3 modes, and pretty bright for a keychain light, durable too.
 

jadedriver

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I performed delivery work for a lot of years. The ability to illuminate a house number from 75 feet would be plenty.

If I was still a delivery technician, I'd want a three cell Mag equipped with a taser on the other end. FLASH! BZZZZ! BAM!
LOL THAT THOUGHT DID CROSS MY MIND just to have a toy, but it would be sooo useless here. i liv ein cow country, crime around here is the occasional DWI and wife beater. how about a mid size tactical? what you recommend? i have carried a maglight for as many years as i can remember but it seems no matter what you do eventually the batteries explode inside or theres alkaline all over the switches and poop. if for nothing more than to have a nice annoying strobe light to screw with co workers and friends lol
 

jadedriver

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Folks,
We need to remember that often times the new folks don't know the lingo so when we say "the PDQ36B with 5700 R22" they have no idea what we are talking about. We have to say something like "the BrushFire PDQ36B with a 5700 kelvin tint beam from a gladiator R22 LED" or something.

Used to be you carried around a big ole Maglite that would roll around on the floor board until you hit the brakes then it would roll out from under the seat so you could grab it then you'd notice the bulb was blown from all that jostling around and have to fix it.

These days we have choices.
yes! exactly! my little corolla doesnt have a nice handy spot for the big ol judge dread maglight. what you recommend for a midsize light weight tactical?
 

jadedriver

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It has a lanyard hole, good throw, decent runtime, easy to check battery state of charge, just hold the button to achieve desired light level. Certainly your delivery truck has some place to store this until needed. A belt holster would work but if around the neck, placing it in a shirt pocket would be more comfortable, taking pressure off the neck. Consider either a (easy on the eyes) dedomed 519A 5700K or the 4000K SST-20 but one could go for maximum throw with a W1 or W2. There are other terrific choices in emitters.

The amber lit switch does it for me, giving enough light just from the switch for fully night adapted eyes basic close in navigation, but one would think either of the white switches may be good. Do not be concerned with the lighted switch draining the battery. While it is easy to slightly unscrew the tailcap to open the circuit, if you are using it for work, you will need to recharge it from that use anyway.

Have fun and get what you want. Maybe experiment.
theres choices for a "tube" what is that?
 

bykfixer

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yes! exactly! my little corolla doesnt have a nice handy spot for the big ol judge dread maglight. what you recommend for a midsize light weight tactical?
I'm an old school guy from incan days when a cop light was 6 or 7 D size so mid-size to me is a 3C Maglite ML50.
But to the modern warrior a mid-size could mean a 1aa light like a Fenix E12

Also being old school I prefer what's called primary batteries meaning disposables since they have power on demand. And lights that dim as the power drops. Rechargeables are great but sometimes the low volt protection circuit may trip if enough shock is applied like dropping it off a ladder. And many regulated lights can give sudden power loss. Regulated meaning brightness stays the same until the voltage of the battery drops below a certain amount. In some cases those dim quickly, like one second it's bright, the next it goes dim. Some shut off. No good in a truely life or death scenario.

The best option is what we call dual fuel capable. Meaning it can run off a disposable or rechargeable.
A good mid-size tactical should fit in a jacket pocket or clipped into a trouser pocket. One choice is the Streamlight ProTac 2L X flashlight that can use 2 CR123 batteries or an 18650 rechargeable. Lots of cops use those as a backup to their Streamlight Stinger.

Around here a lot of us use Malkoff or Elzetta lights but those are pricey. Streamlight is a good compromise between price and reliability and they have good customer service.
 
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jadedriver

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wanted to come back and thank everyone again...the throw on this catapolt is great. However, the power button feels the same as the underside charging port and you have to really "feel" for it which i find ruins this flashlight. the "clicking" action is also ackward. but its feel, ite weight, its throw and lumne is simply amazing. it has a firefly mode, which would be cool if you coudl program your desired light level. has a becan which is also cool as well as strobe. performance wise, its great.

so I'd like to go Juuuust a little smaller but keep the performance. was wondering if anyone wanted to chime in at all i would love ot hear what you think or have to say!
 

jadedriver

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Nitecore E4K, Nitecore T4K if you want smaller
ive ordered the T4K, the E4k looks great but the video shows its throw just isnt there. i have a feeling this ThruNite Catapult might be as good as ill find for the size as for as throw,but the ppower button just feels so foriegn and unnatural im just getting used to it. you have to "feel"for the power button. Ill let you know thanks!
 

jadedriver

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UPDATE: the Catapult flashlight has done the job, im happy with its throw, weight and size. I would like to have some adjustment on a few things, like the lightbug mode which id like a little brighter, to be able to adjust the hi and max beam and switch them around, make the strobe easier to activate. but my chief complaint and one that would keep me from recommending the light or buying another is the power button. even after months of use it is still difficult to find the power button, i dislike it very much. i thought id get used to it, but theres no getting used to it at all and i cant return it so its my flashlight until it breaks. you really have to "feel"around for it, first what side its on and then actually locating it. it take 1-2 seconds, way to long for something that should be instantaneous.
 

Poppy

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I see that you have come a long way around your requirement of a KEYCHAIN light.
As I read through your thread, I noted that I agreed with @KITROBASKIN when he said...
Certainly your delivery truck has some place to store this until needed.

I guess it was about 10-15 years ago, I helped my son's boss deliver Pizzas in a snow storm. I found that a fairly focused beam with only 100 lumens was enough to read addresses in my area. Here we have standard 1/5th acre lots, most homes have a 30 foot setback. Most have their address on the mailbox post. Your distances may be greater, and therefore your output needs may be greater, but I found that a 2AA Rayovac indestructible was sufficient for the task.

Now here is the point of my comment.
I used spring clips to hold a fake leather, vinyl bag to the ashtray of my car, and in it I have a Red traffic wand diffuser, that I use as a holster to keep the light in it tail first. It keeps it immediately at the ready.

Also to your point that a side switch may be cumbersome to locate by feel (because your eyes are still on the road), I like a tail switch. I always know where the bottom of the light is.
p2-0HXaVIAe3uVbqHZ06buqbYg=w422-h749-no?authuser=0.jpg
KSTyhDsTtPDkMSSgPzwD4X6jX=w1332-h749-no?authuser=0.jpg

I had to trim the rubber off of the tail cap to make it fit better, but that doesn't affect the functionality at all.

EDIT:
As I stated 100 focused lumens did the job, that's what my light was, it is an early model. They have since upped its output:
  • Lumens: 350 in high, 90 in low
  • Beam distance: 154 m in high
 
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